[x RELIC x]

The DAVE is a $10k Odac.

Mkaaay. I'm curious if you've actually heard the DAVE. When I first got mine I thought it sounded too warm, too 'analogue'. It also didn’t jump out and scream dry detail to me. This was comparing to my Audio-GD R2R gear at the time (admittedly not the best R2R gear). Great measurements don't mean sterile or boring, which is what I'm sensing a lot of the perception is lately. The implementation in the DAVE is far removed from the ODAC, which I don't find particularly good BTW.

With the Utopia I would agree with @MacedonianHero and it's a fantastic pairing in my opinion. Not peaky or sibilant. Not bright or metallic. I also hear very good musicality. Nothing that would really make me feel the need to sell either piece of equipment as I'm not a soundstage addict, although I have zero complaints of the Utopia's soundstage with the DAVE. Others may not feel the same and that's fine, YMWV. I do find it funny though that the pairing was simply mentioned as enjoyable and then a debate erupts. A member posted it was the best he had heard. Others may have heard better for them and their tastes.

 

[up late]

what else would you expect to happen?

 

[336881]

Mkaaay. I'm curious if you've actually heard the DAVE. When I first got mine I thought it sounded too warm, too 'analogue'. It also didn’t jump out and scream dry detail to me. This was comparing to my Audio-GD R2R gear at the time (admittedly not the best R2R gear). Great measurements don't mean sterile or boring, which is what I'm sensing a lot of the perception is lately. The implementation in the DAVE is far removed from the ODAC, which I don't find particularly good BTW.

With the Utopia I would agree with @MacedonianHero and it's a fantastic pairing in my opinion. Not peaky or sibilant. Not bright or metallic. I also hear very good musicality. Nothing that would really make me feel the need to sell either piece of equipment as I'm not a soundstage addict, although I have zero complaints of the Utopia's soundstage with the DAVE. Others may not feel the same and that's fine, YMWV. I do find it funny though that the pairing was simply mentioned as enjoyable and then a debate erupts. A member posted it was the best he had heard. Others may have heard better for them and their tastes.

I think there has been a miscommunication here. I was using the history of the odac not the odac per se. Back when the odac first came out NewWaveGuy claimed the odac was better than every other dac because it measures better. Caused quite the brew haha from what I remember. I guess I went back too far in time.

Measurements matter to me as well. The Dave's perfect measurements to me means Chord really had their stuff together before they built the Dave. Measurements are not end all for me though.

 

[buzzlulu]

Measurements are not end all for me though.

It seems that a significant majority of posters in this thread appear to agree with this statement

 

[doggiemom]

I'm sorry, but I can't reconcile your comment of "a DAC can be so accurate that it can remove the emotion of a recording"? The more accurate it is, the more of the recording it captures and I don't understand how that can remove emotion; unless it wasn't in the recording originally. Or conversely how a DAC can add emotion if it wasn't contained in the recording? <raises Spock-ian eye brow>

I'm reading a book that is relevant to this discussion, "Perfecting Sound Forever: An Aural History of Recorded Music" by Greg Milner:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6374049-perfecting-sound-forever
It is quite lengthy, so I only just got to the point where magnetic tape is the hot new thing. In addition to covering the history of recording and playback technology, there is a lot of interesting discussion about what recording engineers and even specific companies were aiming for (e.g. should a recording feel intimate as though the listener is in front of the performer, or try to give the experience of sitting in a concert hall? Should a recording reproduce the original performance faithfully, or remixed later to make to match the engineer's preferences?)

So far it is an interesting read, but long and dense. I hope to get to the CD section or at least the Walkman before the end of the weekend, LOL.

 

[MacedonianHero]

It seems that a significant majority of posters in this thread appear to agree with this statement

Me neither. But when it comes to $10000+ sources, they better bring the goods with regards to both. But then again, I don't know how one can separate these out as they are very dependent upon each other too?

 

[MacedonianHero]

I'm reading a book that is relevant to this discussion, "Perfecting Sound Forever: An Aural History of Recorded Music" by Greg Milner:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6374049-perfecting-sound-forever
It is quite lengthy, so I only just got to the point where magnetic tape is the hot new thing. In addition to covering the history of recording and playback technology, there is a lot of interesting discussion about what recording engineers and even specific companies were aiming for (e.g. should a recording feel intimate as though the listener is in front of the performer, or try to give the experience of sitting in a concert hall? Should a recording reproduce the original performance faithfully, or remixed later to make to match the engineer's preferences?)

So far it is an interesting read, but long and dense. I hope to get to the CD section or at least the Walkman before the end of the weekend, LOL.

Thanks for that...I'll check it out.

 

[emrelights1973]

I always listen my Utopia with SP1000 or 1Z with Kimber Axios CU cables....

Now I bought a second hand Bryston BhA-1 I connected to my pre and listening trough my CD player... with long standard cable, normal jack

wowwwww...... it sound more alive even in low gain mode...

maybe I was mistaken that the high end DAPS are good.....

 

[MacedonianHero]

I always listen my Utopia with SP1000 or 1Z with Kimber Axios CU cables....

Now I bought a second hand Bryston BhA-1 I connected to my pre and listening trough my CD player... with long standard cable, normal jack

wowwwww...... it sound more alive even in low gain mode...

maybe I was mistaken that the high end DAPS are good.....

You have to sacrifice something for the extreme portability of a DAP compared to a full sized desktop unit.

 

[emrelights1973]

You have to sacrifice something for the extreme portability of a DAP compared to a full sized desktop unit.

I am using DAPs mostly at home, I have SR15 for outside, using Bryston/CD player is very nice, I am also appreciating the original cable and its length, just I wish for a remote.... BHA-1 is a good amp to a decent price in this world of excessive pricing..

 

[MacedonianHero]

I am using DAPs mostly at home, I have SR15 for outside, using Bryston/CD player is very nice, I am also appreciating the original cable and its length, just I wish for a remote.... BHA-1 is a good amp to a decent price in this world of excessive pricing..

Just curious if you've used your DAP as a source for your BHA-1?

 

[emrelights1973]

I will DAP is connected to pre amp as well 3.5/din cable

 

[up late]

I always listen my Utopia with SP1000 or 1Z with Kimber Axios CU cables....

Now I bought a second hand Bryston BhA-1 I connected to my pre and listening trough my CD player... with long standard cable, normal jack

wowwwww...... it sound more alive even in low gain mode...

maybe I was mistaken that the high end DAPS are good.....

i don't know whether the concero hp is considered high end around these parts (probably not) but the utopia sounded pretty "high fidelity" to me out of it

 

[up late]

I'm reading a book that is relevant to this discussion, "Perfecting Sound Forever: An Aural History of Recorded Music" by Greg Milner:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6374049-perfecting-sound-forever
It is quite lengthy, so I only just got to the point where magnetic tape is the hot new thing. In addition to covering the history of recording and playback technology, there is a lot of interesting discussion about what recording engineers and even specific companies were aiming for (e.g. should a recording feel intimate as though the listener is in front of the performer, or try to give the experience of sitting in a concert hall? Should a recording reproduce the original performance faithfully, or remixed later to make to match the engineer's preferences?)

So far it is an interesting read, but long and dense. I hope to get to the CD section or at least the Walkman before the end of the weekend, LOL.

i was under the impression that "high fidelity sound" was originally a marketing slogan and that true audiophiles only listen to mono recordings

 

[jwbrent]

i was under the impression that "high fidelity sound" was originally a marketing slogan and that true audiophiles only listen to mono recordings

Mono records with a mono cartridge.