Chord Electronics Qutest DAC
You like your amplifier and speakers, but what goes into them is digital — a streamer, a laptop, the digital output of your old CD player — and it sounds flatter than the record next to it. Qutest is the one box that turns that around without touching the rest. It is the Hugo 2's conversion without battery or headphone output: the whole budget went into the conversion. The USB input is galvanically isolated, so computer noise stays outside; four filters set the treble to your taste; the output is yours to choose at 1, 2 or 3 volts, to match your amplifier. What Hi-Fi? gave it Best DAC every year from 2018 to 2023. It has no volume knob, so an amplifier with volume must follow; for headphones or the road, there is the Hugo 2.
Specifications
| Chipset | Chord Electronics custom coded Xilinx Artix 7 (XC7A15T) FPGA |
|---|---|
| Pulse array | 10 element pulse array design |
| Tap length | Tap-length: 49,152 | Tap length filter: 49,152 – 10 element Pulse Array design |
| PCM support | 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz, 717.6kHz, and 768kHz. 16 – 32bit |
| DSD support | Native playback supported. DSD64 (Single) to DSD512 (Octa-DSD) |
| Inputs | USB Type B (White): 44.1kHz to 768kHz – 16bit to 32bit; 2x BNC Coax (Red): 44.1kHz – 384kHz – 16bit to 32bit; 1x Dual data mode input (using both BNC coax inputs together): 44.1kHz to 768kHz – 16bit to 32bit; Optical (Green): 44.1kHz to 96kHz – 16bit to 24bit |
| Outputs | 1x stereo pair of RCA (Left and Right) |
| THD | THD: <0.0001% 1kHz 3v RMS 300Ω | THD and noise at 3v RMS: 117dB at 1kHz 300ohms 'A' weighted (reference 2.5v) |
| Noise | 2.6 uV 'A' weighted; No measurable noise floor modulation |
| Channel separation | 138dB at 1kHz 300Ω |
| Frequency response | 20Hz – 20kHz +/- 0.2dB |
| Output voltage | Fixed, but selectable between 3v (blue), 2v (green), and 1v (red) via dual press of 'Filter' + 'Input' upon startup |
| Output stage | Class A |
| Driver support | Driverless with Mac OS X and Linux, driver required for Windows OS |
| Operating voltage | 5v 2amp Micro USB |
| Materials | Precision machined aluminium casing with polycarbonate buttons and glass viewing portal. Available only in Jett Black. |
| Dimensions | 4.5cm (H) 16cm (W) 8.8cm (D) |
| Weight | 770g |
| Weight, boxed | 1500g |
| Country of manufacture | England |
| Designer | Digital: Rob Watts | Mechanical: John Franks |
| Finishes | Available only in Jett Black |
| In the box | Qutest user manual; Safety instructions; Drawstring bag; 5V 2A Switching Micro USB power supply; Type-A USB to Type-B USB cable |
Where to listen
Every model is sold and demonstrated through Joenit's authorized dealer network in the Benelux. Find your nearest dealer to hear it for yourself.
