Those are beautiful! Really nice job on the photos.
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This really is a beauty! I like the matching Kataloxes.
Edit: oops, silly me, they’re Salire stands (Katalox being one of the woods)
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Anyone here who has compared the TT2/HMS vs Dave/HMS with the VO?
I had the opportunity (while on vacation) to listen to them both with the Focal Utopia and was blown away by the Dave/HMS. As the VO is my “end-game” headphone (together with the HD800S) I’m wondering how it would work driven directly by Dave.
Grateful for any input.
No issues driving Vérité Open (or Closed for that matter) directly from DAVE’s headphone output. It’ll push them to 116 dB/SPL and still have 100% headroom available.
Hugo TT2 has more power available, but it isn’t getting used in this case. And having more than 100% headroom here doesn’t really pay any dividends.
Anything else in the chain (e.g. another amplifier) would be adding coloration, either directly via distortion or through the effects of different damping characteristics (e.g. a high-OI tube amplifier). Which isn’t to say those things can’t be preferable (I like to run my VO off a tube amp fed from DAVE the most, but I wouldn’t claim it the fidelity is better to do it that way).
Having owned HMS/TT2 and HMS/DAVE at the same time, the only situations I can cite that I would take the HMS/TT2 vs. the HMS/DAVE were for headphones like the Abyss or Susvara, where DAVE is lacking the power to drive them well and still have decent headroom. But in those cases, I’d also rather pair HMS/DAVE with an amplifier vs. HMS/Hugo TT2 direct.
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Thats a pretty remarkable looking pair. Cool!
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Very much agree with this, at least in my experience with the TT2 and DAVE without the Mscaler. DAVE wins, especially with easier to drive headphones. My original conclusion was the TT2 was the better idea for the Susvara, HE6 etc…but ultimately I ended up on the DAVE+An Amp wins side of the issue.
I assume the Mscaler wouldn’t change those opinions.
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As a small sidebar, could you describe the difference between HMS/TT2 (my current config) and HMS/DAVE (maybe my future one)? Is the difference/improvement dramatic or incremental? Thanks!
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Thank you! I fell in love with the combo Dave/HMS then and there. I’ve never heard that level of performance before, pure magic!
I’m thinking that the “tonality”/“signature” of the VO will work pretty great with the Dave so I was only worried about its ability to drive them.
The short way to put it is this:
If were to assume HMS/TT2 as ranking a “10/10” in every technical and perceptual category, then HMS/DAVE would take all but one of those aspects and turn it up to 11/10.
And the one that DAVE doesn’t win on is available output power the headphone output and its XLR outputs. TT2 is clearly ahead there. But it is just more power, not a better result in any other factor. If your cans don’t need that power, then it is irrelevant.
Diminishing returns are in strong effect here.
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Thanks - so I take it you’re saying it’s a lot more money for some definite but incremental improvements?
I’m less concerned about driving my headphones (I spend more than half my time on my tube amp which the DAC of the TT2 powers) than I am about spending a lot for a small improvement.
I know the question was for Torq. Is it bad “etiquette” to also respond?
Yes.
Which is pretty much true across the board in audio … and especially so with DACs.
The difference between a Schiit Modi 3+ and a Chord Hugo TT2 is definite, but smaller, in real terms, than between, say, a Modi 3+ and an $9 Apple Lighting to 3.5mm Dongle.
And the situation gets more out of whack the further up the gear ladder you go.
(If you read enough of my reviews/comments, across a few platforms, you’ll see that I call out the fact that ALL reviews tend to exaggerate, often significantly, the differences between components.)
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Nope, not at all; go for it.
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It’s also worth adding that although “improvements” (or more often “differences”) can be very small, they can also be quite important in terms of ones overall enjoyment - especially for protracted listening sessions (vs. quick A/B comparisons).
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I think you’re free to jump in!
Thanks - hugely helpful.
In many/most cases I’m in total agreement with Torq about incremental improvement when moving up the “gear ladder”, but… There are som products that just defy this “logic”, products that somehow have a level of performance that just is, magical.
One example of this for me is a loudspeaker from B&W called the 802D3. It’s so good that it’s actually hard to believe how that level of performance is accomplished - it’s able to connect me to music on a deeper, more emotional level. Another example of this is Dave/HMS, it’s the first DAC that has created that experience for me with headphones.
I find it very difficult to describe well with ratings etc.
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No argument from me.
The difference between component “A” and “B” can be very small in literal (or technical) terms, yet still result in a significant improvement (or change) in overall enjoyment or engagement.
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Yes, exactly! And when it brings that kind of added enjoyment and engagement it becomes a different kind of “value equation”, which makes it much harder to answer questions about is the added cost worth it.
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Getting away from the VO discussion, but I feel the same way about jumps in DAC performance, having gone Mojo, Hugo 2, TT2 and adding the Hugo 1 (sold off the Mojo and Hugo2). The jump from Mojo to Hugo 2 seemed larger than 2 to TT2, and then when I added the Hugo 1, unless I’m really trying to pay attention, it doesn’t seem a whole lot worse than the TT2, especially when using either to feed a tube amp where it seems more like the amp itself and especially choice of tubes makes much more of a difference than any of the climbing up the Chord ladder has. They’ve all been excellent with the VO for me, whether direct or to a tube amp.
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