Where has the NDX into Hugo thread gone?

Did you mean to say it doesn't dish out the detail above?

They also do the Chord Prodac Vee 3 specially for the Hugo and you can specify the other connector (RCA or BNC) at the time of placing the order at no extra charge. £85 for a 1m BNC to Hugo modified RCA is what I use 

Hi Louise-Andre,

Yes, there was irony in my post, but certainly not disrespect for your findings, or for anyone else's here. I have found your posts interesting, particularly as we have the same pre and poweramp.

I have spent a long time in comforting arms of the Naim upgrade ladder where component X is better than compenent Y. it's safe here and although I'm sure that I could achieve great results if stray outside I might waste a lot of money in the process. I bought a Gyrodec because it was supposed to be the best without spending silly money and ended up selling it and buying a used LP12. I'll leave experimentation to braver souls, for now 

Keith

Mark..sorry you are right.. I meant it doesn't dish out the detail ..(in a slightly exaggerated way).

Louis, the Naim DC1 with phono plug fits the Hugo, and if I am honest so do my other phono SPDIF leads..I perhaps don't have some of the more extravagant bulkier type connectors. 

Simon

Yes Louis-Andre, after borrowing the Chord from my friendly dealer I did eventually trade my 555 in. It wasn't my original intent as I was happy using three sources, but the Chord sounded better in my system.

I have yet to hear a Hugo in my system but if anyone's willing to bring theirs over I'd be interested in doing a gentle comparison (well, I'm currently enjoying Dream Theater at a very significant volume, so maybe not so gentle!). I've had a couple of folks, one of whom has heard my DAC here, comment that they think mine has the edge over the Hugo, but who knows? Each system reacts in different ways, leaving aside personal preference.

I really wouldn't worry about preferring the T-DAC over the Hugo - we like what we like and it'd be a dull old world if we all liked the same thing.

Hugo now installed and sounding good straight from the box, a tad 'bright' if I'm being critical. A lot better than I expected of the new unit going by the experience of others. 

The biggest issue for me is the lack of quality micro USB cables. The only one I've found is the Audioquest Cinnamon. I have contacted WireWorld and asked if they could custom fit a micro connector but their cables are all factory made. They are contacting head office to see if they can bring them out given the demand of the Hugo. I've decided to wait for the moment. I am using a stock Apple cable. I know I could buy an adaptor but would rather not use one.

One thing I'm very pleased with is that the MacMini, Audirvana, WD 8tb RAID and Hugo have given me a pretty decent digital setup for about £2500. It will never replace my vinyl system but is enjoyable all the same.

Steve, my new Hugo did sound the brighter side of neutral until it either warmed up or burnt in.. Don't know which.. But within a couple of weeks I was fairly sure it changed. It doesn't sound bright now. I did compare a new Hugo with a run in Hugo and they did sound different..the former being brighter.. again I can't definitively say that was not sample variation.

Simon

There was much hoopla on here about greater resolution and the finer detail of transients.

Also recall some talk of the hypnotic sounds of brushes on cymbals. Sounds analytical to me.

Is what we're saying now that, whilst it does have all those fine details, you can't necessarily hear them?

Thanks Simon and Aleg.

Mark, I can only speak for myself of course , but I enjoy listening to the musical detail and musicianship/ recording techniques in my recordings and listen into it In layers if I wish. That's how I prefer it. However some hifi components etch out the detail.. And allow in my opinion a more analytical but  to me a less natural presentation.

The Hugo has the detail but doesn't thrust it on you.. To my ears the NDS/555PS is similar in that respect .. It has the detail but doesn't thrust it at you..it's there in layers if you want to listen into it. Call it active listening... 

I guess ultimately these are all subjective illustrations.. rather than objective analytical appraisals..

The acid test for me is... Does it sound natural and attractive, picking out the nuances (brushed cymbals if that is important in a jazz set piece, or microphone placement with vocals for example) and phrasing and dynamics/ebb and flow/ compression techniques .. Then to me it sounds good... But if you have a system that slightly filters this elsewhere these subtleties might be lost... A more exaggerated analytical source might work better at  communicating through any filtering...

Thats how I see it anyway.. and am enjoying the Hugo / Naim / ATC right now.. Lots of textures and insight in seemingly  proportioned to allow  me to enjoy listening to the music / techniques in my recordings rather than think about how they are sounding in playback.

Simon

There is a question that have been asked a few times but never answered. Robert Watts the designer of the Hugo say that any preamplifier between Hugo and an amplifier will degrade sound.

For the owners of the reference Nac552/Nap500 who own a Hugo, it would be very interesting to have this confirmed. If a Nap500 sound better directly connected to the variable volume control from the Hugo that would probably explain that the Hugo strength is more likely to be it's excellent analog stage more than it's FPGA  technology ?

That's confidence for you 

Tried a Weiss DAC202 directly onto my NAP but only lasted for a day or so. So far the only DAC/Pre I have heard to come close to a DAC+NAC is the Ayon (Stratos, I think it was), but that was close to the price of my current 252/Weiss anyway.

Well it will save everyone a lot of money if this new claim is true.

To me it seems unlikely as the Naim pre and power amps are designed to work together.

What is certain is that time will tell.

I was brushing her finger cymbals the other night and found myself getting quite mesmerized.

Yes, money, and save a lot of space too.

A 252 level Naim Pre/DAC is what I had in my wish list a couple of years ago in this forum. (No need for analogue input, or tape recording buttons). 

I am still waiting…

Yan;

I see on your profile that you had your 5x converted to digital output. Did you have Salisbury do it for you or have you done it yourself? My understanding was that this mod was only available for CDX2.

Chag -

at Salisbury.

...and I am totally happy with it.  CD5x(T) + Naim DC1 > Weiss DAC is an awesome front end.

Indeed. It shouldn't be much different from 5XS switched to digital. I run mine now on NDS/555DR via DC1. My, Oh My. But I read here that it might only take the little silver box to do even better.  

Chag -

if you are just checking it out for now you could use no cable at all with one of these direct couplers (whichever applies). Need a steady hand while installing & hard support for Hugo at free end

to relieve the RCA outs:

With the exception of the earliest CDX2 units from 2002-2003, the digital PCB used in the CDX2 and CD5x (or CDX2 with digital out and CD5 XS) are shared between the two models, so the SPDIF coax output mod applies to both.  (The power supply arrangements are different, of course.)

Not sure I'd personally sacrifice a CDX2 to use with an external DAC, but a CD5x? Maybe....

Originally Posted by Steve J:

Hugo now installed and sounding good straight from the box, a tad 'bright' if I'm being critical. A lot better than I expected of the new unit going by the experience of others.

The biggest issue for me is the lack of quality micro USB cables. The only one I've found is the Audioquest Cinnamon. I have contacted WireWorld and asked if they could custom fit a micro connector but their cables are all factory made. They are contacting head office to see if they can bring them out given the demand of the Hugo. I've decided to wait for the moment. I am using a stock Apple cable. I know I could buy an adaptor but would rather not use one.

One thing I'm very pleased with is that the MacMini, Audirvana, WD 8tb RAID and Hugo have given me a pretty decent digital setup for about £2500. It will never replace my vinyl system but is enjoyable all the same.

Vertere do a usb-to-microusb for about £90 1mtr.
It's called D-Fi Computer Audio and comes in different combinations of usb-type connectors

I got one free with Hugo on promotion , I didn't realise the price  Well made and sounded great when I tested it but only using the ND5XS and Bluetooth at the moment.

Quite right Mark - i've always had the best results from a Naim power amp when a Naim pre is in front of it. I'm sure the Hugo sounds great fronting other power amps but i doubt this will be the case with a Naim power amp. 

Agreed, I used to have T-dac then Ndac with txps, xps2 & 555ps, finally NDS with 555. In my case 252/300 & Marten Getz & Getz2 setups. The key is speaker, I really like Teddy a lot but Ndac with 555  with makes revealing speakers rythm so much different that I prefer it. If you like KDS type of details you like Teddy, it gives that exitement feeling, expecially with certain type of speakers, SF needs quite clear frontend. Then NDS is totally opposite, it does presentation & the way how it does it is unique. It might sound in comparison clearly different than Teddy or Hugo or Ndac. In some systems even a bit boring but that is the trick, it makes some things less not more & if other system is tuned: meaning cables (ethernet, hiline) fraim, powerlines & speakers, then it is totally different beast. So, try Hugo in your system but even if it is better in there it does not mean much due personal taste & very different systems. Instead of arguing, hyping, re re re re re re promoting or praising own truth it could be nice to share working systems or ?