Headphone-Zone-Chord-Qutest
Headphone-Zone-Chord-Qutest
Headphone-Zone-Chord-Qutest
Headphone-Zone-Chord-Qutest
Headphone-Zone-Chord-Qutest
Headphone-Zone-Chord-Qutest
Chord - Qutest
Chord Electronics

Chord - Qutest

Desktop DAC
₹ 94,999
Usual Price: ₹ 109,990 ₹ 139,990
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DELIVERY
Dispatches in

7 Day Replacement Guarantee

In case you receive the Chord - Qutest with a manufacturing defect, please raise a return request within 7 days of delivery.

However, if you receive an incorrect / damaged / different product or one with missing accessories, please raise a return request within 24 hours of delivery. In case you receive a product with a missing, incorrect, or faulty accessory, you will be given a replacement accessory instead of the entire product.

Please make sure that the product is in the original packaging with all the accessories it came with. We'll also need an unboxing video and images of the parcel to investigate about the discrepancy. You may be asked to share images of the product and the packaging received for us to determine the damage or defect prior to approving the return request. The free replacement will be shipped only once the original order is returned.

A replacement will be issued only if:

- It is found to be defective
- It is determined that the product was not damaged while in your possession
- The product is not different from what was shipped to you
- The product is returned in original condition (with brand’s/manufacturer's box, MRP tag intact, user manual, warranty card and all the accessories therein)

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Warranty & Services

Don't sweat it, this Chord - Qutest comes with a 3 Year warranty from Chord Electronics that covers manufacturing defects. All products featured on Headphone Zone are backed by an original manufacturer's warranty.

Read more about Chord Electronics's warranty in India.

Club Audiophile

Join Club Audiophile to begin your pursuit of great sound. Earn points and save on every purchase.

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Why Chord is Special

🇬🇧

Designed in UK
Established & Reputed

Trust us, our reputation in the audio world speaks for itself!


This headphone or gear comes from a well-respected brand known for its high-quality audio equipment, so you can be confident in your purchase.


If you see a product marked as “🎖️ Established & Reputed”, it means you're getting a top-tier device from a brand that's earned its stripes in the audio industry.
Revered by Audiophiles

Audiophiles can be really picky and tough to impress and if the audiophile community says something sounds good, you can bet it's great!


This headphone or gear has gained recognition and admiration from audiophiles, who are known for their discerning taste in high-fidelity audio. They appreciate its precision, attention to detail and its ability to deliver an immersive sonic experience.


If you see a product marked as "🙌🏻 Revered by Audiophiles", it means that it meets the highest standards of sound quality and performance, making it a top choice for anyone who values exceptional audio experiences.
Specialist

A masterpiece from the experts who know audio inside and out!


This headphone or gear is crafted by specialists who know their stuff, ensuring every detail is perfect.


If you see a product marked as “🌟 Specialist”, it means you're choosing a device designed by experts who specialize in creating this specific category of device.
🦩

Boutique Brand
🐣

Born in 1989

Why we love this DAC/Amp

Premium Economy

Sensible spending and class above in quality. 


This headphone or gear offers top-notch sound and performance without much impact on your pocket, promising a delightful experience that exceeds your expectations at an economical price point.


If you see a product marked as “💎 Premium Economy," it indicates that you're getting a high-quality audio product with exceptional sound clarity and reliable performance, all at a budget-friendly price.

Serious Audiophiles Only

Diving deeper into exploring the hobby is never enough.


If you're an audiophile on a hunt for a device that meets your high standards, this is one such headphone or gear designed for discerning audiophiles like you in mind.


If you see a product marked with “🦈 Serious Audiophiles Only" we assure you that this device can match your depth of knowledge and expertise to take your passion for audio to the next level.
Audiophile Community Favourite

This headphone or gear has a seal of approval from our audiophile community.


It is hit among the pickiest of audio enthusiasts. It comes with two thumbs up and is the community’s and one of our favourites.


If you see a product marked as “🦋 Audiophile Community Favourite”, you're in for a sonic treat with top-tier sound quality that will make your ears swoon and elevate your listening experience to new heights!
Our Team's Favourite

Cause after all, we are audiophiles first!


This headphone or gear has won the hearts of our team, standing out as a top pick among our gurus.


If you see products marked as “💙 Our Team’s Favourite”, you're choosing a product that’s been tested, loved, and enthusiastically recommended by our team, giving you confidence that it’s a standout choice!
For Audiophiles at Home

Cause music hit differently when you are in your own space.


This headphone or gear is perfect for those who demand exceptional sound quality in their personal sanctuary.


If you see products marked as “🏠 For Audiophiles at Home”, get ready to transform your living space into an audiophile's paradise, with rich, immersive sound that makes every listening session a masterpiece.
Built like a Tank

No need to worry about durability.


If you're seeking a headphone or gear with a strong, rugged build, this snapshot indicates that this is the one for you.


If you see a product marked with “🪖 Built like a Tank", it means this product is crafted with metal in its design, ensuring exceptional robustness and durability.
Connect With Cable

This device comes with multiple connectivity options. Be sure to check if your source and output support these input and output options.

Why it Sounds Amazing

DAC Chip

Know the secret to your pristine audio.


This headphone or gear reveals the secret sauce behind superior audio quality, highlighting the presence of a high-performance DAC chip for pristine sound reproduction.


If you see products marked as “⚙️ DAC Chip”, expect to experience your music with unparalleled clarity, detail, and fidelity, ensuring that every note and nuance is faithfully reproduced for your listening pleasure.
The Chord Qutest emanates a sound quality that's undeniably satisfying. It stands as a testament to robust engineering, providing a powerful and polished rendition of digital music. It achieves an impressive equilibrium between neutrality and precision. If you're considering enhancing your audio system, I strongly advise giving the Qutest a shot.
RAGHAV SOMANI

About RAGHAV SOMANI

Raghav Somani is the Founder & CEO of Headphone Zone. An avid audiophile and musician since 2008, his choice of headphones include STAX Electrostats, Audeze LCD 3, and for music on the go, the JH Audio Roxanne + Astell&Kern SP1000 is never too far away. On his playlist, you'll find A.R. Rahman, Michael Jackson, and the Eagles.

UPGRADE YOUR HOME SET-UP'S SOUND

Unlike other DACs by Chord Electronics, the Qutest does not have headphone amplification or rechargeable batteries. It is a pure DAC made to improve your home listening set-up. With its FPGA DAC, you get superior technical and sonic performance. With 49,152 taps, this DAC is able to support even Native DSD 512 (Octa-DSD).

Headphone-Zone-Chord-Qutest

MULTIPLE CONNECTIVITY OPTIONS

Connect to a wide variety of devices with the Qutest’s optical, 2 BNC Coax and USB Type-B digital inputs. These are galvanically isolated to give an instant performance upgrade as well as to modernise ageing digital source components. Connect to future Chord Electronics devices with Hi-Res dual-data digital inputs. RCA analogue outputs let you connect to headphone amps, preamps and integrated amps.

Headphone-Zone-Chord-Qutest
Headphone-Zone-Chord-Qutest

SUPPORTS ALL YOUR CHOICES

The Qutest lets you select from its four frequency-shaping filters and input selection controls. This can be done via the two fascia-mounted spheres. You can also choose whether you want the output voltage to be 1, 2 or 3 RMS for connecting to a range of devices. It supports a wide range of frequencies like 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 358.8kHz, 384kHz, 717.6kHz and 768kHz.

Headphone-Zone-Chord-Qutest
Headphone-Zone-Chord-Qutest
Headphone-Zone-Chord-Qutest

HIGH-QUALITY, DURABLE ALUMINIUM CASING

The Qutest sports a show-off-worthy chassis. This all-new chassis has been precision-machined from solid aircraft-grade aluminium for better durability. The PCB has been kept in a shallow cavity in the casing for additional isolation and protection from external vibration.

Headphone-Zone-Chord-Qutest
Headphone-Zone-Chord-Qutest
3 Year Warranty

Don't sweat it, this Chord - Qutest comes with a 3 Year warranty from Chord Electronics that covers manufacturing defects. All products featured on Headphone Zone are backed by an original manufacturer's warranty.

Read more about Chord Electronics's warranty in India.

British Made Precision Designed since 1989

Chord Electronics, founded in 1998 and headquartered in East Farleigh, Kent, United Kingdom, is renowned for its commitment to delivering pure audio through its legendary DACs and amplifiers, all entirely designed and manufactured in England. Stemming from a background in aviation, where uncompromised standards were paramount, Chord Electronics has upheld this philosophy since its inception in 1989. Their amplifiers were initially supplied to prestigious institutions like the BBC and world-leading studios such as Abbey Road and Sony Music in New York.

Notably, Chord Electronics distinguishes itself through the use of FPGA technology in their DACs and amplifiers, ensuring studio-grade audio performance across their product range, including popular models like Mojo, Hugo, and DAVE.

Explore Collection
What Hi-Fi? Awards

Best DAC £500 - £1200

What Hi-Fi? Awards
Nov, 2019

What Hi-Fi? Awards

Best DAC £500 - £1200

What Hi-Fi? Awards
Nov, 2018

EISA - Best Product Award

Best Product Award

EISA Award
Sep, 2019

AVForums - Best Buy Winner

Best Buy
Winner

AVForums
July, 2018

What Hi-FI? - Stars of CES 2018

Stars of CES Winner

What Hi-Fi?
Jan, 2018

Hi-Fi Choice - Editor's Choice Winner

Editor's Choice Winner

Hi-Fi Choice
Feb, 2018

What Hi-Fi? Awards

Best DAC £500 - £1200

What Hi-Fi? Awards
Oct, 2020

What Hi-Fi? Awards

Best DAC £500-£1,500

What Hi-Fi? Awards
Oct, 2022

Headfonics

"What Hi-Fi? Awards 2019 winner. Chord has managed to do it again. The Qutest sets a new benchmark at this price. Clear, precise and subtle performer with stylish build."

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Techradar

"The Chord Qutest is a perfect fusion of science and art.Capable of astounding clarity, Chord’s Qutest DAC cuts the cost of audiophile grade digital decoding."

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Headfonics

"Gosh, what is there not to like about the Qutest as a pure DAC? It gives resolutely detailed and fantastically natural sounding with just about any amp I can throw at it."

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Inner Fidelity

"The Qutest was detailed, natural, very atmospheric with great 3D imaging. The Qutest is a cuddly, small aluminium box which is machined from a solid billet of aluminium and then black anodised."

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Customer Reviews

Based on 19 reviews
89%
(17)
0%
(0)
5%
(1)
0%
(0)
5%
(1)
S
Sujit Chakraborty (Mumbai)
Heavenly sound!

This is the best and only DAC that you'll ever need. The sound is extremely clean. Soundstage is huge and it looks beautiful. It is built like a tank and is quite heavy over 700 gms. It has no ventilation holes and is dust proof. So maintenance is easy. When I first opened the box, my first reaction was wow. The box looks so awesome and the qutest looks even better!

I pair the Qutest with Schiit Magni 3 for listening through headphones (Hifiman Ananda, HD 800, HD 598SE, ATH M50x). This combo sounds awesome. You can clearly hear the difference between high quality flac and mp3 which is expected from a good DAC. I earlier would use dragonfly black and now I never seem to use it after listening to the Qutest. Of course dragonfly black is better for portable listening on the go.

I also paired the Qutest with my studio monitors Yamaha HS8 through a hardware volume controller and the sound can just blow your mind. Extremely clear sound.

Be aware that there can be pops and crackles if you listen to flac 192 khz and above on windows 10. This is not a problem of Qutest, but an issue in the way Windows processes USB audio. You can use Foobar2000 with ASIO driver to reduce the pops and crackles. However, with high bit rates like 24 bit 192 khz and above, there may still be ocassional pops. I prefer using Ubuntu linux with Audacious audio player where there is no such issue of pops or crackling. You need to make sure you select USB in the audio output option of Audacious for best sound quality.

Definitely recommended if you are willing to spend for stunning audio quality.

Update on 12-Dec-2023:
You may use HQ Player to upsample the USB audio till 768 khz. My favourite filter is sinc-MGa which improves transient, space and timbre accuracy. This is something that Rob Watts, the designer of the Qutest discourages (possibly due to business reasons to promote his product, M scaler. He rejects software upsamplers and considers them inferior). Nonetheless, HQ Player is a useful tool for me to improve the sound from the Qutest. My daily setup is now HQ Player to Qutest via USB --> ifi Zen Can --> HD 650 via balanced output. I've seen people who have the Qutest go for the M scaler which is really cash burn. If you have that much money, buying TT2 or even the crazier Dave would be a better option as they are more transparent DACs and also have an inbuilt high quality amplifier in them.

Hey Sujit,
Thank you for the detailed review & for sharing your setup details. We hope you had a comfortable shopping experience. Cheers!

S
Sidney Gomindes (Bengaluru)
Chord qutest

Thanks to headphonezone received the within 24hrs of placing the order. Its been a week with the DAC 3 days with me and 4 days with a friend (so that I could get an unbiased review). Initially I was skeptical of the purchase as the price is 1.2L (which was way above my budget) and the combined price of my speaker + amp is 60K . This DAC has replaced my current CA Azur Dacmagic. Look wise awesome (specially the lights), sonically terrific. The sound is very smooth and non-fatiguing. Could clearly spot the difference with the previous DAC. My friend also noticed the same difference with a higher end amplifier+speaker combo.
Definitely a recommended buy.

Hey Sidney,
Thank you for the great review. Happy to know you had a comfortable shopping experience. Cheers!

R
Rahul Ramachandran (Bengaluru)
Chord Qutest (absolutely spectacular)

I have been using the Qutest for a few months now and it has definitely had enough time to burn in properly. A few quick thoughts on the packaging - it is excellent and you definitely know it is a premium product from the moment you start to open the box. The DAC itself is small but weighty. It is beautifully built with smooth edges, everything feels solid and this is something that will last for years. First impressions are positive even before you plug it in and switch it on.

About the sound - this DAC has been reviewed by many publications and reading the reviews (all exceedingly positive) gives one confidence to buy the product without a prior audition. Switching it on and it has a bit of a hard edge to the sound. The burn in takes ages so you need to be patient for it to reach full performance. And it is worth it! In my collection I have CDs I have owned for nearly 15 years and I heard details that I had never heard before. These are subtle things that greatly increase your appreciation and enjoyment of a piece of music and the reason to be an audiophile. It becomes much easier to understand the lyrics being sung (something that is not always the case with other DACs). All this resolution does not mean a hard or fatiguing upper midrange or treble. Contrary to this - with the best recordings the sound is smooth and sweet yet highly resolving! On the other hand - if your music is not well recorded you will instantly know it. There are filter options that allow you to tune the sound to taste but the difference is still subtle. The other point worth highlighting is that this DAC sounds excellent with standard resolution files / streams and does not need high resolution files or streams to sound it's best. Provided the rest of your system is well balanced and you are not looking at an overtly warm or euphonic sound this is absolutely perfect.

Highly recommend this to anyone looking at an excellent DAC at this budget. It handles all the formats you need except for MQA (not an issue for me). I hope to add the M Scaler in the future once my funds allow it.

Hi Rahuul, We appreciate your feedback and the time that you took the time out to leave us this note. It is very important to us that each customer of ours gets the best deal on the headphone they buy.

A
Amit Kudchadkar (Verna)
Qutest-2 qute

One of the best DACS I have ever heard, period. The soundstage is sublime, I listened to Coke Studio for about 2 hours straight with a Massdrop THX AAA 789 and HD800S, bliss, heavenly, felt like I was in the middle and the sound was all around me, definitely a big yes from my side.

User picture

We are incredibly grateful that you took the time out to leave us this note. We look forward to serving you again.

K
Karthik Doraiswamy (Bengaluru)
Big heart in the little qutest!!

It’s soundstage full of very crisp yet clean and concise. I dare not forget to mention it’s explicitly detailed instrumentation they fills the space between my klipsh floor standing speakers.

Qutest offers brilliant resolution. Sweet texture and nuance cling to the wheeling cymbal, double bass and crisp vocals.

The four filters are almost the same. While they don’t make the world of difference, they’re worth experimenting with and I realised they for a person with a keen ear they do. To my ears they did not make much of a difference but to my daughter’s ears they did. She could make out the changes from warmness to coolness and a neutral feel. Guess age is catching up with me.

Over the past few days, I have been running this continuously and can make out that this needs a bit of running in. So don’t judge it right out of the box.

The music I have been playing is Amber Rubarth and boy or boy... this little thing bring best of her recordings especially the chesky produced ones. One can feel the room in which the recording was done. Then I moved onto the jazz kemerata by Carlos Franzetti and it was brilliant. Subsequently played retrospective by Christy baron am I must say this does an awesome Job. After listening to a lot of vocals and jazz, I moved to check how it plays a bit more complex music like the ones by Brian Eno and david bowie. It’s brought out the best of their work. Lastly, I must mentioned the sound track of Thir thin red line by Hans Zimmer man. This starts off with a very low bass and while a lot of people may not agree to me adding a sub woofer to a stereo set up, But I do have a small KEF active one in the loop. The qutest did a brilliant job here too.

The spacing, staging and separation that it provides is worth every rupee spent on this little one with a huge heart!

I must also mentioned that this is my first purchase from headphone zone and the team work is worth a mention. Prompt and on time delivery.

Thank you Raghav and team. Good work guys and keep it up awesome work.

So glad to know that you love them:) We look forward to serving you again. Happy listening!

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