[Christer]

My thoughts exactly. Can't wait for the first reviews to get a feel what tunning did they choose.
My personal preference would be a warm amp to pair with Qutest.

Hmm, imho an amp should NOT have any tuning, tuning is for musical instruments.
An amp should be designed to be as transparent to the source as technically possible within the budget used for parts used in the product.
Cheers CC

 

[elira]

I found this review https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/chord-anni

 

[Sense]

I found this review https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/chord-anni

“Despite the modest power output, a multitude of ventilation holes in the casework and a built-in fan, this integrated runs pretty hot…”

 

[betula]

“Despite the modest power output, a multitude of ventilation holes in the casework and a built-in fan, this integrated runs pretty hot…”

I don't like that it has a built in fan, but that seems more and more common with new high-end amplifiers (Burson Soloist 3X GT for example). I guess it is about compromises: what you gain sound quality-wise by keeping the components 'artificially' cooler and what you loose by having an extra electronic component in the system that might cause electronic noise or failure. I am pretty sure that Burson or Chord had looked into the electronic noise part and the fans wouldn't cause any issues in this regard.

Still, there must be a better way to improve sound, the engineers just haven't figured it out yet. Well, if the fans are reliable enough and they don't cause extra noise, I am ready for the improved sound of the Anni in its extremely compact size.

Another comparison I am very interested in is the Qutest/Anni vs. TT2.

 

[Sense]

Another comparison I am very interested in is the Qutest/Anni vs. TT2.

That's what I want to know...the Anni is essentially a power supply for the Qutest and people have said that non-stock power supplies make the Qutest sound better...so if you have a better sounding Qutest and a better amp than the TT2...does it end up being in the same ring as the TT2? @Currawong did you ever say if you have the Anni or not? Would love to get a sneak peek at what you think.

 

[betula]

The TT2 is an overall and undeniable improvement vs. the Qutest, but Chord refused to put a HP out on the Qutest. Their answer is the Anni for those sort of requests. My guess is that the TT2 is still more technical/precise/accurate. But the Qutest supported by the Anni is a very interesting proposition indeed. I am truly curious how close this combo gets to the TT2. Perhaps technically it is not quite there, but regarding the enjoyment factor it might be.

 

[u2u2]

“Despite the modest power output, a multitude of ventilation holes in the casework and a built-in fan, this integrated runs pretty hot…”

Unfortunate that the reviewer didn't offer any distinction heat wise between driving speakers or headphones. Hopefully when on headphone duty the fan does not come into play. The volume comments are troubling... reminds me too much of my McIntosh MHA200 experience... I am gambling and trying to secure an early unit. If successful I will post.

 

[elira]

I'm worried about channel balance at low volumes if they are using just a small potentiometer for that.

 

[Sense]

Unfortunate that the reviewer didn't offer any distinction heat wise between driving speakers or headphones. Hopefully when on headphone duty the fan does not come into play. The volume comments are troubling... reminds me too much of my McIntosh MHA200 experience... I am gambling and trying to secure an early unit. If successful I will post.

That MHA200 pot looks pretty horrible. DMS has one for review and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be a good one. Still looking for a nice Tube amp with balanced out.

 

[jlbrach]

Hmm, imho an amp should NOT have any tuning, tuning is for musical instruments.
An amp should be designed to be as transparent to the source as technically possible within the budget used for parts used in the product.
Cheers CC

spot on, I agree

 

[R403]

One thing that came to my head is that Qutest is quite analytical and a bit bright to me. It could be a good match for a bit warmer amp. I wonder is Anni leaning towards such sound or is it more analytical and maybe clinical one or simply trying to be as transparent as possible?

You just fixed my speakers. I've had the Kef Ref 1 and I've been finding them bright, so I was assessing amps. I swapped out the Qutest and yeah, it was the dac. D

Hmm, imho an amp should NOT have any tuning, tuning is for musical instruments.
An amp should be designed to be as transparent to the source as technically possible within the budget used for parts used in the product.
Cheers CC

In my opinion you should choose what you enjoy. No matter how you tune an instrument, it’s impacted by the room and what your preferences are. It’s impacted by how it’s produced. Some rooms sound warmer and people, like me, would rather reproduce that room with a roll off on the top. In reality, there should be multiple options so you can try and make your own choice. I have the Kef Reference 1 and letting them remain neutral in voicing is murder. Meanwhile others love it and that’s also good. Hardly matters what the choice is, what matters is you have one.

 

[Hooster]

Given the price they are asking for this you would have thought they would have splurged on a decent heat sink and a volume control that is not wobbly. I can't see the interest in this product unless you love to stack your gear and have to have everything matching.

I think a TT2 by itself is a far more attractive proposition than this anni together with a Qutest. I suspect you get a lot of bang for the extra buck you would be paying for the TT2.

 

[andrewd01]

That's what I want to know...the Anni is essentially a power supply for the Qutest and people have said that non-stock power supplies make the Qutest sound better...so if you have a better sounding Qutest and a better amp than the TT2...does it end up being in the same ring as the TT2? @Currawong did you ever say if you have the Anni or not? Would love to get a sneak peek at what you think.

I think you can only use the DC out of the Anni to power the Huei since it only has 12V DC out. The Qutest needs 5V so would still need its own power pack as far as I can see. The Qutest/Anni is quite a messy installation with two power supplies, interconnects and an uber-expensive stand. The TT2 is a far more tidy solution for not much more money.

 

[alekc]

Given the price they are asking for this you would have thought they would have splurged on a decent heat sink and a volume control that is not wobbly. I can't see the interest in this product unless you love to stack your gear and have to have everything matching.

I think a TT2 by itself is a far more attractive proposition than this anni together with a Qutest. I suspect you get a lot of bang for the extra buck you would be paying for the TT2.

I completely agree with @Hooster on both points. I can't imagine "audiophile" grade equipment with internal fan... this kept me away from considering TTBoy despite its compact size. Internal fan and all the talk about sound quality is an oxymoron for me.

Considering how different is Qutest and TT2 in tuning I doubt Anni will make Qutest closer to TT2. If that would be the case, other amps would already achieved the same goal long before info about Anni has been leaked.

 

[alekc]

Hmm, imho an amp should NOT have any tuning, tuning is for musical instruments.
An amp should be designed to be as transparent to the source as technically possible within the budget used for parts used in the product.
Cheers CC

@Christer in general I do tend to agree with your point of view. However sometimes you need this additional tuning (or as some call it sound distortion) to really love the sound you hear. We are all different, have different preferences and perception. This is also changing across time as well for every person. So if you are after very clean sound that leaves your dac, than yes, the amp should be completely transparent. On the other hand this would remove a lot if not all tube amps from the equation and while I like solid state amps, I do like tubes as well and in a long term I would probably missed them.