Chord DAVE Review (DAC & HP Amp)

[Jimster480]

He won’t be answering for a few weeks. Make of this what you will.

Ouch, yea I saw some of his posts the other day. As a "major contributor" he was doing some serious trolling....

From what I can gather from a Watts interview he manipulated the filter specs based on “how it sounded” it would appear it was a deliberate choice, what ever the reasoning

Makes little sense overall.

 

[brandall10]

Hey hey hey, I am a software dev! I don't waste money like that though.
I actually use this hobby to enjoy my work more, so I have double enjoyment. I can enjoy great quality music as I work.

I'm a dev as well and probably spent about $50k on this hobby over the years, though never all at once (most expensive desktop setup was about $5k).

I specifically got into it to block noise from an annoying co-worker and have almost entirely used headphones at work for that purpose.

 

[Jimster480]

I'm a dev as well and probably spent about $50k on this hobby over the years, though never all at once (most expensive desktop setup was about $5k).

I specifically got into it to block noise from an annoying co-worker and have almost entirely used headphones at work for that purpose.

5k is still quite a bit... But not so hard to spend with headphones like the DC Stealths around lol...
Yeah I originally listened to music everyday as I lived at home through high school and learning how to program.
Listened to music to fall asleep since I'm a kid too...
Then when I went to work as a programmer I used it to block my coworkers talking all the time around me.

Now I've been working at home on my own businesses and software for 8+ years but I have still only been in this scene for about 6 years. Originally getting into it after I picked up a set of 1More triple driver IEM that a friend suggested to me on sale @ Costco for $60. Blew me away with the quality I got from my HTC phone.. And the rest is history.
I've probably spent around 5k total now over the last years (I buy things on sale or in the 2nd hand market).

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

 

[Snoopy]

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.

 

[Jimbob54]

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

Amazing

Quick googling

Taiko streamer/ server £25k
AQ Niagara something or other, lets say £10k
Thats at least £30k before you get to the DAC

Good ol' Dave £10k
Riviera amp- £15k

So £50k plus before you get to the headphone. Dont know the front one but the one behind is (of course) an Abyss so a few grand per pair no doubt.

So lets say £60k minimum we are looking at there . I would guess expensive cabling throughout probably a few more £000 we cant see. Dont know what the smaller boxes are, dont care.

 

[respice finem]

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".

 

[mansr]

Amazing

Quick googling

Taiko streamer/ server £25k
AQ Niagara something or other, lets say £10k
Thats at least £30k before you get to the DAC

Good ol' Dave £10k
Riviera amp- £15k

So £50k plus before you get to the headphone. Dont know the front one but the one behind is (of course) an Abyss so a few grand per pair no doubt.

So lets say £60k minimum we are looking at there . I would guess expensive cabling throughout probably a few more £000 we cant see. Dont know what the smaller boxes are, dont care.

The shelf is probably over £5k too.

 

[Snoopy]

Amazing

Quick googling

Taiko streamer/ server £25k
AQ Niagara something or other, lets say £10k
Thats at least £30k before you get to the DAC

Good ol' Dave £10k
Riviera amp- £15k

So £50k plus before you get to the headphone. Dont know the front one but the one behind is (of course) an Abyss so a few grand per pair no doubt.

So lets say £60k minimum we are looking at there . I would guess expensive cabling throughout probably a few more £000 we cant see. Dont know what the smaller boxes are, dont care.

The smaller boxes are a noise isolation thingy for 700$ , and there is a etherregen somewhere for another 640$. A M-Scaler (in his signature) and the headphones are "valkyria" .. in case it's the one I just found its another 12000$


Having that kind of money to throw at audio gear.. amazing

 

[Jimbob54]

The shelf is probably over £5k too.

Naturally. Maybe some good old vibration dampening under some of the kit too. At least there are no magic pebbles in sight.

 

[calugg]

That set up (!!), just hammers home the degree that there is a NASTY level of status politics that can be at play when we talk about audio gear. Meh. My father was a butcher, so my tastes are squarely in the "good enough for me" camp. If something costs more than my hearing aids, I'm NOT interested.

 

[Geert]

Quick googling

Taiko streamer/ server £25k
AQ Niagara something or other, lets say £10k
Thats at least £30k before you get to the DAC

Good ol' Dave £10k
Riviera amp- £15k

So £50k plus before you get to the headphone.

You missed the Chord Ensemble stand for the Dave, an £1,5k option.

 

[Jimbob54]

You missed the Chord Ensemble stand for the Dave, a £1,5k option.

 

[fpitas]

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".

People can spend money as they please, but I'd question buying an expensive watch that didn't keep time as well as a cheap one.

 

[respice finem]

People can spend money as they please, but I'd question buying an expensive watch that didn't keep time as well as a cheap one.

Which is often the case... Any quartz watch is similarly or more precise than the most expensive mechanical ones. Any "radio controlled" watch (increasingly popular at least here in Germany) has no time deviation at all. But accuracy is not the reason people buy expensive mechanical watches. Fascination, status, etc... To some extent the same happens in the audio "circus". With 40-50 years of age, many can at last afford "their dream setup" - what they can't buy is the hearing they had 20-30 years earlier, so they compensate it with glamour and such. Life is hard and then we die...

 

[fpitas]

Which is often the case... Any quartz watch is similarly or more precise than the most expensive mechanical ones. Any "radio controlled" watch (increasingly popular at least here in Germany) has no time deviation at all. But accuracy is not the reason people buy expensive mechanical watches. Fascination, status, etc... To some extent the same happens in the audio "circus". With 40-50 years of age, many can at last afford "their dream setup" - what they can't buy is the hearing they had 20-30 years earlier, so they compensate it with glamour and such. Life is hard and then we die...

I won't understand because I'm a stolid, boring engineer. Probably just as well...

 

[respice finem]

I won't understand because I'm a stolid, boring engineer. Probably just as well...

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

the most elaborate watch mechanism - Google Search

 

[fpitas]

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

the most elaborate watch mechanism - Google Search

Yes, it's fascinating how talented mechanical watchmakers are. They have my deepest respect. Just not my money

 

[respice finem]

Yes, it's fascinating how talented mechanical watchmakers are. They have my deepest respect. Just not my money

In the audio and generally electronics business, it's even harder to justify buying devices from the highest price range, since they use the same components as the more affordable ones.
But it's a hobby and so "anything goes".

 

[Robbo99999]

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

Amazing

Quick googling

Taiko streamer/ server £25k
AQ Niagara something or other, lets say £10k
Thats at least £30k before you get to the DAC

Good ol' Dave £10k
Riviera amp- £15k

So £50k plus before you get to the headphone. Dont know the front one but the one behind is (of course) an Abyss so a few grand per pair no doubt.

So lets say £60k minimum we are looking at there . I would guess expensive cabling throughout probably a few more £000 we cant see. Dont know what the smaller boxes are, dont care.

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.