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Chord Electronics Qutest
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
Dealers selling Chord Electronics near you
With razor-sharp timing accuracy and revealing resolution, the Qutest delivers precise, musical playback with a wide soundstage and an ultra-quiet background that exposes microdetail. Reviewers from StereoNET and Pursuit Perfect System note its compact billet-aluminium build and flexible filters that shape tone without blunting clarity.
Pros
- Exceptional timing, transient control and high resolution that reveal microdetail and precise imaging.
- Robust, precision‑machined billet‑aluminium chassis in a very compact footprint — feels solid and well built.
- Wide format support (galvanically‑isolated USB to 32/768 PCM and DSD512) plus user‑selectable WTA filters for tonal tailoring.
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Cons
- No balanced (XLR) outputs — only single‑ended RCA, which may limit integration with pro or balanced systems.
- No remote control, so input/filter changes require reaching the unit — inconvenient for some listening setups.
- Supplied USB/5V wall‑wart and basic power lead; reviewers report noticeable gains with higher‑quality or linear/battery supplies.
Sound Quality
92/100
Weighted average of sub-criteria below.
Tonal Balance and Musicality
91/100
Reviewers consistently describe an engaging, natural presentation: 'organic presentation' and 'musical ability' (StereoNET), 'comfortable or relaxed' (Future Audiophile), and 'smoothness and richness' (Pursuit Perfect System). The Qutest is described as fast/lean yet musical and non-fatiguing; minor lean/etched comments were reported in early break-in but resolved with run-in and filter choices.
Resolution and Detail
93/100
Multiple reviews praise exceptional detail retrieval and imaging: 'pinpoint detail', 'clarity and precision', 'dug out ... resolution' (StereoNET, Audiophilepure, Audiophile Style). Reviewers repeatedly note excellent micro-detail, instrument separation and the ability to reveal subtle elements even on older tracks.
Digital Performance
93/100
Reviewers and specs point to very low noise and clean digital conversion: 'No measurable noise floor modulation' (specs/SoundStage News), 'insane ability to get the timing right' and excellent transient control (StereoNET), plus technical specs (117dB THD+N, 138dB channel separation). The presentation is described as jitter-free, with a quiet background and excellent timing.
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Build Quality
94/100
Near-universal praise for chassis and construction: precision-machined billet aluminium, compact but dense and solid (StereoNET, Future Audiophile, SoundStage). Reviewers call it extremely well-made ('built like a brick shithouse') and note thoughtful internal layout/isolation; minor negatives relate to the basic supplied power cable, not the core mechanical build.
Features Connectivity
82/100
Baseline 70 plus documented additions: galvanically isolated USB-B (32/768 PCM, DSD512) (+2 for PCM 32/768), strong DSD support (DSD512: +3), optical input (+1), dual BNC coaxial inputs (+1), selectable digital filters (+1), user-selectable output voltage/variable output (+2), sample-rate-indicating display/porthole (+1), and Roon-tested compatibility (+1). Sum = 70 +12 = 82. No balanced XLR outputs, no headphone output, no network streaming or MQA decoding.
Value for Money
93/100
Multiple reviewers explicitly call the Qutest a bargain/'no brainer'/'bargain to be had' and note it punches above its price and delivers Hugo2-like or Yggdrasil-like performance for significantly less (Pursuit Perfect System, Audiophile Style, StereoNET). Given the strong, repeated positive value language and comparisons to higher-priced models, this rates in the 'strong value' tier.
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