My world spun at 33.3rpm for the entire duration of the CD era, until I jumped to streaming, and I was very happy with my LP12 for a long time. My approach is generally to aim high, get the best and most future proof gear I can, and then stick with it.
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i listened today to the Dave, with its pre and without, into Audia Flight Fsl 10 integrated ( around 10k). With Cabasse speakers and also Gold note.
I can’t really comment on it because the system was different from mine.
However , with direct connection to the amp, the sound was more precise but leaner. With the volume out of the Dave, the sound was less clear and more diffuse, but with more body.
However the differences were minimal.
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Thanks FR, interesting feedback.
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I want to add that , even if the speakers were not the same and electronics also, the presentation was clear , open, detailed, with all percussions well rendered.
However the sound lacked the whole consistency of my nds sound.
With naim source there is a feeling that the musicians are playing together, in the same direction. There is more drive of the whole.
I had less the impression of that whole playing with the Dave.
I can’t say it was less or more dynamic, because of a different system. But i feel the Dave is not for me.
We played 2 tracks on the goldnote turntable, on same system, with goldnote phono. The music was more cohesive. So i feel it’s more the dac way of sound.
The spatialization was impressive at first, the clarity too. But something was missing. ( with the Dave).
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I’m a bit concerned about the fact that you were listening through an unfamiliar system - or are you familiar at least with the goldnote TT/ cartridge and phono stage?
When I first heard Dave it was a literal “wow” factor: literal in that just two bars into the first piece of music my cellist son and I looked at each other, and he mouthed “wow!”, which was exactly what I was feeling. An experience I’ve never experienced with anything else in HiFi, no matter how good.
But if its not for you, then so be it - we don’t all have the same tastes in music presentation, so differences are inevitable (just witness vinyl vs digital!) 
as i said the Dave is impressive globally speaking: great spatialization, openess, details, percussive percussions…
But it lacked the impression of this whole , this constancy, cohesiveness of the sound.
The turntable, i didn’t have heard before, gave immediately a different presentation that i prefer. Less impressive, detailed, dynamic ( the goldnote has the reputation to be on the soft side) but more “ togetherness “ feeling.
As for drive, i cannot say if it comes from the Dac or the speakers. Don’t think it’s the integrated ( from the reviews i read).
But you are right, it was not my system.
At least you had a listen. Folk like me, who are DAVE fans, can tell we think it is the most natural and musical DAC known to man and womankind, but only you can decide if it’s the DAC for you.
To be honest I would find it hard to listen to DAVE for long periods now without Blu2 M-Scaler. It makes such a difference. Everything becomes much more cohesive in way I never managed to achieve with Naim sources. Yes with Naim, the musician were in my face, but with Blu2 DAVE it puts the band back on the stage and lets them playing together (I stole that rhetoric from a HiFI comic). Naim is more Daft Punk and Blu2 DAVE is more Jacques Brel so you can see why I prefer the Chord combo and others may not.
I remember one HiFi comic said Cerwin Vega speakers could make Dire Straits sound like Napalm Death. Sadly I heard Brothers in Arms played through CV speakers and no way did it make it as palatable and enjoyable as The Public Get What The Public Doesn’t Want by those wonderful exponents of grindcore.
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the speakers were Cabasse and Goldnote. But yes, it was less upfront than nds. Not in your face however for the nds presentation.
For classical music i feel the Dave is more appropriate. For rock and modern rhythmic jazz , the naim source is more for me.
But i have not heard with the mscaler.
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I don’t believe in different gear for different music - if the hifi system is good, it will play everything equally well, which to me is important given that I like classical, from chamber and solo piano to full dramatic orchestral, and heavy rock music, prog rock and blues. (But as I dislike pop, soul, jazz, C&W, rap and hip-hop I don’t care if they need something enhancing to sound good.)
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i had the SME 20 turntable for 15 years and realized today that i would have been more happy with a rega rp10 since many years. The rp10 is better suited to my music, vs the 3 times more expensive SME.
However, for classical music, the SME is better. It’s my opinion of course, but i am not the only one.
Low power tube amps are better suited for example for soft jazz trio or voices.
You may find some low power valve amps behave this way as they add relatively high harmonic distortion, which can richen, and thicken sounds up which can be beneficial on simple recordings, but on more complex recordings can start to sound ragged and in distinct.
I personally like to go without too much adaptation of the audio signal … but no denying on simple recordings the addition of certain distortions can make them sound more attractive… but as you point out, you end up having a system that is optimised for a certain type of music which seems far too restrictive to me.
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It was not a familiar system so your comparison to your system is not very cohesive or logical
To have a proper idea.
You would need to attach the Dave to your NDS
and then play music on the same system!
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it would be better indeed.
i don’t think i have optimized my system for a kind of music. I just prefer Naim sound for my music, because its strength is drive and prat.
However i have an all tube preamp.
Yes I am not saying all valve amps are relatively high harmonic distortion, and indeed I run 1kW RF valve amp in class A and it has necessarily very low distortion, but creates a huge amount of heat requiring forced cooling… but in audio valve push pull setups are quite common.
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Well, the deed is done! My 282 has been given a final thrashing (but not with a stick) and is now in its box awaiting a final trip back to my dealer…who is trying to persuade me that I now need a better digital transport, and thinks an NDX2 will be better than an ND5XS2!
DAVE and M Scaler now installed and running nicely. M Scaler is fed by a Sonore OpticalRendu, which is indeed a mini marvel of a streaming device. It all seems to be loosening up and settling in after the first 10-20 hours.
Lovely.
Best regards, BF
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Hi Basil, I mean Chris, by ‘deed’ I assume you mean you have booted out the 282 and connected Dave directly to your 250DR?
If I am correct, please let us know how things are performing.
i thought Chris was his real first name 
FR I know he is Chris and I could explain why I cheekily called him Basil by mistake but you would need to be familiar with ‘Fawlty Towers’, a UK TV show, and it would all get lost in translation.
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