Why is a Chord Hugo better than a Naim DAC

Thanks for the tips Jan, and will do. I'll write up my findings as soon as I can get my hands on a demo Hugo.

If the capability of the 1792A is greater than the pair of 1704K?s adopted as recently as 2012 for the NDS, I'd expect to see the 1792A feature in Naim's next DAC (unless of course there is something better in Ti's roadmap or Naim moves away from its current architecture).

Reading various forums on DAC design there is some consensus that the 1792 can be as effective as the older 1704 in implementations, but significantly, at quite less cost. You get more for your buck with the 1792.

Well the 1704 still has its advocates, and of course it is TI's top performing pure ladder DAC, which its why it is so expensive. It has not been recommended for new designs for many years now, but some still consider it's TI's top performing PCM DAC chip by quite a margin so production is maintained, albeit its features are surpassed now such as with the software controlled and DSD capable 1792

Simon

Green Bananas - don't like them, no flavour and they set my teeth on edge. Whilst..

Yello going brown Bananas - love them , lucky that the local stores are almost giving them away as well 

I agree with Simon that the analog output stage of a DAC is where it's at.

I was hesitant to pick up a DAC because of the converter chip it was using.

But the designer took great care upgrading the digital board and used a tube analog output stage with individually shunt regulated tube stages and Urushi output caps

It sounds incredibly musical and engaging. Up there with the big buck DACs.

In resonse to original thread topic. For me, in my listening environment, the Hugo does not "beat" my n-DAC / 555 PS. I also appreciate the flexibility of being able to use multiple inputs with the n-DAC. 

I have found that you can tweak the Hugo configuration more easily and it could well be that I arrived at something that was subjectively better sonically, but it's just such a faff. 

I like the Hugo as a vehicle for portable listening with any variety of sources, even here you can discern differences from cables and inputs never mind the bloody headphones. At some point, enough is enough and you just have to sit / lie back and enjoy rather than develop full blown OCD.

Bottom line - Late night listening has never been better, especially with the ability to stream from Qobuz, but the main rig sure does sing as well. 

I like Hugo best with some orchestral classical recordings where it seems to have a dimension of lightness or 'airy-ness' while maintaining cohesion and musicality, making it all seem more 'live'.

Simon, my CD5XS uses the 1704K chip as well. Richard Dane stated here that whilst the same, it is not the equivalent of the CD555 chip. I have no idea how or why?

AussieAteve, interesting about CD5XS, well as with many components, the 1704K is manufactured to within a tolerance. Naim will inspect the components so I understand, and those devices meeting the tighter a tolerance will be used in the higher specified Naim devices...

Simon

If I rember this right, the 1704 DACs were pre-selected at Burr-Brown. The "K"-Version being the on with the tightest tolerances. The CD5XS might have the, still pretty good, non-K 1704 chips (just guessing here).

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

i agree the preference is subjectIve, but there are very real differences.. Not all Naim DACs sound the same, although have similar traits, perhaps because of the common chipset used and similarities in the analogue stages. However a DAC like the Hugo does sound quite different from Naim DACs.. and to me on some material gives an inner completeness to the sound that I found mouth watering.. However as I noted on another thread at the moment the chipset in the CDX2 can give a very enjoyable, infectious sound even though compared to the Hugo and NDS it is quite coloured.

Simon

 

Interesting to know that not all Naim DACs sound the same.  Many will say now that the tables have turned and Naim DAC is back in the game.  I'd say that in the particular aspect of detail retrieval from the source/ information in the recording, the Naim DAC is now up there with the Hugo.  The portrayal of the musical journey is of course very different and always an epic tour de force for modern rock music if using the Naim DAC.

So the OP statement/ question might now be "Why is a Naim DAC better than a Chord Hugo"

Nothing new there, the Naim DAC has always been better than the Hugo!  At least with a 555PS (non DR) and to my ears. When on demo, it was a close call but the nDAC/555PS won the comparison and stayed, while the Hugo was sent back on its way. Can't argue about taste, something in both of them for everyone.

A close call but you went with the NDAC over the Hugo (which probably wasn't optimally set up). At what cost difference? 

No cost difference as I already owned the nDAC/555PS. 

But to answer your question, had I been looking to buy a DAC and needed to think about the money I spend, I would have bought the Hugo. I said so in my review at the time. However, as it were, I preferred the slightly warmer (more analogue to my ears) presentation of the nDAC/555PS and also preferred the Naim combo's bass presentation over that of the Hugo. Hence the Hugo went back. Exceptionally good DAC though. Just a question of taste.

I love both the original DAC/555PS and the Hugo. Quite honestly they are very different which is why I like them. If you want to compare the Hugo with a Naim type DAC the closest sounding product I found has been the NDS/555PSdr .. and to my ears there was an inner completeness that emotionally connected with me the Hugo that I didn't find with the NDS, but I found quite a lot of similarities.

To me the NDAC is about fun with its organic presentation .. to my ears the NDAC/555PS has / had? more in common with the CDX2 sound..

They are all good, but in the end I wanted to rationalise. I kept my Hugp, sold my NDAC and kept my CDX2.. why? both the CDX2 (with certain music styles) and Hugo totally emotionally connect to me and have brought me to tears. The NDAC/555PS made me grin.. I guess tears have more impact than  grinning with me...

They are all good devices.. but as a fan of both the Naim DAC and Hugo are like chalk and cheese... they do thier stuff in very different ways (on a revealing system)

Simom