Chord Electronics
Dave
DAVE is the top of everything Chord makes, and the letters are an engineering joke with a straight face: Digital to Analogue Veritas in Extremis. Its filter runs 164,000 taps on a programmable chip carrying over a million lines of Chord's own code — where an ordinary converter chip works with a few hundred taps — and the point of all that arithmetic is timing, not detail. It is also a reference headphone amplifier and a digital preamplifier: the volume control is lossless, so DAVE can feed a power amplifier directly with nothing analogue in between. Dynamic range of 127.5 dB, four coaxial inputs, AES, optical and USB to 768 kHz and DSD512, all behind the porthole display. Five kilos, and the end of the upgrade path.
Specifications
| Tap length | 164,000 |
|---|---|
| PCM support | 44.1Khz – 768Khz (16 – 32bit) and DSD64 to DSD512 native DSD + DoP (input dependant) |
| Digital inputs | 4x 75Ω S/PDIF BNC Coax (44.1kHz to 384kHz); 1x AES XLR (44.1kHz to 96kHz); 2x Fibre Optic TOSLINK (44.1kHz to 96kHz); 1x USB Type B (44.1kHz to 768kHz, 16–32bit, PCM and DSD) |
| Outputs | 1x Stereo Pair Unbalanced RCA; 1x Stereo Pair Balanced XLR; 1x ¼" TRS Jack Headphone Output |
| Headphone outputs | 1% THD 6.8v RMS with 300Ω (154mW); 1% THD 6.8v RMS with 33Ω (1.4w) |
| Dynamic range | 127.5dB (AWT) |
| THD | 127.5dB (AWT) |
| Channel separation | >125dB @ 1KHz |
| Frequency response | 20Hz to 20kHz flat within +/-0.1dB (HF filter off) |
| Output impedance | 0.055Ω (short circuit protected) |
| Operating voltage | 90v AC – 250v AV auto switching 50Hz – 60Hz |
| Power consumption | Full power – 40 W; Standby – 10 W |
| Dimensions | 7.8cm (H) 33.5cm (W) 15.2cm (D) |
| Weight | 5kg |
| Finishes | Black and Silver |
| In the box | DAVE Quickstart guide; Safety instructions; 10A Mains IEC cable; IR Remote control; Type-A USB to Type-B USB cable; Optical cable; 2x AAA batteries |
Where to listen
Every model is sold and demonstrated through Joenit's authorized dealer network across Europe. Find your nearest dealer to hear it for yourself.
