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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
signaforce's avatar
signaforce OP
546 posts
 

Prior to the Ultra upgrade arriving, I was A/B’ing my digital & analog side (Hana ML > Rega Aria). I was playing Steely Dan Gaucho vinyl vs the same via Qobuz 24/192. While there are volume differences Vinyl was the clear winner… close but no cigar. More slam, and slightly more clear.

The Ultra arrived this afternoon. After listening for a while, I thought I heard improvement in bass & clarity. I decided to do the same A/B test. With the Ultra the differences between my analog & digital were only sound signature. Clarity was equal. My Hana is warmer. My Qutest had more sizzle. I can honestly say my digital is now the equal (or if not equal very very close) to my analog, only separated by differences in taste. Outstanding!

The Ultra upgrade, like the base Sbooster is highly recommended.

plain_fan's avatar
plain_fan
26 posts
 

@signaforce , which filter and voltage output settings are you using with your Qutest?  About a month or so ago I added a Qutest to my setup coming from a Bluesound Node N130 and I’m still listening and collecting thoughts before I provide an update to some forum members that are thinking of doing the same.

signaforce's avatar
signaforce OP
546 posts
 

@plain_fan

That was one of my migration paths. Bluesound N130 was my first streamer running standalone then running to a Schiit MM2. The MM2 was a significant upgrade to the Node internal DAC & the Qutest a significant upgrade from the MM2.

I later upgraded my Node to my current Aurender N150, a good upgrade, but less significant than the Qutest

The Node is a good streamer with excellent software. I never put an LPS on mine (putting a $400+ LPS on a $500 unit didn’t made sense to me), but many are very happy with the combo. I still use the Node / MM2 combo in my Family Room system.

To your filter question Incisive neutral is my go to. With Incisive HF rolloff second, as they both sounded more natural to my ears. Now with the Sbooster Ultra, I will only use my go to Incisive neutral.

Voltage output needs to match your preamps preference. With my Rogue 2V. With my BHK (it likes 1.3V, so their support said whatever sounds better), I preferred 1V as it sounded more natural & all else equal, prefer the amplification to come from the higher cost unit (my BHK). During yesterday’s A/B test, I went back to 2V to more closely match my vinyl volume when switching. I plan to play with that today, to see if the LPS addition changes my preference. Hope this helps.

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