Chord Hugo 2

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by Cellist88, Jan 5, 2017.

  1. bengo

    bengo Friend

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    @Marvey The QBD76 (15k taps?) came first c.2008 and then the QBD76 HDSD c.2013 (18k taps?) which seem to look (nearly?) identical, big window is on the right. Before that was the DAC64 (1k taps) which has the window in the middle.

    One thing we can all agree is the Chord tech seems to benefit from processing power and lots of it, maybe they should just increase the price to £5m and build a Cray powered version or something.

    PS: I found a photo of the new flagship (DAVE successor), just a prototype:
    [​IMG]
     
  2. Jerry

    Jerry Friend

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    Hahaha :)
     
  3. landroni

    landroni Friend

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    This is not your first one-liner, noise post; please refrain. If you want to indicate agreement with or gratitude to a poster, you can simply use the Like button.

    And if you haven't done so already, and to better understand SBAF's obsession with SNR, please read this:
    http://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/must-read-for-new-members.3/
     
  4. neogeosnk

    neogeosnk Friend

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    Extensively compared the Mojo to Hugo 2 at the LA Audio show and CanJam... Hugo 2 sounded like a slightly better Mojo . If this is the finished product, they're in big trouble.
     
  5. apmusson

    apmusson New

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    Hi,

    I had a good 20 minutes with the Hugo 2 in the quiet room at the Headfi meeting in April. My experience is quite different. I found the improvement from Mojo to be obvious. I listened to a number of classical, operatic, folk tracks in a pretty quiet environment. I don't have a Hugo 2 but will acquire one shortly.
     
  6. bengo

    bengo Friend

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    What other DACs have you heard?
    Won't you consider even listening to anything else, before dropping nearly £2k on a Hugo 2?
    This site is full of wonderful people giving great advice and suggestions for other DACs to try.

    Anything I would actually consider buying in this price range gets way longer than a 20 minute audition. More like 2+ hours.

    I lost count how many DACs I auditioned so far. I think 14. We can make it 15 on Friday. About 10 of those before actually buying anything in the Hugo ball park - it was Yggdrasil in my case. I bought Yggdrasil only after owing a Modi Multibit for a while and hearing just how good it was. Quite a few of those 14 DACs cost substantially more than Yggdrasil, but almost nothing actually matched it for sound quality so far, regardless of cost. Besides the Hugo2, I now have only a couple of (very expensive) candidates on my list.
     
  7. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Could you expound on the obvious improvements? How did it improve upon the Mojo? Or was it just bettererer?

    Trying to ascertain if it's worth getting into the loaner program. We been burned by some well hyped stinkers before.
     
  8. Walderstorn

    Walderstorn Friend

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    Besides telling us what other gears you have experience with (important because, for example, I don't have a high opinion about the mojo so "being better" is not substancial to me), could you be a little more clear about the positives/negatives?

    Also since many of us didn't go to that meeting could you tell us the whole chain?
     
  9. bengo

    bengo Friend

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    I'll let you know on Friday where I think it sits relative to the other 14 (including Yggdrasil, Aqua R2R stuff, various delta/sigma, NAD C510 sister of M51, etc), hopefully this gives some idea. Sorry I didn't get around to writing up properly yet. Last time I was in the store they also had Hugo TT, will try to directly compare against that or whatever DAC is lying around.
     
  10. Torq

    Torq MOT: Headphone.com

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    I should have my Hugo 2 by the time I get back from my upcoming cruise, possibly sooner*. I'll need 10 days with it to do "burn-in" (just to quiet the shite-talkers) and my normal audition cycle, and then I'm more than happy to have you use my unit for, say, a 10 week loaner program. Ideally that'd start with @atomicbob (for measurement purposes as well as listening). We'd be looking at the 2nd to last week in July there, so about 30 days out total.

    If that'll work, time wise, and will cover enough people that want to hear it, then I'd say save the money. Otherwise, there's going to be enough hype around it (there already is) that it's one of those things that's probably best handled by getting lots of ears on it and buying one specifically for the loaner program would make sense.

    Just have to let me know.

    --

    *The chap I know in the UK that got his Hugo 2 already, whom I'm mentioned earlier in the thread, has decided he isn't keeping it (sticking with his WM1Z), so it'll be down to which I can get my hands on first.
     
  11. zonto

    zonto Friend

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    Re: SBAF funds: loaner Vidar > loaner Hugo 2
     
  12. bengo

    bengo Friend

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    @Marvey when did you get so open-minded? :D
     
  13. apmusson

    apmusson New

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    @bengo

    Hi.

    I have spent a day auditioning DAVE and listened extensively to Benchmark DAC1, Hugo TT, Hugo and several other DACs.

    My experience with Schiit DACs is more limited and mainly through shows. My main headphones are HD800 and LCD2. I tested the Hugo 2 with the HD800 using tracks I am very familiar with. There are a couple of reasons I jumped on a purchase

    1. I was impressed with the sound through my HD800. From memory the sound was coherent with the HD800 in a way that the Mojo just isn't without additional amplification.

    2. I use a Microrendu source for my Mojo. Again from memory (sadly faded) my impressions from the short audition convinced me that the Hugo 2 direct connection to my android phone (airplane mode / UAPP) was superior than my Microrendu / Mojo combo although I am very interested to see if the microrendu improves the Hugo 2 in any discernable way..

    3. I enjoy the sound quality from my Mojo immensely. I also own a Tera Player (R2R Wav only) and the Mojo is the only portable device that I am consistently happy to swap with the Tera for Tidal / DSD use. The show discount together with my audition made sense for me to improve my portable setup.

    I'll let you know how I get on.

    Ade
     
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2017
  14. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Despite my biases against CHORD - I find CHORD marketing people the most annoying of all in audiophile land - my approach has always been one of fairness and "prove me wrong". The DAVE, which showed up at last year's November meet, went a long way to prove that CHORD wasn't full of it.

    The Hugo was shit. The Hugo TT was unimpressive for the price. The Mojo was actually an improvement over the Hugo, at a lower price. I imagine CHORD to do better with the Hugo 2.

    I don't have a problem admitting something is good even if I dislike the company.
     
  15. apmusson

    apmusson New

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    @Marvey

    Again from memory (and forgive my poor description) guitar strums and piano were better defined. The cliche of being able to place individual strings within a chord / piano strike is kind of what stood out. Don't get me wrong Mojo does some of this but not as well as I recall the H2 being able to deliver it.

    I'm sure there are new owners who may be able to give better impressions than my aging memories?

    Ade
     
  16. bengo

    bengo Friend

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    Although I really should be working, I'm instead writing up this review while it's fresh in my mind from only a few hours ago.
    I think I can hear my Yggdrasil softly chucking to itself in the corner, safe in the knowledge it isn't going anywhere... :D

    [Note: I may edit this later if I miss stuff, or think of a better way to explain it]

    Boring Preamble Methodology Shit and Caveats (you won't read this section)

    Cheap DLNA streamer w/battery > TOSLINK > DAVE/Hugo2 > Audeze LCD-XC
    Hugo2 was run from its internal battery, USB not used.
    No TOSLINK reclockers, external headphone amps or magic unicorn dust.
    All music in 16/44.1 FLAC.

    I listened to Hugo2 for about 2 hrs and DAVE immediately after for about 15 minutes.
    I did not compare directly with any other DAC, but I am pretty familiar with Yggdrasil by now, as I own one.

    I am not a "member of the trade" (MoT) or a shill, I have not been paid to like or disklike any particular gear.

    I do not have amazing golden bat ears which can hear ultrasonic noise at -260dB. You can also hear these differences for yourself.

    References to prices below are somewhat UK-specific. Chord is cheaper, and Schiit more expensive here, than in the USA... please bear that in mind.

    Chord Hugo 2 Review

    So this is like a much cheaper, portable nearly-TOTL-DAVE-level DAC, right?
    I wish it was... DAVE absolutely obliterates Hugo2 on sound quality. The 4-5x price difference is justified in that sense. Note I am not saying either DAC is good value, especially when compared to competent (OS or NOS) multibit/R2R implementations.

    DAVE and Hugo2 don't sound, to me, that similar. More like second cousins or something, rather than close siblings.

    What does it do well?

    • Treble extension is quite acceptable, better than Modi Multibit for example.
    • Bass quantity is good.
    • Good level of detail.
    • Lively and dynamic where appropriate. (Perhaps a bit more than appropriate in some cases)
    • Easy to hear quieter instruments beneath louder ones, certainly better than similar priced DACs, perhaps even close to Yggdrasil here.
    • I get the impression this gets you quite close to the original recording, no impression of a veil or other layer inbetween obscuring stuff. Sorry this is a bit vague.
    • The builtin amp goes f** loud if needed, and seems competent enough, at least with the LCD-XC.
    Why does it suck?
    Major issue: can be kinda bright or hard and a bit fatiguing in the treble. Not in an obvious way, the treble is not broadly boosted overall (that you could perhaps fix with EQ). This is more like a digitus thing that is probably impossible to fix.

    Major issue: the usual digital treble mush with cymbals etc on e.g. busy rock tracks. See previous point. Every delta-sigma DAC seems to suffer this to some degree, and Hugo2 is certainly not immune either.

    Instrument texture and timbre is not as good as Yggdrasil or other good R2R/multibit DACs.

    Bass seemed quite ill-defined / flabby / vague sometimes. Nowhere near the quality or solidity of Yggdrasil.

    The filter options make little difference to the sound (only softening the uppermost treble slightly) but still don't address the above issues.

    The crossfeed options didn't do anything useful to make the imaging more solid or improve the "headstage", so I mostly listened with this switched off. I have an analogue crossfeed implementation on my 10+ year old amp (SPL Phonitor), which is much more effective.

    Who should consider buying one?
    If you're happy to drop this amount on a rig primarily for portable use, it is small enough for a jacket pocket (a bit smaller than Hugo1). You'll still need to budget for a smartphone or separate player. I also suspect that there may be equally competent delta-sigma options at 1/4 or 1/5 the price and so I hope @Torq can include this in his portable devices thread.

    Who should avoid it like the plague?
    Anyone who likes rock. Or metal. Or any genre of music where there is a lot going on at once. If you only like jazz or easy listening then you might not mind it. It does fine and is quite listenable on many tracks.

    Anyone who thinks this is good value as a desktop DAC, especially if you won't use the variable headphone output. It might match or beat some of the ESS Sabre based designs. To put this in context, I don't like delta-sigma DACs much, and ESS are probably my least favourite so far. IMO, a great value desktop DAC is the Gungnir Multibit (about 2/3 the price of Hugo, even here) or NAD C510 (about 1/2 the price). The NAD is perhaps behind in some areas, but delivers plenty of detail with little fatigue or digitus.

    Anyone who suffers from listening fatigue. This DAC is not your friend.
    Anyone who already has a neutral-to-bright sounding rig. This DAC is not your friend either.

    C'mon, what does it do better than Yggdrasil?
    This section is going to be easier to write :)
    • It is much smaller.
    • It runs from batteries.
    • It includes a headphone amp.
    • The coloured lights are more exciting than Yggdrasil's utilitarian front panel.
    Chord DAVE Micro Review / Comparison

    What does it do well?
    Pretty much everything a great DAC and headphone amp should do. All the problems with Hugo2 are fixed: much more open and effortless sounding, no treble hardness or fatigue, little to no digi-mush, good timbre, appropriate dynamics.

    I only fully realised when switching to DAVE just how much subconscious tension had built up listening to Hugo2. DAVE is just so relaxing and "right" sounding.

    If a nuclear EMP destroyed all multibit DACs tomorrow, I might just mortgage my grandmother to buy a DAVE. I could certainly live with this DAC; when not in "audition mode" it is really lovely and enjoyable to listen to, without any caveats whatsover on sound quality.

    While it doesn't sound exactly the same as Yggdrasil, they do many of the same things well. Purely on sound quality, it would most likely come down to personal preference, and I wouldn't like to say more without a much longer side-by-side comparison.

    Why does it suck?
    It costs at least 3x Yggdrasil, but is only marginally (if at all) ahead in sound quality.
    The screen is at a stupid angle, making it hard to read, and the menu system is annoying.

    Who should consider buying one?
    If money is no object, I would compare this to Yggdrasil (etc) driving a couple of very good headphone amps.

    Who should avoid it like the plague?
    Spend your money first on TOTL headphones (or speakers / power amp) before worrying about DAVE.
     
    Last edited: Jul 8, 2017
  17. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Have you by chance ever heard the Hugo TT? From your description, it sounds like a more raw sounding Hugo TT.
     
  18. bengo

    bengo Friend

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    Sorry @Marvey I have not, in fact they also had the TT there, but I ran out of time. Maybe another day. Still glad that I heard the DAVE as a reference point.

    Hugo, 2Qute and TT all have the same tap count (26k). Perhaps the analogue stage in TT is better and this takes some of the edge off.

    Truthfully it is not that raw sounding (depending what music you are into) but nowhere near DAVE still.
     
  19. bengo

    bengo Friend

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    @David De Lucena
    It does very well on level of detail, on revealing quieter parts in the music that lesser DACs miss and on lack of veil.

    But it is nowhere near DAVE, this took me literally maybe 5 or 10 seconds to realise. The difference is not at all subtle. Anyone who thinks it is "close" is probably kidding themselves because they couldn't afford one.
     
  20. Delayeed

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    A guy from the Hugo 2 thread at Head-Fi:

    "It sounded stunning from the first notes. Soon I realized that it could even compete with the DAVE."
    "Honestly, if I didn't already own a DAVE, I could perfectly live with the Hugo² as my end-game source/amp."
    "Some may even prefer the Hugo²'s warmer timbre, its more «analogue» touch – like myself with certain tunes. So the Hugo² definitely seems to be a portable DAVE"

    Seems completely backwards from the impressions posted here lol
    Later on he goes about him having high frequency tinnitus though so go figure... :rolleyes:
     

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