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Qutest LPS upgrade

I have a nice system, not fantastic, but nice & revealing. My digital side is:

Qobuz > Aurender > Qutest > BHK > Moon > R11/Rythmik

Most consider my Qutest to be the weak link in my system. I like the Qutest dynamic sound signature & love the form factor as I am out of space. However, the Qutest on my system is bass light & a little grainy.

I refuse to buy Chi-fi & given my form factor limitations, my 2 potential choices were the Weiss 204 & the Benchmark DAC3. Downside from some forums was the 204 was a little’light’ & the DAC3 analytical.

Even though Chord doesn’t recommend it, forums have been inconsistent, & members I respect saying it would not get me to the next level, I decided to buy the Sbooster LPS from Music Direct to see if I could salvage my Qutest. 

I can only say WOW! Bass extension is now full and deep, grainyness gone & in its place is clarity, crispness & sparkling highs, without altering (and perhaps improving) the Qutest dynamic sound signature. Perhaps the best $350 audio improvement dollars I have spent.

Outstanding and highly recommended for all Qutest owners!

signaforce
lanx0003
2,015 posts
 

congratulate!  Do you have ultra added on or just eco?

signaforce's avatar
signaforce OP
576 posts
 

@lanx0003 

Just the base LPS. Do you recommend the Ultra upgrade? Thanks!

lanx0003
2,015 posts
 

I am not suggesting anything; I just wonder from which package you receive your experience.

Just FYI, acording to a reliable source, the BOTW P&P ECO provides a ripple voltage of less than 0.5 mV (= 500 µV) under full load conditions for 5-6 volt LPS. When paired with the Ultra MKII upgrade, ripple and noise levels are further diminished to much lower levels ~10 µV, making this combination highly suitable for audiophiles seeking optimal audio performance.

For most high-performing LPS units I have seen, the typical ripple noise is filtered or controlled to within 10-20 µV.

I am curious—does the main benefit you experience come primarily from noise reduction due to the much lower switching frequency (20 kHz–500 kHz in SMPS to 50–60 Hz in LPS), lower ripple voltage, or a combination of both?

toronto416
320 posts
 

I have a Chord TT2, and I replaced the supplied crappy switching power supply with an Sbooster and was similarly impressed with the effect t it had on sound quality.  It begs the question as to why Chord is against using anything other than their supplied switching power supplies.

The Qutest is a hugely capable DAC that some say is more musical than the TT2.

t-bon3's avatar
t-bon3
17 posts
 

Wait until you try an M-Scaler with your Qutest!

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