New Chord QuteHD DSD and 384/32 Capable DAC

[wisnon]

Thanks man!

[Mihnea]

Well, I hesitate only because of the limited amount of DSDs in my library. The QuteHD handles DSD64 without issue via Audirvana+ and thus far I've been impressed. The SQ is simply wonderful. Piano comes to mind here .. just gorgeous, natural. It's hard to describe actually! Of course this leads to that inevitable question, "Is DSD better than hires PCM?". I certainly can't say at this point. I do like what I hear and I'm very excited to hear more.

 

Melvin,

 

Did you consider replacing the wall wart switching power supply with a decent linear one? As far as I read pretty everyone who went for a linear PSU has noticed serious improvements in SQ. I am curious before shedding the cash.

 

Also, did you have any chance of auditioning the M2Tech Young with their linear battery-based PSU? I have it now borrowed (couldn't decide for the QuteHD), and it sounds a bit more musical in my system, but this might also be attributed to the new speaker cables I installed at the same time.

 

Now, I am comparing 2 very nice DACs, one with the factory wall wart PSU and the other with a linear PSU costing as much as the DAC!

[Melvin]

Melvin,

 

Did you consider replacing the wall wart switching power supply with a decent linear one? As far as I read pretty everyone who went for a linear PSU has noticed serious improvements in SQ. I am curious before shedding the cash.

 

Also, did you have any chance of auditioning the M2Tech Young with their linear battery-based PSU? I have it now borrowed (couldn't decide for the QuteHD), and it sounds a bit more musical in my system, but this might also be attributed to the new speaker cables I installed at the same time.

 

Now, I am comparing 2 very nice DACs, one with the factory wall wart PSU and the other with a linear PSU costing as much as the DAC!

 

In fact, yes. However, I found it's a good idea to live with a new component for quite a while before adding anything else. I will listen to a great deal of my library with & without my SOtM converter in the mix before feeling confident enough to evaluate a linear PSU.

 

Funny you mention the Young DAC .. I took a long hard look at this DAC before pulling the trigger on the QuteHD but no I didn't audition it. Let us know which you decide on!

[Mihnea]

Funny you mention the Young DAC .. I took a long hard look at this DAC before pulling the trigger on the QuteHD but no I didn't audition it. Let us know which you decide on!

 

I 've only had it a day and all auditioning last evening was done with the speakers grill on since my young kid was roaming around and this is that last thing he needs to learn (what grills have behind them!).

 

I will definitely have more time over the weekend to make a more informed opinion about the Young.

 

Mihnea

[wisnon]

The Squeezebuster guys in Holland seem to have a nice power upgrade with the "best of Both worlds" product for about $150 plus delivery. The other I see is the MainscablesRus guys in the UK for about $300.

[wisnon]

I 've only had it a day and all auditioning last evening was done with the speakers grill on since my young kid was roaming around and this is that last thing he needs to learn (what grills have behind them!).

 

I will definitely have more time over the weekend to make a more informed opinion about the Young.

 

Mihnea

 

I will probably check out the chord too...for DSD, as for PCM, I cant see it beating the Lampi G4L4, no way.

[Mihnea]

I will probably check out the chord too...for DSD, as for PCM, I cant see it beating the Lampi G4L4, no way.

 

Price is in a different league though, not a "fair" comparison.

[wisnon]

Agreed, but I meant it more regarding the fact that I will have both and the Chord will be more for DSD and the Lampi for PCM. The Lampi is one of the few Dacs that sound "different" to most others.

[Robert Hutton]

The Squeezebuster guys in Holland seem to have a nice power upgrade with the "best of Both worlds" product for about $150 plus delivery. The other I see is the MainscablesRus guys in the UK for about $300.

 

I thought that "best Of Both Worlds" solution was UK mains only - am I wrong about that?

[wisnon]

Well Europe/Australia power only, with choices of plugs:

 

Squeeze-upgrade | BOTWS | Lineaire Chord Chordette Gem DAC adapter upgrade met SBooster

 

I am in Europe. Sorry if I misled you.

[wisnon]

Well, I hesitate only because of the limited amount of DSDs in my library. The QuteHD handles DSD64 without issue via Audirvana+ and thus far I've been impressed. The SQ is simply wonderful. Piano comes to mind here .. just gorgeous, natural. It's hard to describe actually! Of course this leads to that inevitable question, "Is DSD better than hires PCM?". I certainly can't say at this point. I do like what I hear and I'm very excited to hear more.

 

Regarding DSD128 in the future, they said:

 

The Qute modifications you mention are not straightforward, but it's something that we can consider in the future.

[wisnon]

Hi

I've recently purchased this DAC and upgraded the power supply to one called "Best of Two worlds" Havnt done any A to B testing but initial impressions are really good. Very detailed and Melvins right about the bass (even on my Quad 57 speakers)

I plan to do some A to B on the weekend against my old DAC (Cary Xciter) to see which one i keep, i really like the Cary and just want to test soundstage and presentation against the two. The QuteHD is much more convenient for me because it can do everything over usb where the Cary needs BNC or Optical to get to 24/196. I have tried a DSD ISO through the QuteHD and Jriver and was very impressed, not quite sure about the soundstage yet but its a new dac and think i need to adjust or allow abit more burn-in, i've had it a week

 

Any update on the Best of 2 worlds power supply upgrade? Also, has the soundstage improved?

[Mihnea]

Thanks for the info Robert. I agree with you, I don't find it bright either. System synergy is key I'm sure.

 

I did some AxB listening between QuteHD and my Corda StageDAC I use for my headphones rig and I found out that the Qute is a bit too precise, maybe a tad strident in the highs. Although the bass seems the same between the 2 DACs, the Qute is harder to listen to for a long period of time using headphones. Not so with the loudspeakers, where the Qute seems to fit a lot better with my gear.

 

I will keep my StageDAC in the headphones rig, but still listening to other DACs in the same price category for the speakers rig. Currently to a M2Tech Young + M2Tech Palmer battery-based linear PSU.

[cvision123]

I did some AxB listening between QuteHD and my Corda StageDAC I use for my headphones rig and I found out that the Qute is a bit too precise, maybe a tad strident in the highs. Although the bass seems the same between the 2 DACs, the Qute is harder to listen to for a long period of time using headphones. Not so with the loudspeakers, where the Qute seems to fit a lot better with my gear.

 

I will keep my StageDAC in the headphones rig, but still listening to other DACs in the same price category for the speakers rig. Currently to a M2Tech Young + M2Tech Palmer battery-based linear PSU.

 

I'm using M2tech Young and am curious about QuteHD. Did you have time to compare them in your main rig? Which one has better resolution and handles the high better?

[Mihnea]

I'm using M2tech Young and am curious about QuteHD. Did you have time to compare them in your main rig? Which one has better resolution and handles the high better?

 

Not yet, I hope to have time this weekend. However I don't have the QuteHD anymore, so comparison will be done against memory, which is never a reliable thing to do. But I will give it a shot anyway!

[Mihnea]

This weekend I have auditioned the Young + Palmer PSU in my main rig, although I must warn you that any comparisons to the QuteHD are based on memory. Also that I have replaced my Nordost Red Dawn speaker cables with Audioquest Rocket 44, so this could have influenced the sound as well.

 

The Young sounded more on the warm side in my system, with very resolved bass, although not dark sounding. The voices - mostly female voices - sounded extremely nice, warm and full compared to the Qute, where I sensed a bit of a harsh nuance to them (which at first I have attributed to my new, unbroken-in equipments). The highs were a bit mellower with the Young, so with lesser quality recordings you might find the treble a bit lacking. Extremely pleasant to listen to, not at all fatiguing.

 

The Qute however seemed more detailed and engaging with classical music, where instruments seemed a bit more delineated. But just a bit of a harsh tinge to the vocals and highs, which at times seemed exaggerated to my ears.

 

I will try to do a AxB comparison perhaps next weekend to make a final decision for my DAC.

[wisnon]

Mihnea,

 

I think you are on target, given that HiFiNews reported that the Qute had escalating distortion measurements in the HF, culminating at 20khz. So a bit of harshness is not surprising, though most listeners say its not a big drawback.

 

http://www.chordelectronics.co.uk/files/HiFiNews_QuteHD_review_Sep2012.pdf

Excerpt:

Robert Watts’ WTA interpolating filter and Pulse Array DAC

technology has evolved over the years and is largely responsible

for the very fine performance realised here. Via S/PDIF, it enjoys

a high 3V maximum output, a low 65ohm source impedance,

wide 111dB A-wtd S/N ratio and impressively low 0.0007%

distortion through its midrange [red/black traces, Graph 1]. At

high frequencies the analogue stage is slightly ‘stressed’

[blue trace, Graph 1] and so distortion is higher at peak output

(0.017%, 20kHz) than at lower levels (0.002%, 20kHz/–20dBFs).

Jitter is exquisitely low at <10psec for all sample rates from

44.1kHz-192kHz via S/PDIF and only slightly higher at 135psec

via USB thanks to a series of ±750Hz sidebands. In practice its

USB performance is identical to that via S/PDIF except for its S/N

which falls back to a ‘16-bit’ 96dB. We’ve reported this before,

as the QuteHD allegedly uses the same Italian-sourced USB PC

drivers implemented by the North Star Essensio and M2Tech

DACs [see HFN July ’11, May and June ’12].

The responses are exceptionally flat (within ±0.01dB)

with 44.1/48kHz media, dropping by just –0.3dB/45kHz and

–4.5dB/90kHz with 96kHz and 192kHz files, respectively.

Using an impulse to measure response [black trace, Graph 2]

reveals Watts’ ‘protection’ of his IP: impulse data is detected

and passed directly out, preventing engineers from extracting

his proprietary filter coefficients from the recovered time

domain data! Readers can download full QC Suite test reports

detailing the Chord QuteHD DAC’s S/PDIF and USB performance

by navigating to Hi-Fi News & Record Review and clicking on the red

‘download’ button. PM

ABOVE: Frequency response, 20Hz-20kHz, with

steady-state data (red trace). The filter allows

impulses (black trace) to pass through unprocessed

ABOVE: Distortion vs. 24-bit/48kHz digital signal

level over a 120dB dynamic range. S/PDIF input

(1kHz, red) and USB input (1kHz, black; 20kHz, blue)

[wisnon]

The HF distortion is only for Hires above 24/48.

See here:

http://www.milleraudioresearch.com/download2012/reports/sep12/chord_chordette_qutehd_lpcm.html

[dan.dare]

I have the same dilemma of choosing between Young and QuteHD, which I plan to use via USB. I did not have the chance to test any of them yet, so I'm still collecting impressions from those who did, and this is what I got so far:

 

- QuteHD has very good timing and low extension; it may have superior input on s/pdif than on usb, due to lower noise and higher frequency specs;

- QuteHD seems to have a special treatment for 16bit/44.1KHz (redbook), which sounds very good on it;

- What hifi finds QuteHD full bodied at the expense of openness;

- QuteHD sounds a bit dry compared to Mytec DAC, Young sound a bit dry compared to QuteHD, but Young+Palmer sounds more liquid than QuteHD;

- Young + Palmer brings deeper soundstage, more details, and more liquid sound

- Young sounds a bit more disorganized in direct and very careful comparison to QuteHD;

- Young sounds very airy and detailed - as does QuteHD too;

- Young seems to have usb input more carefully built than s/pdif;

- all of the above are subtle differences sometimes barely noticeable

 

I repeat, none of this is my experiece, but others, and it might all change when I get the chance to listen to them. I'd like to know if any of this makes any sense to those of you who did test them.

[wisnon]

The Qute is a VERY fine Dac,

 

I gave it a run today at a dealer's shop and at home versus the Lampi G4L4 (24/192 multibit Dac). The Qute used the stock SMPS that came with it. No Linear PS upgrade (yet).

 

The Lampi was a bit better on PCM in general and it was like a tie on the same DSD track converted to 24/176 on the Lampi vs native DSD on the Chord. The Lampi had more bass and sounded a bit bigger overall...it also outputs a louder signal. The Lampi also has a better top end, but the midrange was about even. The Lampi is also about double the Qute price and has a much better power supply setup, so ....

 

The difference overall is the tube sound in my SS system, vs the Chord which is also SS. The Chord (small size, PCM up to 32/384, DSD, Toslink at 24/192) is a keeper though! It does not support Direct Mode in A+ via USB though....

[Mihnea]

I have the same dilemma of choosing between Young and QuteHD, which I plan to use via USB. I did not have the chance to test any of them yet, so I'm still collecting impressions from those who did, and this is what I got so far:

 

- QuteHD has very good timing and low extension; it may have superior input on s/pdif than on usb, due to lower noise and higher frequency specs;

- QuteHD seems to have a special treatment for 16bit/44.1KHz (redbook), which sounds very good on it;

- What hifi finds QuteHD full bodied at the expense of openness;

- QuteHD sounds a bit dry compared to Mytec DAC, Young sound a bit dry compared to QuteHD, but Young+Palmer sounds more liquid than QuteHD;

- Young + Palmer brings deeper soundstage, more details, and more liquid sound

- Young sounds a bit more disorganized in direct and very careful comparison to QuteHD;

- Young sounds very airy and detailed - as does QuteHD too;

- Young seems to have usb input more carefully built than s/pdif;

- all of the above are subtle differences sometimes barely noticeable

 

I repeat, none of this is my experiece, but others, and it might all change when I get the chance to listen to them. I'd like to know if any of this makes any sense to those of you who did test them.

 

I've had both Young + Palmer and QuteHD in my system for a few weeks, unfortunately no linear PSU for the QuteHD so the comparison is not quite fair.

 

In my system, in my room and for my ears the QuteHD has better resolution especially in upper mids and highs. Bass seems the same on both, although a bit more controlled on the QuteHD. The Young has rounder mids, which favors the female voices and removes harshness from some recordings, but it does this at the expense of clarity, most notably a minus in classical music where instruments seem somehow closer together and a bit more veiled (if not a bit muddy).

 

Adding the issues I've been experiencing with the Young driver on my Mountain Lion MacBook (several crashes), my choice is not to go with the Young.

 

As for the QuteHD, I will do another test by adding an external USB-SPDIF convertor to see if mellows it a bit. I could get the M2Tech EVO stack for a few days, so why not?

 

Not sure to what extent would a linear PSU benefit the QuteHD, but I am reluctant to pay 300 EUR just to find out :-)

[Mihnea]

The Qute is a VERY fine Dac

 

True, but it seems most happy QuteHD owners got an external USB-SPDIF convertor to feed it. I was trying to get a very good USB-capable DAC and the QuteHD alone does't seem to cut it. No alternative for me yet in the same price range (not one which I could listen to in my own room before buying it).

[Audio_ELF]

True, but it seems most happy QuteHD owners got an external USB-SPDIF convertor to feed it. I was trying to get a very good USB-capable DAC and the QuteHD alone does't seem to cut it. No alternative for me yet in the same price range (not one which I could listen to in my own room before buying it).

I think most happy users of the QuteHD use its own USB. Only a few people use an external USB to SPDIF converter...

[wisnon]

I agree with Eloise.

 

I have an OR4 and a Lindemann, but didnt really use them with the Qute yet.

Melvin says his SoTM converter apparently allows him to play DSD via that route!

 

As for a good liner PSU for the Qute, someone here said they used Squeeze Upgrade's BEST OF BOTH WORLD supply, ie LPSU + SqueezeBooster filter...134euros plus delivery.

[Melvin]

True, but it seems most happy QuteHD owners got an external USB-SPDIF convertor to feed it. I was trying to get a very good USB-capable DAC and the QuteHD alone does't seem to cut it. No alternative for me yet in the same price range (not one which I could listen to in my own room before buying it).

 

I sincerely doubt I would have purchased a converter after hearing the Chord via USB. I had my SOtM converter long before the QuteHD arrived.