Chord Electronics Qutest
The Qutest turns digital files into a focused, rhythmically precise performance, coupling crisp transients with an organic, spacious soundstage. Barry Jones praised its lifelike placement and unrestrained dynamics, while Mark Gusew highlighted agile bass and deep insight. FPGA conversion, flexible filters and a compact billet-aluminium chassis make this a formidable pure DAC for revealing systems.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
93/100
Build Quality
94/100
Features Connectivity
82/100
Value for Money
96/100
Pros
Exceptional detail retrieval, precise imaging and convincing space around instruments.
Fast, accurate bass, strong timing and expressive micro- and macrodynamics.
Selectable filters and output voltages offer useful system matching without undermining musicality.
Substantial, compact machined-aluminium construction with excellent vibration resistance.
Cons
No remote control, making input and filter changes less convenient from the listening seat.
RCA-only analogue outputs; balanced XLR connectivity is absent.
Some reviewers found it initially lean or slightly harsh before extended run-in.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 93/100
Reviewers consistently describe an unusually focused, engaging and refined presentation, combining natural tone and long-term listenability with exceptional retrieval of musical information. Its incisive mode is particularly praised for clarity, layering and timing without sacrificing smoothness, although system matching and filter choice can influence whether its character feels lean, intense or relaxed.
Tonal Balance and Musicality
92/100
SoundStage Solo found the Qutest so involving that complete albums became difficult to resist, while StereoNET UK called its presentation wonderfully organic and musical. Future Audiophile heard a comfortable, relaxed and polite character, and reviewers also note that the selectable filters allow a warmer balance where desired; one StereoNET reviewer did hear initial midrange thinness and harshness before run-in.
Resolution and Detail
95/100
Detail retrieval is a defining strength: Darko Audio calls it a “freakishly good detail excavator,” and Like Hifi found room cues, drum-kit placement and spatial information markedly easier to distinguish than through an RME interface. StereoNET praised pinpoint detail in reverberation tails, while Pursuit Perfect System heard deep layering and outstanding soundstage clarity without a loss of musicality.
Digital Performance
92/100
Reviewers repeatedly praise clean timing, coherence and freedom from harshness under demanding material. Pursuit Perfect System heard incisive clarity without hardness, SoundStage Solo noted realistic attack and decay without splashiness, and StereoNET highlighted unusually convincing timing and microdynamic expression. Published specifications also cite extremely low distortion and no measurable noise-floor modulation.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
94/100
The compact chassis receives unusually emphatic praise. Multiple reviewers describe a precision-machined solid aluminium body with substantial mass and effective vibration isolation; Future Audiophile calls it “built like a brick shithouse,” while Golden Sound describes the finish and construction as stunning. The supplied switch-mode wall supply is less impressive than the main unit, however.
Features Connectivity
82/100
The Qutest provides galvanically isolated USB, optical and dual BNC/coaxial inputs, RCA outputs, PCM up to 768kHz, DSD512 support, selectable filters, sample-rate indication and three output-voltage settings. It is purposefully a straightforward stereo DAC rather than a control hub: there are no balanced outputs, headphone stage, remote control, Bluetooth, network streaming or MQA support.
Value for Money
96/100
At roughly $1,195–$1,795 depending on market and period, reviewers repeatedly consider the Qutest exceptional against its direct rivals. Darko Audio calls it the DAC to beat for the money, Audiophile Style calls it a bargain versus the more expensive Yggdrasil, and Pursuit Perfect System describes it as a no-brainer with extraordinarily strong performance for the outlay. Future Audiophile notes serious competition around $1,500–$2,000, but still considers it a worthy and durable choice.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
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Specifications
- Chipset
- Chord Electronics custom coded Xilinx Artix 7 (XC7A15T) FPGA
- Tap-length
- 49,152
- Pulse array
- 10 element pulse array design
- Frequency response
- 20Hz – 20kHz +/- 0.2dB
- Output stage
- Class A
- THD
- <0.0001% 1kHz 3v RMS 300Ω
- THD and noise at 3v RMS
- 117dB at 1kHz 300ohms ‘A’ weighted (reference 2.5v)
- Noise 2.6 uV ‘A’ weighted
- No measurable noise floor modulation
- Channel separation
- 138dB at 1kHz 300Ω
- Weight
- 770g
- Dimensions
- 4.5cm (H) 16cm (W) 8.8cm (D)
- Boxed Weight
- 1500g
Manufacturer's Description — Chord Electronics
The Qutest DAC is designed to improve system sound quality, instantly. It is the latest evolution of our most affordable ‘standalone’ DAC, in other words, one that does not contain a built-in headphone amplifier, like the Mojo 2 and Hugo 2.
The Qutest is What Hi-Fi?’s ‘Best DAC’ 2023 £1,000+ and a What Hi-Fi? ‘Best DAC’ winner every year its inception (2018-2022). It is a proven class-leader and is based on our award-winning proprietary FPGA technology giving it unrivalled 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, optical and coaxial digital input, giving an instant performance upgrade, plus the ability to modernise ageing digital source components.
The Qutest chassis is all-new, too. It has significantly greater mass than its predecessor and has been precision-machined from solid aircraft-grade aluminium billet. The Qutest 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.
Qutest 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 RCA analogue outputs for connection to integrated amplifiers, preamps and headphone amps, plus high-resolution dual-data digital inputs for connection to future Chord Electronics products.
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.
The What Hi-Fi? ‘Best DAC’ 2023/24 Qutest is the definitive small audiophile DA convertor.
‘Plays with Audirvāna’ hardware products are certified to play music from Audirvāna software over USB or network with the best level of integration and audio performance.
Materials: Precision machined aluminium casing with polycarbonate buttons and glass viewing portal. Available only in Jett Black.
Device power supply: 5v 2amp Micro USB
Tap length filter: 49,152 – 10 element Pulse Array design
Connectivity (input): USB Type B (White): 44.1kHz to 768kHz – 16bit to 32bit
2x BNC Coax (Red): 44.1kHz – 384kHz – 16bit to 32bit
1x Dual data mode input (using both BNC coax inputs together): 44.1kHz to 768kHz – 16bit to 32bit
Optical (Green): 44.1kHz to 96kHz – 16bit to 24bit
Connectivity (output): 1x stereo pair of RCA (Left and Right)
PCM support: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz, 717.6kHz, and 768kHz. 16 – 32bit
DSD support: Native playback supported. DSD64 (Single) to DSD512 (Octa-DSD)
Variable output: Fixed, but selectable between 3v (blue), 2v (green), and 1v (red) via dual press of ‘Filter’ + ‘Input’ upon startup
Driver support: Driverless with Mac OS X and Linux, driver required for Windows OS
Digital designer: Rob Watts
Mechanical designer: John Franks
Country of manufacture: England
Key Features
Chord Custom FPGA DAC
49,152 Taps
4x Selectable Filters
Selectable Output Voltage
768kHz USB Type B Input
96kHz Optical Input
USB Galvanic Isolation
2x 384kHz BNC Coax Input
1x 768kHz Dual Data Mode Input
1x Stereo RCA Outputs
Supports up to 768kHz PCM
Native DSD 512 (8x) Capable
Solid Aluminium Chassis
Roon tested
Included Accessories
Qutest user manual
Safety instructions
Drawstring bag
5V 2A Switching Micro USB power supply
Type-A USB to Type-B USB cable
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Chord Electronics Qutest
- Absoulute Audio plus Video — in-store — Aiken, South Carolina, United States (website)
- In Living Stereo — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
- The Music Room — online and in-store — Erie, Colorado, United States (website)
- 110Hz — online and in-store — Kielce, Województwo świętokrzyskie, Poland (website)
- Accent On Music — in-store — Mount Kisco, New York, United States (website)
- Acoustic Designs Inc. — in-store — Scottsdale, Arizona, United States (website)
- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
- Acoustic Streams — in-store — Lower Drift, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Acoustica — online and in-store — Chester, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Ajasom — online and in-store — Amadora, Lisboa, Portugal (website)
and 202 more verified dealers