Chord Hugo TT into NAP 300 DR

Ah i see - Vitus probably out of budget. Your PMC's are not a difficult load so you've got plenty of choice around 5k to drive them. If you like the Naim sound then it would be worth looking at the Witch Hat audio and Teddy Pardo amps too which also come in mono block versions. 

There is no amp like a naim amp which for me are the best musically 

Naim power amps xlr inputs are not true balanced. Only 2 pins on each input xlr are used. This is the case for my 135's. This is same as old Exposure 18 range of power amps with xlr's. 2 pins only used. Don't connect these to a true balanced o/p source using fully wired balanced xlr- xlr leads. Damage could result.

Special leads required. For my Nap 135's I made up special  phono to xlrs to connect to non Naim pre's or a BM Dac1. Prefer pre amps actually.

I believe Exposure used XLR's because designer thought they were a better electrically and a more mechanically secure connection. Perhaps Naim were the same ?  Linn may may used the same too ?

Yes you can connect a non Naim preamp to a Naim amp, no harm should result. I have done it and am doing it, although not (yet) with my NAP 300. The main thing when connecting any DAC direct to any power amp: You must have the DAC volume control active and turned down! The Hugo TT balanced out at full volume through a NAP300 would probably damage your speakers if not your ears!

I also don't see any problem with connecting the Hugo balanced outs to the NAP 300 XLR unbalanced ins with regular XLR cables. The other channel will have wrong phase, which you could fix by reversing the + and - speaker cable connections on that speaker. Learn what balanced means, and you will understand why this is so.

Whether the Hugo TT balanced or RCA outs sound better I don't know, depends how the TT is implemented. In any case the balanced outs do give a higher level, so you need to turn the Hugo volume pot down more than with RCA.

Anybody here run any Hugo version direct to any NAP?     

I don't know about the TT, but the plain Hugo comes on at about half volume (irritating - it could just as easily have been set to come on at zero). When I first used it straight into power amp I was worried, and took care to turn to zero before turning on PA, however the level it comes on at is only normal to loud (Audirvana vol control on -0dB (max) depending on source material), not excessively loud or damaging, so while I normally don't start the music until ready to adjust the Hugo vol control, or turn it down a touch if I know I want it softer, it wouldn't be a major problem if I'd somehow left Audirvana so it is playing  at switch on.

This of course depends on the gain of the amp, sensitivity of the speakers.

Are you pressing the cross-feed button when switching on? My Hugo comes on at full volume, white light indicator, and I then turn it down to the optimal, for me, turquoise level. 

No. That does indeed bring on at a higher level (cyan), apparently for feeding to preamp (although it will often mean preamp is operating at negative gain, although that's not a problem as long as the input has adequate headroom) - but into power amp directly there's no benefit, as my practice if starting up is to turn down before starting the music then bring it up, so it doesn't matter what level I started Hugo at when switched  on. The actual operation seems the same with either startup approach, just the initial preset level is different.

Thanks all for the excellent advice. Do anyone know a decent 2xRCA to 1xXLR for connecting Hugo to NAP250DR?

I previously owned a nap300, nac252, SC dr fed via a chord Hugo and it was very good but I can honestly say that haven't looked back since switching to  a Vitus ri-100 integrated. The Vitus wins in every possible sq measure plus the simplification of my kit is a bonus too. The Vitus can easily compete, even beat a 552/500. Secondhand units come up every now and then.

Halloween Man posted:

Thanks all for the excellent advice. Do anyone know a decent 2xRCA to 1xXLR for connecting Hugo to NAP250DR?

Flashback will make you a solid basic custom cable for a reasonable cost. Chord would be able to supply a higher spec alternative - at a higher cost of course. There are many other custom cable outfits  that could make the lead up.

Knipester posted:

I previously owned a nap300, nac252, SC dr fed via a chord Hugo and it was very good but I can honestly say that haven't looked back since switching to  a Vitus ri-100 integrated. The Vitus wins in every possible sq measure plus the simplification of my kit is a bonus too. The Vitus can easily compete, even beat a 552/500. Secondhand units come up every now and then.

Interesting because when I auditioned one, it didn't seem like that to me.

I much preferred my mid level 282HCDR/200 to the Vitus set up (pre-power)

The Vitus Seems to lack engagement to me

Analoguemusic what's interesting is that the vitus sound takes time to appreciate when switching from naim. When i first tried Naim kit i instantly liked it, with  vvitus however you need time to start to appreciate what it does and it's differences differently. The most obvious was low frequencies, vitus sounds initially lacking until you begin to realise that it's stil there but deeper and more integrated into the sound. 

I must also say that my shahinian obelisk mk2 are a better marriage with vitus due to their high current needs, other speakers will perform differently 

Just like member T38.45, I also have a Hugo TT directly connected to a NAP 250DR feeding S-400's via SL cables, source is either a Unitiqute 2 connected to Hugo with DC1 BNC or Mac Mini into USB. The Hugo TT has replaced a Dac-V1, the difference in SQ is quite frankly astonishing! I started with a Flashback RCA to XLR cable but have since made up my own cable from some Renascence Audio solid silver RCA interconnects, chopped off the WBT Nextgens at one end and terminated with a Neutrik XLR using WBT solder, night and day to the Flashback but I suppose they did cost 25 times as much originally :-).  Custom HiFi Cables Ltd. will make up a cable for about £90 and I also had confirmation from David May of Chord Cables that any of their authorised dealers would organise the fabrication of a Chord Cable by the factory based on any of their current ranges, he gave a price indication of a Crimson VEE3 of £190. 

Knipester posted:

Analoguemusic what's interesting is that the vitus sound takes time to appreciate when switching from naim. When i first tried Naim kit i instantly liked it, with  vvitus however you need time to start to appreciate what it does and it's differences differently. The most obvious was low frequencies, vitus sounds initially lacking until you begin to realise that it's stil there but deeper and more integrated into the sound. 

maybe, but the problem is that it was so boring  I almost fell asleep listening to it.

So no, I don't think it has any chance of competing with a Naim 500 series musically in the musical values that are important to Naim (and virtually all their customers)  (Pace, Rhythm and Timing)

for me, the other company that understands this is Linn.

But if it floats your boat, happy for you