John Williamson Posted June 30, 2023 Posted June 30, 2023 Further Information: The designer of the Chord DACs, Rob Watts, took a unique approach to overcoming the immense technical difficulty of Digital to Analogue conversion, by custom-programming chips called Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) as the path to neutrality in audio output. There is plenty of YouTube content explaining this stuff - good luck. Even if you don't understand it any more than I, rest assured that the result is well worth the money which Chord demand for a new 2QUTE and its brethren. The 2QUTE was a sensation when it was introduced in 2015 and there are many reviews on the interweb, but the Darko Audio and The Hans Beekhuyzen channels can tell most everything you need to know about it. My personal experience of the 2QUTE: I set it up with a Sonore microRendu network bridge/streamer (configured as a ROON endpoint) feeding its USB input. The audio analogue-out fed an ARCAM class G amplifier and Almarro M2A floorstander speakers. The combination has been superb: very wide, reasonably deep and highly defined soundstage with a smooth and detailed performance. Back to back, the 2QUTE easily outclassed the internal DAC of the ARCAM. I also had an OPPO BDP205, with its highly regarded ESS Sabre DAC circuit, but again the 2QUTE discernibly outperformed the OPPO in soundstaging and enjoyability of the audio. I have now installed a QUTEST in place of the 2QUTE and the step up in some aspects of performance is discernable albeit that I am coming to terms with the extra degree of etched soundstage and high frequency detail. I think the QUTEST may be a little less forgiving than the 2QUTE of older recordings....but it is early days and I have rolled the dice! Note: I am also selling the microRendu/Gieseler LPS/Regen link separately on this classifieds site. That's because it was replaced by a MiniDSP Studio to feed the QUTEST which allows me to implement DIRAC EQ room adjustment.
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