[dmance]

Yes John did a great job on it - it really feels substantial. I would be surprised if it did not help SQ wise, but I haven't listened to the chassis yet - I have only just had the metalwork myself!

Rob - I can understand how isolation and mass can help tube electronics, transports or turntables ...basically things that can move. But circuit boards - especially ones like yours that are compact and fpga based - are all just about electrons interacting about in a solid substrate. Just offer up your two cents worth of input into what is going on when isolation begets better SQ.
Dan

 

[Rob Watts]

The problem is the quartz oscillator, and some components, which are very slightly microphonic. But this would only make sense when driving speakers. And measurement wise, I have to turn up the gain on the APx555 test gear by 120 dB - but you can hear clicks when the PCB is struck. So overall microphony is absolutely minute compared to tubes - but it is still there. I have a mounting screw close to the quartz oscillator so it is directly coupled to the chassis.

 

[Jimi Zine]

It won’t matter audibly. DSD over PCM (not converted to PCM) was created as a way to fool the USB interface to allow DSD transmition without drivers because the USB protocol doesn’t recognize DSD (it does recognize PCM). When a DAC sees a DoP signal it discards the PCM marker and plays the original DSD data contained unchanged from the original.

Basically DoP was created as a way to get around USB drivers, but coaxial and optical can use it as well.

Some reading:

https://www.northstar.it/dsd-native-vs-dop/

https://www.dcsltd.co.uk/support/what-is-dop-dsd-over-pcm/

Thanks, I realise this however the Mojo I have now, uses DoP, and is associated with audio drop outs when using DSD128 or 256, this isn't a processing power issue but to do with the Mojo itself and DoP. The Qutest uses Native DSD instead (including mac) so hopefully this issue won't repeat.

Regards

 

[upec]

Do we need to install driver for Windows 10 or Windows 10 have native support for Qutest?

 

[Music Alchemist]

If you want to drive HP, get a Hugo 2. Any external amp will degrade transparency - you just can't escape that.

I know that some people drove headphones and speakers directly from the 2Qute (via the right cables, and in some cases a source with bit-perfect digital volume control) and loved the sound.

I also saw someone claim that the analog output stage of the Qutest is the same as the Hugo 2 because the output impedance is the same, implying that it could drive headphones just as well.

What are your thoughts on all this?

Could you describe the differences between the two in this regard?

For those who are going to drive headphones and speakers directly from the Qutest anyway, what would be your recommendations relating to that?

 

[Swiftfalcon]

Omg can’t keep up with their pace for new products Love it

 

[Rob Watts]

I know that some people drove headphones and speakers directly from the 2Qute (via the right cables, and in some cases a source with bit-perfect digital volume control) and loved the sound.

I also saw someone claim that the analog output stage of the Qutest is the same as the Hugo 2 because the output impedance is the same, implying that it could drive headphones just as well.

What are your thoughts on all this?

Could you describe the differences between the two in this regard?

For those who are going to drive headphones and speakers directly from the Qutest anyway, what would be your recommendations relating to that?

Yes I too saw that... But 2 qute, although having a discrete op stage, is not powerful; it was never intended to drive any low impedance at all. Qutest op stage has been upgraded, but it's not the same as Hugo 2. The op impedance has not been measured, so any mention of it is an error. But I have increased the drive on the discrete op stage, and I have used the Mojo op stage. This has the benefit of being very small, but capable of delivering large currents. But let's be clear; qutest was designed as a DAC only! As an aside, the Mojo op stage is the same as Hugo 2 electronically, but differs with the packaging and power delivery of the op transistors.

 

[514077]

Do we need to install driver for Windows 10 or Windows 10 have native support for Qutest?

I'd expect you'd need the same drivers as Hugo 2, even down to whether it's creater's edition or the older one.

 

[canthearyou]

Hmmmmm.......I will have to give this one a listen very soon. I'm in the market for a sub $2000 DAC

 

[Jimi Zine]

I don't understand how it can use Native DSD transmission without a driver on a mac?
Surely either an ASIO driver is needed or the DSD is transmitted via DoP??

 

[wazzupi]

What is the US price ?will this be at canjam NYC ?

 

[dcp10]

Rob - will the Qutest remember its input settings after it has been turned off? I believe the Hugo 2 does, but the 2Qute defaulted to USB, which was really annoying for those of using the BNC input.

One other question: I wasn't clear from the specs whether the two BNC inputs on Qutest would allow me to plug in two digital sources and switch between them (e.g., CD-player or streamer), or whether they are designed for only one input. Thanks!

 

[Rob Watts]

Rob - will the Qutest remember its input settings after it has been turned off? I believe the Hugo 2 does, but the 2Qute defaulted to USB, which was really annoying for those of using the BNC input.

One other question: I wasn't clear from the specs whether the two BNC inputs on Qutest would allow me to plug in two digital sources and switch between them (e.g., CD-player or streamer), or whether they are designed for only one input. Thanks!

Yes all configuration settings are remembered.
The BNC inputs are individually selected, and will automatically go into dual data mode.

 

[AndrewOld]

Anyone else a bit underwhelmed by Chord’s CES news? Disappointed even?

 

[Music Alchemist]

Anyone else a bit underwhelmed by Chord’s CES news? Disappointed even?

For those anticipating other things, I can understand that.

I for one am ecstatic about the Qutest. A DAC with better measured performance than all other DACs on the planet aside from the DAVE for just ~$1,600? Sign me up!

(I used to own the 2Qute and was looking forward to its successor for awhile as well.)