It does not matter if it is a late review. I personally was waiting for you to review any Chord DAC. I am convinced that you are physically gifted with better hearing than most of us. Combined with mature listening skills, your observations and opinion have great value. Thanks for this review.
You have a great way of describing listening experience with words, mimic, and gestures. So easy to follow the little nuances you want to bring across. Thanks for your reviews.
This is the second review of yours I have watched. Your reviews are impressive. I have found that you display a much more natural confidence in what you are saying than any of the reviewers I have viewed until now. Thanks for your work!
I see you're in Serbia! When I was younger, I made many trips to the former Yugoslavia...Belgrade, in particular, is memorable to me. But again, kudos on the reviews, I very much appreciate your commentary on products and the way you listen to how you listen to gear. I'd be curious to know what kinds of music you use to audition gear.
Glad it made an impact, I'm located in the Belgrade and it is an interesting city. As for the music I use, I like blues, rock, jazz, pop... Electronics sometime (Daft Punk for example). I don't really listen to classical music, maybe few times a year. Sometimes I put a suggestion for a song in the video, I'll try to do that more regularly. Cheers!
@@iiWiReviews I loved traveling all over there, through Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia/Herzegovina - i never got down to Montenegro but, maybe one day. I actually did catch a reference to a recording in a video I watched subsequent to this comment. I just love discovering new music....and it's also helpful to have references to certain sounds, certain music passages and instruments etc. that you use to test equipment. Cheers!
Great review! You are truly becoming more and more professional in your reviews. Congratulations. BTW I agree with your disdain for MQA which has been a disaster for the industry. Keep up the excellent work! Thank you for your efforts
Great review! I bought Qutest 1.5 months ago. I was curious what you would say about its sound, because I have watched all your reviews of the DAC and I totally agree with you. Chord sounds as you say. Greetings!
I want to thank you for this great work ! I really can hear on Chord Hugo 2 what you describe for Chord Qtest and that's why this video is so useful for me. Considering how hard it is to communicate what can be heard through audio gears, I strongly appreciate that you succeed so well in this aspect.
Basses on Chord DACs are the most precise I've ever heard, no matter the price range. The definition on treble can be a little disturbing on some tracks but the general quality is very high. A good quality power supply definitely makes difference. On the other hand the Denafrips has a smoothness that's difficult to rival. Great review.
This is the best comparison I have seen for these 2 DACs so far. I am considering these two and your explanation really clarifies which one I would prefer. Now the Qutest has increased its price to the US $1,945.00. So at this, price I would really like see your take on the Pontus II, which would still be cheaper at US $1810.00
Odlično poređenje, potpisujem! Trenutno imam 3 različita DAC-a: Denafrips Ares II, Denafrips Terminator i Accuphase DAC-50 (modul u mom Accuphase E-480 pojačalu). Imam namjeru zadržati samo jednu DAC opciju, ali nakon višemjesečnog slušanja i komparacija, gotovo da je nemoguće odlučiti se koju, naročito ako se imaju i vidu različite cjenovne klase. Accuphase DAC-50 (duplo skuplji od Ares II) je najpraktičnija solucija, naginje Quest zvuku, ali mu nedostaje ono što je posebna Ares II zvučna signatura. Denafrips Terminator objedinjuje sve to na jedan fantastičan način (+ diže sve na kvadrat), doista jedan ultimativni high-end DAC! No, duplo je skuplji nego ova dva zajedno. Dakle, muka živa... Pozdrav iz Švedske!
iiWi, You have done it again. The major reviewers need to take a message out of your playbook. You have a way to convey and put sound into words with emotion, without all of the Word Salad!!!
For all the RU-vid reviewers that I follow, your's is the channel that drives some of my buying decisions. I have a Pontus II 12-1 and I love it. I was thinking about a Hugo TT2 because there are occasions when I miss the precise detail (usually found on Chifi). After watching this, I think I will keep my Denafrips. Although, I do wonder if the TT2 with its 100,000 taps vs the Qutest 50,000 taps improves on the lack of richness. Maybe if I have some kind of unexpected windfall of money, I'll buy the TT2 and have both. 🙂
I have one (Chord Qutest purchased in mint condition for a lot less than the retail price - owned for approx' 18 months) with an already great system and I can DEFINITELY recommend at LEAST trying one; Easy to set up / use. Changing to each of the 4 filter settings really does make it able to get the sound 'you' want (in my experience)... you can get detail AND warmth via the 3rd, or 4th filter setting) and most important of all... for an out of the box component it is (in my opinion) excellent and gets a coinsiderable amount more from your system... ultimately though and is often the way, a lot depends on 'your' system.
This is a great review, the first one I've seen where I feel like I can actually conceptualize how it will sound properly. The comparison with the Ares II was very helpful and actually gave me insight on how both DACs sound. Thanks !
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍👍💪Congratulations you have described this component so accurately you really do have a way with words excellent I feel like I’ve heard it in person thanks to you best review so far congrats a big fan of yours stevecostello💪
I only discovered your channel a few weeks ago, and I'm really impressed by the way you can put sound and music into words. One question... sorry, I might have missed it at the beginning of the video (and I looked again)... did you say before your sound description that you were testing the chord with a linear power supply? At least at the end, I think that everything you say refers to the test with the linear power supply. Because the cheap switch mode power supply is only mentioned by you at the end as the sonically inferior option in the comparison. Your comparison refers to the strong analytical sides of the chord, which are then reduced. But on the other hand, does everything become poorer or does the cheap power supply provide a little more timbre and tone, the characteristics that you like so much about the Ares2?
Thank You for this comparison. I'm thinking of buying one of this two boys. Thanks a lot to show me the diferences between Ares II and Qutest, now I'm little bit more confused :). Maybe it's not about DACs but I'm a happy owner od Dayens Menuetto amplifier which came to me directly from Serbia! Thanks and please, keep doing your reviews, I love them!
You wasn't joking about the improvement in sound with the Shanti power supply on the Qutest, I was lucky enough to grab one recently and was pleasantly surprised.
Actually, I think there is a certain wisdom behind the Chord color-based selection scheme. You hear audiophiles always talking about the problem of objectivity due to their impression of what sounds good being skewed by KNOWING what settings they are listening to. Well, with the color coding, if you never take a peek at the color-coding key, the only thing you have to tell you what sounds best is YOUR EARS! So actually, the color-coded selection are quite clever, in that respect.
I agree with your value/ratio thinking both for the reasons you mentioned and for one other reason. DACs are getting better and cheaper each year. I see no reason to overspend today when tomorrow you may well be trading up again.
Congratulations, you're very good at describing your feelings as they relate to the gear used. This is actually very difficult to accomplish and you aced it. I'm a fan of your reviewing style.
Great review as usual & really like your format. Hope in the future you could review multibit/R2R DAC from Schiit & Audio-GD around the same price of the Denafrips & Chord.
Great review. After watching the sound demo video. You can hear everything you explained in this review quite easily. Even through mobile phone with headphones. Keep up the great work. Cheers from Australia.
I highly recommend trying Audio-gd R2R DACs. I have the Ares II and a discontinued DAC-19 that trounces it in everything (clarity, tone, timbre, soundstage) and at a slightly lesser price. The current Audio-gd R-1 is $900 and should be a good comparison.
Love your way to speak and communicate. Good and clear. Like you think exacly like most of us. about dacs, I’d like to try Denafrips but is not possible. So, buying something without this step, plus near 800€ without a local support.....it’s not my way to GO on. so, I’m look to Metrum dac like Amethyst....
Thank you. I do have the Qutest, and after your review I will stay with it. Also I because have a Sbooster behind it. When I connected the Sbooster, I was amazed of the growth of the soundstage. And you are right, very, very precise soundstage. And also very good to follow all the slashes of a drummer/ drumsolo...for example. Very quick sound.
This review basically nailed down what i will get. I was on the fence between the ares and the Qutest but i could not get the Ares for a test drive but i could get the Qutest from MusicDirect. That said, this review basically answered my questions on the Ares. I have the same speakers you do (LS50) and I believe I have a quite a resolving system. I have SS amps and Tube Pre. I prefer resolving systems, able to hear distinct information on The recording. I use a MACBook Pro (2019) running Tidal + Roon and schitt Modius and I really feel that the modius is not resolving enough for me. I have a semi dedicated listening room with lots of treatments, thereby able to hear the nuances of the music. This is what i want and willing to go for. For the price, well i do know that’s its nearly double the price, but i tend to run them for a decade before i change things.
My subjective experience is different, FWIW here is my two cents. I owned the Denafrips for several months and listened to it daily. Emphasizing again this is my own subjective reaction to it, I found over a period of time a creeping dissatisfaction with the sound that was not part of my initial reaction to it. It simply annoyed me. Something about it was just not right. Eventually, I could not stand to listen to it at all. At that point I considered my options carefully and after a lot of research, decided to try the Chord Qutest. I liked it from the start and after many months I still like it. It’s not exactly a matter of detail but the sound is properly organized whereas my perception of the Ares’ sound is that it isn’t. I am using the cheap power supply that came with the Qutest, but I also have a high quality power conditioner and I have invested in good cables in the system. The most expensive cable is the digital coax (Audioquest Diamond), which contrary to much controversy, is the single upgrade that made the most startling difference with both DACs (Its retail cost is higher than the Denfrips). Of course it is unfair as you point out to compare the Denafrips directly to the Qutest given the price difference. My subjective evaluation is differs from yours however, in that I consider the Qutest using the switching supply that comes with it to be a very significant upgrade from the Ares. My own personal judgment is that the Qutest is the minimum acceptable level of performance acceptable for me. It is an accurate DAC that does not (for me) become fatiguing over time, whereas the Ares did not stand the test of time with respect to listening satisfaction. That is a very different perception, sad and unfair though it may be that the entry level to long-term listening satisfaction seems to begin at the Qutest’s price point. That power supply upgrade you reviewed sounds like a real find and an outstanding bargain given it can power both a DAC and streamer. Good job on that!
I have the Qutest along with another DAC that is much more revealing and agree with you that the Qutest is much easier to listen to for any extended length of time.
I would gladly try Bifrost 2 if not for very high shipping cost from US to Serbia, and 30% taxes. It would actually sum up to a very similar price as Qutest. Basically, Schiit has great price for US customers but not so much for most of the others. :(
I don't have much money, so I often use my Anker powerbank which is basically a battery, instead of a linear power supply. It's maximum output is 18 Watts and so I've used it with three different dac/amps. You can totally tell the difference it makes and it lasts up to 8 hours. The only downside is it takes hours to recharge. Anyway I paid £20 for it, if anyone is interested.
@@iiWiReviews Powerbank is not good in the quality of power source because the using boosted circuit to change the 3.7V of the lithum Bateery to 5V, that take a lot of ripple.
Good review. I'm looking at getting the Chord and price is an issue, albeit not the most important. I'm with you, I wouldn't pay full price, it would need to be part of a deal.
Thoughtful review that covers all the important bases. Regarding price performance, perhaps a better comparison would be with the Denafrips Pontus II which is around US$1700 at time of writing (July 2021) - it would give Cutest/Allo Shanti a run for their money.
Though this is a 3 year old review, it is still relevant today. The reviewer is right on the money about the chord qutest. Since purchasing a slightly used cutest that came with an upgraded ifi elite power supply at a very good price, I feel that I made an excellent choice. There are so many choices in this price range. And, I have to admit that I am skeptical buying an expensive dac from China for the same reasons explained by the reviewer. But, if you find the cutest on the used market for around half the price, it can't be beat for all the accurate sonic reasons he described. A good dac requires a good system, and visa versa. The cutest may be long in the tooth, but it's still is an unbeatable dac for its accuracy. Thanks to this reviewer for helping me make the right choice.
To be fair, a more interesting comparison for Qutest+PSU would be with the entry level Audiobyte Black Dragon. Both based on fpga (obviously different implementation), that one has class A output stage and linear PSU build in and is around 1900 Euros, vs 2000 for the Qutest+ For 1000 Euros you got ADI-2 FS. Produced in Germany so no taxes in Europe, not huge expenses if you need to send it back, general consent is it comes a little short in sound quality, but just a little, but with huge amount of options.
Really great review and details 👏 Would be really fun to see Pontus compare to same price chord and diff on the aries 🎷🎸🌪 To buy dac is so difficult when you cant test them and i think alot of people looking at these dacs and with your detail reviews we can make a better choice . Keep up great work well done 👏 Please let us know what powersupply you use :) extra i think as well some people have problems with a bit sharp and edgy treble how can a dac help and wich one in that case ...
Nice review. Qutest+PSU is more in price range of Denafrips Pontus... UK have a denafrips dealer (willow tree) - whether that's open to EU customers I don't know...
Great description. I haven’t heard the Ares 2 but I have heard the Chord DACs up to Dave and have owned several R2R DACs including a NOS Goldmund and Schiit Yggdrasil A2. Currently running a Mola Mola Tambaqui which provides the detail, speed and space of the Dave and the tonality of the best R2R DACs I have heard.
The Qutest seems to fluctuate in price quite a bit. I picked mine up for $1400 USD. Three months later it jumped to $1900. I've seen it go up and down from $1700 to $2100. If you want the Qutest just keep an eye on it bc the price changes often and by quite a bit.
Great review. Are u thinking about getting a topping pre90 to review? I'm curious to know how a dedicated pre amp for a dac would act...especially with the denafrips ares ii.
Not as good as the RME ADI-2 dac fs, a Qutest killer. The thing with the power supply is debatable .it depends on the patterning kit. On the rca socket. A bnc is 75ohms and chord may have had dual outputs in mind with m scaler. I would say MQA is liked for catalogue and good as cd / hi res. Bang on with the sound descriptions . You are very good with that. - I agree it outlines the details and soundstage and you’ve got that spot on. Room around instruments.really nice description. The Ares 2 is a tonally thick sound I found.
Old thread but this is still interesting. Wouldn't the rme be more of a benchmark dac3 killer? Both delta sigma designs with low distortion, a preamp function, and the flat soundstage that tends to plague such designs
@@nate_8403 RME is the best one. German make. Precise and excellent soundstage. Otherwise the top integrateds like Hegel or Accuphase would be stellar.
Hi iiWi, just a comment about the BNC connectors. Chord use twin BNCs to suit the M-Scaler as an input to the Qutest (and TT2 / Dave). BNC is a superior connector as you said so better that they do this and then people can always buy a BNC to RCA converter if they have a coax source they want to use 🙂
Hi PfS! That's an interesting observation, it didn't come to my mind because I never gave to much attention to M-scaler due to its price. I imagined it to be a companion for hi-end Chord DACs only. Cheers from Serbia!
I agree with your assessment. In the UK this would be a great value. It is an awesome product that deserves its accolades. Outside the uk- or in the United States, it has serious competition at lower prices.
Hey man. I really love your videos! - You are very very good at explaining all the different aspects of sound quality. You don't dwell on specs and features. You discuss the end result. I think most of us are interested in this approach... "Just give me how does it sounds" - And "How it compares" - By the way, where are you from?
Long decay bass timber with r2r /ares2 (large sound stage, orchestra acoustic instruments and vocal preferred). Chord fpga is pin point musical aka all arounder.
Can it be worth having both the Ares II and the Chord Qutest and just swap between them depening on what type of sound you want. Or are they very similar in quality, and not worth having both?
Yes-while it’s always a personal preference the Ares 2 excels in providing a much wider soundstage and depth then the Cutest- so I listen to live concerts , jazz groups and vocalists with Ares. The Cutest is has in my opinion a bit more detail and depth with highs though doesn’t provide as wide s soundstage. Hope this helps!
Yes, i know it’s in a Much Lower Price Segment but, did you know there is now a Version ‘2’ of the iFi Zen DAC. Apparently it is MUCH Improved. How about a Review Video in the near future ? GR8 Channel. I am Sub’d. ATB
Certain DACS(and Amps) just have you picking out things in a song over just enjoying the music. Know your preference. In terms of the Chord sound, I suspect that this might be one of those instances of audiophiles using their music to listen to their gear rather than using their gear to listen to their music 🤷🏻♂
i got a demo of the Aries II and its a game changer. its obscenely good value. it sounds much better than my bryston bcd1 at a much higher price (and that is a brilliant cd player) its really lush and its definitely not a product that is level. buying it your engaging in system tuning so try to get a hands on before you buy. the chord dac on the other hand should work with most things and it has incredible levels of accuracy. violins sound like violins etc
Any owners of an RME ADI-2 fs? Looks like an interested piece of equipment. Any chance you will be able to review this one? @iwiireviews It has also been called a DAC performing above it’s price. Curious about your thoughts! Great review again btw! Really enjoying your videos.
I almost bought a second-hand one recently, but someone grabbed it first. :) If it pops up again, I'll be sure to get it. I have to wait for such deals where I can later resell it at little to no loss, cause the channel is still not big enough to cover me buying everything new and bleeding few hundreds after each resale for the gear I don't keep.
@@iiWiReviews Understandable! I was in exactly the same situation, also wanted to buy it second hand but someone already just bought it before me. Let's hope we will find one in the future! Really curious about its performance.
Impressive review, though I wish you'd thrown out some amps/headphones that pair well perhaps. Another thing that would help put it in perspective for viewers is "how much" the expensive dacs are better than the cheaper ones. As someone newer to this space it seems probable that some people blow the DAC differences out of proportion compared to amps/headphones, so it would help the whole community to try to keep it in context
@iiWiReviews. Hi there.Came across Your old Review. What I understood from it is that You thought the sound of the Chord Qutest with a linear power supply was excellent, but it was not worth 2000 dollars. My Question is in 2024 the Chord Qutest with an External power supply is available for just around a 1000 dollars and at that price it is cheaper than the Gustard R26, A26 and denafrips ares 12 - 1. At the present prices of the qutest Would You prefer the Qutest with LPS over Gustard R26, Gustard A26 and the Denafrips ares 12-1 only on sound Quality alone for a Neutral to Warm Stereo setup and Why?
Great review. Chord’s audio designer, R. Watts, maintains that using a LPS yields no benefits and what you’d think as an improvement it’d be actually artificial. Perhaps a low noise PSU like the switch-mode iFi iPower mk2 would be an inexpensive alternative.
Thanks! I have great respect for gear designers but in the end they are salesmen too and need us to believe that they have everything figured out better then any other designer. So I tend to take every claim they make with a pinch of salt.
Thanks a lot for a very good review and interesting comparison. I’ve had the Chord Qutest for some time now coupled with a Bluesound Node 2i streamer and am very happy with it. I use it with the supplied power chord. Which power supply or Chord would you recommend to upgrade it? Best regards. Ignacio
My friend with Qutest upgraded to Schumann because its simply richer and more natural sounding. Qutest is more analytical but lacks tone timbre, textured, and palpability compared to Schumann. Tradutto is in the same league as Qutest. Less 3D but fuller and punchier. Still not a match for the Schumann.
Denafrips located Guangzhou, China. Chord designed & built in The UK. I know where my money is going. The Chord is available for less than £1k right now in The UK.
It puzzles me why at US$1950 Chord Qutest could not afford to include a good linear power supply in a less toy-like chassis like the cheaper $830 Denafrips does ! Who needs those Christmas light indicators BTW ? Think they make the DAC a triffle cuter or "qutest"?
i'M WANDERING how this device will reproduce the outi (modern eastern loute) of "Rabi Abou Khalil" or the guitar of Yamandu Kosta or the Citar of Anouska Shankar . There is the detail and the focus and the temper I like to feel.
Your assessment of this device says more about your system (and listening biases) than the device. It can sound extremely “warm” when the recording contains warmth but doesn’t editorialize all recordings like the coloured offering from Denafrips. Also, the 2 BNC inputs are there so that the device can be used to maximum effect with the company’s M-scaler which requires a double BNC cable connection to achieve the highest sampling rate.
System and personal biases are always factors with every subjective impression. I simply try my best to convey my own impressions and it's ultimately up to the viewers to decide if they are useful or not (based on their own experience and values). Regarding M-scaler, I have to say I fail to see much sense in using something that costs three times more than the DAC itself. So the usefulness of having two BNCs on Qutest particularly is debatable. I can't imagine most of Qutest owners ever considering M-scaler.
@@iiWiReviews The Qutest sounds stunning with the M-scaler. It was the proper choice for Chord to ensure it could be used with it rather than exclude it as an option only to avoid having to use a BNC adaptor. There are quite of few Qutest owners who use it with M-scaler.
Maybe I've missed it, but I believe you did not mention if you use the oversampling or non-oversampling mode of the Ares2? I prefer the oversampling mode with slow filter which to me seemed like it added quite a bit of detail without losing the warm sound. Oh, never mind, I see you already have answered below.
