Chord DACs

Sorry about that Ardbeg10Y

My very first impressions of the Hugo are LOTS of detail and I have a thought that might suit the SN2 more than the XS2

I will however give it some time with the XS2

Just playing Philharmonics by Agnes Obel and I've just had a "good grief!" moment

The sound was so real it was amazing.  I actually can't remember ever having this reaction to any piece of kit before, surely it can't be the Hugo  

Welcome to Hugo-world!

Innocent Bystander posted:

Welcome to Hugo-world!

Thanks IB.. so is that 'normal'  ?

I still can't get my head around it as it's such a tiny thing

I don't like all the coloured lights of the Hugo but the sound is so good

It’s good isn’t it... the trouble is listening to and truly enjoying other DACs, even other Chord DACs, has become a whole lot more difficult for you now  

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

It’s good isn’t it... the trouble is listening to and truly enjoying other DACs, even other Chord DACs, has now become a whole lot more difficult for you now  

To be honest Simon I don't really believe it myself

Yes it is very good indeed, I am very surprised 

Nina posted:

Innocent Bystander posted:

Welcome to Hugo-world!

Thanks IB.. so is that 'normal'  ?

I still can't get my head around it as it's such a tiny thing

I don't like all the coloured lights of the Hugo but the sound is so good

Well, my recollection when I put it in place of the ND5XS's internal DAC was that everythig just seemed to sound so much more natural - that may correlate to your 'real'.

After a couple of lovely years with Hugo I heard Dave, and, I am almost ashamed to say, I jilted Hugo - Dave was a real, and literal 'wow' - but had I not inherited the funds I would very happily have stayed with Hugo, its only limitation having been lack of a remote control (I took to using without a preamp, but then I had never had remote volume so dodn't really miss it).

I have a Mojo, I get the impression it makes some instruments/pieces of music sound better than real. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn’t.

IMO, it all depends on the type of music.

fatcat posted:

I have a Mojo, I get the impression it makes some instruments/pieces of music sound better than real. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn’t.

IMO, it all depends on the type of music.

 

Yes, the mastering of the music or recording which is essential to sound quality. Of course, the Chord DAC sounds very good and will transform good recordings to phenomenal. There is a certain palpability that comes together with the Chord DAC you can easily hear or feel. After more than a year with the QBD 76 I am still amazed by the sound quality of this thing. Well, the Naim amps and the other bits have played a (huge) role here as well, of course, 

Innocent Bystander posted:

Well, my recollection when I put it in place of the ND5XS's internal DAC was that everythig just seemed to sound so much more natural - that may correlate to your 'real'.

After a couple of lovely years with Hugo I heard Dave, and, I am almost ashamed to say, I jilted Hugo - Dave was a real, and literal 'wow' - but had I not inherited the funds I would very happily have stayed with Hugo, its only limitation having been lack of a remote control (I took to using without a preamp, but then I had never had remote volume so dodn't really miss it).

Yes IB "natural" is how I would describe the Hugo sound, amazingly so 

Your poor Hugo being "jilted" for Dave!  but as you say Dave is in another league price wise  

I'm also a fan of Chord DACs. Isn't it a pity that the new uniti range does not provide digital outputs? (in contrast to e.g. the uniti qute). Or, what had been really nice, a loop for an external DAC (digital out -> analog in)!

But Stefan, surely that defeats the purpose of the Unitis, if you wish to compile your own system then Naim offer their separates.

Simon

Yes, the clue is in the name!

Stefan Vogt posted:

I'm also a fan of Chord DACs. Isn't it a pity that the new uniti range does not provide digital outputs? (in contrast to e.g. the uniti qute). Or, what had been really nice, a loop for an external DAC (digital out -> analog in)!

The Core does, but of course only as a source

Innocent Bystander posted:

Stefan Vogt posted:

I'm also a fan of Chord DACs. Isn't it a pity that the new uniti range does not provide digital outputs? (in contrast to e.g. the uniti qute). Or, what had been really nice, a loop for an external DAC (digital out -> analog in)!

The Core does, but of course only as a source

Like 272..... It would be nice to use my streamer/dac just as a streamer and maybe just improve the dac section.

Any preferences regarding "best sounding/ synergy" rca interconnects with Cord dacs?

I generally use a Naim Hi-line (RCA) on my Chord Hugo when it's being used on one of the Naim systems - I tried it after Simon let us know that he used a Hi-line on his own Hugo.  It seems to work well.

Richard Dane posted:

I generally use a Naim Hi-line (RCA) on my Chord Hugo when it's being used on one of the Naim systems - I tried it after Simon let us know that he used a Hi-line on his own Hugo.  It seems to work well.

thank you Richard, I'll try to demo it.

Nina posted:

Just playing Philharmonics by Agnes Obel and I've just had a "good grief!" moment

The sound was so real it was amazing.  I actually can't remember ever having this reaction to any piece of kit before, surely it can't be the Hugo  

Ah i remember my hugo "good grief" moment well. I was thinking this just the other day that no piece of equipment before or since provided such a wow moment.

its a shame those early Hugo threads have been deleted, would make interesting reading now.

Enjoy

The ndx into hugo threads are still there Foxman

Now though even Dave sounds incomplete with Blu2, that’s what everyone who got the Blu2 reports back

Foxman50 posted:

Nina posted:

Just playing Philharmonics by Agnes Obel and I've just had a "good grief!" moment

The sound was so real it was amazing.  I actually can't remember ever having this reaction to any piece of kit before, surely it can't be the Hugo  

Ah i remember my hugo "good grief" moment well. I was thinking this just the other day that no piece of equipment before or since provided such a wow moment.

its a shame those early Hugo threads have been deleted, would make interesting reading now.

Enjoy

Yes, interesting reading it was.
However, Hugo 2 does not seem to get the same attention at all?
Why is that? (2Qute owner myself.)

analogmusic posted:

The ndx into hugo threads are still there Foxman

Now though even Dave sounds incomplete with Blu2, that’s what everyone who got the Blu2 reports back

 

I didn't know that.

and dont say that

M37 posted:

Foxman50 posted:

Nina posted:

Just playing Philharmonics by Agnes Obel and I've just had a "good grief!" moment

The sound was so real it was amazing.  I actually can't remember ever having this reaction to any piece of kit before, surely it can't be the Hugo  

Ah i remember my hugo "good grief" moment well. I was thinking this just the other day that no piece of equipment before or since provided such a wow moment.

its a shame those early Hugo threads have been deleted, would make interesting reading now.

Enjoy

Yes, interesting reading it was.
However, Hugo 2 does not seem to get the same attention at all?
Why is that? (2Qute owner myself.)

I auditioned Hugo2, if only briefly. IMO it has taken a different approach and certainly didn't appeal to me. Everyone is different so im sure others may love it, but to me it sounded forced and unnatural.

sad isn't it Foxman...

However I am really looking forward to recordings mastered on his upcoming  ADC - Analog to Digital convertor DAVINA - finally should bring us much closer to experiencing digital music really sounds like "studio masters".

It should put Chord firmly on the map for the next 20 years or so, as competitors try to figure out how Rob Watts did it. 

Foxman50 posted:

Nina posted:

Just playing Philharmonics by Agnes Obel and I've just had a "good grief!" moment

The sound was so real it was amazing.  I actually can't remember ever having this reaction to any piece of kit before, surely it can't be the Hugo  

Ah i remember my hugo "good grief" moment well. I was thinking this just the other day that no piece of equipment before or since provided such a wow moment.

its a shame those early Hugo threads have been deleted, would make interesting reading now.

Enjoy

Hi Foxman, those early threads were restored sometime back, I think Richard had to do some regrettable editing from those who appeared incensed that there was a newcomer in town that many felt sounded really good and enjoyable with Naim that didn’t cost the price of a new small car...