CHORD ELECTRONICS DAVE

[ufospls2]

Some say it's a big DAC, but I like to think of it as a tiny submarine.

Sweet picture dude : )

 

[Slim1970]

Sweet picture dude : )

No kidding, that’s a great shot!

 

[Psilonaught]

Hi all,

I'm strongly considering buying a Dave plus m scaler, and was wondering if anyone here had directly comparable the chord to an Aqua formula hdx? The later receives huge praise for being extremely natural.

Thanks

 

[musickid]

With dave and oppo pm1 planar this sounds stunning on a sunny afternoon as i look out of the window watching the trees sway in the breeze. Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi. 48kHz 24 bit via Qobuz Roon. Very cinematic wide sound through dave. Only dave does this wide cinematic chamber like effect so well IMHO. I didn't feel it with the other chord dacs.

 

[VladYR]

Has anyone here had any experience with Audioquest‘s Niagara line of power conditioners? I’ve read some good reviews but some first hand accounts from owners would be appreciated.

 

[adrianm]

Has anyone here had any experience with Audioquest‘s Niagara line of power conditioners? I’ve read some good reviews but some first hand accounts from owners would be appreciated.

I've heard good stuff, but i've only used Isotek myself. Both Sirius, and now Aquarius do wonders for Dave . "blacker background, deeper ,tighter bass, better highs, better depth"... all that nonsense. It's true.
After the move to the new place i'll set up a separate circuit for Dave, and i'll evaluate the differences it makes then, but if my Aquarius is still making such a huge difference, i'll probably get Sigmas.
If i were to do it again, i'd get the Aquarius even before the M-scaler. And i did get the Sirius ahead of the M-scaler (a lot less money though). I haven't heard even a fraction of the difference when replacing Dave's power cable with ones up to 5k. Using a 150 euro one right now and found no reason to upgrade. The filter is another story though...

 

[Slim1970]

Has anyone here had any experience with Audioquest‘s Niagara line of power conditioners? I’ve read some good reviews but some first hand accounts from owners would be appreciated.

I have my Dave connected to a Richard Gray’s Power Co. RGPC600S. I hear good things about the Audioquest though.

 

[burbster]

Has anyone here had any experience with Audioquest‘s Niagara line of power conditioners? I’ve read some good reviews but some first hand accounts from owners would be appreciated.

Yes I have had the 1000 (now replaced by the 1200 I think) plus I now own the 5000. I home demoed a few other brands in similar price brackets, I rate the whole Niagara range very highly along with the AQ power leads.

 

[Sampajanna]

I have an Everest 8000. It is epic. Really amazing! Highly recommended. If you do get one, though, the Sigma or omega XC cable is really a must. IMO they should include the Sigma model....

 

[MarkusBarkus]

I had some digital gear plugged into the 1000 for a while. I thought it was useful to offer outlet options for multiple components, fed by a dedicated circuit.

I moved the 1000 into the network closet and all related components are plugged into the 1000, fed by a separate dedicated circuit, on the opposite phase from all audio gear.

My only ding on the 1000 is with the form factor: that semi-round design with outlets on top I found to be unsightly and unstable. Perhaps AQ agrees, as the 1200 product plugs are horizontal to the base, as I recall.

Not a rousing review to change your life, perhaps, but I think the 1000 works as intended.

Satisfaction will depend on your use-case, needs, and power challenges, IMO.

 

[VladYR]

I borrowed the 1200 for a week and liked the differences that it offered. They were quite noticeable. I might get it next month. My space is somewhat limited so it would be a good fit. I’m curious what the higher models may be able to do.

 

[audio_1]

Has anyone here had any experience with Audioquest‘s Niagara line of power conditioners? I’ve read some good reviews but some first hand accounts from owners would be appreciated.

I have an Audioquest Niagara 7000 and 4 Hurricane power cables. One power cable supplies the 7000, two the Audionet Heisenberg power amps and the last one the Dave. Before I had the 7000, I had an RSA Dmitri. Dave really requires power conditioning imho. Power conditioning improves the sound and makes Dave sound much more natural and musical. Good grounding is important. I believe that a low impedance ground is essential. The ground connection should have the same or greater cross sectional area than the phase connections, 3.3 mm2 or 12 awg with the Hurricanes.

The big question now is if a DC4 power supply for the Dave would improve the sound further?

 

[432789]

Dave vs topping?

 

[Sampajanna]

I have an Audioquest Niagara 7000 and 4 Hurricane power cables. One power cable supplies the 7000, two the Audionet Heisenberg power amps and the last one the Dave. Before I had the 7000, I had an RSA Dmitri. Dave really requires power conditioning imho. Power conditioning improves the sound and makes Dave sound much more natural and musical. Good grounding is important. I believe that a low impedance ground is essential. The ground connection should have the same or greater cross sectional area than the phase connections, 3.3 mm2 or 12 awg with the Hurricanes.

The big question now is if a DC4 power supply for the Dave would improve the sound further?

The better the system, the more you will hear the DC4. Highly recommended for you

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Dave vs topping?

D90SE is my most recommend DAC in the market now when we consider the price/performance ratio. Still way below Dave when we talk about lifelike quality in sound though.