Audioquest Beetle / Chord Hugo & Amp Connection

So long as the 3.5mm jack is of good quality then the performance can be excellent - I use a variety of 3.5mm - DIN5 interconnects in various systems, either Naim's own lavender/grey or Chord Chrysalis (including a 2 x 3.5mm - DIN5 interconnect for connecting a SONY portable PCM recorder).  

A 3.5mm plug/socket might seem a bit low-fi, but that's what my Sony NW-ZX2 Walkman and Shure SE825 earphones use, and and they sound excellent, as they should for the price. So perhaps you shouldn't let it put you off too much. 

I don't know about the Beetle, but I was impressed by the early version of the Audioquest Dragonfly, so if you're looking for a good cheap DAC it may be worth considering. Try to have a listen to the Hugo though, if your budget can stretch to it.

I'm using a RCA to RCA to connect my Hugo to my amp although there are those who will swear that RCA to Din is better

I use a Chord RCA-DIN from Hugo to SN2 which i did find to be better than the same cable in RCA-RCA format.

Mojo is an alternative to "cheaper - Hugo" spectrum, with 400£ price tag offers a good value for money alternative to Hugo. İt is portable as well. My second choice will be audioquest new "black" with 100$ price tag.... it is a unbeatable price for performance, ready for PC or Mobile use ( some android issues ). 

Thanks for all the replies - very informative though they also prompt another question.

All the DACs under discussion (Beetle, Mojo and Hugo) are designed for portable headphone useand they have re-chargeable batteries.  Are they OK to use as part of a static system ie, permanently connected to a streamer and amp?  Can you just leave them permanently plugged into a power socket?

Certainly the Hugo can be used as a part of a static system and can be left on 24/7 plugged into a power socket.  Chord recommend you let the battery run flat every now and again to powercycle the battery but that's about it.

dayjay posted:

I'm using a RCA to RCA to connect my Hugo to my amp although there are those who will swear that RCA to Din is better

Well technically it is better slightly - as there is one less contact (4 vs 3) . Its the contacts that 'degrade' the sound with connectors.

Of course whether this subtle degradation is audible to you is another question.

Interestingly a stereo jack has the same advantages  as  DIN over phono as it shares also the same common ground and subsequent reduced contacts.

Simon

We have been very happy with the Meridian Explorer into our NaitXS and nSats.   It is USB powered.  We use a MacBook Pro with Audirvana Plus and this front end is very good.  The new Explorer has the Meridian MQA feature for the same price we paid a few years back.   We use a Chord mini-to-DIN and we also have the mini-to-RCA.  It is also portable but we rarely use it that way.

I am currently connecting my Chord Mojo to SN2 via 3.5mm to DIN custom cable and the sound is simply amazing. Anyone who listens to my system leaves the room impressed, they don't believe that this tiny box can produce such audio quality via a 3.5mm output.

Thanks again for all the replies.

Can I please just check with Moussa (or someone else who has done it) exactly what cable I would need from a Chord Hugo or Mojo into the DIN socket of a Naim amp (Nait XS, say)?  

Obviously it's a 3.5mm jack at the Chord end - I can cope with that.  At the Naim end, it's a five pin DIN but is that all I need to look for?  I seem to recall once before buying the wrong DIN cable because, although it had the right number of pins, the wrong ones were connected.  It was a DIN cable that I needed for a signal out from the amp and it may just be that I bought a signal-in cable rather than a signal-out.  Anyway I'd like to get it right this time.