Chord Electronics Qutest
Multi-award-winning DAC from British Chord Electronics
If you want the absolute best results from your digital sources, there's no way around the products from British Chord Electronics. Their in-house programmed FPGA chipset is market-leading when it comes to digital-to-analog conversion, and combined with the ability to use Chord's digital filters, this is the pinnacle of performance—the cream of the crop and the absolute best option in its price range. The first thing you should do after acquiring this DAC is to listen to your entire music collection from the beginning. You'll discover details you've never heard before and layers in the music that finally come to light.
Big performance from a small package
There's no doubt that Chord Electronics Hugo 2 won the hearts of Hi-Fi enthusiasts and discerning music lovers worldwide. However, users who didn't need the headphone amplifier component were somewhat hesitant to invest in this fantastic device. With Chord Qutest, Chord delivers the successor to the award-winning 2Qute DAC, featuring an entirely new design and innards taken directly from the Hugo 2. Qutest is built around Rob Watts' FPGA technology from Hugo 2, which has garnered every award in the Hi-Fi press as the ultimate D/A converter in its price class. It is equipped with four digital inputs, which should be sufficient for most users. There is one optical TosLink input, two coaxial inputs in the form of BNC, and last but not least, a USB-B for connection to a PC or Mac. The USB input supports up to 32-bit/768kHz and DSD512 (Octa-DSD). In short,
Advanced digital processing
Chord Electronics Qutest handles everything you can throw at it in terms of bit depths and sample rates. The coaxial over BNC also accepts up to 32-bit/768kHz, while the optical input supports a maximum of 24-bit/192kHz. As with Hugo 2, Qutest also allows you to use Chord's proprietary digital filters. The enclosure is precision-engineered from a block of aluminum and, of course, manufactured in England. Chord Qutest is among our most popular products.
If you’re looking for something cheaper or better, check out our selection of D/A converters.
| Measurements | 4,1 x 16 x 7,2 cm |
| Weight (net) | 0.8 kg |
| Input, optical (TosLink) | 1 |
| Input, USB | 1 |
| Input, BNC | 2 |
| Output, Stereo RCA | 1 |
| Output, Headphone | No |
| Audio decoding | DSD128 / 5.6 MHz, DSD256 / 11.2 MHz |
| Supported sample rates, kHz | 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192, 352, 384, 768 |
| Supported bit depth | 16 bit, 24 bit, 32 bit |
| Audio chipset | Chord Electronics custom coded Xilinx Artix 7 FPGA |
| In the box | Power supply, Users guide |
| Other included accessories | 2m Type A to Type B USB Cable |
