NDX and Chord Hugo
Posted by: Foxman50 on 18 April 2014
I have been contemplating adding a DAC to my NDX/XPS2 to see (or should that be hear) what it can bring to the party. And so thought it about time i made inroads into Having a few home demos. After looking around at products that are within my budget i came across the Chord Hugo DAC.
Although it is meant to be a portable headphone unit, it can be used as a full line level fixed DAC.
The dealer lent me a TQ black digital coax lead, which have twist grip plugs. This was required as the present batch of Hugo's have a case design fault that wont allow any decent cable to fit, soon to be rectified. Thankfully the TQ just manages to hang on to the coax port.
Once all connected and gone through the minimal setup procedure of the Hugo, what does the red LED mean again, i left it to warm up for half an hour.
Poured a beer and sat down for an evenings listening.
What was that, where did that come from, that's what that instrument is. OMG, as my little'n would say, Where is it getting all this detail from.
After spending last night and today with it, all i can say is that it has totally transformed my system from top to bottom. I never considered my NDX to be veiled or shut in, not even sure that's the correct terms. All i can say is its opened up the sound stage and space around instruments. Everything I've put through it has had my toes, feet and legs tapping away to the music.
Even putting the toe tapping, the resolution the clarity to one side, what its greatest achievement for me has been in making albums that I've had trouble listening too enjoyable now.
One added bonus is that it has made the XPS redundant. I cannot hear any difference with it in or out of the system.
While i thought a DAC may make a change in the degree of the jump from ND5 to NDX, i was not prepared for this. Anyone looking at adding a PSU to there NDX may want to check this unit out first.
For me this has to be the bargain of the year.
Slightly off topic, but this thread does seem to have veered violently at times on it's long journey, however a couple of points stick in my head:
Would anyone advise someone to spend £2-3K on a streamer product to then not use the DAC section but shell out another £1,400 for that privilege?
Does SQ always trump functionality?
Dave
especially when you need to charge the battery of your source. Before it will play any note of music
Chiming in on this latest bout ..
I like the Naim sound, and I agree with George about the prominence of its 'musicality'. Which is possibly about focussing on the combination of timing and dynamics with a low noise floor...but could be wrong...
However I suspect the reason why there appears to be a growing number of Naim fans who are enjoying Hugo is because I think the Hugo does what Naim does in terms of musicality but provides a subjectively better overall result from a digital source.
Listening to the Hugo with my Naim and ATCs I am not drawn to artefacts like exaggerated detail, dynamics or rolled off sound.. It just sounds natural. If the musicality is in the recording it just shines through and that becomes the prominent point when listening sometimes literally grabbing your total attention mesmerised. It really is intensely rewarding, and perhaps for many of us who haven't spent 20k plus on a full-on LP12 source or other such extravagance this is one of the first times we have heard this so successfully done from a domestic source. Perhaps this is why people get emotive about it.. And drawn to babble on about it on the forum...
it certainly is unhealthy.. You end up staying in in this beautiful weather listening to music and most nights staying up to the early hours.. It's infectious.
What I also find interesting it becomes discerning of recordings.. It can't polish a turd. If the recording is flat or poor then you hear it as that rather than a coloured sweetened approximation.
HDTracks content is interesting, you can really hear the difference between certain Hidef recordings, with some being rather poor and musically uninspiring and others being excellent.
I really am looking forward to the next gen Naim DACs and Streamers... I just hope they are at least this good and I can afford it
Simon
Slightly off topic, but this thread does seem to have veered violently at times on it's long journey, however a couple of points stick in my head:
Would anyone advise someone to spend £2-3K on a streamer product to then not use the DAC section but shell out another £1,400 for that privilege?
Does SQ always trump functionality?
Dave
I've always understood the ethos of Naim to include the idea of additive components as 'building blocks' to upgrded SQ - be they power supplies or a DAC. An element of redundancy is often the result of this kind of upgrade ethos.
In this instance, and for now, that idea persists with a complementary but non-naim product to achieve the best possible digital replay for comparatively little outlay.
G
SQ vs Functionality is an entirely personal choice.
G
Chiming in on this latest bout ..
I like the Naim sound, and I agree with George about the prominence of its 'musicality'. Which is possibly about focussing on the combination of timing and dynamics with a low noise floor...but could be wrong...
However I suspect the reason why there appears to be a growing number of Naim fans who are enjoying Hugo is because I think the Hugo does what Naim does in terms of musicality but provides a subjectively better overall result from a digital source.
Listening to the Hugo with my Naim and ATCs I am not drawn to artefacts like exaggerated detail, dynamics or rolled off sound.. It just sounds natural. If the musicality is in the recording it just shines through and that becomes the prominent point when listening sometimes literally grabbing your total attention mesmerised. It really is intensely rewarding, and perhaps for many of us who haven't spent 20k plus on a full-on LP12 source or other such extravagance this is one of the first times we have heard this so successfully done from a domestic source. Perhaps this is why people get emotive about it.. And drawn to babble on about it on the forum...
it certainly is unhealthy.. You end up staying in in this beautiful weather listening to music and most nights staying up to the early hours.. It's infectious.
What I also find interesting it becomes discerning of recordings.. It can't polish a turd. If the recording is flat or poor then you hear it as that rather than a coloured sweetened approximation.
HDTracks content is interesting, you can really hear the difference between certain Hidef recordings, with some being rather poor and musically uninspiring and others being excellent.
I really am looking forward to the next gen Naim DACs and Streamers... I just hope they are at least this good and I can afford it
Simon
And also, Naim sources never, but never get the bass guitar wrong
If the bass is wrong, the whole musical message is messed up beyond repair.
as a musician myself, it's an unforgivable mistake to make.
No point getting other details right if you can't hear what the bass guitar player is doing. The speed, timing, energy, the way he is playing.
When I have the DAC V1 playing movies, it makes my REL quake sound like another subwoofer altogether, and the quality of bass exceeds what I hear in the cinema. Of course not quantity, but quality is so much more enjoyable.
And in this department Naim is the best
and that's what has always amazed me to Naim, how they get and understand what music is all about, and how they are able to manufacture kit that musicians fall in love with from the first few seconds of replay.
As the founder of Naim said, music is about people
If you can't hear what the people on the record are doing, there isn't much point.
One of the most memorable demonstrations I ever had, ever, was of a NDAC/XPS2 into 282/HC/250 and what was so interesting was not the additional level of detail over what I had at the time (Nait XS), which was barely audible to me, but the sheer articulation of the bass guitar player, and the kick drum.
It was most incredible to hear. and bass articulation must be heard to be understood what level of enjoyment of brings to the table.
Well What hi-fi did say once you hear a Hugo, there is no going back.
Some people don't like change.
Just bought a V1 6 months ago, and really enjoying it. 
and my experience with batteries is that Lithium Batteries have around 1000 charge cycles.
And time wise, slowly go bad in around 2 years.
then needs a battery change.
All the Hugo fans out there, please explain to me if the Hugo allows a user battery change in 2 years time
Good - report back when you do have a listen