Product Description

Chord Electronics Qutest DAC is a standalone DAC introduced by Chord Electronics at CES 2018 to replace its multi-award winning predecessor, the 2Qute. With DAC architecture based on the award-winning Hugo 2, Qutest offers class-leading digital conversion.

Qutest is Chord Electronics’ pure digital-to-analog converter; it does not contain headphone amplification or rechargeable batteries like the Hugo₂ and is designed to improve sound quality in the home. It is Chord’s most affordable standalone DAC.

THE NEXT GENERATION OF PURE DACS

Qutest is a ‘pure’ DAC (it does not contain headphone amplification or rechargeable batteries like some of its range stablemates) and is designed to improve sound quality in the home. It is the latest evolution of Chord’s most affordable standalone DAC, the multi-award-winning 2Qute, which it directly replaces.

Qutest, a What Hi-Fi? Star of CES 2018, is based on Chord’s award-winning proprietary FPGA technology developed for the class-leading Hugo 2 DAC/headphone amp, giving it proven class-leading technical and sonic performance. Perfectly equipped to bring the benefits our digital technology to a wide range of connected devices, it features a galvanically isolated USB-B, optical and coaxial digital input, giving an instant performance upgrade, plus the ability to modernize aging digital source components.

The Qutest chassis is all-new, too. It has significantly greater mass than its predecessor and has been precision-machined from solid aircraft-grade aluminum billet. The Qutest PCB nestles within a shallow cavity in the solid aluminum chassis, giving the circuit board greater protection within the casework and additional isolation from external vibration compared to previous designs.

Chord Electronics Qutest DAC offers Hugo 2’s proprietary user-selectable frequency-shaping filters and input selection controls, available via two fascia-mounted spheres, introducing useful flexibility. It also features RCA analog outputs for connection to integrated amplifiers, preamps, and headphone amps, plus high-resolution dual-data digital inputs for connection to future Chord Electronics products.

A further new feature is a user-selectable output voltage available in 1, 2 and 3V RMS outputs for flexible connectivity with a wide range of partnering devices.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

Materials: Precision machined aluminium casing
Polycarbonate buttons
Glass viewing portal
Color: Black
Weight: 1.70 lb (770g)

Dimensions: 1.61 H x 6.30 W x 2.83 D (41mm x 160mm x 72mm)
Shipping Weight: 3.3 lb (1500g)
Device Power Supply: 5v 2amp Micro USB

PERFORMANCE

Input: USB-B (White): 44.1kHz–768kHz / 16bit–32bit
Dual BNC (Red): 44.1kHz–768kHz / 16bit–32bit
Optical (Green): 44.1kHz–192kHz / 16bit–24bit
Output: 1x stereo pair of RCA (Left and Right)
PCM support: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 358.8kHz, 384kHz, 717.6kHz, and 768kHz
DSD support: Native playback supported. DSD64 (Single) to DSD512 (Octa-DSD)
Variable output: Fixed, but selectable between 3v (blue), 2v (green), and 1v (red) via dual press of ‘Filter’ + ‘Input’ upon startup
Driver support: Driverless with Mac OS X and Linux, driver required for Windows OS
Chipset: Chord Electronics custom coded Xilinx Artix 7 (XC7A15T) FPGA

Tap-length: 49,152
Pulse array: 10 element pulse array design
Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz +/- 0.2dB
Output stage: Class A
Output impedance: 0.025Ω
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

Brand

Chord Electronics

Engineering without limits means uncompromising standards for Chord Electronics. The British professional audio company took flight in 1989 when founder and Chief Engineer John Franks found inspiration in his junior engineer job at an avionics company. Aviation electronics demands reliability, performance, and superior attention to detail. That’s exactly what Franks brings to Chord's digital products. His comprehensive knowledge of power supply design and an ethos of doing things ‘right’ regardless of cost and effort sets Chord apart from competitors. This is reflected in the new and innovative Hugo M Scaler upscaling component.

The BBC received the first Chord amplifiers, followed by world-leading artists and studios, including Abbey Road, Sony Music (New York), and The Royal Opera House. Chord’s audio prowess generated demand for a domestic range. This audiophile-approved range encompasses the design, engineering and build standards the finest professional equipment requires. Today, Chord applies proprietary technologies to all of its British-made products. As a result, you can expect studio-grade audio performance across the entire Chord range encompassing amplifiers, DACs and music streamers from the Mojo 2 to the DAVE DAC.

As a nationally recognized leader in the field of high-end audio and home theater, Overture is a proud dealer of Chord Electronics products. We sell customers the best DACs and music streamers from Chord. Interested in purchasing a new Chord Electronics product? You can trade-in any component towards a Chord Electronics product by filling out Overture's Trade-In Form.

Our Brands

Chord Qutest

If you have a trade-in, request Trade-in Price.