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Chord DAVE Review (DAC & HP Amp)

Rate this DAC & HP Amp

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 294 60.7%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 120 24.8%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther

    Votes: 46 9.5%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 24 5.0%

  • Total voters
    484

fpitas

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People can buy what they like, but it does turn my stomach, and it makes me feel sorry for the purchaser in terms of their mindset/understanding. But obviously such people have large amounts of cash spare to spend, so of course I can't feel sorry for them for that.....just for their mindset/understanding.
Perhaps it's like buying a trophy wife. You may be getting an inferior product by any sensible standard, but somebody will be impressed.
 

Robbo99999

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Perhaps it's like buying a trophy wife. You may be getting an inferior product by any sensible standard, but somebody will be impressed.
Yeah, that's one interpretation, that's why I said I feel sorry for them for their "mindset/understanding".
 

Jimster480

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After reading all the reviews amirm did about the chord stuff and other money grabs , it's really painful to see a setup like this:
I can only imagine what how much that must have cost. But can't help to wonder what someone had to spend on topping, Smsl etc gear to get that soundquality or probably even better.. some of the stuff there I have never seen.

View attachment 229878
Looks like 50k+
I'm sure it sounds as good as a modern dongle for $49 or likely worse than a Topping Ex5 for $350.
Of course the owner can never admit this because it means he was duped out of 50k+.
Could have bought a cool sports car too.
 

Snoopy

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Looks like 50k+
I'm sure it sounds as good as a modern dongle for $49 or likely worse than a Topping Ex5 for $350.
Of course the owner can never admit this because it means he was duped out of 50k+.
Could have bought a cool sports car too.
Half of the stuff doesn't even really do anything... M-scaler, ether Regen, powerfilters, and that music server that could easily be replaced by a NUC
 

Jimster480

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On the other hand, I understand how a mechanical engineer may be fascinated by an elaborate "artwork" of a mechanical watch.
But still, if it was me, I wouldn't buy it either... You don't have to buy a brewery to have a beer :cool:
I own a few mechanical watches. I find them fascinating and love the concept of never needing to replace a battery. Since my wrists are always acting up from my years of software Dev; I'll sometimes go months before wearing a watch again.. When I do the batteries are often dead.... Which sucks. But for my automatics I can just shake it a few times and set the watch and go about my day.
I'm not worried about the watch keeping perfect long term time (most are not so amazingly accurate).

However none of my watches cost even $500, let alone more than that. I think my most expensive watch is $350 and it isn't automatic and I bought it in sale.. There are lots of nice looking and nice quality watches from Invicta and Fossil for sub $100 and basically everything under the Sun for sub $200.

However I've seen people waste $15k on a fancy brand watch that looks like a $5 watch you can get from the drug store... They also often have obscure brands that nobody knows about.
This is the same with the fancy audio gear; most of the people on this forum don't even know what this stuff is and this is an audio forum! You know you have gone too far down the hole when you spent a ton of money on something that not even people in the same hobby can readily identify!
 

respice finem

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...love the concept of never needing to replace a battery.
Me too. Got two "Ecodrive" (solar), one lighter titanium "daily watch", approx. 15 years old, and one newer, steel / radio controlled, for the "better occasions". Never replaced a battery. When I don't wear them, they rest at the windowsill, close to the frame so they don't get hot from direct sunlight. My two mechanical ones (one inherited) "rest in peace" in a safe, I wear them for a day every year or so, to keep the movements intact.
/OT.
 

Jimster480

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Me too. Got two "Ecodrive" (solar), one lighter titanium "daily watch", approx. 15 years old, and one newer, steel / radio controlled, for the "better occasions". Never replaced a battery. When I don't wear them, they rest at the windowsill, close to the frame so they don't get too much direct sunlight. My two mechanical ones (one inherited) "rest in peace" in a safe, I wear them for a day every year or so, to keep the movements intact.
/OT.
I always wondered if the solar watches really worked or if they were a scam. Never bought one because of it. Ecodrive is the brand?
 

respice finem

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I always wondered if the solar watches really worked or if they were a scam. Never bought one because of it. Ecodrive is the brand?
The brand itself is Citizen, the newer one is this
the older is smaller / much lighter (titanium) / not RC, was approx. the same price back then.
The solar tech works really well, because a watch needs little power. The solar cell feeds an accumulator.

BTW: This might work as well for all those remotes we have - I believe Samsung started to make solar remotes.
 

DonR

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I always wondered if the solar watches really worked or if they were a scam. Never bought one because of it. Ecodrive is the brand?
I gave one to my son a couple of years ago as a Christmas present. They work very well and have for years as the power demands of a watch are not terribly great.
 

respice finem

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I gave one to my son a couple of years ago as a Christmas present. They work very well and have for years as the power demands of a watch are not terribly great.
If the accumulator is low, the seconds hand starts to "jump" every two or so sec., but I've never really seen this happen with my watches, though I've kind of expected it to happen with the RC one (signal reception, perpetual calendar etc.). But its solar cell is larger too.
 

AudioSceptic

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If people have money to burn, no problem. After all, people buy watches in these price regions, though they don't show "better time" either.

Ceterum censeo: Being informed saves money and "buyer remorse".
Expensive watches tend to hold a lot of their value, or even appreciate if they are rare/special editions, so on that basis are a much "better buy" than audio gear.
 

AM88

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I think the difference between expensive watches and hifi is that those that sell and buy the watches know they are a technically inferior product to quartz/ non mechanical watches. But they try to innovate and decorate the best they can within their self imposed limitations. No one is being duped. Also raw materials, semi precious stones and hand made items all can be accounted for in the cost as well is the brand name/status tax. Bling hifi is quite the opposite. They claim some sort of esoteric, pseudo science based superiority and knowledge that no one else uses or has for their high prices, knowing full well that those with less knowledge will fall for it. Part of the reason they have to charge so much, is also ironically due to their cottage industry scale, not being able to take advantage of economies of scale that larger more established companies can.
 

Jimster480

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The brand itself is Citizen, the newer one is this
the older is smaller / much lighter (titanium) / not RC, was approx. the same price back then.
The solar tech works really well, because a watch needs little power. The solar cell feeds an accumulator.

BTW: This might work as well for all those remotes we have - I believe Samsung started to make solar remotes.
Thanks!
Expensive watches tend to hold a lot of their value, or even appreciate if they are rare/special editions, so on that basis are a much "better buy" than audio gear.
Well that is true, Rolex is one such brand that holds value well.
I gave one to my son a couple of years ago as a Christmas present. They work very well and have for years as the power demands of a watch are not terribly great.
I think I'm going to pick one up!
 

AM88

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If you don’t mind the aesthetic, I can recommend the g shock tough solar range of watches. They are very rugged and I haven’t needed to change the battery since it was bought about 7 years ago. It is also remarkably accurate compared to even the best mechanical.
 

respice finem

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Thanks!

Well that is true, Rolex is one such brand that holds value well.

I think I'm going to pick one up!
If available in the U.S., I would recommend the RC variant. Just put it in a well lit place and it's "always ready", with the right time and date.
Just avoid heating it up by direct sunlight.
It won't have collectible value, but then again, at these price levels, you won't need to keep it in a safe :)
 

AudioSceptic

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If you don’t mind the aesthetic, I can recommend the g shock tough solar range of watches. They are very rugged and I haven’t needed to change the battery since it was bought about 7 years ago. It is also remarkably accurate compared to even the best mechanical.
I can also recommend the Seiko Kinetic watches. I've had one for ages (I can't actually remember how long but it might be ~30 years), bought on sale at a local jewellers. The Kinetic tech is a bit like an automatic mechanical watch, but instead of winding a spring, the swinging weight charges a capacitor which powers the quartz movement.
 

poxymoron

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If you don’t mind the aesthetic, I can recommend the g shock tough solar range of watches. They are very rugged and I haven’t needed to change the battery since it was bought about 7 years ago. It is also remarkably accurate compared to even the best mechanical.
Every watch collection should have a G Shock. Mine doesn't however, as much as I like them my love for mechanical dive watches always means that I never buy a G Shock. Some day though.
 
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