[CosmicHolyGhost]

No need to drive HE-6
But anyone has any workaround for the recessed jacks? I think only for rca out i dont want to buy more cables

 

[jamato8]

No need to drive HE-6
But anyone has any workaround for the recessed jacks? I think only for rca out i dont want to buy more cables

None really. I use the cheap Radio Shack RCA's. They are thin shelled, made of brass and plated. I have very expensive RCA's and frankly, prefer the RS. Ok so that is retermination for some. Don't know what to say. They didn't want the jacks sticking out and I have a feeling that to allow the internals to just plop in, they could not protrude out the holes, obviously. And the Toslink can be dealt with by Sysconcepts as a very high quality no shelled Toslink end. And 3.5, well, I don't know what they were thinking. For me all I use is the jack and no shell anyway so no big deal for 99 percent not sure. 

 

[Quest88]

  Different objective for me Cosmic I wanted desktop performance on the go - the reverse.
Would interesting to see what people think especially with the other DAC's as well.  Think the $2k-$5k DAC range would be interesting to compare as there are real advantages to running on battery vs. ac but people use AC because of the power requirements. And NO - I don't think this can beat the DAC2x!!

Just curious, have you heard the Chord QBD76DSD and have a comparison?

I also own the DAC2X, amongst others like the QBD76.. putting performance aside, my impression is that Chord DACs tend to have abit of a warmer character. Is the Hugo the same?

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

  None really. I use the cheap Radio Shack RCA's. They are thin shelled, made of brass and plated. I have very expensive RCA's and frankly, prefer the RS. Ok so that is retermination for some. Don't know what to say. They didn't want the jacks sticking out and I have a feeling that to allow the internals to just plop in, they could not protrude out the holes, obviously. And the Toslink can be dealt with by Sysconcepts as a very high quality no shelled Toslink end. And 3.5, well, I don't know what they were thinking. For me all I use is the jack and no shell anyway so no big deal for 99 percent not sure. 

I left the shop yesterday thinking and telling Pekingduck I would not buy... but could not stop myself thinking about the "sound" since... I think I will spring for this next month.... never knew portable audio can be this expensive...
 
the whole enclosure design is for portable, even uses mini-usb instead of usb A to B for connecting with laptop..so no audiophile usb cable too

 

[Mimouille]

@ Cosmic. Did you try in HK? How much is the Hugo there in HKD?

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

@ Cosmic. Did you try in HK? How much is the Hugo there in HKD?

Yeah, in HK ..
 
You need to demo it...i think it can burn a hole in your wallet

 

[seeteeyou]

.

 

[harmonix]

Just curious, have you heard the Chord QBD76DSD and have a comparison?


I also own the DAC2X, amongst others like the QBD76.. putting performance aside, my impression is that Chord DACs tend to have abit of a warmer character. Is the Hugo the same?

I have not so would be hard to compare. I would say it is not warm but neutral. Not to belabor the point the EMM is something which will deliver warm recordings warm and bright recordings bright. To that the Hugo cannot match the EMM. But that is a tough bar to match not many dacs can do this. IMHO not even the light harmonic da Vinci.
So does his mean Hugo is slightly warmer than EMM perhaps but it's harder to pin down the EMM almost depends on your recordings.

 

[LeoKane]

Tonyl59 don't suppose you know how the Hugo compares to the Naim DAC-V1? Both same price and stocked at Stone Audio and I was going to buy the Naim but the portability of the Hugo is very appealing. I don't want to sacrifice too much in sound quality for the portability though.

 

[Goldlion973]

They claim that the device can drive speakers and multiple headphones, that it can compete with some of the best desktop headphone amplifiers but we're left doubting that it can efficiently drive the HE-6? With its notoriety its a wonder if the HE-6 is more of a bad design than a good one given its requirements but this device should be able to drive it if it can do half of the things it has been claimed it can do.
 
Will have to wait for someone to open this baby up and see if it can be modded to provide a balanced output, or wait until a next release as its a setback IMO.... you don't buy expensive cables to go with your headphones to only then use the single ended.... and if it sings with single ended it must be able to sing and dance with a balanced output.

 

[harmonix]

  They claim that the device can drive speakers and multiple headphones, that it can compete with some of the best desktop headphone amplifiers but we're left doubting that it can efficiently drive the HE-6? With its notoriety its a wonder if the HE-6 is more of a bad design than a good one given its requirements but this device should be able to drive it if it can do half of the things it has been claimed it can do.
 
Will have to wait for someone to open this baby up and see if it can be modded to provide a balanced output, or wait until a next release as its a setback IMO.... you don't buy expensive cables to go with your headphones to only then use the single ended.... and if it sings with single ended it must be able to sing and dance with a balanced output.

Well it does say it can drive multiple headphones but cannot imagine this thing can push multiple HD800's - that would be silly. Don't believe it to drive speakers - that would not make sense and may need a 500lb mono blocks to drive some speakers; powered speakers yes of course. Whether it can go with the best desktop amps out there remains to be. It can definitely go toe to toe with the best desktop DAC's and even shelftop DAC's (ask opposed to desk)...

 

[harmonix]

Was just listening to Carpenters Single album in DSD on the Hugo (yes I'm that old).
The music made me smile a few times - Karen Carpenter's vocals are sweeeet!! Maybe the SE846 + Hugo made this especially good. Enjoy.

 

[Goldlion973]

It was presented as though it had the authority to drive many headphones at once, although yeah... he could have been talking about multiple Ipod in ears .lol.

 

[jamato8]

I have my headphones balanced and listen to a lot of single ended. I do not agree that expensive cables are only for balanced. I hear plenty of change with single ended and it makes it very worthwhile. 

 

[Goldlion973]

Would not say 'only' but its an option many would like to use and given the range of amps with balanced outputs I feel it should have been considered/added.