[Qute Beats]

After thinking about all the positives and negatives between Qutest direct headphones and Hugo 2 I decided to go with the latter (again). I'm sure Qutest would work with rca direct to my 300ohm phones, but what would happen if in the future I want an upgrade to lower impedance ones? Too many complications. And maybe there are sound downsides aswell. Who knows.

So I went to audition to Hugo 2 and see if it still sounds as I remember it from a year ago. Next to it there was the TT2 so naturally I had to listen to it and see what the hype is about. Hugo 2 was exactly as I remember it, no surprise there. The awe struck when I started listening to the TT2. I was expecting slighty better then Hugo 2 performance, to hear differences only with some songs not all etc. But the bump in audio quality from Hugo 2 is obvious right away, much closer to DAVE then the other way around. The sound has weight to it, it flows better, also warmer but not muddier, it sounds amazing. I'm very glad I gave TT2 a listen as it made the decision for me so much easier. Harder for my wallet, but easier for me.

You bought the TT2? Congrats! I moved from Qutest to TT2 after a demo too, was very happy with Qutest but after the TT2 experience just had to get one, wallet be damned..

 

[linearly]

You bought the TT2? Congrats! I moved from Qutest to TT2 after a demo too, was very happy with Qutest but after the TT2 experience just had to get one, wallet be damned..

Thank you. Didn't get it yet but hopefully soon. After owning DAVE I knew it was very hard to get a replacement thats why I wanted a Qutest until I got the funds for another DAVE. Did not expect TT2 to be this close to DAVE, of course DAVE scales exceptionally well with high end gear, and thats the way I felt when I owned it. DAVE needs a good power cable, expensive speakers/amps/headphones to make it shine. Now with my HD650's the difference between TT2 and DAVE should be much smaller. Also with the TT2 you have the peace of mind that you can try any headphone you want and not have to worry about driving them, so future proof too. Qutest, while I owned it was great too, but my amp didn't do it justice, so with the price of a good hp amp and great interconnects you get very close to the TT2. I'm very glad I gave TT2 a listen before deciding and I think on the long run I saved money that I would've spent on different hp amps until I found one that I like.

 

[hasos]

Has anyone compared Chord Qutest + Usbridge (or other streamer) vs Lumin D2 (with internal dac) SQ? I will be grateful for the opinion.

 

[dinus777]

Has anyone compared Chord Qutest + Usbridge (or other streamer) vs Lumin D2 (with internal dac) SQ? I will be grateful for the opinion.

Adding to that, i'm also interested if anyone have ALLO DigiOne Signature + Chord Qutest ?
I've read a lot very possitive reviews about it.
Thanks in advance !

 

[miketlse]

Adding to that, i'm also interested if anyone have ALLO DigiOne Signature + Chord Qutest ?
I've read a lot very possitive reviews about it.
Thanks in advance !

There are a few posts on the chord threads from owners happily using usbridge or digione. The disagreements seem to be more about whether to use usb or optical, and that defines which of those two pieces of kit to use.

 

[kumar402]

Adding to that, i'm also interested if anyone have ALLO DigiOne Signature + Chord Qutest ?
I've read a lot very possitive reviews about it.
Thanks in advance !

I used this combo when I had Qutest. Digione in general is a very good streamer. Easily integrate with Roon, provides airplay.
However you have to use LIFEPO4 batteries or LPS for powering the clean side. Digione provides weight and heft to sound, removes digital glares and BNC connector works like charm.
Do also take a look at PI2AES, It has all the output you will ever need - AES, I2S, Opical, BNC, RCA Coax

 

[jeremya]

@Rob Watts How much current (peak? constantly?) does Qutest draw from the signal side?

Context:
I was experimenting with a USB configuration that allows me to defeat the VBUS pathway and I noticed that when VBUS is eliminated, the Qutest disappears from Roon (even mid-playback). Re-connecting VBUS causes it to re-appear a few seconds later. So, I figure it's doing the standard USB device thing and using VBUS for detecting the presence of an upstream device.

I would suppose that the majority of the power for Qutest is provided via the 5V 1A micro-USB power cable connection... but knowing how much current the signal cable must also supply would enable some interesting experimentation with alternate supplies and sources.

Thanks in advance!

p.s. Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere (my search-fu failed me!).

 

[miketlse]

@Rob Watts How much current (peak? constantly?) does Qutest draw from the signal side?

Context:
I was experimenting with a USB configuration that allows me to defeat the VBUS pathway and I noticed that when VBUS is eliminated, the Qutest disappears from Roon (even mid-playback). Re-connecting VBUS causes it to re-appear a few seconds later. So, I figure it's doing the standard USB device thing and using VBUS for detecting the presence of an upstream device.

I would suppose that the majority of the power for Qutest is provided via the 5V 1A micro-USB power cable connection... but knowing how much current the signal cable must also supply would enable some interesting experimentation with alternate supplies and sources.

Thanks in advance!

p.s. Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere (my search-fu failed me!).

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/cho...official-thread.869417/page-222#post-14839706

 

[jeremya]

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/cho...official-thread.869417/page-222#post-14839706

Thanks, @miketlse! Relevant bit:

Yes the USB VBUS powers the USB decoder and the source side of the galvanic isolator.

I recall reading that post once upon a time, and reading it again fills in my mental model of how Qutest is built (now that I've spent quality time with one). Thanks!

However, my original question remains unanswered. I'm hoping Rob will get 'round to it eventually :

@Rob Watts How much current (peak? constantly?) does Qutest draw from the signal side?

 

[miketlse]

Thanks, @miketlse! Relevant bit:


I recall reading that post once upon a time, and reading it again fills in my mental model of how Qutest is built (now that I've spent quality time with one). Thanks!

However, my original question remains unanswered. I'm hoping Rob will get 'round to it eventually :

The USB decoder normally uses a few mW in the other Chord dacs, which would need only a few mA at 5V.
Still if you need a more precise answer, you will have to wait for Rob.

 

[Rob Watts]

The USB decoder and isolation circuitry consumes about 0.3 W, so you are looking at 60 mA of current drawn on VBUS.

 

[jeremya]

Thanks, @Rob Watts!

By the way, I'm loving the Qutest. Lovely piece of kit. =^)

 

[Reactcore]

Hi ppl.
Recently joined the Qutest team!
Acquired myself one used for 1025 euros.
And tried feeding my HD800 straight out using digital volume in foobar. Have A-B with Mojo. And i can confirm that the analog stage of Qutest is more than capable of driving a 300ohm load.
And oh i like the transparency over Mojo!
I do guess adding an extra cap close to the 5v power inlet would give benefit cause of the more current being drawn specially for the peaks.
I'm also sure it works better with high impedance HP over low ones, its just the law of ohm: power is voltage x current and higher impedance use less current for the same power, so better for the op stage.

 

[jwbrent]

Love the Qutest! I took a more conventional path by using a Headamp Pico Power as my amp to drive my D8000/Utopia. Both of these headphones easily reveal the resolution and transparency of the Qutest. One day, I’d love to buy a Hugo TT 2, but for now, I’m all grins when I listen to my headphones.

 

[Baten]

Hi ppl.
Recently joined the Qutest team!
Acquired myself one used for 1025 euros.
And tried feeding my HD800 straight out using digital volume in foobar. Have A-B with Mojo. And i can confirm that the analog stage of Qutest is more than capable of driving a 300ohm load.
And oh i like the transparency over Mojo!
I do guess adding an extra cap close to the 5v power inlet would give benefit cause of the more current being drawn specially for the peaks.
I'm also sure it works better with high impedance HP over low ones, its just the law of ohm: power is voltage x current and higher impedance use less current for the same power, so better for the op stage.

Nice set-up!