I have had the DAVE here for awhile, and I feel it is time to share my thoughts.... Yes, that means it was put up against the Totaldac System Twelve, 4 box masterpiece from Vincent. This is on my 2ch speaker system.
The DAVE clearly prefers to be used with the USB input. No question, this is the best and only way to use it IMO.... Very killer USB input that does not care near as much about the source as some (all?) other DAC's do. They still matter, but not to near the degree I have experienced with other DAC's. DAVE is also a PCM DAC through and through. DSD is good too, but PCM slays on this machine.
Sonically, it offers up a very driven lean mean ballsy presentation. Totally "plugged in". Nice energy and dynamics, very dimensional albeit a bit shallower soundstage than I was expecting. Yes, I know this goes against all said about its depth capabilities, but that was my finding in my system. However though, the soundstage is deeper than any other DAC I have tried with exception to the Totaldac Twelve and Totaldac Monobloc. Artists are absolutely "in the room" with you. It is very very fast, and delineates very well, keeping artists nice and separated. It is rich, but it could use a bit more richness IMO. Overall, very neutral sounding and very clean and clear. It does a very nice job of eliminating artifacts and or blur, keeping images nicely focused and grounded with no silly problems like "head swell". Very low noise floor allowing images to appear in correct space. It favors tonal density to ambient and air. Sound is on the wetter side, meaning it does not sound overly dry. Nice big images, full of life, and very dynamic. Explosive even, so get ready. Bass is big, slamming, and focused, so no shortage of current delivery here. Highs are brilliant and natural with no aggressive edge. Midrange is quite glorious, nice bloom, full of energy, plenty of detail, smooth, and free of artifacts.
It also does something I found kind of interesting.... Some of my recordings that were not so well previously, sounded better through the DAVE, where others sounded worse, and even overly sibilant at times. These are different file resolutions for the most part, so maybe the filtering for said resolution vs. another is better with one than another? I don't know, but I found this interesting.
Good recordings sound wonderful and completely unharmed doing nothing but justice, of course, and worse recordings were a bit of a mixed bag, so take that for what its worth
Digital sources used were the Totaldac Server over USB, a MacBook Pro with Amarra or Audirvana Plus optimized and ran on battery. Best overall was the Totaldac offering up a more focused, dynamic, and deeper presentation with the best clarity and lowest noise floor.
Overall, a true beast that beats anything I have tried near its price and beyond. Value off the charts! I love the looks of the DAC. Don't hide the pretty screws, lay them all out there to see, and this makes for a very nice contrasting sexy look. Who doesn't like pretty screws?
I don't know why manufacturers are on this kick to hide them nowadays....
Comparison;
The Totaldac Twelve is the more romantic, more intimate and more transparent sounding performer. Although the dynamics are world class, not as explosive as the DAVE. Personal preference is a consideration here. With the Twelve, artists are in the room, full bodied, full scale, and with a deeper soundstage so you are better able to see the far reaches and go as deep as you want to go. Not laid back, just more dimension front to back. Dynamic contrasting is more obvious with the Twelve, meaning soft sounds to loud sounds are more scaled. High frequencies are about equal for both, symbols are correct sounding, but the Totaldac does a nice job of doing both tonal density and ambient retrieval at the same time. Artists have allot of energy and are very present without sacrificing air. Backup singers are spooky sounding and clear as a bell for both. The Twelve is wetter, richer, more intimate, and more "unplugged" sounding. Twelve has a lower perceived noise floor with more black between the artists with more air around and even behind the artists making them come to life with a round full body. More holographic I suppose is the right term. Not overly etched, just full bodied. Totaldac could care less about DSD or PCM. It has no preference here, and both are equally engaging recording dependent of course. This is the only DAC I have tried that does not favor one over the other. The magic is the midrange with Twelve no doubt about it. It has that magic and is never dry sounding. Dryness in the midrange is one of my biggest issues with most digital in comparison to analog, and I believe this to be the main cause of emotional detachment. Twelve is also free of artifacts and presents itself with supreme clarity. Bass does not have the slam of the DAVE. It is a more tuneful bass with the Twelve. Sort of like comparing horn bass to direct radiator bass. It fills the room, is very focused and deep, but it does not hit super hard.
Where the DAVE is absolutely impressive and commands attention, the Twelve is more intimate and extremely emotional sounding to me, and it does this without sacrificing resolution/transparency. With the Twelve, Classical music is represented near flawlessly and huge with massive depth and very obvious layering front to back. DAVE brings everything closer but does so without being aggressive, and still has a nice depth portrayal that most digital does not get even close to. Twelve does this better than anything I have heard, and actually rivals my vinyl rig in this regard.
The DAVE is just slightly faster sounding better keeping up with drum rolls FE... DAVE also has the edge with forward delineation, meaning a duo or trio of singers that are close together and forward for instance, is better than any digital I have heard at keeping them separate and never smearing together. This is VERY cool and important. I will also mention again, the USB input of the DAVE. It is stupid good, and eliminates the needs for reclockers and all those tweaky devices that try to make it better, and quite frankly should not have to exist. Most of these devices just present trade-offs instead of globally improving anything IME, but I can see the need for some DAC's to have these for some help. Big kudos to Chord for getting this part absolutely right, and further adding to its value points.
So there you have it. My take on a couple monsters. The DAVE is quite an achievement in bringing world class digital to a price point that more buyers can reach for.
