Chord Electronics Qutest DAC - Official Thread

[Lokust]

I know listening to music is always personal and subjective, but I never experience the qutest as fatiguing. And I am using the included psu. I listen with a hifiman arya stealth and soloist gt which by some seem to be bright. I only hear beautifully musical.

It also depends on what music you are listening to. I mainly listen to jazz/blues and classical and now and then some pop.

I have no experience with the bifrost (but read good stories about it)

Maybe someone hear had the possibility to compare?

Thanks for replying, really nice to hear. My music is primarily classic rock with a bit of 80's & 90's blended in. Can’t really try one out or compare, so am grateful for your input.

 

[Garpov]

Selling my Chord Qutest with Allo Shanti LPS, check the classifieds.

 

[Lokust]

Selling my Chord Qutest with Allo Shanti LPS, check the classifieds.

Hi, why if I may ask? Subjectively too bright / fatiguing ? Thanks!

 

[jjazzy]

Selling my Chord Qutest with Allo Shanti LPS, check the classifieds.

how much do you want for the allo shanti lps?

 

[technobear]

how much do you want for the allo shanti lps?

That's not how it works. Go to the classifieds.

 

[Tralfaz]

Hello to everyone,

Need some advice, please give it freely ,

Am picking up a Wells Audio Milo next week from Jeff... it's a single-ended amp with XLR added for flexibility. Was set on getting a Qutest as a smallish (desktop) DAC to go along with it. HP = LCD-4. But after reading a few of the reviews, am a bit nervous -> some say fatiguing & lean. Not interested in an additional power supply. Guess I could go with schiit bifrost 2/64. might be a better option? What are your thoughts? Thanks!

I have both the current Bifrost 2/64 and the Qutest connected to my desktop system and can readily switch between them.

While I use the Bifrost for regular computer sound, I rarely use it for dedicated music listening as I find the Qutest to present music in a way that works better for me. While the Bifrost is a terrific DAC (and for some, it may be their grail DAC), I find the Qutest offers better image specificity with a deeper and more focused soundstage, making it easier for me to follow different elements in the recording like the bass line, backup singers, etc. I suspect many people may prefer the Bifrost, which to me presents recordings as more "of a whole" while the Qutest presents me with music a la Joe Friday: "Just the facts" and which allows my brain to assemble the details in my head. This is not to say the Qutest is at all analytical; it just delivers the details while staying out of the way. I find it tonally spot-on and not at all bright or fatiguing.

Reviewing the above, I have no idea if what I wrote accurately reflects what I'm trying to express so I'll leave with this: Both the Bifrost 2/64 and the Qutest are great DACs but the Qutest is the one that really "speaks" to me and the one that I prefer.

I hope this is at least a little helpful.

 

[jjazzy]

I have both the current Bifrost 2/64 and the Qutest connected to my desktop system and can readily switch between them.

While I use the Bifrost for regular computer sound, I rarely use it for dedicated music listening as I find the Qutest to present music in a way that works better for me. While the Bifrost is a terrific DAC (and for some, it may be their grail DAC), I find the Qutest offers better image specificity with a deeper and more focused soundstage, making it easier for me to follow different elements in the recording like the bass line, backup singers, etc. I suspect many people may prefer the Bifrost, which to me presents recordings as more "of a whole" while the Qutest presents me with music a la Joe Friday: "Just the facts" and which allows my brain to assemble the details in my head. This is not to say the Qutest is at all analytical; it just delivers the details while staying out of the way. I find it tonally spot-on and not at all bright or fatiguing.

Reviewing the above, I have no idea if what I wrote accurately reflects what I'm trying to express so I'll leave with this: Both the Bifrost 2/64 and the Qutest are great DACs but the Qutest is the one that really "speaks" to me and the one that I prefer.

I hope this is at least a little helpful.

I never heared the bifrost, but I do recognize your explaination regarding the qutest, the way it sounds

 

[FunkyBassMan]

Just get an Ifi PowerX and be done with it. $100 and to me sounds amazing.

Any sense how that would be powering the M-Scaler?

 

[Lokust]

I have both the current Bifrost 2/64 and the Qutest connected to my desktop system and can readily switch between them.

While I use the Bifrost for regular computer sound, I rarely use it for dedicated music listening as I find the Qutest to present music in a way that works better for me. While the Bifrost is a terrific DAC (and for some, it may be their grail DAC), I find the Qutest offers better image specificity with a deeper and more focused soundstage, making it easier for me to follow different elements in the recording like the bass line, backup singers, etc. I suspect many people may prefer the Bifrost, which to me presents recordings as more "of a whole" while the Qutest presents me with music a la Joe Friday: "Just the facts" and which allows my brain to assemble the details in my head. This is not to say the Qutest is at all analytical; it just delivers the details while staying out of the way. I find it tonally spot-on and not at all bright or fatiguing.

Reviewing the above, I have no idea if what I wrote accurately reflects what I'm trying to express so I'll leave with this: Both the Bifrost 2/64 and the Qutest are great DACs but the Qutest is the one that really "speaks" to me and the one that I prefer.

I hope this is at least a little helpful.

I have both the current Bifrost 2/64 and the Qutest connected to my desktop system and can readily switch between them.

While I use the Bifrost for regular computer sound, I rarely use it for dedicated music listening as I find the Qutest to present music in a way that works better for me. While the Bifrost is a terrific DAC (and for some, it may be their grail DAC), I find the Qutest offers better image specificity with a deeper and more focused soundstage, making it easier for me to follow different elements in the recording like the bass line, backup singers, etc. I suspect many people may prefer the Bifrost, which to me presents recordings as more "of a whole" while the Qutest presents me with music a la Joe Friday: "Just the facts" and which allows my brain to assemble the details in my head. This is not to say the Qutest is at all analytical; it just delivers the details while staying out of the way. I find it tonally spot-on and not at all bright or fatiguing.

Reviewing the above, I have no idea if what I wrote accurately reflects what I'm trying to express so I'll leave with this: Both the Bifrost 2/64 and the Qutest are great DACs but the Qutest is the one that really "speaks" to me and the one that I prefer.

I hope this is at least a little helpful.

Thanks, your description is more than sufficient. Appreciate you taking the time to write. Am going to go with the Qutest, think it's going to be a fun addition. Your description also parallels quite a few of the Internet reviews. Spot on, I think.

I'll let you know what my experiences are in a few weeks.

 

[jjazzy]

Thanks, your description is more than sufficient. Appreciate you taking the time to write. Am going to go with the Qutest, think it's going to be a fun addition. Your description also parallels quite a few of the Internet reviews. Spot on, I think.

I'll let you know what my experiences are in a few weeks.

Try the qutest together with hqplayer, with settings like sinc-m and filter n15, and you will even be more amazed by the qutest.

I don’t know if it is the same as adding a mscaler (some say it does, some say even better). The only thing I can say is, it sounds amazing!

 

[Lokust]

Will do! Usually use either jriver or (if I'm lazy) my Aurender. Will look into what the hqplayer is.

 

[mchuckp]

I have both the current Bifrost 2/64 and the Qutest connected to my desktop system and can readily switch between them.

While I use the Bifrost for regular computer sound, I rarely use it for dedicated music listening as I find the Qutest to present music in a way that works better for me. While the Bifrost is a terrific DAC (and for some, it may be their grail DAC), I find the Qutest offers better image specificity with a deeper and more focused soundstage, making it easier for me to follow different elements in the recording like the bass line, backup singers, etc. I suspect many people may prefer the Bifrost, which to me presents recordings as more "of a whole" while the Qutest presents me with music a la Joe Friday: "Just the facts" and which allows my brain to assemble the details in my head. This is not to say the Qutest is at all analytical; it just delivers the details while staying out of the way. I find it tonally spot-on and not at all bright or fatiguing.

Reviewing the above, I have no idea if what I wrote accurately reflects what I'm trying to express so I'll leave with this: Both the Bifrost 2/64 and the Qutest are great DACs but the Qutest is the one that really "speaks" to me and the one that I prefer.

I hope this is at least a little helpful.

I think your comments are spot on. I have both as well and would describe it the same. I feel the Qutest has a bit less impact than the BF but the separation and timbre is amazing and hard for me to go back. What is interesting though is that I sold my Qutest just a week ago for a TT2 and I'm struggling to decide what I think of it. As many would, I started with just my high quality recordings and was floored with how good it sounds. However, now that I've settled in and starting to just listen to what I feel like listening to vs purposely only playing high quality stuff, I'm feeling underwhelmed. I'm guessing it isn't that the TT2 is making them sound worse, probably more than it can create such magic with great sounding stuff and thus making my average sounding stuff less engaging. There has been a number of tunes I've turned off and moved on to something else that I used to enjoy on the Qutest.

Maybe my brain is still adjusting but I am debating keeping the TT2 for a while and then consider going back to the Qutest. I've had concerns about going too far up the food chain in resolution for this reason. I guess I'll see what I think as time goes on.

 

[Lokust]

I think your comments are spot on. I have both as well and would describe it the same. I feel the Qutest has a bit less impact than the BF but the separation and timbre is amazing and hard for me to go back. What is interesting though is that I sold my Qutest just a week ago for a TT2 and I'm struggling to decide what I think of it. As many would, I started with just my high quality recordings and was floored with how good it sounds. However, now that I've settled in and starting to just listen to what I feel like listening to vs purposely only playing high quality stuff, I'm feeling underwhelmed. I'm guessing it isn't that the TT2 is making them sound worse, probably more than it can create such magic with great sounding stuff and thus making my average sounding stuff less engaging. There has been a number of tunes I've turned off and moved on to something else that I used to enjoy on the Qutest.

Maybe my brain is still adjusting but I am debating keeping the TT2 for a while and then consider going back to the Qutest. I've had concerns about going too far up the food chain in resolution for this reason. I guess I'll see what I think as time goes on.

Sounds like the Qutest is exactly what I'm looking for. Was going to buy it used, but it seems to have such a high resale value, can just buy it new.

 

[mchuckp]

Sounds like the Qutest is exactly what I'm looking for. Was going to buy it used, but it seems to have such a high resale value, can just buy it new.

For whatever reason there are a bazillion used right now if you wanna save some money. Check out US Audio Mart site. Currently at least one for $999

 

[jjazzy]

For whatever reason there are a bazillion used right now if you wanna save some money. Check out US Audio Mart site. Currently at least one for $999

Yes quite a few, would be nice if they sell that many 5v lps second hand as well

Already looking for one for ages, something like a allo shanti or sbooster etc…