Article: Chord Chordette Qute EX DAC - Update

[ted_b]

You can view the page at http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content.php?r=576-Chord-Chordette-Qute-EX-DAC-Update

[rossb]

Ted, nice review. From your comments I take it that the EX sounds identical to the HD for redbook - which confirms what Chord have said. How does the QuteEX compare to the Meitner?

 

I will be interested to hear your views on the Hugo. I own both the Hugo and HD and I think I know what your conclusion will be ...

[sdolezalek]

I will be interested to hear your views on the Hugo.

 

+1

 

From what I have read in the reviews the Hugo is quite the product and its FPGA-based design sounds like an interesting overall direction for DAC's. I must admit that I'm a bit frightened to pay $2,300 for something the size of a smartphone that could make life on airplanes a whole new level of musical joy, but also a new level of heartbreak when I accidentally leave it behind (like my first two pairs of noise cancelling headphones).

 

If the Hugo is as good as reported, it also begs the question of how long before there is a slightly larger version for the desktop that provides more cabling choices (the RCA plugs seem hard to fit with high quality cables) but otherwise retains the battery powered and high sound qualities of the Hugo.

 

All of this also presupposes that when put side by side, listeners will prefer the Hugo over the Chordette. Reminds me of a similar dilemma introduced by the iFi Nano DSD...

[koyie]

+1

 

If the Hugo is as good as reported, it also begs the question of how long before there is a slightly larger version for the desktop that provides more cabling choices (the RCA plugs seem hard to fit with high quality cables) but otherwise retains the battery powered and high sound qualities of the Hugo.

 

DSD...

 

In the Chord Hugo thread on head-fi, designer Rob Watts said that his current project is the successor to the QBD76, their flagship desktop DAC, but that it may be some time before it is released. It will have even more taps than the Hugo. I would guess that it would be a lot more expensive than the Hugo.

[Bob Stern]

I’m not sure why powered USB ports would harm this DAC if the damn thing doesn’t use 5V anyway.

 

If the DC power bus on the USB port is noisy, then a USB cable connected to a powered port would capacitively couple the noise to the signal lines in the cable unless the signal lines were shielded from the power lines within the cable. I wonder if USB cables with such shielding exist? It seems egregious that audio companies selling expensive USB cables would ignore this issue.

 

An alternative solution would be to connect between the computer USB port and the USB cable a USB adapter that breaks the power connection. A few years ago when Firewire DACs were more popular, several people tried breaking the power connection using 6-wire to 4-wire Firewire adapters. I wonder whether a similar thing exists for USB.

[Melvin]

Thanks for the update Ted. I'm still on the fence about upgrading my QuteHD so I very much appreciate your impressions.

 

My conclusion (early and with few variables I realize) is that we are hearing the Chord’s isynchronous USB receiver’s susceptibility to RF. And Rob Watts, Chord’s own designer of the DAC, agrees with me. He can’t find any logic in why SPDIF would be that much better expect for the slightly better isolation from RF (and thinks if that’s the case try toslink, even more galvanic isolation). He dismisses any jitter talk, as he claims his jitter reduction in the FPGA design is equal across all inputs. But he does admit that maybe the USB chip is susceptible.

 

Perhaps this is the reason (RF), when recently adding the iFi iUSBPower in front of my DAC, the playing field was leveled. Of interest to me as well is Mr. Watts mention of toslink. I tried this back when I first got the QuteHD because my SOtM converter (with companion battery supply) passes 24/192 over toslink. I thought it sounded fantastic, maybe even better than coax. However, every audiophile knows this is impossible

[coax]

I do not have any audible noise to the sound floor, when using the Pure Power/ Audiophilleo with the HD. Further, having A/B auditioned with Pardo LPS, only one out of 19 in our group heard anything "remarkable". I do certainly agree the USB port, powered or not, is a noise suspect, so avoid use. Missing here is Watt's disposition re Chord's inclination to improve the tap and shaping software for the base HD. I've been told, there's no PCM enhancement with the Hugo and that it has been physically modified to accept "real life" sized ICs. Be sure you get the latest version should you care to double down your investment simply to go mobile. We'll be auditioning one in our group early in June

[ted_b]

Yes, the Hugo sounds like quite a DAC. Rob has taken the FPGA architecture even further, due to the better horsepower of the newer FPGA chips and the better knowledge of programming in them that he and his team gains with every project. And now he is working on the QBD replacement, as was mentioned. And I agree that the biggest issue with committing to the Hugo as a main rig DAC is its connectors and switches (no memory, reset each power up, etc) and for those using it as a portable...well, the investment is substantial. I also have left major $$ behind on airplanes, but nothing that would come close to say, a head-fi combo of an AK420 and Hugo ($close to $5k list!!). Anyway, I will review it mainly as a main rig DAC.

 

The new shipments of the Huigo, starting with the third US shipment, for example. (already at dealers) includes the RCA enhancements to the case (i.e bigger 13mm holes).

 

I have no inclination whatsoever that the Qute HD or EX will see any upgrades to its architecture. But then, for under $2k, they are killer DACs as they stand now.

 

And I disagree that the Qute USB should be avoided, Coax. However, it should be only used with the best USB card and cable, capable of going without 5V.

[rooob]

Any reason why the dac does utilise an async usb input?

[ted_b]

Any reason why the dac does utilise an async usb input?

 

The Chord DACs use asynchronous USB, like so many these days. I mentioned Rob calls them isochronous (i typo'd isynchronous and can't fix it somehow) because....in his words

 

"Hi, the full term is isochronous asynchronous USB. This means the DAC has the control of timing, the computer is a slave to the DAC's timing. This is the same as the common term asynchronous as the computer's clock is asynchronous to the DAC clock. I like to use the full term isochronous as this fully defines the operation, as from the FPGA POV it is receiving synchronous data!

 

Qute was also isochronous asynchronous, the data was received locked to the DAC clock, but it used a different USB device.

 

Regards Rob"

[rooob]

Ahh I see thanks for clearing that up.

[Audio_ELF]

Ted... Does the Hugo use a driverless (under MacOSX) USB implementation?

 

Eloise

[ted_b]

Ted... Does the Hugo use a driverless (under MacOSX) USB implementation?

 

Eloise

 

Eloise, yes the Hugo is driverless with the MAC (USB).

[elcorso]

The wisest way on a Mac...!

 

Mavericks last drivers aren't working OK on Qute HD.

 

Roch

[coax]

The wisest way on a Mac...!

 

Mavericks last drivers aren't working OK on Qute HD.

 

Roch

 

May I ask, how so ?

[ted_b]

Yeah, Roch I certainly would like to get that feedback to Chord. What doesn't work with Mavericks?

 

I assume you installed ChordMavericks2014.pkg.dmg found here (scroll to downloads list):

http://chordelectronics.co.uk/products-info.asp?id=78

[sebassie]

Yeah, Roch I certainly would like to get that feedback to Chord. What doesn't work with Mavericks?

 

I assume you installed ChordMavericks2014.pkg.dmg found here (scroll to downloads list):

Products: Chordette QuteHD (DSD) DAC

 

I also still encounter a problem with the latest driver. There was some improvement over the previous driver. Problem is that using Audirvana the sound stops sometimes while audirvana keeps running and the leds on the EX stay on. Only remedy so far is stopping Audirvana and start over again. Matt (Chord) knows the problem. When using JRiver there are no problems with the latest driver, with the previous driver JRiver was a mess.

[elcorso]

Yeah, Roch I certainly would like to get that feedback to Chord. What doesn't work with Mavericks?

 

I assume you installed ChordMavericks2014.pkg.dmg found here (scroll to downloads list):

Products: Chordette QuteHD (DSD) DAC

 

Hi Ted,

 

Yes, I have the last drivers.

 

On A+ (my only player) and on DSD. It stop playing after teetering.

 

On PCM the SQ improved a LOT...!

 

Roch

[Elberoth]

Of interest to me as well is Mr. Watts mention of toslink. I tried this back when I first got the QuteHD because my SOtM converter (with companion battery supply) passes 24/192 over toslink. I thought it sounded fantastic, maybe even better than coax. However, every audiophile knows this is impossible

 

It is possible on DACs that reclock the signal (making the jitter introduced by TosLink interface irrelevant) or DACs with state-of-the-art PLL design (good jitter rejection).

 

The best SQ I got from my MSB DAC IV Diamond Plus (now sold) was when the DAC was fed via TosLink from the Soulution 590 USB/SPDIF converter. MSB DAC IV reclocks all data.

[Blake]

Nice job on the review Ted. Somewhat off topic- you mentioned you are using the TotalDac D1 usb cable/filter. I have been using this cable for some time now and it is my favorite usb cable. You don't see the TotalDac D1 too often out in the wild. Glad to see another user that enjoys it.

 

Blake

[ted_b]

Yes, love both it and the new JCAT reference cable. I will write an article about these boutique brands when I get the muses back (my brain hurts....I have a piece of brain lodged in my head).

[germay0653]

Yes, love both it and the new JCAT reference cable. I will write an article about these boutique brands when I get the muses back (my brain hurts....I have a piece of brain lodged in my head).

 

Hope you get to try and include the Light Harmonic Lightspeed in that article. It's impressive.

[ted_b]

I'm sure it is. Good buddies like Priaptor love it...but I am slightly turned off by the investment required. I'm probably being short sighted given my audio investments in the past.

[germay0653]

Hope you get to try and include the Light Harmonic Lightspeed in that article. It's impressive.

 

 

They should also be coming out with more affordable versions albeit with less bandwidth. The LightSpeed is 10Gbps, the new, and yet to be released, models (2G and Jr) will have 2Gbps and 1Gbps bandwidth respectively.

[germay0653]

They should be coming out with more affordable models relatively soon but they will have less bandwidth. The new LightSpeed 2G and Jr will have 2Gbps and 1Gbps respectively as compared to the currently available 10Gbps model.