I was unprepared for the impact this DAC had on me. It is hard to imagine, but it maybe the best DAC I have heard to date. It is remarkable and it has me in a real quandary. Has it bested my much loved Bifrost? Maybe! My brain hurts thinking about it. If you wish to join the channel and become a member please click here: www.youtube.com/@OldGuyHifi/membership
I love my Bifrost 2, too. Sometimes I think maybe I should get a Qutest or other $1200+ DAC, but even though a more expensive DAC like the Qutest may be more resolving, I worry I might miss the warmth and timbre of the Bifrost. I'm not so much a critical listener - I listen for enjoyment.
This product is truly remarkable. I purchased mine about a year ago, and the improvement in my system was immediately noticeable, particularly in the expansive and deep soundstage. To ensure the cleanest possible power, I use it with a battery pack, and the results have been outstanding. At the time of purchase, I was also considering the Denafrips ARES as a second option but keeping my Quest for now. thanks for your review
I want to review the units as the manufacturer delivers them. II fear it would get confusing to non-goofball-audiophiles if I spent time talking about upgrades like power supplies, etc. BTW I have several linear PS units and yes the Qutest sounds better on those. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I love my Qutest. The best DAC I’ve heard. Coupled with an M Scaler. I’m fully satisfied and can’t imagine anything better 🎉 My music listening is the best it’s ever been 🥳
Thanks for the vid. I Really enjoyed the calm, mature presentation that is devoid of hype. Chord DACs opened my brain to analytical listening, as opposed to chasing melodies. I have learned to select one or the other. I found the Qutest to be less warm than the Mojo2, but warmer on white/green filter than the reputedly identical DAC in the Hugo2. It was equally impressive with the Electronic music of Data Rebel and classic Rock. I was gobsmacked with its ability to detail the individual instruments in old legendary albums like King Crimsons' Red, and Pink Floyds DSOTM. ...And I'm no audiophile.
I can confirm that the chord qutest is that good. I was wondering if I was just throwing money away, thinking that this dac upgrade craze was a bit overrated, but I did get it at half price with an ifi elite power supply thrown in on the slightly used market. I was pleasantly surprised how detailed and defined, and depth, the instruments within the soundstage became. Of course I was using an inferior dac (the dac from the marantz cd6007 player) compared to the chord. But, I was very surprised how much better the chord cutest sounds. I did my homework and settled on the chord and then waited for the right buy. I'm very happy that I did.
Nice review ! I traded my Denafrips Ares in for the Qutest last year and I fully agree, very detailed, airy and spacious. It is even (a big step) better with a decent linear power supply like the Sbooster. Currently running with a Doge tube amp (the company that produces the Gallion tube amps) and Whafedale Linton heritage. Amazing combination.
@@OldGuyHifi Have not heard the Gallion tube amps yet, hope to get an impression at the Dutch Audio event next week, but I think they are a step better than mine 👍🏻 As for the current Wharfedale generations: Very nice value. Looking forward to your review !
@@OldGuyHifi Yes, according to Thomas his ‘voicing’ is primarily achieved by selecting different qualities for critical components like signal capacitors. I think that the topology also plays a big role. For instance I chose my preamp to be one without any negative feedback. This sounds more natural to me.
Another great review Ed. Chord DACs seem to always get good reviews. Would be great if you could get your hands on a Holo Audio Cyan 2 DAC for review. At $1,200 it seems to be getting a lot of rave reviews for its sound quality particularly at its price, although it is a bit quirky having no physical input selector and rather relying fully on automatic input signal detection which can lead to some issues depending on the setup. Keep the great reviews coming!
Yes I have the Cyan 2 and it’s the best DAC I’ve heard out of the 10 I’ve listened to in the $2K range. It is a unicorn in that it’s only designed to be used as a DAC. I’m streaming into it with my Bluesound Node 130 using the USB cable that came with the DAC running Qobuz. Then connected to my preamp using XLR cables. Very clear. The bass is excellent and drums and cymbals sound great without being harsh. A great deal at about $1300 delivered.
Well, I’ve wanted this DAC for a while and after your review I found a nearly new one at TMR. I’ll now have to move my Geshelli Labs J2 to my 3rd system. Thanks a lot😊
This is a welcome review of a product I have overlooked for its strange looks. PS: Could you do an episode discussing the source first approach you mention AND aspects like dynamic range. Would be very useful to understand your framework and see what to apply from it.
Wow Ed, that's quite a statement. it must be truly awesome! After spending so much money lately on my new house I won't be able to afford one but I love your review! I finally got my system set up and my new listening room is well over 3 times larger than my old one. What a difference.
I brought a Qutest a few years back and put it against my old Ayon CD player. It was an unfair comparison since the Chord was less than half the price of my Ayon but the Chord held up well. Better in terms of sheer resolution and transparency. However, the warmth, richness and humanity of my tube-output Ayon meant the Qutest was not a musical upgrade so I sent the Chord back. But I've gone over to a tube pre and a much warmer power amp since plus have warmed up the sound further with Entreq gear so now I'm wondering whether to go back to the higher-rez sound of the Qutest. I do remember it being a joy to use and look at. Such a distinctive little device. Be warned that cables tend to pull the little box around on the shelf.
Loving these DAC reviews. Just received a Fiio K11 R2R and can’t wait to set it up. Still saving up for a J2S w/ AKM4499. I needed a headphone amp for my bedroom system so the Fiio may end up living there. Just couldn’t swing the $600 for the J2S right now, and need a headphone amp more at the moment. Maybe one day when I grow up, I’ll be able to afford the J2S. Haha! Great review as always!!!
@@OldGuyHifi By the way, your videos are really top notch! I especially enjoy the deep dives to the way components are built. Thank you for the great content!!!!
FPGA DACs are some of my favorites. Well done, Ed! There is Lots of good buzz around this DAC. I have yet to hear better than my PS Audio DirectStream DAC. It's stunning!
When you listen to Rob Watts the designer 2 takeaways lower the noise floor to the extreme and properly adjust the datastream as originally suggested by Sony. I learned so much from his seminars. The information is there in every digital recording we just need the setup to get to it.
Thank you for these videos. Although in my case, l don't have a separates-based system, your reviews are helpful for future planning. And I think that a high-quality source is arguably the most important factor in good sound. Just my two cents worth!
I don't think you need a separates system to get the benefit of a good DAC. I am a big fan of integrated amps as you will see with tomorrow's video. Your point about source first coincides with my thoughts on how a system should be built out. Great observation and thank you for your view.
Great Video Ed. If I didn’t have the PS Audio DAC. I’d get the Chord Qutest for sure. I’ve heard them both at shows and at a local store here in Phoenix.
Agree with you, this is a great dac, indeed. one thing I noticed with mine is (and this might relate to your comment of beautiful decay of notes) how the dac allows me to clearly hear the momentary pitch of a note: think of upright bass, where the tone can vary a bit vs time, where lees than a half tone variation can make important parts of music (Portrait of Silence - Paul Bley, eg), and with the Qutest this is so easy to follow slightest pitch variations, which add to the complexity of music.
I'm still thinking about my future dac purchase. I was fighting myself over the Orchard and the J2 or J3 from Geshilli. You told me to keep you updated when I make my decision. Now, others are added (including this one) for consideration. However, two of my former music students are also subscribers of yours and told me of this dac review. This investment I will not rush. Hopefully, by the end of the year things will be settled. We all thought we would recommend three recordings for you to consider for future listening. We all had to agree. So here it is. 1) Otto Klemperer Brahms Symphony no. 1...Warner is having a reissue coming up in a couple of weeks. 2) Chick Corea - Trilogy 3) Louis Cole - nothing We all think you are honest and value your videos. Peace from the show me state.
Great music suggestions. It can be AA daunting task trying to figure this hifi stuff out. Truthfully, unless you are going to spend over $500 USD all DACs sound pretty good. Go with your fur and your budget. You won't go wrong. Also, unless you listen to every DAC on the market you will never have any idea if they are different sounding. Thanks again.
I purchased the Pontus ll 8 or nine months ago. I had not seen your review but I plan to. Your review of this DAC was great and painful 😊 at the same time. Many thanks 🙏. Greg
Hi! Thanks for this interesting review. I have a question for you: I am using today's a Cyrus i9-XR amplifier, which has an integrated DAC into it (DAC ESS Technology ES9028Q2M). I am listening with this a CD Transport (still Cyrus, CDt-XR) and I am quite satisfied. Should I expect better sound quality by integrating a Qtest into the chain? I haven't got the chance to listen to it yet, but...just asking your opinion. The speakers I am using are the MOFI Sorcepoint 10. Thanks, Mario
Mario, You might. Cyrus makes excellent gear but the DAC chip they are using is a pretty entry level unit. Any ESS chip with either K2M or Q2M is a 5 volt chip designed for mobile use in devices like portable players or dongle DACs to use with your phone. To my ear the Chord was for the money an outstanding performer. I liked it better than the Denafrips Pontus. Let me know what you decide. Thanks for asking and your view.
@@OldGuyHifi Many thanks for your answer! I did not know those DAC's were entry level, so this is a good reason to try to listen to that Qtest and get a better idea.
Todd, I want to review the units as the manufacturer delivers them. I fear it would get confusing to non-goofball-audiophiles if I spent time talking about upgrades like power supplies, etc. I didn't have access to an upscaler. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Thank you Ed. I appreciated your views on the Qutest. As you may recall l have one ( with a Cxa81 amp ..q acoustic concept 50 floorstanders and kef ls50 meta ..plus a rel t5 sub). Overkill in the speakers dept perhaps 😂 I was interested in your comparisons with other dacs l know you have . Like your Geshelli labs DAYZEE… unavailable in the Uk. Seems like your initial thoughts to me ( before you even hearing the Qutest) were spot on. That it would compare favourably with these obviously very good dacs. The only question that l have now is… ( and l am repeating myself ..😊) As l am using an Allo digi one signiture with Volumio . Connected through quality BNC to the Qutest. Is there an under $1k streamer alternative that would give me a better sound. Or would that upgrade not be cost effective. Using USB instead of BNC? Once again..outstanding work. Thank you. John Appreciate your work as always.
Geshelli can sell to the UK. Just reach out to them via email. The Dayzee and the Chord have many similarities and a few differences. The Dayzee does not sound chip based at all. It sounds more like a multibit R2R design. Not like a ladder DAC more like my Bifrost. Warmish, very good bass and detailed mids. The Chord has a more complete sound. Not as much low end but more neutral and refined. They both throw a big sound stage but the Qutest's image is a bit more detailed in the upper frequencies. They are both excellent with probably more similarities than differences. That said, even though I love the Geshellis, if push came to shove, I would take the Chord. I hope that answers your question. Thanks so much for asking and watching.
I heard a Qutest at a hifi shop but then later found a Hugo TT2 at a decent price and bought that. Imaging is really clear and precise. It is detailed without being harsh. I have both the Bifrost 2/64 and the Yggdrasil OG which are really good DACs, but the Hugo beats them. I still like the Schiit DACs for certain things, but the Hugo is amazing. I sometimes think I'd like to get a Qutest, but I suspect I don't really need it.
I get it. At some point it becomes redundant to have so many DAC choices. When I am not reviewing a DAC I still listen to my Bifrost or my Geshelli J2S. The Chord did resonate with me but I have to be pragmatic about it. Great comment. Thank you so much.
Both the Qutest & the Ares present the sound stage behind from the front of the speaker as a good audio device should. That said it has been a while since I heard the first gen Ares. I did think the Qutest sounded better than the Pontus II 12th. I do think the Qutest did better overall in imaging and sound stage than the Denifrips unit. I also found the sonic presentation to be a bit more natural to my ear. Ultimately it is up to you which you like best. If possible you should try and audition them. I hope I have helped. Thank you for asking and tuning in.
Good review! You should try a good power supply with this like Ifi Ipower elite, even better. I have the mojo 2 and at half the price you get a very good headphone amp and a really good eq! Some people (Goldensound) even prefer the mojo 2!
Thank you. I do agree with the better power supply but, I always use the ones supplied by the manufacturer as honestly that's how most people would use it. Thanks for tuning in.
Hi, just subbed, great channel. I have a question for you... I am looking at buying klipsch the nines speakers. If i use a quetest as the dac, does it matter what streamer I use? For example, would a cheaper wiin ultra effect the sound quality if it is only used as the streamer? My reasoning is that over the next 5 years, I'd love to buy the open baffle IQUALIO ULTRA speakers. Massive price difference but my reasoning is a system i can enjoy right now with a hi quality dac and a decent streamer can then be used for the goal system. I'd just need to choose an amp & sub for the IQ ultra... Im not interested in smaller upgrades every year or two. Ill be more than happy with a great sounding start system and then go all in on a real high quality system in time. Cheers
Thank you for joining the channel. If you are looking down the road at upgrading from the Nines then a Qutest makes sense but don't handicap it with something like any WiiM or Bluesound units. I would recommend the Cambridge MXN10/AXN10 Stream Magic unit. It is excellent sounding, it won't be obsolete in 10 years (Cambridge still supports their streamers from a dozen years go) The software is easy to use stable and offers a ton of features like an excellent internet radio function. For a second opinion John Darko just reviewed it and said it was better than the WiiM ultra. I use mine in almost every review as a digital transport (think CD player without the CDs.) UK's "What Hifi" magazine/Web site gave it the readers "product of the year" for 2023. I did several reviews of the MXN10 that will give you an idea of its performance. I encourage you to check it out. Let me know what you think and what you decide. Thx again for subbing.
@@OldGuyHifi so are you saying to pair the nines with the suggested Cambridge streamer for the streaming function only, along with the qutest as the DAC? Or use it as an 'all in one' where I run the Cambridge as the DAC & streamer then the nines complete the setup? Just so I have a full understanding. I will do some reading and watching up on the Cambridge now. Thank you very much for the advice
You could just use the MXN10 with its built in DAC is very good, and then later up grade to something like the Qutest when you go for the new system. The Nines are good but, honestly I am sure they are resolving enough to get the best out of the Qutest. Dies that make sense? Let me know your thoughts. Thx.
@@OldGuyHifi ok, I see your reasoning. I've no doubt the nines and an mxn10 would sound great and be a minimal setup in a room. It would be a few years away before I get to buy the goal system of the open baffle speakers. I'd be better served buying a quality subwoofer with the streamer for the speakers for now. At least that way I'd already have a quality subwoofer for further down the line. A south African reviewer demos the nines and then adds the mini wiim streamer and demo's the difference. It's noticeable. It was only uploaded in the last two days. He is going to demo the wiim ultra with the nines to give his thoughts on that setup. Would be interesting to compare mx10 as dac compared to the speakers handling the streaming duties... A subwoofer with them aswell as an mx10 would give a far bigger difference than a qutest, obviously...
Save the Qutest for your final system. I think WiiM is an over hyped product. They are good if convenience and ease of use are your goals. Sonically they under perform in my opinion, but I am spoiled. Let me know what you decide. Thx again for joining the channel.
Chord is definitely on my list btw. It may come down to whatever tt2 I can afford. I'd love to hear Chord and PS Audio head to head, they employ similar tech, I wonder how they compare in the same price range.1
Hmm, I'll be in the market for a DAC at around that price soon, but I'd always decided against Chord because I've just never liked their design. But you've gone and thrown a spanner in the works for me now, with that review 😀. I'm going to have to think again about how important looks are to me. (And I agree 100% about Martha Argerich).
Alan, I really was unprepared for the sound of this DAC. You are right about the design but, it doesn't give you a lot of settings to muck around with and I found that other than trying to hear the difference with the filters, I rarely touched it. Honestly, the looks don't matter to me at all. It is so small that I really never saw it in my rack. Let me know what you decide to do. Thanks for returning to the channel.
The design threw me off at first. But once I heard what it was delivering, the hell with the odd bubble lights, which do stay on all the time. The staying on part still throws me off when I walk by it. It's basically set it and forget it dac anyways, very little effort.
Something about the exterior design of the Chord products, Qutest included, just didn't appeal to me. It didn't make intuitive sense - is this thing a toy, or serious gear? You've answered that question! Thanks for the review.
I found it to be a serious unit. Yes it looks a bit out of the ordinary but, looks are subjective and don't matter to me as much as sonic performance. Thanks for watching and commenting. I appreciate it.
FYI, The stock J2S and the J3 Pro are sonically identical. Geno redesigned the J2S to accommodate the Sparkos SS2509 Op-amps. They are huge. Other than a bit of an internal power supply upgrade to handle the requirements of the 2590s they sounded so close as to make no difference to my ear. The Dayzee really shines on the balanced outputs where the dual mono design comes into to its own. If you only listen on single ended than a J2S or J3 Pro is fine and less expensive if you want to roll the op-amps. That's what I did. Thanks.
@@OldGuyHifi thanks so much; I did not know that about the J2 and J3. Would you say the Chord is a clear step above the j2 with sparkos as it is like twice the price….
@@WigandKleine The Qutest is a bit more refined and a bit more inner detail. That's to be expected given its price. It also takes some pretty resolving gear to hear those differences. That said, I am not getting rid of my J2S anytime soon. Thx for tuning in.
Great review Ed. Surprised to see you so “into” this dac. Heard good things about it. Denafrips is r2r but also has a fpga chip in it. Perhaps you can explain why they have one and for what use? I would assume for updates? Take care
Great question. The FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) chip in a Denafrips R2R DACs, is primarily used for signal processing and controlling the R2R ladder network. In Denafrips DACs, such as the popular Terminator or Ares models, the FPGA plays a critical role in: Oversampling and Digital Filtering: The FPGA can handle digital filtering, which can include oversampling the incoming digital audio signal. This helps in refining the sound before sending it to the R2R resistor ladder for conversion. Clock Management: It often works in conjunction with high-precision clocks, providing clock signal processing and jitter management, ensuring the timing of the digital-to-analog conversion process is as accurate as possible. Controlling the R2R Ladder: The R2R ladder itself is a discrete resistor network that converts the digital signal to analog. The FPGA ensures precise control of the switching of these resistors, determining the exact timing and voltage levels for the conversion process. Handling Different Formats: The FPGA can process various digital formats, including PCM and DSD. It ensures smooth handling of different bit depths and sample rates, improving compatibility with a wide range of audio sources. By using an FPGA, Denafrips DACs achieve a more customized and flexible signal path compared to fixed-chip DAC designs, allowing them to deliver high-quality, accurate sound reproduction. I hope that answers your query. Thanks.
Try it with the "ifi ipower elite" power supply, its 2-3 steps higher. I tried good linear popular power supplies but the SPS ifi beat them. Punchier, faster, better sound stage, more details and better bass. Enjoy!
I want to review the units as the manufacturer delivers them. I fear it would get confusing for non-goofball-audiophiles, like me if I spent time talking about upgrades like power supplies, etc. BTW I have several linear PS units and yes the Qutest sounds better on those. Thanks for sharing your experience.
To be fair, dynamic range of EVERY digital source component exceeds that of the rest of the system, so I’m not sure that’s what you’re hearing here. I do believe most dacs sound different and Chord products are extremely well engineered, so I’m not surprised you loved it. Nice job.
@@aristotlep.4982 At well over twice nearly three times the price, as expected the Chord is better sounding DAC. The question is, is it 2x or 3x better. That is subjective. I own a J2S and love its sound. It gets me close enough to the sound of more expensive products to satisfy my listening enjoyment. There is no best and no point in trying to compare units with such a large price discrepancy. As you move up in price the delta of improvement narrows. Buy what you think is best. Thank you.
Sounds even better with a good power supply regardless of what Mr Watts say. He only says it to avoid warranty claims. Even the Dave owners upgrade their power supplies with great results.
Thank you for your great review and perspectives, Sir. However at this price I will probably give it a pass as my compromised hearing probably won't hear the difference to my other DACs that are working well for me. I will keep it on my list, but plod along with what I have for now. Take care, my friend.
Have you had an ifi NEO iDSD DAC? I have one I can feed direct into the Galion A75. Compared it to the Qutest DAC and NC200 Pre, I am suprised how well it does for its low cost. I am curious about the iDSD 2if it gain is worth the price difference.
I understand that the Quest doesn’t come with a very good power supply but is benefits from a good linear power supply. Can I ask you which power supply you paired with this DAC. I hope you will get the opportunity to listen to and review Toppings own version of a FPGA DAC, A90 discrete. How it stack up against the Dayzee and the Mojo 2?
The Cyan 2 is the best sub-2k DAC no contest, better than the Qutest and anything else out there. It's just progress I guess, as the Qutest is 6+ years old now. 'Still a great sounding DAC though.
This is the baby of the range..When you get to the Dave and MScaler you're in almost elite.. Nice video think I'll sub. I use dCS which is in the god tier but has had bad publicity recently and it's their fault..Not happy about this company now..
Ya my tempotec dongle has 8 different firmware iterations, just flash the fpga and it's all different, but I don't understand how it can operate alone, what's the soc? What USB chip? Etc.. This thing (tempotec dac) is 200 dollars.. I don't know how anything could sound better, where is there to go? Soundstage is like a big helmet a meter across.
Good dac but you should use the white or green filters as thats where the magic happens, i run mine off the spdif in, according to mr watts that gives the cleanest signal with less noise and have the output voltage stage set to 3v direct to a premamp rca input in passive mode ( no gain from preamp stage) thus delivers all the fine details with the highest signal to noise ratio and no attenuation to the signal so that my power amp can deliver the best signal to the speakers. If your music source is a good recording then it's heaven, but on bad recordings it doesn't hold prisoners, it will show you those imperfections. The power supply is trash and it wont show you what this dac is truly capable of. Not sure why chord did this maybe to save some cash and increase profits. The dac is a few 100 dollars less in the Uk so greater value. The price is the top ceiling im prepared to pay for a dac (deminishing returns is a thing with dacs) otherwise the tt2 would of been my purchase but thats out of my budget comfort zone and the mscaler too expensive and forget the Dave as thats the nuts but only for people with deep pockets, these dacs also hold their value too so if you sell it down the line you wont loose too much. So all in all the qutest is a value proposition with great engineering and warranty status which is important when investing in expensive equipment, nobody wants a door stop when you have to deal with far east returns from other products that seem cheaper or of greater value. I have also used the audiolab 6000a in pre amp mode with this dac into another power amp and that also performs great for the money but i knew a dedicated preamp is what i needed and that took it up a notch in my experience. Its important to have the best chain you can afford in order for this dac to shine. Keep up the good work we need more honest people in the hi-fi youtube world. I forgot to add that the qutest is getting on in years and new tech progressives fast so there might be better products out now or comparative for lower prices but whats good is good and this dac is good 😊
@@OldGuyHifi I guess it depends what your ears like and your system synergy, I too at times play with the filters, but find it hard to determine the difference at times very subtle. I mostly just use one source now which is streaming for my music so no need to system match with other devices and 3v out can be too hot for other amps, 2v out is usually the normal standard
Carlos, Yeah some of these filter settings escape my ears. I have a review of the SMSL SU-X coming out and it has far too many settings. None of which really add to the experience. Thanks again for watching.
I just bought the Cambridge axn10 under your recommendation for transport duties only, I hope it's a step up from the audiolab 6000n with playfi, let's see if the streaming module and or internals really adds to the sound quality, blue sound was an option too but reading and listening to your reviews, your preference was stream magic. Got the Cambridge for a song open box discount 😁 ,so won't be a great loss if its any worse than the audiolab of which the software was starting to grate on me a little having to close the app on numerous occasions to restart the stream
Steve, It has been awhile since I have heard from. Glad you are back. Qutest, I have a Dayzee, I have a Laiv Harmony and a couple of surprise performers from non-traditional sources. Watch this space. The Qutest did set a benchmark.
@@OldGuyHifi Yeah… I’ve been watching, just nothing important to add. Since the world of hi-fi is so vast and so many things sound great, it has been useful for me to put some constraints on my system; one I’ve chosen is to try to keep my purchases in the states, at least to a first approximation.
I’ve been sniffing around these Chord products for a long time. Somehow, I lose track of them. I probably would have done better with this than my Ladder Schumann. It’s very good, but this may be a bit better.
Steve, I did think the Chord was much better than the Pontus. I also think the Dayzee and my Bifrost are better than the Pontus. I have a Laiv Harmony in right now and the Dayzee is still here. We will see my friend.
Hi Ed, those crazy Brits are at it again! Seriously, I'm a retired analog design engineer & I spent the 90s becoming the lab expert on A/D (ADC) & D/A (DAC) conversion & I'm self-schooled in DSP. dCS perfected the Ring DAC, Woolfson advanced microelectronics & now Chord. I did an online search but could find no reference to Chord's D/A technology, only digital upscaling (a known science), what is their D/A technology? P.S. it's Qutest not Cutest, perhaps your cute mis-spelling was intentional?
I fixed the spelling. They use an FPGA with their own secret sauce. It is very good. Here is what I was able to find: They use a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) Technology: Unlike many DACs that use off-the-shelf DAC chips, Chord designs its own digital-to-analog conversion process through FPGA chips. The Qutest uses this custom-designed FPGA to control the upsampling, filtering, and digital-to-analog conversion. This approach gives Chord more flexibility and precision over the entire digital processing chain compared to conventional DAC chips. Rob Watts’ WTA (Watts Transient Aligned) Filter: Chord’s DACs, including the Qutest, use a highly sophisticated digital filter designed by Rob Watts, a key designer at Chord. The WTA filter is designed to correct timing inaccuracies (transient timing errors) in digital signals, which can affect the realism and detail of music playback. The filter uses an extremely high tap length (compared to traditional DACs), which allows for much greater precision in reconstructing the original signal. Together, these technologies allow the Chord Qutest DAC to provide extremely accurate sound reproduction, with a focus on detail, timing, and clarity. I haven't spent any real time with dCS but hope to soon. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Thanks. While a small number analog arrays exist, FPGAs are used for digital processing, in this case, a filter. So we still don't know Chord's D/A technology UNLESS it's a pulse width modulation (PWM) recreation of the analog signal using FPGAs. PWM is used in Class D amplifiers (analog to PWM conversion) & direct conversion (digital to PWM conversion). Hybrid circuits & integrated circuits exist for Class D & digital integrated circuits for direct conversion. Both technologies were created in the west & are being successfully exploited, at low cost, by Chinese Hi-Fi equipment manufacturers. Hopefully someone who has followed Chord's technology will give a definitive answer?
@@trevorbartram5473the Chord dacs use what is called a pulse array for the actual analogue conversation. This design was invented by Rob Watts and he has done many seminars discussing his dacs, design ethos and technologies. Search his name in youtube and be prepared for the rabbit hole you'll be jumping into 😄
Cool, Have you compared something played thru this and the vinyl? To me, The DAC is probably great but if playing sourced PCM it’s already “decimated” before it gets to you. Maybe consider doing some DSD comparisons. DSD is just well better. If this DAC can make PCM sound like DSD or the vinyl I am in. However, this review though interesting is not very revealing because there is no meat to the review. We are in need of DACs that can reproduce an analog source without conspicuity. The best way to do a comparison I would think would be play a vinyl….pure analog. Then record the vinyl with PCM or DSD. Then playback thru this dac and compare the vinyl. A lot of DAC reviews are just about playing straight digital sources….but well…nothing has been compared and you don’t know what you are missing. My guess is that piece you played would sound better if recorded from the analog era. Most modern represses are just PCM decimated messes.
I use DSD but since it is a moribund format I don't bother mentioning it. I love vinyl but, so many of today's audiophiles are moving to digital that's what I will focus on unless I ma doing a turntable or phono pre-amp review. Both of which are forthcoming. Good vinyl playback is far more expensive difficult than good digital. Thank you so much for your view and excellent comment.
@@OldGuyHifi hmm. Moribund? Don’t think so. Most DACs are more and more supporting it. So called audiophiles going to digital which means streaming. Most true audiophiles are vinyl or DSD based, though CDs appear to be coming back into fashion. I am sure this is a fine sounding DAC. But us old guys need to teach these youngsters what they are missing. Vinyl/analog playback does sound better and PCM largely is causing music in general to be moribund. In fact music died years and years ago. It is now obliterated by crap PCM. Nothing sounds real anymore and we put lipstick on these pigs with a DAC that has “filters”. You talked about single line theory. DSD is mostly single line. It takes the source and saves it as it came in…not monkeyed with. Sure it has high frequency noise but that is handled by simple analog low pass filter. I am kinda frustrated how many DAC reviews are out there but nobody is talking about whether it actually retains the realness. The only way to do that is to compare to the source. Streaming is just “good enough digital” for the normal masses who don’t know what a violin actually sounds like in person. Sure there are some great digital recordings…but in general it all is a mirage of the real. I am trying to find a DAC that can actually compete with the analog playback. Been searching about 30 years. It is close….but still not there. Btw, I grew up near Holm audio. Man I loved that place.
IMHO balanced really only makes sense for long cable runs or in an area of high RF interference. Other than the voltage difference, on short (under 1M) I am not sure I really can hear an improvement. It also adds cost and complexity which isn't always better. Just a thought. Thanks for the great comment.
@@OldGuyHifi ok, I thought it had maybe something to do with the design of this dac. I prefer balanced because my power amp has a balanced circuit design. Maybe time for an new version with added XLR 😊
Never heard the Qutest, but to be frank I'd never buy one. Why? Because it appears the power supply is via wall wart connected to it by what looks like flimsy micro usb plug. And then there are those eccentric control buttons. I'd be more tempted if there was something identical in performance but with an internal power supply fed by an IEC plug, a display, straightforward controls and a remote. Not too much to ask, I'd conjecture. Certainly you get this (and a streamer too if you need one) for not too much more with my Gustard R26, which -- who knows -- may be in the same ball park soundwise. Not a criticism of your review as regards sound quality, of course, which I'm prepared to accept.
I leave the decisions on device design and execution to the firms engineering folks. The Chord unit is not built to a price point so the power supply was deemed sufficient. It sounded great regardless. Good comment. Thanks.
Fair enough. Like I say, you may well be right about its sound quality. It's just that Chord DACs in general put me off in terms of usability and I do worry especially about the power feed. To appeal more, Chord would have to have a different design approach. Looking forward to the Holo Cyan review, which too is a bit eccentric, but IMHO not excessively so. 😌
John, I am hoping to get my hands one. I do have the Laiv Harmony in now for review so look out for that if you are interested. Thanks again for tuning in.
I'm a little confused here. You say the you've never heard a 9 or a 10? So, are you also saying that you've only listened to DACs in the Qutest's price range, and the Cutest is the best only compared to other DACs in it's price range, or are you saying that the Qutest is the best DAC you've ever heard even compared to the more expensive DACs you've heard? And, if you think the Cutest is better then more expensive DACs you've heard, than how much more expensive were the DACs you heard that you compared the Qutest to that you thought were inferior to the Qutest?
Ken, Fair question. I have heard some very expensive DACs, i. e., the Mola Mola Tambaqui, the T+A MP1000E, Denafrips Pontus II and I have a Laiv Harmony in for review right now. When I referred to not hearing a 9 or 10, I was referring to any and all DACs I have ever heard. I say that as I believe nothing is perfect or close to perfect. If live music is the benchmark then there is no way any reproduction can equal it. Sometimes I wonder if I would know it if and when I heard that "10." A perfect 10 for me is my favorite seat #102 Row A in the Fadim lower balcony at the Chicago Symphony's Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center. That said the Chord Qutest is a remarkable unit and I place it very high on the list. Longwinded answer sorry.
In 2024 with so many completely transparent DACs, at a fraction of the price, this is a terrible value. It’s actually difficult for me to understand this product. Also looks like a fisher price toy.
@@misterzero8667 Please refrain from disparaging a product based on its country of origin. If it bothers you don't buy one. You may want to consider how many products you own that were made in Asia and you bought because they were inexpensive. You are welcome to express your opinion but in a polite and respectful way. Thank you.
I bet you worked real hard to come up with such an incisive comment. I hope you didn't hurt your brain. I bet you have never even seen one for yourself. In an effort to eschew obfuscation I will come out directly say your comment is unwelcome and immature. Please comment back as it helps the algorithm.
@@OldGuyHifi Not a problem. There is nothing wrong with your review. Glad to help. The problem is in 2 years or less I bet there will be a knockoff of this that will sound 98% as good for a quarter of the price. I mean I could buy an Onkyo RZ50 with a DAC built in for the price of this piece of machined aluminum with some colored lights on it. It's nonsense.
![Could these be the most natural sounding headphones? [Moondrop Para]](/img/n.gif)
I was unprepared for the impact this DAC had on me. It is hard to imagine, but it maybe the best DAC I have heard to date. It is remarkable and it has me in a real quandary. Has it bested my much loved Bifrost? Maybe! My brain hurts thinking about it. If you wish to join the channel and become a member please click here: www.youtube.com/@OldGuyHifi/membership
I love my Bifrost 2, too. Sometimes I think maybe I should get a Qutest or other $1200+ DAC, but even though a more expensive DAC like the Qutest may be more resolving, I worry I might miss the warmth and timbre of the Bifrost. I'm not so much a critical listener - I listen for enjoyment.
@@Mark-fs7ok l think you can say the Qutest has warmth. I am sure you won’t be disappointed.
This product is truly remarkable. I purchased mine about a year ago, and the improvement in my system was immediately noticeable, particularly in the expansive and deep soundstage. To ensure the cleanest possible power, I use it with a battery pack, and the results have been outstanding. At the time of purchase, I was also considering the Denafrips ARES as a second option but keeping my Quest for now. thanks for your review
I want to review the units as the manufacturer delivers them. II fear it would get confusing to non-goofball-audiophiles if I spent time talking about upgrades like power supplies, etc. BTW I have several linear PS units and yes the Qutest sounds better on those. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I love my Qutest. The best DAC I’ve heard. Coupled with an M Scaler. I’m fully satisfied and can’t imagine anything better 🎉
My music listening is the best it’s ever been 🥳
Cliff, It's great to be in that position. Now you can just sit back and enjoy your music. Thanks so much for watching.
Thanks for the vid. I Really enjoyed the calm, mature presentation that is devoid of hype.
Chord DACs opened my brain to analytical listening, as opposed to chasing melodies.
I have learned to select one or the other.
I found the Qutest to be less warm than the Mojo2, but warmer on white/green filter than the reputedly identical DAC in the Hugo2.
It was equally impressive with the Electronic music of Data Rebel and classic Rock.
I was gobsmacked with its ability to detail the individual instruments in old legendary albums like King Crimsons' Red, and Pink Floyds DSOTM.
...And I'm no audiophile.
Fred, Thank you for sharing your thoughts & experience. I hope you become a regular viewer.
I can confirm that the chord qutest is that good. I was wondering if I was just throwing money away, thinking that this dac upgrade craze was a bit overrated, but I did get it at half price with an ifi elite power supply thrown in on the slightly used market.
I was pleasantly surprised how detailed and defined, and depth, the instruments within the soundstage became. Of course I was using an inferior dac (the dac from the marantz cd6007 player) compared to the chord. But, I was very surprised how much better the chord cutest sounds. I did my homework and settled on the chord and then waited for the right buy. I'm very happy that I did.
That's great. I think it is one of the best I have heard under $2.5k. Thanks for tuning in.
Nice review ! I traded my Denafrips Ares in for the Qutest last year and I fully agree, very detailed, airy and spacious. It is even (a big step) better with a decent linear power supply like the Sbooster.
Currently running with a Doge tube amp (the company that produces the Gallion tube amps) and Whafedale Linton heritage. Amazing combination.
I have the Galion TS120SE in for review right now running on my Wharfedale Diamond 12.4s. Very nice indeed.
@@OldGuyHifi Have not heard the Gallion tube amps yet, hope to get an impression at the Dutch Audio event next week, but I think they are a step better than mine 👍🏻
As for the current Wharfedale generations: Very nice value. Looking forward to your review !
@@MrGiuzzz I don't know for sure. I know Galion says the SE version has upgraded caps. All I know is that it sounds good.
@@OldGuyHifi Yes, according to Thomas his ‘voicing’ is primarily achieved by selecting different qualities for critical components like signal capacitors. I think that the topology also plays a big role. For instance I chose my preamp to be one without any negative feedback. This sounds more natural to me.
@@MrGiuzzz I believe you are right. I haven't dug deep into it yet. Look for the review soon. Thx.
Smashing review, had one for a while , put the dac in my attessa streaming amp to shame ,
Thanks for watching and commenting.
Another great review Ed. Chord DACs seem to always get good reviews. Would be great if you could get your hands on a Holo Audio Cyan 2 DAC for review. At $1,200 it seems to be getting a lot of rave reviews for its sound quality particularly at its price, although it is a bit quirky having no physical input selector and rather relying fully on automatic input signal detection which can lead to some issues depending on the setup. Keep the great reviews coming!
Thank you. I will try to reach out to Holo. My next big DAC review is the Laiv Harmony. Working on that now.
@@OldGuyHifi Looking forward to your take on the Laiv Harmony!
@@CButti-x1s Thanks. It will be a couple of weeks out.
Yes I have the Cyan 2 and it’s the best DAC I’ve heard out of the 10 I’ve listened to in the $2K range. It is a unicorn in that it’s only designed to be used as a DAC. I’m streaming into it with my Bluesound Node 130 using the USB cable that came with the DAC running Qobuz. Then connected to my preamp using XLR cables. Very clear. The bass is excellent and drums and cymbals sound great without being harsh. A great deal at about $1300 delivered.
Great Review Ed! Very interesting DAC. Thank you for sharing. 👍👍👍
Thank you my friend. I will be doing the review of the Laiv Harmony soon. Different tech, different sound.
Well, I’ve wanted this DAC for a while and after your review I found a nearly new one at TMR. I’ll now have to move my Geshelli Labs J2 to my 3rd system. Thanks a lot😊
Sorry. I know you will forgive me after you listen to it. Thx.
I got the Chord for a great price.
@@OldGuyHifi
And, I know the J2 will blow the doors off of the Schitt Modi I have in System 3.
This is a welcome review of a product I have overlooked for its strange looks. PS: Could you do an episode discussing the source first approach you mention AND aspects like dynamic range. Would be very useful to understand your framework and see what to apply from it.
Great suggestions both. I will add those to the list for sure. It won't get much attention but if it helps anybody, that's a good thing.
It may not get tons of attention but it will help the community.
Done. I will put it on the schedule. Thanks.
Wow Ed, that's quite a statement. it must be truly awesome! After spending so much money lately on my new house I won't be able to afford one but I love your review! I finally got my system set up and my new listening room is well over 3 times larger than my old one. What a difference.
Mike, Good to hear you are getting settled into the new abode. I bet the new room is great. Keep me posted. Thx.
Great review, and I remember John Darko raved over the Chord dacs, too.
John, It is so tempting. It could replace my Bifrost, maybe. I must have some self control so I will refrain for now. Damn its good.
Mr Darko loves everything specially when he's getting paid don't take him serious
@@seanrichardson9404 Let's keep it friendly. No unsubstantiated claims about other reviewers please. Thank you.
@@OldGuyHifiI'm been friendly it's not a claim it's a fact people spend hard earned money.
They have a right to know the truth or what's the point
@@seanrichardson9404 You know this how???
I brought a Qutest a few years back and put it against my old Ayon CD player. It was an unfair comparison since the Chord was less than half the price of my Ayon but the Chord held up well. Better in terms of sheer resolution and transparency. However, the warmth, richness and humanity of my tube-output Ayon meant the Qutest was not a musical upgrade so I sent the Chord back.
But I've gone over to a tube pre and a much warmer power amp since plus have warmed up the sound further with Entreq gear so now I'm wondering whether to go back to the higher-rez sound of the Qutest. I do remember it being a joy to use and look at. Such a distinctive little device. Be warned that cables tend to pull the little box around on the shelf.
Thanks for the heads up. Thanks also for tuning in and sharing your experience.
Loving these DAC reviews. Just received a Fiio K11 R2R and can’t wait to set it up. Still saving up for a J2S w/ AKM4499. I needed a headphone amp for my bedroom system so the Fiio may end up living there. Just couldn’t swing the $600 for the J2S right now, and need a headphone amp more at the moment. Maybe one day when I grow up, I’ll be able to afford the J2S. Haha! Great review as always!!!
Let me know what you think. nThx.
@@OldGuyHifi By the way, your videos are really top notch! I especially enjoy the deep dives to the way components are built. Thank you for the great content!!!!
Wow Ed. I guess it’s all I have heard it to be. Great take. Others have gushed over Chore products. I see why. Take care my friend.
Chris, It is really, really good. I am so tempted.
@@OldGuyHifi something to consider.
@@adsph I just can't right now.
@@OldGuyHifi perhaps in the future.
FPGA DACs are some of my favorites. Well done, Ed!
There is Lots of good buzz around this DAC.
I have yet to hear better than my PS Audio DirectStream DAC. It's stunning!
Thank you my friend. I have to get my ears on Carson's.
When you listen to Rob Watts the designer 2 takeaways lower the noise floor to the extreme and properly adjust the datastream as originally suggested by Sony. I learned so much from his seminars.
The information is there in every digital recording we just need the setup to get to it.
Thank you for these videos. Although in my case, l don't have a separates-based system, your reviews are helpful for future planning. And I think that a high-quality source is arguably the most important factor in good sound. Just my two cents worth!
I don't think you need a separates system to get the benefit of a good DAC. I am a big fan of integrated amps as you will see with tomorrow's video. Your point about source first coincides with my thoughts on how a system should be built out. Great observation and thank you for your view.
Way to make me cry, Ed! Appreciate your honesty 😢😂
I am sorry buddy. Did you see how I savaged Carson's Audiolab?
I do love my Chord Dac!!!!
Great Video Ed. If I didn’t have the PS Audio DAC. I’d get the Chord Qutest for sure. I’ve heard them both at shows and at a local store here in Phoenix.
Thank you my friend.
Agree with you, this is a great dac, indeed. one thing I noticed with mine is (and this might relate to your comment of beautiful decay of notes) how the dac allows me to clearly hear the momentary pitch of a note: think of upright bass, where the tone can vary a bit vs time, where lees than a half tone variation can make important parts of music (Portrait of Silence - Paul Bley, eg), and with the Qutest this is so easy to follow slightest pitch variations, which add to the complexity of music.
I will check out Paul Bley. The way it renders decay is very good and natural. Thanks for the recommendation and your view.
I'm still thinking about my future dac purchase. I was fighting myself over the Orchard and the J2 or J3 from Geshilli. You told me to keep you updated when I make my decision. Now, others are added (including this one) for consideration.
However, two of my former music students are also subscribers of yours and told me of this dac review. This investment I will not rush. Hopefully, by the end of the year things will be settled.
We all thought we would recommend three recordings for you to consider for future listening. We all had to agree. So here it is.
1) Otto Klemperer Brahms Symphony no. 1...Warner is having a reissue coming up in a couple of weeks.
2) Chick Corea - Trilogy
3) Louis Cole - nothing
We all think you are honest and value your videos. Peace from the show me state.
Great music suggestions. It can be AA daunting task trying to figure this hifi stuff out. Truthfully, unless you are going to spend over $500 USD all DACs sound pretty good. Go with your fur and your budget. You won't go wrong. Also, unless you listen to every DAC on the market you will never have any idea if they are different sounding. Thanks again.
I purchased the Pontus ll 8 or nine months ago.
I had not seen your review but I plan to.
Your review of this DAC was great and painful 😊 at the same time.
Many thanks 🙏. Greg
Thank you & I am sorry? I am glad you got something from it.
Hello everyone! Forgot to comment on the video earlier when I watched 😅. Guess I'll watch it again 😊
Cool video. Btw, what aquarium screensaver is that running on the display ?
It is on the TCL Roku TV I use. It is just one of the choices, It is fun. Thx.
Hi! Thanks for this interesting review. I have a question for you: I am using today's a Cyrus i9-XR amplifier, which has an integrated DAC into it (DAC ESS Technology ES9028Q2M). I am listening with this a CD Transport (still Cyrus, CDt-XR) and I am quite satisfied. Should I expect better sound quality by integrating a Qtest into the chain? I haven't got the chance to listen to it yet, but...just asking your opinion. The speakers I am using are the MOFI Sorcepoint 10.
Thanks,
Mario
Mario, You might. Cyrus makes excellent gear but the DAC chip they are using is a pretty entry level unit. Any ESS chip with either K2M or Q2M is a 5 volt chip designed for mobile use in devices like portable players or dongle DACs to use with your phone. To my ear the Chord was for the money an outstanding performer. I liked it better than the Denafrips Pontus. Let me know what you decide. Thanks for asking and your view.
@@OldGuyHifi Many thanks for your answer! I did not know those DAC's were entry level, so this is a good reason to try to listen to that Qtest and get a better idea.
That HUVA Network album looks intriguing - gonna check it out! Thanks for this review. I would love to get my hands on one of these soon!
It is very nice. Thanks Aaron.
great review.may buy.also the upscaler can be used with it
Todd, I want to review the units as the manufacturer delivers them. I fear it would get confusing to non-goofball-audiophiles if I spent time talking about upgrades like power supplies, etc. I didn't have access to an upscaler. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Another great review 👍🙂
Thank you 🤗
Thank you Ed. I appreciated your views on the Qutest.
As you may recall l have one ( with a Cxa81 amp ..q acoustic concept 50 floorstanders and kef ls50 meta ..plus a rel t5 sub). Overkill in the speakers dept perhaps 😂
I was interested in your comparisons with other dacs l know you have .
Like your Geshelli labs DAYZEE… unavailable in the Uk.
Seems like your initial thoughts to me ( before you even hearing the Qutest) were spot on.
That it would compare favourably with these obviously very good dacs.
The only question that l have now is… ( and l am repeating myself ..😊)
As l am using an Allo digi one signiture with Volumio . Connected through quality BNC to the Qutest.
Is there an under $1k streamer alternative that would give me a better sound. Or would that upgrade not be cost effective. Using USB instead of BNC?
Once again..outstanding work. Thank you.
John
Appreciate your work as always.
Geshelli can sell to the UK. Just reach out to them via email. The Dayzee and the Chord have many similarities and a few differences. The Dayzee does not sound chip based at all. It sounds more like a multibit R2R design. Not like a ladder DAC more like my Bifrost. Warmish, very good bass and detailed mids. The Chord has a more complete sound. Not as much low end but more neutral and refined. They both throw a big sound stage but the Qutest's image is a bit more detailed in the upper frequencies. They are both excellent with probably more similarities than differences. That said, even though I love the Geshellis, if push came to shove, I would take the Chord. I hope that answers your question. Thanks so much for asking and watching.
Your reviews are awesome!
That's nice of you to say. Thank you.
I heard a Qutest at a hifi shop but then later found a Hugo TT2 at a decent price and bought that. Imaging is really clear and precise. It is detailed without being harsh. I have both the Bifrost 2/64 and the Yggdrasil OG which are really good DACs, but the Hugo beats them. I still like the Schiit DACs for certain things, but the Hugo is amazing. I sometimes think I'd like to get a Qutest, but I suspect I don't really need it.
I get it. At some point it becomes redundant to have so many DAC choices. When I am not reviewing a DAC I still listen to my Bifrost or my Geshelli J2S. The Chord did resonate with me but I have to be pragmatic about it. Great comment. Thank you so much.
Hi,
Nice review it was. I am torn between Denafrips Ares 15th and qutest. Does the qutest project the image in front of the speakers or behind it?
Both the Qutest & the Ares present the sound stage behind from the front of the speaker as a good audio device should. That said it has been a while since I heard the first gen Ares. I did think the Qutest sounded better than the Pontus II 12th. I do think the Qutest did better overall in imaging and sound stage than the Denifrips unit. I also found the sonic presentation to be a bit more natural to my ear. Ultimately it is up to you which you like best. If possible you should try and audition them. I hope I have helped. Thank you for asking and tuning in.
@@OldGuyHifi Thank you so much. Lemme see if I can audition them.
@@AjuVignesh That's always best. Good luck and keep me posted. Thx.
Thanks!
Thank you so very much. I appreciate it.
Good review! You should try a good power supply with this like Ifi Ipower elite, even better. I have the mojo 2 and at half the price you get a very good headphone amp and a really good eq! Some people (Goldensound) even prefer the mojo 2!
Thank you. I do agree with the better power supply but, I always use the ones supplied by the manufacturer as honestly that's how most people would use it. Thanks for tuning in.
Hi, just subbed, great channel.
I have a question for you...
I am looking at buying klipsch the nines speakers. If i use a quetest as the dac, does it matter what streamer I use? For example, would a cheaper wiin ultra effect the sound quality if it is only used as the streamer?
My reasoning is that over the next 5 years, I'd love to buy the open baffle IQUALIO ULTRA speakers. Massive price difference but my reasoning is a system i can enjoy right now with a hi quality dac and a decent streamer can then be used for the goal system. I'd just need to choose an amp & sub for the IQ ultra...
Im not interested in smaller upgrades every year or two. Ill be more than happy with a great sounding start system and then go all in on a real high quality system in time.
Cheers
Thank you for joining the channel. If you are looking down the road at upgrading from the Nines then a Qutest makes sense but don't handicap it with something like any WiiM or Bluesound units. I would recommend the Cambridge MXN10/AXN10 Stream Magic unit. It is excellent sounding, it won't be obsolete in 10 years (Cambridge still supports their streamers from a dozen years go) The software is easy to use stable and offers a ton of features like an excellent internet radio function. For a second opinion John Darko just reviewed it and said it was better than the WiiM ultra. I use mine in almost every review as a digital transport (think CD player without the CDs.) UK's "What Hifi" magazine/Web site gave it the readers "product of the year" for 2023. I did several reviews of the MXN10 that will give you an idea of its performance. I encourage you to check it out. Let me know what you think and what you decide. Thx again for subbing.
@@OldGuyHifi so are you saying to pair the nines with the suggested Cambridge streamer for the streaming function only, along with the qutest as the DAC? Or use it as an 'all in one' where I run the Cambridge as the DAC & streamer then the nines complete the setup? Just so I have a full understanding.
I will do some reading and watching up on the Cambridge now. Thank you very much for the advice
You could just use the MXN10 with its built in DAC is very good, and then later up grade to something like the Qutest when you go for the new system. The Nines are good but, honestly I am sure they are resolving enough to get the best out of the Qutest. Dies that make sense? Let me know your thoughts. Thx.
@@OldGuyHifi ok, I see your reasoning. I've no doubt the nines and an mxn10 would sound great and be a minimal setup in a room. It would be a few years away before I get to buy the goal system of the open baffle speakers. I'd be better served buying a quality subwoofer with the streamer for the speakers for now. At least that way I'd already have a quality subwoofer for further down the line.
A south African reviewer demos the nines and then adds the mini wiim streamer and demo's the difference. It's noticeable. It was only uploaded in the last two days. He is going to demo the wiim ultra with the nines to give his thoughts on that setup.
Would be interesting to compare mx10 as dac compared to the speakers handling the streaming duties...
A subwoofer with them aswell as an mx10 would give a far bigger difference than a qutest, obviously...
Save the Qutest for your final system. I think WiiM is an over hyped product. They are good if convenience and ease of use are your goals. Sonically they under perform in my opinion, but I am spoiled. Let me know what you decide. Thx again for joining the channel.
Cheers Ed. Now I want one.
Daz, Me too.
@@OldGuyHifi Didn't realise this has been available for years. All I hear about is the Mojo.
That means used ones are out there!!
@@OldGuyHifi That's a very good point Ed.
Chord is definitely on my list btw. It may come down to whatever tt2 I can afford. I'd love to hear Chord and PS Audio head to head, they employ similar tech, I wonder how they compare in the same price range.1
That would be a cool comparison for sure. Maybe. You never know.
Hmm, I'll be in the market for a DAC at around that price soon, but I'd always decided against Chord because I've just never liked their design. But you've gone and thrown a spanner in the works for me now, with that review 😀. I'm going to have to think again about how important looks are to me. (And I agree 100% about Martha Argerich).
Alan, I really was unprepared for the sound of this DAC. You are right about the design but, it doesn't give you a lot of settings to muck around with and I found that other than trying to hear the difference with the filters, I rarely touched it. Honestly, the looks don't matter to me at all. It is so small that I really never saw it in my rack. Let me know what you decide to do. Thanks for returning to the channel.
Agreed on the looks. They have a video game esthetic that would sharply contrast my stack.
@@dragonfly9434 Make your choices based on your individual needs and desires. Thank you for tuning in.
The design threw me off at first. But once I heard what it was delivering, the hell with the odd bubble lights, which do stay on all the time. The staying on part still throws me off when I walk by it. It's basically set it and forget it dac anyways, very little effort.
I played with the filters for an afternoon and thought "this color sounds good" and left it at that. Thanks again for commenting.
Qutest + M Scaler = (possibly) only DAC/Upscaler that one will ever need......
Thank you for the review. Might I humbly suggest "gute luft" by Thomas fehlmann. I find it to be a nice ambient album with fun sound staging.
I will check it out now. Thank you so much.
Something about the exterior design of the Chord products, Qutest included, just didn't appeal to me. It didn't make intuitive sense - is this thing a toy, or serious gear? You've answered that question! Thanks for the review.
I found it to be a serious unit. Yes it looks a bit out of the ordinary but, looks are subjective and don't matter to me as much as sonic performance. Thanks for watching and commenting. I appreciate it.
hello; great review; cn you compare to the J3 or dayzee?
FYI, The stock J2S and the J3 Pro are sonically identical. Geno redesigned the J2S to accommodate the Sparkos SS2509 Op-amps. They are huge. Other than a bit of an internal power supply upgrade to handle the requirements of the 2590s they sounded so close as to make no difference to my ear. The Dayzee really shines on the balanced outputs where the dual mono design comes into to its own. If you only listen on single ended than a J2S or J3 Pro is fine and less expensive if you want to roll the op-amps. That's what I did. Thanks.
@@OldGuyHifi thanks so much; I did not know that about the J2 and J3.
Would you say the Chord is a clear step above the j2 with sparkos as it is like twice the price….
@@WigandKleine The Qutest is a bit more refined and a bit more inner detail. That's to be expected given its price. It also takes some pretty resolving gear to hear those differences. That said, I am not getting rid of my J2S anytime soon. Thx for tuning in.
@@OldGuyHifi thanks so much
best dac in a small form factor I've experienced.
I agree.
Great review Ed. Surprised to see you so “into” this dac. Heard good things about it. Denafrips is r2r but also has a fpga chip in it. Perhaps you can explain why they have one and for what use? I would assume for updates? Take care
Great question. The FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) chip in a Denafrips R2R DACs, is primarily used for signal processing and controlling the R2R ladder network. In Denafrips DACs, such as the popular Terminator or Ares models, the FPGA plays a critical role in:
Oversampling and Digital Filtering: The FPGA can handle digital filtering, which can include oversampling the incoming digital audio signal. This helps in refining the sound before sending it to the R2R resistor ladder for conversion.
Clock Management: It often works in conjunction with high-precision clocks, providing clock signal processing and jitter management, ensuring the timing of the digital-to-analog conversion process is as accurate as possible.
Controlling the R2R Ladder: The R2R ladder itself is a discrete resistor network that converts the digital signal to analog. The FPGA ensures precise control of the switching of these resistors, determining the exact timing and voltage levels for the conversion process.
Handling Different Formats: The FPGA can process various digital formats, including PCM and DSD. It ensures smooth handling of different bit depths and sample rates, improving compatibility with a wide range of audio sources.
By using an FPGA, Denafrips DACs achieve a more customized and flexible signal path compared to fixed-chip DAC designs, allowing them to deliver high-quality, accurate sound reproduction.
I hope that answers your query. Thanks.
I still use the previous model - the 2Qute. Only cost me £500 new. Never wanted to upgrade. Chord DACs are unique and very musical.
I really enjoyed my time with it. Thanks for watching.
Try it with the "ifi ipower elite" power supply, its 2-3 steps higher. I tried good linear popular power supplies but the SPS ifi beat them. Punchier, faster, better sound stage, more details and better bass. Enjoy!
I want to review the units as the manufacturer delivers them. I fear it would get confusing for non-goofball-audiophiles, like me if I spent time talking about upgrades like power supplies, etc. BTW I have several linear PS units and yes the Qutest sounds better on those. Thanks for sharing your experience.
To be fair, dynamic range of EVERY digital source component exceeds that of the rest of the system, so I’m not sure that’s what you’re hearing here.
I do believe most dacs sound different and Chord products are extremely well engineered, so I’m not surprised you loved it. Nice job.
Did you do a comparison to the Geshelli Dayzee?
Todd, I have a Dayzee and yes I did a listening comparison and will talk about in the Dayzee review. That is coming soon. Thanks my friend.
How does this compare to the Geshelli j2/j3? You mention that it was one of the best
@@aristotlep.4982 At well over twice nearly three times the price, as expected the Chord is better sounding DAC. The question is, is it 2x or 3x better. That is subjective. I own a J2S and love its sound. It gets me close enough to the sound of more expensive products to satisfy my listening enjoyment. There is no best and no point in trying to compare units with such a large price discrepancy. As you move up in price the delta of improvement narrows. Buy what you think is best. Thank you.
Yes, very much looking forward to hearing how the J3 and Dayzee stack up to other premium DACs you’ve evaluated.
Sounds even better with a good power supply regardless of what Mr Watts say. He only says it to avoid warranty claims. Even the Dave owners upgrade their power supplies with great results.
Great info. I did like it very much.
Another great review Ed. Curious how the Dayzee and J3 rank versus the Chord and BiFrost
Soon. The review for the Dyazee is coming soon. The J3 & J2S are sonically identical and I own a J2S. Thanks.
Thank you for your great review and perspectives, Sir. However at this price I will probably give it a pass as my compromised hearing probably won't hear the difference to my other DACs that are working well for me. I will keep it on my list, but plod along with what I have for now. Take care, my friend.
I totally get. After awhile I start to wonder if they are all the same! Lol. Thank you my friend.
Have you had an ifi NEO iDSD DAC? I have one I can feed direct into the Galion A75. Compared it to the Qutest DAC and NC200 Pre, I am suprised how well it does for its low cost. I am curious about the iDSD 2if it gain is worth the price difference.
I don't know. I know the iFi unit is a Delta-Sigma chip based unit. I find Burr Brown chips to be musical. I would like to try one out.
I understand that the Quest doesn’t come with a very good power supply but is benefits from a good linear power supply. Can I ask you which power supply you paired with this DAC.
I hope you will get the opportunity to listen to and review Toppings own version of a FPGA DAC, A90 discrete. How it stack up against the Dayzee and the Mojo 2?
I always do my reviews with the stock set up. I want viewers to know how it sounds right or of the box. Thx.
doesn't rme adi 2/4 also use an fpga?
It might. Many mfrs. use FPGAs. Thanks for tuning in.
Loved my Chord Qutest from an ifi zen streamer over usb, but the Holo Cayn 2 from a Holo Red over i2s is better here in many fields...
The Cyan 2 is the best sub-2k DAC no contest, better than the Qutest and anything else out there. It's just progress I guess, as the Qutest is 6+ years old now. 'Still a great sounding DAC though.
This is the baby of the range..When you get to the Dave and MScaler you're in almost elite.. Nice video think I'll sub. I use dCS which is in the god tier but has had bad publicity recently and it's their fault..Not happy about this company now..
Agreed, They handled the whole golden sound thing very poorly. Nice gear though. Thank you for subscribing.
Aquarium screen-where to get it????
It is a screen saver built into my Roku TV. I like it too.
Boy I wish I had an unlimited supply of money! Another excellent video!
Thank you my friend. I hope you still having fun with that little amp.
Ya my tempotec dongle has 8 different firmware iterations, just flash the fpga and it's all different, but I don't understand how it can operate alone, what's the soc? What USB chip? Etc.. This thing (tempotec dac) is 200 dollars.. I don't know how anything could sound better, where is there to go? Soundstage is like a big helmet a meter across.
I am not familiar with that brand, but I will check it out. Thx.
@@OldGuyHifi tempotec sonata bhd pro, try the different firmware iterations, some are whatever, some are amazing
Good dac but you should use the white or green filters as thats where the magic happens, i run mine off the spdif in, according to mr watts that gives the cleanest signal with less noise and have the output voltage stage set to 3v direct to a premamp rca input in passive mode ( no gain from preamp stage) thus delivers all the fine details with the highest signal to noise ratio and no attenuation to the signal so that my power amp can deliver the best signal to the speakers. If your music source is a good recording then it's heaven, but on bad recordings it doesn't hold prisoners, it will show you those imperfections. The power supply is trash and it wont show you what this dac is truly capable of. Not sure why chord did this maybe to save some cash and increase profits. The dac is a few 100 dollars less in the Uk so greater value. The price is the top ceiling im prepared to pay for a dac (deminishing returns is a thing with dacs) otherwise the tt2 would of been my purchase but thats out of my budget comfort zone and the mscaler too expensive and forget the Dave as thats the nuts but only for people with deep pockets, these dacs also hold their value too so if you sell it down the line you wont loose too much. So all in all the qutest is a value proposition with great engineering and warranty status which is important when investing in expensive equipment, nobody wants a door stop when you have to deal with far east returns from other products that seem cheaper or of greater value. I have also used the audiolab 6000a in pre amp mode with this dac into another power amp and that also performs great for the money but i knew a dedicated preamp is what i needed and that took it up a notch in my experience. Its important to have the best chain you can afford in order for this dac to shine. Keep up the good work we need more honest people in the hi-fi youtube world. I forgot to add that the qutest is getting on in years and new tech progressives fast so there might be better products out now or comparative for lower prices but whats good is good and this dac is good 😊
I used the filters I thought sounded best me. I kept it at 2 volts to better signal match other devices. Thank you so much for your comment.
@@OldGuyHifi I guess it depends what your ears like and your system synergy, I too at times play with the filters, but find it hard to determine the difference at times very subtle. I mostly just use one source now which is streaming for my music so no need to system match with other devices and 3v out can be too hot for other amps, 2v out is usually the normal standard
Carlos, Yeah some of these filter settings escape my ears. I have a review of the SMSL SU-X coming out and it has far too many settings. None of which really add to the experience. Thanks again for watching.
I just bought the Cambridge axn10 under your recommendation for transport duties only, I hope it's a step up from the audiolab 6000n with playfi, let's see if the streaming module and or internals really adds to the sound quality, blue sound was an option too but reading and listening to your reviews, your preference was stream magic. Got the Cambridge for a song open box discount 😁 ,so won't be a great loss if its any worse than the audiolab of which the software was starting to grate on me a little having to close the app on numerous occasions to restart the stream
@@carlitosgomez71 I believe you will find the Stream Magic software to be stable and easy to use. Let me know how it goes. Thx.
Are Chord quietly upgrading the Qutest over the last 5 years or so? They haven't brought out a '2' version
So now I’m really torn! This DAC or Gishelli Dayzee or Gishelli J3 or Schiit Bifrost??!!
I have a Dayzee in for review. Patience my friend. Soon.
yes
Qutest or Dayzee or maybe something on the near horizon from Schiit? 🤔
Steve, It has been awhile since I have heard from. Glad you are back. Qutest, I have a Dayzee, I have a Laiv Harmony and a couple of surprise performers from non-traditional sources. Watch this space. The Qutest did set a benchmark.
@@OldGuyHifi Yeah… I’ve been watching, just nothing important to add. Since the world of hi-fi is so vast and so many things sound great, it has been useful for me to put some constraints on my system; one I’ve chosen is to try to keep my purchases in the states, at least to a first approximation.
@@SteveWille You know I always welcome your input. Self control is a difficult thing for me. Glad your back.
I’ve been sniffing around these Chord products for a long time. Somehow, I lose track of them. I probably would have done better with this than my Ladder Schumann. It’s very good, but this may be a bit better.
Steve, I did think the Chord was much better than the Pontus. I also think the Dayzee and my Bifrost are better than the Pontus. I have a Laiv Harmony in right now and the Dayzee is still here. We will see my friend.
@@OldGuyHifi Well Ed, you have the most groovy players of the moment! I can’t wait to hear.
@@stevezeidman7224 I just picked up a HiFi Rose RS130 unit today.
Hi Ed, those crazy Brits are at it again! Seriously, I'm a retired analog design engineer & I spent the 90s becoming the lab expert on A/D (ADC) & D/A (DAC) conversion & I'm self-schooled in DSP. dCS perfected the Ring DAC, Woolfson advanced microelectronics & now Chord. I did an online search but could find no reference to Chord's D/A technology, only digital upscaling (a known science), what is their D/A technology?
P.S. it's Qutest not Cutest, perhaps your cute mis-spelling was intentional?
I fixed the spelling. They use an FPGA with their own secret sauce. It is very good.
Here is what I was able to find: They use a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) Technology: Unlike many DACs that use off-the-shelf DAC chips, Chord designs its own digital-to-analog conversion process through FPGA chips. The Qutest uses this custom-designed FPGA to control the upsampling, filtering, and digital-to-analog conversion. This approach gives Chord more flexibility and precision over the entire digital processing chain compared to conventional DAC chips.
Rob Watts’ WTA (Watts Transient Aligned) Filter: Chord’s DACs, including the Qutest, use a highly sophisticated digital filter designed by Rob Watts, a key designer at Chord. The WTA filter is designed to correct timing inaccuracies (transient timing errors) in digital signals, which can affect the realism and detail of music playback. The filter uses an extremely high tap length (compared to traditional DACs), which allows for much greater precision in reconstructing the original signal.
Together, these technologies allow the Chord Qutest DAC to provide extremely accurate sound reproduction, with a focus on detail, timing, and clarity.
I haven't spent any real time with dCS but hope to soon. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Thanks. While a small number analog arrays exist, FPGAs are used for digital processing, in this case, a filter. So we still don't know Chord's D/A technology UNLESS it's a pulse width modulation (PWM) recreation of the analog signal using FPGAs.
PWM is used in Class D amplifiers (analog to PWM conversion) & direct conversion (digital to PWM conversion). Hybrid circuits & integrated circuits exist for Class D & digital integrated circuits for direct conversion. Both technologies were created in the west & are being successfully exploited, at low cost, by Chinese Hi-Fi equipment manufacturers.
Hopefully someone who has followed Chord's technology will give a definitive answer?
@@trevorbartram5473I don't have that answer. Sorry.
@@trevorbartram5473the Chord dacs use what is called a pulse array for the actual analogue conversation.
This design was invented by Rob Watts and he has done many seminars discussing his dacs, design ethos and technologies.
Search his name in youtube and be prepared for the rabbit hole you'll be jumping into 😄
If you have to question it, your BiFrost is that good and not worth justifying the upgrade... 🤔
Lust my friend. Lust.
Qutest - with a ‘Q.’
You are correct. I am not good at proofing it seems. Thx.
I fixed it. Thx.
Are-gurr-rich
Yes. Thank you.
Cool, Have you compared something played thru this and the vinyl? To me, The DAC is probably great but if playing sourced PCM it’s already “decimated” before it gets to you. Maybe consider doing some DSD comparisons. DSD is just well better. If this DAC can make PCM sound like DSD or the vinyl I am in. However, this review though interesting is not very revealing because there is no meat to the review. We are in need of DACs that can reproduce an analog source without conspicuity. The best way to do a comparison I would think would be play a vinyl….pure analog. Then record the vinyl with PCM or DSD. Then playback thru this dac and compare the vinyl. A lot of DAC reviews are just about playing straight digital sources….but well…nothing has been compared and you don’t know what you are missing. My guess is that piece you played would sound better if recorded from the analog era. Most modern represses are just PCM decimated messes.
I use DSD but since it is a moribund format I don't bother mentioning it. I love vinyl but, so many of today's audiophiles are moving to digital that's what I will focus on unless I ma doing a turntable or phono pre-amp review. Both of which are forthcoming. Good vinyl playback is far more expensive difficult than good digital. Thank you so much for your view and excellent comment.
@@OldGuyHifi hmm. Moribund? Don’t think so. Most DACs are more and more supporting it. So called audiophiles going to digital which means streaming. Most true audiophiles are vinyl or DSD based, though CDs appear to be coming back into fashion. I am sure this is a fine sounding DAC. But us old guys need to teach these youngsters what they are missing. Vinyl/analog playback does sound better and PCM largely is causing music in general to be moribund. In fact music died years and years ago. It is now obliterated by crap PCM. Nothing sounds real anymore and we put lipstick on these pigs with a DAC that has “filters”. You talked about single line theory. DSD is mostly single line. It takes the source and saves it as it came in…not monkeyed with. Sure it has high frequency noise but that is handled by simple analog low pass filter. I am kinda frustrated how many DAC reviews are out there but nobody is talking about whether it actually retains the realness. The only way to do that is to compare to the source. Streaming is just “good enough digital” for the normal masses who don’t know what a violin actually sounds like in person. Sure there are some great digital recordings…but in general it all is a mirage of the real. I am trying to find a DAC that can actually compete with the analog playback. Been searching about 30 years. It is close….but still not there. Btw, I grew up near Holm audio. Man I loved that place.
@@revelry1969 Thank you for your comment.
Shame no balanced outputs or there´s maybe a reason?
IMHO balanced really only makes sense for long cable runs or in an area of high RF interference. Other than the voltage difference, on short (under 1M) I am not sure I really can hear an improvement. It also adds cost and complexity which isn't always better. Just a thought. Thanks for the great comment.
@@OldGuyHifi ok, I thought it had maybe something to do with the design of this dac. I prefer balanced because my power amp has a balanced circuit design.
Maybe time for an new version with added XLR 😊
@@justasimplefox Your amp is still balanced even on single ended.
$1895 ??
They are all over the web at authorized dealers from $1295 to $1595. Thanks.
it's digital
It is? I thought it was magic! Sally Fields is very pretty.
Never heard the Qutest, but to be frank I'd never buy one. Why? Because it appears the power supply is via wall wart connected to it by what looks like flimsy micro usb plug. And then there are those eccentric control buttons.
I'd be more tempted if there was something identical in performance but with an internal power supply fed by an IEC plug, a display, straightforward controls and a remote. Not too much to ask, I'd conjecture. Certainly you get this (and a streamer too if you need one) for not too much more with my Gustard R26, which -- who knows -- may be in the same ball park soundwise.
Not a criticism of your review as regards sound quality, of course, which I'm prepared to accept.
I leave the decisions on device design and execution to the firms engineering folks. The Chord unit is not built to a price point so the power supply was deemed sufficient. It sounded great regardless. Good comment. Thanks.
Fair enough. Like I say, you may well be right about its sound quality. It's just that Chord DACs in general put me off in terms of usability and I do worry especially about the power feed. To appeal more, Chord would have to have a different design approach. Looking forward to the Holo Cyan review, which too is a bit eccentric, but IMHO not excessively so. 😌
John, I am hoping to get my hands one. I do have the Laiv Harmony in now for review so look out for that if you are interested. Thanks again for tuning in.
Better than Schitt?
Could be!
too rich for me
I get it for sure.
Price isn't so cute. $1600 yikes!
I spelled it wrong. It is not so Qute! Lol. I think it is kind of a bargain given its performance. Yeah, I know it is not cheap. Thanks.
I'm a little confused here. You say the you've never heard a 9 or a 10? So, are you also saying that you've only listened to DACs in the Qutest's price range, and the Cutest is the best only compared to other DACs in it's price range, or are you saying that the Qutest is the best DAC you've ever heard even compared to the more expensive DACs you've heard? And, if you think the Cutest is better then more expensive DACs you've heard, than how much more expensive were the DACs you heard that you compared the Qutest to that you thought were inferior to the Qutest?
Ken, Fair question. I have heard some very expensive DACs, i. e., the Mola Mola Tambaqui, the T+A MP1000E, Denafrips Pontus II and I have a Laiv Harmony in for review right now. When I referred to not hearing a 9 or 10, I was referring to any and all DACs I have ever heard. I say that as I believe nothing is perfect or close to perfect. If live music is the benchmark then there is no way any reproduction can equal it. Sometimes I wonder if I would know it if and when I heard that "10." A perfect 10 for me is my favorite seat #102 Row A in the Fadim lower balcony at the Chicago Symphony's Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center. That said the Chord Qutest is a remarkable unit and I place it very high on the list. Longwinded answer sorry.
It is Qutest not Cutest :)
I fixed it. Thx
Neutral for me are boring. Most music are not neutral.
I get it. We all have our own sound. Thanks so much for watching and commenting.
BS? British Standard?
Bean Salad.
@@OldGuyHifi oh!!! The musical fruit. The more you eat, the more you…
In 2024 with so many completely transparent DACs, at a fraction of the price, this is a terrible value. It’s actually difficult for me to understand this product. Also looks like a fisher price toy.
A Fisher-Price toy made out of billet aluminum. It is far better then most DACs costing upwards of $2K. The good news is you don't have to buy one.
Buy you chi fi junk and believe you can get world class sound for less than a pair of sneakers
@@misterzero8667 Please refrain from disparaging a product based on its country of origin. If it bothers you don't buy one. You may want to consider how many products you own that were made in Asia and you bought because they were inexpensive. You are welcome to express your opinion but in a polite and respectful way. Thank you.
Two grand for that? I don't care what it sounds like I wouldn't pay more than 500 bucks, if that. No interface, just some colored lights?? Garbage.
I bet you worked real hard to come up with such an incisive comment. I hope you didn't hurt your brain. I bet you have never even seen one for yourself. In an effort to eschew obfuscation I will come out directly say your comment is unwelcome and immature. Please comment back as it helps the algorithm.
@@OldGuyHifi Nope. It's just way overpriced for what it is.
Thx for helping the algorithm.
@@OldGuyHifi Not a problem. There is nothing wrong with your review. Glad to help. The problem is in 2 years or less I bet there will be a knockoff of this that will sound 98% as good for a quarter of the price. I mean I could buy an Onkyo RZ50 with a DAC built in for the price of this piece of machined aluminum with some colored lights on it. It's nonsense.
@@boneseyyl1060 That can be said for any product that sells well or has a following.