[iFenixxZ]

Hi guys.

What ampflier you will recommend pairing this bad boy for driving Fostex TH900/LCD-XC?

 

[emrelights1973]

Hugo2?

 

[Music Alchemist]

now ready to buy
https://www.futureshop.co.uk/chord-electronics-qutest-standalone-digital-audio-converter?___SID=U

Whoa. Under $1,400 USD! (When excluding VAT.) And it says worldwide express shipping.

I don't plan on buying the Qutest until I've upgraded my system again, though. The speakers I want next are $2,500...but I'm trying to decide whether it would be better to get back into high-end headphones and put speakers on the backburner. I'm in a house at the moment, but might end up moving to an apartment next, which would not be speaker-friendly.

Hugo2?

I hope this is a joke, because, like all Chord DAC/amps, the Hugo 2's inputs are only digital.

Or maybe you were suggesting the Hugo 2 (by itself) instead.

 

[x RELIC x]

I hope this is a joke, because the Qutest's outputs are only analog and the Hugo 2's inputs are only digital.

Pretty sure it’s a reply that’s referencing these posts:

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

It was indeed designed principally for speaker based systems.

 

[Music Alchemist]

Pretty sure it’s a reply that’s referencing this post:

You replied before I edited my post. I mentioned that as a possibility.

 

[x RELIC x]

You replied before I edited my post. I mentioned that as a possibility.

lol, and you replied while I edited my post, hahaha!

 

[gad1]

now ready to buy
https://www.futureshop.co.uk/chord-electronics-qutest-standalone-digital-audio-converter?___SID=U

Would be interested to hear experiences of American residents
who have purchased from UK.

 

[Music Alchemist]

lol, and you replied while I edited my post, hahaha!

Most high-end DACs are standalone DACs like the Qutest. I'd venture to guess that most headphone users buying it would have used an external amp anyway. (Rather than opting for something like the Hugo 2 as an all-in-one solution.) Plenty of people prefer external amps for whatever reason. (Whereas I thought the Mojo sounded roughly as good as the $4,300 430HAD.) I'm not sure whether most Qutest buyers will use it with speakers even if that was the company's intention. I wouldn't be surprised if more of them only used headphones, especially given Chord's strong presence on this headphone forum. And, of course, there are those (like myself) who would use it with both speakers and headphones. (And a few, again including myself, who would experiment with direct drive.)

 

[emrelights1973]

I dont see a point of Qutest if you are interested to buy a headphone amp at the same time, unless you go for a top end tube

 

[Music Alchemist]

I dont see a point of Qutest if you are interested to buy a headphone amp at the same time, unless you go for a top end tube

As I mentioned, some prefer external amps over Chord DAC/amps by themselves. Some would need an external amp too, such as with electrostatic systems or very hard-to-drive headphones.

 

[elviscaprice]

I dont see a point of Qutest if you are interested to buy a headphone amp at the same time, unless you go for a top end tube

And I don't see the point in buying a Chord DAC if your not going to take advantage of the built in low impedance amp direct without coloring with some external amp/pre-amp, including top end tube.

 

[dawktah2]

I dont see a point of Qutest if you are interested to buy a headphone amp at the same time, unless you go for a top end tube

That is my plan.

Is futureshop.co.uk an authorized dealer?

 

[emrelights1973]

And I don't see the point in buying a Chord DAC if your not going to take advantage of the built in low impedance amp direct without coloring with some external amp/pre-amp, including top end tube.

I meant go for hugo2 unless you want something exotic

There are many people using hugo as a dac for their naim nac552 so many that the naim forum is almost hugo forum!

 

[Triode User]

And I don't see the point in buying a Chord DAC if your not going to take advantage of the built in low impedance amp direct without coloring with some external amp/pre-amp, including top end tube.

Well we are all different. I might say I don’t see the point of buying a Chord DAC if you don’t team it with a powerful enough amplifier to let it unleash the full might and scale of large scale orchestral works. But I don’t say that because we all want something different out of our music and I accept that. I look with quizzical bemusement at people using low output DACs direct to speakers and would never do it myself but if you like it then that’s fine.

 

[elviscaprice]

Well we are all different. I might say I don’t see the point of buying a Chord DAC if you don’t team it with a powerful enough amplifier to let it unleash the full might and scale of large scale orchestral works. But I don’t say that because we all want something different out of our music and I accept that. I look with quizzical bemusement at people using low output DACs direct to speakers and would never do it myself but if you like it then that’s fine.

Power of the amp has nothing to do with scale of sound from a large scale orchestral works, it is the matching of components that achieves that full sound intended. That is an often thought fallacy from audiophiles. More power, louder sound, better.