[NYanakiev]

Hi all- this is a cross post from the Mscaler thread.

I am back frequenting the DAVE and Mscaler threads after a couple of years away after I sold my previous setup.
I was wondering what people think would be the best Roon-ready source in the below chain:

Audio server-->ethernet-->(source)-->usb-b-->SRC-DX-->1X BNC to MScaler-->2X BNC to Dave

I previously head a Sonore optical Rendu and an optical Module Deluxe and have been considering getting this setup again (£3000 at current prices) or an older Signature Rendu for £2500.

Any suggestion on which of the above two is better, along with any alternative options would be most welcome.
Cheers!

 

[shaylin3]

SRC-DX benefits from a good front-end USB with built-in 5v power supply
, you can use innuos phoenix USB or other clean line power supply.
As for the source, there are too many choices. I currently use Lumin.

 

[thehutch]

SRC-DX benefits from a good front-end USB with built-in 5v power supply
, you can use innuos phoenix USB or other clean line power supply.
As for the source, there are too many choices. I currently use Lumin.

How big a difference does the phoenix make in your chain compared to going direct from the U2?

 

[shaylin3]

How big a difference does the phoenix make in your chain compared to going direct from the U2?

It still depends on the overall performance and configuration of the system. If it is my system, the USB output of U2 itself is quite good. Assuming that without Phoenix, the current score is 90 points. With Phoenix, it can reach about 95 points (PS: over 90 points) It is very difficult to improve your score every point).
A great advantage of Phoenix is that when I play games, I can use the unprocessed computer USB output to increase the performance from 70 points to about 85 points. This is very important to me.

 

[number1sixerfan]

Bit of a random question. I have a black Dave I bought new from my dealer about 2.5yrs ago. I'm considering having @Reactcore's cap mod done + Farad power supplies added, and my only hang up is on the impact of resale value. I wouldn't mind keeping the Dave/Mscaler long term, but would hate to take a *huge* resale value if I end up needing/wanting to sale. Any opinions on just how much it could actually hurt resale value, if any?

As a hobbyist, I would love to luck up on a pre-modded version.. but I get the purist side of the hobby. Would love opinions here on whether it may make a significant difference, as I haven't seen many modded units sold.

Anyway, if I move forward, I'd send my Dave/Mscaler to @BassicScience to take a few weeks to listen and provide his impressions, before actually doing the mods. I think this provides a unique opportunity to more directly compare, rather than rely on my impressions weeks/months later off memory, which is a pretty big trap imo. So I'd like to do this just for the sake of the hobby alone. Just need to make a final decision here.

 

[chesebert]

Bit of a random question. I have a black Dave I bought new from my dealer about 2.5yrs ago. I'm considering having @Reactcore's cap mod done + Farad power supplies added, and my only hang up is on the impact of resale value. I wouldn't mind keeping the Dave/Mscaler long term, but would hate to take a *huge* resale value if I end up needing/wanting to sale. Any opinions on just how much it could actually hurt resale value, if any?

As a hobbyist, I would love to luck up on a pre-modded version.. but I get the purist side of the hobby. Would love opinions here on whether it may make a significant difference, as I haven't seen many modded units sold.

Anyway, if I move forward, I'd send my Dave/Mscaler to @BassicScience to take a few weeks to listen and provide his impressions, before actually doing the mods. I think this provides a unique opportunity to more directly compare, rather than rely on my impressions weeks/months later off memory, which is a pretty big trap imo. So I'd like to do this just for the sake of the hobby alone. Just need to make a final decision here.

By the time @BassicScience is done with the comparison I predict you will sell your Chord stack and get an emm labs DA2v2.

 

[Hiker816]

By the time @BassicScience is done with the comparison I predict you will sell your Chord stack and get an emm labs DA2v2.

I don't know. The new Chord Quartet scaler may be the Dave's fountain of youth, so to speak. Will be interesting to find out.

Edit: Oops, didn't know there was a joke there. Sorry, carry on.

 

[number1sixerfan]

By the time @BassicScience is done with the comparison I predict you will sell your Chord stack and get an emm labs DA2v2.

Edit.. missed the joke here lol.

But anyways, what is likely, is that I'll have a Lampizator GG or Pacific that I compare to the Dave for a few weeks before I'd send it off.The comparison between them before and after is the only thing that may cause me to sell the Dave at some point. If I'm won over to a large degree, then I may want a lesser Lampi in my second system rather than the Dave. But that's something I'll figure out far down the line... hence the question on resale value impact from mods.

 

[BassicScience]

By the time @BassicScience is done with the comparison I predict you will sell your Chord stack and get an emm labs DA2v2.

LOL. I think @number1sixerfan has his eyes on a Lampizator DAC as a possible DAVE replacement. That said, I'd be happy to evaluate the DAVE (pre- and post-mods) versus my EMM Labs DAC, although ideally he'd also be on hand to hear them for himself.

 

[kawhia]

Edit.. missed the joke here lol.

But anyways, what is likely, is that I'll have a Lampizator GG or Pacific that I compare to the Dave for a few weeks before I'd send it off.The comparison between them before and after is the only thing that may cause me to sell the Dave at some point. If I'm won over to a large degree, then I may want a lesser Lampi in my second system rather than the Dave. But that's something I'll figure out far down the line... hence the question on resale value impact from mods.

Resale value may be negatively influenced, as there could be less people out there wanting to buy a modded Dave. However, it could also be even. You would have to add the extra expense of the mod on top and see how much of that you would get back once selling. It is there where you would probably loose a bit. But I am just guessing. As far as I see resale value has been quite stable for the past years in the range 5400-6800€, not so sure about $$. Can you disclose how much you would pay for the modification?

 

[kawhia]

Resale value may be negatively influenced, as there could be less people out there wanting to buy a modded Dave. However, it could also be even. You would have to add the extra expense of the mod on top and see how much of that you would get back once selling. It is there where you would probably loose a bit. But I am just guessing. As far as I see resale value has been quite stable for the past years in the range 5400-6800€, not so sure about $$. Can you disclose how much you would pay for the modification?

And tell us about your lampi experience. There seem to be quite a lot of lampi converts recently

 

[Mr X]

Bit of a random question. I have a black Dave I bought new from my dealer about 2.5yrs ago. I'm considering having @Reactcore's cap mod done + Farad power supplies added, and my only hang up is on the impact of resale value. I wouldn't mind keeping the Dave/Mscaler long term, but would hate to take a *huge* resale value if I end up needing/wanting to sale. Any opinions on just how much it could actually hurt resale value, if any?

As a hobbyist, I would love to luck up on a pre-modded version.. but I get the purist side of the hobby. Would love opinions here on whether it may make a significant difference, as I haven't seen many modded units sold.

Anyway, if I move forward, I'd send my Dave/Mscaler to @BassicScience to take a few weeks to listen and provide his impressions, before actually doing the mods. I think this provides a unique opportunity to more directly compare, rather than rely on my impressions weeks/months later off memory, which is a pretty big trap imo. So I'd like to do this just for the sake of the hobby alone. Just need to make a final decision here.

I actually don’t think resale value will be impacted. What will become a bit more restricted is resale opportunity will be less. You’re already appealing to a small market when selling Dave and an even smaller one when selling a modded Dave.

So along as you’re not in a hurry when selling, I do think there are individuals out there that would actually prefer finding a pre modded Dave, me being one, but you’re unlikely to get back what you paid for the mods and their parts.

In short, I’m in that small minority that would pay going market rate for a modded Dave over a stock Dave., depending what those mods are and who did them of course!

 

[TheAttorney]

It's difficult to predict the impact on resale value.
Although some potential buyers would be put off by any mod of any kind, the buyers that are interested in this caps mod would instantly jump at a Dave already modded in preference to a similarly aged un-modded Dave, probably prepared to pay a bit extra for the modded version.

A lot depends on the quality of the mods. We've seen Reactcore does an excellent job. So anyone else doing the mod should take some before/after photos to show that their build quality is to a similar high standard. If I tried doing this mod myself, nobody in this universe would ever consider buying it.

It also depends on Dave's age. My Dave is over 8 years old now (how time flies) and I don't really expect to get a lot of money for it whether or not I get the mod done.

It also depends on how happy you are with Dave in general. If you still love your Dave, but want to give a (potentially) huge boost to performance for not very much money (compared to getting a different DAC or an SJ ARC DC4) then I would go for the mod.

 

[chelseafc]

It's difficult to predict the impact on resale value.
Although some potential buyers would be put off by any mod of any kind, the buyers that are interested in this caps mod would instantly jump at a Dave already modded in preference to a similarly aged un-modded Dave, probably prepared to pay a bit extra for the modded version.

A lot depends on the quality of the mods. We've seen Reactcore does an excellent job. So anyone else doing the mod should take some before/after photos to show that their build quality is to a similar high standard. If I tried doing this mod myself, nobody in this universe would ever consider buying it.

It also depends on Dave's age. My Dave is over 8 years old now (how time flies) and I don't really expect to get a lot of money for it whether or not I get the mod done.

It also depends on how happy you are with Dave in general. If you still love your Dave, but want to give a (potentially) huge boost to performance for not very much money (compared to getting a different DAC or an SJ ARC DC4) then I would go for the mod.

I believe it maybe too late to get into modded DAVE game.
If you are prepared to spend thousands on the mods, I have to assume that money is not an issue.
Why not wait for the Choral DAVE then?
I had to drop the price on my DAVE a couple of times to sell it, even though it was under warranty.
It would be much harder to sell a modded one, in my opinion.

 

[number1sixerfan]

Resale value may be negatively influenced, as there could be less people out there wanting to buy a modded Dave. However, it could also be even. You would have to add the extra expense of the mod on top and see how much of that you would get back once selling. It is there where you would probably loose a bit. But I am just guessing. As far as I see resale value has been quite stable for the past years in the range 5400-6800€, not so sure about $$. Can you disclose how much you would pay for the modification?

And tell us about your lampi experience. There seem to be quite a lot of lampi converts recently

Helpful pov, thanks! And yea, I've been drooling over Lampi for a long time lol, it's just time to go ahead and do it lol. I'll definitely share thoughts after.

I actually don’t think resale value will be impacted. What will become a bit more restricted is resale opportunity will be less. You’re already appealing to a small market when selling Dave and an even smaller one when selling a modded Dave.

So along as you’re not in a hurry when selling, I do think there are individuals out there that would actually prefer finding a pre modded Dave, me being one, but you’re unlikely to get back what you paid for the mods and their parts.

In short, I’m in that small minority that would pay going market rate for a modded Dave over a stock Dave., depending what those mods are and who did them of course!

That's a good point as well, even if it sits a while, I do agree that someone will be interested. May just have to give it time if I do so.

It's difficult to predict the impact on resale value.
Although some potential buyers would be put off by any mod of any kind, the buyers that are interested in this caps mod would instantly jump at a Dave already modded in preference to a similarly aged un-modded Dave, probably prepared to pay a bit extra for the modded version.

A lot depends on the quality of the mods. We've seen Reactcore does an excellent job. So anyone else doing the mod should take some before/after photos to show that their build quality is to a similar high standard. If I tried doing this mod myself, nobody in this universe would ever consider buying it.

It also depends on Dave's age. My Dave is over 8 years old now (how time flies) and I don't really expect to get a lot of money for it whether or not I get the mod done.

It also depends on how happy you are with Dave in general. If you still love your Dave, but want to give a (potentially) huge boost to performance for not very much money (compared to getting a different DAC or an SJ ARC DC4) then I would go for the mod.

Good points. My Dave is relatively newer (3 years), and in pristine condition. And also, I bought it when it was more affordable, so even if it takes a hit I shouldn't really take a loss. And your last point on low cost is really what has me leaning towards just doing it. Will likely add the Farad PSUs as well, which are considerably less than the SJ PSUs. Lastly, I would also be totally ok keeping it for my speaker system I do love the Dave as is, so if it improves significantly I wouldn't mind keeping it.

I believe it maybe too late to get into modded DAVE game.
If you are prepared to spend thousands on the mods, I have to assume that money is not an issue.
Why not wait for the Choral DAVE then?
I had to drop the price on my DAVE a couple of times to sell it, even though it was under warranty.
It would be much harder to sell a modded one, in my opinion.

The cap mod is pretty cheap actually. And the Farad PSUs aren't that bad cost wise either. I do agree that it might be a bit harder to sell though.


The Choral Dave has been rumored to be quite expensive as a premium product. I think in total I'd be looking at less than 2k, and much much less if I stick to just the cap mod alone. I also want to mention that @Reactcore has been super nice and super helpful in answering some initial questions. Really appreciative that he's shared his mods here with as much transparency and help to others.

Thanks again all for the POV, very helpful and puts any real worry at ease. I think I'll proceed forward, unless getting a Lampi just is a complete revelation. In that case, I could be interested in a cheaper lampi to use in the speaker system. Will share impressions as I have them.