DAVE w/ or w/out M Scaler?

The difference was night and day for me.  M-scaler makes a huge difference when used with Dave in my system: Soulution amp, Magico S5 mk2, Synergistic research Galileo powercell, grounding, and interconnects throughout.  I recently moved from Devialet expert 1000 monoblocks just because I wanted to listen to this Dave/M Scaler combo that used to be my headphone setup.  Dave alone does not sound better than Devialet, but with M Scaler, everything changes for the better.   Maybe your system needs to be highly resolving and dynamic to hear the improvement, but for me, M scaler for sure!

Wellschlager,   For me I didn’t find that it aucked the life out of the room but I did find that the music just sounded off and unnatural.  Hard to put my finger on it.  I really tried to like it too since I had bought the m-scaler new.   At the end of the day I sold it though and still love my DAVE.   Maybe jchoiny is correct, it must be system dependent.  

I found DAVE with MScaler to be very System dependent. BUT… also…. if Streaming it’s very dependent on which Streaming service and what quality of Music it’s being fed.

If playing CD’s in to the DAVE the Transport needs to be of pretty good quality.

Network Noise can be an issue and a break in the Network Chain can help between one’s Broadband Router and Source… then in to the DAVE.

TT2 with MScaler was good. Warm sounding but powerful. A great upgrade for the TT2.

Dave with an MScaler can be viewed as a good addition but not a massive upgrade and I feel the DAVE on its own is great enough thus far. That is until the new MScaler shows it’s face matched to the DAVE. One can improve the DAVE via Farad Power Supply and a carefully chosen Network Noise reduction. Source is obviously a consideration.

Three years ago, I auditioned Deve with and w/o Mscaler.

To me, it is night and day difference in details and clarity.

I would not have bought Dave alone.

Thomas

I had a TT2 with M-Scaler for a year and definitely preferred this to the TT2 alone. Upgraded to DAVE four months ago and kept the m-scaler, occasionally bypassing the sampling via the m-scaler and tbh, hearing little difference. In full-sampling mode, music sounded detailed and 'clean' - perhaps a bit too clean, especially with the sound of voice.  Overall, I thought the sound was also lacking in rhythm and drive - I just wasn't being moved by the music.  I disconnected the m-scaler and fed the DAVE via usb directly from my Zenith Mk3.  The difference in sound from the DAVE alone was huge!  Soundstage widened, voice sounded natural and forward, rhythm and drive were there in abundance. Surely this couldn't be right? It was contrary to what most people had said about adding the m-scaler.  After a week I reconnected the m-scaler.  Soundstage narrowed and singers retreated back into the band and sounded cleaned up.  But . . . the m-scaler's strength lay in its ability to present the instruments in a band, the musicians, as playing together,  Drums sounded so well integrated and complemented bass lines.  I played a Gong live album (yes, I'm bit of an old hippie) that I'd heard many times and for the first time I thought 'These guys actually play well together!'  So, sometimes I use DAVE alone via usb, sometimes I use the m-scaler - all really depending on what mood I'm in.  btw, I found the headphone experience is much better with just the DAVE.