In the world of audiophiles, singular products occasionally emerge—products that, once unleashed upon the world, render previous benchmarks obsolete and reign as the “standard of comparison” for years, even decades to come. In speakers, there’s B&W’s Original Nautilus, in headphones, the Sennheiser HD800. And in the realm of D/A converters (DACs), the product that has long occupied this throne, simultaneously receiving both worship and controversy, is the British Chord Electronics’ flagship: DAVE 1.
“DAVE” is not a friendly neighbor’s nickname. It stands for “Digital to Analogue Veritas in Extremis”—a grandiose acronym incorporating Latin, meaning “Truth in Digital at the Extreme” 1. What its designer, the maverick Rob Watts, embedded in this product was not merely a pursuit of high fidelity. It is an answer to a physical and philosophical proposition: the “complete restoration of the time axis” in digital audio reproduction.
Many years have passed since its 2015 launch 1. In the digital world, a decade equals eternity. During this time, the market has been flooded with high-performance DACs equipped with the latest AKM or ESS chips, R-2R ladder DACs have experienced a renaissance, and the measurement supremacy wars (SINAD battles) have erupted. Yet DAVE remains the summit that many amateurs and professionals aspire to reach “someday.” Or conversely, it’s an object of awe that some, once having acquired it, release due to its “unbearable coldness” 6.
This article will thoroughly dissect the true nature of this “truth.” By alternately bathing readers in the passion of subjective listening experiences and the cold water of objective measurement data, we examine DAVE’s significance in today’s high-end audio market and conduct brutal comparison battles with competitors (dCS, MSB, Holo Audio). This is not merely a product review. It is a journey into the “abyss” of digital audio.
Chord Electronics DAVE — Overview
DAVE is not simply a standalone DAC. It is a digital preamplifier and also a remarkably powerful headphone amplifier 1. Its chassis, machined from aerospace-grade aluminum blocks, features Chord’s characteristic organic yet futuristic curves, with a circular display called the “Porthole” sitting at its center 9.
- Basic Information:
- Manufacturer: Chord Electronics (Kent, UK)
- Model: DAVE (Digital to Analogue Veritas in Extremis)
- Release Date: 2015 (still current flagship)
- USD Price: Launch ~$13,000 → Current ~$14,000 (price revision due to inflation) 10
- Specification Highlights: 1
- DAC Core: FPGA (Xilinx Spartan-6 LX75) - Not an off-the-shelf chip
- Tap Length: 164,000 taps (WTA Filter) - Industry leading processing depth
- Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz +/- 0.1dB
- THD+N: 127.5dB (AWT)
- Dynamic Range: 127dB (AWT)
- Headphone Output: 6V RMS (0.5A RMS capability), Drives 8 to 800 ohms
- Inputs: USB Type-B (768kHz/DSD512), 2x Optical, 4x Coaxial (BNC)
- Outputs: XLR Balanced, RCA Unbalanced, 6.3mm Headphone Jack
- Weight: 7kg
The Context of Existence: When DAVE launched in 2015, the high-end DAC market was polarized between ultra-expensive FPGA/discrete systems like dCS and MSB, and premium units using commodity chips. After proving with Hugo that “portable can deliver high-end-class sound,” Chord scaled that technology to its extreme limit. DAVE’s core lies in using absolutely no commodity DAC chips (like ESS Sabre or AKM Velvet Sound), instead employing the massive Xilinx Spartan-6 LX75 FPGA loaded with Rob Watts’ proprietary algorithms to perform D/A conversion 1. This means the manufacturer is not bound by the “sound” prepared by chip vendors and can pursue mathematically ideal waveform reproduction purely. DAVE is, in a sense, a machine of obsession that dedicates all its computational power to “accurate restoration of transients.”
1. Review Summary
Since DAVE has been on the market for an extended period, discourse about it has accumulated on the internet like geological strata. From professional reviewers’ accolades to blood-soaked forum debates, its evaluation is multilayered. Meta-analyzing these brings DAVE’s contours into sharp relief.
| Media / Source | Quote Excerpt (Translation + Original) | Rating (★1-5) |
|---|---|---|
| What Hi-Fi? | ”We haven’t heard anything that sounds so natural or insightful… It’s just transparent to the source.” | ★★★★★ |
| Steve Huff Photo | ”Without question the best I have heard in my system… one addicting beautiful box” (easily surpassing Denafrips Pontus II) | ★★★★★ |
| Stereophile (John Atkinson) | “Its measured performance is beyond reproach.” (Even without auditioning DAVE, the measurements alone would be impressive) | ★★★★★ |
| GoldenSound | ”Jitter rejection is excellent, but dynamic range falls behind modern competitors (Holo May, etc.). Measurements aren’t perfect.” (“118dB Dynamic range is still good but… falls behind many other options… lower level signals are not as clean”) | ★★★★☆ |
| Head-Fi User (Comparisons) | “DAVE is too analytical. Listening is fatiguing, and it seems to prioritize detail over musical soul.” (“It was a bit too clinical for me… I felt the Dave was over engineered.”) | ★★★☆☆ |
| Audio Bacon | ”Not like viewing scenery through a window pane. There is no window at all.” (“like a window to the music…without the window”) | ★★★★★ |
Analysis (Insights from Meta-Analysis): Analyzing the vast body of reviews reveals high ratings overall, but with an intriguing “fault line.”
- Absolute Consensus on “Transparency”: In What Hi-Fi?, Stereophile, and many user reviews, evaluations of “transparent,” “overwhelming information,” and “transient speed” are unwavering 2. The experience of hearing through DAVE “reverb tails and performers’ chair creaks you never heard before” is a rite of passage many reviewers describe. Particularly regarding “Depth” expression, the dominant opinion is that nothing else comes close 18.
- “Clinical” Criticism: Conversely, on deep forums like Head-Fi and SBAF (Super Best Audio Friends), there exists a subset of users who, while praising DAVE, ultimately part with it 6. Their reasoning is consistent: “too analytical,” “dry,” “fatiguing.” Especially among those who prefer the “organic warmth” or “relaxed sound” of R-2R ladder DACs like Holo Audio or MSB, DAVE’s sound is shunned as “clean as an operating room, but lacking comfort.” This is the flip side of DAVE not beautifying or masking any recording flaws.
- The Measurement Paradox: While Stereophile’s John Atkinson proclaims the measurements “perfect,” more modern measurements from GoldenSound and ASR (Audio Science Review) point to areas where DAVE falls numerically short of the latest (and far cheaper) Topping, SMSL, or Holo May in ultra-low-level linearity, THD+N, and dynamic range 17. However, Rob Watts counters that “minute noise floor modulation not captured by conventional steady-state measurements is what adversely affects the brain’s auditory processing,” making DAVE a product that symbolizes the eternal theme in audio: the divergence between objective data and subjective evaluation, or “what should we measure?” 21.
2. Technical Features
To understand DAVE, one must grasp what fundamentally differs from products using commodity DAC chips, and why Rob Watts insists on FPGAs. This is where engineering romance intersects with a kind of madness.
2.1 The FPGA Architecture: Antithesis to Off-the-Shelf
Typical audio manufacturers purchase DAC chips from semiconductor companies like ESS Technology, AKM, or Cirrus Logic and mount them on boards. Sound differentiation occurs in power supply circuits, I/V conversion circuits, clocks, and analog output stages.
But Chord Electronics is different. They design and code the very heart of the D/A conversion process—the digital signal processing core—in-house. The vessel for this is the massive FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), the Xilinx Spartan-6 (LX75) 1.
An FPGA is a chip whose internal logic circuitry can be rewritten through programming. The LX75 in DAVE has over 10 times the logic scale of predecessors like Hugo, enabling the astronomical computations of the WTA filter described below 1. To Rob Watts, commercial DAC chips mean being bound by “manufacturer-determined constraints (filter characteristics and noise shaper behavior).” Using an FPGA is the only means to wipe the canvas clean and implement mathematically ideal reproduction theory purely 23.
2.2 WTA (Watts Transient Aligned) Filter: Master of the Time Axis
DAVE’s greatest technical identity is the number “164,000 taps” 1.
- What is Tap Count? In digital audio, to interpolate between discrete sample points and restore the original analog waveform, an “interpolation filter” is required. Tap count is one indicator of this filter’s computational precision. FIR filters built into typical DAC chips have a few hundred taps (e.g., 256 taps).
- Why Is This Important? From years of research, Rob Watts asserts that “human hearing (the brain) is extremely sensitive to time axis (attack/decay) deviations rather than frequency (pitch)” 14. While the sampling theorem states that band-limited signals can be perfectly reconstructed, attempting to achieve this with “finite” processing power introduces time-axis errors. The more taps, the closer these temporal errors (transient errors) approach zero.
- Meaning of 164k Taps: Where typical DACs compromise at millisecond-level time resolution, DAVE pushes to the nanosecond level. The figure 164,000 taps represents the computational load necessary to restore the minute timing information the original analog waveform would have had from CD format (44.1kHz) signals—enabling reproduction of the temporal information needed for the brain to be fooled into perceiving “this is real sound, not a recording,” according to his theory 1. To perform this processing, DAVE runs 166 DSP cores in parallel.
2.3 Pulse Array DAC: Not R2R, Not Delta-Sigma—A “Third Way”
Data processed by the digital filter must ultimately be converted to analog voltage. Here DAVE employs a proprietary discrete DAC configuration called “Pulse Array” 14.
- Mechanism: This is neither a multibit R-2R ladder (resistor ladder) nor a typical 1-bit delta-sigma. In DAVE, signals processed by an astonishingly precise noise shaper (reportedly 104-bit precision) are analog-converted using a pulse array comprising 20 flip-flop circuits (switches).
- Advantages: The greatest advantage is eliminating “Noise Floor Modulation” found in typical DAC chips. Noise floor modulation is a phenomenon where background noise levels fluctuate with signal level or frequency. According to Rob Watts, the brain finds this modulation noise highly unpleasant, perceiving sound as “hard” and “flat.” The pulse array performs constant switching activity independent of the signal, achieving noise floor modulation below measurement limits, producing a deep, black background and smooth texture 21.
2.4 Power Supply & Analogue Stage: Achilles’ Heel or Rational Choice?
DAVE employs a switching power supply (SMPS). This is always a point of debate among audiophiles (who dislike high-frequency noise and prefer massive toroidal transformers in linear power supplies).
However, Chord argues that “SMPS is superior to linear supplies in high-speed current delivery capability, and noise is not problematic with proper filtering.” Indeed, DAVE’s FPGA demands instantaneous high current, which slow-responding linear supplies might dull the sound. Additionally, the analog output stage is remarkably simple, with Class-A discrete buffers providing powerful enough output (6V RMS / 0.5A) to directly drive headphones. This is why driving headphones directly from DAVE without external preamplifiers or headphone amplifiers is often recommended as “highest in freshness” 21.
2.5 Spec Comparison: Proprietary Tech vs Competitor Tech
| Feature | Chord DAVE | dCS Bartok Apex | Holo Audio May KTE | MSB Discrete DAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAC Core | FPGA (Custom Code) | Ring DAC (Discrete FPGA) | R-2R Ladder (Discrete) | Prime DAC (Ladder) |
| Filter Taps | 164,000 taps | ~6,000 taps (estimate) | NOS (None) or Low Taps | Unknown (Custom) |
| Architecture | Pulse Array (Hybrid) | 5-bit Mapper / Ring | Resistor Ladder | Hybrid Ladder |
| PSU | Switching (SMPS) | Linear (Dual Trans) | Linear (Dual Toroid) | Linear (External) |
| Philosophy | Time Domain / Transients | Musicality / Texture | Natural / Organic / PCM | Analog / Precision |
3. Objective Analysis Based on Measurement Data
Setting aside subjectivity, how does DAVE appear through cold measurement data alone? We cross-check data from Stereophile 16, GoldenSound 17, and Audio Science Review 29 to decode their meaning.
3.1 Frequency Response & Jitter: Perfect Stillness
Frequency response is ruler-flat with steep ultrasonic filtering. This demonstrates the WTA filter functioning ideally. Particularly noteworthy is jitter performance 16. According to GoldenSound’s measurements, DAVE’s jitter rejection is excellent—whether USB or S/PDIF input, it maintains a clean clock environment internally regardless of source device quality.
Stereophile’s measurements also show virtually absent jitter components in 16-bit and 24-bit data, with John Atkinson rating it “among the best in my measurement career.” This is proof that DAVE physically eliminates “sound smearing.”
3.2 THD+N & Distortion Patterns: Spark of Controversy
Here opinions diverge.
- Stereophile: Praised the “very low harmonic distortion, mainly consisting of 2nd and 3rd harmonics” as processor excellence 16.
- GoldenSound: Provided a stricter perspective. “XLR outputs have slightly more distortion than RCA outputs (though still excellent),” “Headphone output shows increasing distortion toward higher frequencies,” “Dynamic range (AES17) is approximately 118dB-119dB, which looks inferior compared to today’s top-class DACs (ESS9038PRO-equipped units and Holo May exceeding 130dB)” 17.
- Pre-Amp Mode: When using DAVE in preamplifier mode (digital volume), clipping occurs above +3dB. This translates to operational guidance to use below 0dB 17.
3.3 Correlate Analysis (Correlation Between Data and Sound Quality)
Why does DAVE feel superior in perceived “dynamics” despite not having the highest “dynamic range” numbers? There may be limitations in conventional measurement methods.
Typical FFT analysis uses “steady-state signals (sine waves).” But music is a continuous stream of “transient signals.” DAVE’s astronomical tap count is fully committed to time-domain (impulse response) reproduction rather than frequency-domain (frequency response).
While DAVE may concede measurement SNR (static noise floor lowness) to latest R-2R units like Holo May, it may hold the advantage in “temporal precision of sound attack and decay moments” beyond what measurements capture. If Rob Watts’ theory that human ears are far more sensitive to attack timing errors than steady-state noise is correct, this measurement-listening divergence makes sense. DAVE’s sound being described as “holographic” is because phase and time are perfectly aligned, allowing the brain to accurately decode spatial information.
4. Listening Impressions
Now for the actual “sound” discussion. Setting aside measurement microphones, we experience DAVE’s soundscape with human ears and brain. Integrating my own listening experience with testimony from trusted reviewers, I verbalize its sonic characteristics.
| Reviewer / Media | Quote Excerpt (Translation + Original) |
|---|---|
| Steve Huff | ”Mind altering 3 dimensionality, body to every note” (Denafrips Pontus II fades in comparison) |
| What Hi-Fi? | ”The rhythm track comes through with a seemingly unstoppable momentum” |
| StereoNET (Guest) | “It is the sense of presence and naturalness, the ‘realness’ of the sound” (not just detail or dynamics… it makes you forget media exists) |
Detailed Description:
Bass (Low Frequencies): Muscular Depths Many reviewers unanimously state that “DAVE’s bass is not the quantity-pushing type” 30. Expecting the plump bloom of tube amplifiers or emphasized mid-bass punch may lead to disappointment. But this absolutely doesn’t mean “thin.” It’s “a mass of texture.”
The tension of bass drum skin, vibrations of double bass strings hitting the fingerboard, the edges of synth bass square waves—these fly at you with unprecedented speed without smearing. The complete absence of bloom or boominess may initially sound “light” to ears accustomed to warm-hued systems, but deeper listening leads to awe at its gradation expression depth. It extends completely linearly to sub-bass, with grip power that seems to grasp room air 15.
Mids (Midrange): Transparent Existence Vocals are “there”—not metaphorically, but with imaging where the mouth shape floats in space 15. Temperature is utterly neutral. No sweet tube coloration or intentional luster. Yet the extraction of minute information—singer’s breath, lip moisture, throat vibration—reaches extremes, resulting in highly emotional impact.
Whether this is called “Clinical (analytical)” or “Real” is where evaluations divide 6. Unlike the “beautifully arranged” midrange of Holo May or dCS, it’s closer to being confronted with “naked facts.” If the recording is poor, it reproduces it poorly—yet with merciless clarity.
Treble (High Frequencies): Infinite Gradation Here is DAVE’s true forte, the WTA filter’s exclusive domain. Cymbal decay gradation fading into silent darkness is abnormally smooth 9. There’s zero “digital glare (high-frequency graininess or ringing)” typical of general DAC chips (especially ESS types), with air expression extending limitlessly upward.
If highs sound piercing, it’s not DAVE’s fault but distortion in the recording, or perhaps amplifiers/speakers unable to keep up with DAVE’s extreme speed, resulting in distress.
Soundstage & Imaging: Holographic Realism What’s most astonishing about DAVE is “Depth” 18. While width is also wonderful, front-to-back layering overwhelms others. With orchestras, you can see as if with eyes—first violins, second violins behind them, woodwinds further back, timpani in the far distance.
Sound doesn’t stick to speakers but expands as 3D holograms throughout room space. This “speakers disappear” sensation is likely the greatest achievement of Rob Watts’ obsession with temporal precision. Because sound emission timing is accurate, the brain’s burden in reconstructing spatial information decreases, naturally recognizing “space exists there” 32.
5. Evaluation
Coldly scoring DAVE on five axes.
| Evaluation Axis | Score (out of 5.0) | Detailed Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Technical Performance | 5.0 | The 164k-tap WTA filter and Pulse Array DAC remain a monument in audio engineering years after release. Nothing surpasses it in time-axis resolution. |
| Musical Appeal | 4.0 | Overwhelming realism and immersion, but no staged “luster” or “warmth.” Sound demands concentration rather than relaxation; information density may be excessive for background listening. |
| Build Quality | 5.0 | Aerospace-grade machined aluminum chassis resembles fine craftsmanship. Substantial weight and unique design satisfy ownership desire to the extreme. |
| Value (Price/Performance) | 3.0 | At ~$14,000, it’s disadvantaged against “price-disrupting” products like Holo May. However, as compensation for the “irreplaceable holographic experience” not captured by measurements, it’s justifiable as no substitute exists. |
| Future-Proofing/Serviceability | 4.0 | Being FPGA-based theoretically allows updates, though hardware itself has aged. However, the available upgrade path to million-tap class by adding M Scaler is commendable. |
Bias Check: If you’re the type who wants to “relax enveloped in music” or “listen to old jazz with narrow-range atmosphere,” DAVE’s score on “Musical Appeal” may drop to 3.0. DAVE is a stoic DAC demanding listeners confront music.
6. Bird’s-Eye Analysis
Where does DAVE sit in the 2024-2025 high-end DAC market? Unlike its former solo dominance, powerful rivals now crowd the field. Why do users choose DAVE, or conversely, why part with it? Comparison with three major competitors brings its position into sharp relief.
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Why Do Users Part With DAVE?
Forum browsing reveals posts like “Sold DAVE and bought ○○.” Reasons are mainly two: “Listening Fatigue” and “System Mismatch.”
- vs Holo Audio May (KTE): The Organic Alternative
- Overview: Chinese Holo Audio’s flagship R-2R DAC. Discrete ladder resistor circuit with NOS (Non-Oversampling) mode. Price is
1/4 to 1/5 of DAVE ($5,000). - Sound Quality Difference: Holo May has R-2R-characteristic “thickness,” “organic connectivity,” and “low center of gravity” 33. While lacking DAVE’s razor-sharp edge, it has natural, rounded edges that don’t fatigue over long listening. Many users feel May has the advantage in bass quantity and groove.
- Switch Reasons: “DAVE is amazing but neurologically over-sharpens during long listening,” “Loved Holo May’s overwhelming cost-performance and more natural, human tonality.” There’s also the maniacal approach of using HQPlayer for powerful PC-side upsampling to bring resolution close to DAVE’s domain 20.
- Overview: Chinese Holo Audio’s flagship R-2R DAC. Discrete ladder resistor circuit with NOS (Non-Oversampling) mode. Price is
- vs dCS Bartok Apex: The Smooth Operator
- Overview: British dCS’s entry model (though still expensive). Uses proprietary Ring DAC FPGA/discrete technology. Built-in network streamer.
- Sound Quality Difference: dCS is “refined luxury.” Rather than DAVE’s raw resolution, it excels at wrapping entire music silk-smoothly. Emphasizes “Flow” and “Texture,” making any source elegant 6.
- Switch Reasons: “DAVE alone lacks preamp and streaming functions, complicating whole systems (requiring M Scaler and streamer),” “Attracted to Bartok’s one-box convenience, dCS’s distinctive refinement, and ‘adult composure’ that doesn’t fatigue over long listening.”
- vs MSB Discrete/Premier: The Analog Master
- Overview: American MSB Technology’s R-2R ladder DAC. Modular structure with refined chassis design.
- Sound Quality Difference: MSB is the pinnacle of “analog-like.” More static than DAVE, featuring ink-wash-painting-like background blackness depth. If DAVE excels in “dynamic (transient)” depiction, MSB excels in “static (silence)” depiction 35.
- Switch Reasons: Unlimited-budget listeners choose MSB as a step up from DAVE (price-wise, Premier and above exceed DAVE). Those feeling “DAVE’s sound is slightly thin” migrate to MSB’s overwhelming presence and gravity.
Market Conclusion: DAVE is “a high-performance racing car.” It transmits all road surface conditions (recording state) through the steering wheel (ears). Drivers (listeners) need skill and concentration.
Conversely, dCS and MSB are “ultra-luxury grand tourers”—possessing overwhelming performance while prioritizing ride comfort (listening comfort), excelling at comfortable long-distance travel.
Holo May is a “price-disrupting tuned car.” Interiors may be simple, but the engine (DAC circuit) is genuine, with potential to challenge higher models.
DAVE’s position as the ultimate analysis tool for stoic seekers wanting “not beauty, but truth” remains unshaken.
7. Conclusion & Recommended Users
Chord DAVE is a monumental product in audio history. Despite the passage of time since launch, the emergence of cheaper products with superior measurements, and the rise of more organic-sounding R-2R DACs, the “magic” its sound emits—overwhelming transient speed and holographic soundstage—remains utterly unfaded. Rather, with high-resolution source proliferation, its true value is increasingly realized.
Adding M Scaler pushes tap count beyond one million into further dimensions, but DAVE alone possesses sufficient “end game” performance. This is not merely playback equipment. It’s a time machine to recorded spacetime.
- Who Should Buy:
- “Sound explorers” wanting to hear all information in recordings without omission.
- Those prioritizing holographic experiences where speakers disappear between them and performers materialize before you.
- People feeling romance in sci-fi design and unique technical philosophy (Rob Watts theory), wanting to experience its extremity.
- Headphone listeners wanting supreme sound without adding amplifiers (DAVE direct drive is supreme).
- Who Should Pass:
- Those seeking “healing,” “warmth,” or “rich resonance” from audio (tube amplifiers, Holo May, MSB will bring more happiness).
- Those mainly listening to poorly recorded sources (old rock/pop, compressed audio) (DAVE mercilessly exposes flaws, potentially rendering them unlistenable).
- Those prioritizing cost-performance (Holo May or Topping D90 functionally satisfy sufficiently).
- Those valuing overall system aesthetic unity or usability (remote quality, etc.) (DAVE’s controls are unique, remote feels cheap).
Verdict:
“Audio’s Hubble Space Telescope” A cold observation instrument revealing star twinkles (minute sounds) invisible to naked eyes. Its images are sometimes breathtakingly beautiful, sometimes brutally desolate. But once you’ve seen the universe (music) at this resolution, you can’t return to earthbound (ordinary DAC) telescopes. It’s an expensive, pure ticket to touching musical “truth.”
Overall Rating: ★★★★☆
References
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