• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Review and Measurements of CHORD Qutest DAC

Puska

Active Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2019
Messages
134
Likes
41
If you listen with hi end gear you can hear a difference. Of course there is a reason why you back the d90!
 

Puska

Active Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2019
Messages
134
Likes
41

majingotan

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 13, 2018
Messages
1,511
Likes
1,781
Location
Laguna, Philippines
Emphasis on high frequency, the instruments sounds smaller, piano is not piano etc.

Umm yeah maybe your interconnect cables aren't up to D90's required specs and you ought to get some Mogami Gold ones that I have to accommodate its full dynamic rage :Do_O
 

Puska

Active Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2019
Messages
134
Likes
41
Umm yeah maybe your interconnect cables aren't up to D90's required specs and you ought to get some Mogami Gold ones that I have to accommodate its full dynamic rage :Do_O
Good joke! Keep it for yourself. Buy 8000 usd speakers and start listening!
 

Angsty

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 11, 2020
Messages
1,862
Likes
2,215
Location
North Carolina, U.S.
This thread is about the Qutest and let’s use that as a reference for discussion. The D90 is a fraction of the price of the Qutest, but has many more features. The Modius competes with the Qutest at an even smaller fraction of the price.

It’s totally fine to prefer the Modius to the D90 and the Qutest. I think @JohnYang1997 is incensed that the D90 is being defamed without the benefit of a level matched comparison, given the measurements.

I’ll probably never do a three-way, level-matched DAC test - I don’t want to carry that much inventory to make the choice. So, that’s why I do rely on measurements to weed out outliers.

So, using observed sound quality in your system to make your decision is your choice. Objectivists will always say that decision can be biased.

In the end, we all want to be happy with our choices. The path that we take to that happiness will be different. I’m glad you’re happy with your Modius.
 

JohnYang1997

Master Contributor
Technical Expert
Audio Company
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Messages
7,175
Likes
18,292
Location
China
This thread is about the Qutest and let’s use that as a reference for discussion. The D90 is a fraction of the price of the Qutest, but has many more features. The Modius competes with the Qutest at an even smaller fraction of the price.

It’s totally fine to prefer the Modius to the D90 and the Qutest. I think @JohnYang1997 is incensed that the D90 is being defamed without the benefit of a level matched comparison, given the measurements.

I’ll probably never do a three-way, level-matched DAC test - I don’t want to carry that much inventory to make the choice. So, that’s why I do rely on measurements to weed out outliers.

So, using observed sound quality in your system to make your decision is your choice. Objectivists will always say that decision can be biased.

In the end, we all want to be happy with our choices. The path that we take to that happiness will be different. I’m glad you’re happy with your Modius.
I'm fine if people say modius is "better" or simply sound the same. But wtf dac only mode makes zero difference period at 0db when playing pcm. It's like saying 0.2 is not the equal in value as 20%.
 

BDWoody

Chief Cat Herder
Moderator
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 9, 2019
Messages
6,948
Likes
22,625
Location
Mid-Atlantic, USA. (Maryland)
If you listen with hi end gear you can hear a difference. Of course there is a reason why you back the d90!

Uh huh...
 

Frank Dernie

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 24, 2016
Messages
6,445
Likes
15,780
Location
Oxfordshire
If you listen with hi end gear you can hear a difference. Of course there is a reason why you back the d90!
I listen on a high end system.
If I compare DACs level matched and not knowing which ones I am listening to all the imagined differences due to price, marketing BS and looks disappear. I have compared DACs over a range from £1100 to £14,000 this way, but no cheap ones. I was surprised but found all the differences I was sure would be there were imagined.
I expect that is the case with you too...
 

Angsty

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 11, 2020
Messages
1,862
Likes
2,215
Location
North Carolina, U.S.
I'm fine if people say modius is "better" or simply sound the same. But wtf dac only mode makes zero difference period at 0db when playing pcm. It's like saying 0.2 is not the equal in value as 20%.

I get your point at 0db. But when the D90 is used for output volume control, is it also your contention that it outperforms a dedicated preamp for this function? That appears to be @Puska ‘s point.
 

bigLP

Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 8, 2020
Messages
71
Likes
72
Location
Rochester, NY
Within the last year I used a 2qute, a generation before qutest. Which measures worse. I used it on coax out of Naim unitiqute2 and BS node 2i.
Subjectively using my phone app to roughly level match. I thought I could tell a difference on both streamers with and without 2qute. Didnt compare between streamers. Maybe made sound richer by a small margin. I did really dig the form factor and cool lights on the chord and I'm sure that sells a lot of units for them. When I bought it f ou r my uniti 5 years ago I was certain it brought it to a new level. Until I actually tried to hear the difference. Dont be fooled by jewel like case work and pretty lights.....
 

Veri

Master Contributor
Joined
Feb 6, 2018
Messages
9,596
Likes
12,036
I did really dig the form factor and cool lights on the chord and I'm sure that sells a lot of units for them.
Yeah some like the globes/crystal balls. Some think it's weird as hell though :p
 

Naumm

Member
Joined
May 3, 2020
Messages
9
Likes
0
Has anyone used Qutest with a power supply of 1A. I intend to buy Allo shanti to power usbridge signature with 3A, and Qutest with 1A. I see that the Qutest is declared on 2 ampers. I can try it so if it works great, but I'm wondering if the device can be damaged by a smaller amperage than the declared one?
 

VintageFlanker

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Sep 20, 2018
Messages
4,940
Likes
19,692
Location
Paris
, but I'm wondering if the device can be damaged by a smaller amperage than the declared one?
I don't understand why everybody is still obsessed by changing the Qutest PSU?!:facepalm: 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.
 
Top Bottom