Where has the NDX into Hugo thread gone? (PostScript)

It is nice to find a place of contentment. But it must not breed complacency!

I know several different systems that would please me just as much as mine does, but I am not for change these days. No doubt that when my components need servicing, then things will have moved on enough for me to consider different options, but my system is like a comfortable arm chair that supports in all the right places, and cocoons me in the music so beautifully that I have no option but to be grateful.

Since I found my system, my music collection has grown by a third, which is unique in the short period that I have had this system. 

I still have some things to add, and that is now getting close to having the Mini upgraded with a bigger Hard Drive, but that is it for a while ...

ATB from George

As a real Italian I think to be an expert of espresso: the improvement you are noticing are due to the superior digital coaxial cables you used to connect the coffee machine to your dac

Have we not been Huod'd to death, we all know it's out there just try it and make up your own mind

Minigill posted a few weeks back of comparing the Hugo with NDS/555 resulting in selling her NDS in favour of the Hugo.

Please tell me that her statement is overrated. Anyone ?

Apart from the experience with "lower my gear" I had the possibility to audition the Hugo in a listening room of a high regarded hifi shop.

The setup was the following: Nac 252+Supercap - Nap 300 - NDS+555PS - MBL111F 

We first played some songs with this setup and then we attached the Hugo to the NDS: In my opinion the sound gained a little bit in detail but the bass authority and the overall warmth of the music was way behind.

Hope could help

Why did you not mention this demo before? 

Reminds me of the Devialet sound on a home demo, I went NDS in the end.

Those of us who know Minigill - no, it's not.

Phosphocreatine originally posted (some time ago):

"Just a little consideration: you have a wonderful and very expensive all Naim system that can only be dreamt of by many forumers. In this system your source is worth about 10k Euros excluding the PSU: Do you really think that a device that cost a fraction of this price is able to be as good as your NDS ? Because if this is the case, Naim is really fooling all his costumers ! This doesn't necessary mean that high prices is equal to high quality, but I think that a rule of "good sense" (when we speak about reputable companies) would imply to confront products in almost a comparable price range".

I would take issue with the above summary. The cost of any piece of Hi-Fi kit (or any other type of technology) is related primarily  to the design and production costs and not to sound quality. I have no doubt that the manufacturing costs of an NDS + 555DR power supply is substantially higher than that of the Hugo.

Price (on its own) is absolutely no indicator of sound quality.

I would add that I have never compared the NDS and Hugo, so I cannot comment on their respective merits in this respect.

As I was sat on the sofa next to her when she did the comparison, the answer is no, not over-rated.

John

There appears to be a backlash against the Hugo developing and, apologies if I've got this wrong, it seems to be implying that because it's relatively cheap (and very cheap in relation to NDS/PS555) it therefore can't be considered appropriate to use in a reassuringly expensive Naim system? If that's really the case then frankly I find it quite bizarre.

If you can achieve the same quality or better, for less money and in a more compact package, that's got to be good. It's just the interminable droning on about the damn thing that is so tedious. I know, people don't need to read it, and they don't need to buy it, but somehow it seems to creep into nearly every discussion. 

Chord designed and built a fantastic device called Hugo, but they terribly failed not having different options of it, like car manufacturers do.

-Base model of Hugo = $xxxx

-Base model without those fancy lights = $xxxx + 20%

-Hugo sport version in 17" (aluminium) wide box with Remote Control = $xxxx + 200%

-Hugo Limited version in 17" (aluminium) wide box with Remote Control and PS in 17"(aluminium) wide box =  $xxxx + 400%

This would probably make happy those who can't accept that little shiny box lays on heavily priced HiFi rack surrounded with bunch of expensive boxes, regardless how well SQ that shiny box delivers.

Shame on you, Chord....

It is a thread discussing the Hugo Nigel. You don't have to read it. I have the same problem when discussing system supports when Hutter is constant mentioned. 

Yep, and woe betide anyone who disagrees, the herd will descend in biblical numbers to squash he who dares...........

Very true. 

Rubbish  

At the risk of upsetting Totoro (and I love Totoro), I'm going to talk Hugo again.

The session I had Tuesday was with stuff that I'd downloaded and pretty much random. Today I ripped some of my usualy demo stuff as WAVs and had a mini-test between the NDX bare, the NDX/Hugo with the CD555 as reference.  

Rest of system as before: 552 > 500 > Sarum speaker cable > PMC PB1a

Music:

Dreadzone - Sound (Return Of The Dread, Dread'pon Sound)

Joanna Newsom - Ys (Cosmia)

Porcupine Tree - Coma Divine (The Sky Moved Sideways)

The Dreadzone's there for two main tests - does the Return Of The Dread keep its PRaT - especially the timing, and can the system resolve the fine fuzz that's part of the bass in Dread'pon Sound? And I love listening to the music.

Cosmia features one of Joanna's ear-splitting squawks at about a minute in, but apart from that how does the system manages the balance between her voice and harp on the one hand and the complex orchestration of Van Dyke Parks on the other, and how does it handle the emotional side of her voice? And I love listening to the music.

The Porcupine Tree's there because for the space, oh and I love listening to the music!

I resisted the temptation to A/B/C the sounds on the fly, listening to whole tracks instead. 

The findings were consistent: the CD555 was the best at everything, I have no intention of ditching it. The NDX/Hugo combination was pretty damn close though.

With the Dreadzone, the bass was deeper and significantly better defined with the Hugo. That bit about 5 minutes into Return where the track re-gathers itself and slams back into the groove was as hair-raising with the Hugo as with the 555, and the bass fuzz was there on Dread'pon Sound with the Hugo, without it it was a bit plummy and just there.

Without the Hugo, the backing of Joanna Newsom's voice was slightly flat and homogenised. With the Hugo the different strands they were weaving were more apparent and frankly more interesting. The Hugo presented the emotion in her voice much better too.

The ambience of the Porcupine Tree recording was much better with the Hugo (and it did a better job on the bass lines too).

The 555 did all the Hugo did but a little bit better.

So, the Hugo looks like being a keeper. It does everything better than the bare NDX, some things a lot better. I concede that I may have gained these benefits by adding an XPS2 or 555PS - I'm very well aware of the benefits power supply upgrades improve native Naim performance, but at a significant additional cost over the Hugo.

I am genuinely surprised at how close it took the music to the 555 level, but having heard even those relatively small differences I wouldn't want to be without them, so the 555's a keeper and the NDX/Hugo will augment it, especially in terms of the additional music I can buy now (mainly through Bandcamp, hopefully through greater access to HD files).

I see on the Chord site that the Hugo is available in black, which looks a lot better. So it can sit in the rack looking small, like a soot sprite.

Miyazaki: a treasure.

Gary interesting write up. Out of interest what interconnect did you use with the Hugo? If you haven't yet try a Hiline phono to DIN.. Try it  and see what you you think.. It still makes me sit and grin when listening to some tracks.. also I have found different output levels from the Hugo into the NAC seem to have ultra subtle but beneficial effects

The biggest 'improvement' to my ears recently has been disconnecting and disabling 'system automation' between NDX & SN2. This is very audible with Hugo in use.

G