Where has the NDX into Hugo thread gone?

Graeme have you tried the 'av bypass' switch on the SN2, again make sure Hugo volume is low before switching? Try it....its interesting.

I will at some point but the sn2 is so new to me I need to get used to how that sounds first. Just starting to enjoy it after a week or so of playing around. I did run hugo straight into a Nap100 for a few months though and it punchrd well above its weight as a combination

No  - I cherish remote volume too much!

G

One of the reasons I no longer have a nap100,  or any other power amp in my price range

Guys, Don't you think that if you run the Hugo directly to power amp and bypass Naim pre-amp, you are as good as waving goodbye to Naim signature sound we love. In this case, it might be even better to jump the bandwagon instead of hanging in the balance. 

When I have the Hugo on home demo, It is directly connected to Naim pre & power amplifiers and I thought it did not damper the engagement & timing attributes of Naim sound. I always think that Naim amplifiers consisting of pre & power sections contribute the most in terms of communicating its signature sound. If you split the pre & power, you might not experiencing the Naim sound anymore.

Just my thought.

The Role of the Preamp :

https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...mplifier-how-crucial

you could control the volume remotely using itunes, jriver, audirvana dithered volume control using iphone/ipad/laptop. I doubt there would be any audible difference.

the best preamps are transparent and add very little to the sound - the SN2 av bypass sound difference is not night and day with the hugo. The hugo already has a preamp section so you are effectively preamping the preamp. Both sound great so it's just what you prefer.

The design of the Hugo is that you get much better transparency and musicality by avoiding pre-amps so if you want to hear a Naim signature then this is a different matter.

Because of your experience Gill I think I give a better USB cable a try, even if it means using an adaptor. I'll try and borrow a USB Signature but I've been keen to try the Wireworld cables as well. Can anyone recommend a good Type A to micro adaptor? 

my guess is that by engaging 'av bypass' on the SN2 then you are effectively bypassing the preamp stage so no preamping of the preamp...

Hi Gill, did you have any joy with your cables ?

Peter.

I've picked up a couple of USB cables to try with an Audioquest B to micro adaptor. They are the Chord Silver plus and the Wireworld Starlight 7. They will need to be burnt in before I evaluate them with the very basic Apple cable I use ATM. 

For those considering using an Audioquest adaptor I received some interesting information yesterday. There had been some problems reported using the adaptor with the Hugo. There are two variants of the micro plug on the adaptor. When looking at the top flat surface of the plug there may be two or three lines etched in the surface. The one with three lines is the one that has caused troubles. So, if you buy one, make sure it only has two lines. I know no more than that. This information was given by the manager of Futureshop.

Hi Steve

I had a chat with Adam at Futureshop as I had to order a couple today, and he checked his own stock, and they all had the two bars.

Worth anyone ordering just to check beforehand as its a great fit into the micro and opens up the market for trying other USB leads

Hi Peter

I have now tried the Audioquest adapter which is nicely secure on the Signature TA USB and a snug fit on the micro end especially.  This will open the door for other brands or cables without micro ends to be tried at least without the USB falling out of Hugo !

The Signature TA RCA's I have on loan are well run in.  On first listening the sound was a bit flat (panic, no way ..!).  Popped the Anthem reference back in to compare and all is well !

Tried the 'cheapo' adapter back on the Signature USB as a test and the sound degradation was immediate, so that one thing out of the loop !  AQ back in, and normal listening service resumed !

Over the last few days the Signature combination has been improving.  Mid/top end is gorgeous, alot more detail than the Anthem, but the bottom end is leaner than the Anthem.  Detail & layering is obviously increased on Signature.

I also found the soundstage to be larger on the Anthem.  Have chatted to the dealer and he said, move ya speakers and try it again

USB was hardly run in when I got it, so probably got 125 ish hours on it now so still running in. Still was stonking out of the box stone cold

I was finding the bottom end still a little lean on the Signature over the weekend but this lead is very relaxing and draws you into the music.  Found myself not analyzing and started to join in singing... oh dear.. latter is not a good thing to be doing

Monday night listening and the Signature is really starting to come on song.  Its not as lean now, and opening up so although its run in (RCA's), I guess it wanted time to adjust from being coiled up in the box and being plugged in, plus more hours on the USB.  Its just like a naim box but a cable, needs time   I haven't moved my speakers at any point.

Anthem is by no means shoddy and holds up very well to the Signature.  I would be happy running the Anthem.  Going further up the ladder does however bring even 'more' out of Hugo and it shines even more  

Not the best descriptions, I am not very good with how to describe sound

Decisions....

Thanks Gill. 

Very interesting findings and well put. I am happy to hear you like the Audioquest adapter as I use an Audioquest BNC adapter from my streamer and was worried that was my weak link. Do you think you will stick with your anthem? or can you justify the extra for the signature?

At the moment I can only get an Anthem RCA-RCA to try once it arrives but that will give me a good comparison to my TQ blue cable. Once I've got this cable thing sorted that'll be it for my system for a good while....... 

Peter.

I've just picked up 2 Chord TA  RCA to RCA  digital cables , the Signature and the Anthem. Both these cables are brand new and i've got them for the next week. I've plugged the Signature in first which only just connects on the Hugo which isn't ideal (these cables can be specified to fit Hugo)and plugged the other end into the BNC adapter on the ND5. 

First impressions are good , very very good. The first thing i noticed was the increase in detail, speed and separation. I'm not the greatest at describing music but again i'm hearing nuances in tracks i know very well that I've never heard before, the rest of the music just flows more beautifully and rhythmically (plenty of PRAT) than before. I played Donna Summers "I feel love" and OMG the speed is unbelievable. I followed this with John Williams Hologram/Binary Sunset from Star Wars (where Luke is looking out over the twin mooned sunset) , I remember getting goosebumps when the strings build on this track as a 6 year old at the cinema and 37 years on I'm back there. Dave Brubeck seems to have brought in more musicians on Take 5 and Unsquare Dance, quite stunning!

I remember Simon mentioning the benefits of his NDX feeding a good digital signal to his Hugo and i can now really hear what he means, the Signature cable is playing a huge part alongside my ND5. I am listening to a very general and varied mix right now and i am much more "into" everything i play. All this with a brand new cable, dodgy connection (curable) and BNC adapter. "Ophelie Gaillard" now playing Puccini's O moi bobbono caro , the cellist and orchestra are in the room . The speakers have disappeared!

I wonder what the Anthem is like? 

Enoy the weekend. 

Peter. 

Chord Signature BNC to (Hugo friendly) RCA  digital ordered. It is an astounding upgrade over my current TQ blue . The increase in soundstage and clarity is incredible . I thoroughly recommend anyone with a similar system who is looking for a new digital cable  to try one. It is expensive but as my friend who came to have a listen last night said "there's no way you can remove it now". I would ONLY audition one if you are prepared to buy one though!

I have added Hicaps and Powerlines etc. in the past with great effect but I can't remember an improvement like this . I didn't have to sit through tracks to spot improvements, the effects are instant and vivid. I tried the Anthem too which is good and better than my existing cable but soon reverted to the Signature. 

Peter. 

Hi Peter,

Thats really interesting and very much what I found when I replaced the digital IC between my streamer and DAC-V1 with a Chord Signature Tuned Aray BNC-BNC.

Following that very positive experience I upgraded the IC to my 250.2 with the Signature Tuned Aray and again a fantastic improvement which i would recommend to anyone.

Just a suggestion...... if you ask your dealer to request the new cable is "burned-in" Chord are happy to oblige without charge, removing the frustrating wait for it to come fully on song. 

The analogue signal cables do make a big difference in SQ, I use a Hiline, but I've found that USB cables have little effect.

Good call , I'll make that request. The cable I've been testing is a brand new RCA-RCA and I'm not sure  it was burned in. Happy days if there's more to come. 

Steve, I haven't any experience with USB cables but I seem to remember MiniGill having great results with Chord Signature USB.

Peter.

I must add that the performance of this cable is also testament to the quality of the digital signal produced by the ND5XS streamer.

The Signature cable has arrived and it fits the Hugo perfectly as requested. It also feels much better having a proper BNC connection rather than using an adapter. I forgot to ask for it to be pre-burned in but its sounding superb straight away with more to come. The biggest compliment I can pay it is that in the 4 days between taking my demo cable back to plugging in my own is that I stopped enjoying my system , it sounded flat and lifeless by comparison. Back in with the Signature and all is well. Quite amazing what a digital cable can do . 

Pete originally posted:

"Quite amazing what a digital cable can do"

.

Strange!

On the only 2 occasions I compared digital interconnects (I believe the more expensive ones were Chord at around £250), I could not hear a difference between the standard and 'audiophile' interconnects.

Both occasions were demos of Naim & Linn equipment where the person running the session suggested that I should hear what a 'better' digital interconnect could do.

I must admit that I reluctantly agreed to the test, didn't anticipate hearing a difference and my expectations were confirmed. I've never felt the inclination to ask for a home demo of any digital cables

.

I also see comments on the Linn forum from people who claim that an upgrade from Linn Silvers (themselves around £200) to Chord Sarums (which to my mind are ludicrously expensive) has transformed their systems. Obviously a lot of people do believe that digital cabling can make a massive difference, but both intuitively and subjectively (from whatever little listening exposure I have had) I just can't buy into the concept at all.

Am I alone in this view, or do any other members of this forum have a similar view.

As a matter of interest, the digital RCA cable I use between my ND5XS and Hugo cost around £50 to £60 and was made (I believe) by Cambridge Audio.

Hmack

I tested 4 different digital cables when i got Hugo, and to be honest the differences were very slight between them, but definitely there.

Would be interesting to try the sarum at £1600 against something like your Cambridge and see what the differences are.

I suppose you need a suitably expensive system to justify the Sarum in the first place.

Graeme