NDX and Chord Hugo

Good isn't it.

Jan, it is staggering.

To be fair this is the first unit I've tried, so maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, or it really is a gem. But when i think this is half the cost of an XPS it really is a bargain.

Graeme

You took the words from my mouth.

I spent the evening going back and forth between the Hugo and the Naim DAC (with TXPS), struggling to find meaningful differences. I'm feeding it from the UnitiServe via optical cable. 

I'll be testing the U\S & Hugo into the 82\Hi\250 this weekend. Should be fun.

Enjoy

Jan

Thanks for the link Jan, will read it all later but this part jumped out at me

"Piano has been the most surprising thing of all - before it sounded like a jumble of notes, now you can hear every key being played as discrete entities. But it does not sound analytical - it is revealing and transparent without sounding revealing"

This is exactly what i meant when i said that its making albums I've had trouble listening too, enjoyable now. I don't mean about piano specifically, but this exact effect.

You can even drive efficient speakers with it. The output section is a power amp, not a headphone amp. But it works really well on headphones too 

I recommend reading the interview with Robert Watts, on the Aum Acoustics website.

I'm going to buy a bunch of Hugos, repackage them in sexy black boxes and sell them for $20,000

Exactly what I've been doing with my XPS, thinking it must make a difference. But if it does i truly cant hear it.

Be very interested to hear your conclusions. The Naim DAC was something i wanted to listen too, but to be honest its a bit over my budget, and that would lead to a 555PS and I'm struggling to find that money tree in my garden. Yes the one that kids think us parents must have.

Graeme

I wouldn't joke i think you probably could. And all this powered from a phone charger. Go figure

I have also been absolutely stunned by my hugo. I bought it for mobile/2nd home use and am now listening trough the main rig and thinking I prefer this to the NDAC/555PS.

Hi Oscarskeeper

What are you running it from. I have a Cambridge Audio 751 blu ray player that can stream 24/192 flac. I tried it through the Hugo but it sounds a little thin, but still very acceptable. Not bad for a little over 2K.

Its crazy to think its comparable to your NDAC/555PS

Getting my order in in the morning before Chord realise they have made a boo boo and stick the price up.

Graeme

What do you know about this fault?  Im thinking about getting one of these but can't find ant info online regarding a planned fix.

Thanks.

Foxman, will post a proper reply when not on the iPad, but quickly... Am using an HDX with optical out, this sounds to me the best of as opposed to coax. Optical from a Mac mini is also excellent, possibly a shade brighter and hazier, but I would not be at all sure about this. It might just be expectation bias from the fact that I have always found the HDXs digi outputs to be the best for any dacs that are more input sensitive. SQ is remarkable though, will post more on this.

kevin, the new batch has the problem sorted-bigger holes for cables are now provided!

what happens with the battery inside the Hugo eventually goes bad?

anyway - If people are struggling to find a difference between Hugo and NDAC, then it's not a reason to move away from Naim is it?

With all the hype, I expected Hugo to be the best DAC out there.

I'm quite happy to sell my DAC V1 for a Hugo, but not if it isn't better than a NDAC.

Would be very interested if you could expand in SQ terms of the different methods you've used to feed the Hugo. To be honest i hadn't even thought about the other inputs, but it will open up a wealth of options, and one id be most interested in is being driven from something like a mac mini.

Even headphones may become an option for those late nights.

Kevin

Yes this is supposed to have been fixed although my dealer has not seen the end product yet. But if you read the very interesting link link Jan-Erik posted, it is mentioned.

Graeme

The above measured response to rabid fanboyism.... I couldn't have done it in my calmest of moods.

The answer is not always big brutish power supplies.

+1

Tog

Well thats enough for me.  I think I'm just going to roll the dice and get one of these magic boxes.  I've been looking for a headphone setup for late nights in the bedroom.  I guess I'll put my old ND5 -> Hugo -> HD800's and see what happens.

Well if the Hugo's technology is put into a 'living room friendly' body (I.e. Mains power, remote volume control, DIN connection?), I'll bother auditioning. Also, what the experience of Chord DAC's earthing and Naim gear?

Jude

My first response wasn't so measured as you say, but thought no point posting it. If some want to treat Naim as a religion then thats fine by me, there loss not mine.

Hi Jude

For what I'm using it for its kinda nice to tuck it out of the way, but i know what you mean. I must admit if i was to use it with headphones then i think it would get on my nerves having to get up and keep changing the volume.

How lazy i have become, but i suppose you get so used to remotes its hard to do without them now.

Not sure what you mean about the earthing. If it sounds this good then i would think the earthing is fine. Maybe someone can expand??

Graeme

No Fanboyism here

I would be the first person to find a better source for the money.

But surely with all the hype about the Hugo - it is their best dac ever, with some 20,000+ taps, the most analog source, etc etc etc, and it's hard to tell apart from NDAC (which is not even that great a source), then it's just another digital source, amongst many out there.

another me too product?

Come on somebody, somewhere invent a digital source that will really blow my socks off, at a reasonable price.

I really don't want to spend my money on a Linn KDS or a Naim NDS. Unless someone says that Chord Hugo is comparable to those?

what really impressed me what the Arcam Irdac, which at 400 GBP was favourably compared to the Naim DAC V1 which of course is a preamp and headphone amp, so offers more at 1250 GBP.

thats the issue with setting expectations so high.

In Chord's own words this is their best dac ever, and the digital section is actually one that belongs in a $20,000 DAC.

and has more taps in their digital filter than even their top of the line QBD76 DAC.

and it doesn't even beat NDAC with a TXPS?

I exchanged a £400 Arcam DAC [a few month old only] for the Naim DAC V1. The improvement was indeed significant with the substitution, or else I'd never have done it.

ATB from George

The Hugo is £1,400, why would it be comparable to an NDAC with a XPS (dont know what a TXPS is) at £5k plus. 

I dont care what reviews say or what the manufacturure says is inside it. To me thats all irrelevent, dont even understand it. what it sounds like is what matters. 

I wish i could afford an NDS with a 555PS, but as i cant im looking for something to improve my system for the budget i have. And Hugo has done it for me, and it will also allow me to reduce my box count by one by selling my XPS.

I wish i could get an amp the size of the Hugo and speakers for that matter, if i could get the same sound.

Graeme