What DSD rates does each input on a Chord DAC accept?
Short answer
Over USB, Watts said in May 2018 that Qutest takes native DSD up to DSD512 (ASIO, Windows) and DoP up to DSD256 Head-Fi, May 2018, and in July 2022 gave the Hugo M Scaler the same DSD512 ceiling over USB Head-Fi, Jul 2022. Over S/PDIF, DoP is limited by the input: DSD64 at most over optical on Qutest Head-Fi, Jul 2019, DSD64 and DSD128 on DAVE Head-Fi, Jan 2017. For Mojo, Mojo 2 and Poly the rates come from Chord's manuals: Mojo takes DSD64 to DSD256 as DoP over USB, DSD64 over optical and up to DSD128 over coax (manual); Mojo 2 plays up to DSD256 (manual); Poly plays DSD64 to DSD256 as DoP (manual).
The practical answer
DSD reaches a Chord DAC in one of two ways. With DoP, Watts said, "you transmit it via regular PCM, with a 8 bit header" Head-Fi, Sep 2019, and it works on any input, limited by the PCM rate that input carries Head-Fi, Mar 2025Head-Fi, Apr 2014. Native DSD transmission has no header overhead and reaches DSD512, but he said it is only via ASIO on Windows Head-Fi, Sep 2019Head-Fi, Feb 2022.
USB
Qutest (May 2018): "It supports native DSD via the ASIO driver (up to and including DSD 512) and DoP up to and including DSD 256." Head-Fi, May 2018 Two days later he said DoP is less efficient, "so we can only do DSD 256 with DoP" Head-Fi, May 2018. In January 2019, in the Qutest thread, he reported no clicks "even with DSD512 (then using Chords ASIO driver with native interface format)" Head-Fi, Jan 2019.
Hugo 2 (September 2017): he said DSD256 DoP is sent as 705 kHz, dropouts are down to the source processor, and native DSD, which is easier on the processor, works on Hugo 2 via ASIO Head-Fi, Sep 2017. The same day, in the Hugo 2 thread, he said his Windows 10 machines "work perfectly with 768 kHz and DSD512 recordings", DSD512 via Foobar Head-Fi, Sep 2017. In January 2018, there, he said the new DSD filter "works for all DSD formats up to DSD 512" Head-Fi, Jan 2018.
Hugo TT 2 (July 2018): a reply shown without its question said it "will do dsd512 too on usb" Head-Fi, Jul 2018.
DAVE (2015): DSD+ mode "also supports DSD512", while PCM+ mode carries the Hugo DSD 64/128/256 filter Head-Fi, Nov 2015, and "for DSD 512 native is the only way" Head-Fi, Dec 2015.
Hugo M Scaler (July 2022): "It will work with DSD64, 128, 256 and DSD512 (512 is via USB using native mode protocol and ASIO on Windows)." Head-Fi, Jul 2022 In October 2018 he said native DSD works with Roon and JRiver, but "You must set the SR OP setting to white on the Hugo M scaler, otherwise it will be silent as an OP" Head-Fi, Oct 2018. In March 2019 he said DSD is converted to 705 kHz PCM and "the only way of outputting 705k is via the dual BNC" Head-Fi, Mar 2019.
Operating systems
February 2022: "DoP DSD is fully supported up to DSD 256 with Linux and macOS. For DSD 512 (native DSD transmission) it's limited to Windows via ASIO." Head-Fi, Feb 2022 In May 2018, after checking with Chord, he said "DSD is only DoP with Linux" Head-Fi, May 2018; the next day he relayed that native DSD on Linux needs different drivers for different servers Head-Fi, May 2018. In May 2016 he said a Chord colleague "wasn't aware of any way" to do native DSD with OSX Head-Fi, May 2016.
Optical and coax
Original Hugo (April 2014): DoP is decoded after source selection, so any input works Head-Fi, Apr 2014Head-Fi, Apr 2014. Its S/PDIF receiver can run at 384 kHz, "but we do not spec this, as it has only been tested under simulation", and with such a source "you can run DSD 128 through the phono dig input" Head-Fi, Apr 2014. He passed on reports that some optical transmitters "are at the edge when trying to do 176.4k": stay with plastic cable if DoP works reliably, and try a better cable if it does not Head-Fi, Apr 2014.
Qutest (July 2019): "DSD64 is the maximum via optical though" Head-Fi, Jul 2019.
DAVE (January 2017): "it will accept DoP DSD64 and DSD128 but no more as the SPDIF is limited to 384 kHz" Head-Fi, Jan 2017.
Hugo 2 (August 2018), a reply naming no input (so possibly not S/PDIF): "it's limited to DSD128 if the source can deliver that" Head-Fi, Aug 2018.
Hugo TT 2 with M Scaler: answering an owner feeding both over coax, in a post from between late March 2025 and early March 2026, he said "optical would be at best (with appropriate source and optical cable) DSD64, coax DSD64 and DSD128 (assuming the coax source can handle it too)" Head-Fi, Mar 2025.
Mojo 2
No per-input DSD rates appear. In February 2022 he said its DSD is "filtered and converted to 705.6kHz PCM" Head-Fi, Feb 2022, and that the Hugo 2/TT2 DSD filter would not fit, so it uses the original Mojo DSD filter Head-Fi, Feb 2022.
Before you use DSD
In May 2018, before the Hugo M Scaler shipped, he wrote that "the M scaler" "always outputs 705.6 kHz PCM from DSD64-DSD512" Head-Fi, May 2018; the March 2019 post above says the same of the Hugo M Scaler Head-Fi, Mar 2019. In the TT2 thread in 2020 he said "ASIO is preferred for DSD, as DSD512 is supported." Head-Fi, Jul 2020 In March 2017 he offered DoP as a bit-perfect test: "if its mute free, it's bit perfect" Head-Fi, Mar 2017. He gave the same test in a February 2023 talk and added "We're not recommending you listen to DSD." Dusty Audio 1:05:36
What he has not said
He framed the S/PDIF figures as maxima that depend on the source Head-Fi, Mar 2025Head-Fi, Jul 2019.
Quotes
“It supports native DSD via the ASIO driver (up to and including DSD 512) and DoP up to and including DSD 256.”2018-05-20 Head-Fi, May 2018
“Qutest, in common with all my DACs will decode DoP via SPDIF - so you can get DSD64 via optical if your source transmits it.”2019-07-20 Head-Fi, Jul 2019
“Of course DoP DSD is fully supported up to DSD 256 with Linux and macOS. For DSD 512 (native DSD transmission) it's limited to Windows via ASIO.”2022-02-20 Head-Fi, Feb 2022
“Sure, any input will support DoP.”2014-04-16 Head-Fi, Apr 2014
Dated positions
| When | Products | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-04 to 2016-05 | Hugo (original) | Original Hugo decodes DSD only via DoP, on any input; its S/PDIF receiver can run at 384 kHz but that was not specified, and he said DSD128 should then work through the coax (phono) input. Head-Fi, Apr 2014Head-Fi, Apr 2014Head-Fi, May 2016 |
| 2015-11 to 2017-01 | DAVE | DAVE's DSD+ mode supports DSD512, for which native ASIO is the only way; over S/PDIF it accepts DoP DSD64 and DSD128 only. Head-Fi, Nov 2015Head-Fi, Dec 2015Head-Fi, Jan 2017 |
| 2017-09 to 2018-08 | Hugo 2 | Hugo 2 takes DSD256 DoP (sent as 705 kHz) and native DSD via ASIO; in the Hugo 2 thread he reported DSD512 playback via Foobar and said the new DSD filter covers formats up to DSD512; one reply, input unnamed, says DSD128 is the limit if the source can deliver it. Head-Fi, Sep 2017Head-Fi, Sep 2017Head-Fi, Jan 2018Head-Fi, Aug 2018 |
| 2018-05 to 2019-07 | Qutest | Qutest takes native DSD up to DSD512 via ASIO and DoP up to DSD256, with DSD64 the maximum over optical; on Linux, DoP only (the next day he relayed that native DSD there needs server-specific drivers). Head-Fi, May 2018Head-Fi, May 2018Head-Fi, May 2018Head-Fi, Jan 2019Head-Fi, Jul 2019 |
| 2018-07 to a post between 2025-03 and 2026-03 | Hugo TT2 | TT2 does DSD512 on USB (2018). In a later reply about a TT2 and M Scaler fed over coax, he said DoP works on all inputs subject to each input's rate limit: optical at best DSD64, coax DSD64 and DSD128. Head-Fi, Jul 2018Head-Fi, Mar 2025 |
| 2018-10 to 2022-07 | Hugo M Scaler | M Scaler takes DSD64 to DSD512, with DSD512 over USB in native mode via Windows ASIO; native DSD needs the SR OP setting on white, and the converted 705 kHz output is available only on dual BNC (as of 2019). Head-Fi, Oct 2018Head-Fi, Mar 2019Head-Fi, Jul 2022 |
| 2022-02 | Mojo 2 | Mojo 2 filters DSD to 705.6 kHz PCM before its DSP and uses the original Mojo DSD filter; no input rates are stated. Head-Fi, Feb 2022Head-Fi, Feb 2022 |
| 2016-05 to 2022-02 | General | Not tied to one product: DoP is supported up to DSD256 on Linux and macOS; DSD512 native transmission is limited to Windows via ASIO; in 2016 Chord knew of no way to do native DSD on OSX. Head-Fi, May 2016Head-Fi, May 2018Head-Fi, Feb 2022 |
Caveats and open points
- The archive has no single statement of DSD rates for every input of every product; the rates come from separate forum replies, some without the question they answered.
- Head-Fi, Mar 2025 is undated: posted after 2025-03-27 and before the 2026-03-03 scrape. It answers an owner using a TT2 with an M Scaler over coax, so its per-input figures are scoped to that reply.
- Head-Fi, Jul 2018 and Head-Fi, Jul 2020 carry dates estimated from post IDs; Head-Fi, Jul 2018 shows no question.
- Head-Fi, Aug 2018 (DSD128 limit) does not name the input it refers to. Head-Fi, Sep 2017 and Head-Fi, Jan 2018 do not name the device; both are in the Hugo 2 thread.
- At the July 2018 CanJam London M Scaler presentation, the presenter (not Watts) said its USB handles DSD up to 256 c w 1:54; that is not his statement and is not used. Watts's own 2022 statement gives DSD512 via native USB.
- The Mojo, Mojo 2 and Poly rates come from Chord's manuals, not from him; none of his statements is carried from one product to another.
- The February 2023 statement is; check the recording before relying on its wording.
Topics: DSD: playback and DSD vs PCM, Choosing and comparing inputs