[GreenBow]

After much internal debate, I decided to back out of my Chord Dave purchase after all. What can I say, the Dave is just too rich for my blood. And for various reasons partly including price, the Chord Hugo TT2 is not what I’m after anymore either. I know this is not what Chord believes people want, but I’d rather Chord just maximize my dollars and simply make a nicer DAC only product. I could probably afford that much easier and I would be happier.

The Qutest is OK, but it lacks XLR out, it’s powered by a fragile Micro USB port, and I’d prefer a higher FPGA taps count. Whereas the TT2 has all that, but also adds all these other functions, and then is a bit too expensive to use as just a DAC. With the TT2, I feel that you have to like everything about it for that price to make sense. And there are things about it I don’t like as much as the DAC section. For better or worse, I’d much rather pick out my own headphone amplifier and preamplifier or integrated amplifier. And the Dave just makes my wallet cry, it’s far too pricy for me.

In the future, I would prefer Chord make something like a DAC only $3,000 Chord Qutest 2 with 100,000 taps, XLR out, and a high quality power supply (a quality built in PSU, a custom barrel plug for a quality external PSU, or a nice USB-C implementation, USB mini / micro is just the worst). Then have an optional matching $2,000 Chord Qutest M Scaler with half a million taps. For $5,000 total you could have a giant killer. Do that Chord and you have my money.

As it is, Chord’s solitary DAC only option is the Chord Qutest, with the Chord M Scaler as an optional upgrade. It’s an interesting if oddly mixed-matched upgrade path. For now, I think I’ll do something else that is a bit different and cheaper, like a nice separate DAC into a powerful headphone amplifier perhaps. It may not sound as good as a Chord DAC, but the budget and setup will be more to my liking. Otherwise, sorry Chord, but I will keep a hawkeye on your future products.

Yeah but a 100,000 tap Qutest is the TT2. Since the TT2 has supercaps, the SMPS is more than good enough. With TT2 you will never need a headphone amp cost. It depends on your budget, but your reasoning is ultimately leading you to the TT2.

Chord M-Scaler with half taps is unlikely, but not impossible I suppose. The reason to paraphrase Rob Watts loosely. At 500,000 taps, the M-Scaler is good, but the real magic happens at 1,000,000 taps.

 

[NeoDiNardo]

Yeah but a 100,000 tap Qutest is the TT2. Since the TT2 has supercaps, the SMPS is more than good enough. With TT2 you will never need a headphone amp cost. It depends on your budget, but your reasoning is ultimately leading you to the TT2.

Chord M-Scaler with half taps is unlikely, but not impossible I suppose. The reason to paraphrase Rob Watts loosely. At 500,000 taps, the M-Scaler is good, but the real magic happens at 1,000,000 taps.

I have thought about reordering the Chord Hugo TT2, but perhaps later on, I need to catch my breath financially and think about my options. I may be happier with a Chord Qutest, a Chord M Scaler, and a Pass Labs HPA-1 combo for example. In that scenario the M Scaler is purchased much later on. Or I could do a Schiit Yggdrasil Analog 2 and later on order a Luxman P-750U.

It’s not just the price of the TT2 that gives me pause. For one, I’m not fully sold on the controls and ease of use on the TT2. I don’t want to spin a colorful ball, I want a sexy feeling volume knob! I want my ports flush and my connections super flat. I want easy, intuitive, and direct controls. When I read that it’s easier to use the direct controls on the cheaper remote then it is to navigate the shiny controls on the unit itself, it breaks my heart. And seemingly the 1/8th audio plug is too awkwardly designed to be of any use. At the price of the TT2 I don’t want to have these admittedly minor issues.

At least with the Qutest, the price is such that I could just keep upgrading the the latest version of the Qutest as time marches on. It’s a nice flexibility vs a big TT2 purchase. Whatever audio synergy I lose by doing a separate headphone amp I feel I gain in having unlimited choices. You never know, I might just find a headphone amplifier I like better.

And it’s good to know that the M Scaler magic happens at a million taps per Rob Watts, now there’s no reason to wait for a cheaper version to come out.

 

[NeoDiNardo]

Were you planning on using hard to drive headphones or only the Focal Stellia? With the Dave or TT2, you wouldn’t need a separate amp and the headphone jack is basically a direct connection to the Dac, so get the most transparent sound. The mscaler and all the fancy cables are not needed.

The Dave sounds amazing on its own. The mscaler will bring it up another level but could easily live with just the Dave alone since it’s so enjoyable. I was able to find a used one under $6500, which is great value since I didn’t need to buy separate amp and end up with end game setup. But I’m sure there are other options out there for less that people love.

I was thinking that at one point I’d grab a nice planar magnetic headphone which may need some extra power to fully drive. I like the idea of extra headroom for better control and sound and I don’t want to feel limited. From the reviews I feel the TT2 has enough juice but the Dave could use a bit more power.

 

[NeoDiNardo]

Your thinking is very similar to mine before getting the chord dac. But I think Chord is maximizing the value because the quality of the direct connection to either a power amp or headphones. Hence saving money and giving higher quality. Only cases that is problematic is if you need a preamp for analogue source eg vinyl / tape or electrostatic headphones. But to my ears qutest is amazing value, would have no problem living with qutest especially with msc. For short cables I think unbalanced is fine ...

Thanks for the insight on the Chord Qutest, I may just order one of those up.

 

[muski]

Yeah but a 100,000 tap Qutest is the TT2. Since the TT2 has supercaps, the SMPS is more than good enough. With TT2 you will never need a headphone amp cost. It depends on your budget, but your reasoning is ultimately leading you to the TT2.

Chord M-Scaler with half taps is unlikely, but not impossible I suppose. The reason to paraphrase Rob Watts loosely. At 500,000 taps, the M-Scaler is good, but the real magic happens at 1,000,000 taps.

Very interesting idea. Take a little further in taps and cost and it'd be like a DAVE without a headphone stage. Qutest DAVE?

 

[MacedonianHero]

Very interesting idea. Take a little further in taps and cost and it'd be like a DAVE without a headphone stage. Qutest DAVE?

The DAVE doesn't have a separate headphone stage...that's part of it's magic and uber low distortion.

 

[NeoDiNardo]

Perhaps when the Dave 2.0 comes I’ll have Dave dollars in my wallet.

 

[F208Frank]

It definitely is one damn expensive device, that is for sure.

 

[NeoDiNardo]

You have no idea the relief I felt when the Dave order was refunded. It was like I bought a Porsche on a Subaru WRX budget and then the dealer took it back.

I used to be happy with components that only cost about $900 for a NAD Integrated Amplifier, $1000 for a flagship Denon CD / DVD Player, and $3000 for a pair of B&W 700 Series Speakers. Add $100 for cables and that’s a complete $5,000 system. One time I purchased a Sony Mini-Disc Recorder Deck for a mere $500. And that thing was awesome!! Now, if $5,000 covers a single audio item that I covet I feel lucky.

 

[ClicketEKlack]

You have no idea the relief I felt when the Dave order was refunded. It was like I bought a Porsche on a Subaru WRX budget and then the dealer took it back.

I used to be happy with components that only cost about $900 for a NAD Integrated Amplifier, $1000 for a flagship Denon CD / DVD Player, and $3000 for a pair of B&W 700 Series Speakers. Add $100 for cables and that’s a complete $5,000 system. One time I purchased a Sony Mini-Disc Recorder Deck for a mere $500. And that thing was awesome!! Now, if $5,000 covers a single audio item that I covet I feel lucky.

I hear you completely. I was contemplating a used DAVE, but given that we’re heading into a new Great Depression, I started to think bang for buck might be the path for me. Ordered a Topping D90/A90 stack and will call it a day until either I bank more money or the price of a used Dave falls a couple of K. Someday...

 

[endre83]

The only question is, how the value stable your purchase is and if you can afford loss in liquidity only. Buying used selling later with pp fees and a small loss is not a big issue. I was contemplating a DCS Bartok or DAVE , finding a good deal, not loosing too much money when I need to sell quickly: Luxury products keep value in depression aswell.

Now I am facing an other risk: Damage by my 9 month ols son OMG wracking the value of a used car on my desk in a weak moment of unawareness -.- Time to rethink

 

[GreenBow]

I have thought about reordering the Chord Hugo TT2, but perhaps later on, I need to catch my breath financially and think about my options. I may be happier with a Chord Qutest, a Chord M Scaler, and a Pass Labs HPA-1 combo for example. In that scenario the M Scaler is purchased much later on. Or I could do a Schiit Yggdrasil Analog 2 and later on order a Luxman P-750U.

It’s not just the price of the TT2 that gives me pause. For one, I’m not fully sold on the controls and ease of use on the TT2. I don’t want to spin a colorful ball, I want a sexy feeling volume knob! I want my ports flush and my connections super flat. I want easy, intuitive, and direct controls. When I read that it’s easier to use the direct controls on the cheaper remote then it is to navigate the shiny controls on the unit itself, it breaks my heart. And seemingly the 1/8th audio plug is too awkwardly designed to be of any use. At the price of the TT2 I don’t want to have these admittedly minor issues.

At least with the Qutest, the price is such that I could just keep upgrading the the latest version of the Qutest as time marches on. It’s a nice flexibility vs a big TT2 purchase. Whatever audio synergy I lose by doing a separate headphone amp I feel I gain in having unlimited choices. You never know, I might just find a headphone amplifier I like better.

And it’s good to know that the M Scaler magic happens at a million taps per Rob Watts, now there’s no reason to wait for a cheaper version to come out.

Am not trying to persuade you in any direction.

However the controls for the TT2 are not bad in any way. One button cycles through input select. One button powers on-off. The last button opens a menu - and I guess that is where any grumble may be. Personally I find it very easy to navigate. However it's even easier with the remote. You're left with choices like filter type, X-PHD, light dimming, to control via menu, or remote control. (I personally managed all that first time with no help, or referring to manual.) None of those menu options get used very often either, leaving no real ergonomic issue. It's eventually like set by remote and forget.

I do understand your feelings to a point. Sometimes I wish Chord volume controls were regular wheels or knobs to turn. I seem to recall when folk were discussing hopes for a Mojo TT, they wanted regular volume control. Am not biased either way.

TT2 volume control is never an issue though. If I am sat back I control volume via remote anyway. Either listening to TT2 driving speakers. (Remember that the TT2 is good enough to drive speakers.) Or if I am listening via headphones sat back, again it's remote operation. When I am sat near to TT2, it's natural to use the volume orb.

 

[JamieMcC]

Trying out something a little different today and hav made up some custom cables to run Dave direct to my speakers using Duelund gold platted UP-OCC copper RCA plugs and Duelund 16GA tin platted copper multistrand in a oiled cotton sleeve. It's a combination I've been wanting to try for a while.

Nice result and definitely a easily noticeable improvement over the cobbled together affaire I was previously using.

 

[STR-1]

@Rob Watts - Hi Rob, what are your thoughts on how vibration control with headphone-only systems might further elevate the performance of DAVE and/or M Scaler?

This is not something I have previously looked much into, being satisfied so far with my thick bamboo shelf Atacama equipment rack, but I am wondering if in the absence of significant structure-borne vibration there is more I can be doing to help drain away some of the devices’ small internal vibrations. Do the fitted feet help facilitate this, or are they more for decoupling from external vibrations? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[SuperBurrito]

I hear you completely. I was contemplating a used DAVE, but given that we’re heading into a new Great Depression, I started to think bang for buck might be the path for me. Ordered a Topping D90/A90 stack and will call it a day until either I bank more money or the price of a used Dave falls a couple of K. Someday...

Exactly - Dave will be around for a very, very long time on the used market, and prices will get cheaper. You can always wait and buy in the future at some point.