Chord DAVE DAC

@charles1dad

Anything more than they can/want to spend is simply the result of hype, clever marketing and of course a good dose of the ever present snake oil.

ding ding ding... bingo!!!

more than i can/am willing to spend, so anyone who spends more is a foo'

In these forums (and just about any other forum on the internet), most times discussions revolve around inquiries and perspectives. When done well, those perspectives surface values, which can be helpful to learning how those values can be fulfilled, especially if the community is empathetic to them. The unfortunate thing is that everybody’s values are different, AND not everyone is empathetic to each others’ values. If we could all just be more empathetic to each other and not force our opinions on others, online communities would be much healthier places (mentally).

That said, I’ve been in the boat to have made to feel like how jjss49 and charles1dad have by many (meaning I support both of your posts), mostly because I am spending more on my gear than others or spend more time dialing things in. But in truth, I have never regretted any of my big purchases or effort because they have yielded more than satisfactory results. The purchase themselves and the marketing hype is not what drives the validation, but the comparison to many others’ systems and rooms to mine, as well as the personal satisfaction I get from listening and being transported and the way it makes me feel makes the whole journey worthwhile.

Thank you all so much :)

Has anyone compared the DAC in a Chord DAVE to one in a high-end streamer like an Esoteric N-01XD?

I want the DAC to be accurate. Just want to hear the music the way it was recorded.

Not sure what this means. The music was recorded using specific mics, in a specific room using a specific Analog to digital device, then played back over specific speakers (or headphones) and mixed accordingly, and then it was mixed again with certain kinds of output devices in mind (compression, perhaps).

In other words, you may be after something you will enjoy, but how you get back to some Ur-recording is mystifying. To hear it "the way they heard it" at the very least means being in their listening room (mixing studio), in their chair, with their speakers and playback system. Other than that, it’s all gavagai -- a translation.

But measurements don’t tell the entire story...so subjective opinions and objective reviews from professionals are necessary.

Subjective opinions are valuable if… their tastes are similar, their rooms are similar, their equipment is similar, their recordings are similar. Virtually no one goes to any trouble at all to verify these things. We just have people saying, "This DAC is analytical" or "This amp is smooth" and then others — with a completely different setup and tastes (maybe) then chime in and either agree or disagree.