[c3p0]

Before I purchased the Chord qbd76 I had the chordette gem dac. A great little dac.

Chord have now released a hybrid dac and dual output headphone amplifier called the Chordette Toucan.

I have just read an article on a russian site where details are given on other chordette (Chords "budget range") products such as amps and pre amps, looks very interesting.

I believe the toucan is their first headphone amp.

Anyone had a chance to listen to one yet?

The Chordette Toucan is a high end headphone amplifier, designed to accept either an RCA, balanced XLR or digital input, with two headphones output sockets. Many Hi Fi systems now omit the inclusion of a headphone output making private or discrete listening a problem. Furthermore, the quality of many headphones outputs is substandard and included as a "last minute addition". Adding a high quality headphone amplifier will allow you to enjoy the best possible performance from your headphones.

The Toucan features both gold plated RCA phono inputs and true balanced XLR inputs for analogue sources and has two headphone jack sockets so two people can listen at the same time, hence the name Toucan meaning ‘two can listen’. The addition of a USB port means the Toucan can be connected to a personal computer and will seamlessly appear as an audio device by the operating system. Any music played on the computer will be digitally decoded and then converted to a Hi Fi quality signal for playback.

The listening experience has been further enhanced by the addition of a cross-feed network filter. When selected, this will provide a spatial effect giving the feeling that the music has moved outside the head. This results in a more coherent soundstage and lifelike performance. A manually operated solid aluminium volume control makes for precise and easy volume adjustment.

Rear Panel



Specifications

Frequency Response 20Hz – 200Kz
THD+N 0.06%
Dynamic Range 112dB
Digital Inputs (Switchable) 1 x USB ( B type )
1 x RCA Phone pair or XLR balanced pair
Outputs 2 X ¼ inch Headphone Jack Sockets
USB DAC 0.006%THD;44/48KHz, USB 2.0 Compliant
Power Supply 12V 3A 2.1mm connector. Centre Pin Positive.
100V – 240V 50/60Hz 1A wall adapter supplied
Dimensions (mm) 160 x 70 x 40mm (Width x Height x Depth)
Weight 0.4Kg

 

[MomijiTMO]

Does it break the bank?

 

[c3p0]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MomijiTMO /img/forum/go_quote.gif Does it break the bank?

Sorry I didnt put the price in. RRP is £799. Chord stuff is more expensive in the US compared to the Uk slightly, but the exchange rate for the $ is much better right now.
I think your looking at $1200 here, maybe $1100.


I have seen it listed for that at one UK store. Should be available in the US aswell I imagine.

It has a cross feed filter which gives more of a spatial sound. Looks like this can be turned on and off. The DAC im assuming is the same as in the gem which is a pretty decent dac.

I am still using my graham slee srg with psu1. I may give this a spin and see what it sounds like.

 

[Covenant]

Chord certainly has a good reputation, in the high end DAC territory at least, but those specifications really tell me nothing about the Toucan.

What's the output power into various loads? Is it opamp based or discrete, and if the former, what opamps are being used? What DAC chip is being used? Is it a 2-channel passive ground headamp, or an active ground?

$1200 is a big chunk of change when you don't know what's under the hood.

 

[Currawong]

I think it's aimed at customers who have just built a system and the store salesperson can tack this on to the bill if they show an interest in getting a pair of headphones. This is probably why it is physically small, as I can't imagine even a rich customer unfamiliar with headphones buying into the idea of needing a big box just for them.

 

[Covenant]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Currawong /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think it's aimed at customers who have just built a system and the store salesperson can tack this on to the bill if they show an interest in getting a pair of headphones.

You're probably right, but at that price I sincerely hope there's more to that little box than a brand name.

 

[MomijiTMO]

Yay I'll take an M³ with a σ11 over that.

 

[Leny]

I've not heard one so can't comment on the sound quality, but I bet a fair chunk of your money goes on that neat case, leaving less for the electronics. Mybe I'm wrong.

 

[MomijiTMO]

You forgot the Chord name

 

[treebug]

Had a listen to one of these this morning. Looks very nice (glows red through the window on top, if you like that sort of thing), good build quality, but the sound is a little too bright for me. Incredible detail and soundstage but I prefer something a little warmer, like the Lehmann Black Cube. 

 

[Ypoknons]

Here's the other thread for reference.