CHORD ELECTRONICS DAVE

[rkt31]

seems majority of dave owners are using it with headphones. is anybody using dave directly to power amp and speakers set up ? I have Hugo and despite headphones giving slightly more details , I prefer my speaker set up with Hugo as it gives the feel of being right in front of the performers !

 

[bigfatpaulie]

   
paul,
 
this the HD800 or S?
I found the HD800S even more smooth and on the Nagra, maybe too much so. Works great with solo material as one feels the essence of being next to the player(s) but not so much when mimicking a loud ear-killing live rock concert.  Here, I feel the DAVE with the HD800S or HE1000 can handle the presentation.  Of course, I can dial down the ear-splitting levels to actually enjoy the music at home and one never can at the live venue.
 
paul 

 
Non-S.  Un-modded, but with a double helix Compliment 4 cable.  I think (and this is me) that the S's lose that sparkle or edge that makes the 800's what they are. 
 
Out of interest, which headphones do you find yourself reaching for the most?

 

[bigfatpaulie]

  Hi All you lucky and fortunate DAVE Owners.   Hope all of you are enjoying this amazing DAC from a great British company. 
 
Have any of you lucky people heard the DAVE with say a HD800 or HiFiMan HE100 vs the DAVE connected to the BHSE and Stax 009's ?.    
 
If you have, would sincerely appreciate if you could share your thoughts.  

 
I've heard the 009's with the BHSE a few times (but not with a DAVE in the mix).  I personally never cared for them - a bit sterile for my tastes, lacking in body.  The 800's lose some microdetail that the 9's have but gain a certain aplomb or texture.  I prefer the 800's + Stratus by a mile.  
 
The 009 + BHSE + DAVE may be a different story, but I think the 009's are what they are.  If I were a Stax guy the 007s would be my poison.  The DAVE + BHSE + 007's may be a different story. 

 

[shuttlepod]

seems majority of dave owners are using it with headphones. is anybody using dave directly to power amp and speakers set up ? I have Hugo and despite headphones giving slightly more details , I prefer my speaker set up with Hugo as it gives the feel of being right in front of the performers !

Although my experience with DAVE is fairly short so far, I am certain that I will be using it with my speaker-based system more than with headphones. Since I have an integrated amp, I don't run it in "digital preamp" mode, I run it in "DAC" mode. Perhaps when Chord comes out with the "digital amp" that Rob is working on, I'll try the DAVE direct-to-amp.
 
I find that the depth one hears with headphones is simply greater in magnitude with speakers. Of course there are other aspects (e.g., micro details) that one hears more easily with headphones. They both have a time and place.  

 

[yellowblue]

I had the HD800 with Anax-mod and unmodded the HD800 after a while because they were smooth even without mod (but that´s also a question about which cable you use) on the Dave. Just now I have the Superdupont-mod installed and find that to be a perfect compromise between the HD800 and HD800S.

 

[ecwl]

seems majority of dave owners are using it with headphones. is anybody using dave directly to power amp and speakers set up ? I have Hugo and despite headphones giving slightly more details , I prefer my speaker set up with Hugo as it gives the feel of being right in front of the performers !

Although my experience with DAVE is fairly short so far, I am certain that I will be using it with my speaker-based system more than with headphones. Since I have an integrated amp, I don't run it in "digital preamp" mode, I run it in "DAC" mode. Perhaps when Chord comes out with the "digital amp" that Rob is working on, I'll try the DAVE direct-to-amp.
 
I find that the depth one hears with headphones is simply greater in magnitude with speakers. Of course there are other aspects (e.g., micro details) that one hears more easily with headphones. They both have a time and place.  

I almost listen to DAVE exclusively with speakers. My best headphones is HD650. I always enjoy the depth and micro details speakers provide more than headphones because it feels more like it's in real space. I use DAVE for volume control, directly connected to my power amplifier and stereo powered subwoofers. I have a strong suspicion the difference in depth you're hearing is predominantly due to the transparency of the preamplifier section of your integrated amplifier. I used to have the $4500 Sanders preamplifier which was superbly transparent except when I took it out, my Chord QBD76HDSD achieved a completely higher level of transparency.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[shuttlepod]

I almost listen to DAVE exclusively with speakers. My best headphones is HD650. I always enjoy the depth and micro details speakers provide more than headphones because it feels more like it's in real space. I use DAVE for volume control, directly connected to my power amplifier and stereo powered subwoofers. I have a strong suspicion the difference in depth you're hearing is predominantly due to the transparency of the preamplifier section of your integrated amplifier. I used to have the $4500 Sanders preamplifier which was superbly transparent except when I took it out, my Chord QBD76HDSD achieved a completely higher level of transparency.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No preamp might well be more transparent but I'm in no hurry to get rid of my integrated as I anticipate there will be exceptional transparency and synergy with Rob's new digital amp -- though I suspect that will happen in 2017 at the earliest. 

 

[Kakki]

Seeing the diagram Rob provided, I assume that the DX power amp receives 16FS digital signals from Dave.
In this case, the DX power amp will not appreciate the remaining interpolations, 17th order noise shapers, and 20 elements pulse array DAC in Dave?
 
I remember that Rob indicated that there will be 2 grades of DX power amp ... one is Hugo grade and another Dave grade coming later.
If we would want to enjoy Dave grade sound quality with speakers, we need to go for Dave + Dave grade DX power amp as more than half of the data processing happens in the DX power amp?
 
Quote:

  Chord's Korean distributor asked for a simple block diagram for Dave so here goes:
 

 

[lojay]

Hi All you lucky and fortunate DAVE Owners.   Hope all of you are enjoying this amazing DAC from a great British company. 

Have any of you lucky people heard the DAVE with say a HD800 or HiFiMan HE100 vs the DAVE connected to the BHSE and Stax 009's ?.    

If you have, would sincerely appreciate if you could share your thoughts.  

I've heard the 009's with the BHSE a few times (but not with a DAVE in the mix).  I personally never cared for them - a bit sterile for my tastes, lacking in body.  The 800's lose some microdetail that the 9's have but gain a certain aplomb or texture.  I prefer the 800's + Stratus by a mile.  

The 009 + BHSE + DAVE may be a different story, but I think the 009's are what they are.  If I were a Stax guy the 007s would be my poison.  The DAVE + BHSE + 007's may be a different story. 

In my rig I use the HD800 (semi modded), HE1000 and SR009 with the DAVE. The former two are directly connected to the DAVE's headphone output whilst the SR009 is connected via the DIY T2.

I suspect that the BHSE is what is imposing on the SR009 its sterile character. I had a number of amps for the SR009 over the years and the headphone changes its character dramatically and fundamentally with the amp. I find the DAVE/T2/SR009 combination nearly flawless in all aspects including musicality and naturalness. I listen to it most of the time.

It is certainly more musical and organic than the HD800 which sounds more clinical in comparison. But the DAVE manages to bring the best of the HD800 I must say, probably better than my old Eddie Current 445 that I have sold before having the DAVE.

 

[106099]

   
Non-S.  Un-modded, but with a double helix Compliment 4 cable.  I think (and this is me) that the S's lose that sparkle or edge that makes the 800's what they are. 
 
Out of interest, which headphones do you find yourself reaching for the most?

 
most used is AKG K812 overall.
 
then 
HE1000
SR009
PS1000e
 
from time to time
ED10
HD800 or HD800 S
TH900

 

[106099]

   
I've heard the 009's with the BHSE a few times (but not with a DAVE in the mix).  I personally never cared for them - a bit sterile for my tastes, lacking in body.  The 800's lose some microdetail that the 9's have but gain a certain aplomb or texture.  I prefer the 800's + Stratus by a mile.  
 
The 009 + BHSE + DAVE may be a different story, but I think the 009's are what they are.  If I were a Stax guy the 007s would be my poison.  The DAVE + BHSE + 007's may be a different story. 

 
i also like the 007 II more than 009 with BHSE
driving the BHSE with Nagra HD DAC has worked very well.

 

[NGSKGSncLWHmD9X]

Another Dave review, free download:
https://stereo-magazine.com/

3 star price/performance rate (very good) out of 5 for %100 SQ. How is it evaluated like that?

 

[Rob Watts]

Originally Posted by Kakki /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Seeing the diagram Rob provided, I assume that the DX power amp receives 16FS digital signals from Dave.
In this case, the DX power amp will not appreciate the remaining interpolations, 17th order noise shapers, and 20 elements pulse array DAC in Dave?
 
I remember that Rob indicated that there will be 2 grades of DX power amp ... one is Hugo grade and another Dave grade coming later.
If we would want to enjoy Dave grade sound quality with speakers, we need to go for Dave + Dave grade DX power amp as more than half of the data processing happens in the DX power amp?

 
Except WTA 1 (getting to 16FS) uses 90% of the FPGA DSP, and most of the FPGA fabric. So just having to deal with a 16FS signal will free up a great deal of resources. The interesting thing will be how much benefit I can get by fully using all this capacity, just on the WTA2, interpolation and noise shaping. Of course the smaller amp will use a smaller FPGA, but with a massive FPGA will a much bigger WTA2 make a better sound quality? Part of the things I am finding out this year. Of course the Dave power amp will be much more powerful than the Hugo power amp, there are more things with a power amp than just the FPGA!
Rob

 

[Jawed]

Except WTA 1 (getting to 16FS) uses 90% of the FPGA DSP, and most of the FPGA fabric. So just having to deal with a 16FS signal will free up a great deal of resources. The interesting thing will be how much benefit I can get by fully using all this capacity, just on the WTA2, interpolation and noise shaping. Of course the smaller amp will use a smaller FPGA, but with a massive FPGA will a much bigger WTA2 make a better sound quality? Part of the things I am finding out this year.

If the benefit is there then it implies that a DAC that uses two FPGAs in a cascade would be on another plane...

Hmm, I imagine now that you have the second DAVE and the ability to re-program it to take 16FS input as its baseline, you're all set to find out what the cascade sounds like!

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

In my rig I use the HD800 (semi modded), HE1000 and SR009 with the DAVE. The former two are directly connected to the DAVE's headphone output whilst the SR009 is connected via the DIY T2.

I suspect that the BHSE is what is imposing on the SR009 its sterile character. I had a number of amps for the SR009 over the years and the headphone changes its character dramatically and fundamentally with the amp. I find the DAVE/T2/SR009 combination nearly flawless in all aspects including musicality and naturalness. I listen to it most of the time.

It is certainly more musical and organic than the HD800 which sounds more clinical in comparison. But the DAVE manages to bring the best of the HD800 I must say, probably better than my old Eddie Current 445 that I have sold before having the DAVE.

Thank you lojay.   Much appreciated.