Who has demoed/has the Chord 2Qute DAC?

[Happy_Listener]

Hey Everyone,

I'm looking for advice. Do you think there would be a sound improvment if I bought the Chord 2Qute DAC to use with my Marantz SA-8005?

 

[Andrewjvt]

Hey Everyone,

I'm looking for advice. Do you think there would be a sound improvment if I bought the Chord 2Qute DAC to use with my Marantz SA-8005? 

Ellisdj has I think
Visit pursuit perfect system
Or look on his YouTube

Personally without knowing your setup and space etc I can't offer any advise other than dac improvements are subtle at best and if an upgrade is in order, greater sound difference could be obtained through speakers.

 

[insider9]

I'd be interested to know as well. Recently got Chord Mojo and thinking what 2Qute could do

 

[Happy_Listener]

The rest of my system is a Sugden A21 Signature amp and Harbeth P3ESR speakers.

 

[ellisdj]

Thats a good system and I think its a good idea to consider a chord dac as they are very good fpga makes sense. Its the clarity. I found the Hugo 2 was really where they start to show what its all about.

Would that be out of your budget? Demo one but be warned that clarity is hard to go back from.

 

[Andrewjvt]

The rest of my system is a Sugden A21 Signature amp and Harbeth P3ESR speakers. 

Ja ok cool stuff

 

[ellisdj]

I heard those speakers a few years ago at the Bristol show on the end of Computer Audio Design Streamer and Dac and was one of the best sounds that day.

They disappeared and left a lovely clear sound beyond them in free space.

They do clarity on the end of the right stuff
Computer Audio Design is very good stuff

 

[Macspur]

Nice set up you have there. I would also urge you to try the Audiolab MDAC plus.

I have one hooked up to CDP and Sonos and it's superb!

Mac

www.realmusicnet.wordpress.com

 

[Native_bon]

I happen to have the 2qute dac and it's very good compared to my Oppo or the Audiolab m dac, separation and space in between instruments is really good, yet no hardness to the sound.

Personally I think like ellisdj mentioned it will make more sense to go for the Hugo 2 if funds allow. Any difference between the Chord Hugo and the 2qute will be very subtle.

I think you got really nice system there to get the Hugo 2 really singing.

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

The chord stuff is really amazing. I heard the Dave with similar price power chord amp and streamer with some neat speakers today at indulgence and it was stunning. I think the chord sound is just so very clean. Nothing attached to it. Real and raw. If I can be forgiven for such hi fi 'wordplay' and rhetoric.

 

[Happy_Listener]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

A couple of you mentioned the Chord Hugo 2. However, I have a few reasons to go for the Chord 2Qute instead. 1) The 2Qute is basically a Hugo 1 minus the other features. They share the same DAC. 2) I do not need the extra features of the Hugo, battery and headphone. 2) The Hugo 2 will cost me about $1000 more here in the States. I don't think the sound quality difference for pure DAC duty will be that much better with the Hugo 2. I could be wrong but I read some people on the message boards saying they think the orginial Hugo 1 acutally sounds smoother than the 2. So it could go either way to which I like more anyways. 4) The Hugo 2 has a strange way of using the coaxial input having you use some adapter that fits into a smaller hole on the unit.

I think if I go beyond the 2Qute then I should start looking into a dedicated CD Transport. It's also part of the whole equation. I am not sure my Marantz SA-8005 is up to task. Yes, I am still mainly a CD person. I like to have hard copies of my music rather than computer files. If anyone knows of a good storage drive server that will last me for years and is easy to use I'd be happy to know. I go through laptops about every three years so the thought of finding and tranfering files all of the time on them is unappealing to me. I always know where my CD's are.

 

[Happy_Listener]

By the way, that Audiolab MDAC does look really good too. I'll do some reasearch on it.

 

[ellisdj]

The hugo 2 is more advanced than the original chord range inc the 2qute.

Its got more akin to the dave than the 2qute in a way not every. Dave is a lot better.
The batteries are not only a benefit for the device being mobile they get the dac chip off the grid. The 2qute gets its power from a wallwart smps power supply never going to be as good as battery as battery is clean power and great for these types of devices.

Listen first before jumping the difference is marked

 

[newlash09]

You can check out the Sony hap z1es. Gets great reviews. And did you also consider the schiit yggdrassil dac. Very well regarded as well. And pretty easy to get in the US.

 

[Happy_Listener]

ellisdj,

That's the quickest reply yet I have experienced on WHF. Thanks. Those are some great points you brought up in favor of the Hugo 2. I forgot to think about the battery as being off the grid while it can be used unpluged. I am sure the new DAC is an improvement as well. However, I still don't like that coaxial input. What's up with that? Wonder what the reasoning is behind it? It's also $1000 more.

 

[ellisdj]

Its a lot more money and yes you need to use an adaptor on the coax input but thats not the end of the world seriously. I bought one from maplin for about £4.

Long term I would see if neutrik sell one and use that.

Its also not that smooth a listen but neither is the 2qute so if you want smooth maybe a diff dac is better the TT ticks that box but at higher cost unless you can pick one up on a good dealer deal.

Thats why its worth a listen first because you either like them or not I think they have that type of sound.

 

[Andrewjvt]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

A couple of you mentioned the Chord Hugo 2. However, I have a few reasons to go for the Chord 2Qute instead. 1) The 2Qute is basically a Hugo 1 minus the other features. They share the same DAC. 2) I do not need the extra features of the Hugo, battery and headphone. 2) The Hugo 2 will cost me about $1000 more here in the States. I don't think the sound quality difference for pure DAC duty will be that much better with the Hugo 2. I could be wrong but I read some people on the message boards saying they think the orginial Hugo 1 acutally sounds smoother than the 2. So it could go either way to which I like more anyways. 4) The Hugo 2 has a strange way of using the coaxial input having you use some adapter that fits into a smaller hole on the unit. 

I think if I go beyond the 2Qute then I should start looking into a dedicated CD Transport. It's also part of the whole equation. I am not sure my Marantz SA-8005 is up to task. Yes, I am still mainly a CD person. I like to have hard copies of my music rather than computer files. If anyone knows of a good storage drive server that will last me for years and is easy to use I'd be happy to know. I go through laptops about every three years so the thought of finding and tranfering files all of the time on them is unappealing to me. I always know where my CD's are. 

Go audition a benchmark dac3 it's great and compares to the chord according to what his
Possibly you can pick up a cheap 2nd hand one

 

[Macspur]

By the way, that Audiolab MDAC does look really good too. I'll do some reasearch on it.

I've never heard the Chord, so I can't say if one's better than the other, but for the price alone, it's worth demoing if you can.

Like I said, I've got my EMC1UP which is a fantastic CDP in its own right, hooked up via a aes/ebu (digital XLR) cable and the sq is superb!

Let us know how you get on.

Mac

www.realmusicnet.wordpress.com

 

[Happy_Listener]

The problem with adapters is that they can degrade the sound quality. Some can also mess with the 75 ohm rating of the cable. It's imporatant to find a high qaulity one.

 

[ellisdj]

Thats possible but I am pretty sure a lot of rca connections dont fully adhere perfectly to exact 75ohms anyway but I can understand that is a potential concern. It would have been for me had I not tried it. Hence the suggestion for a neutrik adaptor as imo they make the best quality of these types of connector.

I still think the better dac with the adaptor will be the better sound overall.

I have just remembered you cam adjust the filters used in the hugo2 to make it smoother sounding but i bet most people listen in the incisive mode as it portrays the clearest sound most detailed etc.

 

[Happy_Listener]

Oh? You can change the filters? Now that makes it more tempting to me. Do you know if the 2Qute can do this as well? I am sure the Hugo 2 is the better soundng DAC. Just wish i didn't have to pay for the headphone amp and I'm still wondering why they can't give it a regular coaxial input? However, I think you're probably correct that I won't notice a difference anyways using an adaptor. Do you have concerns about battery life? After a few years it will diminish so is it replaceable?

 

[Happy_Listener]

One more question. This might come off as a stupid one to ask but I'm fairly clueless when it comes to DAC's. Is the 2Qute or Hugo 2 able to play my SACD's? I read something about DSD on the Chord website.

 

[Happy_Listener]

I found out that the Hugo 2 has a remote control and Bluetooth Aptx. The filter settings can be changed on the remote as well. I am getting more and more excited by the Hugo.

The filter settings on the Hugo 2 are:

• 256fs (Neutral)256fs + Neutral with HF roll off16fs (Warm)16fs + HF roll off (Warmer)

 

[ellisdj]

You will need to check the specs to be sure on that. I know the chord dacs are well supported into dsd and very high sample rates. The hugo 2 has more comtability in that regard.
The hugo 2 is the only chord dac currently that offers these filters.
The dave has one adjustment called hifi and that seems to make it a smoother listen bit of HF roll off I dare say.

I found out yesterday the hugo2 has a desktop mode that it goes into after 24 hours of that type of use to help protect battery life. The original one didnt have that.

You could use the 2qute with a different / better power supply a linear etc but that adds to the cost and pushes it closer to the hugo 2 and I havent tried that to know if it would make any difference.

It normally does so it probably would

 

[Native_bon]

You will need to check the specs to be sure on that. I know the chord dacs are well supported into dsd and very high sample rates. The hugo 2 has more comtability in that regard.
The hugo 2 is the only chord dac currently that offers these filters.
The dave has one adjustment called hifi and that seems to make it a smoother listen bit of HF roll off I dare say.

I found out yesterday the hugo2 has a desktop mode that it goes into after 24 hours of that type of use to help protect battery life. The original one didnt have that.

You could use the 2qute with a different / better power supply a linear etc but that adds to the cost and pushes it closer to the hugo 2 and I havent tried that to know if it would make any difference.

It normally does so it probably would

I did upgrade to a linear power supply which comes in two stages. The main linear block then a further smaller block which acts as a DC supply to the 2qute. The sound was much smoother and the noise floor dropped much more.

Most who upgraded the power supply of the 2qute experienced much better SQ.
The upgrade block also comes with an outlet to connect to the 2qutes earth connector. Made a whole lot of difference.