Where has the NDX into Hugo thread gone?

George, why do soldered batteries scare you more than soldered capacitors?

Jude, I see no reason why it should.

This has been a fascinating thread to watch, if only for the hostility shown to the Hugo for stealing the hearts and minds of some of the posters. It is inevitable that there will be products that challenge Naim in terms of sound quality; the problem here is that it both comes from a British company as idiosyncratic in its approach as Naim and is cheaper. 

Tog

This is a little odd as I don't necessarily see any hostility towards the Hugo. Quite possibly it is a wonderful DAC and it's technology seems groundbreaking.

A few people (including myself) have expressed scepticism on the "pre-amp bypass" claim, and this is because a lot of people (including myself) want a solution there that works. Less boxes at 252 quality level. Is it possible?

I am not sure anyone has expressed a view on this aspect here one way or another.

As to challenging Naim products. At least in the space of DACs, IMO they have a bit of catch up to do, and that's been for a few years now.

I'm pretty certain Naim obtains much valuable feedback from this forum, and you can bet your bottom dollar they will be working away like Santa's little helpers developing something that can compete with Chord. Who are equally beavering away at making something even better. It's called progress and long may it continue.

Like Mr Wat, I'm really puzzled by those on here who are trying their damndest to run down the Hugo, even though they haven't heard it. Perhaps someone can explain to me why this should be so? We should be celebrating such a wonderful device, not denigrating it.

Big Bill, as a fellow (but incompetent) DIYer I'd be very interested to know the exact details of your system.

UnitiLite and a pair of KEF R700

I will put it in my details, I assume you can then read about it.

YanC I mentioned the no pre-amp thing and got shouted down and lied about!

Tonym I have now entered my details.  As I mention in the details we are decorating, in fact we are nearly finished, just waiting for a new carpet and sofas to be delivered.  Then I can put my KEFs and UnitiLite back in the lounge.  The UnitiLite is currently driving those odd little JPWs at the moment, which I can listen to but can't easily get at it to see the model number.  They sound surprisingly good on the end of the UnitiLite.

Then all we need to worry about is the builders at the back of the house finishing.  And you lot all wonder why I am so grumpy?  I ask ya.

I have a feeling I have missed one or two things in the kit list, if I have they may be of interest but will probably not sound very good or I would have remembered.  Huh, just remembered a couple of cassette decks and a reel-to-reel recorder.  I will update in a day or two.

Have you been elected as my spokesman Aleg?  Don't expect to be paid.

very easy one to answer

capacitors can last up to 10 years.

batteries - on the other hand, simply do not.

So what - much easier to replace. Looking at the Hugo, i could do that in 20 minutes and the batteries are around £22 each from Farnell. 

Yup I was gonna answer that one.  Quite right Analomusic, although some cheap electrolytic's might last a bit less but many of the 'solid' types will probably last much longer.

The other negative thing about batteries is that specialist ones (ie not AA, AAA etc) can become difficult to get hold of later on.  Couple that with changes in shape and size and it is a worry.  Yes with many batteries you can improvise, but it is not just a matter of matching voltages.  No, intelligent batteries can be a real problem.

Mind you if a soldered in battery does goes AWOL it is much easier to diagnose than a cap going west.  But then again you will never get the choice of non-soldered removable caps anyway.

No, but I like to be able to put people's impressions into perspective of their kit, so I just knew yours.

I wonder if the batteries could be removed and left out. If the unit is going to stay connected to the power socket then maybe they are not needed. Just a thought.

Graeme

What the hell are you on about?

Thanks for the list Bill, my, you've a lot of stuff! I've refrained in the past from listing all the bits & pieces I've got lying around - mostly DIY power supplies, DACs, amp, the odd speaker or two...

I confess I've been tempted in the past by AudioNote kit; I've enjoyed their stuff in the past.

On the subject of using the Hugo as a preamp, it'd certainly be an interesting experiment if someone was up for it.

High end Naim equipment use non soldered caps.

Similar to.

The audio psychiatrist is IN OUT

Probably not a good idea. The lithium batteries are an integral part of the Hugo's mood-stabilizing effect, which some here could substantially benefit from.

Dr. Erik

>Brilliant<  absolute classic.

But lithium can have a negative effect on energy levels, should we try moving Hugo onto one of the newer mood stabilising drugs?  Maybe that will improve his music presentation still further?

Battery life is dependant on number of charge cycles.

If the hugo is permanently powered from the mains, battery life could stretch into millennia.

Unfortunately that isn't the case for current Lithium Ion technology.  The life is more directly related to the time / temperature profile and limited by internal chemical degradation.  The total charge current passed does have a direct effect, but also increases the temperature of the cell, both of these degrade the cell.

Unfortunately for lithium cells, constant trickle charge reduces life.

Yes. I've just also had a look at Wikipedia.

It does state other factors decrease life, but no actual definitive figures.

However, is charge capacity of any relevance when considering a device that is permanently powered. IE. Not used as a portable device.

My (albeit simple) understanding is that the Hugo is always battery powered even when plugged in, the power is supplied by the battery, the AC/DC simply recharging the said battery.

 I would think once the battery eventually cannot hold a charge the Hugo dies, rather like a transformer going.

There is a line of thought that this battery powered nature of the Hugo is a considerable factor in it's apparent game changing nature.

SJB

Yes. I've just also had a look at Wikipedia.

...

Glad Wikipedia agrees with me!.  There are manufacturer's data sheets that support this as well.

That's a complex question that depends on things like internal resistance, charge / discharge voltage hysteresis etc.  I don't know if (or how) the Hugo is designed to use the battery as a regulator, so I can't give an answer.