CHORD QUTEST DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER

QUTEST: The Qutest Digital-to-Analog Converter

Qutest is a What Hi-Fi? Award-winning DAC with performance that belies its compact dimensions. With DAC architecture based on our class-leading FPGA technology, Qutest offers unrivalled sound quality improvements.

The Qutest DAC is designed to instantly improve system sound quality. It is the latest evolution of our most affordable ‘standalone’ DAC—meaning one that does not contain a built-in headphone amplifier, unlike the Mojo 2 and Hugo 2.

The Qutest is What Hi-Fi?’s ‘Best DAC’ for 2023 (for £1,000+ models) and a What Hi-Fi? ‘Best DAC’ winner every year since its inception (2018–2022). It is a proven class leader, based on our award-winning proprietary FPGA technology, which delivers unrivalled technical and sonic performance.

Perfectly equipped to bring the benefits of our digital technology to a wide range of connected devices, the Qutest features galvanically isolated USB-B, optical, and coaxial digital inputs, offering an instant performance upgrade and the ability to modernise ageing digital source components.

The Qutest chassis is all-new as well. It has significantly greater mass than its predecessor and is precision-machined from solid, aircraft-grade aluminium billet. The Qutest PCB is nestled within a shallow cavity in the solid aluminium chassis, providing greater protection and additional isolation from external vibrations compared to previous designs.

Qutest also offers Hugo 2’s proprietary user-selectable frequency-shaping filters and input selection controls, available via two fascia-mounted spheres, providing useful flexibility. It 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 new feature is the user-selectable output voltage, available in 1V, 2V, and 3V RMS, for flexible connectivity with a wide range of partnering devices.

The What Hi-Fi? ‘Best DAC’ 2023/24 Qutest is the definitive small audiophile DAC.

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% at 1kHz, 3V RMS, 300Ω
• THD and noise at 3V RMS: 117dB at 1kHz, 300Ω, ‘A’-weighted (reference 2.5V)
• Noise (A-weighted): 2.6µV (no measurable noise floor modulation)
• Channel separation: 138dB at 1kHz, 300Ω
• Weight: 770g
• Dimensions: 4.5cm (H) x 16cm (W) x 8.8cm (D)
• Boxed weight: 1500g