Chord Dave & 272

I believe that was me you are referring to,my thoughts are it sounds fantastic,but in your case maybe a power supply on the 272 would be a good thing to do also.Myself,I think I am going to start saving for a Dave,,as I have my dealers personal Dave on home demo.If you are looking for those threads,they are still active,one is under DC1,the other is Why no love for Sopra 1.Today I hooked up the Dave as a preamp,using the Core/272 as a source...then analog outs from the Dave into my Anthem amp.The results were,I think I prefer it with the Dave as a DAC,fed from the Core,but still using my 272/250dr.

Hi No Quarter - yes, I'd like to get an XPSDR as well, but not really sure which I'll do first.  The Dave demo & stand will sell quickly, I'm sure, which is why I'm thinking of getting them first.

Well yes,if it is a good price,i would jump on it for sure.You just might not hear everything it has to offer with the 272 on its own.Can you take it home for a demo?This is almost essential when spending that much money,just because it works well in my room,with my speakers means nothing.Your room,speakers,ears are what matter the most.

Can't demo it at home, as it's in another city.  The dealer has assured me, though, that it will work well with Naim equipment.  He sells both Chord and Naim, among others.  I may have to trust his ears, which I think will be okay.  I've dealt with him in the past.

I noticed in your signature that you have Focal Utopia headphones too,the Dave is supposed to be rather good with those,although when I tried headphones on the unit I have something seemed wrong with it...way too much bass distortion,and I was not playing it very loud.I plan on doing plenty of listening to the Dave/272 in the next couple of weeks,so I will keep you up to date on my thoughts.

.

then comes the blu2....

docmark posted:

Hello - I was following a topic where a forum member was trying a Chord Dave.  I've completely lost the discussion.  I have a chance to pick up a demo black Dave with stand at a good price.  I plan on connecting it to my Core with a BNC cable, then analogue output from the Dave into my 272.  Any thoughts on this?

I use DAVE into a 552. I started off using it in DAC mode, but found the raised input level disconcerting, so switched to using it in Preamp mode so that I could use the volume control to volume match to all other inputs. Result? Magic. Expensive magic, but unreturnable magic.

If you are using it in Preamp mode, does Dave still do all of the digital conversion?  Do you connect Dave to your 552 via analog in?  What are you using as your digital source?  Thanks.

Source is an NDX, the Dave is doing the DAC business, but outputting using its digital volume control to an analogue input on the 552.

Nick Lees posted:

docmark posted:

Hello - I was following a topic where a forum member was trying a Chord Dave.  I've completely lost the discussion.  I have a chance to pick up a demo black Dave with stand at a good price.  I plan on connecting it to my Core with a BNC cable, then analogue output from the Dave into my 272.  Any thoughts on this?

I use DAVE into a 552. I started off using it in DAC mode, but found the raised input level disconcerting, so switched to using it in Preamp mode so that I could use the volume control to volume match to all other inputs. Result? Magic. Expensive magic, but unreturnable magic.

Hi Nick

i was not aware that you could use it in preamp mode when using it as a DAC,I thought you had to switch it to DAC mode.So you are saying that you then control the output level going into the 552,rather than the volume doing nothing?I believe on the new Qutest,you have a choice of three output levels...1,2 or 3 volts.How do you actually know what level you are outputting at,does it appear in the window?I will have to try this when I switch back to using the 272 as a pre.

You can use Dave direct into a power amp (and it is quite happy feeding any power amp’s input impedance, and has uappropriate HF filtering to prevent instability). Or you can set the output level to whatever best matches a preamp’s input sensitivity and use through a preamp (with the added electronics and any effect on the signal that may have, combined with any sound shaping introduced by the preamp).

Hugo (H1, I don’t know about H2) has two modes, one with a continuously variable output and the other fixed, IIRC - When I had one saw no benefit of the fixed mode because just as with Dave the continuously variable could be set to anything desired and so match preamp input sensitivity, as well as being usable direct into a power amp.

Edit: I originally pasted here that Dave only had a continuously variable output , and no “preamp mode” and “DAC mode” to switch between: I was was wrong - I’ve  just checked a manual online, and it is stated clearly (I’ll have to check mynown copy later at home!)

No quarter posted:

Nick Lees posted:

docmark posted:

Hello - I was following a topic where a forum member was trying a Chord Dave.  I've completely lost the discussion.  I have a chance to pick up a demo black Dave with stand at a good price.  I plan on connecting it to my Core with a BNC cable, then analogue output from the Dave into my 272.  Any thoughts on this?

I use DAVE into a 552. I started off using it in DAC mode, but found the raised input level disconcerting, so switched to using it in Preamp mode so that I could use the volume control to volume match to all other inputs. Result? Magic. Expensive magic, but unreturnable magic.

Hi Nick

i was not aware that you could use it in preamp mode when using it as a DAC,I thought you had to switch it to DAC mode.So you are saying that you then control the output level going into the 552,rather than the volume doing nothing?I believe on the new Qutest,you have a choice of three output levels...1,2 or 3 volts.How do you actually know what level you are outputting at,does it appear in the window?I will have to try this when I switch back to using the 272 as a pre.

I set it at -13db (that matches the input levels for the NAT01 and CD555 (by ear).

I also have it set to PCM Plus, HF filter On and Phase Positive. Not that I can reliable tell any difference with the latter two.

I see,so it is like the original Hugo,in that you can set the fixed output at startup,which I assume what DAC mode is,or use preamp mode,which is variable with the volume control.As IB said,the Hugo fixed mode was just to get you to 2 volts output,but it was adjustable with the volume wheel regardless.I think tomorrow I will switch back to using the 272 as a preamp,and will experiment with the Dave in preamp mode,not DAC mode.It will be between my Core and 272.

If you are going to keep the Dave I'd trade the 272 in for a better pre a 282 or 252. I can't get my head round the idea that you have a £7,000 dac going into the analogue input of the 272 and people are advising you to spend out on an XPSDR to improve its pre section why not stick a 555DR on it or just buy a better pre 282/HCDR should do the trick.

Since this thread is about the Dave,tonight I am making up some RCA to speaker wire leads,so that I can hook up a pair of cheap high efficiency speakers directly to the Dave’s RCA outputs.The Dave’s 2 Watts will be all the power I will have.This should give me the purest signal possible,and will tell me if I want to pursue this further,and buy a pair of Omega Alincos to run directly off Dave.Of course,the Core and 272 is my source...

No quarter posted:

Since this thread is about the Dave,tonight I am making up some RCA to speaker wire leads,so that I can hook up a pair of cheap high efficiency speakers directly to the Dave’s RCA outputs.The Dave’s 2 Watts will be all the power I will have.This should give me the purest signal possible,and will tell me if I want to pursue this further,and buy a pair of Omega Alincos to run directly off Dave.Of course,the Core and 272 is my source...

That will be interesting -  what sensitivity are the speakers? (and are they any good?!)

The Omega Alnicos have a rated sensitivity of only 95dB/W and impedance of 8Ω. Assuming 2W into 8Ω to be realistic, that gives a maximum peak level of just 97dB. Depending on your choice of music, thar could be quite limiting unless you only listen at moderately low levels or bpvery close to the speakers.

I have an interest in (though never heard) the Ferguson-Hill FH001 horns, which at 100dB/W rated efficiency I still suspect will need a power amp with Dave. Different if you use horns with 105-110dB sensitivity... Of course, in practical implementations horns need a bass amp and speakers - even those large F-H units only go down to 150 or 160Hz.

Innocent Bystander posted:

No quarter posted:

Since this thread is about the Dave,tonight I am making up some RCA to speaker wire leads,so that I can hook up a pair of cheap high efficiency speakers directly to the Dave’s RCA outputs.The Dave’s 2 Watts will be all the power I will have.This should give me the purest signal possible,and will tell me if I want to pursue this further,and buy a pair of Omega Alincos to run directly off Dave.Of course,the Core and 272 is my source...

That will be interesting -  what sensitivity are the speakers? (and are they any good?!)

The Omega Alnicos have a rated sensitivity of only 95dB/W and impedance of 8Ω. Assuming 2W into 8Ω to be realistic, that gives a maximum peak level of just 97dB. Depending on your choice of music, thar could be quite limiting unless you only listen at moderately low levels or bpvery close to the speakers.

I have an interest in (though never heard) the Ferguson-Hill FH001 horns, which at 100dB/W rated efficiency I still suspect will need a power amp with Dave. Different if you use horns with 105-110dB sensitivity... Of course, in practical implementations horns need a bass amp and speakers - even those large F-H units only go down to 150 or 160Hz.

Hi IB

The Speakers i plan on trying first,since I don’t care if they blow up or something are Energy EXL-15 ,they are not that efficient really,specs are 90 DBs,and 8 ohm.If they sound decent enough,I may try my Dynaudio excite 12s,but I doubt I will get much volume out of those.This is more of an experiment than anything,just to say I tried it...but if I am blown away,who knows...maybe the Sopra 1s.

A little follow up to my post the other day,I tried Dave directly into speakers yesterday,epic fail,

There was a bunch of sibilance and bass distortion while all around sounding like crap.I seriously think there might be something wrong with THIS Dave,I had a similar experience with it the other day when I tried headphones,and it is supposed to be world class.Luckily the DAC seems to be working fine,which is how I went back to using it.This demo convinced me that the Dave is not for me,too much money for the upgrade it brings,now I think I will either look at Superlumina cables or a 555DR as my next upgrade.I will let my dealer know that there is something not right with his Dave,he did say he tried headphones once,and something sounded off.Any Dave owners use headphones and have problems with bass distortion at medium volume?Hugo 2 was much better when I had it on demo,I could crank it as loud as I could take,with no distortion to speak of,so that does not make sense.

Well, that's not very encouraging!  I'm just about ready to purchase a Dave.  Think I'll have a chat with the dealer first.....

I would just take a pair of headphones with me to make sure it is working right,believe me,it is great as a DAC,it just kind of turned me off,that THIS particular unit seems to have an issue with it.It also depends on the price you are getting the Dave for...I am not sure the upgrade I am hearing is worth the outlay of a new Dave to me.

Take it home for a demo for a week or so. It’s a lot of money.......it does sound different....make sure it sounds how you like music on a daily basis.

Hi Gazza  .... you could sell the Dave and buy a 555psdr that would make an awesome difference to 272.....and improve everything...????

Rickie...tend to agree I am not a huge Chord fan, per the above they do sound different, he needs to listen for a while to see if he likes a Dave. Personally I would do the 555 ps as you describe.

My Dave should be here in a week.  The dealer is going to an audio event in Montreal and is back then.  When he returns, he'll package up the Dave & stand  and send them out by courier.  I mentioned the issues that people here have had with regard to  Dave.  He says that the unit in his store has been functioning just fine.  He also used Dave with a pair of Focal Utopia headphones and said they sounded great (I have a pair).  He also had a read through this particular topic and was a bit mystified though, as to why anybody would hook it up directly to speakers.

The 555PS for my 272 can wait a while.

Congrats on buying the Dave...as far as why anyone would hook speakers directly to the dave,many people are doing it with success,just go to (Chord blu2 Head fi),then scroll to page 196.This guy Romaz,is a Dave/blu2 guru,he recently had Rob Watts and another guy at his house doing extensive testing with various setups,mostly driving high efficiency speakers directly from the Dave.Anything Romaz writes is considered bible over on that forum,up to you whether you believe it or not.