Chord Electronics Qutest DAC - Official Thread

[uzi2]

The same question would also be relevant to anyone considering using a NiMH battery power pack in view of the gradual voltage drop as the batteries are drained.

 

[dac64]

Power surge is more harmful (to the capacitors) therefore big amp usually deploy relays.

If an amp was left for too long, good to start it up with a variable transformer to charger the capacitors.

I don't think there was a transformer. I saw the internal pcb before. Just some smd after the bnc.

Maybe your gd not conformed to AES3 standard.

 

[Rob Watts]

On the above BNC input issue, I'm under the assumption that the Qutest BNC coax input must have a built-in transformer that causes a compatibility issue with the BNC output of my Audio-GD DI-20 DDC which uses a special "ACSS" 2nd generation coaxial technology (more here). Can anyone back up my theory on this? So I'm planning to use a RCA to BNC coax cable to the Qutest as a workaround, allowing a connection from the DI-20 "standard" coax port rather than BNC ACSS version.

Also apologies for reverting to the LPS topic for a moment, but nobody had an answer on the other thread yet, so here it is: Does anyone have an opinion if gradual voltage build up and decrease is likely to damage the Qutest if turned on / off this way? With some LPSs the supercapacitor is wired directly to the DC output, causing power built up in the supercaps to drain out into the Qutest for a few minutes after power off, and likewise gradually build up to the 5v on powering up. I've done it this way a few times before with no issues but I would like to know if this is likely to cause any long-term damage to the Qutest if power cycled like this every day?

@Rob Watts would you clue us in on the BNC transformer and gradual power cycle question please?

The BNC inputs are designed to work with 768kHz inputs, and this precludes using transformers, as they typically are too slow. It is a very sensitive input, much less than 1v peak to peak, and set to 75 ohms.

Qutest was not designed for use with slow ramp up and ramp down PSUs, and although it shouldn't damage the FPGA (as the PSUs start-up and shutdown sequence is controlled via precision enables) I can't guarantee the rest of the circuitry. Not using the stock PSU invalidates the Chord warranty, so this is very much at your risk.

 

[Focux]

out of curiosity does anyone turn off their qutest when not listening or leave on 24/7 as per the manual?

 

[Triode User]

24/7 on for me,

 

[dac64]

Btw, the built (or the claims) of DI-20 just like a little WADAX

 

[gearocdguy]

my amp does have balanced inputs but I doubt I would hear a diff tbh

besides, I’ve not seen this being sold anywhere locally. Thanks for the recommendation tho, I’ve heard good things abt it

You can buy them on Benchmarkmedia website

Based on my experience they sounded better from the Qutest into both my Krell KAV-400xi and my Jotunheim compared to both the Audioquest Big Sur and Better Cables Silver Serpents. The Big Sur's where fine, the Silver Serpents sound a little quicker, but the Benchmarks sounded cleaner as I believe they reduce some of the noise caused by magnetic interference from the gaggle of wires. Where I can't use the benchmark adapters, I am using the silver serpents.

They are particularly good to my Krell as it as across the room and I found a good place online to get custom cable XLRs and a reasonable price. I got 2x25' Canare StarQuad L-4E6S with the Neutrik connects for around $60 plus shipping (Redco Audio). The website said two weeks and he turned them around in a day.

 

[jwbrent]

out of curiosity does anyone turn off their qutest when not listening or leave on 24/7 as per the manual?

Generally, DACs perform best when they reach thermal stability. Of all the DACs I’ve owned, I’ve always left them on so there is no warm up needed. No moving parts for reliability concerns.

 

[dac64]

On the above BNC input issue, I'm under the assumption that the Qutest BNC coax input must have a built-in transformer that causes a compatibility issue with the BNC output of my Audio-GD DI-20 DDC which uses a special "ACSS" 2nd generation coaxial technology (more here). Can anyone back up my theory on this? So I'm planning to use a RCA to BNC coax cable to the Qutest as a workaround, allowing a connection from the DI-20 "standard" coax port rather than BNC ACSS version.

Why not toslink to the qutest directly? We'd not know what have DI did to the data.

 

[DecentLevi]

Btw, the built (or the claims) of DI-20 just like a little WADAX

If I read you right you're praising the DI-20 for being close to another product touting to be the peak of digital quality. It's certainly heralded as one of the best DDC's made according to owners, and for me I've already heard a huge improvement with my USB source even into my mid-fi iFi iDSD Black lablel DAC/AMP via the DI-20.

Why not toslink to the qutest directly? We'd not know what have DI did to the data.

The only common connection type between the DI-20 and Qutest is BNC, which doesn't include Toslink. I've got a special BNC/RCA cable on order to try to get around the compatibility issue between that connection type.

 

[uzi2]

out of curiosity does anyone turn off their qutest when not listening or leave on 24/7 as per the manual?

I can't see in the manual where it recommends leaving it on 24/7
It does say that it is "designed to be permanently connected to a power supply", but nowhere does it state that the power supply should be permanently switched on. I take that more as a warning not to frequently plug/unplug the fragile microUSB connector. After all it does have the feature of remembering your settings, which would be redundant if powered on 24/7

 

[Focux]

I can't see in the manual where it recommends leaving it on 24/7
It does say that it is "designed to be permanently connected to a power supply", but nowhere does it state that the power supply should be permanently switched on. I take that more as a warning not to frequently plug/unplug the fragile microUSB connector. After all it does have the feature of remembering your settings, which would be redundant if powered on 24/7

fair enough that's true..

 

[Christer]

fair enough that's true..

Yep that micro usb connection is the ONE most annoying thing with Qutest imho.
I change between the stock and my preferred battery PSU when needed, ie battery down.
And it is always with fear I try to fit that horrible little thing into that micro connection.

I guess a proper connection would obviously have been far too expensive for Chord?
Profit margins before customer satisfaction unfortunately seems to be the rule they follow.

Having listened to Rob's podcast interview I was quite shocked to hear how absolutely ridiculously narrow the parts used margins can be in this business.

5 cents too much !!!!
And a whole project dropped!

That quote makes it a lot easier to put in perspective and understand why so many go to such great lengths to improve on stock products.
I was under the impression that at least DAVE was a cost no object product at its time of introduction?
I also maybe wrongly,correct me if I am wrong, but interpreted his comments on his upcoming "in the next year or so "amp thing" to have a linear PSU unit!
Is the real reason for the lack of linear PSUs on Dave and Qutest and TT2 also simply " too expensive"?
Cheers CC

 

[Triode User]

Yep that micro usb connection is the ONE most annoying thing with Qutest imho.
I change between the stock and my preferred battery PSU when needed, ie battery down.
And it is always with fear I try to fit that horrible little thing into that micro connection.

I guess a proper connection would obviously have been far too expensive for Chord?
Profit margins before customer satisfaction unfortunately seems to be the rule they follow.

Having listened to Rob's podcast interview I was quite shocked to hear how absolutely ridiculously narrow the parts used margins can be in this business.

5 cents too much !!!!
And a whole project dropped!

That quote makes it a lot easier to put in perspective and understand why so many go to such great lengths to improve on stock products.
I was under the impression that at least DAVE was a cost no object product at its time of introduction?
I also maybe wrongly,correct me if I am wrong, but interpreted his comments on his upcoming "in the next year or so "amp thing" to have a linear PSU unit!
Is the real reason for the lack of linear PSUs on Dave and Qutest and TT2 also simply " too expensive"?
Cheers CC

Christer, I think the 5 cents too much comment was in relation to his former life prior to Chord? However I think that Rob has previously said that each Chord digital product has a parts target cost before the project starts.

The amp 'thing' to which you refer is surely the long awaited and oft mentioned digital amp . . . .?

 

[Christer]

Christer, I think the 5 cents too much comment was in relation to his former life prior to Chord? However I think that Rob has previously said that each Chord digital product has a parts target cost before the project starts.

The amp 'thing' to which you refer is surely the long awaited and oft mentioned digital amp . . . .?

Hello Nick, yes that is what I think as well, in both cases. I used the "five cents" as an example of sometimes very annoying compromises made within a given budget.
The "amp thing" as you say not before 2022 probably or not even that soon judging by the Davina progress.
And I still think Chord sort of operates within similar stringent,saving half a penny if they can, parts budgets.
The micro usb on Qutest is a very clear such sign to me.

My now oldish Benchmark DAC 2 HGC which when I bought it sold for about the same price as a Qutest is MUCH sturdier built, and has got both PRO QUALITY connections and lots of them!
I've even seen it used as monitoring headphone amp at classical recording sessions.
Qutest is a better dac, yes but I am still using the headphone amp of my DAC 2 with Qutest/HMS with both HD800 and HEKV2 with quite satisfying results.
And the DAC 2 headphone amp delivers enough current to run both at the same time should I wish to do so.
If you have been trying different ways of powering your Qutest over the stock supply, don't you also find it annoying with that little micro usb plug which at least I can't see properly what's up or down on without my reading glasses without lifting the little brick?
And moving it is out of the question since I am using the Wave Storm and my Mscaler with my Qutest 100% of the time. Without the Mscaler Qutest is just another good dac among others to me.
The flimsy tiny, fragile little socket is probably not at all made to last very long under such circumstances as plugging in and out regularly?
IMO a VERY annoying compromise.

PS when can we read your about Power supply comparisons with your Qutest by the way?
Or has it already been posted and I missed it?
Headfi is acting very erratically as far as alerts and new posts are concerned on my mbp.
Cheers CC