Chord - Qutest

There are some components you buy hoping for an improvement—and then there are some that quietly redefine your system. The Chord Qutest belongs to the latter. At first, it feels like a curious little brick—minimalist, unassuming, no display, no remote… just a few glowing buttons and solid British build quality. But once you hook it up and press play, you realize you’ve stumbled upon something truly special.

The first thing that struck me was the clarity. Not the exaggerated, sharp kind that some gear pretends is detail—but a natural, unforced transparency. Everything sounds cleaner, yet smoother. Vocals feel human again, not like they're coming through a filter. The layering in the soundstage becomes apparent—things now have depth, air, and space between them.

It somehow manages to be detailed and warm at the same time. There’s no fatigue even during long listening sessions, and yet the music feels alive, textured, and involving. The bass is tight, fast, and articulate—not bloated or boomy—and the treble is silky without ever getting harsh. The Qutest doesn't try to impress with gimmicks; it just tells the truth gently and beautifully.

Switching filter modes is a subtle touch—more like fine seasoning than a recipe change—but it lets you tailor things to your taste or the recording. And that’s the beauty of the Qutest: it respects the music and gives it to you as-is, with honesty and finesse.

A sincere thank you to Raghav and his team for making this experience possible. The unit arrived on time, in perfect shape, and their responsiveness and care made it all the more reassuring. It’s rare to find a product and a team that both deliver with such grace.

If you're looking for a DAC that just gets out of the way and lets you fall in love with your music all over again, the Chord Qutest is a gem. It may be small—but its impact is deep, honest, and lasting.

1. Absolutely huge Soundstage.
2. Timbre is very nice and soothing.
3. Excellent detailing.
4. Instrument separation is very good. I can hear each and every sound in clarity.
5. Very nice mid bass and upper bass without merging.
6. Filters are very nice while listening you can change and you don't hear any sound.
7. Nice imaging and details are extraordinary.
8. I think this was s great choice.
9. Songs heard " you and your friend dire straits". "Neil diamond it's a beautiful noise". For impressions.
10. I used HD800 HPs. Burson Soloist MKII amp and source I used android mobile with uapp . ✌ An Excellent Experience.
I have the advantage to select any filter of the four built in with the selector button. Since I just got it yesterday I need to try them with my Alex Cavalli Tube amp and the Audeze LCD2 classic which I would be doing so in the coming days. Though I had shortlisted 3 flagships Dacs, Qutest, Denafrips Enyo 15th, & Gustard R26 I finally decided to go with the Chord Qutest. I started with its younger sibling Chord Mojo which I still use and like it for my portables.
Also Thanks especially to Hector from HP Zone for his inputs and HP Zone for a super fast delivery of the device. Thanks & Cheers

Been listening to music with this DAC for several hours and can only say its performance is awesome. Using the optical input gives a remarkably clear sound, large soundstage and clearly defined instruments and vocals.

Took a step away from the Gustard R26 (excellent DAC, but somewhat laid back for my taste) to try the Chord Qutest as I wanted something a little sharper and more detailed. Qutest has clarity and is very rhythmic, but needs a good source to bring out the best. Sounded very average with an iPad 9th gen Lightning to USB-A adapter output, but excellent with an iPhone 15 Pro Max USB-C to HDMI+USB-A media adapter. Your mileage may vary.

Pairing with Amps:
1. Leaning on warm side of neutral when paired with my Yaqin tube speaker amp (6L6 tubes), holographic and detailed.
2. Neutral, detailed but not very holographic when paired with xDuoo TA66 tube headphone amp and Sennheiser HD660S2. Is the headphone the limiting factor? No idea.
3. Solid state Speaker amp - detailed, somewhat holographic, muscular sound - fine fit nonetheless

Detailed - I mean I can hear instruments and vocals separately and clearly, can identify more texture to each note.

Is this better than Gustard R26? For my preferences, my input sources, and my taste in music - Yes.

Bonus - It's a pleasure to watch action movies with sound through the Qutest - bullets and explosions have a real feel to them, movie sondtracks too.

Thanks to Headphone zone for offering very competitive price, below 1L with free stand. Very enjoyable DAC, it sounds very balanced and refined, feeling like it's my final DAC and my hunt for best DAC is over. Sound Quality is awesome, some songs feeling like I'm listening first time, very musical, great channel separation and crispy. It's value for Money. I would recommend this DAC for music lovers.

There is something about the Chord sound which brings a lifelike realism. This is a very special DAC which sounds very different from the delta sigma ones with excellent detail, instrument separation and soundstage but still not being very clinical.
Pairs fantastically with neutral to warm amps, strongly advice to invest in good RCA interconnects to extract the maximum potential of the DAC!

My heartiest compliments to headphone zone for a wonderfully curated and seamless experience.
I am a regular audiophile consumer and must say this was the best for a high end audio equipment purchase
Keep the mojo going headphone zone and service rewards handsomely.

Really nice experience , able to hear details of music and warm sound output