Qutest voltage

[DavidEdwinAston]

Couple points please.
If I could change the voltage to 2 or 3 volts on startup, would that actually mean an increase in playback volume at any given setting?
Also, if anyone has managed to do this, any tips would be gratefully received. To save all of your time, I have studied the manual and had contact from Chord abut it. Could be that my unit is broken in that respect!

 

[voodooless]

What exactly is the problem? According to the ASR review, the voltage is about 2V.

Inputting a higher supply voltage will do nothing at best, and damage the unit at worst.

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

What exactly is the problem? According to the ASR review, the voltage is about 2V.

Inputting a higher supply voltage will do nothing at best, and damage the unit at worst.

Thanks voodooless. The product instructions say that for 20 seconds during startup, by following the step of initially pressing the two "knobs" on the top simultaneously. Voltage of 1, 2, or 3 can be selected. In typical Chord fashion they are three different colours. I think that red is 1 volt. My wish to try changing the voltage does directly come from this idea of more volume at same volume setting. Can you imagine why the variations are built in, if damage to equipment is the most likely result? At any rate, all my efforts to date produce red 1 volt.

 

[voodooless]

If it’s functionality of the device, it should be fine. It will indeed raise the volume of you manage to set the voltage to a higher setting.

Possibly owners of the device might guide you regarding the procedure.

 

[VintageFlanker]

What exactly is the problem? According to the ASR review, the voltage is about 2V.

Nope. Qutest does have a setting for output voltage: 1Vrms/2Vrms or 3Vrms.

My wish to try changing the voltage does directly come from this idea of more volume at same volume setting.

Sure.

Can you imagine why the variations are built in, if damage to equipment is the most likely result?

You will be hard pressed to damage any equipment with 3Vrms. Yet, possibly, some amp's inputs may clipp with 3V through RCA. You will hear that instantly anyway. If you don't, then it's all fine.

I would stick with the "standard" 2V and try 3V if you need more volume/sensitivity. 1V doesn't make sense IMHO.

would that actually mean an increase in playback volume at any given setting?

Yes.

 

[JSmith]

https://chordelectronics.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Qutest-User-manual-2.0-1.pdf

Their specs are @3V, I'd stick with 2V;

THD: <0.0001% 1kHz 3v RMS 300Ω

THD and noise at 3v RMS: 117dB at 1kHz 300ohms ‘A’ weighted (reference 2.5v)

Qutest

Designed for the desktop, our Qutest standalone DAC upgrades computer audio, CD transports, streamers and more up to 768kHz DSD512. Made in Great Britain.

chordelectronics.co.uk

JSmith

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

Okay guys, thank you all for your further input.

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

View attachment 211183

https://chordelectronics.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Qutest-User-manual-2.0-1.pdf

Their specs are @3V, I'd stick with 2V;

Qutest

Designed for the desktop, our Qutest standalone DAC upgrades computer audio, CD transports, streamers and more up to 768kHz DSD512. Made in Great Britain.

chordelectronics.co.uk

JSmith

I'm pretty sure I start on 1 volt, that is red. Studying the above instructions which I have, for some months, I can't work out if the second duplicate press should coincide with the correct voltage colour as it cycles past! And they go through at a fair lick! Anyway, next switch on, which is likely to be Friday, I will have another go!

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

This morning I have switched on, and may have selected a higher voltage than 1. Possibly the volume is higher for the same setting, not sure. I would have thought the machine would be telling me the selected voltage, somewhere on its surface, but it's got me beat!

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

If anyone should be interested, I think I must have selected a higher voltage at switch on this morning. Following BBC Radio 3 on "Sounds", I went for Qobuz new classical. This was decidedly louder!
At any rate, I've contacted Chord to see if some little Rob Watts light is gleaming somewhere on the device, denoting selected voltage! Will report back!

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

A quick post to note that Chord have not replied to my contact about voltage, correctly sent to them from their website. Perhaps that means there is no visible sign of the voltage selected on the Qutest. Wouldn't have harmed them to say as much, I would have thought!