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Just some notes for Qutest owners

Bought a second hand uptone LPS1 and got a lovely boost at 5V. As it doesn't have the LT3045'S as the improved LPS1.2, i bought the LDOVR DXP regulator. A really nice boost, you will need another DC cable but fantasic SQ via a high quality power supply behind it.

 

I bought the single version and have the add on regulator coming soon.  so...

 

Havent seen many tweaks for the Qutest around, you guys heard anything? tips ect.?   I saw Darko had a weight on his.... advice.

 

Anything you think helped your set up, just looking to improve.....

 

Regardless have a lovely break all

 

Dave

 

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  • 2 months later...

Ive been spoiled by it but like most gear it isnt the pinnacle there is always headroom for improvements, power, source, amp. I cant compare to other DACs but i think its a bargin. Power refines it, i tried NUC /Euphony player and got more out.

If you can test as much gear you can get your hands on before spending, i sold my mytek Brooklyn and bought blind... i was lucky the reviews were right.

Good luck regardless

 

Dave 😁

 

 

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Just not sure about my next amp or keep my Gilmore lite mk2.

 

I upgraded my headphones to mr Speakers Ether2.  Something as lovely as a TT2  is out my league like a dream Bartok. But i am still waiting for the Rupert Neve Fidelice review headphone amp. But the cost... over double the original..

The point being the Qutest is the core of the system all others fit into..

 

Dave 😁

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

https://www.atlhifi.com/shop/bare-pcb/pcb-for-dc-trap-blocker-filter-for-toroidal-transformers-toroids/?currency=GBP

 

But he has a corona message on his site.

 

Thats what i use as i have balanced isolation transformer that was humming but that was a high local voltage issue no DC offset. 249v in my home bouncing around...

 

Silly question are you using the supplied wall wart or something fancy?

 

Any chance of a ground loop ?

 

Try in another home you can try and see if the qutest is getting warm there?

Mines room temp only..

 

I am not qualified to give a real answer but definitely contact Chord with your concern. I know some guys here know how to measure DC offset if you are happy and safe too..

 

As the UK is locking down again you may not get a response soon. 

 

Not much help sorry but good luck..

 

Dave

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  • 2 months later...

 

My Qutest.. same listed info from before ..

Swapping the wall wart to a lps1 made a lovely difference. As i couldnt afford the 1.2 i added an Ldovr Dxp1a5dsc.

Those Lt3045s added more refinement to the already great power supply.

I had the IFI DC ipurifier 2, experimenting a little i got a subtle increase fitting it inbetween them. 

Ill never be as knowledgeable as the kind above posters but the changes i heard more detail, pleasing to me. Ive been lucky enough to glean the information from the big thread and bought a nuc and used Linux. That was one of the biggest improvements with the source. The DAC i hoped would a one stop leap in SQ but a good DAC keeps on giving as the chain improves. The Qutest has done this in spades.

I had asked around for any tweaks people had done but the power supply and regulation is the only one so far.... for the DAC thanks Barrows btw. I work for RollsRoyce Aero so this is maybe my endgame for a good few years but iam glad i have it as its still very pleasurable and feel i got more out than the just ticket price.

Good luck gents and thank you

Dave

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Apart  from barrows adopting you and making making another custom PSU... i live in hope ..😀 to me, a known good PS improved the SQ to my ears..

The quad cable from John S suggestion pre 360 makes a small difference but noticeable. Ghent do a good job of the canare cable for not a huge price. At the very least it looks nice... i bought an adapter for the Qutest but  i believe you may be able to get one terminated.. DC barrel to Micro...

For the cost minded its painful with the cost to squeeze that extra diminishing returns. My suggestion is to try one of the LT3045s regs boards on top of the stock supply. Under $100 then invest in a good PSU if you feel it did some good in your system.

If you hear a difference get an uptone 1.2 or what you feel is right in your system. The LT3045 regs can be added onto the new PSU if you invest again and remove the wall wart.

Maddening that there is always room for improvement even the ultra highend segment but psu engineers/companys do what they do best..

 

Good luck

David

 

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@barrows

Costs/value yes...In this game its not really, weighted on not that much disposable income and wanting something for nothing. Relatively i found the Qutest to be good value as Chords are out of my price range so it was great to finally get on the ladder.  I should be happy its cheaper and sounds fantastic. 

I should be glad it can be leveraged.. but secretly i hope that was it.. no more extras. Been fun though i listen to your advice and never been happier... 

 

Stay happy and safe

Dave😀

 

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  • 6 months later...

@Gavin1977

Ive been playing with the IFI Zen blue and for convenience using BT.

From Robs comment i tried the optical out on a cheap amazon cable. I ordered the sys cable from canada not realising it was plastic but so much more detail. But wanted to try real corning Glass and got a Japanese import AUDIOTRAK fiberglass OPTICAL digital cable GlassBlack2plus 1.0m

Gave a wide presentation clear highs and wide but its an acquired taste as its so different from spdif..

I did like it though in my set up.

I jumped back to spdif on a nord easy stream 3 in the uk and very happy. But Optical info is sparse, try finding out how to properly clean a port you cant.. and i can see you hit the same forums on what cables to try... frustrating.... 

Shame optical was never pushed techically beyond CD players to the networks we have now... now another draw full of more things tried... but definitely try a  cheap one just to see...

 

Everywhere you see the fight to pimp my Qutest, power and source quality are the top 2, cables are the fine tuning..

 

Cheers 

Dave

 

 

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Anyone know if the circuits on the inputs are depowered when not selected? I got results using IfI isilencers on unused ports on the NUC. I assumed it filtered the 5v usb bus noise and thats what helped.

I am outputing from a Nord easy-stream 3 via 48 digital RCA. So the USB in is free... Its hard to tell so wondering A no effect B. Not powered ie microswitch or software cuts off the power?

 

Just a silly experiment and waiting for an USB  to RJ45 connector so i can try it in the streamer as i am using WIFI. A couple have used IFI'S in unused ports and got meaningful results. Some dont like them inline with the USB cables but i gained on the unused ports...

It might not work on the RJ45 either but worth a punt for £2 connector.

External filtering is the last chance for a tweak on the Qutest/ streamer..

2 LPS1 doing the donkey work..

 

Dave

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Just try the phone and see same adapter for adding external memory on a samsung. USB audioplayer pro is about the best for android and uses its own driver. I am not agreeing with Rob on SQ but a really noisy source always benefits from decoupling that noise. Whether you like it is a different matter..

No one mentions the quality of the transmitter or the receiver (TOSLINK), are they clean.. really clean.. Toslink jitter signal attenuation, glass plastic Tos. 

The information is really poor on the net and audiophile community. Well.. within my googling skills...

 

 

 

 

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Another small piece of information to add to the list. I had some unused ifi i silencers and tryed them on my unused USB in on the Qutest. No discernible effect. I hoped using them as a mini plug in power conditioner would work. I dont know about the ground plane but i am sure that parts of the circuit are cut off no 5v.. Software or Microswitch isolated.. somone might know..

They worked lovely on the fanless NUC on unused ports as a 5v  filter.

They did nothing for me inline on the data signal but alone tempered the noise on the USB bus.

Ive got a cheap NORD easy-stream pro 3 streamer with an LPS1 powering it. I though why not and tried 3 on there as its COAXIAL out.

Lovely result it had a usb memory reader free and i am on wifi so got a usb to Rj45 converter and tryed that for fun... a more refined sound cleaner details abit more sound stage. 

My wife ran in screaming what did you just do... ( that wasnt sound related)...☹

If noise is on the whole circuit use these in a source and see it they help..

 

Still better power and signal in as the only Qutest hack.. i am out of ideas..

 

Cheers all

Dave

 

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Ive saw crazy pcb design simulation software with just small changes having a big effect on the output. Its a skill in its self tranposing engineering design into a working populated PCB. Accuracy of the tracks placement..

. Id love to see how DCS do ceramic boards. Lucas Aerospace use to make Ceramic tiles and drill holes in them.  Easy to criticise as an end user but the work to get what we have now is pretty amazing, i am a low level prole in manufacturing engineering it bends my mind and how many people it takes...

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  • 5 months later...

Hi all, reading back through the thread sort of makes sense more to what I've discovered/ tried. With a fairly easy and cheap MOD on the Qutest. 

 

Gavin1977s trial of the Audiowise SRC-DX spurred me on to try some RF  shielding techniques. ( i slightly hijacked the thread and more relevant here apologies Gavin)

Bypassing the USB in gives a nice boost to SQ and beyond what i expected. From reference to the USB implementation holding back the Chords on the WBF extreme PC thread a while back. I can use my old USB chain into SRC DX into the BNC... a lot better than the Chords USB and makes the DAC shine... For me at least.😁 

 

 

AudioWise designer  is RF Conscious and made me look back at my chain again and implement what others here have done.. Good EMC practice in various degrees... in their computers cables interconnects ect..

 

i went a step further researching as a non EE.

Holland shielding some have layman's explanations of applying EMI absorbing sheeting what devices cause issues in general.

This is a specific professional field of expertise normally for regulatory or design issues of functionality Or testing..

 

I got some cheap 3M AB5010, 5030 and 5050 cheap just to try it. £10 per roll. 1 size is more than enough for many devices.

 

My basic understanding: very basic*

Devices like CPU's FPGAs, RAM ics clocks ect produce RF/EM noise..

This can affect the devices ..victims../circuits around them radiated* and reflected* off the inner case...

 

Simple to me then as the tape can or partially attenuate this RF EM noise and hopefully benefit  the output sigal..

 

Simple answer yes very much so in the Qutest.. pure luck. I don't know if i added to much  Absorbing tape, not enough or the right places. A better more specific tape or attenuation range would improve things. I don't know...

 

I chased my USB chain from the NUC to the Qutest adding the tape/ shielding  to the above devices where practicable.

 

Intona ISOREGEN 

Small changes in my opinion valid and tangible. Intona old base model and my ISO Regen. I left the Transformers alone as i am sure i read about impedance issues???

Note!!! its what i have accumulated and is there as a reference baseline.. for what the Qutest can become..20210711_224556.thumb.jpg.a86585e16d9e9f4f370355cb42ab119a.jpg

 

The Qutest i got good results in SQ in my final step in RF shielding/absorbing. 

 

I was Conservative in application and just the Spartan + local clock.

I not sure if the USB circuit is live unused Off?

But covered the controller hub IC?  Clock And near device only!

Thicker AB5050 0.5mm, thicker is better i read...

Then the back faces of the USB BNC AND RCA connectors.

 

For reflective RF i lined the inner case with 3M 5010  0.1mm absorbing  tape 

 

Simply put it worked beyond what i could hope for, aping basic EMC techniques with cheap tape.

For OCD all screws where cleaned ultra sonically and Deoxited. PCB bonding pads scrubbed.. just incase it helped?

 

This MOD is reversable and easy to apply. Cut tape away from the PCB and use ESD protection as a minimum..

 

I could try more especially under pro advisement..  in where to add more.

Any pitfalls, ideas... could this scale to the  Mojo TT2 Dave other devices?

 

What i did worked out great and should be seen as a proof of concept stealing EMC Techniques.  More of everything i hoped the Qutest would be.. the total accumulated changes are fantastic with bypassing the USB.

But i feel any Qutest owner would be happy with just the change to adding the Absorbing tape.. But bypassing the USB is a must..

 

If you haven't read my journey on the great SRC DX thread slog through that if you want to for greater details... or my craziness..

 

 

Here is some details about my reference material and application images.. i sincerely want someone to confirm a positive change or prove me wrong...

 

I got lucky.. i hope to pass that luck and SQ boost on.. with a cheap easy MOD.. 

 

But feel free to ask questions, critique or offer advice but I don't much beyond the above...

 

I really do hope it works for you..

 

Good luck

Dave

 

https://hollandshielding.com/Flexible-EMI-absorber-sheets

 

https://interferencetechnology.com/introduction-to-composite-electromagnetic-noise-absorber-technology-1/amp/

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I wasn't keen on the Toshlinks and could clearly hear the differences with a .... well Rob mentioned it £8 cheap thing to try..

The Canadian High spec plastic and a Japanese corning glass.

 

Bypassing the Amanero USB is an instant win and  makes it a Qutest Plus+ or the real Qutest. The most obvious change I've had so far as a one off event.

 

Barrows gives good advise 👌 changing the PSU gave more subtle refinement.  

 

The EMI rfi tweaks come off Rob's suggestions, a heated debate about dark matter/ Barrows and the DX designers core principles.. I really can't state it enough how pre an post Qutest the sound now is above anything I could envisage... hearing people moving the Mscalers away from their Daves/ TT2s. With RF issues.

The EMI absorbing tape at each part of the chain but especially the Qutest is now superb. Even my 2 LPS1.0s.

No giant EMC tent required

 

My TT2 itch /Dave dream has gone for good. I now have what I hoped the Qutest would be.. as seemed to me another marginal improvement changing DACs better but not wow, I was all hyped out. Begging for just one MOD anything, now I have..I still feel it would scale on other Chords and DACs but it works on mine quite well.

 I don't know what I have now but it's miles ahead of by base Qutest.. 

If I heard it just now I'd pick any other DAC but mine.

I can only think that EMI RFI is an issue...tamed can give a well designed circuits room to breath.

There's more mileage to be had, the SRC DX and £10 of 3M AB5010/luck got me far down that road. 

 

Sorry for being over bearing but I dying for someone to benefit from this.. its just so easy to do..

 

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One thing I couldn't find was industry guidance on cleaning... You can use Fibre optic cassettes for cables but nothing for the ports. Very little real information about Toslink, just the standard it doesn't make a difference arguments...and the years old PS audio thread...

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi all, I have been experimenting again with the Qutest and got a little more SQ from trying. Smaller improvements but positive. I went all out with the EMI absorbing  AB5010 on the circuit blocks and traces on the PCB.

 

I de coupled the PCB from the chassis to see if this helps but the small improvement seemed to be from the tape.. Less cross talk.?  Great..

 

I was reading about anti vibration and tungsten footers using Tugsten  and tungsten powder.... also the  affects of vibration on clocks phase noise....

I found a tungsten putty used for fishing weights but it's a tungsten powder weighted elastomer... why not try it to damped the clock on the Qutest and PCB.

 

I put some on the clock, the FPGA, round both the capacitors and around the the edge of the PCB.

I can say there is a small positive change in doing it... 

 

But it's now there as another option for people to try on a Qutest or any clock...

 

I've got more coming to apply onto the SRC DX  and a bit more tape on that PCB... to see if I can squeeze a bit more out...

 

All this extra clarity is lovely and for not much cost.... even though I've experimented, the cost is £22 to try both...

3M AB5010 I am sure could benefit other units

Tungsten putty.. 36g

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0798Q1CYG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_W1MCHCGBFACF3YY3FRQR

 

This could be used for around connectors inputs outputs ect...

 

 

Any details just ask....

 

Thanks

 

Dave20210806_194235.thumb.jpg.50d64d1c3fe8b018ad10abc94aef1b2d.jpg

 

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Nothing at all.... I've been trying it accumulatively  and at least trying some sort of basis for change... I read it can act a little like a ferrite so kept away for inductors and SMT transformers as this can effect to circuit balance design ?..... The tungsten on the RCA main clock was a nice suprise. Vibration control is  divisive on solid state... Gleaning off research articles on clock phase noise and environmental effects.. I put 2 and 2 together with the putty... it worked and caused a change... Part anti vibration, part localised mass.

 

I just took apart my SRC DX and applied more 3M tape last night and it's x2 mhz clocks with the putty... more gains again in micro detail and clarity just lovely.

 

It's frustrating as this is a genuine gain for little effort and cost.. I've spent hundreds on kit and got nothing tangible.... 

The tape I used the minimal as a test... now using more to see if I gain more and it worked on the Qutest and now the SRX DX..

Even if I am not believed in extra clarity, there has been an effect of change...

Gleaning basic knowledge from different sources and applying them as a laymen from industrial fundamentals..

 

Nice for the moment as it worked and I've got the best sounding Qutest and src dx in the world.....  

 

I will work backwards again as my isoregen and Intona can have more done as I was Conservative with the 3M and apply the tungsten elastomer mod to the clocks.... 

My chain stays fixed until I've done all the experiments..

 

It's all been random luck on my part..

Tape and super heavy blu tak. It's that simple..

 

But a genuine and cheap MOD that's worked in real terms for the price of 2 Starbucks coffees and some cake...

 

I am sure it would work up the Chord line and anything with a MHZ clock..

I'd be happy with secondary clarification...

 

But I'll be ignored as a random nutter probably..... out side of people's comfort zone or written off as confirmation bias...

 

All off.

Industrial EMC RFI mitigation of PCB design. Reflection and cross talk noise.

Design principles of the Audiowise designer..

Tungsten and tungsten powder in application of anti vibration in industrial  applications and audio footers. Elastomers and dampening properties

The effects of environmental factors affecting Mhz crystal oscillators from heat, pressure, radiation and vibration on variations in phase noise...

 

People here and on other forums.

 

 

But a party of one isn't a party...

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I've just redone the iso regen and again a modest but more realistic presentation..  vocals, micro details and transients again.. the clock and 3 caps tungsten encapsulated... the bottom side covered in AB5010...

Only small increases but unmistakably there... more focused..20210812_183830.thumb.jpg.22c096a1bfd540da0f491e2329849cb6.jpg

The regen is a little warmer... stone cold on the Qutest and SRC DX. But the Regen is stepping down to 5v...

 

So happy just the Intona to be redone..

 

Cheers

David 

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On 8/12/2021 at 5:48 AM, davide256 said:

 

 

 

um, why not just cover a side completely with 1 sheet of the 3M material?

The CHORD QUTEST experiment Intona redux part 2

 

When your called David how can I not agree... it doesn't come in big sheets (I have.)and SMT PCB Skyline isn't even I did cover both sides with the 3M AB5010  except any inductors or transformers...

I think there is a clock on the clean side of the moat but  I can't find a data sheet or reference.

I ran out of putty so only added the last to the clock? and x2 xilinx FPGAS.... not the capacitors...

 

I can't stop smiling absolutely no doubt of improvement, the clarity is just lovely. Each step on each device an improvement. Like 5 lenses aligning into focus... NUC...INTONA... ISO REGEN....SRC DX and the Qutest.. 

 

Both channels reveling new details but the ones already prominent that much more sharper DRUMS VOCALS BASS...holographic sound stage....

 

This is enhancing the fine electronics only. No one adds this stuff in industry but for compliance or circuit issues...

I don't think anyone in the world has used tungsten doped elastomer  (eco fishing weight putty) as anti vibration/ phase noise reduction enhancer?...

It did something positive anyway..

 

Pure luck and tenuous links to difference industrial disciplines in electronics have payed off...

 

As I said it should work on anything...

It just happened to be my Qutest chain..

I should write it up and I've finalised by experiments and put it on the big thread.

 

Most likely ignored but I can add to the lexicon of audio electronics improvement finally. 

 

Here's the intona images. I'd copper foiled it to see if that would help shielding 2 years ago...did nothing and I didn't know about reflections then..

 

My cutting edge is supermarket scissors.... but good god it sounds bloody fantastic now... I wish it had been tested on decent testing kit, pre post changes but my ears will have to do..

 

Regards all

David

 

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