The DAVE is an excellent DAC. I owned it for over a year.
Keep your eyes peeled for a used one!
Chord DAVE DAC
Any owners who want to tell me more about it? I recently received an inheritance worth about 13k. I can shell out another 2 grand to get my end-game DAC with headphones. Or...maybe the wife and kids want their bathrooms renovated
Please tell me how it sounds. I don't have a dealer close-by to audition. I just want "end-game" performance so I won't have to worry. I listen to mostly .flac and .wav files with some .mp3s (320 kbps) in the mix. Only because it was hard to get those albums so I downloaded mp3s and saved money.
- Jack
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- 77 posts total
@blisshifi, I like that you mentioned synergy with the rest of a system because I believe that it is a critical consideration when putting together an enjoyable setup. After demoing several excellent DACs, and deciding that Rob Watts Chord FPGA designs were the flavour that I liked the best, I decided to build my dedicated headphone system around the Chord Hugo TT2 and M Scaler. Everything from the wall socket to my headphones, LPSUs, the power conditioner and power cables, interconnects, music server/streamer, RFI/EMI filters, tube headphone amplifier, and an Audiowise SRC.DX USB > BNC converter, were all chosen specifically to work seamlessly with the Chord TT2 and M Scaler so as to maximize their capabilities and to get the exact sound of music that I prefer. I chose the TT2 because I liked its tonality and its form more than that of the DAVE. The real deal when looking at high-end audio gear is that you’ve really got to audition as many different types of DACs, amps, and speakers as you possibly can, and not be in any kind of hurry to spend one’s money. When you get into the Chord, dCS, Nagra, MSB, Tambaqui, Holo May rarified air of digital audio converters, to me it becomes a totally subjective endeavor. Shop around and buy what you like and can afford. Easy peasy! |
At this point I don't believe that there is any category of equipment that is "end game" at a purely technical level. It may be "end game" to you though. Point is I would think long and hard about dropping $14k on a DAC. If there is any category that is not mature it is DACs. You'll get plenty of attention when willing to spend at that level. An alternative is get on a plane and audition. Just my 2 cents. Regards, barts |
- 77 posts total