How close is Hugo TT2 with Mscaler to the sound of DAVE? Are you looking to continue using Mscaler with DAVE or are you giving up the Chord combo to move up to DAVE and planning on using the DAVE without Mscaler? If you plan on running DAVE by itself then I would probably say get a proper streamer and keep your TT2/Mscaler combo. If your upgrade is DAVE/Mscaler combo then probably go that route and add a streamer later.
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The dac100% for a streamer is just bringing the signal in the Dac or sourse most important part of the audio chain . the higher quality the better ,this is the end point where the signal goes down stream to all other components before reaching the Loudspeakers . once a signal is sent good or bad it cannot be improved upon later this is why is is crucial for the fidelity of your audio system. The streamer is important also but it does-not do the final Digital to Analog conversion . |
I stress these are my own opinions and experiences and would in no way seek to diminish the experience of others who can justify the additional expense. I can understand that streamers are not all the same but we may have a situation here, where once you reach a yet to be determined sweet spot there will be little sonic value in spending more. My question is; has the diminishing returns argument ever appeared more appropriate than applied to the realm of the streamer? I guess I am suggesting that a streamer is a relatively simple machine that can be implemented at many levels. I recall using a PC in the past but software and noise were always an issue. So I get that a dedicated box is the way to go but beyond the use of a decent power supply, utilizing a well thought out circuit designed to reduce noise and populated by good components, there appears to be little opportunity for sonic improvement in employing super expensive esoteric components etc. So short of the aesthetic and case work being pleasing on the eye and having a psychological feel good factor, it leaves GUI and software to consider, do you need a screen what services are available on the platform is their software upgraded regularly etc. However for me, paying beyond a certain price/quality point for a standalone streamer is simply wasted money that could return more sonic bangs for the buck elsewhere, Namely the Chord Company DAVE DAC. There is a school that suggests 30% Streamer and 70% DAC. Based on some recent listening in my system, I am going to stick my neck out and suggest as high as 20/80 Streamer to DAC could well be appropriate. Now where this ceiling is with streamers has never been easy to determine and no one seems to be able to suggest a price beyond which there is no discernible sonic benefit. Since the original questioner asked what would be the better upgrade, I believe it to be by any measure the DAVE DAC. It leaves some space for enjoyable experimentation to try a couple well regarded inexpensive streamers, some mid price and one or two "High End" ones. Hear for yourself via a resolving high quality DAC and make your own mind up.
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@eddy1 Here is another couple of curve balls: First curve ball: whether you upgrade DAC or not: Not sure if you just stream direct or if you play files, but if it is the latter this may be worth a read. I admit I am not that computer "tweaky", it takes lots of time to convert and upsample local files, and my DAC is not conducive to higher bit rate files, but this software was developed for the Chord products as they love upsampled files. There is a list of other DAC's that work well with the software. https://www.remastero.com/pggb.html#dacs Second curve ball: upgrade to a different DAC? Another few comments to digest that I have read lately comparing Gustard DAC's to Dave DAC: The first is from that thread above from an owner of both, and the second is from a review of the latest Gustard, but he also owns the Dave: "Not much help but I had no issues with the Gustard driver on Windows (build 1903) or Linux, 768/705k worked great and sounded sweeter. Really excellent dac - and not just "for the money". As I've said elsewhere, if I didn't have the Dave, I'd be happy with the Gustard X26pro. " "I’ll say it right from the start that the X30 is exactly as resolving as the Chord DAVE and exactly as fast and impactful sounding.....In layman’s terms, X30 can do proper justice to live music, big orchestras, and classical masterpieces. And I’m not exaggerating a single bit. The biggest surprise came when the naked Chord DAVE (without the M Scaler) was connected to the same Rockna Wavedream NET via USB and in no time the size of the room felt smaller. The sounds were no longer free and unhindered as they were on the X30. The DAVE didn’t quite live up to its name (Digital to Analog Veritas in Extremis) projecting a shier, flatter, and smaller image in front of me. The X30 on the other hand, sounded exactly how a properly engineered DAC should perform....While it doesn’t outplay the Wavedream Signature, it again outplays the Chord DAVE when it comes to the force behind the bass. When it needs to impress and add a higher sound pressure level, it would do that more impressively. I would never call the DAVE lacking energy in here, but that’s what I’m thinking about when I’m comparing these two... the X30 with its overkill quad mono design brought forward the lost layers of resolution. I can’t differentiate it from my $18.000 Wavedream Signature or $14.000 Chord DAVE in terms of how much nuance there is. Is it as resolving, clean, and transparent? Yes!" For the price of the Dave you could buy the Gustard X30 and the Nagra and have $6000 left over. The Gustard is available direct or through Amazon- try it for 30 days, compare to the Hugo and return it if isn't better (?) |
