In stock and ready to ship
In Stock and Ready to Ship
Ships in 1 to 3 business days. Monday to Friday, except bank holidays. Subject to stock availability and security checks.
- New
Chord Qutest
Chord's pure standalone DAC
- Custom coded Xilinx Artix 7 FPGA chipset
- Adjustable output voltage, 1-3V
- USB galvanic isolation
- Compatible with the Hugo M Scaler
- USB, optical TosLink and BNC coaxial digital inputs
- Analogue RCA output
- 4 digital filters
- Class A output stage
- Precision machined Aluminium body
VAT and Duties Included for UK and Eligible EU Customers.
If you are outside the UK or EU, the price does not include any taxes. Local taxes and import duties will be extra. They will be raised by the local authorities and billed directly to the customer.
VAT and Import Taxes FAQ
Chord Qutest
The pure standalone DAC
Qutest, which is a What Hi-Fi? Star of CES 2018, is based on our award-winning proprietary FPGA technology developed for the class-leading Hugo 2 DAC/headphone amp, giving it proven class-leading technical and sonic performance. Perfectly equipped to bring the benefits our digital technology to a wide range of connected devices, it features a galvanically isolated USB-B, optical and coaxial digital input, giving an instant performance upgrade, plus the ability to modernise ageing digital source components.
The Qutest chassis is all-new, too. It has significantly greater mass than its predecessor and has been precision-machined from solid aircraft-grade aluminium billet. The Qutest PCB nestles within a shallow cavity in the solid aluminium chassis, giving the circuit board greater protection within the casework and additional isolation from external vibration compared to previous designs.
Qutest offers Hugo 2’s proprietary user-selectable frequency-shaping filters and input selection controls, available via two fascia-mounted spheres, introducing useful flexibility. It also features RCA analogue outputs for connection to integrated amplifiers, preamps and headphone amps, plus high-resolution dual-data digital inputs for connection to future Chord Electronics products.
A further new feature is a user-selectable output voltage available in 1, 2 and 3V RMS outputs for flexible connectivity with a wide range of partnering devices.

Box Contents:
- Qutest DAC
- 5V 2A Switching Micro USB power supply
- USB type A to B data cable
- Drawstring bag
- User manual & safety instructions
Technical specifications
Shipping and Returns
- Dispatch
- 1–3 business days In-stock items, Monday to Friday except bank holidays, subject to stock and security checks.
- Delivery
- Tracked or signed Delivery options and costs are shown at checkout. We don't profit from shipping charges.
- Returns
- 14 days For electronics such as DACs, amps and players, in like-new condition with all original packaging and accessories.
Good to know
- Return shipping is paid by the customer.
- Open box, B-stock, refurbished and clearance items can't be returned.
- Please add a valid phone number at checkout in case we need to verify your identity.
Warranty
- New products
- 1-year manufacturer warranty Most products. The exact warranty is set by the manufacturer.
- Pre-owned & open box
- 3 months B-grade, open box, refurbished, ex-demo and second-hand items.
- Covered
- Defects in materials, parts and workmanship
- Not covered
- Accidents, misuse and unauthorised repairs Including abnormal conditions, deliberate abuse and operator error.
- Making a claim
- Send it to us, we ship it back free You cover shipping to Elise Audio; we pay to send the repaired or replacement product back.
The pure standalone DAC
Qutest, which is a What Hi-Fi? Star of CES 2018, is based on our award-winning proprietary FPGA technology developed for the class-leading Hugo 2 DAC/headphone amp, giving it proven class-leading technical and sonic performance. Perfectly equipped to bring the benefits our digital technology to a wide range of connected devices, it features a galvanically isolated USB-B, optical and coaxial digital input, giving an instant performance upgrade, plus the ability to modernise ageing digital source components.
The Qutest chassis is all-new, too. It has significantly greater mass than its predecessor and has been precision-machined from solid aircraft-grade aluminium billet. The Qutest PCB nestles within a shallow cavity in the solid aluminium chassis, giving the circuit board greater protection within the casework and additional isolation from external vibration compared to previous designs.
Qutest offers Hugo 2’s proprietary user-selectable frequency-shaping filters and input selection controls, available via two fascia-mounted spheres, introducing useful flexibility. It also features RCA analogue outputs for connection to integrated amplifiers, preamps and headphone amps, plus high-resolution dual-data digital inputs for connection to future Chord Electronics products.
A further new feature is a user-selectable output voltage available in 1, 2 and 3V RMS outputs for flexible connectivity with a wide range of partnering devices.

Box Contents:
- Qutest DAC
- 5V 2A Switching Micro USB power supply
- USB type A to B data cable
- Drawstring bag
- User manual & safety instructions
- Dispatch
- 1–3 business days In-stock items, Monday to Friday except bank holidays, subject to stock and security checks.
- Delivery
- Tracked or signed Delivery options and costs are shown at checkout. We don't profit from shipping charges.
- Returns
- 14 days For electronics such as DACs, amps and players, in like-new condition with all original packaging and accessories.
Good to know
- Return shipping is paid by the customer.
- Open box, B-stock, refurbished and clearance items can't be returned.
- Please add a valid phone number at checkout in case we need to verify your identity.
- New products
- 1-year manufacturer warranty Most products. The exact warranty is set by the manufacturer.
- Pre-owned & open box
- 3 months B-grade, open box, refurbished, ex-demo and second-hand items.
- Covered
- Defects in materials, parts and workmanship
- Not covered
- Accidents, misuse and unauthorised repairs Including abnormal conditions, deliberate abuse and operator error.
- Making a claim
- Send it to us, we ship it back free You cover shipping to Elise Audio; we pay to send the repaired or replacement product back.