i would agree with the above comment
the qutest is engineered to a relatively low price point, no doubt the power filtering is not as extensive nor advanced as the hugo tt2 or dave models well up the chain
also concur with the m scaler being a significant sonic upgrade for the qutest (as well as other dacs, chord and otherwise)... you pay dearly for the upgrade though, making it an obstacle for some, to be sure... but the step up in sound is real, and significant