[dmance]

I think I've lost some respect for Darko.Audio ...who in this review, chose to test the Genelec 8341 active monitors with a Chord DAVE ...and went about to comment on the sound quality. Well, Hello John!, the Genelec analog inputs are converted to digital (24/96), then DSP processed, then converted back to analog (24/96) for amplification. So all DAVE's timing accuracy, up-sampling to 768khz and output stage transparency are mostly wasted.. Oh, well ...he still says the DAVE sounds great !

 

[dmance]

Have you receive the USB to TOSLINK converter? https://www.aliexpress.com/item/HIF...gital-interface-MuRata-Audio/32813688802.html.
If yes, does it works?

Still waiting for shipping from China. 35 more days....!

 

[dac64]

Still waiting for shipping from China. 35 more days....!

 

[Hifi Boy]

@Triode User

I see, so it was on for a fact because I listened a CD, so that means I was either lestening to 500K or in the best case 1M taps

@TheAttorney

This just goes to show that I wasn't crazy. But it doesn't explain why either you, me or anyone who says they were not impressed by Blu2 say so, when most people say its sublime. There has to be something missing in the equation. I will without a doubt admit that Dave is clearly better at 150K taps vs Hugo2's 50K taps. So 500K/1M should be clearly discernible over 150K, but to me, it wasn't. For the record I listened to Blu2 + Dave, through Dave's headphone out.

And yes, I share your view of HEK + solo Dave. Same opinion, sounds great, no fault to the sound presentation at all.

 

[Hifi Boy]

I think I've lost some respect for Darko.Audio ...who in this review, chose to test the Genelec 8341 active monitors with a Chord DAVE ...and went about to comment on the sound quality. Well, Hello John!, the Genelec analog inputs are converted to digital (24/96), then DSP processed, then converted back to analog (24/96) for amplification. So all DAVE's timing accuracy, up-sampling to 768khz and output stage transparency are mostly wasted.. Oh, well ...he still says the DAVE sounds great !

He added Dave to his Dac index at the Premiere league level.

Well, that's all fine and good, but the problem is that Hugo2 is in that tier as well. We here know for a fact that Hugo2 is not in the same league as Dave, so this is certainly doing injustice to Dave. It would be better if he just made a new Ultra Premier League tier and placed Dave there, the index would make a lot more sense.

https://darko.audio/the-darko-dac-index/

 

[Sonic77]

He added Dave to his Dac index at the Premiere league level.

Well, that's all fine and good, but the problem is that Hugo2 is in that tier as well. We here know for a fact that Hugo2 is not in the same league as Dave, so this is certainly doing injustice to Dave. It would be better if he just made a new Ultra Premier League tier and placed Dave there, the index would make a lot more sense.

https://darko.audio/the-darko-dac-index/

Or Hugo2 should be kicked down to Division 1, where it belongs. PSA DS is in his Premier league, where it belongs.

 

[doraymon]

Or Hugo2 should be kicked down to Division 1, where it belongs. PSA DS is in his Premier league, where it belongs.

Or maybe it’s a value for money league...

 

[Hifi Boy]

Or Hugo2 should be kicked down to Division 1, where it belongs. PSA DS is in his Premier league, where it belongs.

Hehe, careful now. There are may Chord fans in this thread.

Anyways, I've never had the opportunity to hear anything above Torreys on the DS, so I can't say. Your heard both Dave and RedCloud I presume, so you'd be in a better position to judge.

 

[Hifi Boy]

Or maybe it’s a value for money league...

H2 is an insane value for money, no doubt about that.

 

[Mojo ideas]

Or Hugo2 should be kicked down to Division 1, where it belongs. PSA DS is in his Premier league, where it belongs.

Unfair comment when technically few other DACs on the planet come anywhere near the true performance of Hugo 2. Of course you may say well he would say that wouldn’t he, but it’s verifiably an accurate statement.

 

[Triode User]

Hehe, careful now. There are may Chord fans in this thread.

Anyways, I've never had the opportunity to hear anything above Torreys on the DS, so I can't say. Your heard both Dave and RedCloud I presume, so you'd be in a better position to judge.

I have heard Dave compared to RedCloud on a DirectStream in the same system and listening to the same music. Back to back, direct comparison. Dave wins hands down for me but that is not to deride the PSA DirectStream DAC which is a class act. More it's just that Dave does everything for me in a way that I prefer. Then we tried Blu2 and that just hammered down the nails in the coffin.

 

[Hifi Boy]

I have heard Dave compared to RedCloud on a DirectStream in the same system and listening to the same music. Back to back, direct comparison. Dave wins hands down for me but that is not to deride the PSA DirectStream DAC which is a class act. More it's just that Dave does everything for me in a way that I prefer. Then we tried Blu2 and that just hammered down the nails in the coffin.

I know what you mean. It would seem to me that maybe people who don't see Dave as being far ahead of DS, may not care all that much about certain aspects that Dave is good at. Namely, the spatial reproduction.

It could vey well be the case that DS and Dave are close in some other aspect that Sonic77 cares more about.

 

[Thenewguy007]

I know what you mean. It would seem to me that maybe people who don't see Dave as being far ahead of DS, may not care all that much about certain aspects that Dave is good at. Namely, the spatial reproduction.

It could vey well be the case that DS and Dave are close in some other aspect that Sonic77 cares more about.

Well he did say the DS had a fuller sound & not as bright. That's definitely a sound preference.

I've seen a review of the Blu2/Dave combo that said it made the Dave sound thin in comparison when using it without the Blu2. Anyone else think maybe the Dave could benefit in having a more thicker meaty sound?

 

[Sonic77]

Ok so we all have difference of opinions, it's all good

Hehe, careful now. There are may Chord fans in this thread.

Anyways, I've never had the opportunity to hear anything above Torreys on the DS, so I can't say. Your heard both Dave and RedCloud I presume, so you'd be in a better position to judge.

Oh yeah Red cloud is a whole different animal.

Unfair comment when technically few other DACs on the planet come anywhere near the true performance of Hugo 2. Of course you may say well he would say that wouldn’t he, but it’s verifiably an accurate statement.

Unfair your biased, lol.

I have heard Dave compared to RedCloud on a DirectStream in the same system and listening to the same music. Back to back, direct comparison. Dave wins hands down for me but that is not to deride the PSA DirectStream DAC which is a class act. More it's just that Dave does everything for me in a way that I prefer. Then we tried Blu2 and that just hammered down the nails in the coffin.

I'm surprised you said that! Shocking!

Well he did say the DS had a fuller sound & not as bright. That's definitely a sound preference.

I've seen a review of the Blu2/Dave combo that said it made the Dave sound thin in comparison when using it without the Blu2. Anyone else think maybe the Dave could benefit in having a more thicker meaty sound?

Yes

I know what you mean. It would seem to me that maybe people who don't see Dave as being far ahead of DS, may not care all that much about certain aspects that Dave is good at. Namely, the spatial reproduction.

It could vey well be the case that DS and Dave are close in some other aspect that Sonic77 cares more about.

Exactly.

 

[Deftone]

Gents, I am sorry if this is irrelevant, but i know most of you know about the Hugo TT.
I am getting an offer of a demo HugoTT for 2000 GBP from an authorized dealer with warranty.
1- Should I get Hugo TT for 2k pounds?
2- Or Should i go with Qutest+ quality headamp ?
3- Suck it with a mojo and save up for the Dave?

4- Get a Mojo and some decent IEMs, spend rest of the money on traveling/holidays and take Mojo with you.