Chord Qutest

[jamesg11]

On 07/03/2018 at 6:37 AM, pl_svn said:

Roon Server running on a Mac mini (powered by an UpTone Audio JS-2) > Auralic Aries (powered by a Vinnie Rossi Mini Pure-DC-4EVR) > UpTone Audio ISO Regen (powered by an UpTone Audio LPS-1) > Audiophilleo SE (powered by its PurePower Battery) > Chord Qutest (powered by an UpTone Audio LPS-1.2) > Don Garber Fi "Y" (6922 tube pre) > Don Garber Fi "X" (2A3 power amplifier) > Klipsch Cornwall III

 

Happy with the lps1.2 on the qutest?

Looking to maybe get both ... upgrade from ifi micro idsd bl.

[jamesg11]

Thanks, promising! - what power cable did you use from the lps1.2 to the micro usb input on the qutest?

[jamesg11]

Yes, what I had in mind - been happy with my ghents thus far, including the dc1!

Gotta get the dac first ...

[jamesg11]

On 17/03/2018 at 8:27 AM, semente said:

 

I don't know about the Pro but the iDAC I owned had its fair share of "house sound".

I guess we’ll eventually get some comparisons between qutest & pro ...

 

But what about now, with dacs that are currently owned & listened to + highly liked - Brooklyn, etc ...

[jamesg11]

15 hours ago, barrows said:

Same DAC (taps, pulse array DAC elements plus galvanic USB isolation) as H2, and it is possible to improve on the H2's power supply (if you build a really great one, hint...)  So theoretically Qutest could outperform H2.

Well, yes, a barrows-special would be just the ticket ...

But, I’m unlikely to expend more than say a lps1.2, with pre-owned linear lpsu, on such.

[jamesg11]

On 19/03/2018 at 3:24 PM, jamesg11 said:

Well, yes, a barrows-special would be just the ticket ...

But, I’m unlikely to expend more than say a lps1.2, with pre-owned linear lpsu, on such.

On reflection, I might go with the js-2:

 

Austinpop -

“Mytek Brooklyn DAC+

I'll be writing more about my experience with this DAC in the coming weeks. For the moment, I want to focus on it only in the context of PSUs. While the LPS-1.2 lacked the minimum current needed to drive this DAC, I was able to use the other PSUs. Here is my ranking, with all PSUs set to 12V.

1. JS-2
2. SR-4
3. sPS-500

While the SR-4 had really shone on the tX-USBultra, on the Brooklyn DAC+, it was the JS-2 that pulled ahead, and by quite a margin. Compared to the JS-2, the SR-4 (and the sPS-500) seemed to lack dynamism, and sounded strained, and unexciting. What is important to note is that these PSUs did work with the DAC+.

 

This result isn't particularly surprising, since the DAC+ (or any DAC really) has an analog output stage, which really benefits from a PSU with vast reserves of current. The JS-2, with its beefier current capacity, was clearly better at delivering current peaks that the other, smaller, supplies couldn't.”

[jamesg11]

Any thoughts on how well the Qutest is handling dsd music files, say, as compared to pcm? /& which player is being used?

[jamesg11]

Reservation for me - with a large dsd library - re jumping for Qutest, has been Miska’s question mark:

“I'm not sure how Qutest handles DSD input, but if it is like Mojo (which leaks lot of DSD noise aliased down), then it is better to send it 705.6/768k PCM instead. HQPlayer can give you good DSD-to-PCM conversion”.

 

Resolved only by extended home listening ie purchase, or Miska himself buying, listening, testing!

But this quandary is of course a common enough decision-time experience ...

[jamesg11]

On 11/9/2018 at 10:58 AM, Miska said:

 

You have option to do so. They expose pretty much all the AKM chip functionality through the front panel menu. Plus they have quite a bunch of DSP features on the FPGA too, but only for PCM. Although they have basic level monitor and spectrum analyzer for DSD content too. (They also implement the UAC2 stuff on FPGA, unlike Chord.)

 

It has two DAC chips. One is for the rear analog outs plus headphone connector 1/2 on front panel. This chip can be switched to DSD Direct mode. When DSD Direct is on, 1/2 headphone connector is muted due to lack of volume control. The other chip serves only headphone connector 3/4 on front panel and this cannot be switched to DSD Direct mode and is thus always active because it also has volume control.

 

 

TEAC DACs (at least UD-503/NT-503) also run in DSD Direct mode, but IIRC don't even have option to turn it off.

 

@Miska - in your view, a definite step up then on the iFi idsd for dsd playback?

[jamesg11]

Box of dimlights for the xmas tree then!

Hmm, dunno with this re barrows’ non-chinese tick-box ...