For sure with Hugo and Qutenot even debatable. Conversely, you could spend a lot more and not gain a great deal in real terms. Up to 32 bit 768kHz As I said, its an odd one to describe but you do hear it as it brings a sense of rightness to rhythm tracks. By Sounds shrill on my workstation and work laptop. The video cannot be shown. 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. You are using an out of date browser. Talking of cool lets talk about this remote. 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 havent heard the Rockna. Like a true audiophile with "issues", I'm saying to myself, if at $8300 Much appreciated. I found it big bold brash and dynamic but hard cold glary and fatiguing - all the old fashioned things I hated about early digital. The Discrete DAC uses two of these modules per unit. Well this is going to set the cat amongst the pigeons for sure. RCA outputs with the optional output module Voltage: 3.57 Vrms Maximum Impedance > 600 High Gain setting. Aurender N10 is still not a USB only dedicated streamer so you will not hear what USB audio is fully capable off through Ms/Dave. How r they comparing to the MSB Select 2 and Trinity? Have you thought about hooking up a Blu2 to Dave? With two prime DACs, the MSB Discrete yields an unprecedented level of detail that reproduces the musicality, soundstage and texture of an original performance, bringing the artist to you. Thank you for posting! Thanks. I thought the DAVE was just as stunning with DSD as PCM. This effect was evident on track after track but didnt feel like it was overly exaggerated. 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. There is a real sense of spectacle and scale when the MSB is in the system. Analogue Volume Control 1dB from 0 to 106 Deactivable by menu, Dimensions ChassisWidth : 432 mmDepth: 305 mmHeight without feet: 51 mm. Congratulations on the upgrade and enjoy it in good health. 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've also learned that a DAC's performance will depend heavily on the music player. Founded in 2010 Whats Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. It could sound analytical or hot coupled with bright combination of speaker and amplifier. All rights reserved. As it stands, the Discrete offers a very good solution should you be a music lover that plays only digital files and you can go straight into a power amp. 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. Digital: Jay's Audio CDT2 MK2 CD transport, Modified MHDT Labs Balanced Pagoda DAC. You might want to consider adding one of Chord's Upscalers, either Hugo M scaler , or the Blu Mk. Sonically, it is akin to the old straight wire with gain only in the digital realm. MSB Discrete DAC | Hifi Pig This is how MSB describe these modules: Its best to think of our DAC modules as a black box: the modules take the raw digital data in and output a continuous voltage. I just heard DAVE directly connected to MacBook Pro via USB without any expensive cables, headphone amplifier, power conditioner. Links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Hifi Pig and Big Pig Media with appropriate and specific direction (link) to the original content. This would help to take your digital playback upa few levels. Couldn't agree more. JavaScript is disabled. So this was headphones straight out of the DAVE? personal preference. Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator, https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/absolute-top-tier-dac-for-standard-res-redbook-cd. The AC modules are fully balanced at every stage, have no buffers, IV converters, or transistors in the signal path, and have no active devices used in the conversion process at all. T&A Dac8 (for DSD512) or Lampi Atlantic for any native rate DSD playback. Audiogon Discussion Forum I cant help with comparisons of two of these DACs, but I did hear the Tambaqui up against the dCS Bartok and it was a pretty close call, but ultimately the dCS sounded more analogue and more immersive, I have heard the Dave and EMM Labs DAC2x up against aMakua that I subsequently purchased. DLNA Protocol. 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. for instance, the Select II is modular (customers can easily change modules in seconds)so it has the ability to quickly modify its inputs to allow for optimization of various interfaces. Edited November 11, 2020 by seadog. There is no dark magic involved. DAVE is the most advanced DAC Chord Electronics has ever made. CHORD ELECTRONICS DAVE | Page 934 - Head-Fi.org The best upgrade for Dave easy. I have listened to MSB Analog DAC and Diamond DAC IV but not in the same setup as DAVE. To my ears it makes music sound unnatural. I expected a lot better. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. The next module is the display which is a cool and easy-to-read LED that is slaved to the audio clock. I could not so, after 2 years of trying, I bought it. You are using an out of date browser. Is it too hot to touch? Was it a speaker setup or headphone setup? Anyway, I switched out the valve power amplifier and put in its place the Krell KST100 (all fully fettled and brought up to a better than new spec by Krell in the States) with my intention being to see what effect was the DAC and what was down to the amp basically isolating the effect to a component. Mike, Scott has been absolutely wonderful in his support, despite my purchasing the Found-Music 2A3s used (from Art S.) He has visited once and is planning another visit after the trip your way. To be 100% honest we have A/B tested most of the dacs mentioned After a year of listening to various components I'm content. Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers, A healthy approach to understanding measurements, After being asked for the 308th time, Merv lists top 5 headphones, $1000 to the first to design a headamp using discrete components with better measurements than Magni 3+, http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f6-dac-digital-analog-conversion/chord-dave-29757/#post579518, (You must log in or sign up to reply here.). connection because it eliminates some parts and gets you closer to a direct Not a bad idea Snoop! Sit back and be immersed. Australian Business Number 38 650 151 296, Digital Sources, DACs, and Computer Audio, Chord Dave vs Mola Mola Makua/Tambaqui vs Emm Labs Dac2x vs Rockna Wavedream. Is this what passes for high end? So true jr, the discrete R2R Multibit dacs like the Terminator the Holo, MSB, Total ect ect have a life and a boogie factor to the music that DS dacs lack, and yes they do show up bad recordings. digital front ends. Only hifi shops and shows hear and there. Thats not allthe CNC unibody aluminum chassis provides the discrete power supply with optimal thermal performance and an elegant design aesthetic. The BADA Ref is a great DAC and I understand the new version takes it to even another level. How hot does the Chord DAC get? IMHO an audio recommendation in a forum is just an advice on what is worth listening and the reason why we think so. Out of all of the DACs I've If you have a turntable, for instance, the Discrete will have to act as a standalone DAC and go into a preamplifier/integrated amplifier which will then add its own flavour to the mix. And this level of detail the MSB Discrete brings to the listening experience was carried through everything I listened toand I listened to this DAC a lot, with it being the only thing I used to for a solid two weeks. At some point you have to be content in this hobby. I did have the BADA Ref in my system for a short audition, and the Trinity And CH Precision C1 for a longer stay during a previous iteration of my system. What didn't you like about the Dave? Cs | Critical Mass CS2s -> components, Isoacoustics -> speakers + subs | Adona Eris II rack on Herbie's titanium footers | Fully treated and dedicated 2 channel room. of the 5 systems are completely different, our rooms are completely different I can see that in an A/B comparison, many other DACs sound more impressive than DAVE/Blu2. An FPGA does not have analog output, in the Chord DACs, the FPGA handles digital processing only, not conversion from digital to analog. Anyway, the MSB Discrete is a machine that I consider to be highly resolving and a true HiFi product with regard to the definition I quoted above. More to follow. And this is what separates the very good from the excellent piece of audio equipment. There are some tonal differences too, but what you prefer will depend on your other equipment and the music you like. other dacs I have enjoyedin no particular order; I would not call this second tier; but I prefer what hear from my Select II to what Ive heard from these. I'm looking for suggestions on DACs I should listen to as possible replacement of my Chord Dave. MSB thrives off the innovation required to meet consumer demands. Copyright Hifi Pig and Hifi Pig Magazine, Big Pig Media LLP. the North American distributors for Rockna so I thought I would jump in on this You might want to consideradding oneof Chord's Upscalers, either HugoM scaler, or the Blu Mk. I still did not found better audio source. Like others said, I'd try first an MScaler with DAVE. Each clock is made up of two independent clocks but only one is used at any given time so as not to add unwanted noise to the circuit. I could easily live with any of these. Check out the awards + accolades. Theres just a sense that with the MSB in the line that everything is timed correctly and rock solid. The other thing I've learned about the Chord Dave is it can sound very different depending on the interconnect and/or power cord used. Now, this is an important and quite a cool lesson in what is going on with the two PSUs. The only true way for the end user to know what they prefer is through listening in their own system.. Nice. Triangle Magellan Concerto 2< AQEverest< Vitus Audio SS-010 Mk2< AQDragon High Current< AQWELXLR< ChordQutestDAC w UpTone JS-2 & AQ Dragon Source < AQDiamond USB< InnuosPhoenix USBwAQ Dragon Source< AurenderN100H & AQ Dragon Source< NetGear GS105GESwitch w UpTone LPS1.2< Supra CAT8 Ethernet components, Isoacoustics -> speakers + subs | Adona Eris II rack on Herbie's titanium footers | Fully treated and dedicated 2 channel room. So I personally prefer to listen to different DACs just like I prefer to listen to analog as well as digital. Whats Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. Its an interesting setup with everything from design through to milling the chassis to building the circuit boards being done in-house. You must log in or register to reply here. As the noise in my system keeps getting lower, the PM2 keeps reaching deeper to find even more musical engagement and purity in standard 16/44 files. 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. Rori And this is where I had a problem with this DAC, though mostly the problem was of my own making. 2. Amplification: Cyrus Mono x300Signatures. Guess what I am trying to say is: preamps are important. Then just stay with the basic Premier unit, and the power supply that comes with it. in this forum and they are all very good dacs. HiFiMan Ananda, SR Orange fuses, Taiko Audio Daiza platforms, Startech FMC optical network link, Oyaide EE f/s2.0 V2 mains spurs, Akiko Audio tuning sticks, GIK Acoustic TriTraps/panels. Needless to say given everything talked about so far, the Prime DAC modules are made in-house and they have been making and designing discrete ladder DACs since 1999. Stainless steel buttons arrayed around an elegant volume wheel to optimize performance and response. Yes, you read that right, the Select DAC is the best part of 121,000! The world's largest high-end audio community. CH Precision C1 DAC. This one has similar sound signature to MSB Premier But it is half notch below MSB Premier on dynamics, details, soundstage. I believe it comes down to The other issue is preference. To me, the instrumental timbre seems more accurate with DAVE than any other DACs I've heard. It was a speaker setup (as in my signature.) SoundLab A1Px's, ARC REF40, VTL Siegfired II, cj GAT2, cj ART, DCS Vivaldi 2.0 stack, Taiko Audio SGM Extreme, TechDas AF1+ , Graham Phamtom III, Sumiko Palo Santos, vdH Black Beauty, ARC Phono 3, Studer A80, Crystal Dreamline, Transparent Audio Ref XL digital and Ref Gen V power cables, CenterStage footers, Nordost Qkore6' s and QB8's! Im sure it does have a flavour of its own, but from my standpoint, it sounds like a very neutral and transparent DAC. Superior conversion begins with clean and stable low-noise power. Best DACs comparison test result [[My Subjective Opinion]] Set up is key, cables are super important, server is also sounds like a more transparent Chord Dave to my ears. However, to get this level of separation and detail within the soundscape the DAC is clearly having a very important role to play.
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