Will existing Chord products get firmware or code updates, and can DAVE be upgraded?
Short answer
Do not expect updates that change the sound. In July 2022 Watts wrote that once a Chord design is in production its audible and measured performance is frozen, and any updates would be for control, interface, reliability or production reasons only Head-Fi, Jul 2022. In 2015 and 2016 he said Hugo and 2Qute would get no upgrades and Dave could, via Chord or a trained distributor, only for a worthwhile sound gain Head-Fi, Oct 2015Head-Fi, May 2016. Later Dave FPGA changes did not change the sound Head-Fi, Jul 2022Head-Fi, Nov 2023.
Practical answer. Do not expect firmware or code updates that change how your Chord device sounds. Watts says he treats FPGA design as hardware Head-Fi, May 2016, gets a design to the best he can with its hardware, then moves on Soundnews 52:20. The Dave sound upgrades he discussed in 2015 and 2016 were conditional Head-Fi, Oct 2015Head-Fi, May 2016Head-Fi, Jun 2016, and the later Dave FPGA changes he described left the sound unchanged Head-Fi, Jul 2022Head-Fi, Nov 2023.
His stated policy (2022 onward)
- In July 2022, in the Hugo M Scaler thread, he wrote that he has "a strict policy" and that "once a design is in production the audible and measured performance is frozen. Any updates, if needed, will be for control, interface, reliability or production reasons only." Head-Fi, Jul 2022
- In February 2022 he said this means "a Dave from 2015 will sound identical to a 2022 Dave" Head-Fi, Feb 2022.
- On new models, in April 2022 he said he does not "do trivial updates in order to let Chord sell a few more products" Head-Fi, Apr 2022, and in November 2023 that he is not interested in incremental improvements just to sell more Head-Fi, Nov 2023.
- In February 2023 he said Chord did not originally have the capability to do updates, that "going back twenty fifteen, it would have been impossible", and that today it is "technically possible" but would require changes Dusty Audio 1:03:33.
- In a September 2024 livestream he said there are no firmware updates because "we've got the best that we can do at that time with that hardware", and that "software updates are when you screw it up" The Source AV 11:03.
By product
Dave. In September 2015 he said Dave would be "potentially upgrade able" back at Chord or perhaps the distributor, while hoping upgrades would not be needed Head-Fi, Sep 2015. In October 2015 he said an upgrade would be "back to distributor or Chord", only for a substantial improvement, and less likely as his FPGA technology matured Head-Fi, Oct 2015. In May and June 2016 he said a code update would need a return to a trained distributor or Chord, adding "it is a simple process", and only for a "significant and worthwhile change in SQ" Head-Fi, May 2016Head-Fi, Jun 2016Head-Fi, May 2016. In June 2016 he said anyone waiting for a sound-quality update "may wait for a long time", with 2017 the earliest possibility, tied to Davina work Head-Fi, Jun 2016. The sound-changing code change he describes came in October 2015, while he prepared final production code Head-Fi, May 2016Head-Fi, Nov 2015.
Later, he describes two FPGA changes without sound changes. In July 2022, on a new Dave display, he wrote "the FPGA needs updating" with "No change to SQ at all" Head-Fi, Jul 2022. In November 2023 he said an update done nearly five years earlier fixed occasional dropouts on about 1% of Daves used with the M Scaler, with "no difference at all to sound quality", adding "there hasn't been one since" Head-Fi, Nov 2023. That post does not mention the 2022 display change, and the archive does not show him reconciling the two.
On hardware: in May 2016 he said Dave's FPGA is soldered in Head-Fi, May 2016. In a Hifistatement audio clip published in October 2017 (a slide talk recorded earlier at Chord's Pump House; recording date not stated) he explained why the larger FPGA went into a separate box rather than an upgraded Dave: its signal-related current would degrade Dave's ground plane Hifistatement 0.
Hugo and 2Qute. In April 2015 he called a Hugo upgrade unlikely because the improvements need much more FPGA capacity Head-Fi, Apr 2015. In May and August 2015 he said Hugo's firmware and FPGA code had not changed in production, so there are no multiple versions Head-Fi, May 2015Head-Fi, Aug 2015. In October 2015: "Hugo and 2 Qute won't have any upgrades" Head-Fi, Oct 2015. In an interview recorded about January 2016 and published in July 2016 he said he was stuck with Hugo until a bigger FPGA is available Hifistatement 10:57.
Hugo M Scaler. In July 2022 he said no firmware change had affected audio or measured performance Head-Fi, Jul 2022.
Mojo 2. In an interview published March 2026 (recording date not stated) on the Mojo 2 version with a 4.4 mm output, he said the USB-C charging options needed an FPGA change and that the audio parts are identical to the original Audio Force 34:28. He did not say there whether existing units can get that change.
USB. In 2018 he said TT2, Hugo 2 and Dave share the same USB firmware and hardware, and to use the updated driver from Chord's website Head-Fi, Sep 2018. In 2019 he said he does not design the USB hardware, firmware or drivers, and in 2022 that he did not write the USB firmware, sending persistent USB problems to Chord support Head-Fi, May 2019Head-Fi, Feb 2022.
What he has not said. Chord publishes Poly and 2go firmware updates in its release notes. The archive has no statement from him on owner firmware updates for Qutest, Hugo 2, TT2 or Mojo 2, and none giving a process, price or availability for a Dave update today; his general policy is the 2022 one above Head-Fi, Jul 2022. Check figures from transcripts against the recordings.
Quotes
“once a design is in production the audible and measured performance is frozen. Any updates, if needed, will be for control, interface, reliability or production reasons only.”2022-07-07 Head-Fi, Jul 2022
“Hugo and 2 Qute won't have any upgrades.”2015-10-06 Head-Fi, Oct 2015
“Code updates (if needed) will need a return to a trained distributor or Chord.”2016-05-30 Head-Fi, May 2016
“some Dave's with the M scaler (about 1%) would drop out occasionally so I needed to improve the SPDIF rx for error tolerance”2023-11-29 Head-Fi, Nov 2023
Dated positions
| When | Products | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-04 to about 2016-01 | Hugo (original), 2Qute | Hugo and 2Qute would not get upgrades because improvements need a larger FPGA than they have; Hugo's code was unchanged in production. Head-Fi, Apr 2015Head-Fi, May 2015Head-Fi, Aug 2015Head-Fi, Oct 2015Hifistatement 10:57 |
| 2015-09 to 2016-06 | DAVE | Dave could potentially be upgraded or code-updated, but only by Chord or a trained distributor and only for a substantial, worthwhile sound-quality gain. Head-Fi, Sep 2015Head-Fi, Oct 2015Head-Fi, Nov 2015Head-Fi, May 2016Head-Fi, Jun 2016Head-Fi, May 2016 |
| 2016-06 | DAVE | A sound-quality code update for Dave might be 2017 at the earliest and might not happen at all. Head-Fi, Jun 2016 |
| 2022-02 to 2024-09 | general, DAVE, Hugo M Scaler | Once a design is in production its audible and measured performance is frozen, and any updates would be for control, interface, reliability or production reasons; he does not do sound-changing firmware updates. Head-Fi, Jul 2022Head-Fi, Feb 2022Dusty Audio 1:03:33The Source AV 11:03 |
| 2022-07 to 2023-11 | DAVE | Dave's FPGA was updated for a new display (2022) and, nearly five years before November 2023, for SPDIF receiver error tolerance with the M Scaler, both with no change to sound quality; the 2023 post says there had been no update since the SPDIF one. Head-Fi, Jul 2022Head-Fi, Nov 2023 |
| 2026-03 | Mojo 2 | The Mojo 2 version with a 4.4 mm output needed an FPGA change for USB-C charging options, with the audio parts described as identical. Audio Force 34:28 |
Caveats and open points
- No statement from him was found on owner firmware updates for Qutest, Hugo 2, TT2 or Mojo 2, or on any current process for a Dave update; Poly and 2go updates are in Chord's release notes.
- Dave upgrade statements date from 2015 and 2016 and are conditional; later statements describe a frozen-performance policy.
- The November 2023 statement that there had been no Dave update in nearly five years sits alongside a July 2022 post saying the FPGA needed updating for a new display; he is not shown reconciling them.
- A 2016-02-26 post says 'Absolutely no upgrade for Dave, that's not possible' in a reply about the Blu and Red upsampler PCB whose question is not shown in the archive, so it is not used as a general statement.
Topics: Faults, repairs, warranty, safety and updates, Future products and project status