Enjoyable review. I'm a U.K based headphone user who has had a Qutest in his system for over a year now, and like a few other people have already mentioned, i do think it is worthwhile trying the Qutest with a linear power supply, as it really did blacken the background when i got one. FWIW I am (finally) really happy with where my set up is now, having paired the Qutest with a tube amp (Auris HAS-2SF) and Meze Empyreans - it's detailed enough, but also warm enough to make listening to practically any track a pleasure (whereas when i had the Qutest with Focal Clears - and particularly when also used with a solid state amp - there were many tracks i couldn't enjoy due to harshness/brightness). Thanks again for reviewing a product that is a very common 'next step' DAC for U.K audiophiles.

I run my Qutest with an MScaler and it's awesome!

Great comparison review of these two DAC's. A lot of talk of them over time up to this point, you added a more clear understanding to what others have said to more clarify the sound of that technology. It's a lot of processing power in small boxes. A tube amp might be good.

Regarding the Coax sound you can not fairly compare one to the other when you have one running from a bridge and different cable etc all of which will slightly alter the sound. I think you need to be more clear with such a distinction.

Very interesting review! Let me ask you just a question. When you compared both DACs did you use both dacs powered from their own SMPSU or did you use the Hugo 2 powered with its internal batteries? I´m asking cause to me there is clear difference in sound quality using the Hugo 2 powered from its internal battery than from the SMPSU that comes with it. Thanks!

The Qutest deserves a good linear power supply, like the Sbooster. Its a night and day difference, and adds more meat to the bone.

For non-native speakers, Qutest is pronounced 'cutest'...there's no hyphen, so no pause between the syllables.

The “leanness” comes from a lack of smearing in the time domain of the lower frequencies. You notice this from comparing the mojo OG to the mojo 2 as well.

Be interesting if you got the chance to pair the Qutest with its obvious new partner, the Anni amp.

Thanks for this excellent review, it was very useful. I would like to know how would you compare the chord to the soekris 1421? And what output do you recommend using with the chord? Thanks again for your help 😊

I had the Hugo2 and from what I know, the Hugo2 is just the Quest with an amp/preamp. Great review as always!

Thank you for the great comparison! Don't know if you're using Roon, but it'll be also interesting to see your review on Hugo2 + 2go. This combination enhances not only usability but also sound quality significantly, I think.

How do these compare to the Mojo 2? Much appreciated

You are comparing a Dac to a Dac + amp. You need to compare Hugo2 with Qutest + Anni. Otherwise this is not a proper comparison.

I find the Chord Hugo 2 lean as you brought up. It is not necessarily the sound signature of Chord DAP. The Mojo appears to be away from that leanness . I heard that the Hugo TT2 completely flash out the lean sound go Hugo 2. This needs to be experienced by myself though.

Comparison starts here: 17:50

My experience is the qutest has got meat to the bones. What's the voltage do you run the DAC? I use on my HIFI by the way now headphones. Punch is really good on my Arias running from a roksan amp

Can you connect a ifi zen amp to this

Would you recommend pairing Qutest + GS-X Mini + Focal Utopia? Thanks.

Any chance you are going to review chord anni?

I'm sorry. FPGA is not a digital to analog decoding method. It is the way some digital circuit is implemented. It can be delta sigma or not or it might be just an upsampler or a digital filter or whatever. It is virtually a programmable chip. They do not have the volume to justify having a custom chip made for them, no audio manufacturer does, so they use an FPGA. Downside is the FPGA chip is huge, slow and consumes a lot of power. The FPGA allows them to also update the code if they want to. Chord use delta sigma conversion btw regardless if that is not based on using a standard off the shelf chip. Also, a resistor ladder can be implemented on a chip. In fact this is the way they were implemented in the old days but such chips are not manufactured anymore. If you want to go into technical terms, please make sure you are accurate and know what you're talking about. Otherwise you just add to the noise and confusion. We have too much of that already.

The only thing that is worth the money in Chord is the Mojo1 ang Hugo2. The rest sounds the same and only some features were added but soundwise no improvement.

Chord Dave is the most fleshed out.

Impressive. But about the Coaxial cables: you used two, why? and than the RCA switch between it: I think this was perhaps influencing the sound and the 'height'? And you didn't mention at all: what powersupply did you use? It really needs a good Lineair Power Supply.

Do you ever respond to comment?!

The qutests power supply is poor add a better power s suppy and it will be every bit as good as hugo or even better ?

Just to clarify. There is no such thing as FPGA dac. FPGA is used for basically maths that are needed to "prepare" digital signal to be converted to analog. Actual conversion is made using discrete components. And also chord dacs are actually delta sigma. Cheers

I would agree with this review; the Qutest sound is indeed "lean" but this is just the result of it being so damn bright. It's very fatiguing. I bought a secondhand one and sold it again very quickly as couldn't stand it compared to my regular DAC (a gorgeously transparent and neutral Geek Pulse fi). Only bought it as needed a DAC compatible with the Raspberry Pi, which my regular DAC isn't. But the sound is too harsh to bear. I know it's not my system as that is very neutral (Harbeth speakers, for example). I've seen similar comments online, and all kind of responses, including "you need to break it in" and "you need to get your room acoustically treated" and "get a non linear power supply" which IMO all amount to gaslighting. Another comment said it's brighter with USB than optical. What kind of shit DAC behaves like that?! Good riddance.

Prior to listening to such devices descriptions like "roomy, trasparent, lean, good soundstage" didn't make any sense. But now I agree to every word about this device. At least comparing to RME, which is detailed, but kind of flat to my taste

I really do not understand when both of them sound exactly the same when doing real a/b

Q Test?

Snake oil.

Sorry, I can't take seriously a dac called "qutest" that looks like a toy for children. The same goes for Shiit products, although at least they look like real hardware.

There just something about the chord product that turns me off. It looks like a cheap toy from the 80s or early 90s. It wasnt night bright it was something else where it would light up like that and make patters that you would have to follow.

Hard pass. I dislike the footprint, the thing looks like it came from Fisher-Price which I dislike, I dislike that it is not balanced, I really dislike the price tag, and from what you have described, I would dislike the sound signature as well. Not a lot going for it in my book other than a high price tag.