NDX and Chord Hugo
Posted by: Foxman50 on 18 April 2014
I have been contemplating adding a DAC to my NDX/XPS2 to see (or should that be hear) what it can bring to the party. And so thought it about time i made inroads into Having a few home demos. After looking around at products that are within my budget i came across the Chord Hugo DAC.
Although it is meant to be a portable headphone unit, it can be used as a full line level fixed DAC.
The dealer lent me a TQ black digital coax lead, which have twist grip plugs. This was required as the present batch of Hugo's have a case design fault that wont allow any decent cable to fit, soon to be rectified. Thankfully the TQ just manages to hang on to the coax port.
Once all connected and gone through the minimal setup procedure of the Hugo, what does the red LED mean again, i left it to warm up for half an hour.
Poured a beer and sat down for an evenings listening.
What was that, where did that come from, that's what that instrument is. OMG, as my little'n would say, Where is it getting all this detail from.
After spending last night and today with it, all i can say is that it has totally transformed my system from top to bottom. I never considered my NDX to be veiled or shut in, not even sure that's the correct terms. All i can say is its opened up the sound stage and space around instruments. Everything I've put through it has had my toes, feet and legs tapping away to the music.
Even putting the toe tapping, the resolution the clarity to one side, what its greatest achievement for me has been in making albums that I've had trouble listening too enjoyable now.
One added bonus is that it has made the XPS redundant. I cannot hear any difference with it in or out of the system.
While i thought a DAC may make a change in the degree of the jump from ND5 to NDX, i was not prepared for this. Anyone looking at adding a PSU to there NDX may want to check this unit out first.
For me this has to be the bargain of the year.
It's a forum for discussion, not pulpit. Therefore, people are entitled to test the arguments. The problem here is that we've got hung up silly argument. I don't agree with Analogue, but neither do I expect him to accept being called a troll.
Keith
I agree Keith, I'm not happy with calling Analog a troll, however as many have pointed out he is constantly putting up the same arguments only to be shot down. So I'm not sure what other word can be used for this type of attitude. I don't believe him to be the Naim devotee he insists he is for reasonsI I've stated before.
Graeme
Your too f'ing polite Graeme. You're giving him the same platitudes with no effect. His argument completely falls down if you take his argument to another extreme. One could also say you won't get the full Naim sound and therefore can't comment unless you also use Naim speakers in an all Naim set up and he doesn't. Just ignore the little troll. I've now blocked him.
Steve
In the real world, we acknowledge that there are many very, very good pieces of hi fi equipment available, irrespective of type or make. It's there in front of you. The difference comes as soon as you put down some money on a piece of kit. Most people buy Naim kit just for the purpose of listening to music, and not to score points off non-Naim users.
The argumentation on this thread has been a very basic one, viz : "My Naim equipment makes me happy, but my Chord Hugo makes me even happier." That's all I can see the gist of the argument being, from my point of view..that and "if you haven't tried the Hugo how do you know it won't make you happier than your Naim does?". I particularly like the incomphrensible technical jargon.
+1
@Analogmusic the moderators, both official and unofficial (neither of which I believe are Naim employees) have said multiple times recently, and I think in part in response to you, non Naim devices can be discussed within the forum rules. The only request is that the discussion is respectful to all parties including to the hosts (Naim). There is a vast amount of non Naim product discussed on this forum, and it it makes it the interesting place it is.
This thread was and is occasionally discussing the experiences of connecting a Naim NDX to the Chord Electronics Hugo DAC. The fact that the people participating may have Naim amps, speakers, Hugo, NDX or combinations thereof etc is all interesting but surely in terms of system performance and sound.
So please leave the thread to those who can add to it and/or enjoy it.
it will stop when we have had enough, which I suspect we are getting close to, but it doesn't need you to pop up every so often antagonising those participating in this thread saying the thread needs to be locked... just ignore it and start your own separate threads if you want, please.
Simon
Well said Simon
Your too f'ing polite Graeme. You're giving him the same platitudes with no effect. His argument completely falls down if you take his argument to another extreme. One could also say you won't get the full Naim sound and therefore can't comment unless you also use Naim speakers in an all Naim set up and he doesn't. Just ignore the little troll. I've now blocked him.
Steve
Paulbarrow and steve J again talking nonsense, crap and rubbish.
I fully accept that the Hugo is a nice enough machine, but the obsessive way the machine is being hyped on on the forum is a bit much.
I don't accept being called a troll if my purpose is to remind all not to take the piss out of the courtesy of the host of the forum
Competition is healthy and we can all look forward to a new generation of DAC's sometime soon.
I may even purchase a Hugo someday, but I am sensible enough to post once or twice about the DAC on the Naim forum, and maybe go elsewhere on other forums to say what a nice product it is.
Going on and on about it endlessly is a bit too much on this forum.
Anyway that's my view, and just as you are all entitled to yours, I am entitled to mine
Paulbarrow and steve J again talking nonsense, crap and rubbish.
I fully accept that the Hugo is a nice enough machine, but the obsessive way the machine is being hyped on on the forum is a bit much.
I don't accept being called a troll if my purpose is to remind all not to take the piss out of the courtesy of the host of the forum
Competition is healthy and we can all look forward to a new generation of DAC's sometime soon.
Pot and kettle here. The Hugo's an interesting product and this place would be a tad boring if only Naim was allowed to be mentioned.
If none of us bothered to reply to the troll, he'd probably shut up. Like he promised to do in a previous post.
Although I've got no intention to swap my current Chord DAC for the Hugo, I'd be intrigued to do a comparison in my system. Someone I know's already done this & reckons mine just has the edge but it'd be interesting to try in my own system. If any Hugo owner wants to give this a try (Simon?) I'd be happy to see them.
I fully accept that the Hugo is a nice enough machine, but the obsessive way the machine is being hyped on on the forum is a bit much.
Maybe you are right but, as I was about to write in a parallel thread, this is not compulsory reading, is it ?
What a confusion. Did you not get the hype? Rob watts clearly said the Hugo with 26000 taps was chords most advanced DAC, so how could your DAC be better than the hugo.
this whole battery in the Hugo is better than XPS so ridiculous.
If none of us bothered to reply to the troll, he'd probably shut up. Like he promised to do in a previous post.
Although I've got no intention to swap my current Chord DAC for the Hugo, I'd be intrigued to do a comparison in my system. Someone I know's already done this & reckons mine just has the edge but it'd be interesting to try in my own system. If any Hugo owner wants to give this a try (Simon?) I'd be happy to see them.
What a confusion. Did you not get the hype? Rob watts clearly said the Hugo with 26000 taps was chords most advanced DAC, so how could your DAC be better than the hugo.
If none of us bothered to reply to the troll, he'd probably shut up. Like he promised to do in a previous post.
Although I've got no intention to swap my current Chord DAC for the Hugo, I'd be intrigued to do a comparison in my system. Someone I know's already done this & reckons mine just has the edge but it'd be interesting to try in my own system. If any Hugo owner wants to give this a try (Simon?) I'd be happy to see them.
Analog
i dont think Tony said this at all. He has mentioned another's comments, yet unlike you he wants to make up his own mind by listening in his own system. What a shame you wont do the same.
Graeme
Agreed Graeme, but there is a Confusion here. Apparently, Rob Watts has described the Hugo as Chord's best DAC, but he charges a lot more for the QBD76 HDSD and describes it as his flagship DAC on his website :-/
Keith
Hi it's what the individual likes what counts you all twist the sound to suit your selves,I record off my su onto a sony top end mds that as a very good dac in it I can also edit lovely sound,Each to his own regards.
Hi it's what the individual likes what counts you all twist the sound to suit your selves,I record off my su onto a sony top end mds that as a very good dac in it I can also edit lovely sound,Each to his own regards.
Rupert
isn't this the whole point. No one can say this is better than that, its what you prefer as an individual.
Graeme
Agreed Graeme, but there is a Confusion here. Apparently, Rob Watts has described the Hugo as Chord's best DAC, but he charges a lot more for the QBD76 HDSD and describes it as his flagship DAC on his website :-/
Keith
Keith
i don't see the issue. Chord can hardly say heres out top of the range expensive dac but it doesn't sound as good as our entry level cheap one, can they
Graeme
So if Naim bring out the NDX2 on Monday without a price change and tell us it's their best ever streamer you don't think that might prompt some forum comment?
Keith
It's a forum for discussion, not pulpit. Therefore, people are entitled to test the arguments. The problem here is that we've got hung up silly argument. I don't agree with Analogue, but neither do I expect him to accept being called a troll.
Keith
I agree Keith, I'm not happy with calling Analog a troll, however as many have pointed out he is constantly putting up the same arguments only to be shot down. So I'm not sure what other word can be used for this type of attitude. I don't believe him to be the Naim devotee he insists he is for reasonsI I've stated before.
Graeme
I think the Hugo is extremely capable, but it does hi light differences at the front end and as much as people think it does not matter what its fed, i'm afraid to these ears it very much does. Of course the extra money required for the best scenario may be questionable in the context of a lesser system than i was hearing it with, and i can imagine something like an ND5 or NDX being a nice compromise for most people.
Analoguemusic wrote:
"I have already solved my "analog" dac problem by using software DSP and 99 % of the time my turntable is lying there unused. In fact I only use to compare to my DSP/DAC V1 combo and the combo is very much equal to the turntable in 99 % of the cases musically speaking".
Analogue music,
This is getting really daft.
You criticise others for not exclusively using Naim kit and for not embracing the 'Naim sound' by using and recommending a 3rd party DAC. Then you quite blandly state that the sound you get from your Naim DAC is so bad that you have to obliterate it by using a DPS software.
In other words, you are not a Naim devotee at all! The sound you listen to is not 'Naim'. It's whatever you have configured the DSP software to do.
So your challenge quoted below is not really what you mean:
"So the Hugo would have to completely and massively trounce my DAC V1 in terms of bass articulation"
What you really mean is that the Hugo through your DSP has to trounce the DAC V1 through your DSP. Not even remotely relevant to this debate.
....
Not surprising for me.
I am involved in testing software players during development and each version of the same piece of software (all bit-perfect of course, goes without saying really) can sound hugely different going the same route into the hardware chain.
Hugo is certainly not immune to that, but when the rest remains the same, it is the best DAC I heard at the moment.
Damn. I've only got it on vinyl and CD. God, I feel so cheap...
Interesting what you feel about the streamer Gary. I've always been happy streaming from my iMac (I did try my old Mini but it sounded the same to my old ears). Maybe time to give the streamer a try.
({edit} but that means I'd have to go the NAS-SPDIF route. And can no longer use the lovely Amarra iRC room correction software. So not so keen in retrospect).
Agreed Graeme, but there is a Confusion here. Apparently, Rob Watts has described the Hugo as Chord's best DAC, but he charges a lot more for the QBD76 HDSD and describes it as his flagship DAC on his website :-/
Keith
Keith
i don't see the issue. Chord can hardly say heres out top of the range expensive dac but it doesn't sound as good as our entry level cheap one, can they
Graeme
So if Naim bring out the NDX2 on Monday without a price change and tell us it's their best ever streamer you don't think that might prompt some forum comment?
Keith
Keith
I don't think you got what i meant. Of course its open for discussion. I was meaning that Chord cant say that Hugo is their best DAC as it means no one would buy their more expensive units. Rob Watts obviously can say this. Same if Naim brought out an NDX2 i doubt they would say its their best DAC, even if it was, as no one would then purchase the NDS at twice the price.
Graeme
....
Not surprising for me.
I am involved in testing software players during development and each version of the same piece of software (all bit-perfect of course, goes without saying really) can sound hugely different going the same route into the hardware chain.
Hugo is certainly not immune to that, but when the rest remains the same, it is the best DAC I heard at the moment.
So if Naim bring out the NDX2 on Monday without a price change and tell us it's their best ever streamer you don't think that might prompt some forum comment?
Keith
Keith
I don't think you got what i meant. Of course its open for discussion. I was meaning that Chord cant say that Hugo is their best DAC as it means no one would buy their more expensive units. Rob Watts obviously can say this. Same if Naim brought out an NDX2 i doubt they would say its their best DAC, even if it was, as no one would then purchase the NDS at twice the price.
Graeme