[Currawong]

Featuring:

• Second generation WTA upscaler
• Styled in the Choral range of products
• 5 FPGA's
• 4 Million taps
• Equalizer function
• Separate dedicated designed power supply by Rob Watts

 

[Vyyy]

Thanks for sharing! Anyone have listened to it?

 

[seaice]

A comparison with the current M-Scaler would be great.

 

[thePhones]

A comparison with the current M-Scaler would be great.

Sure. M Scaler < Quartet.
Hope this helps.

 

[Reactcore]

So lets continue the posting from High End Munich show trader days and the upcoming New Quartet Scaler.
My friend @MvRBE10 was so kind to shoot the pictures and film on my request. Thankyou Maarten!

They had enough space to set up the products, i'm sad i couldnt be there myself to have a listen but want to share what i found out.
I try to honestly comment to what i see and heard on film. @Rob Watts if i gave wrong information anywhere, please correct me and i change my post.


So on to more pictures as thats what everyone wants

It is confirmed by Rob that the unit on the lowest Choral stand is the PSU dedicated for the Quartet Scaler in the middle. The green light is its Power on LED indicator.

I asked to lit the display by pressing a button, i see the same dot matrix LED digits that are used in the TT2. I think thats a smart move as they generate no noise and can be straight driven from FPGA output gates. I wonder what BBWTA means (WTA probably Watts Transient Timing). The display switches off after a timeout like on Dave.

3S could mean three seconds delay? and MAX shall then be 4 million taps setting.

Sideview

Rear side.
Mind that this is a prototype being in its testfase. The twisted powercable between the PSU and the scaler fitted with the addon socket is surely not the final supplied one.
Looking at the ventilation holes on the top and backside its obvious that the new scaler needs extensive cooling. i'm sure fitting everything in a Choral housing must have been a challenge. I think its not wise to stack them without sufficient distance between them. So the Choral stands are serving a needed ventilation purpose here.

If i observed it right i see on the Quartet Scaler:

On the left

• Power inlet, (special?) connector chassis
• Two BNC SPDIF inputs, as said with improved galvanic isolation
• Two Toslink inputs (Optical is my favorite transfer method being isolated against RF noise)
• USB B type input socket

On the right it is a bit more puzzling

• Two RCA connectors? they might serve as RCA SPDIF outputs so no RCA to BNC adapters are needed
• Toslink output (white doorcover is usual on toslink transmitters)
• One BNC SPDIF output, i'm guessing it is like on Hugo Mscaler (max 384Khz stereo samplerate)
• Two DBNC outputs. Rob has explained (on film) that 16FS 768K is the sweetspot as output samplerate to the DAC so that should be 2x 384Khz mono = Stereo upscaling like on the Hugo Mscaler

Then the PSU which is according to previous postings from Rob of switchmode (SMPS) type.
It has an extensive RF filterstage on both the in and output side, so that makes it clean towards the mains so a DAC cannot pick up noise generated by the Quartet's processing.

I wonder what the switch in the middle does.

We have asked about estimated pricings but the answer was that theyre not calculated yet.
An interesting fact that Rob mentioned is that there are 2500 parts used in the construction of this double Choral unit.

Further asking about Dave's successor revealed that in a technical perspective Rob and Chord staff have not seen another DAC that enters the domain of the current Dave. So there are no plans for a Dave2. There is offcourse the Ultima DAC which will maybe come next year (my guessing)

So i'm holding on to my Dave awaiting the release of the Quartet Scaler to complement it!


I hope this was useful for everyone.
I'm going back to my current set which i find hard to believe can get even better

Oh i will post the film with Rob explaining the background later if i figured a way

Now lets see who else wants to post impressions of the coming consumer days

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

Would be great if the Quartet's external power supply could also supply to the Chord DAVE like the Sean Jacobs ARC6-DC4 does !

 

[Mediahound]

Key information - How many digital taps and what is the pricing?

 

[Reactcore]

A little OT.. but heres pictures of some other products in the Chord room..

 

[B Manoj Kumar]

Can anyone share - what is this thing (highlighted in red) in this pic?

 

[thePhones]

Normally I‘m not picky when it comes to looks. But the Suzi stack looks absolutely ridiculous imo. Am I alone with this?
I like the modular thought behind it though.

 

[slumberman]

A comparison with the current M-Scaler would be great.

I am very familiar with MScaler and spent a bit of time with Quartet. It’s a very noticeable and palpable step up in terms of reconstruction.

 

[Reactcore]

I am very familiar with MScaler and spent a bit of time with Quartet. It’s a very noticeable and palpable step up in terms of reconstruction.

Must be without headphones connected..
Just kiddin'

Did you try the EQ function?

 

[thePhones]

Rob has a look on his face as if he‘s just smashed another window to get directly into the concert hall without paying the ticket price.

 

[slumberman]

Must be without headphones connected..
Just kiddin'

Did you try the EQ function?

I did not. I tried to listen to as much familiar music as possible , as is

 

[Reactcore]

Rob has a look on his face as if he‘s just smashed another window to get directly into the concert hall without paying the ticket price.

Hes a lucky man through hard work and clever thinking.

I have this kind of happiness feeling too when i get sonic improvents with my moddings even though theyre small compared to his achievements