[number1sixerfan]

Hmm, is the original HD 800 with stock cable the only headphone you will use for this?
I still own and use mine with some not too demanding, not too densely scored music .
But for a comparison like this showing off what a Dave Mscaler combo can be capable of , to really be of any value for me personally, I would expect both a better headphone like HFM Susvara or even the HEKV2 or an electrostat used AND some very well recorded hi res acoustic/symphonic music.
No offence intended and I am saying this actually having bought my own HD 800 after having heard it as monitoring headphones at live classical DXD recording sessions over a period of almost 2weeks on a daily basis way back when it had just been released. Imho,it is still a very good headphone. But there are and if we are talking electrostas already at the time of its release, clearly better ones if one wants to hear what is actually on the recording as uncoloured and and transparent and closer to how live acousic instruments actually tend to sound in a real acoustic venue than the "right honourable" HD800 is capable of.
Still one of the better dynamic headphones out there for acoustic music and unlike most more recent competitors still very good value for money choice. but not what I would only use if I'd make this comparison.
Cheers Christer

HD800 isn't that far from the Susvara or other modern day TOTL cans, although less enjoyable and engaing to me (just a bit dry and lifelessly analytical in comparison to the Sus in example). Bigger soundstage than the Susvara, almost as resolving, and excellent with imaging and spatial information. I would say it's more than enough for validity in a test like this. Again, whether we prefer it over others or not is another thing. Just my opinion, having had the HD800(s) along with the TC, Susvara and many others recently. (the S isn't a far cry improvement over the original imo).

 

[Reactcore]

How were the audezes against your 800?

Those supprised me as being not as dark sounding as i remembered earlier.. they have a more refined sound.. with a more organic texture that i think is pleasing many.

The bass on the HD800 extends deeper.. and the extra soundstage width combined with Dave's depth rendering gives a more outer world presentation.

To my ears the supply mods to Dave made them finally play to their real potential like rarely heard.

 

[SteveHulk]

My head is still spinning from all the combinations we tested but my initial reaction to the various mods that we made is that the optical link brought great benefits to the upper mid and treble, and the caps mod and the Farads brought benefits to the low and even sub bass.

The mid and treble changes were quite profound in vocals. I have always before somewhat shied away from the female voice, as I often found there to be stridency there.

With the optical link that was just gone. I listened to vocals where you could almost hear the sound being formed in the singer's throat. I had never heard that before.

The caps and the Farads brought energy, weight, and definition to the bass. The bass became mighty which is different to just being louder or more extended. That coupled with the enhanced treble made listening to eg big bass drum very satisfying.

I could say much more, but I'll stop there for now. Except to say that at one point during one of my crucial tracks I cried almost uncontrollably.

Suffice to say that definite strides forward were made and the full potential of the DAVE mscaler combination was being revealed in a way I had never heard before.

As to the questions about why we used only the hd800 throughout, we were already making and comparing quite a lot of changes and if the test sessions were not to run hopelessly out of control then there had to be a limit on the number of parameters that were varied.

 

[GuiltyRocker]

Wow impressive stuff, you guys are going to go head to head with Rob's Ultima DAC, that I want to see.

 

[nkj1]

Amazing trial. Could you contrast the internal cap modification to 3x Farad supplies?

When you say dual Optical- do you mean a variant of something like the OPTO-DX?

Thanks!

 

[MvRBE10]

I also think the internal caps only cover the analogue part of the dave. So the combination gives you all the advantage and elimination of any noise in the dave. Win win

 

[801evan]

I specially bought a focal utopia to test the dave and mscaler and indeed until a certain point it stopped what you could hear. on my two way speaker system the whole depth, seperation and musicality is much more profound. I sold the headphone. Maybe on susvaras or others it will go further. I also had the mysphere 3.2 for a few weeks that was alot better than the focals indeed. The hd800 spund for my taste also somewhat flat but with great stage. Everybody has its preference.

Yep. Utopia stops scaling fast. On a good chain Susvara will stop scaling and show it's weak noise floor. DCA Stealth keeps scaling and is reference grade.

 

[Reactcore]

Amazing trial. Could you contrast the internal cap modification to 3x Farad supplies?

When you say dual Optical- do you mean a variant of something like the OPTO-DX?

Thanks!

The mentioned optic link is the one i designed.
And is indeed derived from Opto-dx
See my signature weblink of my choral housed scaler.

As for comparison between external PSU powered Dave vs only cap modded i posted my findings in its thread 'Supercharging dave amp'

 

[lovethatsound]

Yep. Utopia stops scaling fast. On a good chain Susvara will stop scaling and show it's weak noise floor. DCA Stealth keeps scaling and is reference grade.

You must have a bad utopia,if it's stop scaling fast,as for the hd800,I've still got mine,and use them for about 2 years with the dave and loved them until I got the utopia,the utopia just sounds REAL. Unfortunately my original utopia diver broke a few months ago,so I went back to the hd800,but I just couldn't enjoy it anymore, it just don't sound REAL,so I brought a new 2022 utopia,which to me sounds abit better than the original utopia.The utopia with the dave sounds fantastic,the utopia is very easy to drive, and as far as I'm concerned, one of the best if not the best REAL sounding headphones that has been made to date.

 

[801evan]

You must have a bad utopia,if it's stop scaling fast,as for the hd800,I've still got mine,and use them for about 2 years with the dave and loved them until I got the utopia,the utopia just sounds REAL. Unfortunately my original utopia diver broke a few months ago,so I went back to the hd800,but I just couldn't enjoy it anymore, it just don't sound REAL,so I brought a new 2022 utopia,which to me sounds abit better than the original utopia.The utopia with the dave sounds fantastic,the utopia is very easy to drive, and as far as I'm concerned, one of the best if not the best REAL sounding headphones that has been made to date.

Try a DCA stealth or even a Susvara and it's obvious the Utopia ain't catching up. The utopia is good for mid-fi chains with poor blacks where both utopia and susvara will sound complimentary or the utopia sounding even 'better'. That's just how it is. It's also based on the distortion levels of the HP. This is always why DCA Stealth will sound underwhelming in such a chain because the weak noise floor of the chain goes above the black capacity of the Stealth while the Utopia peaky bass will rely on the consumer thinking this bass punch is correct.

 

[Reactcore]

You must have a bad utopia,if it's stop scaling fast,as for the hd800,I've still got mine,and use them for about 2 years with the dave and loved them until I got the utopia,the utopia just sounds REAL. Unfortunately my original utopia diver broke a few months ago,so I went back to the hd800,but I just couldn't enjoy it anymore, it just don't sound REAL,so I brought a new 2022 utopia,which to me sounds abit better than the original utopia.The utopia with the dave sounds fantastic,the utopia is very easy to drive, and as far as I'm concerned, one of the best if not the best REAL sounding headphones that has been made to date.

I remember hearing the Utopia once aside my HD800. But couldnt help to miss some soundstage although the Focal was warmer sounding.. This was at the time not on a Chord btw.

Were you on stock cushions or thicker leather ones? As this adds low end and thus make it warmer/fuller also the SDR mod betters it.

This 'Real' sound i now got with my last Dave Cap mod makes them strongly grab on my emotions. I never imagined the scaling of them could go so much further.

 

[MvRBE10]

I tried dekoni pads and upgraded to dragon lead it all became somewhat better. But i have to admit i never have shivvers from headphones speakers give me more emotion and information its just in everything better. But it takes more room and if you have neighhbours it can be complicated

 

[lovethatsound]

I remember hearing the Utopia once aside my HD800. But couldnt help to miss some soundstage although the Focal was warmer sounding.. This was at the time not on a Chord btw.

Were you on stock cushions or thicker leather ones? As this adds low end and thus make it warmer/fuller also the SDR mod betters it.

This 'Real' sound i now got with my last Dave Cap mod makes them strongly grab on my emotions. I never imagined the scaling of them could go so much further.

Stock cushions,I've read about your dave updates with interest,and I do find them very interesting,I would say to you,if you can,get a utopia and use for a few weeks,then go back to your hd800,I think you would find it very hard to keep listening to your hd800,and after all your Dave upgrades,even more so.like I've said before I loved the hd800 with the Dave,but the utopia are more REAL sounding,plus you can play any kind of music with them,let's be honest here ,alot of headphones are only good with 1,or 2 types of music,the utopia great with every type,easy to drive unlike some of the other top headphones,it would be very interesting to hear a utopia on your upgraded Dave.

 

[Reactcore]

alot of headphones are only good with 1,or 2 types of music

I'm kind of a soundstagehead but add Daves depth and now also authority to it and it becomes a massive open space for the music. In contrast it can now sound very intimide too like a artist is sitting next to me singing.
Something the HD800 couldnt do well before like some others. Now its a allround player of size.

But i'm eager to hear the Susvara again
Also the Focals and others..

 

[Reactcore]

I just posted a boxed optic link solution in my thread

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/my-choral-housed-chord-mscaler.964931/post-17337052