USB to Dual Coax Bridge for Qutest DAC

I find with the digital components, at least in my system to my ears, bigger gauge power cables seem to work best. 12 or 10 awg.
I am currently using a Furutech FP-S032N that I terminated myself. I had good results with Audience AU24SEi MP, Audioquest Tornado and Audioquest Hurricane. I would do copper or silver plated copper on power cords. But not pure silver. it’s all system dependent. Best to try. The Audience has always been a safe bet on DACs for me, and not just on the Bricasti.

Start with the stock cord to get a baseline but know that’s not the ceiling for the M3 performance.

@drlou77 so take this with a grain of salt…because this was with a Lumin U1 Mini streamer going into the Chord Qutest…I never tried the DH Labs Mirage with the M3. But the improvements were: natural tone, no hint of digital glare, fuller sound, fuller bass and the more vibrant midrange. Soundstage improved as well. You won’t know what the DH Labs is lacking until you try a USB cable such as the Audience. If you can move the components closer, you can pick up a used Audience USB for not much more than that new 2m Mirage. Try the mirage first. No need to go crazy as it’s a decent USB cable.

I assume you were running the Qutest with RCA cables. At some point, if you system allows, try the M3 with a good set of XLR cables. But as I mentioned earlier, get a baseline with your configuration as is. You can realize more if the M3 potential later. 
When you connect the M3, don’t forget to set it to 0db volume to bypass the preamp section if you’re not using it as a preamp. The USB cable will take time to settle. Don’t rush any afditchanges. 

@drlou77 any update?

I’m glad you liked the M3!!! I also knew you would. 😂

Let it all settle. If you like the Mirage, just keep it. Like I said before, it’s decent. 
As to Audience StudioOne…they say it’s a replacement for the AU24SE+. That’s what the rep told me when I called a while ago. Run the M3 round the clock with the new cable…it should sound even better when the cable breaks in but don’t be surprised if the sound will become harsh midway thru. I just experienced it with my AQ Diamond USB when it was breaking in. Just let it take its course for about 200hrs. Keep us posted. 
 

Nice! Like any cable around 200hrs but I’m pretty sure it will sound good right out of the box. 

What I usually do is listen to an “upgrade” for at least a day or so, then go back to my previous reference. It should be obvious once you switch back to DH Labs, and once again when you switch back to Audience. As I mentioned earlier, Audience should sound fuller, more natural and dynamic with better bass. It wasn’t difficult to hear the difference in my system. 

Is the streamer back from the dead?

👍

Used, I think somewhere between $425-$450 for 1m would be a decent priced including shipping etc.

Rich…let’s break it down….it’s the cat that can be skinned few different ways…

From the pure sale standpoint, the item was as described? Not misrepresented? Complete with everything that was listed in the classified? Seller came thru, shipped it on time? Everything is working fine, correct? 

On this basis alone, I’d say the seller deserves a Positive rating feedback on US Audio Mart. 
 

Now let’s account for the user error (not being familiar with the unit, non-descriptive manual, whatever the reasons may be). To be fair, there was a user error. 

Now, in that feedback you can mention less than desired post sale support. That is technically a reason to downgrade it to Neutral rating, but I probably wouldn’t do it.

I’d leave a Positive feedback on USAM, expecting the same to be left for me, and express my dissatisfaction with post sale support, attitude, what have you, thru an email. Best thing to do is working this out in email first, civilly, then exchange feedback.

I’ll let others weigh in if you need additional thoughts, but this is just how I would tackle it.

@drlou77 before we declare it bricked, let’s try some basic troubleshooting…

Let’s compare settings:

1. Reboot the DAC using the breaker switch in the back of the unit. Shut it off. Wait 10sec. Turn it back on again

2. hit the input button and make sure the dac is set to the correct input. If you’re using usb set to in4, if coax then in2

3. hit the level button and make sure the level is set to 0

4. hit the mute button and make sure it says Lvl 0db

Now hit the status button and keep hitting it to go thru settings.
Do you see these listed as settings when you hit status button?

RBalSTBY

CtlREMOTE

What is the temperature it is showing?

When you stream from Innuous, does it show bit rate?

One other thing, prior to touching the DAC make sure you discharge static by touching the wall.

Let me know

Lou - CtlTtrig is your problem! Should be CtlREMOTE like mine. You’ll have your sound back.
Hit status and set ctltrig to CtlREMOTE by turning the knob.
then hold the standby button for few seconds to reset. Reboot dac from power breaker in the back. Confirm settings and you should be good to go

Forget whether or not you have a remote. I don’t either. I replicated your problem. Let’s fix it (hope it will) then you can call Joe and ask him why it does what it does. 

I wouldn’t discount the USB implementation in the Innuous and in the Qutest. If you can try that Audiowise SRC-DX with a return policy do it. But keep in mind the cost of good digital cables and the power cords/supplies fir the Audiowise SRC-DX.
I know you’re not looking at a dac upgrade but I’m pretty sure you’re heading there. Chord TT2 with USB will be a good level or two above the Qutest (one of my favorite DACs by the way). You can only soup up a Civic so much…it will never become a BMW M3. Just keep an open mind.

@drlou77 I think your USB setup is as good as it gets right now. Upgrade the DAC.
TT2 isn’t a qutest with preamp and headphone amp. It’s a better DAC. Another good choice would be this Bricasti M3 you can probably get a great deal on.

Its a better DAC than the Qutest with a more refined sound, better dynamics and lower noise floor. You can sell your Qutest…don’t trade it in as you will just get robbed pretty much

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650047539-bricasti-m3/

It’s a great dac. The fact that it’s been listed for a while gives you leverage to get a great deal. I went from Qutest to Bryston to Benchmark to Bricasti M3 and the M3 is the best DAC out of them all. Contact the seller just make sure you cross all Ts and dot all Is. Read reviews. Read up on design and implementation. At that price and potentially even lower, it’s a bargain. 

I own one with the network card. Your streaming front end is excellent. No need for the dac inbuilt player. 

Yes. Rob Watts is a digital genius. I love the Chord sound. It’s remarkable what he’s been able to accomplish there.

I have two minor gripes there with the Qutest and the TT2…

1. Power supply - wall wart? Really? Advantage is, minus one power cord upgrade but other than that, not cool

2. Ergonomics - I do like the the original design with the changing LED colors depending on what bit rate is coming into the dac, but it’s a bit too unsubtle and I like to see the bitrate on the screen

Zero complaints about the sound, I think sonically they’re solid dacs. The TT2 will be more of what the Qutest has to offer but I’m sorry at the price of the TT2 I expect a really good linear power supply. It’s definitely worth trying if that’s the route you wanna go. I’m confident it’ll be a great dac and an upgrade over the already pretty awesome qutest.

@drlou77 The M3 is in a different league from the Qutest. Top to bottom much more refined. Lower noise floor, more effortless sound and more detailed without being harsh. Treble is pretty sweet on it.
About the MDx board…all Bricasti M3 DACs have the MDx board. I asked Joe (Bricasti support) if I should upgrade my MDx1.09 to the latest version firmware. He replied to my email saying it won’t do anything. The one firmware upgrade was to address a concern with the M21 and the latest was to accommodate for the new display. So if I were you, reach out to them, Joe usually answers the phone.

The design of the M3 is pretty solid. 

Good luck Rich! I think this a step in a right direction if you can swing it. Funny how this progressed from a USB device to a new DAC…😂

That’s odd. Something doesn’t sound right there. N100H only has USB out. If you had to reboot the dac it was the dac that had a problem.
Just so you know…when you’re running your DAC via coax, the clock in your transport or streamer is one of the most critical elements.  When you’re running it via USB, the DAC clock takes over. USB sounds great with the M3, better than coax in my system with Aurender N200. And it was also the case with lumin u1 mini and Qutest and Lumin U1 Mini and Bricasti. 

@drlou77 cleaner signal coming out of the Phoenix will mean less work for the Bricasti, potentially even better sound! If/when you get the M3 you can experiment with and without the Phoenix in the chain. 

I have the red display and like it. The newest display is bluish white lettering/numbers. If there’s no sonic difference, I wouldn’t upgrade. Did Joe say anything about newest version sounding better?

Old red display would say INP4-384  the new one just looks slightly different  (below)

In cases like this, personally, I have a phone conversation make sure it is all legit, then go ahead with the purchase. 

Request a photo evidence with the phrase you will ask the seller to write displayed next to the item. Just make sure it’s all good. 
following these steps, I never had an issue. 

Provides no protection if the seller wants to scam a buyer. It provides evidence that the seller actually owns the item. The seller in this case has a good amount of all positive feedback. All these checkboxes are just a comfort level setting items, nothing else. 
I have done a lot of PayPal F&F transactions on both sides and never an issue but I’m not there to scam anyone. 

@adasdad I owned Qutest. The M3 is not a lateral move. 

Thanks! That’s a big part of this hobby!

Enjoy the 🎶 

@adasdad I still have the M3. It’s kicking butt right now with my new streamer.
Where it wins over the qutest for me…

Lower noise floor due to good power supply design and implementation. The SMPS like the one used on a Qutest can potentially pollute the AC impacting the performance of other components.
More natural, relaxed presentation with fuller mids, deeper soundstage, sweeter treble, more bass presence that has more texture along with better drive, more subtle details are revealed, requiring less effort to hear what’s on the recording. But at the same time it’s never in your face.
XLR outs. Much better ergonomics. AES/EBU input. Excellent USB implementation. Two different clock settings. 4 filters. Native DSD via USB. Awesome built in preamp(not an oversight at all…it can hold its own if you’re in between preamps).

One other consideration when comparing DACs…the difference between DACs might not be that great if your transport/streamer is not on the level and or your system isn’t revealing enough. I don’t know what your system consists of so I can’t speak to it. 

Awesome! Nirvana! 
Best place to arrive at in this hobby when you can just sit down and enjoy the music.

By the way I wasn’t implying that your system is inferior or subpar when I stated I don’t know what it consists of. I just couldn’t possibly know aside from the Chord stack you mentioned earlier what else is there. So I assume some of the elements of your reply stem from this misunderstanding  

As a note….in my opinion, and I could be wrong because I haven’t heard all the headphones and hp amps in the world, but headphones aren’t really the best tool to thoroughly evaluate your source components. Yes you get to hear the tone, the overall sonic signature…but it doesn’t give you as big of a view into how it’s all tying together when it comes to soundstage, imaging, instrument placement within the soundstage, etc. Headphones just don’t do that as well as a proper pair of speakers would.
I’m going to also be honest that running the source components you have through the Bose 901 is only going to give you what the Bose 901 can give you. There won’t be a night and day difference between DACs.
Just my honest take on it. No offense. 

@drlou77 congrats!!! And enjoy!!!

@drlou77 more than one change at a time? Unacceptable!!!

😂

I’m guilty of the same sin! Enjoy!!! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. 

@drlou77 I would say the Mirage is definitely a decent cable. I liked it when I had it. Are there better USB cables? Definitely. When I tried Audience AU24SE+ and compared it to DH Labs, there was no way back to the Mirage. Now, that was with the Qutest. With the M3 I only tried the AU24SE+ with Lumin U1 Mini bit sold that streamer and the USB.  Now with the Aurender I tried  stock USB cable that came with the streamer and the AQ Diamond that I am still breaking in.
I’d say try the DH Labs for 30 days. Keep the streamer and the DAC on and playing 24/7 to get at least 200hrs on the USB cable before you decide anything.
The M3 will also benefit from a good power cord. But will give you an idea on its capabilities even with a stock power cord.

Have you confirmed the settings are back to ctlremote? And used the standby button to reset it? 
Reboot the streamer and the reclocker just in case. 
is usb the input you’re using on the dac? Rebooting the streamer will re-establish the handshake if you’re using usb. Try it. 
 

Cool. Let’s try everything before it heads back to Bricasti 

Are you talking about a fuse on the Bricasti? There’s no fuse there. Find a little button on the back of the Bricasti dac by the power cord and press it. That’s the “breaker” so to speaker. That should get the dac back up and running.
USB card in the m3 should be compatible with your streamer.

Get everything connected properly. Take your time with it. Turn it all on after all the cables are connected.
Use the settings on the M3 that I recommended. And try again.

I want to believe the seller wouldn’t sell you a paperweight with the kind of feedback he has.

One other test you can do is connect a coax or toslink cable from a dvd plsyer if you have one to the m3 and play a cd. See if you get sound.

I’ll add - do not make any connections between your components when they’re powered on or in standby. Turn it all off/power down and if you have to, unplug from  outlet. 

Sounds good! 

@drlou77  That is awesome news man!!! Glad to hear it’s working. The USB input should be working as well as soon as your streamer is up and running.

As far as rebooting the M3….select different inputs on DAC all day long, no reboot needed. Power down when switching cables. Always. Everything. Takes few extra seconds but it’s worth it.
Putting components in standby does not cut it when plugging and unplugging cables. Some circuits may be kept on and it can get expensive if something gets fried.

Keep us posted.

Rich…you got a very good DAC and I’m sure you will enjoy it when you get your streamer back up and running. 

Awesome! You confirmed USB works as well! Enjoy!!!

Glad to help and it’s very nice of you not to rush to judgement on the seller to leave a permanent bad mark. 
So what is the arrangement with the cable co? They’re letting you audition the Audience cable and send back either it or the DH?

Sounds like a plan!

@drlou77 phew I was beginning to worry :)

glad you like the Audience! It’s amazing an improvement a good USB cable can make. 

The two sites I use exclusively to buy/sell equipment are this site and the US Audio Mart. Good luck! And enjoy the upgrades!

@drlou77 I run EERO mesh. I clearly hear differences between Ethernet cables connecting the access point to my streamer. I don’t use a switch. 
My approach is to use a decent Ethernet cable (currently using Purist Audio) and worry about components and speakers first. When I’m sitting here scratching my head about future upgrades to components, speakers and cables, and there’s nowhere to go in that space, I’d play with audiophile switches. 
 

In the post above by @txp1 , I respect his choices but we can debate what would be a bigger ROI, Qutest being a centerpiece with all the attachments to it, or having a clean DAC only approach with Chord DAVE, Tambaqui Mola Mola or some other high end DAC without all the accessories and clutter around the Qutest. 
As i said I respect choices made by others, but my approach is components first, accessories later. Right, wrong or different, that’s how I tackle it. 

@drlou77 I would upgrade the cable to your streamer - thar is the most critical link. Everything before that you could probably get away with Amazon LinkUp cable. 
Also…why not continue with the cable co? They should cut you a nice deal after the evaluation is over and apply the lending fee towards the purchase. 
I would suggest Purist, Audioquest. Doesn’t have to be super expensive.