I can share with you my own experience.
If you've read my previous posts, you know that I have not found any significant difference from one source to another. If you recall, as a worse case scenario, I used a dirty 12-core Mac Pro with its switching PSU (which is a much dirtier source than any MacBook Pro as laptops contains lighter hardware with less RF and can run off batteries) connected to mains without line conditioning and with its standard 18g mains cable and to DAVE with a generic $10 USB cable. This was compared against a variety of purpose-built music servers ranging from an $8,000 Aurender N10, $3,500 Aurender X100L + $1,200 custom Kenneth Lau linear PSU, $3,000 custom built PC with Windows Server 2012 R2 core + Audiophile Optimizer + linear PSU, and a $300 Sonore Sonicorbiter SE (Roon endpoint) + linear PSU. While blinded, a group of 3 listeners could not state a preference for one source against another even though the optimized sources had the further advantage of being connected to a Son of Q balanced power supply (isolation transformer + RF filter) and benefited from expensive mains cables (Audience AU24SE or Digital Dynamics Challenger AE15 with active RF shield).
Well, I have compared one more source because I couldn't leave well enough alone. I was convinced I could find some source that the DAVE couldn't work its magic on. I currently have on hand an Oppo BDP-105D which is an excellent CD/SACD transport. Unlike typical CD/SACD transports, this unit is capable of Tidal streaming although those of you who have an Oppo know that Tidal streaming with the Oppo is
utterly horrible. While CD/SACD playback is reference quality, Tidal streaming sounds hollow and distant, worse than highly compressed MP3 playback from an iPhone. It is probably the worst implementation of Tidal streaming I have heard and I'm not sure why because the SQ I get from Netflix streaming from the Oppo is very good. Well, I connected this Oppo unit to DAVE via my optical cable and as expected, CD and SACD playback is excellent, as good as any of the other sources I previously mentioned. To my surprise (but maybe by now, I shouldn't be surprised), Tidal playback from the Oppo through the DAVE is also utterly spectacular and as good as any of the sources listed above. If there was maybe a small iota of doubt I had before, that doubt is now gone. Just feed the DAVE a bit-perfect file and find yourself rewarded. I suspect you could stream a bit-perfect file wirelessly to the DAVE through Bluetooth and it would sound just as good. Perhaps a feature to consider for the future?
Now what about DAVE itself? As I shared with you, mechanical isolation matters. What about the quality of mains power to the DAVE? Here is the standard 18g US mains cable that came with my DAVE. I had not used it on the DAVE until now:
Here is the $3,500 Dynamic Design Challenger AE15 mains cable I have been using with the DAVE.
This mains cable is specifically designed for low power digital front ends like a DAC and has an active battery-operated RF shield and I can verify this shield works. As you turn the shield from on to off with a switch, the music becomes less illuminated and probably has a similar impact as Shunyata's or Isotek's digital mains cables with RF shields. Could the cheap 18g mains cable that comes with the DAVE sound as good as this expensive specialty cable? Furthermore, with the DAVE, does a dedicated line conditioner/isolation transformer make a difference?
Well, here is my testing methodology:
1. DAVE with cheap 18g mains cable > direct to wall VS expensive mains cable > direct to wall.
2. DAVE with cheap 18g mains cable > direct to wall VS expensive mains cable > Son of Q (isolation transformer + RF conditioner) > wall
3. DAVE with cheap 18g mains cable > Son of Q > wall VS expensive mains cable > Son of Q > wall
My listening room / home office has a dedicated AC line with good earth ground although this line also powers LED and incandescent lights in the room, a large LED television, several computers, computer monitor, scanner and printer, speaker amp and powered subwoofer. My HE-1000 was used and connected to DAVE via DHC cable. Two-channel was also evaluated. Three tracks were chosen for their wide dynamic range, complexity and because I know them well. I used (1) a DXD recording by 2L of Mozart's Requiem, a complex passage that contains amazing depth and a large chamber choir, (2) an organ improvisation of Deilig er Jorden (Fairest Lord Jesus), another DXD recording by 2L that I chose for its complex and rich bass dimensionality and (3) Beethoven's Piano Sonata No 29, a 16/44 recording performed by Alessio Bax, a young up-and-coming pianist I saw live a few months ago.
This is what I found. While unfiltered power to components pre-DAVE (ie music server, CD transport) don't seem to impact the DAVE, good power to the DAVE
does make a noticeable difference and while this difference is not as pronounced as I have heard with my other DACs, it is noticeable even with blind testing.
In each scenario, when DAVE was connected to the expensive mains cable, the volume seemed elevated and this is how I could so easily pick it out even when blinded. I have noticed this phenomenon in the past with my other DACs and it isn't because the SPL is actually higher but more likely because the noise floor is lower and the dynamic contrasts are greater. The highs are more extended, easily noticeable at the 45 second mark on Mozart's Requiem. There is also more definition to the bass with the bass layers more finely delineated on the organ track. On the Alessio Bax track, when he is hammering on the upper register keys of the piano, with the expensive mains cable, there is clearer delineation of the keys whereas with the cheap mains cable, there is more noticeable smearing. On 5/5 tries, when blinded, I was able to accurately pick out the more expensive mains cable.
When the cheap mains cable was kept plugged into the wall and the expensive cable was plugged into the Son of Q conditioner, this delta widened further although the benefit was less pronounced compared to the expensive cable by itself. When the cheap mains cable itself was plugged into the Son of Q, the gap became narrower. Both with and without the Son of Q, there was no noticeable compromise in dynamics, a claim made by some against line conditioners. It became clear to me that both the isolation transformer/RF conditioner and the more expensive mains cable resulted in additive improvements essentially leading to a darker, more dynamic and refined presentation. The effect was more noticeable on headphones than it was on 2-channel and I surmise that this is because "direct to DAC" is more capable of revealing improvements.
These are my personal observations about the DAVE so far:
1. The digital file matters. There is a clear improvement with my 24/192 and DXD recordings over 16/44 (I'm not talking about upsampled music but native recordings). While PCM is technically superior to DSD, DSD and
especially DSD128 can sound very good. Unfortunately, since Roon cannot currently play DSD256 via DoP, I am unable to play my native DSD256 recordings and I am left wondering how good this sounds through the DAVE. Regardless, I am pleased the DAVE is so versatile.
2. While the digital file matters, the digital file server does not (and I never thought I would ever be saying that). Simple bit-perfect delivery even with a cheap USB or optical cable is all that is required.
3. The DAVE benefits from mechanic isolation, especially with 2 channel.
4. The DAVE benefits from clean mains power. While Rob has done a splendid job of isolating the DAVE against its own switching PSU, a mains cable with good RF shielding can make a noticeable difference. While some believe connecting a DAC to a dedicated line conditioner can potentially rob it of some of its dynamic potential, with either the Audience aR6-TSSOX passive conditioner that I have on hand as well as the Son of Q transformer-based conditioner that I have decided to replace the Audience unit with, I have not found this to be the case. With these types of devices, YMMV and will depend on how much noise is in your mains line and so try before you buy. In my system, the DAVE with the cheap mains cable by no means sounds harsh or lifeless but my better mains cable + isolation transformer / RF filter clearly adds a desirable sense of refinement.
6. While the quality of digital interconnects don't seem to matter, the quality of analog interconnects, headphone cables and speaker cables absolutely matter as the DAVE has the potential to reveal the best qualities but also the limitations and flaws of such cables.
7. With the DAVE, headphones potentially will sound better than 2 channel or any scenario where you have to add an outboard preamp or amplifier. At the present time, because most DACs do not have the ability to connect directly to a headphone without an intermediary amplifier, it is my belief that the DAVE is
the best headphone DAC in the world for
most headphones. The immediacy and clarity that this direct connection provides cannot be overstated and while I cannot speak for the preference of others, personally, I would try to find another headphone before I considered adding a headphone amplifier. As for 2-channel, for me it is a forgone conclusion that I will be adding Chord's new amp to my system once it becomes available if it provides the same level of transparency I am getting now with my HE-1000 direct to DAVE.