NDX 272 Debate & yes, Hugo

I have to say Zeny,

Just LOVE the look of that Mac gear.  Which is to say, 'proper' Mac, not that fruit branded stuff..... ;-)

Gorgeous.

Er...surely that's true at any level, not just above £3k..sorry £1960.

Here's some more eye candy 

Have a great time! Hopefully we can hook up when you get back.

yes

Well, yes.

When I was looking for a DAC last year I had a home demo of both the PS Audio DAC and the Hugo. 

I posted my findings on a previous thread;

https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...d-chord-hugo?page=30

I'm afraid the choice was very easy for me and the price/performance saving was a bonus. 

In addition the Hugo was new and not optimally set up at the time of the comparison whereas the dealer set up the run in PS Audio DAC. The harshness I heard with the Hugo at first was akin to the 2Qute and was solved with adjustment of the output volume to 'turquoise'.

You cannot be seriously using an iPad as a source? 

You cannot seriously have your hugo hanging over the edge of two fraims like that.  Nail it down, man.  Get some blu-tak and fix it to a shelf at least.  I assume this positioning was for photographic purposes,

No, it was the only practical place for it to go at the time, and it still outshone the PS Audio DAC.

It now resides on it's own Fraim level with a WireWorld USB cable and a Super Lumina IC.

Had a lot of top line digital sources up to present so thought I would try a hugo

Simple answer is that I was not impressed even with the massive over hype surrounding the product. 

Different gear for different ears I guess

if I wanted analytical detail with no rhythm or soul and musical involvement then I would, have stuck with my original L&£n Kl&£ax (misspelled on purpose of course)

David S Paterson above

i concur

the 272 is a fantastic product in its own right and proudly runs my middle system as a source/pre

I should clarify what I meant when I said '...as a source...'  that I was meaning the DAC in 272 in comparison to Hugo DAC. The reference to NDX is that it's my only benchmark DAC that some contributors suggest may be at a similar level to 272.

G

I've had ndx and to me the 272 is a sweeter sounding product the way I use it

i must stress that this is in exactly the same system (component replacement  and like for like)

I also had a power supply on the ndx and still prefer the 272 - got the whole xps debate to come when I try one on the 272 

What is a certainty is that Naim and others will catch up with Hugo... someday

Wow! Lovely and impressive. Would not have picked that paint color in a million years but it fits perfectly here. Really like this.

Steve,

read your hugo vs directstream comparison. Good write up. my directstream is running the latest yale operating system when i auditioned and purchased it. It is supposedly much better than the previous firmwares. I tried a hugo in my system and it didn't do it for me. Like i said, personal preference and system synergy and all that.

the ipad is for spotify. For serious listening the nds is used as a transport.

I'll print and frame this post as an amusing reminder for when you'll have bought a Chord Hugo... But the amusement will be short, I fear, since by the time a number of us will have run to buy one ourself (undoubtedly), you'll have changed your mind, and sold it.

Have some deserved rest, Mr Fish - it must be lonely, there on the top of the roof, spinning at the wind's mercy.

(And thanks for letting us know that you are going to be part of 'the' scene).

N

I agree, and the hype machines have moved onto other newer products, but people's lug holes still confirm what people enjoy best. Surely you should make your own mind up.. not what a publicity marketing manager says, or a journalist.. I say you should let these marketing machines raise awareness, but not determine outcome.. but the approach is flawed I concede if you are weak minded or lack the confidence in your own preference.

Well I've never heard a Hugo - one day??

But have heard the 272 and NDX and it's like this.  Both benefit very considerably from a XPS.  Beyond that it really depends on the rest of the system.  I should imagine that if the NDX is accompanied by a 202 then it's probably a close call but once there is 282/HC the NDX will be away.  Other permutations will apply of course - SN with a NDX?

I've never heard a 272.

I recently just added a hugo, after over 12 months of debating the wisdom of putting a 2.8k DAC on the end of a 6K streamer. However, having found a gently used on at a great price, I took a flyer with the rationalization that if it wasn't an improvement on my existing home rig, it would at least be a welcome addition to my travel bag since I am away a lot on business.

As others here have reported, it does mark a significant improvement over a bare NDX. I'd say there is not much between an NDX + XPS vs Mac mini into the Hugo HD USB port. In that contest it's not so much a question of better... more a question of different... I think to my ears I preferred the NDX + XPS.

NDX into Hugo Coax digital input takes things to a much higher level. 

The latest on the hype machine that is head-fi is the Yggdrasil... 

Thanks Clay. The room used to be our formal dining room, hence the colour.

Agreed.