Chord DAVE Review (DAC & HP Amp)

[A Surfer]

Pure objectivity doesn't exist.

Sorry, that is ridiculous.

 

[A Surfer]

Pure objectivity doesn't exist.

Additionally, I am quite happy to go out on a limb and predict that you are a Chord apologist, likely even an owner of the Dave. I freely admit that I could be completely mistaken. You do know how the Internet works right? Finding a lone or more isoltaed data point does not invalidate the date point. How data is collected matters. One million subjective impressions, I couldn't give a fuck, they are untestable. One well done objective analysis, that I care about and weigh far more than a million reviews of people who have already bought into the Coolaid parade and now find themselves having to justify.

 

[tonycollinet]

Not just the HiFi scene, the same, or similar, could be said of Watches, Cars, etc etc etc. You're on a lost cause.

Again - false analogy.

No one claims expensive watches tell the time better than a cheap ass casio. They are sold as luxury jewelry - and that is what they provide.
No one one sells a car with the performance and comfort of a lada - at the price of a supercar. Car performance and comfort is easily determined by the customer.

The same is not true of "high end" audio. (where high end in this case means expensive). It is impossible for the average customer to determine themselves if an item provides higher (audio) performance. Frequnetly "high end" performs significantly worse than "entry level" (again pricing terms) - yet is sold as "lifting veils" (etc) on your music. This needs to be stopped.

If people want to sell expensive audio as jewellry (eg - expensive housing machined from solid/rare metal etc) and advertise it as such, that is fine. But if they are claiming "better" audio performance, they should damn well be required to back that up with data.

 

[AndrewC]

Again - false analogy.

No one claims expensive watches tell the time better than a cheap ass casio. They are sold as luxury jewelry - and that is what they provide.
No one one sells a car with the performance and comfort of a lada - at the price of a supercar. Car performance and comfort is easily determined by the customer.

...

True.

 

[Frank Dernie]

One might like its looks though…

I do.
Not enough to buy one, but I do like it.
I did like the looks and functionality of the original Chord Blu transport, and still use it, but I wouldn’t buy this DAC.

 

[Snoopy]

I've read on Goldensounds homepage that the Dave has 164.000 taps.. and a ESS9038pro has "only" 128taps.

Is this really correct? Because I'm playing around with convolution filters in roon and I'm getting between 20.000 and 299.000 taps and my cpu isn't even breaking a sweat.

So what's the benefit of this really?

 

[Purité Audio]

Nothing whatsoever.
Keith

 

[ahofer]

I've read on Goldensounds homepage that the Dave has 164.000 taps.. and a ESS9038pro has "only" 128taps.

Is this really correct? Because I'm playing around with convolution filters in roon and I'm getting between 20.000 and 299.000 taps and my cpu isn't even breaking a sweat.

So what's the benefit of this really?

No prob on a two year-old $400 NUC

 

[Snoopy]

View attachment 260702
No prob on a two year-old $400 NUC

Is there a way to increase the taps?
I just uploaded the 44.1khz and 48khz wav file and I don't see anything in roon that would allow me to change settings

 

[ahofer]

Is there a way to increase the taps?
I just uploaded the 44.1khz and 48khz wav file and I don't see anything in roon that would allow me to change settings

Running convolution requires that power. It increases with sample rate.

 

[tmtomh]

Question is, which is more important - more cowbell or more taps?

 

[Doodski]

Question is, which is more important - more cowbell or more taps?

Cowbell rules the day always!

 

[Mart68]

you can eventully tap out with taps but you can never have enough cowbell.

 

[DSJR]

Thing is, all this extra depth and 'soudstage' they go on about, especially when the M-Scaler is inserted, is all but totally lost in their amplifiers, which subjectively (at any volume) seem to dry everything out, diluting so much reverb or venue ambience. I know subjectivity can be a dirty word here, but I've heard the artefact a few times now in complete (electronics) systems by this maker into various speakers now. It's really odd and until proved otherwise, I'd say it transcends level matching as well....

 

[TheBatsEar]

Thing is, all this extra depth and 'soudstage' they go on about, especially when the M-Scaler is inserted, is all but totally lost in their amplifiers

Or it was never there in the first place.

 

[Sokel]

I've read on Goldensounds homepage that the Dave has 164.000 taps.. and a ESS9038pro has "only" 128taps.

Is this really correct? Because I'm playing around with convolution filters in roon and I'm getting between 20.000 and 299.000 taps and my cpu isn't even breaking a sweat.

So what's the benefit of this really?

This can be enlightening :

Does a 4 million taps FIR filter sound better than a 16K one? Let's find out.

Claim A claim is frequently made that DAC digital filters with a lot of taps can make a significant difference in sound quality. Some software packages and even hardware manufacturers are touting the benefits of large FIR filters, often with millions of taps, supposedly because these produce a...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[DSJR]

Or it was never there in the first place.

Umm - actually with the music played, I believe it was

No null test evidence of course...

 

[TheBatsEar]

No null test evidence of course...

... of course.

 

[DSJR]

... of course.

Well, you try it and tell me/us your findings.. At least I went out on numerous occasions and listened, not just on a one-off occasion

 

[TheBatsEar]

Well, you try it and tell me/us your findings.

My brain isn't able to detect differences beyond 20kHz or below -100dB, there is no need to try.

I somehow get the feeling that the number of TAPs might be nothing but this manufacturers scheme to part people from their money.