Chord Electronics DAVE

DAVE is the most advanced DAC we have ever made. It features the very best conversion technology available, using proprietary techniques never seen before, making DAVE the most advanced DAC/preamp amplifier in the world. DAVE stands for ‘Digital to Analogue Veritas in Extremis’, a moniker that best reflects the product’s capability; a device so advanced and with so few compromises, that it is truthful in the extreme.

DAVE, which is also a reference-level headphone amplifier and digital preamp, distils over twenty years of Chord Electronics’ research, development and advanced engineering into one device. At its heart lies the advanced Spartan 6 Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) with 1,000x the processing power of a traditional mass-produced chip DAC. DAVE’s FPGA is loaded with over a million lines of code to confront complex timing issues head-on, with speed and precision.

The FPGA’s extraordinary capability enables a number of key sonic benefits, including significantly improved timing and the best noise-shaper performance of any known DAC. DAVE’s technology delivers music with unmatched reality and musicality, with an unrivalled timing response. The device’s lossless digital volume control outputs the signal direct to your power amplifier for the purest experience.

DAVE has a large LC display, showing input, sample frequency, volume and set-up configurations options, within our famous porthole design. On its fascia, DAVE also features a rotary encoder with a large stainless steel controller and ball buttons, enabling direct interactivity in addition to the supplied remote control.

‘Plays with Audirvāna’ hardware products are certified to play music from Audirvāna software over USB or network with the best level of integration and audio performance.

Other accessories & custom options

Precision machined from a solid block of aircraft grade aluminium, a work of art on its own, the Ensemble Stand is irrefutably the most satisfying way to display your Choral system components or stack.

Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz flat within +/-0.1dB (HF filter off)

Tap length filter: 164,000

THD + N: 127.5dB (AWT)

Channel separation: >125dB @ 1KHz

Dynamic range: 127.5dB (AWT)

Sample frequencies: 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

Analogue outputs:

1x Stereo Pair of Unbalanced RCA

1x Stereo Pair of Balanced XLR

1x ¼” TRS Jack Headphone Output

Key Features

164k tap FPGA DAC

768kHz Type B USB Input

4x 768kHz BNC Coax Inputs

2x 96kHz AES/EBU Inputs

2x 96kHz Optical Inputs

Expandable DXO Inputs

1x Unbalanced RCA Outputs

1x Balanced XLR Outputs

1x ¼" Headphone Output

Supports 800Ω Headphones

Configurable Crossfeed

Standalone Preamp Function

Galvanically Isolated USB

Supports up to 768kHz

Native DSD Supported

DSD 512 (8x) Capable

Solid Aluminium Chassis

Roon tested

Included Accessories

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