Hugo TT Line Level vs. standard output

You can adjust the volume on the TT just fine to work with the 252

It has no impact on sound quality as the Hugo adjusts digitally it and even the noise shaping algorithms are adjusted for volume. Seriously powerful engineering 

By the way how is the TT ?

I'm very happy with the TT... it produces a beautifully detailed but musical sound. Seems to strike a very nice balance between hifi + conveying the musical intent of the artist and emotional content of the music. Very analogue sounding.

I guess the gist of my question was more wondering from a technical standpoint, if choosing to NOT run the Hugo in line level mode would be introducing more "noise" into the equation. If this is the case, I certainly don't hear any incremental noise or degradation on sound quality when switching from line level to non line level.

no noise is introduced at all, it was designed that way. Nothing changes in the analog stage if the Hugo in line mode or not. it is all digital volume control, but very advanced one.

It is really interesting that the Hugo doesn't lose quality using the digital volume control. The musicality of Linn streamers "falls apart" when the internal digital volume is enabled and turned down. I've tried it with my KDS direct into a power amp. At low volumes it sounded pretty horrible. Maybe Chord have got better algorithms for digital volume than Linn?

Thanks analog much appreciated. I can strike that concern and will no doubt find something else for my OCD to focus on :-)

Yep I can vouch for the fact the Hugo works a dream with setting its line out to work at a Naim optimum level. I set the Hugo for 'turquoise' and quite frankly its just sublime with my 252 - listening to Billie Holiday right now on some 192/24 tape transfers and it gorgeous. I also have effective volume control for regular listening levels upto 11 o'clock depending on content.

Simon

My answer is a little oblique, as mine is a plain Hugo not TT, and I don't have a Naim amp: i find the output of Hugo is anough to power a power amp directly, missing out a pre-amp vompletely, and so less electronics involved. Fir me it seems better - and i would expect even more so with TT having a remote control instead of purely manual VC, though how  well it'll work that way will depend on the power amp, and relative impedances etc.

When I had the Hugo, I also ran it at turquoise level into the NAC 82. Now using the Resonessence Labs Mirus, I drop the the volume control by 10 dB, allowing me to to use the NAC 252 volume control in its optimal range. I cannot hear any loss of sound quality, even when setting the Mirus at lower levels, i.e., - 25 dB. Volume control in the digital domain can be done transparently but, unfortunately, doesn't replace a preamp, at least not with a NAP 250 in tow.

Jan

i use hugo tt straight into power amp (non Naim) via xlr. volume levels tend to be between red and green, lower for quieter listening. no reduction in sq using hugo volume. no need for preamp in my setup - only have digital sources and preamp will only colour the sound imo.

My TT goes straight into some active ATCs. Incredible. (talking of which, ATC have announced active SCM19s, which could hit the spot for some folk).

likesmusic posted:

My TT goes straight into some active ATCs. Incredible. (talking of which, ATC have announced active SCM19s, which could hit the spot for some folk).

did you get to compare scm40 with p1 amp against to active scm40a? great setup you got, cuts out all the middle men

Halloween Man posted:

likesmusic posted:

My TT goes straight into some active ATCs. Incredible. (talking of which, ATC have announced active SCM19s, which could hit the spot for some folk).

did you get to compare scm40 with p1 amp against to active scm40a? great setup you got, cuts out all the middle men

Nope, not really interested in passive speakers. Had SCM100ASLs for a long time, had to downsize to SCM25As when I started travelling, now thinking of 40As or 50ASLs as I seem to be a bit more settled. Laptop, Hugo TT, ATCs. Doesn't get simpler. As you say, no middlemen. No silly cables or racks the size of oil rigs either. ATC midrange is one of the great achievements of the hifi industry. You either listen to music through them or you don't. And the TT is really incredible, has taken my music to a new level. Also got a squeezebox Touch which still has its uses.

i may well audition a pair for myself. will be interesting to see how they compare with pmc sound that ive always loved. i suspect a setup like you have is the future of hifi, makes total sense, no nonsense inbetween. could actually threaten naim existence. hugo tt has advanced dac technology and more or less made a traditional analog preamp reduntant even detrimental to sq, atc and pmc have advanced speaker technology and how they are driven, more or less making traditional seperate power amps reduntant and again detrimental to sq.

now, if i were the md of naim i would want a dac/preamp that could equal or better hugo tt (perhaps they already have, i have never compared), and get into bed with focal to develop active speakers using naim electonics (perhaps they already are). whatever, the combination of hugo tt and atc active speakers will, i guess, take some beating, especially at the cost.