Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 28, 2019 12:50:27 GMT
I used to have a 2Qute dac. I'm not really qualified to judge the cost of the components. I know Chord say that they design their own dac chips. I imagine that would involve extra cost over simply using off-the-shelf chips? I usually buy secondhand (other than NVA) to keep prices more palatable... I think they program them themselves but they don't design or make them.
I can't be doing with the styling of the DACs. usually I can overlook crap styling if the sound is good but can't get over that hurdle with Chord. And the same buttons for multiple functions - I hate that on any bit of equipment. If it has lots of functions I want a button for each one! I don't want some crappy 'lifestyle' styling on a functional device.
Didn’t they get John Westlake to design dads fir them? |
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Post by macca on Feb 28, 2019 13:17:57 GMT
Chord Dacs are all by Rob Watts afaik. (Formerly Deltec/DPA).
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2019 13:59:09 GMT
Is it just me, or do others think lots of Chord products seem out of proportion with what’s inside? Sure, I get the lush casework on many of their products, but there doesn’t appear to be anything inside that looks beyond mid-price kit. Some of the daddy sized stuff seems unreasonably expensive. I used to have a 2Qute dac. I'm not really qualified to judge the cost of the components. I know Chord say that they design their own dac chips. I imagine that would involve extra cost over simply using off-the-shelf chips? I usually buy secondhand (other than NVA) to keep prices more palatable... That's correct. They do and they are very impressive but I think they have Stevie Wonder designing the casework. Ugly ain't the word. |
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Post by savvypaul on Feb 28, 2019 14:00:37 GMT
I used to have a 2Qute dac. I'm not really qualified to judge the cost of the components. I know Chord say that they design their own dac chips. I imagine that would involve extra cost over simply using off-the-shelf chips? I usually buy secondhand (other than NVA) to keep prices more palatable... That's correct. They do and they are very impressive but I think they have Stevie Wonder designing the casework. Ugly ain't the word. LOL!! The 2Qute was, at least, a little bit less bling than the Dave... |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2019 14:04:10 GMT
That's correct. They do and they are very impressive but I think they have Stevie Wonder designing the casework. Ugly ain't the word. LOL!! The 2Qute was, at least, a little bit less bling than the Dave... I can handle bling. It's just horrible to look at. The LED panel looks like a giant boil and it illuminated was purple and yellow I think. I mean cmon, if you are going to go a bit left field and move away from a conventional box, cool, I'm with ya, but it looks like half of a frogs face crossed with the terminator. It probably costs £2k for the chassis. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2019 14:06:31 GMT
 Control panel from Flight of the navigator. Yuk. |
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Post by macca on Feb 28, 2019 14:19:37 GMT
That's not so bad compared to the cheaper ones which look like a black box with boiled sweets stuck to it. Like a prop from Dr Who circa 1977. No labels to say what's what and you have to press them in various sequences to activate the functions. Whoever thought that up wants slapping. It's hi-fi equipment for people who don't like hi-fi equipment. And they want a slap as well.
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Post by sq225917 on Feb 28, 2019 14:55:17 GMT
If you think the amps are eye watering you want to buy the legs for them. 600 each iirc.
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Post by dsjr on Feb 28, 2019 15:32:22 GMT
MOST so-called Top End gear is priced with no reference to the internal costs. For the Chord DACs, it's 'intellectual property' I suspect The CASEWORK on Top End gear costs a bomb and it seems, multiplers of the cost of the circuit boards. Savvy, have you seen the excellent tech review of the 2Qute on ASR? www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-comparison-of-chord-chordette-and-2quete-dacs.5883/I know, the old mantra about musical sound quality compared to measurements and test results, but where DACs are concerned, things should be pretty good nowadays. NOS DACs measure abominably I gather and the ones mentioned on the ASR site offer huge ultrasonic issues that can upset amps and even the better tweeters if they go out to 40k as some decent tweeters do.; |
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Post by dsjr on Feb 28, 2019 15:34:32 GMT
That's not so bad compared to the cheaper ones which look like a black box with boiled sweets stuck to it. Like a prop from Dr Who circa 1977. No labels to say what's what and you have to press them in various sequences to activate the functions. Whoever thought that up wants slapping. It's hi-fi equipment for people who don't like hi-fi equipment. And they want a slap as well. Have you seen or used one in the flesh? They're dinky and gorgeous bits of male jewellery and I'd love one had I the funds... better than a fugly tin box with thick ally face plate. |
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Post by macca on Feb 28, 2019 16:20:28 GMT
That's not so bad compared to the cheaper ones which look like a black box with boiled sweets stuck to it. Like a prop from Dr Who circa 1977. No labels to say what's what and you have to press them in various sequences to activate the functions. Whoever thought that up wants slapping. It's hi-fi equipment for people who don't like hi-fi equipment. And they want a slap as well. Have you seen or used one in the flesh? They're dinky and gorgeous bits of male jewellery and I'd love one had I the funds... better than a fugly tin box with thick ally face plate. yes I have and I stand by my 1970s DR Who comment.
Not saying they are badly built, of course they are not, nor should they be at the price. But form over function has no place in hi-fi for me and beyond watches I've zero interest in male jewellery.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2019 16:24:05 GMT
That's not so bad compared to the cheaper ones which look like a black box with boiled sweets stuck to it. Like a prop from Dr Who circa 1977. No labels to say what's what and you have to press them in various sequences to activate the functions. Whoever thought that up wants slapping. It's hi-fi equipment for people who don't like hi-fi equipment. And they want a slap as well. Have you seen or used one in the flesh? They're dinky and gorgeous bits of male jewellery and I'd love one had I the funds... better than a fugly tin box with thick ally face plate. That's the problem. I detest 'styling' for the sake of it, not just in Hi-Fi, in everything, like modern cars too for instance which are godawful bling ugly these days. Form should follow function. That's where the old saying "if it looks right, it is right" came from. Anything beyond basic necessity is frivolous and goes aginst the grain with me. I like simplicity! |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 28, 2019 16:48:28 GMT
I like the styling......it would go well with the rug. Had a Chordette Gem way back when and I liked it’s looks. I got it cheap otherwise I wouldn’t have tried it
T.
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Post by dsjr on Feb 28, 2019 16:50:09 GMT
Well, maybe I like a dinky black box with cute illuminated 'sweets' stuck on one edge. Can't remotely afford anything like this, but there's a lot of middle aged men who do and love this kind of stuff...
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Post by macca on Feb 28, 2019 17:53:58 GMT
This is what a DAC should look like:  |
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Post by macca on Feb 28, 2019 17:56:11 GMT
What this is meant to be I have no idea.  |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2019 18:42:17 GMT
I think that looks ok. Quite sleek.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2019 18:43:25 GMT
This is what a DAC should look like: That looks far more like it |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2019 19:08:56 GMT
No, THIS is a proper DAC!  |
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Post by pauld on Feb 28, 2019 19:13:55 GMT
Hearing expensive kit can be a real let down, I for one cannot stand for instance the combination of Magico and Constellation and you are talking mega bucks there. I think it just sounds all hifi with zero musical quality, but that is me, there are plenty of people on forums who think the combo is wonderful.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 28, 2019 19:14:36 GMT
This is what a DAC should look like: That looks far more like it Fuggerly! |
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Post by pauld on Feb 28, 2019 19:15:54 GMT
That looks far more like it Fuggerly! I tend to agree, that is not a good looking box of tricks! |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2019 19:42:43 GMT
How do any of us agree on anything lol
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Post by macca on Feb 28, 2019 19:52:12 GMT
No, THIS is a proper DAC! Too much styling and what's with the badge? Is it in the Highway Patrol or something? The Erik Estrada of DACS. The RME has a little screen with a spectrum analyser on it FFS! I'm sold right there, who cares what the sound is like? Hi-fi should look technical and purposeful and, ideally, really complex. And industrial. I just don't get all this pretty-boy 'lifestyle' stuff. I don't want that in my home. Although it's not usually a deal breaker for me, so long as its cheap enough and sounds good, some styling is so bad it does cross my line regardless. Vivid Gaya speakers I would reject just on the looks, likewise the Chord. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 28, 2019 19:56:56 GMT
Quite like monarchy kit. Not sold on Qutest. Love the Erik Estrada line
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2019 19:59:18 GMT
It doesn't look particularly bling in the flesh. The model that followed it is very plain looking, but equally excellent to use. Maybe they were trying to save money.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 28, 2019 21:28:02 GMT
Of course no DAC is as pretty as the Sonneteeer Dryden lol. Well it matches my amp and CD player, so it does it for me  |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 28, 2019 21:32:23 GMT
BTW I had a big desire to own a Chord DAC64 based entirely in comments about it. I’m over it now,....I think,
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Post by antonio on Mar 1, 2019 3:06:54 GMT
My brother had one of the original Chord64 dacs, replaced a Linn Numeric, it was very good. But that was surpassed by and all in one Audio Research player. I will say the RME dac is one I would very much like to hear.
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