But MSB Select 2 is regarded by many as the best thats why for something 1/10 of the price to compete in anyones eyes is quite an accomplishment. Im participating to both learn and make suggestions where I have experience that may help. It will kick your ass. It's just more financially viable to me for the performance and price ratio. Thank me laterLoL. Given your appreciation of the Pacific Microsonics DAC, I hope you'll get a chance to hear the Berkeley in your system as well. What effect does reconstruction filter have? Too many DACs> Too many amps> Too many headphones. I have heard the Dave and EMM Labs DAC2x up against aMakua that I subsequently purchased. I'm super happy with my Esoteric N-01, which is a noticeable step up in quality/musicality from the DAVE - as yes the DAVE sounds a bit "thin" (though extraordinarily detailed). Search: Msb Discrete Dac Vs Chord Dave. The Dave is VERY lovely on PCM, and pretty decent on DSD, but DSD is not its raison d'etre. MSB thrives off the innovation required to meet consumer demands. I own the MSB Select II with the dual powerbases and 33 Femto Clock. I'm not an absolutist, and frankly, I could be happy with any of the DACs I mentioned. I submit dealers use the statement "component X competes against much more expensive components" far too often. He liked the Mola Mola Tambaqui over these others listed below. The Pro USB is offered as a stand alone module for users who already have an MSB DAC that is equipped with a Pro ISL input as well as a starter kit with a Pro ISL input and everything you need to get up and running. Unless they have the exact same components as the end user, it's impossible to tell that customer how component X will sound in their system. I had the DAVE for 3years, it is an amazing DAC. Would love to hear your opinions of which was better and why? All rights reserved. CHORD ELECTRONICS DAVE | Page 887 - Head-Fi November 11, 2020 in Digital Sources, DACs, and Computer Audio. Now to include the HMS. Who knows ?! The other stand out dacs that we like are the this was how I originally decided to purchase the Select II as I was trying to hear another dac at shows that could do what I heard the Select II doing at a lower price. II cannot do anything but award this DAC our highest award, but that award goes with the caveats that it should be used directly into an amplifier and that Id like to have had the options for analogue inputs. Auction bid 7 150 25 . Chord Dave Black New The Prime DAC With two prime DACs, MSB yields an unprecedented level of detail, reproducing the musicality, soundstage, and texture of an original performance, bringing the artist to you Ps Audio Directstream Dac Vs Auralic Vega Founded in 2004, Games for Change is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers game creators and . Best DACs comparison test result [[My Subjective Opinion]] This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. However, there are also products that manage to straddle both sides of the electric fence (whilst being careful not to electrocute their nether regions) and give us a tremendously enjoyable reproduction of a recording whilst remaining true to the source material. However, Id argue that there is sort of two trains of thought on this subject; one where theres absolute fidelity to the source material at all costs, and another that sounds great though to the listener but perhaps not absolutely true to the original source and I dont think its unfair to say that both these positions have their place in the world of playing tunes at home. Pass Labs INT-60. conversation. Like the Lab12. I can see that in an A/B comparison, many other DACs sound more impressive than DAVE/Blu2. I think my DAVE sounds great with everything. I can leave my hand on it as long as I want to. I don't want to waste hifi shops time too much knowing I'll be going second hand either. Or arm yourself with a nice bottle of red and pay a visit to@Stereophilus. MSB Technology Discrete Modular DAC Page 2. Chord Dave Replacement. It may not display this or other websites correctly. DAC Comparison Reference DAC Modules 4x Hybrid DAC Clock The Femto 33 Digital Inputs 4x User Replaceable Input Slots Optical and Coaxial input module Included Analog Outputs Preamp XLR Output Module - 150 Impedance RCA output available with external adapter Analog Inputs XLR Analog Expansion Modules RCA or XLR Input RCA or XLR Output I'm also a very patient person and can wait for the right bit of kit at the right price to come up secondhand. Edited November 11, 2020 by seadog. Click to expand. And I make Best DAC Quality Ranking list. Any specific reason you wanna replace the Dave? The Discrete DAC, The Premier DAC, The Reference DAC, The Select DAC II, Theater Master. Firstly, that was a very impressive list of high end components you have listened to. Whether its a software update or a leading-edge modular component, were here to help the most valued aspect of MSBour customers. I wired it all up and the unit lit up but I could get no sound out of it whatsoever. Yes, definitely, as it is those extra tiny little bits of detail that adds the cherry on top of an already rather splendid slice of musical cake brought out on tracks like the audio show mainstay Keith Dont Go from Acoustic Live by Nils Lofgren. The Discrete is a genuine high fidelity DAC and a fabulously built one to boot, add in the modular input flexibility and you have a pretty stunning product with excellent future proofing. I listen mostly to classical music, particularly with symphonic work, I prefer DAVE to MSB. I'm doing this off the top of my head. My wife said it With two prime DACs, the MSB Discrete yields an unprecedented level of detail that reproduces the musicality, soundstage and texture of an original performance, bringing the artist to you. Also; recently MSB introduced a new interface that optimizes USB and adds fibre to reduce noise, the MSB Pro USB. DAVE is the most advanced DAC Chord Electronics has ever made. For such a high entry price I wouldn't take the gamble to go on some recommendation by a stranger whose tastes I don't know. Like the rest of the main body of the DAC and the PSUs, the remote is hewn from a block of aluminium. Thanks for the suggestions Wisnon. The DACs are individually shielded and thermally-bonded and multiple units are used per channel, which MSB tells us increases performance and lowers output impedance. Nice. @smodtactical I would not take price as any arbitrator of quality, especially nowadays. The lo-res display also makes menu ]set-up fiddly because it doesn't have enough space to display words. And if I had to guess (given I haven't heard both), I'd guess it outperforms the Tambaqui. https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9eh61-lampizator-pacific-da-converters, https://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/lampizator-pacific-dac/, https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/subjective-grading-of-dac-that-i-had-heard-during-last-one-year-period. Funny how Rob Watts drones on and on about noise modulation, and then we see his product performing like this.. now one might not exactly call this noise modulation, but it definitely something to avoid, especially given the price tag. Yeah, im thinking a post lock-down GTG is in order. the North American distributors for Rockna so I thought I would jump in on this I have listened to MSB Analog DAC and Diamond DAC IV but not in the same setup as DAVE. When I have done the comparison with other DACs I have had at the same time - Ayre QX5-Twenty, EAR Dac 4, exasound e32 - often the immediate impression is that DAVE/Blu 2 is not quite as good - a bit dryer sounding, not quite as smooth, not as airy or three dimensional And yet, over the longer term, it is deeply satisfying at a musical level in a way that the other DACs are not. If I got a great $20K DAC for less, I would not object. But if you don't, what is your reference point? Thanks. Equipped with high-visibility and a wide viewing angle, the display is both easy-to-read and stunning, exhibiting our love for intuitive features. Up to 32 bit 768kHz I still did not found better audio source. The clock can be seen as being the heart of the DAC and once again the clocks are made in-house. I'm really anxious to hear more opinions about this DAC and noticed that DAVE hasn't got a thread of its own (only together with Mojo). That's the negative to going my route I guess. Always use!! Nothing was amiss. $16K Signature DAC sound? 5 other people who only have 2 things in common with our system. Thank you, Mike. I actually like the simplicity of this and it is very intuitive to use when you get into setting up and menu diving, though diving is over-egging it a bit as the Discrete is a doddle to set upif you do it right, but more on that in a while. I suppose what Im saying (badly) is that the Discrete was true to the file it was being fed and I did enjoy hearing it allowed me to pull small details out of the mix Jazz at the Pawn Shop (DSD128) felt more lifelike and in the room than I am used to and raw tracks such as Phutures Acid Trax did sound rougher and really basically recorded. The best upgrade for Dave easy. You are using an out of date browser. connection because it eliminates some parts and gets you closer to a direct JavaScript is disabled. Well, you may not have heard a lot of high-end DAC's in your system, but the one's you've listed are pretty darned good. First I want to say that I fully agree that the hobby is Paired with performance increases, our modular design ethos increases flexibility for future updates and product support, guaranteeing a long-term product investment. Besides that the MSB looks so much better. This ranking is just my subjective thinking. The Discrete Power Supply feeds the DAC with dual low-noise power streams that are linear and independent. Bespoke Audio Ultimate Silver TVC passive preamp, Totaldac xlr version D1-Drivers x2, Eisteddfod 340 & 840 amps, Magico S5 speaker, MSB Select DAC, MSB Select Transport, Nakamichi 700 XLE cassette deck, Taiko Audio Extreme Server, Tripoint Troy Signature NG groundbox, PLiXiR Elite 1500 isolation transformers. To each their own, but I think Chord sounds cold and artificial. MSB DACs also use a processing chip to handle oversampling and digital filtering (not sure if this chip is an FPGA or other type processing chip, but it is a high speed digital processing chip). Our publication is supported by its audience. This latter track is a good track for me to play when listening to new kit as it is basically a drum machine and an acid box and this latter did sound just like a 303 there in the room. Since the Topping D70s SINAD is ~120 dB and it costs ~$650, then given that "money is power" (as opposed to amplitude), I would expect the Chord DAVE SINAD to be at least 120 + 10*log($14,000 / $650) = 133.3 dB. Hifi Pig is part of the Big Pig Media LLP group of companies. Actually the ChordHugo M Scaler and the Blu Mk. Since this forum is mainly USA based and we are in the UK, I have very little to gain business wise here. Can I ask how you procured all those DACs? digital 149728-117859 MSB select II vs all dacs ? As a contented Qutest user, I would have hoped for "improved", performance from the Dave. other dacs I have enjoyedin no particular order; I would not call this second tier; but I prefer what hear from my Select II to what Ive heard from these. Dealer's should be required to state they're a dealer every time they post or have a disclaimer in their username. I have heard a lot of top DACs at shows or other systems but not in my own. Superior conversion begins with clean and stable low-noise power. It is not hard to audition these DACs in Melbourneand this is your best way to work out your own preference. Once you add the second discrete PS, and a module or two for it to work, the price goes over $23-24K. To me, the instrumental timbre seems more accurate with DAVE than any other DACs I've heard. Personally we have A/B 76 different digital front ends. This is a review, detailed measurements and listening tests of CHORD DAVE combination DAC and headphone amplifier. There is no such thing as a "FPGA DAC"! DAVE stands for 'Digital to Analogue Veritas in Extremis', a moniker that best reflects the product's . The dCS Bartok was also interesting but, based on my research, I kept coming back to Bricasti. more might come to mind and I will add them. Our digital testing has been done over the last 20 + years Best DACs comparison test result [[My Subjective Opinion]] ISOAcoustics Oreas footers. I would,however, like to say we are highly selective over the brands we represent and believe they are excellent value. those surpass any other digital choice. I've sometimes heard people say that DAVE is too bright or analytical for them. Can it output a Low or High Voltage on a single pin in a bitstream? Thank you all for your answers. Compared to some other similarly priced DACs ($10 - $15k MSRP) I prefer the Discrete with 2 Discrete PS. My first serious audio system was Garrard turntable, Fisher Int(SS), ADS bookspeaker bought on 1978. Sound Media Group Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Anyway, I switched out the valve power amplifier and put in its place the Krell KST100 (all fully fettled and brought up to a better than new spec by Krell in the States) with my intention being to see what effect was the DAC and what was down to the amp basically isolating the effect to a component. Fair enough if you know some of the posters here and their listening preferences. Thank you for posting! And this level of detail the MSB Discrete brings to the listening experience was carried through everything I listened toand I listened to this DAC a lot, with it being the only thing I used to for a solid two weeks. personal preference." I don't think any of us have heard the Dave, and we don't have any interest. Our products include our in-house designed viton feet, but any audiophile M6X1 foot can be installed to personalize your system. There is scale on bigger productions and intimacy on smaller-scale recordings and pieces, It wont make a pigs ear into a sows purse, but its majestic on really good recordings, Its very detailed but not harshly so actually, its a very easy component to fit in a system and live with, Its not cheap and you will want both PSUs once you compare with just one, No analogue inputs to make it the heart of a full system, You know that MSB have stuff that is out of reach financially and potentially better, Price: 11,000 plus 1,650 for a second power supply. Supported Formats (Depending on Input) 44.1 kHz to 3.072kHz PCM up to 32 bits 1xDSD, 2xDSD, 4xDSD, 8xDSD Accepts DSD via DoP on all inputs, Digital Inputs 1x RCA Coaxial 1x XLR 1x Word-Sync Out 2x Toslink 2x Isolated slots for optional modules, XLR Outputs Voltage: 3.57 Vrms Maximum Impedance 300 High Gain setting Impedance 150 Low Gain setting. Everyone hears differentlyI heard the Dave with the Blu and I prefer it without it. I recently bought a DAC with a digital volume control precisely to bypass the preamp, but when I compared the two approaches there was very little between them. They are excellent pairing. I dont know as that was years ago and I dont have one here to test against. Not sure why you would spend so much on a DAC when the Crane Song Solaris is available at $1,949. "To be 100% honest we have A/B tested most of the dacs mentioned Look, says I theres obviously a fault with this unit as its lighting up, I can see it on the network and I can send tunes to it via the Stack streamer and Roon! We went through everything and I was getting ready to pack it up and send it back when I reached around the back of one of the PSUs and switched it on MUSIC!!! Over the air updates will ensure that your renderer always has the latest capabilities and ultimate convenience. The evolution of the original irreverent and irrelevant and non-authoritative site for headphone measurements, i.e. Perhaps you should consider the Accuphase DC-37 currently for sale in the classifieds? Mike, Scott has been absolutely wonderful in his support, despite my purchasing the Found-Music 2A3s used (from Art S.) He has visited once and is planning another visit after the trip your way. To my ears it makes music sound unnatural. So true jr, the discrete R2R Multibit dacs like the Terminator the Holo, MSB, Total ect ect have a life and a boogie factor to the music that DS dacs lack, and yes they do show up bad recordings. state his/her experience and preferences. - Meat Loaf. And in the case of a great DAC with great amps in a system with very low noise, going direct to the amps can be magical. The LED display, slaved to the audio clock, is refreshed between data processing to drastically reduce electrical interference. A modular I/O card keeps even the discrete DAC flexible, repairable, and upgradeable. Still would like to listen to the Soulution 760 DAC, Mola Mola DAC, Trinity DAC, MSB Select DAC, and maybe the Light Harmonic Da Vinci DAC, Gryphon Kalliope DAC, TotalDAC of some kind, Phasure NOS1A DAC, Esoteric Grandioso DAC, TAD DA1000 DAC, Audionet DAC, Chord Dave DAC . I would say go for one of the other MSB ModelsThe Reference is half of the Select dac and the premier and discrete dacs are stunning performers for their price level Just in case it's not obvious, toetapaudio is a Mola Mola Dealer. So this was headphones straight out of the DAVE? Thirdly, having suggested that the brightness issue may lay elsewhere, I will shortly post a suggested tweak directly to both HMS and DAVE - that I have found to increase the "weight", "solidity" and "analogueness" of the resulting sound. the Select II pushes the analog to be its best. has 20 hours on it. I was upgrading it in this order and still could not believe every time it sounded better. Chord DAVE - DAC/Amp/Pre-Amp - Official Thread There is no dark magic involved. It was a speaker setup (as in my signature.) Watts is avidly not reading this in anticipation of the video version he won't watch. Of course this DAC is super pricey and out of the reach of many (including me). You could try some of the newer dacs that has gotten good reviews. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites. and this is borne out in the sound that this DAC brings to the party. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates. T&A Dac8 (for DSD512) or Lampi Atlantic for any native rate DSD playback. Thanks for the interesting reply, cmarin. its that good. dac at a reasonable price. How does the PS Audio DirectStream DAC compare to the Chord DAC? Would I pay extra for the second supply? 2. Like others said, I'd try first an MScaler with DAVE. So yes it's a question of being polite, but it's also about acknowledging the limitations inherent in making absolute pronouncements about differences between high performing components. I found it big bold brash and dynamic but hard cold glary and fatiguing - all the old fashioned things I hated about early digital. I suppose that the vast majority of people who listen for pleasure at home are looking for a balance between the two, and whilst I still maintain we are most likely to hear the biggest effect in a system by changing transducers, every element in the chain of sound will affect the final sound and, in a digital system, I think the DAC you choose can have a huge effect on the final sound. For sure with Hugo and Qutenot even debatable. The only other items in the chain were the Stack streamer and a pretty well-sorted network setup. subjective to a point and that is why we do blind testing and A/B testing with Audiogon Discussion Forum Put simply, your DAC is ready for the future. For example, the chassis for the products are made from North American-sourced metals, and then that is machined using Haas CNC machines that are built in California. Snookered into the Chord Electronics Hugo TT2? - A Review Links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Hifi Pig and Big Pig Media with appropriate and specific direction (link) to the original content. Australian Business Number 38 650 151 296, Digital Sources, DACs, and Computer Audio, Chord Dave vs Mola Mola Makua/Tambaqui vs Emm Labs Dac2x vs Rockna Wavedream.
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