Where has the NDX into Hugo thread gone?

I'm curious to see how many of us have switched to the Hugo, and from what?

Answers on a postcard please.

(in my case, Naim DAC + 3rd party XPS).

Jan

nDac / XPS2 a while ago now Hugo. Same streamer UQ1 192.

Hugo is a game changer at an astonishing price point, Naim must have something up their sleeve

Jan you missed your chance.  The proper request is, "Answers written on the back of a £50 note please."

Just send me 10% commission.  

I asked a question earlier in the thread , but no response , So ill try again - If i were to purchase a QU and attach a Hugo , would it make a difference if the UQ is the 96 or 192 Model ?

Im torn between a UQ and Mac Mini

Hi Bart,

I was never very good in business, science being more my thing... Next time, I'll consult you first. Assuming I can afford your fees...

Sorry linntroika, must have missed that post. I have owned both the UQ1 96 and 192 at the same time, no real difference between the two going into an external DAC but bare in mind 192 music.

Depends on budget but I would lean towards the UQ2 as UQ1 are hard to find on the used market but if you can find one these go from £600 upwards, UQ2 £1150.00 new.

No experience with the MAC mini but once I owned a SB Touch into my nDac/XPS2, then purchased the UQ1 96 model, marked uplift in quality but this may be different with the MAC Mini.

Getting mine tomorrow afternoon.I have never used an external dac before but well excited especially from what I have read on the Hugo thread about it sounding extremley analouge in its voicing,with new detail coming threw.Its on dem loan but I have a gut feeling that its going to be a stayer 

I think this could be my digital side of my system sorted for a good few years.

Does the Hugo warm up over a week or sound great from the off ?

Really great thread its not often that a product comes out that really shakes the market up.

I found that it could - depending on the system and the choice of music - sound a bit thin during the first couple of weeks. Most noticeable when feeding my NAC 82, which some have found to sound a bit thin... No problems when used with the Supernait2, provided that the Hugo remains plugged in to the charger.

Jan

The number of posts make it seem like a lot but a quick analysis shows that it's a few people posting over and over and over again... Still it's great that there's so much enthusiasm for the Hugo.  Can't check the old thread but I would guess it's only 10-12 individuals who've actually posted on the forum.

Also, its not a straightforward question to answer as a number of people haven't actually switched they've just added a Hugo to their existing system 

This is interesting as the TD has been around a few years now. I know it has a fairly standard DAC chip which is used in various hi-fi components plus JFETS. I think the main sell is the way it is powered.

This is interesting, and reading other fora elsewhere where the TD and the Hugo are compared, preference seems mixed but tends to side with the one mentioned titled in this thread... But the TD does seem to add a little more excitement and sparkle some comments say, and perhaps for so some systems / personal preferences that may well be preferable.

what I love about the Hugo is that it doesn't add excitement.. It plays it as it is.. But I can imagine in some systems that might leave the overall result uninspiring, just as In other systems the TD could make the sound too hot.

Isn't  it great to have a choice? 

Read someone saying over time the Hugo was not as satisying as they initially thought. Too smooth.

I am coming back here so as to reply to Jan Erik, but in the interval it interesting to find the first voices of criticism of the Hugo - as not necessarily as fine as another DAC. 

I am actually not interested in an alternative DAC compared to the superb one I run already as it is as good as brand new, and so the Hugo is off the RADAR for me, but I have no doubt that by the time mine is up for a full service or replacement Naim will have improved on their implementation of DAC technology!

My earlier points where more to to do with "the extra Octave!"

I have been doing some real experiments with sine wave samples [as WAV downloads] replayed with iTunes, and can confirm that with ESLs and also headphone that the lowest note in music - the 16 foot organ rank of "C" [at 33 Hertz] - is clearly audible as a pure sine wave without any apparent overtone harmonics. Lower samples were audible to some extend, but I'll keep my tinder dry for the response to Jan, ... and Frank F ...

ATB from George

There is a lot of talk of 'analogue' on this thread. This sounds analogue that sounds analogue.

Can I respectfully suggest that if you want analogue, go and buy a decent turntable and some LPs. I promise you that will be truly jaw dropping.

i'll get me coat!

Now there is analogue, and there is LP. LP is certainly analogue, but far from the best analogue system - and jaw dropping it certainly is not!

ATB from George

Simon, you run a 282 right? To my ears that has always been quite a bold pre-amp (in a good way). I think perhaps one reason you don't mind that the Hugo doesn't add excitement is because the 282 does. Possible?

Mark I certainly feel if your system needs to have a source with a kick in it with sparkle, and perhaps a   less tightly resolved bass then the Hugo would not be for you.. But in all honesty if you want added punch and bite i do think the NDAC/555PS is hard to beat. It worked for me until my tastes evolved.

louis if you can, do try a coax lead, to my ears that is the best interface on the Hugo, especially with a quality digital source, although it's designer does prefer the optical.

Simon

A potentially highly confusing post of yours, but the LP in my experience was certainly outclassed in musical terms by RED book CD from the early 90s if not actually sooner.

ATB from George