I owned previously the 2Qute and later the Qutest. Both were great DACs for their price, but I would say that Qutest had an incredible price/performance ratio and was a big step forward from the 2Qute. One month ago I had an opportunity to buy at a good price the combo of TT2 + M Scaler and I took them. The first impression, when I tried the TT2 coming from the Qutest was an incredible wide soundstage, with a lot of more elements. I have to admit, I heard a better resolution but if I would like to assess it, I would say that 20% is a decent value. But what most people do not understand when comparing high end DACs is that up to a price point you search for clarity and resolution, and from a point, you already have the needed resolution and you search for a more natural sound. TT2 does not have a proportional resolution increase compared to the price vs Qutest, but the sound it provides is more natural, efortless, closer to what you hear in the real world or a concert hall, and it shines on specific passages. Of course, to what degree it depends on the rest of your gear, on the music genre and the quality of the files you play. It is that type of DAC which grows near you each time you listen to it. Most of the tracks are close to what you know, but those specific passages, when you hear that natural sound, are making the difference. It is always hard to compare, especially if you sell your previous gear, and this is my case. And yes, I use TT2 with an external tube amplifier because the integrated ones cannot properly make my T1s shine, and I use upgraded BNC cables and linear power supplies. All of these are making a difference for me. The internal amplifier was never a selling point for me, since I was always interested in the DAC part of the Chord products.
