Chord Electronics 2Qute DAC

The new 2Qute is a compact, affordable standalone DAC which combines two award-winning products in one: the revolutionary Hugo DAC/headphone amp and the class-leading Qute EX standalone DAC. 

The new 2Qute takes the technology from What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision's 2014 Best DAC - (Hugo) and adds it to What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision's 2014 Best DAC £700 - £1,000 (Qute EX). The result is a new super-DAC for 2015 with class-leading specification, outstanding technical measurements and proven sonic performance.

2Qute advances the award-winning Qute EX DAC into 2015 with the latest Hugo specification. Essentially a Hugo in a Chordette chassis, it brings the latest FPGA DAC technology into an affordable home-system-orientated unit. 2Qute contains the same high-performance Spartan 6 FPGA that has enabled Hugo to redefine the DAC genre in 2014. The 2Qute also boasts astonishingly low distortion levels of 0.0003%.

The 2Qute offers support for up to 32-bit/384kHz audio via coax and USB, and 24-bit/192kHz over optical. DSD64 is supported on all inputs and DSD128 is supported via coax or USB (all via DoP). The new DAC also gains a handy switch to easily move between coax, optical and USB digital inputs.

The device features a Class 2 USB input which, because of the 2Qute's home-system orientation compared to Hugo's more mobile aspirations, has been galvanically isolated for greater sonic performance. This has been achieved using a novel technique which allows for very high data rates of up to 384kHz; the input is driverless on Apple and Android devices, with (ASIO included) drivers for Windows devices.

2Qute key features

- Coax, optical and USB digital inputs with input switch
- Galvanically isolated Class 2 USB input up to 384kHz
- Driverless operation on Apple and Android devices; drivers supplied for Windows
- Support for up to 32-bit/384kHz audio via coax and USB, and 24-bit/192kHz via optical
- DSD64 supported on all inputs, DSD128 supported via coax or USB input (all via DoP)
- Source and sample rate indication/illumination
- 12V 0.5A power supply provided

Measured performance

Output: 3v RMS 1kHz
Dynamic range: -119dB A Wt
THD: 0.0003% at 3v RMS 1kHz
Crosstalk: 126dB 1kHz
Frequency Response: +/- 0.1dB 20-20kHz