[Triode User]

Here’s the DC4 installation instructions I found on another site

https://www.hifiwigwam.com/forum/to...e-and-mscaler/?do=findComment&comment=2791750

It really is that easy

Ah, that was my post. I am Fourlegs on the Wam (I ride horses) and that is a pencil sketch of me by my daughter!

 

[marcmccalmont]

Isn’t there a post by Rob Watts back at the start of this thread where he ran the Dave from a 12v DC source battery and measured zero improvement? So. If a battery is cleaner than a linear PSU, and the battery gave no improvement due to the design of the Dave’s power circuitry, linear PSU’s won’t add anything and encouraging someone to spend money in this area would be irresponsible. It’s also a very biased opinion when you do a sighted listening test with a designed of linear power supplies. Even suggesting the length of the umbilicus makes a difference…. Ok. Rob Watts says no difference measurement or audible, but a linear PSU builder can ‘hear’ an umbilicus?

My bell labs friend measured an improvement as I stated before on a Qutest . Let’s see what he measures with a dave and LPSU have you done the comparison yourself?

 

[AndrewOld]

I am thinking of using a Black Friday offer and getting a BLUETTI AC300+B300 Power Station Combo. As this can be driven entirely by solar power there is no possibility of ground loops.

 

[marcmccalmont]

I’d recommend this no ground loops either

 

[Sampajanna]

Thanks. I don't trust my auditory memory enough to be able to discern subtle changes with 10-15 minutes in between. Even when changing cables, which takes less than a minute. I need to be able to switch over instantaneously, like with the two DACs I've got hooked up to my setup two. I'd love to hear the difference between 2 Dave's with different power supplies, but fat chance of that ever happening...

The effects of the DC4 are NOT subtle at all! They are massive, imho.

 

[Sampajanna]

I am not so great with subtle changes either, but the DC4 blew me away. As big a change as switching amps.

 

[adrianm]

The effects of the DC4 are NOT subtle at all! They are massive, imho.

As is the price, close to Dave itself

 

[adrianm]

FWIW, while i personally would've considered DC3, the pricing on DC4 just reeks of opportunism. People might scream "cost of materials" but i seriously doubt it. Or that the improvement (if any) from DC4 to DC4 warrants 3 times the cost. Also there are plenty of hobbyists that can build you an LPSU with the same/similar materials for less. Minus the Sean Jacobs brand and the group of followers/partners pushing it all across multiple forums.

 

[marcmccalmont]

FWIW, while i personally would've considered DC3, the pricing on DC4 just reeks of opportunism. People might screen "cost of materials" but i seriously doubt it. Or that the improvement (if any) from DC4 to DC4 warrants 3 times the cost. Also there are plenty of hobbyists that can build you an LPSU with the same/similar materials for less. Minus the Sean Jacobs brand and the group of followers/partners pushing it all across multiple forums.

 

[Ciggavelli]

FWIW, while i personally would've considered DC3, the pricing on DC4 just reeks of opportunism. People might screen "cost of materials" but i seriously doubt it. Or that the improvement (if any) from DC4 to DC4 warrants 3 times the cost. Also there are plenty of hobbyists that can build you an LPSU with the same/similar materials for less. Minus the Sean Jacobs brand and the group of followers/partners pushing it all across multiple forums.

I mean, maybe. However, you don’t buy a Sean Jacobs DC4 because it’s a good value, you buy it for the quality.

I first got introduced to his PSUs when I had the Innuos Phoenix and Innuos Zenith MK3. After hearing those linear power supplies, and I’ve had some others, I knew his PSUs were a step above others. So, I guess I wasn’t really buying the DC4s completely blind. Simply stated, he does good work

Some people will say all dacs are the same (as strange as that sounds…you can even see some posters saying that on this forum). The DAVE isn’t the best value for a dac. You buy a DAVE for its quality. Rob has proven himself with multiple products, so you can be confident he does good work. It’s the same with Sean Jacobs, at least in my opinion

 

[marcmccalmont]

I had asked for help optimizing my system please respond if you have constructive advice, commentary from those who have never even heard a modified dave let alone lived with one please contain yourselves!

 

[adrianm]

I had asked for help optimizing my system please respond if you have constructive advice, commentary from those who have never even heard a modified dave let alone lived with one please contain yourselves!

This is not the thread for modified Daves, so i see why most people would say stock is "optimized "

Hi guys some advice please. I’m having my Dave upgraded with a Sean Jacobs power supply. I’d like your advice optimizing it. For the last 4 years I’ve been using an Aurender N10 with the spdif fiber optic output sounding the best to me. It seems a lot has evolved in the last 4 years, pggb, usb etc. What server would do Dave/SJ justice? What interface is optimum now? Thanks in advance for your advice and experience.I should add 99% of my listening is with loudspeakers and speakers that cast a large soundstage. Enlarging the sound stage would be a detriment increasing prat, detail, naturalness is what I’m after.

So your talking about the infamous “ground plane modulation” When I had a Blu2 there was a noticeable improvement with ferrited coax cables between Blu2 and Dave. Since then the Mscaler was designed with internal ferrites. And a company called audiowise has a opto dx optical isolator which would mitigate the issue and coax cables with ferrites. I did not replace my Blu2 with an mscaler so I haven’t done the experiment. Some swear by the mscaler others don’t I’d like to try one in my system to see if I like it. A friend of mine with MBL speakers didn’t. It cast too large of a sound stage for his taste and as he measured jitter the upscaling proportionately increased the jitter. Chord claimes Dave is immune to jitter but as my sources jitter was reduced (Aurender N10 and ProJect cd box rs) the sq increased.

I think the above is what you were initially looking for, right?

As for advice. I hated the M-scaler when i got it, and first returned it. Turns out the issue was an ill fitting optical cable. Been a huge fan of optical for a year, but after getting a dedicated streamer, coax clearly sounds better than optical (QED Quartz reference if it matters, i'd say it doesn't really )
Those issues aside, the M-scaler takes Dave to another level, but i'm using it with a battery, because while the increase in SQ is huge, so are the effects of RF noise.
It doesn't just enlarge the soundstage. PRAT, Detail and naturalness ARE the main benefit. The reason some people think those are a tradeoff might be the effects of RF.
The sad reality is that to counter it you either go with ferrited cables + LPSU , or a battery. I personally like the battery. I've tried plugging the stock psu into my Aquarius (with individual filtering for each outlet) . The soundstage just collapses due to RF, and you can clearly hear more background noise.
I have a love-hate relationship with the M-scaler. I can't wait until the new one comes out, with hopefully better noise containment. I would change it in a heartbeat. Even if it's the same number of taps.
I also agree that Dave is decidedly not immune to jitter. Have tested various sources via an optical cable and there is definitely a difference.

 

[marcmccalmont]

This is not the thread for modified Daves, so i see why most people would say stock is "optimized "


I think the above is what you were initially looking for, right?

As for advice. I hated the M-scaler when i got it, and first returned it. Turns out the issue was an ill fitting optical cable. Been a huge fan of optical for a year, but after getting a dedicated streamer, coax clearly sounds better than optical (QED Quartz reference if it matters, i'd say it doesn't really )
Those issues aside, the M-scaler takes Dave to another level, but i'm using it with a battery, because while the increase in SQ is huge, so are the effects of RF noise.
It doesn't just enlarge the soundstage. PRAT, Detail and naturalness ARE the main benefit. The reason some people think those are a tradeoff might be the effects of RF.
The sad reality is that to counter it you either go with ferrited cables + LPSU , or a battery. I personally like the battery. I've tried plugging the stock psu into my Aquarius (with individual filtering for each outlet) . The soundstage just collapses due to RF, and you can clearly hear more background noise.
I have a love-hate relationship with the M-scaler. I can't wait until the new one comes out, with hopefully better noise containment. I would change it in a heartbeat. Even if it's the same number of taps.
I also agree that Dave is decidedly not immune to jitter. Have tested various sources via an optical cable and there is definitely a difference.

Thanks!

 

[Sampajanna]

I like the Innuos Statement with Dave and DC4 as they have similar power supplies made by Sean. I haven't heard other power supplies and I do think the DC4 is expensive. But man oh man is it unbelievable.

 

[AndrewOld]

and the group of followers/partners pushing it all across multiple forums.

indeed.