Chordette QuteHD
 - It's Not Just Another DAC! ^TM

The new QuteHD is an ultra-high resolution asynchronous USB DSD DAC which plays 384 kHz and DSD music files.

The Highest Resolution Available

The QuteHD resolves a breath-taking: 24 bit 384 kHz files over its Coax input, 32 bit 192 kHz files including DSD over its USB input, and 24 bit 192 kHz files via its Optical input.

World's Best Ease of Use

Simply connect all three inputs, press Play, and the QuteHD automatically selects the input and adjusts the resolution. With no switches, dials or displays nothing could be easier to use.

The Best D/A Conversion Available

Instead of simply using the best DAC chips available, Chord engineers designed their own DAC for their $8,500 flagship QBD76. The QBD76 will faithfully reproduce a signal all the way down to -140dB which is a huge 40dB better than the world's best DAC chip! With Chord's new QuteHD you can now have this same incredible technology for only $1,795!

With it's: industry leading high-resolution input, world's best D/A conversion technology, and unbeatable ease of use, the new QuteHD offers an unbeatable value proposition at just $1,795. It's for good reason the accolades are pouring in... (click graphics at right to read full review.)

"Competitive with top flight CD players from Esoteric, dCS, Accuphase, and EMM Labs, this $1,795 DAC goes head to head and matches them on most scores. This is an absolutely stunning result   for the QuteHD. I am wildly enthusiastic about this DAC." 
- Phil Gold, enjoythemusic, December 2012

"The entry-level Chord QuteHD DAC trumped the competition. Instead of the presentation rendered by the five-figure CD player, the QuteHD DAC delivered a far more appealing, richer presentation in which edge was replaced by body and substantial color."  - Jason Victor Serinus, Stereophile, November 2012

"The Chord is truly exceptional with CD-quality music. The Qute has a way of pulling out a full, dimensional sound from 16/44.1 music files that is quite astonishing. The Chord delivered some of the most convincingly natural sounding CD-quality sound I've yet heard. The Chordette QuteHD makes CD-quality music sound more like HD music. And that's a remarkable conversion."  - Michael Lavorgna, Stereophile AudioStream, Greatest Bits Award, January 2013

QuteHD Wins Product of the Year Award for BEST DAC

"The new QuteHD is exactly what you’ve been waiting for... we’re mightily impressed with the results... it’s a terrific performer. It makes most rivals sound insubstantial and lacking cohesion. Chord has struck gold with the QuteHD. It’s simple, looks great and    sounds absolutely fantastic." - What HiFi Product of the Year 2012

"If you were looking for the star player in this very talented team, the prime candidate has to be the QuteHD DAC. It rewarded me with a truly fabulous performance. Chord has long been a specialist with digital and this little DAC seems to have all of that knowledge condensed within it."  - HiFi Choice, June 2012

"Jitter is exquisitely low at <10psec for all sample rates... Chord has set the cat among the pigeons with this affordable but capable and fine-sounding DAC. Trimming the fixtures and fittings back to a minimum and concentrating the budget where it matters most has produced a DAC that will meet most audiophiles' needs while delighting them with sound that belies the keen price. The QuteHD should be heard by anyone looking for a DAC at around $1,700 that sounds as if it should cost a great deal more."   
- Hi-Fi News, Outstanding Product Award, September 2012

The QuteHD is fully future-proof - even for the most adventurous computer audiophile - and is ready to take advantage of today’s advanced studio-master-quality music files. It can handle sample rates from 44.1kHz to 192kHz (and up to 384kHz on SPDIF), allowing users to experience music in true high definition, along with the best possible reproduction of CD-quality music. The QuteHD benefits from an advanced 192kHz-compatible USB input and can also bring sparkling clarity to any connected component with a digital output thanks to two additional digital inputs - coaxial and optical.

In addition to standard PCM files, the QuteHD can also process DSD data using the latest DSD-over-USB support, making it the world’s first affordable DSD-compatible USB DAC. Whether using Mac OS or Windows OS, Chord Electronics’ own proprietary driver software is provided, removing the restrictions of current operating system audio playback.

Robert Watts’ expertise for $1,795

Redefining sonic performance in the $1,795 DAC category, the QuteHD showcases the unique talents of Chord Electronics’ Robert Watts, whose state-of-the-art, world-class proprietary FPGA technology lies at the digital heart of the device and allows capabilities far exceeding that of normal commercial DACs. The custom-designed FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) incorporates all of the functions required of a DAC: SPDIF decoding; Isochronous USB timing and Digital PLL; WTA interpolation filtering; DSD over USB support and finally, the Pulse Array DAC. The ‘HD’ USB input benefits from its own separate FPGA and features asynchronous USB technology, isolating the digital clocks from the computer. Each sample rate clock is generated discretely using highly accurate crystal oscillators for optimum performance and ultra-low jitter performance.

Simple to set up and easy to use, the QuteHD shares the same bomb-proof build quality and stunning aesthetics that have helped make Chord Electronics famous around the world, and just like other members of the Chordette range, the QuteHD benefits from a one-piece aluminum chassis that has been milled from solid billet. Complementing the elegant design is a top-mounted ‘porthole’ that gives users a intriguing insight into the internal circuitry and changes colour with differing  incoming sample frequencies.

Exceptional sound quality has been achieved by Chord Electronics’ highly accomplished engineering team, thanks to their world-renowned expertise with D/A conversion and DAC production. Like all Chordette boutique products, the QuteHD can be complemented with a matching rack or carry case.