DACs Chord Qutest vs Cary DMS-500

[Doge]

My Bluesound node 2i got dissed as a DAC.
Cary DMS500 used its about the price of the qutest, a bit more.

Anyone worked with both?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

slightly wrong forum buddy. There's nothing wrong with your BlueSound streamer to be used as DAC or offload DAC to the pre-amp (with a DAC) or a receiver. That said, I'd personally not connect an amp straight to your streaming, you need a proper volume control, preferably not a digital one.

 

[Doge]

slightly wrong forum

Why? I thought this was where those new to this stuff posted.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Why? I thought this was where those new to this stuff posted.

I didn't mean the subforum, but ah forums in general. Dac is very mature technology and AHers don't put much weight in dac upgrades. The difference between cheapest one and most expensive dac are miniscule and not worth the extra $ which should be spent on speakers instead if budget allows.
Whomever "dissed" your streamer as a dac is a moron or bad actor.
Especially not from snake oil pushing brands like Chord and Cary audio.

 

[Doge]

After some 35 year break from buying audio stuff I'm getting into this again, and DACs are new to me. So is streaming TIDAL and the like. Sure, not "worth" the price. Fortunately I can re-purpose for the other stuff - and it was for work.

In the last couple weeks I've plugged my headset, and ear buds into several places - and it is different.
I had a USB headset. I do notice a large difference between plugging my 3.5 into a jack on my laptop vs my Rode mic, vs the Bluesound - and shoot, just found my Samsung Note 9 puts out a good sound. The Cary sounded the best and it looked good to me, kid thinks its ugly. I just ordered that USB dragonfly. Using an Aux cord to my S9 sounds better in the car than running off the digital media. I learned this as my kid was using my car. All the above have a lot to do with the DAC hardware and software. Clearly the S9 does something to bump up the base, or the other's don't.

So to an Audiophyte like me - big differences in those. Will I hear a difference between a $200 Dragonfly or a CAD-300SEI feed by a Qutest? I rather expect I won't. But it will be interesting to me and I thought others might have input.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Headphones amp is not the same thing as DAC. But speaking of Samsung Galaxy, I love that they have Adopt Sound feature which tests your hearing and adjust the sound to bring the sound as you hear to closer to the original. I got a feeling that you aren't a spring chicken and some hearing loss seems likely.
God knows, my hearing isn't that great.

 

[PENG]

I just ordered that USB dragonfly.

So to an Audiophyte like me - big differences in those. Will I hear a difference between a $200 Dragonfly or a CAD-300SEI feed by a Qutest? I rather expect I won't. But it will be interesting to me and I thought others might have input.

I tried not to react but could not resist.. Dragonfly dac is like, but may be worse, than Bose in terms of price/performance ratio. To be fair I have never bought one, probably never will, just look at the specs and I am sure they are way overrated, no idea why print magazines gave them good reviews. Just about any $99 one on Amazon will have similar or better specs than the $200 Dragon fly ones. There's no magic in those little USB DACs, so to me, price to specs and user reviews (not professional reviewers, and need to see at least more than 10, the more the better obviously) are all one needs to look at if sound quality is the goal.

 

[Doge]

Headphones amp is not the same thing as DAC. But speaking of Samsung Galaxy, I love that they have Adopt Sound feature which tests your hearing and adjust the sound to bring the sound as you hear to closer to the original. I got a feeling that you aren't a spring chicken and some hearing loss seems likely.
God knows, my hearing isn't that great.

The Samsung thing is interesting. I first heard it from my son's S9 on my car. I then used my S9 Note a day latter. We were playing different music and I am a lower volume guy. I don't think my phone did a hearing test but I expect it knows my age - as you do. The Laptop->Qutest->Cary is the headphone amp. That vs the S9 Note, vs the Drangonfly, vs 3.5 jack on laptop, vs Bluesound node jack vs the jack on the mic. This was not done on purpose, and obviously too many jacks. My point/post above was without trying, I noticed the different. My amp had a low level hum, I sent it back for repair. If the Dragonfly can't beat my S9 - it will go back. I get to try the Dragonfly in the phone USB, computer USB and compare to the phone 3.5.

 

[TabCam]

I didn't mean the subforum, but ah forums in general. Dac is very mature technology and AHers don't put much weight in dac upgrades. The difference between cheapest one and most expensive dac are miniscule and not worth the extra $ which should be spent on speakers instead if budget allows.
Whomever "dissed" your streamer as a dac is a moron or bad actor.
Especially not from snake oil pushing brands like Chord and Cary audio.

I reckon you have not heard the Chord Cutest then. I would not call the difference ‘minute’ but it all depends upon all downstream components. I have not heard the Cary DMS500 so will refrain from commenting on it. I have heard the Chord Hugo, Chord Hugo 2 and Chord Cutest. With a headphone I would choose the Hugo 2. It made a world of difference with my MrSpeakers Alpha Prime.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I reckon you have not heard the Chord Cutest then. I would not call the difference ‘minute’ but it all depends upon all downstream components. I have not heard the Cary DMS500 so will refrain from commenting on it. I have heard the Chord Hugo, Chord Hugo 2 and Chord Cutest. With a headphone I would choose the Hugo 2. It made a wirld of difference with my MrSpeakers Alpha Prime.

Would you bet your salary that same results could be achieved in blind testing?

 

[TabCam]

Would you bet your salary that same results could be achieved in blind testing?

Yes, If I can choose the songs played and at a reasonable loudness. A fine song is Roadhouses & Automobiles from Chris Jones. You will notice a lot more crickets with a very good dac.

 

[Doge]

.... I have heard the Chord Hugo, Chord Hugo 2 and Chord Cutest. With a headphone I would choose the Hugo 2. It made a world of difference with my MrSpeakers Alpha Prime.

Interesting. I thought the Qutest had the same electronics (or better) as the Hugo. Right now - amp with a 1/4" jack is gone and current amp does not have headphone jacks, so I'll have to wait.

 

[TabCam]

The Hugo 1 shares the electronics with the 2cute and the Hugo 2 with the Cutest

 

[Doge]

Yes, If I can choose the songs played and at a reasonable loudness. A fine song is Roadhouses & Automobiles from Chris Jones. You will notice a lot more crickets with a very good dac.

What a great artist! I'm not sure if you really meant the insects or the silence. But I hear no insects.
Most likely me, but as mentioned, amp being repaired. Running TiDAL->Qutest->monoprice amp (for now)->ML Motion 35XT, and Bluesound to headset and Samsung S9 Note to headset and Bluetooth to earbuds - I just hear nothing but great music.

 

[Doge]

I didn't mean the subforum, but ah forums in general. Dac is very mature technology and AHers don't put much weight in dac upgrades. The difference between cheapest one and most expensive dac are miniscule and not worth the extra $ which should be spent on speakers instead if budget allows.
Whomever "dissed" your streamer as a dac is a moron or bad actor.
Especially not from snake oil pushing brands like Chord and Cary audio.

Plugged the Dragonfly in an hour ago. On the PC, it loaded software and the color just lit up.
I'm old. My ears are not what they were when I last sat and listened. I can't give specs. Just I hear big color.

I hear less difference on my phone, I expect a driver thing, the raw S9 Note 3.5 jack sounds better than plugging in the Dragonfly.

I think it would be easy to tell* what my same headphones were plugged into of the 5 options so far. The Dragonfly is best listening on the laptop.

Clearly there is a difference in [some] DAC/s Sure, like wine (something else I do) when getting to a certain point it is very hard to tell the difference.

*Last night I found the link to https://www.audiocheck.net/ and gave Dr Pigeon the donation to test myself. Some of the stuff was pretty depressing - like Hi Freq range. Other tests confirmed I can hear stuff. That said, I sure think that was an easy $200 good decision.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Plugged the Dragonfly in an hour ago. On the PC, it loaded software and the color just lit up.
I'm old. My ears are not what they were when I last sat and listened. I can't give specs. Just I hear big color.

I hear less difference on my phone, I expect a driver thing, the raw S9 Note 3.5 jack sounds better than plugging in the Dragonfly.

I think it would be easy to tell* what my same headphones were plugged into of the 5 options so far. The Dragonfly is best listening on the laptop.

Clearly there is a difference in [some] DAC/s Sure, like wine (something else I do) when getting to a certain point it is very hard to tell the difference.

*Last night I found the link to https://www.audiocheck.net/ and gave Dr Pigeon the donation to test myself. Some of the stuff was pretty depressing - like Hi Freq range. Other tests confirmed I can hear stuff. That said, I sure think that was an easy $200 good decision.

funny that you've mentioned wine:
https://phys.org/news/2017-08-expensive-wine.html

 

[Doge]

funny that you've mentioned wine:
https://phys.org/news/2017-08-expensive-wine.html

The Qutest is furniture. The dragonfly is another USB stick. They are close enough in sound, either would do for me.

On wine lying down under an MRI scan... Wine tastes different based on where it hits your tongue and what your body position is. I agree that price affects things, but this test is a bit like one would be listening to music while having an MRI scan in a tube (I've done that). Price and/or brand would be one of the better indicators of taste in that situation.
A separate article asks:
Does hearing the cork pop, for example, induce greater or lesser enjoyment? What about participating in opening the bottle? https://phys.org/news/2017-07-scientists-dispute-wine-bottles-corks.html#jCp

 

[TabCam]

What a great artist! I'm not sure if you really meant the insects or the silence. But I hear no insects.
Most likely me, but as mentioned, amp being repaired. Running TiDAL->Qutest->monoprice amp (for now)->ML Motion 35XT, and Bluesound to headset and Samsung S9 Note to headset and Bluetooth to earbuds - I just hear nothing but great music.

Indeed. If you listen carefully in the silences, especially around 35 seconds into the song just before he starts singing, you can hear them. Funny thing is that the Chord Hugo 2 makes them much easier and more often with the same headphones, my MrSpeakers Alpha Prime (and joy ).

I would expect the Chord Cutest be able to do the same thing but it is not intended as a headphone amplifier. Just my 2ct.

 

[Doge]

...

I would expect the Chord Cutest be able to do the same thing but it is not intended as a headphone amplifier. Just my 2ct.

I'm missing that part. Qutest is not an amplifier at all. The Cary will be the headphone amp. The Qutest will feed it.

 

[lovinthehd]

What is the fascination with all these limited use single boxes? Just to appeal to audiophilia?