I have not owned a Chord DAC, but from what I have heard, they are pretty detailed. It may be that you don’t like the sound of tubes on the front end. Trying out some SS preamps might be the ticket. The BP-19 is certainly a good candidate.
UPGRADE PATH FROM CHORD QUTEST
My system currently consists of the following:
1. Martin Logan 11A impression hybrid electrostatic speakers.
2. Bryston 4B3 cubed power amplifier
3. Rogue Audio RP-1 preamp
4. Lumin U2 mini transport streamer
5. Chord Qutest Dac
Happy with the sound, but on many tracks on Qoboz the sound especially on rock leaves a lot to be desired. This could be the function of the source itself (the recording) is poor. Would a better DAC yield more detail and better sound? My price limit is about $5000.00. Not looking to buy used. Wish to work with a dealer because I have found them to be incredibly helpful. Also looking for a company that provides phone customer support. There is nothing like a conversation or a discussion to solve an issue. I understand that my view is a minority view out there. As we are in a self-service world. But I am used to a person picking up the phone and asking how can I help you? Any thoughts would be sincerely appreciated. Thank you.
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When I asked Rogue for their recommend tube upgrade, the RCA clear tops were on their list. Just out of curiosity, what is your reluctance to change out your tubes? I guarantee you will significantly improve your sound for a (relatively) small investment. |
I have had more than one rock CD's that I always thought sounded dark and unlively. The 1st one that comes to mind is Living in the past by Tull. When I subscribed to Qobuz, I was thinking it would sound better streaming it. Wrong. It sounds the same. Others have proven out to be the same. I doubt that throwing money at better equipment will help. Perhaps a new remastering would. |
@kjl1065, I had a Qutest before I upgraded to a Chord TT2/m scaler combo. The Qutest is a great little DAC that I wish I still owned because it’s such a neat little piece of audio kit. Have you tried using an aftermarket power supply for your Qutest like an iFi Elite X or an Sbooster? I found that it made a discernible difference in sound quality over using the stock Chord wall wart because it gave the music a feeling of less digital glare and a more analog sounding presentation. I like trying small tweaks first in my setup as opposed to looking for a several thousand dollar electrical box to solve all of my sound quality issues. |
- 36 posts total