CHORD ELECTRONICS DAVE

[Kamil21]

 


It got complicated and I got busy and still am, so I'll skip my more elaborate jokey reviews and get to the bottom line(s):


 


I felt DAVE was better than Yggy. They shared the same neutral sound signature, but DAVE did everything better. But then it started getting complicated, because the difference was not that big and definitely not big enough to justify the huge price increase. And the digital interconnect was CRUCIAL in this comparison. I used a loan Audioquest Vodka toslink cable for my Nagra CDC -> DAVE for the whole weekend. When I went back to the NAGRA ->Yggy at the end, using my incumbent  Monoprice toslink, the Yggy sounded rather unpleasant in comparison, in a slightly glassy, digital way - not a way I had previously considered it.


 


At that point I was ready to write out a cheque for DAVE. But then I noticed that I had accidentally set the wrong input on the Yggy and I was in fact listening to my Monoprice RCA coax (which I had previously found to be weaker than toslink in this combination). When I switched Yggy to toslink, the sound immediately improved and was closer (but still not equal) to DAVE. Then I switched in the Vodka toslink and wow, my Yggy sounded really close to the DAVE (from an hour ago memory).


 


I then ran out of time and had to pack up the DAVE (or buy it). On this evidence, I couldn't possibly justify the extra cost of the DAVE. However, I really like it as a package, i.e. all those functions inside such a small footprint. And I have no reason to disbelieve the rave reviews in this thread. So I'll give it the following benefits of doubt: The burn-in time was 5-6 days which is probably still not nearly enough time for it to fully blossom; it was perched on a cardboard box alongside my main stack; I used DAVE's stock power chord  connected to wall socket, whereas YGGY had an audiophile power chord connected to my posh Audience conditioner.


 


I'd have hoped that a truly great component could rise above such background limitations, but maybe I was being unfair. So I'm thinking of getting it on a longer loan period after the dealer has further burned it in. This time I'll keep it for a couple of weeks so I don't have to rush it like last weekend.


 


Oh, and I'll be trying the TOTL Audioquest Diamond toslink as well. I can't believe how sensitive my Nagra->Yggy is to the digital interconnect. I've yet to determine if the same applies to DAVE.


 


So, at least for the moment, DAVE has left the building.

What a refreshing review, thank you. In the context of your system, I look forward to further developments.

 

[analogmusic]

I think lots of people are not able to appreciate the Chord DAC properly due to the music being played
 
For me yesterday night I did a test of Hugo vs another hi end digital source, and as Rob Watts promised, I could easily hear the starting and ending of Piano notes, which were blurred in the other DAC.
 
Game over for the other source.
 
Simple as that, really.
 
The Piano is very difficult for a conventional DAC to reproduce properly and will show up weaknesses.
 
I also have an electric Piano at home, and when I played some chopin through Hugo into my main hi-fi system, my wife came around and asked, is that our daughter playing Piano, she is playing very nicely. 
 
So the Hugo fooled my wife into thinking a real musical instrument was playing.

 

[TheAttorney]

No shadow on you, but some points i have to mention about your review/impressions:

I can understand that you had a hard time to hear the difference if it was 1 hour in btw the listenings of Yggy and DAVE, because the human brain does not have any good listening-hearing memory at all, so it is very easy to be tricked buy your self when you A + B testing a device where it is just subtle diffrence in btw if you go through a separate pre-amp that works as a filter and cut off the greatness in transparency and detail / dept. So in the end a Mono priced DAC can sound as good as a High End priced DAC for example.

Attorney: I've been round the block a few times with highend hifi and I do understand the pros and cons of different styles of comparison tests and human fallibility. I'm also not trying to convert anyone that my style is better than anyone elses. But it works for me. If I feel I can tell the difference between the direction of a fuse in an AC circuit, then I'm comfortable that I can spot differences between 2 DACs. I do think though, that on some days, our mood and circumstance make us more discerning than other days. We are after all only human (well, most of us anyway). 

So im sorry, but i think your honest reveiw just confuse people here to give them hope that a $4 grand DAC play almost in the same leauge which maybe is true in your setup, but i am sure you had not felt this in a TOTL rig without separate preamp.

Attorney: I don't understand your comment about a separate preamp. Both DAVE and Yggy went straight into a fully tweaked BHSE/009 combination, which many would consider to be amongst the most resolving headphone setups commercially available. I hope my review has shown that the term YMMV applies to DAVE as it does to any other component. And that no new component will automatically solve all your hifi problems. It's possible it might, but don't assume it.  

I should add that I also briefly tried DAVE's headphone socket with the only proper dynamic headphone I had, the mid-range Senn HD600. This in comparison to the headphone output of my Nagra CDC. These two had quite different sound signatures, but sadly I wasn't blown away by the DAVE in this comparison. The DAVE won on transients and definition, but the Nagra's more forward nature meshes nicely with the HD600's tonal balance. This was a very brief test though. There had been no burn-in for the DAVE's headphone section, which may or may not have been significant..    

Then cables...

Cables, cables, cables...

Attorney: Yes indeed. All I'll say is that I treat cables in the same "black box" open minded manner as I do with any main component. If I hear something interesting then I'll call it out.

 

[rkt31]

some good reviews and positive responses about yggy in these forums but why yggy has no reviews by hi fi magazines and other websites ? every time chord releases a dac and there is some post of comparison between that chord dac and yggy in
some thread. is not it surprising ? these tactics may increase the sale of yggy to some extent may not change the fact that chord DACs have more advance superior technology. I think to judge the superiority of chord DACs , a busy action scene like attack on nick fury's suv on captain America and winter soldier movie can be a great test. the dac which conveys the realism and dynamism better is definitely superior. I have watched so many movies with Hugo in 2 channel mode, believe me the kind of dynamism and realism Hugo provided is much more superior to DACs based on regular dac chips.

 

[6RS]

   
And now comes the more controversial part... The reason why I believe Rob Watts is because I hear what he is talking about when I listen to QBD76HDSD or Mojo. I do find the sound more natural, the transients more precise, the lower noise floor of the Mojo leading to a warmer sound with more depth and 3-dimensionality. And when I listen to other DACs, like Sabre chip basd DACs, I find the sound to be brighter or harsher and the instruments not as natural. Or when I listen to a high-end R2R DAC recently, I hear the issues with low-level linearity and distortion of the timbre of some instruments with softer sound/volume depending on whether there are other louder instruments playing simultaneously. But the owners or dealers of these other DACs often find them to be superior to say the Chord Mojo. 

I concur. I have a Hugo and the Mojo, and love them both. I wish I had money for a Dave, but it will not happen. 
I owned quite few DACs, Weiss Dac2, Metrum Octave, Nuforce HDP. All these were good machines. But only with Hugo and Mojo am I truly satisfied, in the sense there is no listening fatigue. And the upgrade bug has left too.

 

[highendhifi]

Picked up an istoek syncro cable-do I recall right that some of you guys have used into power conditioners and also direct into power amp? Thoughts? Sorry if OT

 

[lovethatsound]

some good reviews and positive responses about yggy in these forums but why yggy has no reviews by hi fi magazines and other websites ? every time chord releases a dac and there is some post of comparison between that chord dac and yggy in
some thread. is not it surprising ? these tactics may increase the sale of yggy to some extent may not change the fact that chord DACs have more advance superior technology. I think to judge the superiority of chord DACs , a busy action scene like attack on nick fury's suv on captain America and winter soldier movie can be a great test. the dac which conveys the realism and dynamism better is definitely superior. I have watched so many movies with Hugo in 2 channel mode, believe me the kind of dynamism and realism Hugo provided is much more superior to DACs based on regular dac chips.

I think the only reason that the yggy has had no reviews in hifi magazines is that the makers of the yggy haven't sent any in for review,indeed that's the only reason.Attorney if you like the sound of the yggy more than the sound of the Dave then indeed you have saved yourself alot of money and all the best to you.People will always have different ideas to how music should sound.

 

[TheAttorney]

some good reviews and positive responses about yggy in these forums but why yggy has no reviews by hi fi magazines and other websites ?

.... may not change the fact that chord DACs have more advance superior technology.

If you go to the ex-pirates site, the one with the DAC Chart of Awesomeness, you'll see that Yggy is right at the top of the chart, and various Chord products are near the bottom, with lots of criticism particularly thrown at the Hugo. Personally, I don't buy that.
 
If you go to the Other Site, you'll see generally scathing comments about just about everything and everyone including Chord, although Yggy has it's share of supporters. Personally, I don't like that level of negativity, but if it makes them happy....
 
Every DAC designer and their followers lay claim to having something superior to everything else. I don't buy that either. I just listen to the end result.
As I keep saying, I really like the DAVE concept, so I'm still thinking of giving it another try.

 

[rgs9200m]

  I concur. I have a Hugo and the Mojo, and love them both. I wish I had money for a Dave, but it will not happen. 
I owned quite few DACs, Weiss Dac2, Metrum Octave, Nuforce HDP. All these were good machines. But only with Hugo and Mojo am I truly satisfied, in the sense there is no listening fatigue. And the upgrade bug has left too.

If you can manage to fund the Hugo TT, you will be very happy.

 

[smial1966]

It took me quite a while to truly appreciate the sonic attributes of DAVE - probably about a month or around 200 hours of burn-in - as my sonic benchmarks were NOS R2R DAC's and initially I missed that 'analogue warmth'. However, after really listening to the resolving power and musicality of DAVE I'm an FPGA convert, as DAVE sucks the minutiae from recordings and allows a glimpse into the performers true intent without ever sounding harsh (unless the recording is atrocious) or digitally sterile - I'm referring to most Sabre DAC's here.

So please don't judge DAVE after a relatively short listen. Better to let your audio dealer burn DAVE in for a month or so and then revisit it. Use a decent USB cable and you will be rewarded with a sonic tour de force.

If you go to the ex-pirates site, the one with the DAC Chart of Awesomeness, you'll see that Yggy is right at the top of the chart, and various Chord products are near the bottom, with lots of criticism particularly thrown at the Hugo. Personally, I don't buy that.

If you go to the Other Site, you'll see generally scathing comments about just about everything and everyone including Chord, although Yggy has it's share of supporters. Personally, I don't like that level of negativity, but if it makes them happy....

Every DAC designer and their followers lay claim to having something superior to everything else. I don't buy that either. I just listen to the end result.
As I keep saying, I really like the DAVE concept, so I'm still thinking of giving it another try.

 

[Beolab]

Massive Stand...... Ha Ha Ha.

This is a massive Chord Electronics stand ;




  

Thats looks more like a small tivoli

I meant the thickness of the Modular stand by massiveness

 

[Beolab]

It took me quite a while to truly appreciate the sonic attributes of DAVE - probably about a month or around 200 hours of burn-in - as my sonic benchmarks were NOS R2R DAC's and initially I missed that 'analogue warmth'. However, after really listening to the resolving power and musicality of DAVE I'm an FPGA convert, as DAVE sucks the minutiae from recordings and allows a glimpse into the performers true intent without ever sounding harsh (unless the recording is atrocious) or digitally sterile - I'm referring to most Sabre DAC's here.

So please don't judge DAVE after a relatively short listen. Better to let your audio dealer burn DAVE in for a month or so and then revisit it. Use a decent USB cable and you will be rewarded with a sonic tour de force.

Good input!

 

[JaZZ]

It took me quite a while to truly appreciate the sonic attributes of DAVE - probably about a month or around 200 hours of burn-in - as my sonic benchmarks were NOS R2R DAC's and initially I missed that 'analogue warmth'. However, after really listening to the resolving power and musicality of DAVE I'm an FPGA convert, as DAVE sucks the minutiae from recordings and allows a glimpse into the performers true intent without ever sounding harsh (unless the recording is atrocious) or digitally sterile - I'm referring to most Sabre DAC's here.

So please don't judge DAVE after a relatively short listen. Better to let your audio dealer burn DAVE in for a month or so and then revisit it. Use a decent USB cable and you will be rewarded with a sonic tour de force.
 

If you go to the ex-pirates site, the one with the DAC Chart of Awesomeness, you'll see that Yggy is right at the top of the chart, and various Chord products are near the bottom, with lots of criticism particularly thrown at the Hugo. Personally, I don't buy that.

If you go to the Other Site, you'll see generally scathing comments about just about everything and everyone including Chord, although Yggy has it's share of supporters. Personally, I don't like that level of negativity, but if it makes them happy....

Every DAC designer and their followers lay claim to having something superior to everything else. I don't buy that either. I just listen to the end result.
As I keep saying, I really like the DAVE concept, so I'm still thinking of giving it another try.

 
I agree on this. It's not an analoguish sound by any means, but it's as far from digital sound as I heard digital recordings sound. Since I received DAVE four weeks ago I seem to like it even better every day. Hard to tell if it's due to break-in, too many variables in play (search for optimal EQ settings for every headphone), but I definitely remember that I was slightly irritated by a hint of treble emphasis the first day, which was gone the next day. In any event I'm ready to believe that in the ~170 hours it's been turned on the sound has improved and maybe it's still improving.
 
Most likely it's the last DAC for me. I don't know where I would want the sound to improve. The most impressive thing is depth. As soon as there's a tiny bit of reverberation in the recording, it creates a phenomenal threedimensionality, and this without any artificiality.
 
Well, on the headphone side an improvement would certainly be possible (although maybe not at present), but all in all I'm satisfied. At most the problem is to be spoilt by choice.

 

[highendhifi]

In anticipation of DAVE joining me, I spent the morning moving cables and interconnects around in my system along with the addition of an Evo3 syncro cable I picked up. I couldn't put it into my sigmas GII as the female socket on that has horizontal slots rather than the usual IEC vertical arrangement of 3 holes/pins so I put the syncro into my Bryston 14B. Weirdly it seemed to raise audible hum from the amp itself. I've also put my BP26 pre into my Sigmas which it wasn't before and I've also given my Rega Isis some love by giving it the Atlas Asimi XLR and Van den Hul mainsstream BS power cable which were connected to my bcd1.
Wow. There is such an increase in dynamics, prescence, it seems so much more alive! I can't hear any deliterious effects to the noise floor, quite the opposite so I don't know what the audible hum (when no music and ear next to the amp) is about when before it wasn't audible at all. Weird.
Can't wait to put DAVE in the mix.....

 

[lovethatsound]

In anticipation of DAVE joining me, I spent the morning moving cables and interconnects around in my system along with the addition of an Evo3 syncro cable I picked up. I couldn't put it into my sigmas GII as the female socket on that has horizontal slots rather than the usual IEC vertical arrangement of 3 holes/pins so I put the syncro into my Bryston 14B. Weirdly it seemed to raise audible hum from the amp itself. I've also put my BP26 pre into my Sigmas which it wasn't before and I've also given my Rega Isis some love by giving it the Atlas Asimi XLR and Van den Hul mainsstream BS power cable which were connected to my bcd1.
Wow. There is such an increase in dynamics, prescence, it seems so much more alive! I can't hear any deliterious effects to the noise floor, quite the opposite so I don't know what the audible hum (when no music and ear next to the amp) is about when before it wasn't audible at all. Weird.
Can't wait to put DAVE in the mix.....

Sounds like you've got some sort of earthing problem to me.Try changing the cable,or you could try earthing the amp case.