[thegen]

I would like to post this poll to see if people would be interested in a more budget friendly DAC from Chord. I for one would really want something in the price range of the Mojo. But as a D/A converter only, without batteries or amplification. Perhaps a little baby brother to the Qutest, maybe a Chord Super Qute?. I know this poll probably won't make Chord develop such a thing, but atleast it would be interesting to see the results.

This poll, along with it's attached image is all fictional. Nothing official from Chord!

 

[Infoseeker]

ChiFi is really catching up in such a tier of stuff.

By the time they released it, it will be saturated by Topping competitors and all.

 

[Whazzzup]

Id prefer a dac only offering between TT and dave but i doubt it.

 

[jaaibananzu]

@Infoseeker
Can you please tell me what these ChiFi dacs are?
Looking for a inexpensive dac myself.
Thanks!

 

[audiobill]

@Infoseeker
Can you please tell me what these ChiFi dacs are?
Looking for a inexpensive dac myself.
Thanks!

Not speaking for @Infoseeker, but a couple of the latest DACs from China which use the flagship AK4499 DAC are the Topping D90 and Gustard A22. Other models from those brands and others are available at even lower prices using previous DAC chipset versions. Hope that helps!

 

[Infoseeker]

Then there are a lot of dac/amps with line-out.

Stuff like the E1da 9038s and PowerDac V2 (but are balanced output). The announced single-ended versions will be more practical, since you won't need a balanced-input amp.

Quloos line up of devices. Especially the premium (pricey) QA390.

YuLvMe m400 dac/amp's outputs.

Smsl m500

None of those fit the role of purely an amp. But they are just the start of what's to come. The QA390 should be as good as a stand alone dac.

 

[jaaibananzu]

Thanks.
But these are the opposite of inexpensive^^

 

[gimmeheadroom]

On the one hand I think the Mojo was good but not a good value. With the new price it's a good value. Analytical, a lot of engineering went into it and supports huge DSD rates so kinda future proof. But the UI on Chord stuff is just too weird.

As far as desktop stuff goes I have the RME and Brooklyn DAC+. I like those a lot better. I want a digital display of sample rate and bit depth, I want some filtering choices, and I want MQA support. I'm sure the high-end Chord stuff is amazing but I have never heard it. I like British audio and would like to see more traditional products from Chord without the crazy lights, batteries, and bizarre form-factor. Sometimes being unique can go a little too far.