Win10/Chord Qutest DSD Playback Issues

Connection with external Audio Devices USB DAC
1

Using Audirvana Win10, Chord Qutest and ASIO setting.

  • Click/pop noises in DSD256 playback (none in WASAPI mode. Also none when playing the same file on Foobar2000).
  • can’t play DSD512 native. The Win10 app hang when loading the DSD512 file.
  • Click/pop noises in 16/44 upsampled to DSD128 playback (more pop noises in playing DSD256 native in ASIO mode) and also between songs in play queue (none in WASAPI mode)

In WASAPI mode and 16/44 upsampled to DSD128, the playback of the song will be cut off 1-2 seconds early intermittently.

Tried uninstalled the chord driver and reinstalled after PC restart, same issues.

Please fix. Thanks.

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2

Additional info on DSD512 native issue:

  • when Audirvana Win10 was loading and trying to play the DSD512 native file, nothing happened. Stopped the player, and “32/1536kHz Stereo” was shown as the output. The Qutest supports upto 768kHz only!
3

Have you tried to select DoP 1.1?

I would advise you not to upsample the non DSD content.

4

Using DoP1.1 and native DSD512 file, no upsampling.

5

I also suggest you DO NOT upsample anything before sending it to your Chord Qutest… The Quest will take care of all the upsampling internally itself… This is also suggested by the designer Rob Watts…

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6

Should have added that I stream from Audirvana on a MacBook to a Lumin U1 mini and on to a Chord Qutest… The only thing you are doing by upsampling to DSD is loosing accuracy of your music files thru quantization and noise shaping… It might even sound a little softer but loosing accuracy often does that…

7

Hi Ddude003, thanks for the suggestion/info abiut upsampling.

As said, the pop noise happens with NATIVE DSD256 file. The player cannot play the NATIVE DSD512 file with ASIO.

8

This is not Audirvana limitation. To play DSD512 you need a native ASIO driver which doesn’t exist for MacOS. I‘m afraid that only option to play DSD512 at the moment is to use Audirvana for Windows.

MacOS will do „only“ up to DSD256 using DoP 1.1.

9

Please re-read the original issue. I’m running Audirvana Win10 with Chord ASIO driver.

10

Sorry, I mixed up the threads.

Have you tried to changing the USB cable? With that speed, the cable could well be the source of the problem. You don’t have to go crazy, maybe borrow a “fancier” cable from a friend or audio gear shop. Just try if it makes any difference.

11

I had runnl and compared the same setup just between Audirvana Win10 and Foobaar2000. No issue with Foorbar2000 even playing NATIVE DSD512 file.

12

Just updated to Win10 Ver.3.5.4. It now shows the Qutest as 32/1536 kHz Stereo in the setting, which is wrong.

13

Your latest post leads me to believe the issues are with the Win10 driver… Is it forcing everything up to 32 bits… The pops/clicks sounds like bits being dropped or speed mismatches/changes as in the last track played was one resolution/format and the next track is a different resolution/format… I have also read that it can be a cable sensitivity issue at these higher speeds…

14

Is the DAC recognised as DSD capable? If it’s not, doing DSD512 is precluded. For that you need Native DSD, it won’t work in DoP.

15

I just received a Chord Qutest, and DSD files of any resolution are pure fuzz via my HP laptop with with either Audirvana or JRiver. I tried re-installing the driver to no avail. The settings for both software programs seem fine (JRiver set to Bitstream DSD–tried DSD over PoP–didn’t work, either). It does work perfectly and sounds fantastic on my MacBook, but I prefer the HP. Any suggestions?

17

You can have a go with Foobar.