The all new Chord Electronics Qutest DAC is a standalone digital to analogue convertor which is designed to improve the sound quality of your digital devices. The Chord Qutest is a stripped down version of the Hugo 2 and therefore does not contain a headphone amplifier or a rechargeable battery. It is the latest evolution of Chord Electronics’ most affordable standalone DAC, the multi-award-winning 2Qute, which it replaces.

The Chord Electronics Qutest DAC is based on the award-winning proprietary FPGA technology developed for the class-leading Hugo 2 DAC/headphone amp, giving it proven class-leading technical and sonic performance. Perfectly equipped to bring the benefits our digital technology to a wide range of connected devices, it features a galvanically isolated USB-B connection, plus an optical and coaxial digital input. The Qutest is the perfect partner to ageing digital source components, as well as modern day digital devices.

The Chord Qutest’s chassis is a brand new design. It has significantly greater mass than its predecessor and has been precision-machined from solid aircraft-grade aluminium billet. The PCB nestles within a shallow cavity in the solid aluminium chassis, giving the circuit board greater protection within the casework and additional isolation from external vibration compared to previous designs.

The Chord Electronics Qutest DAC offers Hugo 2’s proprietary user-selectable frequency-shaping filters and input selection controls, available via two fascia-mounted spheres, introducing useful flexibility. It also features a pair of analogue RCA outputs for connection to an amplifier or headphone amp.

A further new feature is a user-selectable output voltage available in 1, 2 and 3V RMS outputs for flexible connectivity with a wide range of partnering devices.

Follow this link to view the product manual.

Technical Specifications

Product type: Digital to Analogue Converter (designed for fixed system use)
DAC Type: Custom coded FPGA design
FPGA: Xilinx Artix 7
Tap length: 49,152 taps
Elements: 10 Element Pulse Array Design
Architecture: Hugo 2
Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz +/- 0.2dB
Dynamic range: 124dB A-Weighted
THD: 0.0001% 1kHz 2.5v RMS 300ohms
THD (2.5v RMS ref 3v): -117dB 300ohms A-Weighted
Channel separation: 138dB at 1kHz 300ohms
Noise floor modulation: None measurable
Output impedance: 0.025Ω
Device power supply: 5v 2amp Micro USB (supplied)
Connectivity (Input): 1x High speed USB (Type B), 2x BNC Coax, 1x Optical
Galvanic Isolation: Yes, on USB Type B input
Connectivity (Output): 1x Stereo RCA
PCM Sample rates: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 358kHz, 717.6kHz, and 768kHz
Native DSD support: DSD 64, DSD 128 (2x), DSD 256 (4x), and DSD 512 (8x)
Driver support: Driverless with Mac OS X, Linux, iOS, and Android. Driver required for Windows OS
Selectable filter options: Incisive neutral (White), Incisive neutral HF roll-off (Green), Warm (Orange), Warm, HF roll-off (Red)
Volume control: Fixed, but selectable between 3v (blue), 2v (green), and 1v (red) via dual press of Filter + Input at startup
M-Scaler operation: Yes, via dual BNC inputs
Chassis: Premium CNC Machined aircraft grade aluminium with glass lens and acrylic buttons
Country of manufacture: England
Included accessories: 2amp Micro USB power supply, 1.5m Type A to Type B USB cable, 1m Optical cable
Dimensions: 41mm (H) x 160mm (W) x 72mm (D)
Package contents: 5v 2amp fixed Micro USB Power supply (with UK, Europe, US/Australia, and Japan interchangeable connections), 2m Micro USB to USB Type A USB cable, Chord Electronics branded black raw silk drawstring bag and Qutest User Manual.
Weight of unit: 770g