Chord Electronics' flagship DAC gets an upgrade
31 Jul 2012
Chord Electronics has upgraded its flagship DAC (digital-to-analogue converter), the £4995 QBD76 HDSD, by adding DSD-over-USB playback.
This means users can listen to DSD (Direct Stream Digital) high-resolution music files stored on computer via USB, rather than having to own them on a physical disc.
The HD USB input uses a special high-speed data connector and a USB 2.0-certified full data rate cable is supplied for connecting to a computer.
Meanwhile, the existing USB input can be used for CD-quality playback, giving the option for two simultaneous USB connections for both high-definition and standard-definition playback from the DAC at the same time.
In addition, selected other Chord products can now be upgraded to include DSD decoding over USB. Compatible models include the Red Reference (MkIII) and Red Standard CD players and the exisitng QBD67 HD DAC. The dealer-fit upgrade costs £1440.
