DAVE w/ or w/out M Scaler?

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.

I’m an about to get a preloved 2023 Chord M Scaler to go with my DAVE. Source is a Innuous Zenith mk3 / Phoenix USB.

I have Redbook CD rips stored as FLAC files and listen to FLAC Internet Radio. 

Is there an optimal scaler settings to listen to 16/44 ripped music ? Or is it best to go on and scale right up to the max 705 kHz setting ?

I have the TT2 with M-scaler and really love it.  BTW I upscale all my 44.1 files to 88.2 and 48 to 96 from my Lumin U1 (mega) to the M-scaler via USB.  Making this first increase before the M-scaler made the sound quality more natural/believable YMMV.  Then I use Silver Dragon dual BNC to TT2 upscaled to 705.6/768 khz.  There is also a footnote in the instructions that mention 88.1.I have no further plans for change at the moment.

The thing I would like to mention here is a DAVE video made for Upscale Audio by Rob Watts (go to the Dave sales page on the Upscale website about 5 minutes in on a 10 minute video).  Mr Watts tells Kat that the preferred way to feed the DAVE is by using an Optical connection.  This comment from the man himself.  What do you think about this.