Chord Electronics DAVE Reference DAC / Headphone Amp / Preamplifier

IMPORTANT: Due to contractual limitations imposed by Chord Electronics, Audio Sanctuary are currently unable to ship this product. Customers in the UK are able to Click + Collect, or purchase in-person from our London showroom. Please contact us for more information.

Introducing DAVE, the TOTL DAC from Chord Electronics

Chord Electronics has replaced their critically acclaimed QBD76 HDSD DAC with its most advanced DAC to date. Using the chipset from the same family as the world renowned portable Hugo DAC the latest-generation digital-to-analogue convertor features the very best conversion technology available, using proprietary techniques that have never been seen before.

The Chord DAVE or Digital to Analogue Veritas in Extremis DAC is a highly advanced reference-grade DAC, digital preamplifier and headphone amplifier. Hand-made in Kent, DAVE is based around a proprietary FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) offering more than ten times the program capacity of its predecessor.

Lying at the heart of DAVE is a brand new LX75 version of the Spartan 6 Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). This 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. Chord DAVE DAC's technology delivers music with unmatched reality and musicality, with an unrivalled timing response.<

A key benefit over its predecessor the QBD76 is its full-sized LCD display, showing input, sample frequency and volume, plus set-up and configuration options. The display, which sits behind the famous Chord porthole, is clearly visible from a variety of angles and retains the signature colour display. On its fascia, DAVE also features a rotary encoder with a large stainless steel controller and buttons, enabling direct interactivity in addition to the supplied remote control.

DAVE's advanced technology is enshrined in Chord Electronics' trademark casework which has been precision-milled from solid aircraft-grade aluminium to deliver functional strength and rigidity, as well as great beauty. Simply stated, DAVE is the most advanced DAC in the world.

Features

• USB B-style 44 kHz to 768 kHz
• DXD + Quad DSD
• 2 x Optical 44 kHz to 192 kHz
• 1 x AES 44 kHz to 192 kHz
• 4 x Coaxial 44 kHz to 384 kHz
• Dual-Data Mode

Specifications

• Outputs: 2x Ultra-High-Speed Coaxial, 768kHz Dual-Data Mode
• Maximum Output Voltage: 6 V RMS
• THD + Noise: @ 2.5 V, RMS 0.000015 %
• THD + Noise: @ 2.5 V, 127 dBA A-Weighted (124 dBA into 33 Ohms)
• Dynamic Range: 1 kHz - 127 kHz @ -60 dBFS, dBA A-Weighted
• No measurable noise floor modulation / No harmonic distortion
• Analogue distortion characteristic: No distortion for small signals
• Power requirements: mains power 80 volts to 260 volts; AC 20 watts