DAVE vs. ?

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As you can see in my signature I own a DAVE. Before I bought it I auditioned and compared quit a few DAC's in the 6 - 12k (euros) price range. I had the luxury to try them all out in my own system for at least two or three days and used them in a speaker- and headphone-setup. The other DAC's were:

 

- Aqua La Scala mk II optologic

- Metrum Pavane

- Ayre QX-5 twenty (not only a DAC)

- Meitner MA-1

 

All good DAC's in their own right with strengths and weaknesses and a lot comes down to personal taste and preferences (PM me if you would like to know more about my findings with the individual models) but the DAVE is clearly in another league. In my opinion it sets new standards on timbre, spatial information and soundstage accuracy. And in the way it handles complex material. With DAVE everything fell into place in my system. I know it is a lot of money and DAC-technology is moving fast but I feel I can live with this DAC happily for many years. The only downside is it's internal headphone amp. It certainly is not bad but with more difficult to drive headphones like my LCD-3 you are better of with a good quality dedicated headphone amp. The combination DAVE and my Bakoon HPA-21 is the best I ever heard in terms of headphone listening.

 

 

[skatbelt]

5 hours ago, Raimund Heubel said:

I have to admit I have not heard the Chord "Dave" yet in my system but I just did audition the new Metrum Acoustics "Adagio" NOS DAC (or the equivalent Metrum Acoustics "Pavane" Level 3 DAC without volume control). In combination with my Bakoon "HPA-21" and my Sennheiser "HD800" headphone this is by far the most revealing and natural sounding DAC I have ever listened to!

Compared to other OS DACs (e.g. T+A "DAC 8", PS Audio "DirectStream") there are more and finer details, more black background, deeper and wider soundstage, simply more connection to the music. You sometimes feel as you are part of the musicians and singers on the stage and hear what only they hear when playing so much holograpic, 3D like sound is coming to your ears.

I can only explain this with the NOS principles of the DAC and the already very natural sounding Bakoon and Sennheiser in my chain. This to me is a whole new level of connectedness to music and the way the music initially was recorded in the studio or live on stage.

Best Regards,

Raimund

 

For me the Pavane was the best of the rest. It came a bit short in soundstage accurateness and depth and also in timbre and the ability to unravel complex material compared to DAVE but as you said, natural, smooth (rounded?) and very musical. Good bass control as well! A side note: the Pavane only shined after I switched from it's USB-input to it's AES/EBU-input (and a Mutec MC-3+ USB added to the chain). Later on the dealer told me that the USB-implementation of Metrum is not SOTA at the moment on all products but they seem to work on that.

 

I would characterise the Pavane as a DAC for music lovers and the others I listed more as DAC's for audiophiles. Analytical and sterile, the one more than the other. The beautiful thing about DAVE is that it delivers the same musicality but without sacrifices on other parameters.

 

You should audition DAVE with your Bakoon/HD800 combo. You will be amazed!

[skatbelt]

29 minutes ago, Raimund Heubel said:

I also always listened to the Adagio via AES/EBU input with the Artistic Fidelity "Afi USB" DDC in between my source and the "Adagio". The "Adagio" or the "Pavane Level 3" features 8(!) of the new DAC Two modules with each containing 2 Ladder DACs and an FPGA integrated into one module. There is definitely an improvement in details and sound over the original "Pavane" (= Pavane Level 1) with the DAC One modules and one single FPGA.

I cannot believe a Chord "Dave" at its price point of twice the price of an "Adagio" is twice as good, to me the "Adagio" already is the 'End-Game-DAC'. I am more than ever convinced that Oversampling as a technique and concept - how well it may be executed in the "Dave" or any other OS DACs - is not the way forward to bring music to life, it cannot be right.

 

Best Regards,

Raimund

 

I auditioned a Pavane (level 2), so with the new DAC two modules as well. Your statement on OS DAC's is kind of bold but I don't want to get into a NOS vs OS discussion. I am open to everything and I follow my ears and the things I value when listening to music. And I did not say that DAVE is twice as good. Unfortunately is this hobby, you have to pay twice to get 10 or 20 percent more.