Chord Electronics (they make DACs and other gear) and Chord Company (they make cables) are different companies. Both in the UK. Both with similar names. Both different companies founded by different people.
I have a D90 I've been enjoying it.... Resolves detail like crazy.... just pulls things out of the music that are there but makes em more pronounced and detailed... Soundstage is plenty wide.... yeah maybe a little forward sounding that deep but still has good depth depends on the recording... but it doesn't bother me..... I have my filter setting at 2, and the highs seem a little rolled off than 3.... but its slight I think.... Still very detailed....
Then I would suggest you manually go through the output settings on JRiver as by default they convert DSD down to PCM. I had to manually set mine to the correct output.
I did that, too. It's the way I've always setup JRiver with any DAC I've owned. (This isn't my first DAC/DSD rodeo!) This morning it rebooted on its own 3 or 4 times and caused a loud pop in my system, so I'm sending it back.
I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm not its first owner. The power cable was not sealed in a bag like the outlet adapters are, and the wire tie was loose in the box. I'd hate to think the dealer re-sold a defective unit. (I don't want to name them.)
I found the cause of the Qutest turning off/on by itself (long story), fixed it, and all is well...as long as I use my MacBook Pro.
Hi. Just wanted to make a QUICK REPORT based on my experience. My amps: PrimaLuna Dialogue HP Power Amplifier and NAD M22 V2. My speakers: ATC SCM7 V3 - Wharfedale Denton 80th - Wharfedale Linton 85th - B&W 706 S2. My DACS: The DAC from the Node 2i, the DAC from my NAD M10, the Chord MOJO and the Chord Qutest. My streamers: Node 2i and NAD M10. Like most here, I always tend to go to the greener grass and while I enjoy very much my listening hobby, I'm always looking for ways to improve it. As you can see from my list of equipment, I've tried several combinations and everytime I've change a component I have noticed the impact on the sound quality. A conceivable difference is heard with my ATC vs my Wharfedales or my tube amp vs my digital amp, BUT, and here is what I want to report: It may sound cliché, but I SWEAR I've never seen a bigger improvement for good in my system than when I installed the CHORD QUTEST. By far, really by far, the single best component I've had, and it changed my whole audio knowledge to the point that now, the quality of the DAC one is using would be ON PAR with the speakers whenever someone asked me for advice. I never thought that even the simplest recordings (e.g. one hit wonder recordings from the 80s) could have such amount of information. Another cliché: I am now really hearing the heart and soul of my favorite songs. My happiness is overwhelming! The QUTEST does wonders with everything but so far, the best combination in my case amongst all my equipment has been: NODE 2i as streamer + NAD M22 V2 as amplifier + CHORD QUTEST as DAC and ATC SCM7 V3 for speakers. Best regards,
Yes. The Qutest is really quite a good performer. Are you using the stock power adapter supplied? If yes, you should continue to listen to it for a while, then put in some money for a linear power supply (decent is good enough, don't go overboard). You will further release it's potential. Enjoy!
Hi, yes, I've been using the stock power adapter but have read that some owners have made the upgrade to a better power supply. Which power supply are you using? It's not that I am doing it right away, I'm still discovering my Qutest, but I've planning to add the Chord M-Scaler... Thank you, BR,
I'm using a Keces P8 LPS. It's not cheap, but it has dual outputs that powers my NUC and router. It also comes with a 5v USB port that is powering the Qutest. I've tried a few LPS from aliexpress before getting the Keces and it performs ok. Much better than the stock power adapter. Wow. M-Scaler? I've thought if it before, but I personally would rather try some other DAC with that kind of money (like a Holo Audio May). Just me anyways.
If your DAC has a well implemented USB port, a great inexpensive streamer is a Raspberry Pi with RoPieee or RoPieeeXL. For just over $100 you have a very good streamer. RoPieee supports Roon. RoPieeeXL adds UPnP/DLNA, Shairport-Sync, Librespot, Squeezelite, HQPlayer NAA and Bluetooth support RoPieeeXL. If your DAC does not have a good USB implementation, you can get a Pi2 Design Pi2AES hat. So for about $400 you can have a PI streamer with AES balanced, AES BNC, buffered I2S, differential I2S, SPDIF coax, SPDIF optical and of course USB. The normal Raspberry PI with an aluminum case CanaKit looks quite nice and is super small and easy to hide. The Pi2Design is a bit of a clunky looking box but still quite small and easy to hide Pi2AES. Either way your laptop or computer is free and a smaller quieter device can feed your DAC.
I've used the iFi iPower X in the past and currently using the iFi iPower Elite PS with my Qutest and both of them are much better than the stock SMPS. The iPower X is quite good for the $109 price tag: iPower X by iFi audio | New Ultra-Low Noise AC/DC Power Supply with International Travel Adapters I don't have experience with Linear Power Supply's, some of them can cost almost as much as the Qutest but people swear by them so it probably works well too.
I read at some blog that the earlier iFi wall unit had very low ripple. Am keen to know what sort of difference did the iPower X and iFi iPower Elite PS made to the Qutest. Thanks!
To be honest the difference between X and Elite is not huge but still quite noticeable. I just bought the Elite because I knew that I could use the X on a Topping DAC which I have on another system so that it wouldn't go to waste. The Elite is an upgrade but I don't think the $200 price difference from the X is justified.
Like all things in this crazy hobby, sky's the limit. There are many prices/grades of linear power supplies. Importantly is to be logical (hard sometimes LOL, I know). Example, you shouldn't buy $5k cables for a $1k speaker. LOL
I’m running Dynaudio Emit 20s through a Rega Elix-R and am tempted to add a DAC to my system to play Apple Music Lossless and Hi-Res (exclusively), via an iPad Pro. Reviews have led me to the Chord Qutest, but having read the comments here, I’m wondering if it might be overkill for my system and given my preferred source (Apple Music). I was wondering if anyone had had chance to play with the Qutest and Apple Music yet? I also wondered what solutions people were using for a USB-C adapter?
I guess I'm new to this party, but I have to add that IMO Chord DAC products are pretty ridiculous. The idea that you have to go searching for a power supply after buying a $1700 DAC with cheap parts inside makes me wonder. And it can be improved with a $99 PS? Then you could buy their $11,000 DAC and discover that you have to buy a $5000 accessory to hear it at its best? That sounds like a TV comedy about the 1%. Beautiful casework though. For SQ you can do much better. Don't misunderstand. I'm all for spending good money for good SQ and good value. I am well beyond the $1000 DAC myself. But really!
MSB Discrete DAC can be improved with their better PSU. Costs a bomb. Naim amplification is the same. As a manufacturer they may take the SMPS as it makes more sense when you send it to various countries with different voltage use.
I believe you said in another thread you had not heard the Chord products. If that is the case I guess I don't understand why you continually seek out threads to comment on their sound quality.
Yes, Chord Electronics gear is expensive. And costs more than lots of other gear based on parts cost and what's in the DAC. You're paying for the name and the intellectual property and the weird design. The people buying Chord gear know that. And are willing to pay the premium. Chord isn't a line of gear that you buy purely on best value and best bang for the buck. The people buying the DACs and other Chord gear know that. Yet they buy and a lot of people own it. Obviously Chord gear isn't for you.
