[Torq]

Thank you for your reply. Currently ( not wishing to cause conflict as your experience and your system YMMV ) I have a GSX mk2 but oddly I found the GSX slightly less transparent ( small margin ) no extra brightness but more musical than stand alone Dave.... I guess the extra power and headroom helped with the LCD4 I currently have. So I will give the Dave - GSX Mk2 another listen in the next few weeks.

So I guess with the Phonitor X ( or XE my preferred ) will be warmer than my current set up which answers my question, Thank you.

Sorry, it looks like I cut-off the end of my 2nd sentence, which should have read: "Transparency was similar to, if not a perfect match for, the Phonitor X".

The Phonitor X is still the only solid-state amp where I can't tell a difference in transparency vs. DAVE's direct output.

I don't think I tried my LCD-4 in a GSX Mk2 vs. DAVE-direct comparison (don't have any notes on that combination). Before I got to doing so I'd already decided I wasn't going to go with that amp due to not liking the 24-step volume control so further testing wasn't useful. I don't care for my LCD-4 straight out of DAVE, though, and via my Phonitor X they definitely exhibit a more impactful and controlled bottom-end than vs. DAVE on it's own.

I don't know if the Phonitor X will actually sound any warmer than the GSX Mk2 with the LCD-4. That the HeadAmp was a little brighter with the Abyss and Utopia may not translate the same way to higher-impedance (or even just "other") cans. But, again, once I was off the idea of having one I didn't listen further.

It's worth noting that, with DAVE specifically, the 24-step attenuator is not an issue, since you have much more granular control on DAVE itself. But for my purposes, the amp wasn't just going to be used with DAVE, so the limited granularity of the stepped attenuator didn't work for me.

 

[Whazzzup]

I went alpha on gsx mk2, splendid.

 

[Torq]

I went alpha on gsx mk2, splendid.

No doubt.

That didn't seem to be an option at the time, nor is it now (at least according to the options available on the website). I don't know if Justin can/do/does that as some kind of special/custom order, just that the DACT stepped attenuator is now standard. That might be moot for other people anyway. And is water under the bridge for me at this point.

 

[iDesign]

did anybody compare dave with dcs stuff such as rossini? views highly appreciated

I'm not aware of any members of Head-Fi that purchased the dCS Bartók thus far. I assumed that we would have seen some comparisons to the DAVE since it includes a headphone amplifier and a similar price of admission. I do find its network connectivity options are somewhat compelling if they work well and provide a good isolated path. However, I would still pick the DAVE for a number of reasons including its smaller footprint.

 

[musicday]

Dave and Blu MK2 are on eBay both on black if anyone interested not mine trough.

 

[Foxman50]

did anybody compare dave with dcs stuff such as rossini? views highly appreciated

I have compared Rossini DAC/world clock against HMS/DAVE. I found the dCs to be fatiguing and overly bright.

These were fed directly into a set of ATC active 50’s via balanced o/p’s.

Only difference was the Chord set was fed from an Aurender N10, whereas the dCs pulled straight from NAS.

I was disappointed by the dCs but maybe this was more down to system synergy.

 

[audio_1]

I have compared Rossini DAC/world clock against HMS/DAVE. I found the dCs to be fatiguing and overly bright.

These were fed directly into a set of ATC active 50’s via balanced o/p’s.

Only difference was the Chord set was fed from an Aurender N10, whereas the dCs pulled straight from NAS.

I was disappointed by the dCs but maybe this was more down to system synergy.

The dCS philosophy is to sell multiple boxes. A low accuracy clock is fitted to the DAC so that you will have to purchase a higher accuracy master clock. The single ended outputs use op-amps. High inductance ribbon cables connect the analogue outputs and digital inputs to the circuit boards. Dual AES cables connect the multiple boxes. A fully configured Vivaldi system could have 5 AES digital cables and 5 master clock cables. Imagine the number of ferrites required to prevent RF noise. The digital volume control kills dynamics if more than 20 dB of attenuation is applied. Need I go on, the Dave, Blu 2 or Hugo M-Scaler are in a totally different class.

 

[naynay]

Class it is, just listening to my newly owned Dave

 

[naynay]

Hi
Other than using power off on the remote is there a button on the unit that will do the same?
Thank you

 

[ecwl]

The dCS philosophy is to sell multiple boxes. A low accuracy clock is fitted to the DAC so that you will have to purchase a higher accuracy master clock. The single ended outputs use op-amps. High inductance ribbon cables connect the analogue outputs and digital inputs to the circuit boards. Dual AES cables connect the multiple boxes. A fully configured Vivaldi system could have 5 AES digital cables and 5 master clock cables. Imagine the number of ferrites required to prevent RF noise. The digital volume control kills dynamics if more than 20 dB of attenuation is applied. Need I go on, the Dave, Blu 2 or Hugo M-Scaler are in a totally different class.

While I agree with most of the gist of what you're saying, I have to admit I really don't think dCS is intentionally including a low accuracy clock into their DACs and then upselling their products with a higher accuracy master clock. My understanding, based on Rob Watt's explanation, is that all DAC designs (except for Chord's Pulse Array DACs) are very jitter sensitive which means that they would always perform better if paired with a higher accuracy master clock. By comparison, with the Chord's Pulse Array DACs, because the DAC design is not jitter sensitive (or significantly dramatically less so than other DAC designs), an excellent master clock is sufficient to eliminate jitter-related effects, obviating the need for thousands of dollars of external clocking.

 

[Sunya]

If a DAC sounds better slaved to an external clock than on its internal one (even if the external clock has better specs) something is wrong with it. dCS (and Esoteric) DACs have Word Clock outputs which allows them to be the Master Clock for the source sending the digital signal (like in Asynchronous USB mode); but why lose the chance of selling another useless box to ignorant audiophiles?

https://repforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/topic,16164.0.html

 

[GryphonGuy]

While I agree with most of the gist of what you're saying, I have to admit I really don't think dCS is intentionally including a low accuracy clock into their DACs and then upselling their products with a higher accuracy master clock. My understanding, based on Rob Watt's explanation, is that all DAC designs (except for Chord's Pulse Array DACs) are very jitter sensitive which means that they would always perform better if paired with a higher accuracy master clock. By comparison, with the Chord's Pulse Array DACs, because the DAC design is not jitter sensitive (or significantly dramatically less so than other DAC designs), an excellent master clock is sufficient to eliminate jitter-related effects, obviating the need for thousands of dollars of external clocking.

In the old days, say the early "naughties" of the 21st century, digital signals were sent realtime (remember the Slim Devices Transporter and similar devices?) and an external clock sending timing signals to both the Slim Devices Transporter and my Metronome Signature DAC ENORMOUSLY changed the signal to be time-aligned etc. Jump forward to when the Metronome died and could not be repaired by even the Factory in France, the Chord DAVE does not need an external clock because it time-aligns the digital signal within itself. With DAVE and Sonore UltraRendu powered by Uptone LPS-1.2, the current sound of my system has never been better and I don't feel the need (yet!!) to improve the music produced by this current system.

If a top-of-line multi-box DAC system sounds bright even when synchronised by an external clock, it points to electrical noise and probably the old real-time transmission technology that industry leaders have abandoned long ago or indeed never implemented in the first place.

Just my opinions.
Cheers
GG

 

[Foxman50]

The dCs world clock made very little difference and was debatable if it actually made an improvement or just altered the sound.

 

[musickid]

It alters the sound and the time zone you listen in by transporting you back....back to a time when Brachiosaurus chewed leaves. (expensive audio components that make zero difference to the sound quality one hears.... oh my.)

 

[naynay]

Currently using SSD drive attached to Aries Femto USB for my music storage for dave what are others using for there music as i feel this setup could be improved?