Review and Measurements of CHORD Qutest DAC

[Varaderoxl1000v]

I don't understand why everybody is still obsessed by changing the Qutest PSU?! What are you trying to improve, exactly? The Qutest is already textbook transparent.
Rob Watts said countless times on HeadFi to do NOT "upgrade" the Qutest PSU. According to the designer himself: it will bring absolutely no improvement (not audible nor measurable), will avoid your warranty and yes, may eventually damage your unit.

.. please forgive me, but I can not agree with you. I know the views of Mr. Rob. But the reality is different.
If you have a Chord Dac I would ask you to try one of the following Lpsu:

a. https://faradpowersupplies.com/shop/en/

b.https://www.plixirpower.com/products/plixir-elite-bdc-2a-4a-6a

c.https://www.mcru.co.uk/product/linear-power-supply-for-chord-hugo-tt2-dac/

Please do it again. I'm sure you will change your mind !!

 

[Frank Dernie]

.. please forgive me, but I can not agree with you. I know the views of Mr. Rob. But the reality is different.
If you have a Chord Dac I would ask you to try one of the following Lpsu:

a. https://faradpowersupplies.com/shop/en/

b.https://www.plixirpower.com/products/plixir-elite-bdc-2a-4a-6a

c.https://www.mcru.co.uk/product/linear-power-supply-for-chord-hugo-tt2-dac/

Please do it again. I'm sure you will change your mind !!

If it pleases you to waste money in this way why are you asking questions of experts here?

 

[Angsty]

It’s never really a good idea to swap the OEM power supply with one of lower rated current. The specified current rating is needed to deliver the performance that the manufacturer has stated. You are much more likely to harm the performance or the unit itself than to improve it.

 

[Naumm]

I see where the discussion will continue. But please give me an answer to the question. So, can it harm the device if it is powered by a lower power (1A instead declared 2A)?
Thank you

 

[Naumm]

@Angsty Thank you!
And what if I use higher power (4A instead of 2A)? (can buy Farad super 3 with 4A)

 

[Varaderoxl1000v]

If it pleases you to waste money in this way why are you asking questions of experts here?

..I do not like to waste money for no reason. For sure. And they are certainly not experts.

I own a Chord Hugo tt2 dac and I heard with this dac 2 from the 3 Lpsu and I convey my opinion here. I do not have the right to do so?

I do not understand your answer ..

 

[Frank Dernie]

..I do not like to waste money for no reason. For sure. And they are certainly not experts.

I own a Chord Hugo tt2 dac and I heard with this dac 2 from the 3 Lpsu and I convey my opinion here. I do not have the right to do so?

I do not understand your answer ..

There are Several experts here.
There is no mechanism by which a different power supply could improve the sound over the standard one so I f you believe you hear a difference by changing power supply to another with adequate performance you are imagining the difference - placebo effect.
So buying one is wasting money because you are ignoring expert advice, including the designer’s, not that hard to understand.

Using a lower rated power supply may cause the power supply to overheat and may cause the DAC to malfunction, though.
Using the supplied power source is a no-brainier.

 

[blueninjasix]

Out of curiousity, I used the 1a rail of the Shanti exactly as you described, and the 3a rail to power my USBridge Signature. Both worked perfectly.

 

[Veri]

..I do not like to waste money for no reason. For sure. And they are certainly not experts.
I own a Chord Hugo tt2 dac and I heard with this dac 2 from the 3 Lpsu and I convey my opinion here. I do not have the right to do so?

It's in your right to publish your opinion but considering this is a science forum, many will refute/challenge your opinion and not accept it as a fact. In fact, every single power supply test on this forum has not shown any audible difference.. how would you explain to hear differences that can not be reproduced in a scientific way besides "hearing" it? E.g.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...o-you-need-linear-power-supply-for-dacs.7021/
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-measurements-of-the-hdplex-200w-supply.7713/

If there is no (proven) audible difference in any test whatsoever, one could consider the whole LPS folly a waste of money. As other members have indicated. Many other products come with internal or external switching supplies that are filtered/cleaned up inside the device they feed, and which show zero power issues, what would a $750 exotic power supply bring to the table, exactly? And if you were to accept it changes the sound, how bad would that DAC be made that feeding it cleaner power would cause such drastic differences?...

 

[VintageFlanker]

.. please forgive me, but I can not agree with you. I know the views of Mr. Rob. But the reality is different.

I don't need, nor care about your agreement. Please explain to Rob Watts your vision of "different reality", I'm sure Chord Electronics would hire you or something.

And they are certainly not experts.

Most probably: a "touch" more than you are (to be polite). And Rob Watts certainly is.

 

[Varaderoxl1000v]

There are Several experts here.
There is no mechanism by which a different power supply could improve the sound over the standard one so I f you believe you hear a difference by changing power supply to another with adequate performance you are imagining the difference - placebo effect.
So buying one is wasting money because you are ignoring expert advice, including the designer’s, not that hard to understand.

Using a lower rated power supply may cause the power supply to overheat and may cause the DAC to malfunction, though.
Using the supplied power source is a no-brainier.

Do you think that a switching power supply, like the Chord input, is better than a linear power supply?

Do you think that Lpsu is not superior to an Spsu for a number of reasons?
I think you are wrong here.

No, it is not a placebo, and here you are wrong.

..I do not think that anyone wastes money when choosing to power their device with a very good design of an Lpsu. Just look at how it works. Everyone knows the noise levels of switching power supplies compared to those of linear ones. Do you need any other proof?

Of course the selected Lpsu external power supply must meet exactly the specifications of the input power supply. Otherwise, the device will be damaged. I agree with you..

 

[pozz]

Do you think that a switching power supply, like the Chord input, is better than a linear power supply?

Do you think that Lpsu is not superior to an Spsu for a number of reasons?
I think you are wrong here.

No, it is not a placebo, and here you are wrong.

..I do not think that anyone wastes money when choosing to power their device with a very good design of an Lpsu. Just look at how it works. Everyone knows the noise levels of switching power supplies compared to those of linear ones. Do you need any other proof?

Of course the selected Lpsu external power supply must meet exactly the specifications of the input power supply. Otherwise, the device will be damaged. I agree with you..

(12 March 2019) Do You Need a Linear Power Supply for DACs?

 

[VintageFlanker]

Do you think that a switching power supply, like the Chord input, is better than a linear power supply?
Do you think that Lpsu is not superior to an Spsu for a number of reasons?
I think you are wrong here.
No, it is not a placebo, and here you are wrong.
..I do not think that anyone wastes money when choosing to power their device with a very good design of an Lpsu. Just look at how it works. Everyone knows the noise levels of switching power supplies compared to those of linear ones. Do you need any other proof?

You should really watch your words over there. You just cannot use the word proof on a science-based forum, without... nothing to back it up, actually. Nothing but "because I say so", "the reality is different", and "you are wrong".

 

[Veri]

No, it is not a placebo, and here you are wrong.
..I do not think that anyone wastes money when choosing to power their device with a very good design of an Lpsu. Just look at how it works. Everyone knows the noise levels of switching power supplies compared to those of linear ones. Do you need any other proof?

You are quite ignorant if you think devices will sound better because Lpsu are made different/in a more advanced way. We are trying to tell you that that isn't the case. An audiophile myth. A proper device will work fine with both noisier and cleaner power.

Saying "no guys you are wrong" means absolutely nothing as a counter-argument. We know how LPS are made and what they are, we are not convinced that they can audibly change any proper DAC like the qutest here. The qutest designer himself agrees with that very statement, do you know more about DACs than Rob Watts?

 

[Jimbob54]

[QUOTE="Veri, post: 469992, member: 909" you know more about DACs than Rob Watts?[/QUOTE]

Watts IS power

 

[Frank Dernie]

Do you think that a switching power supply, like the Chord input, is better than a linear power supply?

Do you think that Lpsu is not superior to an Spsu for a number of reasons?
I think you are wrong here.

No, it is not a placebo, and here you are wrong.

..I do not think that anyone wastes money when choosing to power their device with a very good design of an Lpsu. Just look at how it works. Everyone knows the noise levels of switching power supplies compared to those of linear ones. Do you need any other proof?

Of course the selected Lpsu external power supply must meet exactly the specifications of the input power supply. Otherwise, the device will be damaged. I agree with you..

A linear power supply is definitely not superior to a switching unit as long as they are both properly engineered. Why would it be? There is nothing other than ill educated internet speculation that it would or could be.
I looked into this after reading posters eulogising about the audible benefits of an expensive linear PS for my Metric Halo recorder over the supplied switcher. @Purité Audio loaned me one to try and with my daughter changing over, to avoid expectation bias or the placebo effect, there was no audible difference. This was about 10 years ago. Checking it out it was clear that technically there was no reason why there would be a difference, Just a bit of standard internet bollox, there is a lot of it in Hi-Fi.
A badly engineered PS of either type could introduce noise which a badly engineered DAC fails to reject I suppose. They would both have to be rubbish designs though.

 

[Jimbob54]

Power supplies are this season's different sounding DACs

 

[Varaderoxl1000v]

Thank you for

(12 March 2019) Do You Need a Linear Power Supply for DACs?

Thank you for your comment. It would be interesting if amir made a comparison of Chord's input power supply with a Chord tt2 dac, with one, or everything I mentioned in my first Post. It is certainly no coincidence that many serious manufacturers choose linear rather than intermittent power supply. And in fact two !! (https://us.auralic.com/products/aries-g2-1?variant=34539988615336. Please read the section referring to the dc power supply of the device.

Surely they know more than us and Amir ...

 

[Varaderoxl1000v]

I don't need, nor care about your agreement. Please explain to Rob Watts your vision of "different reality", I'm sure Chord Electronics would hire you or something.

Forgive me, but I expect more polite answers from you.

I understand that the Site is not suitable for different points of view, but I will continue to read it.

Thanks everyone for the chat!

 

[Frank Dernie]

Thank you for

Thank you for your comment. It would be interesting if amir made a comparison of Chord's input power supply with a Chord tt2 dac, with one, or everything I mentioned in my first Post. It is certainly no coincidence that many serious manufacturers choose linear rather than intermittent power supply. And in fact two !! (https://us.auralic.com/products/aries-g2-1?variant=34539988615336. Please read the section referring to the dc power supply of the device.

Surely they know more than us and Amir ...

The business is always looking at ways to make more money from non technically minded enthusiasts.
There are plenty of expensive accessories that do nothing being convincingly hawked and very profitable too