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.
How long did it take to burn in. Had mine running for a 7 hours now with the amp off, unfortunately not gonna get a chance to listen before Monday.
Have a new digital cable on it too. played a couple of albums an hour ago. Holy Cole - Temptation was without doubt the best ive ever heard it, and Damon Albarn - Mr Tambon well had me toe tapping like you wouldn't believe. Engrossing.
Can it get any better?
Graeme
How long did it take to burn in. Had mine running for a 7 hours now with the amp off, unfortunately not gonna get a chance to listen before Monday.
Have a new digital cable on it too. played a couple of albums an hour ago. Holy Cole - Temptation was without doubt the best ive ever heard it, and Damon Albarn - Mr Tambon well had me toe tapping like you wouldn't believe. Engrossing.
Can it get any better?
Graeme
Hi Foxman,
It will be at it's best after a month of constant playing. Just leave it on all the time.
Tellurium Q Black. I have it throughout my system, i love the sound and focus of it. But i didn't try anything else for this digital cable, got it as i like the speaker and interconnects. Not the best way to buy cables i know
How long did it take to burn in. Had mine running for a 7 hours now with the amp off, unfortunately not gonna get a chance to listen before Monday.
Have a new digital cable on it too. played a couple of albums an hour ago. Holy Cole - Temptation was without doubt the best ive ever heard it, and Damon Albarn - Mr Tambon well had me toe tapping like you wouldn't believe. Engrossing.
Can it get any better?
Graeme
Hi Foxman,
It will be at it's best after a month of constant playing. Just leave it on all the time.
Cat345
It will be staying on 24/7, but will keep iradio playing through it for a couple of weeks or a month if need be. Don't want to play anything i played on the demo i had as ill be comparing, so will wait tillI'm sure it's run in.
Graeme
Depends what you value in musical reproduction.
Other than the highly rated and not made anymore GRAAF GM50, which other amps are you referring to?
In our case it was an Audio Innovations 500 which over the course of nearly 20 happy years was an audio analogue of Trigger's broom. We were curious to hear possible Naim equivalents, being such big fans of the brand and their CDPs in particular. Nait 5 and 112/150 were rejected. When the time came for a significant refurb it was the turn of the 202/200 to pitch in but they didn't do it either. Then it was off for the full Border Patrol treatment including external PS but first the 282/250 and 282/200 got a shot at the title. No again. With different speakers in the system the 282/250 had another shot but a Graaff swept in and cleaned up. I suppose it does come down to what one values in reproduction, although I try not to be analytical. Stuff usually tends to sound either somehow right or somehow wrong to me.
Apologies for going a bit sideways. Ths Hugo has certainly got my attention. I'm not in the frame but you never know what the future holds. I wouldn't say that I'm down on Naim but at the moment I am passively reappraising things, so who knows? And who knows what the bigger Chord stuff is going to be doing this time next year? Certainly something to keep an eye on and get an ear on in the event that one feels more strongly inclined to wander off.
I am awaiting mine and will use it with a Zu Audio Mission cable. For sources I am looking at Core Audio Mac Mini or Naim Unitiserv. But I'm still a predominately an analog man. Looking forward to hearing this though!
My amp will be either Supernait 2 or Decware Zen Torii mk IV. Gonna buy both and have a month long shoot off. Going to be a fun summer for audio!
Hi Jan
Finally got round to reading through the Aum website you mentioned. Very interesting read and many thanks for the link.
Firstly I'm not going to comment on this suggested issue directly yet, until Hugo has burned in and I've had ample time to do some really detailed assessment.
Secondly I'm not saying that the comments made on the site are wrong, but the items below just do not ring true to me. But the proof is always in the pudding. Or Hugo in this case.
I'd just like to comment on some of the statements made.
"(using the HD USB port direct from a computer) body and soundstage extension are both lacking and less than perfect."
- I'm using the coax digital input and not the USB. Can you say if you have tried both inputs and if they sound the same. No experience with dacs so no idea if these are generally identical sounding.
"This lack of body is probably due to Hugo's power coming solely from its internal lithium battery supply."
- "PROBABLY", well is it or isn't it. He states he has done exhaustive analysis so surely he should be sure.
"It just happens that I found the same issue present with both the Qute HD and Qute EX DACs (even though they're not powered by battery)"
- Err so would it be more accurate to say this is more likely the Chord in house sound.
And what is his solution to this. Oh sell you his own in house DIY PSU, Pre amp and yes another DAC. Why his kit, oh yes because all the other after market PSU's are not any good. And now the £1400 DAC has just doubled in price.
His conclusion is "how to make a Hugo sound better - spend twice the price by buying my products". REALLY
Don't get me wrong I'm not saying it's sound cant be improved upon by using PSU's and other sources feeding it, but to say that it has to be Aum's PSU and not Mr Teddy Bears or the other DAC manufacturers PSU because they aren't good enough, well it just loses credibility for me to be honest.
Just to add I'm not gonna say anything he states regarding batteries is in correct, I have no idea, but he is basing most of his comments on batteries running low of charge. For me it will be plugged in to the mains and powered constantly.
I'd be interested if you do indeed do a test between low and full battery charge. It does make sense to me there would be a change in quality as the battery gets to low charge, But how low is low?
Anyway i will post my honest, good or bad, findings later.
Graeme
Hi David
Well david if you like its sound i honestly belive its an absolute bargain of a device. If it had been out when i upgraded from the ND5 to the NDX, i wouldnt have bothered and just gone to the Hugo.
Think you'll be amazed by it even if it's not to your taste.
Graeme
It doesn't need one, it very good straight out of the box.
but one can make it better by adding one of several possible PSU's
thereby one can decide for oneself how much to spend on making it good or better, or to upgrade later if fiances allow.
This is often an axe grinding POV, not that I'm implying this is the case here. Naim kit which has the option of taking an external PS sounds just fine at its price point, sometimes peerless. Taking the PS off board allows for upgrading, it is not necessary to make it sound right.
The DAC is a little belter at its price point. To many, what is more appealing still is that it can be upgraded if desired. You could chop it in for something else but you have the choice of improving it as an alternative. If the DAC could only work "properly" with an external PS it would be sold as two boxes at the correspondingly higher price, like the NDS, 500, 300, 552 252 and 282. It is disappointing that giving customers a range of options is sometimes turned into a false negative. If a Naim SuperDAC emerges which is not susceptible to sonic improvement by using an external PS, it won't be sold with the capability. This doesn’t seem at all likely.
This is often an axe grinding POV, not that I'm implying this is the case here. Naim kit which has the option of taking an external PS sounds just fine at its price point, sometimes peerless. Taking the PS off board allows for upgrading, it is not necessary to make it sound right.
The DAC is a little belter at its price point. To many, what is more appealing still is that it can be upgraded if desired. You could chop it in for something else but you have the choice of improving it as an alternative. If the DAC could only work "properly" with an external PS it would be sold as two boxes at the correspondingly higher price, like the NDS, 500, 300, 552 252 and 282. It is disappointing that giving customers a range of options is sometimes turned into a false negative. If a Naim SuperDAC emerges which is not susceptible to sonic improvement by using an external PS, it won't be sold with the capability. This doesn’t seem at all likely.
Harry
I doubt anyone who hears the a addition of a Naim PSU to a corresponding piece of kit could argue with its positive effect. But where i think Naim have it so right is that it allows such a fantastic way of building your system up level by level.
I'm surprised more companies dont do this. Not only that but they almost capture you by using proprietry cables and connectors. Very wise buisiness i must say.
Graeme
This is often an axe grinding POV, not that I'm implying this is the case here. Naim kit which has the option of taking an external PS sounds just fine at its price point, sometimes peerless. Taking the PS off board allows for upgrading, it is not necessary to make it sound right.
The DAC is a little belter at its price point. To many, what is more appealing still is that it can be upgraded if desired. You could chop it in for something else but you have the choice of improving it as an alternative. If the DAC could only work "properly" with an external PS it would be sold as two boxes at the correspondingly higher price, like the NDS, 500, 300, 552 252 and 282. It is disappointing that giving customers a range of options is sometimes turned into a false negative. If a Naim SuperDAC emerges which is not susceptible to sonic improvement by using an external PS, it won't be sold with the capability. This doesn’t seem at all likely.
Harry
I doubt anyone who hears the a addition of a Naim PSU to a corresponding piece of kit could argue with its positive effect. But where i think Naim have it so right is that it allows such a fantastic way of building your system up level by level.
I'm surprised more companies dont do this. Not only that but they almost capture you by using proprietry cables and connectors. Very wise buisiness i must say.
Graeme
Hello Graeme,
You are right about Naim. The way you can upgrade your system is very appealing to me as well. I only wonder if Naim will stick to separate psu's in the future. Digital amplification is the future and saves a lot of boxes. Look at Linn.
This is often an axe grinding POV, not that I'm implying this is the case here. Naim kit which has the option of taking an external PS sounds just fine at its price point, sometimes peerless. Taking the PS off board allows for upgrading, it is not necessary to make it sound right.
The DAC is a little belter at its price point. To many, what is more appealing still is that it can be upgraded if desired. You could chop it in for something else but you have the choice of improving it as an alternative. If the DAC could only work "properly" with an external PS it would be sold as two boxes at the correspondingly higher price, like the NDS, 500, 300, 552 252 and 282. It is disappointing that giving customers a range of options is sometimes turned into a false negative. If a Naim SuperDAC emerges which is not susceptible to sonic improvement by using an external PS, it won't be sold with the capability. This doesn’t seem at all likely.
Harry
I doubt anyone who hears the a addition of a Naim PSU to a corresponding piece of kit could argue with its positive effect. But where i think Naim have it so right is that it allows such a fantastic way of building your system up level by level.
I'm surprised more companies dont do this. Not only that but they almost capture you by using proprietry cables and connectors. Very wise buisiness i must say.
Graeme
Hello Graeme,
You are right about Naim. The way you can upgrade your system is very appealing to me as well. I only wonder if Naim will stick to separate psu's in the future. Digital amplification is the future and saves a lot of boxes. Look at Linn.
Ah but what does it sound like Fokkelman. Mind you i had a loan of the Devialet 170 and have to say it was almost a winner for me. And thats a single box that incorporates an internal DAC too.
Just a lack of emotion swayed me from buying it. So i do wonder if your onto something. Maybe in a few years. I hope so, a single box would be fantastic, although makes upgrading a different matter.
Graeme
Greame, the reason I have Naim is because I love the sound and have no trouble with all the separate pus's. But some are taken aback by it.
Fred
Greame, the reason I have Naim is because I love the sound and have no trouble with all the separate pus's. But some are taken aback by it.
Fred
Fred
think they just need to hear what the PSU's can do to be convinced. For me though, i do wonder at the cost of them. I mean i wonder how much an NDX with an integrated XPS would cost rather than two boxes.
I mean if you bought a standard NDX then took it to your dealer and they could replace its PSU with that of an XPS. This must surely be cheaper and reduce box count. Im sure they would say two separate boxes for SQ reasons, but this would be impossible to prove.
Love the look of some of the racks posted on the system pics thread but by god you need some floor space to accommodate it all.
Graeme
Greame, the reason I have Naim is because I love the sound and have no trouble with all the separate pus's. But some are taken aback by it.
Fred
Fred
think they just need to hear what the PSU's can do to be convinced. For me though, i do wonder at the cost of them. I mean i wonder how much an NDX with an integrated XPS would cost rather than two boxes.
I mean if you bought a standard NDX then took it to your dealer and they could replace its PSU with that of an XPS. This must surely be cheaper and reduce box count. Im sure they would say two separate boxes for SQ reasons, but this would be impossible to prove.
Love the look of some of the racks posted on the system pics thread but by god you need some floor space to accommodate it all.
Graeme
The problem is you would no longer have the sound quality of an NDX with a seperate XPS.
Aleg, do you prefer it without then. For me it hasn't changed its presentation. I would say it has enhanced it. An NDX on steroids if you will.
Graeme
Have been listening to hugo on end of cd5xs last 2 evenings.
Trying to work out what to make of it!!!
Big step up in performance no doubt, very impressive and quite addictive.
Foot tapping yes, not sure it is as engrossing as plain cd5xs. You hear so much more with Hugo and really controls the music and gives it to you. Just not yet convinced as full bodied at low volume or quite as much emotional connection.
How are others getting on and any updates / tips?
Cheers
Ben