[zek4u]

I think these devices only fix problems you have upstream.

Garbage in, garbage out. Why not keep the signal clean from the source. Media server that starts with clean linear power. Further isolation with an ultraRendu and its own clean power. Good USB cable. Take it step farther, clean power on the NAS and Router along with quality CAT 6 cables. I even put in a Cutler Hammer circuit box with a good Romex cable to a Shunyata wall outlet. Decent power conditioning too.

Cousin is going with hd plex for his NAS, Netgear router and sonicTransporter i7 running Roon. MCRU psu for ultraRendu then Chord Signature Tuned Array USB into the Dave.

 

[andyschaub]

I think these devices only fix problems you have upstream.

Garbage in, garbage out. Why not keep the signal clean from the source. Media server that starts with clean linear power. Further isolation with an ultraRendu and its own clean power. Good USB cable. Take it step farther, clean power on the NAS and Router along with quality CAT 6 cables. I even put in a Cutler Hammer circuit box with a good Romex cable to a Shunyata wall outlet. Decent power conditioning too.

Cousin is going with hd plex for his NAS, Netgear router and sonicTransporter i7 running Roon. MCRU psu for ultraRendu then Chord Signature Tuned Array USB into the Dave.

I compared the original Hugo TT to an Ayre QB-9 DSD, an Ayre Codex, and a Woo Audio WDS-1. I thought the Woo easily sounded the best for only 1200USD. It doesn't support DSD, but I don't like DSD. I run an Aurender N100H into the WDS-1 with a Stealth Audio USB cable and I use Stealth Swift power cables. For streaming TIDAL HiFi, I have a cable modem going into an Apple AirPort Extreme and then to the N100H using AudioQuest Dismomd and Vodka Ethernet patch cables. The results sre fantastic!

 

[rgs9200m]

I tried a couple of those USB filters on my Hugo and Hugo TT and they always made things sound worse (less resolved, muddier bass, but sometimes stronger bass, but lower quality bass). Maybe it's a placebo effect but I instantly heard a difference and took them out. I didn't give them a chance to break in though, but I was impatient.

 

[Triode User]

I tried a couple of those USB filters on my Hugo and Hugo TT and they always made things sound worse (less resolved, muddier bass, but sometimes stronger bass, but lower quality bass). Maybe it's a placebo effect but I instantly heard a difference and took them out. I didn't give them a chance to break in though, but I was impatient.

Which USB filters are you taking about?

 

[wswbd]

Has anyone tried driving LCDi4 from TT and how was it?

 

[zek4u]

Thanks for that great perspective on this and all those considerations. I always thought though that if there were good headphone power-amps, you could get whatever preamp in the world you wanted giving you huge flexibility in tailoring your sound.
Also, with regular headphone amps, you are stuck with whatever gain control is in there, usually put in there based on price or size or both, regardless of the quality or type you may want to try (stepped or not, how many steps, etc., etc.).

Ha ha, DartZeel NHB-18NS or Shindo Vosne-Romanee?

V281 acting as a preamp didn't work out great with my Harbeth P3ESRs (Belles Aria or Belles Soloist 5). Just a little too much energy but it could have been my room/desk position next to a bay window. Going to stick with using the V281 as a headphone amp but maybe with some light use as a pre-amp with my Belles Soloist 5 to some Gallo Nucleus speakers/Sub at the desktop.

 

[halloweenman]

Can anyone confirm this is an original Hugo TT power adaptor for the UK? Thanks.

 

[Mediahound]

Can anyone confirm this is an original Hugo TT power adaptor for the UK? Thanks.

I'm in the USA. Mine does not look like that. I think the specs are the same though and Chord may have changed the power supply supplier from time to time.

 

[rgs9200m]

I wish Chord would work on a Hugo TT with the extra capabilities of the Hugo 2 because the Hugo TT has great form factor. It fits perfectly on a desk (where a Dave could not) and is much more easy to deal with for connections and stability than the Hugo.
The TT is a work of art. I love it's ergonomics and its cool operation.
Maybe they should rename it the Chord Goldilocks.

 

[Mediahound]

I wish Chord would work on a Hugo TT with the extra capabilities of the Hugo 2 because the Hugo TT has great form factor. It fits perfectly on a desk (where a Dave could not) and is much more easy to deal with for connections and stability than the Hugo.
The TT is a work of art. I love it's ergonomics and its cool operation.

Give it at least a year. The TT didn't come out until a year after the Hugo.

Also, the Hugo 2 doesn't have 'extra capabilities' other than a higher number of digital taps, so I guess that's what you're referring to. It however does lack the TT in a number of capabilities.

 

[rgs9200m]

Thanks. Yes, I meant the (theoretically) higher performance that has been reported in the Hugo2.
Actually, I still marvel at how much goodness they achieved in the small package of the Hugo TT.

And it sounds so much better than the original Hugo to me.

Full size components aren't really practical in a desktop environment. The TT fills a unique (but I think widespread) need.

 

[halloweenman]

For me in my system the TT is the jewel in the crown of the chord DACS. I've auditioned Dave and tried Hugo 2 but I returned to the TT, I just enjoy its sound through my speakers more than the others. The tonal balance seems just right and music is forgiving and coherent, just a joy to listen to.

 

[Articnoise]

For me in my system the TT is the jewel in the crown of the chord DACS. I've auditioned Dave and tried Hugo 2 but I returned to the TT, I just enjoy its sound through my speakers more than the others. The tonal balance seems just right and music is forgiving and coherent, just a joy to listen to.

I’m happy that you are totally satisfy with what you have, a somewhat rare quality to be that for more than 2 month in this hobby

 

[rgs9200m]

Thanks halloweenman for confirming what I hear in my TT. Cheers. (And I've been in this hobby/obsession for about 25 years.)

 

[halloweenman]

You're welcome. The combination of ATC SCM40A speakers and Hugo TT is match made in heaven. I found the Hugo 2 a little unforgiving in comparison, with a brighter overall perceived tonality, with its faster and seemingly well extended top end, I just could not live with it. Hugo 2 was better in just about every regard, timbre, separation, and depth but somehow was not as coherent as the TT through my speakers, I also felt this when auditioning Chord Dave. However, Dave had an overall warmer and smoother perceived tonality than the TT with more perceived bass, it was forgiving like the TT.

I think this shows that component matching is important. With different speakers or headphones I may have experienced different results.