I imagine the decision to provide a 'cheapie' PSU was not Rob's but rather the CEO of Chord. Rob is not going to criticise that decision, no matter how much he would want to. He himself has used various alternatives, with varying success, as posted much earlier in this thread.
Chord Electronics Qutest DAC - Official Thread
- Thread starter ChordElectronics
- Start date
SONDEKNZ
New Head-Fier
You know @jjazzy , I think this comment is way too strong. I would feel remiss if I did not comment.
I use an iFi iPower with our QUTEST and the improvements over the stock PSU are certainly discernible in a top-end system - but NOT night and day.
The strength of your comment makes the QUTEST with stock PSU sound like it is very sadly lacking - and that simply isn't true. The stock QUTEST PSU is way better than your typical PSU wall-wart.
Further, I feel that your challenge to ROB WATTS suggests that he is intentionally hiding the truth.
I feel that QUTEST owners remain free to experiment to cater to their own tastes, which is what this hobby is all about.
Further, ROB WATT has generously and respectfully contributed to this thread, so I think we need to cut him a bit of slack over the stock PSU on the QUTEST, which in the big picture, is still one of CHORD's lower-end DACs.
The CHORD stock PSU is what it is - pretty good - and if you want to spend a lot more on a better PSU, you can do so and let your ears decide if it is worth the extra outlay.
Let's not bury ROB WATTS over it.
Peace.
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I think it would be interesting to blindly A/B the stock and another power supply. I'm guessing most would have trouble discerning which one they're listening to.
jjazzy
Headphoneus Supremus
my opinion stays the same, if it makes a difference, they should have provided one. Even the ifi psu makes a difference. And the psu supplied is very very cheap, there is a difference between providing a decent psu or a 50ct one. You can wiggle and try to find arguments, but for the price the supplied psu is a disrespect to your buyers. Even cheaper dacs I bought had better supplied psu’s.You know @jjazzy , I think this comment is way too strong. I would feel remiss if I did not comment.
I use an iFi iPower with our QUTEST and the improvements over the stock PSU are certainly discernible in a top-end system - but NOT night and day.
The strength of your comment makes the QUTEST with stock PSU sound like it is very sadly lacking - and that simply isn't true. The stock QUTEST PSU is way better than your typical PSU wall-wart.
Further, I feel that your challenge to ROB WATTS suggests that he is intentionally hiding the truth.
I feel that QUTEST owners remain free to experiment to cater to their own tastes, which is what this hobby is all about.
Further, ROB WATT has generously and respectfully contributed to this thread, so I think we need to cut him a bit of slack over the stock PSU on the QUTEST, which in the big picture, is still one of CHORD's lower-end DACs.
The CHORD stock PSU is what it is - pretty good - and if you want to spend a lot more on a better PSU, you can do so and let your ears decide if it is worth the extra outlay.
Let's not bury ROB WATTS over it.
Peace.
I really like my chord qutest, but I am not a blind fan, and refuse to look at the facts.
And robb watts does not deside, the company does.
Anyone tried a power bank instead of the psu and compared it to sbooster or ifi or allo shanti? Rob earlier recommended power bank instead of psu.
jjazzy
Headphoneus Supremus
I am curious if someone could test this one, seems best of both worlds.
LHY BATT-V1.2, charged high amp battery psu
LHY BATT-V1.2, charged high amp battery psu
rq1111
100+ Head-Fier
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I just realised how good is Chord Cutest recently. I had the Chord Cutest with me for more than 4 years but only recently then I realised the transparency and details that Chord Cutest can bring to the music. It is just so enjoyable and engaging. I will try to have a short sharing of the journey.
Recently, I bought new class D amplifier which is Nilai500DIY mono kit which is a very transparent amplifier. I hear more details in both treble and bass on my hifi system. My old amplifier is Musical Fidelity m5si but the Class D amplifier outshine my MF amplifier in terms of details from treble to bass. Then I try putting my Chord Cutest into the hifi system. I try different connections and filters. The best result is using Optical and White filter. Optical is just better than USB to what I hear. USB can seems to be details but Optical can bring out details that engage me to the music which I do not know how to describe it. I am using Keces P8 to power my Chord Cutest. I use Lumin U1 mini with LPS as source. I have never experience such a transparent sound from Chord Cutest. It sounds so clear, transparent with every small details which I can hear from Chord Cutest. I never have this experience with Chord Cutest. It just engage me to the music. Even with low volume, all the details is clear to hear it. I was just amazed that Chord Cutest can be soo... Good! I never realised how good is Chord Cutest until now. Luckily, I didn't sell it away as I have been thinking all along recently.
What I learn from this experience is that I need to have a very transparent amplifier to hear the real potential of my whole system. With Nilai500DIY Class D amplifier, it is just so transparent that every changes I made to my system makes a difference which can be small or more. I am so happy that I didn't sell away my Chord Cutest.
Recently, I bought new class D amplifier which is Nilai500DIY mono kit which is a very transparent amplifier. I hear more details in both treble and bass on my hifi system. My old amplifier is Musical Fidelity m5si but the Class D amplifier outshine my MF amplifier in terms of details from treble to bass. Then I try putting my Chord Cutest into the hifi system. I try different connections and filters. The best result is using Optical and White filter. Optical is just better than USB to what I hear. USB can seems to be details but Optical can bring out details that engage me to the music which I do not know how to describe it. I am using Keces P8 to power my Chord Cutest. I use Lumin U1 mini with LPS as source. I have never experience such a transparent sound from Chord Cutest. It sounds so clear, transparent with every small details which I can hear from Chord Cutest. I never have this experience with Chord Cutest. It just engage me to the music. Even with low volume, all the details is clear to hear it. I was just amazed that Chord Cutest can be soo... Good! I never realised how good is Chord Cutest until now. Luckily, I didn't sell it away as I have been thinking all along recently.
What I learn from this experience is that I need to have a very transparent amplifier to hear the real potential of my whole system. With Nilai500DIY Class D amplifier, it is just so transparent that every changes I made to my system makes a difference which can be small or more. I am so happy that I didn't sell away my Chord Cutest.
I'm not familiar with your amplifier, but I imagine the Keces P8 Power Supply will also be a major contributor to the excellent sound you are getting. A top notch ultra low noise PS. I also agree with your preference regarding the optical digital connection
I have been long tempted to buy a battery type power supply (like LHY), mostly out of curiosity. I must note, however, that my Qutest with its stock power supply, clearly outperforms every expensive CD player or other dacs I have tried up to € 2.000 (have not tried anything more expensive). Only the internal dac of my Lehmann Audio Linear D II (a € 2.000 headamp) almost equals the sound of the Qutest, also surpassing all others too. Thus, I would never advise anyone to "throw away the included psu" of the Qutest. This dac became a landmark product for its TOTL sound with that exact stock psu.
Nonetheless, I am willing to explore its limits when fed with reference-clear power (battery) which also cannot induce any noise to the amp in use (through the power lines). If it gets better with a better supply, as many users report, I'll be very happy, but this will not make its current psu unworthy.
The Qutest is still ...the Qutest, even with its own psu. Everything is already there: tremendous detail, the darkest silent passages, extremely rich and natural timbre and voices, rich and deep reverberation.
Just a quick PSA for anyone using a SBooster with the optional SBooster Ultra, because the Ultra is an active filter SBooster recommends that you increase the voltage on the main SBooster power supply from 5V to 6V !
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creativepart
New Head-Fier
I've been a participant in this thread for years... mostly just reading everything. I bought a Qutest 4 or 5 years ago, can't remember exactly. I really loved the Qutest's sound quality. I ran it with an Sbooster ps. Was it better than the stock? I'm not sure. It wasn't worse, I know that. So, I stuck with it.
That great Qutest sound made me contented, but then after so many years I wondered what's better? I had a short 3-day demo with a Gustard R26. it was good, but not a Qutest buster.
Finally, I bit the bullet and saved up for an upgrade. I got my Hugo TT2 a little over a month ago. If you like the Qutest... start saving now.
With the Hugo TT2 take every thing you love about the Qutest - the clarity, the bass, the soundstage, the depth, the separation between instruments - and add the word MORE. As I said, start saving now.
That great Qutest sound made me contented, but then after so many years I wondered what's better? I had a short 3-day demo with a Gustard R26. it was good, but not a Qutest buster.
Finally, I bit the bullet and saved up for an upgrade. I got my Hugo TT2 a little over a month ago. If you like the Qutest... start saving now.
With the Hugo TT2 take every thing you love about the Qutest - the clarity, the bass, the soundstage, the depth, the separation between instruments - and add the word MORE. As I said, start saving now.
jjazzy
Headphoneus Supremus
I don’t dare to listen to a tt2 yet
knowing myself, that will cost me moneyExactly, no thanks!I don’t dare to listen to a tt2 yet
This comes as a fine answer to my post a few days ago:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/cho...official-thread.869417/page-435#post-17805849
It is a very expensive upgrade for me, though! I wonder if there is something else more affordable than the Hugo TT2 that will sound better than the Qutest?... Any possible suggestions?
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