The DAVE is totally different. I'm actually scared to try a Blu2 and DAVE the next time I'm in Tokyo, because I know that once I'd experienced what they can do, I wont really be satisfied until I owned them.
I am not sure if I would agree. The one thing I can say for sure is that with this level of high quality parts, and high performances, all of these products are more than likely to have been surpassed human capacity of observations based on the 5 senses that they have.
Technically speaking, switching power supply on the Dave is not as good as linear power supply. Electricity is like water, a continuous flow is always better than fast switching which create “ripples” and or “distortions”. But then again, our senses are limited, so therefore we may not be able to see or observe the Switching rate of such thing and at speed. Just like fluorescent light and incandescent bulb. We do not see the differences when both are working correctly.
Now, when measured, linear power supply will always perform better than Switching power supply. If both are done right, but again, human can not tell the differences base on their senses.
So then, why do some of us tend to be able to pick apart for example, whether the Dave is better than R2R 7 ?
1/ Bias based on : brand, or pricing.
**Brand: luxurious brand = expensive/unneeded or common brand = affordable/cheap, **Price: cheap = sound bad or affordable , expensive = sound good/can’t be that bad.
2/ Bias based on: personal preferences
When you matched up the 1 and 2. Whichever has more influences will win, or rather, you pick out 2 our of : brand, pricing, performances.
In reality, people has the 3rd “Bias”, which is based on “reputations”. How come brand name got the status that they are ? Because too many good rep, hence marketing. One thing I am sure is that Audio GD does not market advertising as much as Chord, and being originated from China, oh...I can totally see the heavily biased toward the brand. I am so sure that some people would just shake off and turn to Chord Dave.
Even if somebody was to debate that they can tell the differences, then I would ask, from what system ? Headphones ? Amplifier ? Given that each headphones even at references level will carry different sound signatures. They may be very very close when amped and driven right, but they are still different. If you can not even tell it, then 100% you can not tell the differences between references DAC done right, or amplifier. This will net us back into picking 2 out of 3: Brand, Pricing, Personal preferences.
So, in comparison. If you asked whether Dave is better than R2R 7 ? Then you will have to listen to it yourself, and out of your own system rather than going to a shop and dive into plethora of headphones, which would leave you confused even more.
What i am saying is that, just Dive in, and judge it for yourself. Or if you are the kind of folk that is more convinced after reading feedbacks or impresssions, do that as well.
In my opinion, the only way for me to judge these DAC would be my personal preferences. Which one I like better from it signatures. Do I have the money to justify to pocket it ? I careless for brand
Another point Chord wins out is that they developed hardware, software for the Dave, where as R2R7 are technology blend at the best of their knowledges. Hell, Apple wins from their own IOS and chip...very similar