Any impressions of CHORD or Mytek DACs?

Check out the thread on SNA here in Australia where I am about the Chord DAC I recently got:
http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/index.php?/topic/50743-chord-qutehd-dac-listening-impressions/

Thanks
Bill

Hi Again Erndog - and of course anyone else following this

A guy out here in Australia got a linear PS for it and here is what he posted:

After connecting the Chord to the linear PSU I was shocked by the difference. When I said a few posts ago that I doubted that the fundamental character of the dac would change by replacing the PSU, I was wrong. It now sounds like a completely different dac. There is no longer an emphasis on the treble, and the brittle sound has now disappeared. The midrange has filled out and the tonal balance now sounds full and natural. The smoothness and resolution is still there, but it has lost the aggressive, bright edge it had and is now sounding very sweet indeed. Tonally, it is much closer to the Bel Canto, and marginally surpasses it in resolution of detail and depth of bass. However, the BC still has a more substantial sound, with instruments have more body and presence. The QuteHD sounds marginally thinner and less substantial by comparison. However, the differences between these two dacs are now much smaller. With the stock wall-wart, I doubt I could have lived with the QuteHD, but with a good quality linear PSU (again, thanks AJ) that position has been reversed.

I think you will like what it does especially when combined with the Off-Ramp.

Thanks
Bill

Hi Erndog

I found the top-end slightly bland and a bit dry without the Off-Ramp but with the Off-Ramp it became a lot sweeter and more detailed - but one person there, actually the manufacturer of my PDX DAC, commented it had a lot more HF energy to his ears - but others there didn't notice it.

That particular comparison was without an upgraded power supply - it makes a big leap with a better power supply - but I didn't try the USB, OFF-Ramp comparison with the better supply - it was done at a GTG where everything was driven by the Off-Ramp.

Just heard from the guy building my battery supply - it didn't last long enough and had to go for a linear one - but has found one that he thinks is up there with the Hines - we will see.

Thanks
Bill

I got my power supply and indeed it did everything Butler said and is well worth the money.

Interestingly at a GTG where I first heard the difference a linear supply makes I thought it was better than the difference my Off-Ramp made but in my system I thought it about the same. IMHO you really need both something like an Off-Ramp or Audiophellio and a linear supply to unlock its potential. And unlocked that way it one of the best DAC's I have ever heard regardless of price. Since we have a different landscape in Australia they may not be the same DAC's you have access to where you are, believe me I have both owned and heard quite a few DAC's - it up there for sure.

Thanks
Bill

No surprise about a good linear supply making a difference. When I picked mine up the guy that built it took me out the back to his workshop and put the switching supply on a scope. It had a horrid saw-tooth output - the linear supply - dead flat even at the highest gain settings.

Thanks
Bill