You were correct on the Qutest low end. It is a little light, but not at all muddy, and crisp and clear throughout the range. As I stated at the beginning, form factor due to space was critical and the Qutest is perfect & sounds very good. A keeper.
You were dead wrong IMHO on the RME. Cheap equalization introducing distortion, based upon some marketing guys thought that equalization differentiate their product is not a good idea. I want a DAC to be just that… convert digital to analog well.
If I wanted equalization (which I don’t), I would buy something designed for it, like the miniDSP SHD with Dirac.
But thanks for your thoughts. BTW, you are no Yoda IMHO.
DAC upgrade
Let me start by saying I am a vinyl guy, but digital streaming, particularly if I can achieve the right sound has many advantages. My 2 channel equipment is as follows:
Rogue RP-1 w/ NOS Brimar CV4003, LSA Warp 1, KEF R11’s, Rhythmic F12SE, Pro-ject 1Xpression w/Hana ML, Rega Aria, Bluesound Node, Marantz CD6007, Schiit Modi Multibit 2. Good to very good power, speaker, interconnect cables.
My weakest link (I believe) is my DAC.
My desire is the best sounding DAC below $2,500, but certainly don’t mind spending less. i want the DAC to be as good as my best current component. I don’t need a DAC with preampliflication, don’t need balanced, don’t need headphones, however I would not eliminate a DAC with superior sound with those features. I do prefer a small form factor.
My current top contenders are:
Chord Qutest, Schiit Yggy, RME ADI-2, Topping D90 III.
The Chord checks all my boxes… reviews, sound, form factor, no unneeded features, etc and don’t mind its quirky lights… but, looking your thoughts/ recommendations. Thanks!
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- 96 posts total
@signaforce I like how you chose your DAC long ago, but the suggestions keep coming in 😁 |
- 96 posts total