gavreid
Pretty Words...
It wouldn't surprise me if the dac part wasn't very similar to the Qutest and you're paying for all the peripheral functionality.
Chord DAC differences
- Thread starter TheManWhoBuiltTheMoon
- Start date
It wouldn't surprise me if the dac part wasn't very similar to the Qutest and you're paying for all the peripheral functionality.
TheManWhoBuiltTheMoon
pfm Member
You could be right! I’ve had many DACs over the years. First time I plugged a Hugo in I was bowled over by the difference bit this is the third since I got the Node and I have to say while the differences are more noticeable with this latest one (TT) I am again struggling to justify the price and could quite happily live without it. I don’t want to change my speakers and my amp is going nowhere.
gavreid
Pretty Words...
That's a shame. I doubt it's the cable and if you're getting soundstage in spades that's what I would expect of a Chord dac too.
HiFiman
Don't tell him Pike
I'm in the same boat, pondering if moving up the Chord DAC chain is worth it as my Qutest/ Mscaler ticks all the boxes (for me) and sounds superb in my setup.
I thought the Chord DACs have the FGPA architecture as opposed to the DAC chip in the Node and countless other DACs - or am I missing the point here?
Seems to me you should keep your money in your pocket. It is often the case that we can ‘will’ a new piece of kit into sounding better, but the fact you have doubts between a £500 device and one costing multiple times more, implies there is little to no value to you. Maybe Chord dacs just don't float your boat, time to either try something else, or be happy with what you have got.
Mike Hughes
pfm Member
Are we talking TT or TT2? The TT was disappointing I thought. The differences between a TT abs a Qutest are fairly clear but there are elements where the more expensive device loses out to the cheaper and for so,e those events will be things they really value. The TT2 changes that equation dramatically. It is better across the board than the Qutest and yet many will, not unreasonably, prefer the more forward presentation of the latter.
TheManWhoBuiltTheMoon
pfm Member
A week has passed and I have to say the improvements are much better. Could have been the new cable I was burning in at the same time. The TT has pinpoint imaging, much more detail and lovely bass. Clarity is amazing. It’s staying.
That's good to hear. Sometimes the unexpected happens. Moral of the story, don't give up until you are absolutely sure it's not doing anything good. If you had given up halfway through, the negative impressions of the Chord TT would have been deeply entrenched in your mind, and you would criticise the DAC on every thread whenever someone asks on the forum.
Interceptor
pfm Member
I am currently using MScaler / Hugo 2 (same DAC as Qutest), with Ciunas audio power supply, between a naim NDX2 source and 'classic' series amplification - with great results.
I recently demo'd a DAVE (with & without Mscaler), as a digital pre-amp direct into Chord's Etude power amp. I have ordered the DAVE, already bought the Etude, and will be listing my NAIM 252/SCDR/250DR for sale - mainly for simplification purposes - the DAVE is also a great headphone source (especially with MScaler); I wasn't using headphones until very recently so my use-case has changed.
Would I have gone with the DAVE if I was not prepared to change the rest of my system - probably not.
I recently demo'd a DAVE (with & without Mscaler), as a digital pre-amp direct into Chord's Etude power amp. I have ordered the DAVE, already bought the Etude, and will be listing my NAIM 252/SCDR/250DR for sale - mainly for simplification purposes - the DAVE is also a great headphone source (especially with MScaler); I wasn't using headphones until very recently so my use-case has changed.
Would I have gone with the DAVE if I was not prepared to change the rest of my system - probably not.
John_73
pfm Member
It really is a superb DAC. I much prefer it to the TT2 (and I had two of those at different times, but went back to a TT in the end). The TT2 likely comes into its own with M-Scaler, but on its own I couldn’t shake the feeling it sounded a little etched and artificial at times. I was always pondering the next upgrade to it (which is exactly what appears to happen in the TT2 thread on head-fi!). Owners of the TT I’ve noticed tend to just enjoy the music more. It really is a fabulous DAC, and I think Rob Watts himself was surprised by it if you read his comments on the original Hugo, which the TT contains with a few tweaks. It’s also the Hugo the press went ga-ga over. And rightly so. Enjoy
TheDecameron
Unicorns fart glitter.
The Hugo2/ m-scaler combo is one I’m curious about since I have a Hugo2. Does the dual data twin BNC to stereo minijack connection work without glitches? The other question is does the m scaler make a clear cut SQ improvement over Hugo2 alone?
camverton
pfm Member
I went from a Qutest to TT2, as much for the pre amp features as anything else. Sound wise, for me,it was a score draw against the Qutest. On some recording I consistently preferred one, on others the other. It wasn’t until I added an m-scaler to the TT2 that it really came into its own. it’s now so good, as in natural and sounding like music rather than impressive hifi, that I haven’t had any inclination to do any further comparisons. in essence we know when we eventually find what works for us so well that we can just get on with listening to music without occasionally wondering if the sound can be improved.
Interceptor
pfm Member
I am just using a single BNC (TQ Waveform) from the MScaler into the Hugo2 as that double connector provides only a right-angles connection and I find for a natural relaxed sound that scaling to the max for single BNC sounds much more natural than going with max scaling overall (even into DAVE). Is it worth it (at s/h , ex-demo prices) - yes, although the supplied BNC interconnects are notoriously poor so that has to be factored in
camverton
pfm Member
The supplied BNC interconnects aren’t fit for purpose, at least going by my secondhand unit if they were as supplied. I use dual BNC from scaler to TT2. The differences as you go up to maximum scaling are subtle when trying to “hear” a difference but the benefits really become apparent after listening to music for hours without worrying about sound quality.
windhoek
The Phoolosopher
I've been looking at the Chord Qutest for a couple of weeks and I guess I'm in the process of being seduced by all the reviews/biz marketing. I've seen some mention that the Qutest is smoother than other DACs, but still quite dynamic at the same time. But I've also seen some mention that the Qutest is very neutral and dynamic and that partnering isn't necessarily a given, depending on the rest of the system. So here's the question: is the Qutest likely to be a good match with a Teddy Pardo i80a amp, which I think is probably on the brighter side natural, along with my Tannoy Eaton Legacy speakers. Fwiw, the sources are Chromecast Audio (optical), OPPO 103D blu ray player (coax) and Nvidia Shield TV (USB).
I see the Qutest has BNC coax so I guess I'd need an RCA coax to BNC coax cable, or at the very least, an RCA coax to BNC adaptor.
I see the Qutest has BNC coax so I guess I'd need an RCA coax to BNC coax cable, or at the very least, an RCA coax to BNC adaptor.
windhoek
The Phoolosopher
News of me owning a Qutest is now officially pending: more details to come in due course (currently in delicate discussions with a Chord dealer.)
windhoek
The Phoolosopher
Okay, I'm happy to announce I'm the new owner of a Qutest, and it's here with me already as I just drove over to Bollo hifi in the south west of Glasgow and collected it in person
This was actually my second trip to Bollo today and the second Qutest I've bought as the first one didn't come with a power supply. The first one was an 'as-new, open-box' unit but unfortunately, neither I nor the guy checked it to make sure all the accessories were present; the DAC wasn't exactly in 'as new' icondition f I'm being honest so there was that as well. Still, not wanting to name and shame anybody just for the sake of it, I waited to see how Bollo would deal with this slight snafu (I know, it was partly my snafu as well) before reporting here. The solution? Bollo simply swapped the open-box unit for a brand new one with brand new and sealed everything inside! Hats off to Robert at Bollo for proper first class customer service!
Right, excuse me while I do some important hibernating...
This was actually my second trip to Bollo today and the second Qutest I've bought as the first one didn't come with a power supply. The first one was an 'as-new, open-box' unit but unfortunately, neither I nor the guy checked it to make sure all the accessories were present; the DAC wasn't exactly in 'as new' icondition f I'm being honest so there was that as well. Still, not wanting to name and shame anybody just for the sake of it, I waited to see how Bollo would deal with this slight snafu (I know, it was partly my snafu as well) before reporting here. The solution? Bollo simply swapped the open-box unit for a brand new one with brand new and sealed everything inside! Hats off to Robert at Bollo for proper first class customer service!
Right, excuse me while I do some important hibernating...