[Nautrachkfriend]

Has anyone tried the Chord Qutest together with the Benchmark HPA 4? I did try the Benchmark DAC 3 together with the HPA 4 and liked transparency and dynamics of the HPA 4. But I also thought my test listening session with the Chord Hugo TT2 and M- Scaler as something special. The music just seems to envelope you - very emersive experience. Somewhere I feel the HPA4 HP amplification is no less inferior to the Chord Hugo TT2.

Here are the possible combinations I’m interested in:

A) Chord Qutest with M Scaler and HPA4 (if matching). I’ve had not so good experiences previously with other products matching SE RCA connections on balanced devices.
B) Chord Hugo TT2 with M Scaler
C) Benchmark DAC3 with HPA4

My headphones are:
LCD i4
Sony Z1R
Hifiman Edition X v2
Campfire Cascade

Music - very diverse
soundtrack
Classical
jazz
pop

Appreciate any feedback on the above.

Thanks!

This is a tough nut to crack.

The Options:
Option A: (Qutest+M-Scaler+HPA 4) $10,000 retail
Option B: (TT2+M-Scaler) $11,000 retail
Option C: (HPA 4+DAC3) $5,000 retail


The Impressions:
Amping: HPA 4/TT-2 Amp wise are going to keep up with each other, so it's really a matter of preference. Some will say HPA 4 some will say TT-2. So I'd say they are interchangeable. (I've got my money on HPA 4 for amping)

DACs: TT-2 DAC is going to be IMO the best DAC and the DAC3/Qutest will be fighting each other for the second spot.

Wildcard: M-Scaler is an inherently unique device in its own class so there really isn't any competition, but to fully utilize/squeeze the magic from the M-Scaler you'll need a Chord DAC.


Medals for best sound:
Gold Medal: TT2/M-Scaler should ideally be the best sound wise because of the DAC inside of the TT2 plus full M-Scaler utilization, but it's the most costly.

Silver Medal: Qutest/M-Scaler/HPA4 will be second best sound wise because of full utilization of M-Scaler, but too close in cost to the TT2/M-Scaler to be worth it.

Bronze Medal: The HPA 4/DAC3 will be third best sound wise because there is really no doubt in the M-Scaler wildcard aspect.


Questions to ask yourself/Final thoughts:
So was the TT2/M-Scaler experience worth an additional $6,000 over DAC3 with HPA4? Keep in mind the DAC3/HPA4 is one hell of a combo, they certainly aren't slouches. Especially when you consider DAC3/HPA4 is HALF the cost of the full Chord setup, I'd almost consider it a bargain. Plus the DAC3 is going to obviously have tons of synergy with the HPA4.

I personally run the Qutest with my HPA 4 just because I love the Chord sound and wanted to squeeze the most out of the Qutest with one heck of an amp. I feel that it's an awesome combo but I wouldn't hesitate to run the HPA4/DAC3 either. I've actually considered it a few times now! I personally can't justify spending $11,000 on a full Chord setup at this point and time.

Hope this helps!

 

[YooperAudio]

That is awesome info - thanks. In my case, I'd only be interested in comparing the DAC3 to the Qutest - the rest of my chain (HPA4 and AHB2s) would stay.

 

[Cognacbrown]

This is a tough nut to crack.

The Options:
Option A: (Qutest+M-Scaler+HPA 4) $10,000 retail
Option B: (TT2+M-Scaler) $11,000 retail
Option C: (HPA 4+DAC3) $5,000 retail


The Impressions:
Amping: HPA 4/TT-2 Amp wise are going to keep up with each other, so it's really a matter of preference. Some will say HPA 4 some will say TT-2. So I'd say they are interchangeable. (I've got my money on HPA 4 for amping)

DACs: TT-2 DAC is going to be IMO the best DAC and the DAC3/Qutest will be fighting each other for the second spot.

Wildcard: M-Scaler is an inherently unique device in its own class so there really isn't any competition, but to fully utilize/squeeze the magic from the M-Scaler you'll need a Chord DAC.


Medals for best sound:
Gold Medal: TT2/M-Scaler should ideally be the best sound wise because of the DAC inside of the TT2 plus full M-Scaler utilization, but it's the most costly.

Silver Medal: Qutest/M-Scaler/HPA4 will be second best sound wise because of full utilization of M-Scaler, but too close in cost to the TT2/M-Scaler to be worth it.

Bronze Medal: The HPA 4/DAC3 will be third best sound wise because there is really no doubt in the M-Scaler wildcard aspect.


Questions to ask yourself/Final thoughts:
So was the TT2/M-Scaler experience worth an additional $6,000 over DAC3 with HPA4? Keep in mind the DAC3/HPA4 is one hell of a combo, they certainly aren't slouches. Especially when you consider DAC3/HPA4 is HALF the cost of the full Chord setup, I'd almost consider it a bargain. Plus the DAC3 is going to obviously have tons of synergy with the HPA4.

I personally run the Qutest with my HPA 4 just because I love the Chord sound and wanted to squeeze the most out of the Qutest with one heck of an amp. I feel that it's an awesome combo but I wouldn't hesitate to run the HPA4/DAC3 either. I've actually considered it a few times now! I personally can't justify spending $11,000 on a full Chord setup at this point and time.

Hope this helps!

This is a tough nut to crack.

The Options:
Option A: (Qutest+M-Scaler+HPA 4) $10,000 retail
Option B: (TT2+M-Scaler) $11,000 retail
Option C: (HPA 4+DAC3) $5,000 retail


The Impressions:
Amping: HPA 4/TT-2 Amp wise are going to keep up with each other, so it's really a matter of preference. Some will say HPA 4 some will say TT-2. So I'd say they are interchangeable. (I've got my money on HPA 4 for amping)

DACs: TT-2 DAC is going to be IMO the best DAC and the DAC3/Qutest will be fighting each other for the second spot.

Wildcard: M-Scaler is an inherently unique device in its own class so there really isn't any competition, but to fully utilize/squeeze the magic from the M-Scaler you'll need a Chord DAC.


Medals for best sound:
Gold Medal: TT2/M-Scaler should ideally be the best sound wise because of the DAC inside of the TT2 plus full M-Scaler utilization, but it's the most costly.

Silver Medal: Qutest/M-Scaler/HPA4 will be second best sound wise because of full utilization of M-Scaler, but too close in cost to the TT2/M-Scaler to be worth it.

Bronze Medal: The HPA 4/DAC3 will be third best sound wise because there is really no doubt in the M-Scaler wildcard aspect.


Questions to ask yourself/Final thoughts:
So was the TT2/M-Scaler experience worth an additional $6,000 over DAC3 with HPA4? Keep in mind the DAC3/HPA4 is one hell of a combo, they certainly aren't slouches. Especially when you consider DAC3/HPA4 is HALF the cost of the full Chord setup, I'd almost consider it a bargain. Plus the DAC3 is going to obviously have tons of synergy with the HPA4.

I personally run the Qutest with my HPA 4 just because I love the Chord sound and wanted to squeeze the most out of the Qutest with one heck of an amp. I feel that it's an awesome combo but I wouldn't hesitate to run the HPA4/DAC3 either. I've actually considered it a few times now! I personally can't justify spending $11,000 on a full Chord setup at this point and time.

Hope this helps!

Thank you! As usual the temptation to go straight for the “end game” sound experience is there. Agree the Benchmarks and Chord’s full setups are amazing. I dont have a chance to listen to them side by side. Impression wise, the M scaler seems to do some magic in terms of immersiveness of the music. But again the setups (including HP) were different so I can’t really pinpoint the difference. Could be the HP, crossfeed settings.....will try to do more listening. Exciting times indeed.

 

[F208Frank]

Just my 2 cents, but sometimes going straight end game for DAC/AMP saves you a LOT of money/headache/hassle if you can swing it. Headphones *can* be changed often, good DAC/AMP may not need to if done right first time.

Take it from a guy who got item A, and felt curious about item B, and got item B and got curious about item C. Get ultimately what you want if you can afford it, if not, enjoying the journey of upgrades is equally fun.

 

[YooperAudio]

I went ahead and ordered a Chord Qutest - it’ll be here Wednesday, and I should be able to configure it to easily go back and forth between it and the DAC3, since both can pipe into the HPA4. I have it for a month to evaluate. I expect it will be interesting.

 

[Nautrachkfriend]

I went ahead and ordered a Chord Qutest - it’ll be here Wednesday, and I should be able to configure it to easily go back and forth between it and the DAC3, since both can pipe into the HPA4. I have it for a month to evaluate. I expect it will be interesting.

Very excited to hear your impressions! I've been wanting a comparison of the two.

 

[F208Frank]

I would assume at this level the differences would be very very slight. Let us know your findings.

 

[Tobes]

Has anyone tried the Chord Qutest together with the Benchmark HPA 4? I did try the Benchmark DAC 3 together with the HPA 4 and liked transparency and dynamics of the HPA 4. But I also thought my test listening session with the Chord Hugo TT2 and M- Scaler as something special. The music just seems to envelope you - very emersive experience. Somewhere I feel the HPA4 HP amplification is no less inferior to the Chord Hugo TT2.

Here are the possible combinations I’m interested in:

A) Chord Qutest with M Scaler and HPA4 (if matching). I’ve had not so good experiences previously with other products matching SE RCA connections on balanced devices.
B) Chord Hugo TT2 with M Scaler
C) Benchmark DAC3 with HPA4

I have the DAC3L with the HPA4 and AHB2 monos, but the Qutest is a DAC I'm interested in trying - the user/review feedback seems excellent.

The Hugo TT2 is of course a very different product to the HPA4, since it is a digital only preamp (no analog inputs or analog domain volume control).
Think carefully if a digital only pre is going to meet your needs.
The big feature of the HPA4 is the independent dual attenuators for HP and line outs - can be independently/remotely adjusted, muted, played simultaneously etc.- I often switch between HP's and speakers and find this feature invaluable. I can do this from the comfort of my listening position (distant from the unit) without having to unplug headphones/readjust volume etc.
If you have no plans for a speaker setup (not mentioned) or requirement for analog integration these things may not bother you.

 

[Tobes]

I would assume at this level the differences would be very very slight. Let us know your findings.

FWIW, I got a Qutest (on approval) and compared it to the DAC3L in my HPA4/AHB2 setup.
I used the Chord with with its Incisive/neutral filter and various software players via usb - switching back and forth with the DAC3.
The Qutest is a very nice sounding dac, detailed/spacious/refined, and in isolation I'm sure I'd be happy with it.
At certain stages I was convinced the Qutest was better - more spacious/dimensional - but this was a consequence of non matched levels when switching players/settings - or thinking I'd made one change when I'd actually changed a couple of things.

These dacs are actually pretty close, but the result of my evaluation was that the DAC3L was slightly more transparent - more 'thereness' and clarity, definition in the bass.
Now this may be just due to the DAC3 running balanced into the HPA4 and the Qutest unbalanced - there was no audible noise in either case of course, both very silent backdrop.
Without the direct comparison I'd be happy with either, but in my case I sent the Qutest back.

 

[YooperAudio]

My experience is that the differences are obvious.

 

[jasoncd2]

I've had my HPA4 for a few weeks now and thought I'd share some thoughts.

I am coming from an Aurium Pathos and a Lake People G109-A. That's been my amp setup for about two years and overall I've been happy with it. The Lake People in particular was my first amp purchase and I really feel it punches above its weight class.

After a lot of reliability issues with my HEK, I had been listening to only my Dharma. Very easy to drive, I spent a long while without a desire to upgrade my amplifiers. Anyway, after falling in love with the ath-ADX5000 it really put a new desire in me to make some upgrades.

Maybe I'm weird, but after some thought I really wanted a setup that was more compact by replacing my stereo amp with a pair of powered monitors. So I was looking for a headphone amp that could act as a volume control / pre amp. That took a lot of options off the table. The ifi iCan pro for example was on my 'that's cool' list for a while. But if I recall, the manual states the pre outs don't turn off. That won't work...

The three options I settled on were the Phonitor X, Violectric V281/V220 and the HPA4. I think all choices would have been good. The Phonitor was huge though. And the Violectric was old, and almost as pricey as the HPA4. In hindsight, I could have got the V281 from Europe for substantially cheaper, and that might have been a good option. But trying a new brand was appealing too. So I went for the HPA4.

I wasn't sold on the touchscreen. I like buttons. I like the old school myriad of buttons and lights look of the DAC3. In practice the touchscreen works well though. It's easy to mute and switch sources, the independent volume is great although I find my gear for the most part is pretty evenly matched on the volume setting. Renaming and removing unused inputs is awesome, I have only two now, my USB DAC and my DAP. No cycling through unused options.

Other thoughts.

• Wow that volume knob is loud. When I unmute and the relays click like mad I keep waiting for the SO to ask what the heck I'm doing.
• Screen timeout is nice. Screen is accurate and responsive. Targets are big and easy to hit across the desk.
• Option for a custom background on the screen would be cool.
• Exterior build is beautiful. Love the brushed look all around and how THICK the chassis is.
• I guess XLR and 1/4" output the same power? Huh.

I'm not the best person to best talk about the sound. It's a very black background, something I'm sensitive to, and I love this about the amp. I haven't setup anything to A / B to test against which makes it to describe without a better point of reference. I have heard others say the THX amps are very neutral or clean, and I would agree with that. I can't pick out anything that the amp is coloring. It feels fast and agile. I think it's hard for me to talk about because it does everything well where I think a lot of other amps or headphones or whatever might be more specialized in what they do great.

Maybe not a smart move to go for this amp when my main headphone right now is 420 ohms. It powers them very well, I'm typically at -55 db to -35 db for quiet to loud listening. I have a pair of HE5se that just came in that are a tad lower on the volume scale. Sometimes I think the massive power of the V281 would have been cool although I couldn't give you a real valid reason why I would need more power. It is cool that the little G109-A I have makes more power (on paper at least) at 420 ohms that the Benchmark.

My return period is ending soon and I will be keeping the HPA4. It really feels like I can use this amp well and be happy with it for a long time with a variety of different headphones. Like a cornerstone for my setup. And if I'm right I think that does put the asking price in a more favorable light.

Sorry for the long ramble, just wanted to share some thoughts!

 

[Tonybo]

HPA4 error, a little story for you:


I have recently been perfecting my cable dressing around the Benchmark based system, and optimizing speaker position. This led me to playing the excellent Isotek setup disc where the performer walks about cracking a pair of marakas to enable you to establish a precise channel comparison.


Well to my shock I found that the system had a big channel imbalance, right channel low! To correct back to centre I needed to use a trim of R3.5 in the balance control settings of the HPA4, something wrong here!


I launched into an investigation, plugging, unplugging, measuring dB etc, etc. I soon ruled out the power amp, by swapping outputs (problem switched to left), then the DAC in the same way (problem stayed on the right). Definitely the HPA4. No problem with the headphone output. Swapped in an old MDAC to replace the HPA4 – everything working perfectly again. Clearly it’s a problem in the HPA4 on the Line side circuit, the functioning headphone side seems to be the final proof that there must be a fault on the Line side.


Well I have already returned this unit once, I was starting to feel a bit sick about shipping it to the UK again for repair, but still I got in touch with SCV, who very politely offered me a repair ticket.


As I was putting the unit into its packing box, admiring once again the superb build quality and finish, I noticed the mono output. Holy cr**, I had forgotten that was there!


Sweat starting to prickle now, I had to get this thing back into the system and confirm what I was increasing convinced I had done.


Sure enough, with the right channel interconnect to the power amp plugged into the mono output the right channel plays when the test disk is on left channel only, hence the left channel sounds much louder (and not so far left stage – should have been a clue!).


Relief and a little embarrassment. Apologies again Nigel (SCV), I had also tried to call Rory, but luckily didn’t get through!


The system is restored, sounding better than ever, it really is an excellent lump of metal actually! (Who uses the mono output option anyway?).

 

[M Siau]

HPA4 error, a little story for you:


I have recently been perfecting my cable dressing around the Benchmark based system, and optimizing speaker position. This led me to playing the excellent Isotek setup disc where the performer walks about cracking a pair of marakas to enable you to establish a precise channel comparison.


Well to my shock I found that the system had a big channel imbalance, right channel low! To correct back to centre I needed to use a trim of R3.5 in the balance control settings of the HPA4, something wrong here!


I launched into an investigation, plugging, unplugging, measuring dB etc, etc. I soon ruled out the power amp, by swapping outputs (problem switched to left), then the DAC in the same way (problem stayed on the right). Definitely the HPA4. No problem with the headphone output. Swapped in an old MDAC to replace the HPA4 – everything working perfectly again. Clearly it’s a problem in the HPA4 on the Line side circuit, the functioning headphone side seems to be the final proof that there must be a fault on the Line side.


Well I have already returned this unit once, I was starting to feel a bit sick about shipping it to the UK again for repair, but still I got in touch with SCV, who very politely offered me a repair ticket.


As I was putting the unit into its packing box, admiring once again the superb build quality and finish, I noticed the mono output. Holy cr**, I had forgotten that was there!


Sweat starting to prickle now, I had to get this thing back into the system and confirm what I was increasing convinced I had done.


Sure enough, with the right channel interconnect to the power amp plugged into the mono output the right channel plays when the test disk is on left channel only, hence the left channel sounds much louder (and not so far left stage – should have been a clue!).


Relief and a little embarrassment. Apologies again Nigel (SCV), I had also tried to call Rory, but luckily didn’t get through!


The system is restored, sounding better than ever, it really is an excellent lump of metal actually! (Who uses the mono output option anyway?).

Very glad your HPA4 is working well for you! We are here to provide expert help, before and after the sale! Please don't hesitate to call, email or message anytime!

 

[nordkapp]

Subbed. HPA4 and DAC3 B are on the way. My DAC3 DX is up for sale now........

 

[Tonybo]

And... nordkapp? Notice anything?