While it's an easy setup to wrangle at a show, it does seem like it wasn't doing either component any favours! CHORD Dave could be the most expensive deeply design DAC in the world and if you find it not your taste there is the best off the shelf DACs like akm4499 in Topping D90 for 699$ that could be even better than Dave. Stainless steel buttons arrayed around an elegant volume wheel to optimize performance and response. What ice cream do you prefer? Its not bombarding you with information, but it is a notably more defined sound with regards to the spatial information and the way that elements sit in the mix a tad more solidity and more of a sense of the stereo image being wider and deeper and with instruments and sounds occupying a definite space of their own. I'm looking for suggestions between $10K - $12K. The video cannot be shown. The world's largest high-end audio community. It seems to take in zeros and ones and then somehow make sense of these and just convert them into faithful reproductions of the recording though me not being at the recording of any of the records I listened to, thats my assumption coming into play. Im participating to both learn and make suggestions where I have experience that may help. Thirdly, having suggested that the brightness issue may lay elsewhere, I will shortly post a suggested tweak directly to both HMS and DAVE - that I have found to increase the "weight", "solidity" and "analogueness" of the resulting sound. I just heard DAVE directly connected to MacBook Pro via USB without any expensive cables, headphone amplifier, power conditioner. I'm looking for suggestions on DACs I should listen to as possible replacement of my Chord Dave. I wired it all up and the unit lit up but I could get no sound out of it whatsoever. However, the extra PSU does add to the cost considerably! They are all excellent DACs and at that level of performance, it's ultimately about system synergy, personal preferences and the limitations of our hearing. You must log in or register to reply here. Personally we have A/B 76 different digital front ends. There are some tonal differences too, but what you prefer will depend on your other equipment and the music you like. Then we have the Integrated Clock module and Im starting to get the whole modular approach to the design of the MSB DAC. You're very polite about how you describe your preferences, cmarin. After reading that review, and remembering the reverence APL had back in the day, alongside the Stahl Tek and Trinity dacs that were the heavy hitters 10-15 yrs ago, I was just curious as to whether . All in all the Discrete DAC is beautiful looking, minimal, easy to set up (its all but plug and play if you turn both the PSUs on) and it feels like a proper bit of audio engineering. This all-American theme is continued in the companys PCB Shop where they use circuit boards produced for them in Silicon Valley, which are then made ready for the automated adding of the smaller components and hand-fitting bulkier components before washing and inspection. As you mentioned imaging better, incredible PRaT with MSB. Also; recently MSB introduced a new interface that optimizes USB and adds fibre to reduce noise, the MSB Pro USB. Besides that the MSB looks so much better. You might want to consideradding oneof Chord's Upscalers, either HugoM scaler, or the Blu Mk. You are using an out of date browser. Thanks. By Of course your opinion on sound quality is your own, and valid, but to suggest that the reason for the difference is because the Chord is an "FPGA DAC" is technically incorrect. 2 DAC | Audionet Pre G2 preamp | Audionet Max mono blocks | Vivid Audio Giya G2 Series 2 | 4 JL Audio Fathoms | Echole ICs /SCs / Siltech Classic 550L jumpers, Shunyata PCs / Eth. The biggest question about this device is, Yeah listened to the same HEk V2 and Chord Dave with. Bespoke Audio Ultimate Silver TVC passive preamp, Totaldac xlr version D1-Drivers x2, Eisteddfod 340 & 840 amps, Magico S5 speaker, MSB Select DAC, MSB Select Transport, Nakamichi 700 XLE cassette deck, Taiko Audio Extreme Server, Tripoint Troy Signature NG groundbox, PLiXiR Elite 1500 isolation transformers. What didn't you like about the Dave? As the topic suggests, looking for comparisons on the above Dacs from people who have atleast heard and compared 2 of these dacs. Regardless if the buyer has never auditioned the unit, and found it corresponding to, Simaudio Moon Neo 260 DT CD Transport / Empirical Audio reclocking system: Synchro-Mesh Reclocker driven by Dynamo Linear Power Supply, 2 x Reference BNC digital cable / Schiit Yggdrasil Less is More (LIM) DAC / Octave HP 700 preamp / Octave RE 320 stereo amp with Super Black Box / Reference 3A Reflector monitors, on Sound Anchors Signature stands / dual JL Audio Fathom 112 v2 subwoofers / Cables: ZenWave Audio D4 interconnects, ZenWave SMSG speaker cables / Diverse Herbie's Audio Lab footers / Acoustic treatment: Tri-panels, window plugs, ceiling diffusers (all ASC), diverse carpets chosen for acoustic properties (wool, polypropylene basketweave), Sure absolutely agree that paying that much money without auditioning (preferably in my house, with my own equipment, in my room) does not make much sense. Elevator Pitch Review: Built in America, the MSB Discrete is a modular DAC that also acts as a preamplfier, though, as supplied, it has no analogue inputs. All rights reserved. It is a manual step which I forgot. I actually like the simplicity of this and it is very intuitive to use when you get into setting up and menu diving, though diving is over-egging it a bit as the Discrete is a doddle to set upif you do it right, but more on that in a while. And in the case of a great DAC with great amps in a system with very low noise, going direct to the amps can be magical. In that time, weve pushed the industry forward with each product weve built, redefining whats possible. Less experience with Dave on DSD, plus Rob claims to no longer decimate. Is this what passes for high end? For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Yeah, you and me both- the look I got wasn't as funny as the one I got from the Sennheiser stand when I asked if they had any HD600 or HD650, instead of all those Momentums and so forth, but still. It is bested easily by DACs at $150. To cut a long story short: A burnt in MSB Analog DAC with Power Base demoed side to side to a burnt in DAVE was no challenge for the MSB. Didn't like it at all. There's 340 pages packed with HiFi Reviews, Industry Interviews and much more. Can't beat the form factor of it though, great for off a desk top. Digital Audio Forum: DAC, Transports, Digital Processing Forum, 4x20A circuits | Audioquest Niagara 3000 | Paul Hynes SR4T + HDPlex HD500 PSUs -> Music PC w/JCAT XE nic, HQPlayer, Roon, Tidal / Qobuz | HDPlex HD100 PSU -> OCX clock + EtherRegen | Aqua Acoustic Quality LinQ streamer | Aqua Acoustic Quality Formula xHD Rev. I could not so, after 2 years of trying, I bought it. The main reason we took on Rockna was because their Chord states "DAVE is the most advanced DAC we have ever made. But in the specific case of the BADA and PM2, if you wish for me to be more precise, then taking into account that I only had the BADA ref for a very short time, the bottom line was that I didn't feel at the time that the difference between the PM2 in my system was significant enough to make it worth the energy to change components or the potential financial loss involved in a trade. The evolution of the original irreverent and irrelevant and non-authoritative site for headphone measurements, i.e. heard, I could easily live with the Aeris, Dave, or Wavedream. Sources: Hiby R6, Fiio x3II, Fiio x5II DACs: Dave, Yggdrasil, Hugo, Hugo TT, U12. It's easy! They're very back ordered and are a pro unit with balanced only outputs and no remote but oh my do they sound spectacular. November 11, 2020 in Digital Sources, DACs, and Computer Audio. It's pretty funny how everyone gives their personal pet recommendation with the utmost confidence that the buyer will like it. The Discrete is a genuine high fidelity DAC and a fabulously built one to boot, add in the modular input flexibility and you have a pretty stunning product with excellent future proofing. Moving away from the actual sound of the music, one of my main takeaways from listening to the Discrete was the sense of timing it brought to music. For the most part, I listened to the MSB through our LAB12 and Krell KST100 amps and TotalDAC D100 speakers. Sign up for a new account in our community. Sounds shrill on my workstation and work laptop. Concluding that there is some kind of problem with using an FPGA vs. what MSB does is not technically supportable. It may not display this or other websites correctly. I don't want to waste hifi shops time too much knowing I'll be going second hand either. DAVE is the most advanced DAC Chord Electronics has ever made. It's UPDATE VIDEO THREE for the Chord Electronics DAVE DAC REVIEW I have spent a lot more time with the DAVE Dac, still using. I can see the problem with this unit. Focal Utopia ~ LCD i4 ~ ETHER FLOW open/C ~ LCD-2.2/XC ~ Nighthawk ~ K10 custom ~ JH Angie, Chord mscaler // Chord TT2 // Oppo PM-1 (Artisan silver headphone cable) // Beyerdynamic DT880 600 Ohm // WAVE Stream bnc cables // Kef LS50 Meta. Wherever I read I see unanimous praise for the MSB Select II. I havent heard the Rockna. @ricred1, youre right to point that out. But MSB Select 2 is regarded by many as the best thats why for something 1/10 of the price to compete in anyones eyes is quite an accomplishment. I believe it comes down to The MSB simply sounded more real to my ears and offered a more convincing soundstage and tonality and all the tiny informations in the music where integrated in the musical flow whereas the DAVE simply sounded flat and not realistic to my ears and even lacked those tiny informations. Chord Dave Black New The Prime DAC With two prime DACs, MSB yields an unprecedented level of detail, reproducing the musicality, soundstage, and texture of an original performance, bringing the artist to you Ps Audio Directstream Dac Vs Auralic Vega Founded in 2004, Games for Change is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers game creators and . Dedicated Line DSD/DXD | Audirvana+ | iFi iDSD Nano | SET Tube Amp | Totem Mites, Surround: VLC | M-Audio FastTrack Pro | Mac Opt | Panasonic SA-HE100 | Logitech Z623, DIY: SET Tube Amp | Low-Noise Linear Regulated Power Supply | USB, Power, Speaker Cables | Speaker Stands | Acoustic Panels, You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. However, Id argue that there is sort of two trains of thought on this subject; one where theres absolute fidelity to the source material at all costs, and another that sounds great though to the listener but perhaps not absolutely true to the original source and I dont think its unfair to say that both these positions have their place in the world of playing tunes at home. California crafted in-house from an aluminum billet, the enclosure feels solid yet refined. conversation. The clock can be seen as being the heart of the DAC and once again the clocks are made in-house. They both use FPGA for their decoding. I'm looking for suggestions on DACs I should listen to as possible replacement of my Chord Dave. Over the air updates will ensure that your renderer always has the latest capabilities and ultimate convenience. After that you are GOLDEN. Up to 8X DSD I have personally not observed this - with either the DAVE or my Mojo. Up to 32 bit 768kHz those surpass any other digital choice. Thanks for the suggestion ecwl. The sonic signature is detailed and yet easy to listen to, with the Discrete bringing a sense of the recordings scale (big or small) to the listening experience. I hear the new Ayre QX-5 Twenty gives the DAVE a run for its money at $8950 but that is just hearsay. The only true way for the end user to know what they prefer is through listening in their own system. The PSUs are available to match. You must log in or register to reply here. When I have done the comparison with other DACs I have had at the same time - Ayre QX5-Twenty, EAR Dac 4, exasound e32 - often the immediate impression is that DAVE/Blu 2 is not quite as good - a bit dryer sounding, not quite as smooth, not as airy or three dimensional And yet, over the longer term, it is deeply satisfying at a musical level in a way that the other DACs are not. At this kind of price, it puts Chord DAVE as being direct competition and I said that DAVE was the best DAC Id heard back in 2018. In that price range, you would be mad not to add the MSB Premier DAC to your list as well. T&A Dac8 (for DSD512) or Lampi Atlantic for any native rate DSD playback. This very pleasant sound I was experiencing, it could be argued, was to a large degree down to the choice of amplifier and what that added to the mix, and I do think this is a valid argument. Ok, I looked a prat but it proves that the separate PSUs are actually doing something rather than being there for show, though they do look rather cool in themselves. Out of all of the DACs I've Sound Media Group Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. There ain't no Coupe deVille hiding at the bottom of a Cracker Jack Box. Nice. The modular nature of the Discrete and other MSB DACs is very clever and I assume this goes a good way towards giving it such a neutral and detailed sound, where no one part is interfering with what the other is doing. https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/a-dac-that-crushes-price-vs-performance-ratio. Still would like to listen to the Soulution 760 DAC, Mola Mola DAC, Trinity DAC, MSB Select DAC, and maybe the Light Harmonic Da Vinci DAC, Gryphon Kalliope DAC, TotalDAC of some kind, Phasure NOS1A DAC, Esoteric Grandioso DAC, TAD DA1000 DAC, Audionet DAC, Chord Dave DAC . I know it is a standard talking point by some to suggest that Chord DACs aren't as good with DSD as PCM. A Chord DAC converts to analog via Chord's "Pulse Array DAC" which is a discrete circuit, similar to the discrete circuit used in the MSB DACs (but not the same). Both DACs connected directly to power amp using each DACs volume controle. It is my name after all! It would have been a different outcome though with the Cyrus pre-amp I previously owned, which cast a veil over everything. You must log in or register to reply here. To me, the instrumental timbre seems more accurate with DAVE than any other DACs I've heard. It is not hard to audition these DACs in Melbourneand this is your best way to work out your own preference. Many of these were already in a shootout on Audiogon with the same requirements - has to sound stellar on 16/44.1 tracks: I agree that the DAVE plus Blu 2 is spectacular, but not in a "hi fi" sense. I could easily live with any of these. retail client forgets that most audio stores and audio distribution companies
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