CHORD ELECTRONICS DAVE

[Somatic]

What advances does the Dave have that the TT2 doesn’t? Heard the difference is apparent. It’s not just the taps … anything else? Also any other potential DACs that are better?

 

[DJJEZ]

What advances does the Dave have that the TT2 doesn’t? Heard the difference is apparent. It’s not just the taps … anything else? Also any other potential DACs that are better?

Dave is night and day difference for technical performance. You will give up TT2's slight warmth and tonal density for better everything from the DAVE.

 

[Ragnar-BY]

In a world of boring black boxes, the Chord’s are different.

Completely agree. Typical hi-fi boxes look boring, unfortunately. Even though I've found a sound I like better, I miss DAVE's design a bit. Unusual, futuristic, beautiful.

 

[Somatic]

Dave is night and day difference for technical performance. You will give up TT2's slight warmth and tonal density for better everything from the DAVE.

Thanks but also curious what is the additional tech in the Dave that makes this possible.

 

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

What advances does the Dave have that the TT2 doesn’t? Heard the difference is apparent. It’s not just the taps … anything else? Also any other potential DACs that are better?

Better noise shapers, 20 element pulse array, more taps but those are irrelevant when m scaler is used.

Also second order noise shaper (feedback) is working on much faster rate.

And indeed whole presentation is very different.

ps. I decided to keep Dave, I thought I could switch to TT2, no I cannot.

 

[Christer]

I’m using stock power cords and a vanilla $15 multiport outlet with my Blu 2 and Dave. Sounds just fine to my ears. I dare say you can tweak the sound by investing in megabuck external power supplies. But rather than going that route, I decided to invest in a Lampi tube based DAC that has a very different sound for my primary system. Even though I don’t use the Chord system in my primary listening room, which is now all SET tube-based, I’m not selling my Chord pieces. They do what they do exceptionally well and the form factor is hard to beat. In a world of boring black boxes, the Chord’s are different. There’s a great tradition in British hifi of compact form electronics, which the Chord units exemplify.

As a grad student in the 1980s, I used to own the classic Quad 34 preamp, FM4 tuner and 306 amplifier. They were cute, extraordinarily well built and just worked. Regrettably I sold that combo years later, but in a nostalgic binge recently, I ended up getting the even older Quad 33 preamp with the 303 amplifier. There’s a great story that Quad would have sold a lot more 33 preamps had Peter Walker changed its iconic orange and beige exterior. Walker, being the cantankerous designer he was, refused as he personally designed its quirky looks. I also own an all original Quad ESL 57 electrostatic loudspeaker, which is about 65 years old, works flawlessly and will give any modern loudspeaker a run for its money even today. You haven’t lived as an audiophile if you haven’t heard a 57. The Bahaus styling is also classic. In a world filled with boring speakers with as many drive units that can be stuffed into a box as possible at a huge surcharge and weigh a 1000 pounds (e.g., Magico made near my house for Silicon Valley billionaires), the 57s remain unique and timeless with their quirky room heater styling.

Similarly Chord digital is unique in its design and looks. I’m not a huge fan of the Dave display but hey, it’s different! I expect to keep my Chord pieces for a long time to come. I did have some issues with the Blu transport initially, but a trip to the Chord authorized service center fixed the problem and the Blu now functions flawlessly.

Wow! I could not have said it better myself . That sentence "with as many drivers as can be stuffed into a box as possible" made me laugh out loud.
Good one.
While I do not own any Quad electrostats I do remember how good stacked Quads were in their day, compared to most of those very big very coloured boxes.
And no I am not thinking of paint, but the coloured boxy sound of many conventional box speakers. My current electrostats are a compromise with a conventional bass driver but from around 250 hz and as far up as my hearing allows, they are still more transparent and effortless than most much more expensive big box speakers crammed with drivers and crossover points that I have auditioned.
Cheers CC

 

[Christer]

Completely agree. Typical hi-fi boxes look boring, unfortunately. Even though I've found a sound I like better, I miss DAVE's design a bit. Unusual, futuristic, beautiful.

Hmm, so what did you find that you like better SQ wise?
In my case I could not care less about design choices that are only there as "Eye Candy"!
And I do not like the design of Chord products. But I use Qutest and Mscaler as a good sounding combo in my systems both via speakers and headphones, for SQ reasons only.
Cheers CC

 

[Ragnar-BY]

what did you find that you like better SQ wise?

Holo May KTE, we’ve discussed it earlier here.

It is not “objectively better”, it’s more about values. Me and @alxw0w listened to both Holo and Chord systems many times. Hi likes DAVE, I switched to May. We have discussed what we heard more than once, and it turns out that we hear the same differences, but evaluate them in completely different ways.

 

[Lgn3]

Was over on another forum and saw a post from a new shop about a Chord Electronics Open day they are running. One line stood out from the rest:

"Chord Electronics will be launching a brand-new Ultima Product at the Open Day". The Ultima series only seems to be missing one thing an Ultima Source/DAC! It's got to be right?

Thought I would come to share the news here and see what you guys think. I know Rob Watts likes to join in the discussion, has there been any mention?

Ultima 3 Preamp.....£6k

 

[Icenine2]

Ultima 3 Preamp.....£6k

I got that email too. Cool looking. A big reach here but could a new DAVE be on board as well?

 

[zen87192]

A new MScaler for the Dave

 

[Icenine2]

I don't know if it's possible but "one box" instead of add HMS would be nice.

 

[adrianm]

I don't know if it's possible but "one box" instead of add HMS would be nice.

It's not, HMS is an RF bomb even in another box.

 

[PhenixS1970]

Hi all, if you are using very heavy (dual) BNC cables with DAVE / M-Scaler (one particular brand comes to mind, lol) and want to release some stress from digital inputs….have a look at my Furutech classifieds listing .

 

[watermad]

Do you use these with or without WAVE BNC?

I haven't got Wave BNC, I use Townshend BNC to BNC and added ferrites myself.