CHORD ELECTRONICS DAVE

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

I have gone in a different direction. Just got this Lampizator DAC. Best DAC I’ve heard in 30 years of listening to digital audio. Utterly natural sounding without a trace of harshness. Resolves everything up to DSD 512 and PCM 32 bit 768khz. Has a built in Roon bridge so Roon is plug and play by hooking it up to LAN. The Dave in its box weighs 10 pounds. This behemoth comes in a flight case weighing almost 100 pounds. Costs twice as much as the Dave. On DSD the sound is simply transcendent. The room disappears and singers project with a realism that’s hard to describe. You are there.

Downsides? Other than the silly price (as you’d expect with a DAC that costs this much, the build quality is superlative with ultra high end parts) and the sheer weight and size due to its use of direct heated triodes is that one must be prepared to put up with the downsides of owning tube equipment. In particular, be prepared to pay top dollar for the best direct heated triodes. But you can get bargains if you are prepared to experiment. It allows six different types of output tubes and they sound quite different. I have the pricey KR 242s that are stunning in their dynamics and resolution. Ellington’s famous Jazz Party album is a raucous romp with a full bore brass section and a diverse suite of percussion instruments. The Lampi gets the tonality right in this 60 year old recording better than any other component I’ve yet heard, vinyl included.

I don’t view the Dave as competition because it’s not in this price class and it was built to a much lower price level with obvious economy of parts and material. It’s like comparing a Lexus, well designed and built but with some economizing, to a high end Maserati. The Lampi uses cost no object parts in its build and is made to order. Takes 3 months. You can customize it in many ways.

I’ll keep my Dave as a semi portable rig with headphones. That’s really where it belongs and shines. The Lampi is my new reference for digital playback. Highly recommended if you can afford the tariff.

The problem with lampi is I want to buy dac not a piece of wooden floor.

 

[marcmccalmont]

So what part of the caps inflickt this? That it colors or do not give the current form it needs straight from the box. There is than a chemical process that make up for what the electronics or the design does not solve out of the box. Hoping to understand this process as curiuous i am.

All dielectrics take time to break in whether it is an interconnect, speaker cable or capacitor. The larger the cap or longer the cable the more time it takes. Dielectrics store energy by twisting the molecules so I’m guessing like a spring it takes time to soften up a bit. Best to ask a material science expert!

 

[MvRBE10]

I understand that part i been around some time but not that the difference is between almost the same as stock until 3 month and than heaven. Thats the part i am trying to grasp

 

[marcmccalmont]

I understand that part i been around some time but not that the difference is between almost the same as stock until 3 month and than heaven. Thats the part i am trying to grasp

Nobody said that! I said it was better than stock from day one but got better with time some days a step back most days a step forward. Lost in translation I guess!

 

[MvRBE10]

Ahhh i readed it as it was slightly better than stock and in the process of 3 month it got worse and than some better and worked its way up until good. Thats why i wondered how the heck does that piece of electronics work if its so depended of just the caps..

 

[griff500]

It's quite well known that the caps, and particularly Mundorf, can take time to settle and will have some days better than others until they do. Somebody did some measurements on this on some website somewhere - cannot recall where - and also showed that it can happen again if they are without power for some time.

 

[MvRBE10]

Ok did not now to that extreme. Shall be due to there build properties than

 

[chesebert]

I have gone in a different direction. Just got this Lampizator DAC. Best DAC I’ve heard in 30 years of listening to digital audio. Utterly natural sounding without a trace of harshness. Resolves everything up to DSD 512 and PCM 32 bit 768khz. Has a built in Roon bridge so Roon is plug and play by hooking it up to LAN. The Dave in its box weighs 10 pounds. This behemoth comes in a flight case weighing almost 100 pounds. Costs twice as much as the Dave. On DSD the sound is simply transcendent. The room disappears and singers project with a realism that’s hard to describe. You are there.

Downsides? Other than the silly price (as you’d expect with a DAC that costs this much, the build quality is superlative with ultra high end parts) and the sheer weight and size due to its use of direct heated triodes is that one must be prepared to put up with the downsides of owning tube equipment. In particular, be prepared to pay top dollar for the best direct heated triodes. But you can get bargains if you are prepared to experiment. It allows six different types of output tubes and they sound quite different. I have the pricey KR 242s that are stunning in their dynamics and resolution. Ellington’s famous Jazz Party album is a raucous romp with a full bore brass section and a diverse suite of percussion instruments. The Lampi gets the tonality right in this 60 year old recording better than any other component I’ve yet heard, vinyl included.

I don’t view the Dave as competition because it’s not in this price class and it was built to a much lower price level with obvious economy of parts and material. It’s like comparing a Lexus, well designed and built but with some economizing, to a high end Maserati. The Lampi uses cost no object parts in its build and is made to order. Takes 3 months. You can customize it in many ways.

I’ll keep my Dave as a semi portable rig with headphones. That’s really where it belongs and shines. The Lampi is my new reference for digital playback. Highly recommended if you can afford the tariff.

I am not sure how Dave is even "semi portable" but okay

So another high end killer couldn't really kill the high end. Why am I not surprised.

Why can't people just accept this: you get what you pay for.

 

[jlbrach]

semi portable in that it is easy to pick it up and move it from room to room

 

[GryphonGuy]

Just received news my DC4 Arc6 is ready to be shipped out. I am extremely excited to say the least, to finally find out what the dave on steroids sounds like!

I've just paid the import taxes and duties on my ARC6 DC4 with my wallet out having CPR. They say it is out for delivery by this afternoon. Expectations and excitement are supreme ATM.

 

[GryphonGuy]

Nobody said that! I said it was better than stock from day one but got better with time some days a step back most days a step forward. Lost in translation I guess!

That is consistent with a lot of high end equipment in my experience. So by mid May, I should have constant TOTL performance from DAVE with the ARC6 DC4 powering it and some "interesting" days on the break-in journey from now.

Regards
GG

 

[edwardsean]

Ok did not now to that extreme. Shall be due to there build properties than

All of this is consistent with my experiences with the Farad and SJ power supplies. I'm sure you would agree that the design and capacitors used are quite different.

Definitely, the Mundorfs are well-known for their long break in period, but the other caps Sean uses like the AN Kaisei also take time. He recommends giving them all a good deal of time.

It's interesting I'm experimenting and upgrading my DC3 by stages: regulators, recap boards, capacitors, full loom internal wiring, umbilical. It has been a joy working on this unit and listening to the effects of different upgrades.

[Edit: as to break in with these components: we all have to account for psychological effects (we're all too close), but there is an undeniable alteration over time.]

 

[edwardsean]

semi portable in that it is easy to pick it up and move it from room to room

@mammal carries his Bartok from room to room around the house, so there's that.

But, all in all, I don't know if we audiophiles, as a group, are known for our upper body strength.

 

[sm60]

@mammal carries his Bartok from room to room around the house, so there's that.

But, all in all, I don't know if we audiophiles, as a group, are known for our upper body strength.

I could imagine traveling with the Dave easily. It’s quite light and compact, one of its most appealing features. But the 100 pound Lampi? That would be pretty loony.

In any case, audiophiles are no match for musicians who are way more persnickety in terms of their demands. The legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz gave a series of concerts in Russia for which he had his multi-ton concert grand Steinway piano shipped to Russia from his Manhattan apartment and flown from location to location. I imagine that must have cost a pretty penny. He would not record on humid days because he said his piano didn’t sound right. I’ve heard plenty of great violinists in San Francisco playing their multi-million dollar Stradivarius instruments. Insuring those must cost a huge amount.

We don’t yet have a multi-million dollar DAC yet, but it can’t be far now….and you can pay for it in bitcoin or NFTs!

 

[chesebert]

I could imagine traveling with the Dave easily. It’s quite light and compact, one of its most appealing features. But the 100 pound Lampi? That would be pretty loony.

In any case, audiophiles are no match for musicians who are way more persnickety in terms of their demands. The legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz gave a series of concerts in Russia for which he had his multi-ton concert grand Steinway piano shipped to Russia from his Manhattan apartment and flown from location to location. I imagine that must have cost a pretty penny. He would not record on humid days because he said his piano didn’t sound right. I’ve heard plenty of great violinists in San Francisco playing their multi-million dollar Stradivarius instruments. Insuring those must cost a huge amount.

We don’t yet have a multi-million dollar DAC yet, but it can’t be far now….and you can pay for it in bitcoin or NFTs!

Horowitz's piano sounded great, even in non-ideal situation. He made his last recording in his Manhattan apartment and it sounded great (playing left much to be desired to to advanced age) - perhaps as stereo approaches real life we may be able to reduce or even eliminate the use of room treatments.

I also agree my stereo also doesn't sound its best on humid days.