Hugo 2

Nick from Suffolk posted:

Heard the Hugo (original silver model) in Tony's system today. Having bought it purely as a toy to drive my headphones on occasional long flights I was gratified that it did not sound out of its depth in a slightly (?) revealing system.

Many thanks for the long loan Nick. The Hugo really is a remarkable device - it looks rather incongruous snuggling down amongst the big black boxes, it really shouldn't sound as good as it does. 

dayjay posted:

Are the filters not the same ones that the Hugo has to change the headphone sound so that they sound more like speakers?

From what I read the filters in the Hugo 2 are new features not available on the Hugo 1. This new four filter option was a special mention on the Head-fi forum by Chord Electronics alongside the 49,152 taps (Hugo has 26,000 taps). I think the feature which changes the sound of the DAC to mimic headphones is the crossfeed function. Both Hugo and Hugo 2 have this function though it appears that the crossfeed in the Hugo 2 was further improved. Not too sure on the details and not relevant to me as I don't use headphones.

SamS posted:

If packaged like the original Hugo it will have a couple of USB A to USB micro B cables in the box, a short one and a longer one.

There might have even been 3 but I haven't looked in the box in a long time.

 

Thanks for the information. Looks like they have got everything covered.

ryder. posted:

SamS posted:

If packaged like the original Hugo it will have a couple of USB A to USB micro B cables in the box, a short one and a longer one.

There might have even been 3 but I haven't looked in the box in a long time.

 

Thanks for the information. Looks like they have got everything covered.

Two USB and an optical, pretty insubstantial things really and clearly designed for a portable device.

No galvanic isolation on the USB . Not great if your source, like mine, is a computer.

I could always upgrade to a uniti core where the digital out has galvanic isolation so not an issue 

No problem, though you do need to address it, and some computers are worse than others, while of course it also,depends on how revealing the rest of the system id. But the solution is simple: use an isolator. I used the remarkable inexpensive Gustard U12, which was very effective, however therre are other solutions.

I read somewhere, I think it was Rob Watts, that the reason for the lack of isolation on Hugo (and Mojo) is because it was actually designed to feed from a smartphone, and galvanic isolation apparently places too much of a power demand on the phone. (2Qute has it because it is not intended for portable use, but at the expense of different output circuitry which may be the cause of it sounding different, and I don't think it has a volume control, so can't be used direct to a power amp.)

The announcement of a Hugo 2 is great news.  No doubt the original will sound veiled, broken, and un-listenable once the 2 has been experienced.  That's good news for me, as I should be able to pick up an original for a couple of hundred quid, and finally decide whether it lives up to the hype.

IB, Intona USB lsolator is an option.

Not necessarily songstream, I kept my Hugo TT after auditioning Dave as I preferred it.

now playing: bullet lovers, jesus and mary chain

Halloween Man posted:

Not necessarily songstream, I kept my Hugo TT after auditioning Dave as I preferred it.

 

Really?  That's annoying.  Still, while you may put your own preferences first, there are plenty that won't.  Rob Watts says this, and step ladder that, and before we know it, the original will be going for peanuts....I hope.

You might want to check out the reasonably priced mojo first, i perfer it to original hugo. There must be something wrong with my ears!

now playing: the new, interpol

Halloween Man posted:

You might want to check out the reasonably priced mojo first, i perfer it to original hugo. There must be something wrong with my ears!

now playing: the new, interpol

There's nothing wrong with your ears, it's your brain that's in charge. 

show me a brain where there is nothing wrong

now playing: one of us cannot be wrong, leonard cohen

Halloween Man,

An interesting set of observations!

The Mojo is better than the Hugo

The Hugo TT is better than the Hugo (I assume, given that you bought one)

The Hugo TT is better than the Dave.

Is the Mojo better than the Dave?

So to your ears, I assume that you would rate the Chord DACs from best to worst as:

1. Hugo TT 

2. Dave (or Mojo)

3. Mojo (or Dave)

4. Hugo

Your ears obviously do not lie to you, but this does indeed seem very strange and pretty unlikely, but I guess not entirely impossible.

I have to admit that the only Chord DAC I have heard is the Hugo (Mark 1), but since I own one, I am devastated to hear that:

"Not having galvanic isolation means it's not really fit for purpose for home\main system duties"

Fortunately, my ears tell me otherwise.

Hmack, No Dave would be last, I just didnt get on with it. Dave is very different and not for everybody.

I prefer mojo sound signature to hugo through headphones. mojo also measures better than hugo.

I suspect if mojo had rca outs and galvanic isolation then i might prefer it to tt in my main system using noisy computer usb out. I don't think Hugo 2 is fit for purpose in a main home system as many people, including myself, use noisy computers as source and this degrades sound quality if no galvanic isolation on USB. Some people might like the sound of noise and distortion, I don't.

its all down to preference and source. Yours may well be different to mine.

I was not saying one was better than another, I was just expressing a preference.

I think the preferences are to do with presentation and music preferences -just like some people prefer to hear music without bass and others can't stand it.

Personally I prefer Dave to TT to Hugo, but still think Hugo sounds really good (My comparison was once at a dealer fed from MacMini/Audirvana (with Gustard for Hugo), into Bryston 4B sst power amp into PMC Fact12, and the other at home with exactly the same components except PMC EB1i speakers.

As for the isolation, if you use a computer source there is a very good chance thatbthe music is not reaching its full potential, even though it may sound good if the computer's electrical/RF noise isn't too bad (it can vary between individual machines). Some people may actually like the effect of the resultant noise floor modulation the RF causes in the Hugo, which IIRC Rob Watts has said can be perceived as a greater brightness in the treble, also reducing soundstage.

Halloween Man, did you manage to listen to the 2Qute? A revised 2Qute rev 2 with the same specifications as the Hugo 2 (with the exception of headphone features) but with galvanic isolation will be interesting. The plus point is the 2Qute does not run on batteries which is more ideal for home use. Also, the 2Qute will have a USB Type B input which will be useful.

Hi Ryder You have to be careful with 2qute as the output is fixed at 3v which some members have said is not a good match synergy-wise for naim.

You can solve the galvanic isolation issue that occurs with Hugo or Hugo 2 when using a noisy usb source by connecting via optical instead, use Intona USB isolator, or use a quiet or galvanic isolated source such as iPhone or Naim Uniti Core (has galvanic isolation on digital out) etc.

I own a Mojo for portable use and use it with my iphone and headphones. I use TT in my main system connected via usb to macbook.

GraemeH posted:

One man's 'very close' is another man's 'very far apart'.

I've owned and listened extensively to 2Qute, Hugo & (now) TT. The latter two are 'very close' but the 2Qute 'very far apart' ime/ho.

G

Second that. 2Qute with different power supplies wasn't good at all for me. Hugo is much more natural. TT filled in the spaces a bit more versus Hugo. Stuck with the Hugo due to price differential. 

Not sure if its been mentionrd before, but the reason for bo galvanic isolation in Hugo, Hugo2 and Mojo is because they are designed with mobile use in mind, and according to Rob Watts the current draw on usb from a phone would be excessive with galvanic isolation. Maybe a pity there aren't two usb inputs, one isolated...

Innocent Bystander posted:

Not sure if its been mentionrd before, but the reason for bo galvanic isolation in Hugo, Hugo2 and Mojo is because they are designed with mobile use in mind, and according to Rob Watts the current draw on usb from a phone would be excessive with galvanic isolation. Maybe a pity there aren't two usb inputs, one isolated...

Watt?  Why would it make any difference? 

Innocent Bystander posted:

Not sure if its been mentionrd before, but the reason for bo galvanic isolation in Hugo, Hugo2 and Mojo is because they are designed with mobile use in mind, and according to Rob Watts the current draw on usb from a phone would be excessive with galvanic isolation. Maybe a pity there aren't two usb inputs, one isolated...

there is a simple solution though.... Just unplug the laptop from the charger, job done.

SongStream posted:

Innocent Bystander posted:

Not sure if its been mentionrd before, but the reason for bo galvanic isolation in Hugo, Hugo2 and Mojo is because they are designed with mobile use in mind, and according to Rob Watts the current draw on usb from a phone would be excessive with galvanic isolation. Maybe a pity there aren't two usb inputs, one isolated...

Watt?  Why would it make any difference? 

Ask Rob Watts. Just a guess, but I assume galvanic isolation works by the source driving an optical transmitter, which takes more current than direct connection.

analogmusic posted:

Innocent Bystander posted:

Not sure if its been mentionrd before, but the reason for bo galvanic isolation in Hugo, Hugo2 and Mojo is because they are designed with mobile use in mind, and according to Rob Watts the current draw on usb from a phone would be excessive with galvanic isolation. Maybe a pity there aren't two usb inputs, one isolated...

there is a simple solution though.... Just unplug the laptop from the charger, job done.

And if you either a) aren't using a laptop, or b) want to keep listening longer than the maximum a laptop battery might last?

Innocent Bystander posted:

analogmusic posted:

Innocent Bystander posted:

Not sure if its been mentionrd before, but the reason for bo galvanic isolation in Hugo, Hugo2 and Mojo is because they are designed with mobile use in mind, and according to Rob Watts the current draw on usb from a phone would be excessive with galvanic isolation. Maybe a pity there aren't two usb inputs, one isolated...

there is a simple solution though.... Just unplug the laptop from the charger, job done.

And if you either a) aren't using a laptop, or b) want to keep listening longer than the maximum a laptop battery might last?

I should have added: I don't think disconnecting the mains from the laptop stops the RF getting into the usb signal to the DAC - it removes one potentially major source of RF generation, the SMPS, but the computer itself will generate RF as well. IIUC Rob Watts' mention of disconnection from mains is to break a connection of the source with ground, for absolute isolation when connecting to Dave (possibly TT?) which has galvanic isolation.