Chord Qutest DAC
Whether you use a Streamer, CD Player or Video source, the Chord Qutest will transform the sound quality to much higher level.
Normal DACs use off the shelf chips - Chord uses high powered FPGA porcessors
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Qutest is Chord’s ‘pure’ DAC (it does not contain headphone amplification or rechargeable batteries like some of its range stablemates) and is designed to improve sound quality in the home.
Qutest is based on award-winning proprietary FPGA technology developed for the class-leading Hugo 2 DAC/headphone amp, giving it proven class-leading technical and sonic performance. Perfectly equipped to bring the benefits their digital technology to a wide range of connected devices, it features a galvanically isolated USB-B, optical and coaxial digital input, giving an instant performance upgrade, plus the ability to modernise ageing digital source components.
The Qutest chassis is all-new, too. It has significantly greater mass than its predecessor and has been precision-machined from solid aircraft-grade aluminium billet. The Qutest PCB nestles within a shallow cavity in the solid aluminium chassis, giving the circuit board greater protection within the casework and additional isolation from external vibration compared to previous designs.
Qutest offers Hugo 2’s proprietary user-selectable frequency-shaping filters and input selection controls, available via two fascia-mounted spheres, introducing useful flexibility. It also features RCA analogue outputs for connection to integrated amplifiers, preamps and headphone amps, plus high-resolution dual-data digital inputs for connection to future Chord Electronics products.
A further new feature is a user-selectable output voltage available in 1, 2 and 3V RMS outputs for flexible connectivity with a wide range of partnering devices.
Reviews
"I could not believe what I was hearing, as the Chord Qutest was giving me a sound I never heard before"
"Yes, it was VERY detailed. As in, and I know this is cliche, “I HEARD things in songs that I know well, and have listened to nearly 100 times, that I never heard before”. It was like a revelation. This dac was digging out details, somehow, that even the top tier PS Audio missed. While it was doing this it was leaning WARM, RICH, BOLD, BIG and vocal reproduction was HAUNTING and beat out the PS Audio here. There was a realness and natural tone to the voice, wether that was male or female that I never heard before. While the left and right speakers were bringing forward the instruments, separating them with ease, the voices were dead center and oh so rich but not too big nor too laid back. They were perfect. By comparison the PS Audio vocals sound a tad flatter and more distant. The Chord was present and more real.
As I listened to Perfume Genius’s “Otherside” I was transported to another world and I enjoyed the small details that were not there with the other dacs. I feel the other dacs obscured these details a bit. The bass was amazingly rich and deep, and while this dac leans warm in my system, the details are crisp and separated like some sort of magic was used to create this type of sound. I said to myself. If this is the Chord sound, I am hooked for life”. Lovely. This is my new reference DAC for me, for my system, and for my room. HIGHLY recommended." read the review
What Hi-Fi? Awards 2024 winner. Another superb Chord DAC sets a benchmark
"Until a superior DAC from another brand comes along, the Qutest occupies the gap in the pecking order between the Chord Mojo 2 and Chord Hugo 2 as the DAC that lesser rivals look up to at this price mark." read the review in What HiFi
Chord is the most acclaimed DAC brand in the world
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Specifications
- Materials: Precision machined aluminium casing with polycarbonate buttons and glass viewing portal. Available only in Jett Black.
- Device power supply: 5v 2amp Micro USB
- Tap length filter: 49,152 – 10 element Pulse Array design
- Connectivity (input): USB Type B (White): 44.1kHz to 768kHz – 16bit to 32bit
- 2x BNC Coax (Red): 44.1kHz – 384kHz – 16bit to 32bit
- 1x Dual data mode input (using both BNC coax inputs together): 44.1kHz to 768kHz – 16bit to 32bit
- Optical (Green): 44.1kHz to 96kHz – 16bit to 24bit
- Connectivity (output): 1x stereo pair of RCA (Left and Right)
- PCM support: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 358.8kHz, 384kHz, 717.6kHz, and 768kHz.
- DSD support: Native playback supported. DSD64 (Single) to DSD512 (Octa-DSD)
- Variable output: Fixed, but selectable between 3v (blue), 2v (green), and 1v (red) via dual press of ‘Filter’ + ‘Input’ upon startup
- Driver support: Driverless with Mac OS X and Linux, driver required for Windows OS
- Chipset: Chord Electronics custom coded Xilinx Artix 7 (XC7A15T) FPGA
- Tap-length: 49,152
- Pulse array: 10 element pulse array design
- Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz +/- 0.2dB
- Output stage: Class A
- THD: <0.0001% 1kHz 3v RMS 300Ω
- THD and noise at 3v RMS: 117dB at 1kHz 300ohms ‘A’ weighted (reference 2.5v)
- Noise 2.6 uV ‘A’ weighted: No measurable noise floor modulation
- Channel separation: 138dB at 1kHz 300Ω
- Weight: 770g
- Dimensions: 4.5cm (H) 16cm (W) 8.8cm (D)
- Boxed Weight: 1500g
Includes:
1.5m 5v 2a Switching Micro USB Power Supply
2m Type A to Type B USB Cable
Silk drawstring bag
