[RoundRound]

  Warning: Does not fit!

Actually there is a way to fit the Tellurium Q Black RCA Interconnect to the Hugo, you need to unscrew the grey/silver plug covers form the plugs and they'll fit no problem. 
What surprised me was having to unscrew the plug covers at the amp end - because they some didn't fir the RCA connections (a Classe CAP2100 amp - so no shortage of space there...!)
 
Still the IC sounds amazing! Tons of detail and very natural, a great fir for the Hugo.

 

[Lutrty]

Hi, has anyone tried to connect the Hugo to a Airport Express? I would like to use the Hugo in my stereo set-up: NAS > AE> Hugo > Naim amp. and the AE might an option. The other might be a Sonos and connect it via optical...
Thanks in advance!

 

[joeexp]

  Hi, has anyone tried to connect the Hugo to a Airport Express? I would like to use the Hugo in my stereo set-up: NAS > AE> Hugo > Naim amp. and the AE might an option. The other might be a Sonos and connect it via optical...
Thanks in advance!

 
The Airport Express has got an optical out >> So  should be possible to connect the Hugo to it.
16 bit / 44.1 kHz is the thing though ...
 
The USB port is also still limited to printers only (no audio output).

 

[RoundRound]

 
Actually there is a way to fit the Tellurium Q Black RCA Interconnect to the Hugo, you need to unscrew the grey/silver plug covers form the plugs and they'll fit no problem. 
What surprised me was having to unscrew the plug covers at the amp end - because they some didn't fir the RCA connections (a Classe CAP2100 amp - so no shortage of space there...!)
 
Still the IC sounds amazing! Tons of detail and very natural, a great fir for the Hugo.

 
One last update,
There's a way of citing this IC with the plug covers - basically they are locking and you are meant to tighten them (gently) after fitting them on, so basically you need to unscrew them slightly, they fit the Hugo with no problems and then tighten the caps a bit - you're wellcome!

 

[estreeter]

  Hi, has anyone tried to connect the Hugo to a Airport Express? I would like to use the Hugo in my stereo set-up: NAS > AE> Hugo > Naim amp. and the AE might an option. The other might be a Sonos and connect it via optical...
Thanks in advance!

 
Go with the Sonos option - if you want real networking capability, you will need a renderer. I use my Oppo but it's expensive if that's your only use for it. 

 

[fabio-fi]

I got the Chord Hugo this week (based on a fellow audiophile recommendation) to pair with my amp. I can say that out of the box, is a great unit! I'm hearing every micro detail on my music collection. 

 

[RoundRound]

Hello Rob,
One questions about sampling rates.
 
I have a specially set up Hifi PC that has an onboard Toslink connection (that goes to the Hugo Optical). 
Annoyingly the driver for that card won't foo 88.2/176Khz - it does do 96 and 192 but not those resolutions. To be honest the vast majority of my music is 16/44 Redbook so it's not a problem accept for the Qobuz masters series which is 88.2Khz...
 
I can set Jriver to up-sample 88.2 to 96 (or any other supported resolution) but remember you suggested we feed the Hugo native resolutions... so perhaps down-sample it to 16/44?
 
Alternatively I could get a special sound card just to do these resolutions but I've spent too much on my Hifi already...
 
What do you guys think?
 
Thanks!

 

[Rob Watts]

Use the USB inputs - the difference in SQ in using optical is small compared to the PC re-sampling or sample rate converting.
 
I once inadvertently had the PC sample rate convert from 44.1 to 48k, and the Hugo magic was washed out, so try to avoid letting the PC mess up the music. If you can't use the USB, then don't sample rate convert - i.e. 88.2 to 96k - but it would probably sound best converting from 88.2 to 44.1, as good quality decimation is actually easier to do technically than increasing the sample rate as the timing problems are in the reconstruction filter, or the over sampling process, there are no timing problems with decimation, its just a straight forward anti-aliasing filter.
 
Hope this helps,
 
Rob

 

[RoundRound]

  Use the USB inputs - the difference in SQ in using optical is small compared to the PC re-sampling or sample rate converting.
 
I once inadvertently had the PC sample rate convert from 44.1 to 48k, and the Hugo magic was washed out, so try to avoid letting the PC mess up the music. If you can't use the USB, then don't sample rate convert - i.e. 88.2 to 96k - but it would probably sound best converting from 88.2 to 44.1, as good quality decimation is actually easier to do technically than increasing the sample rate as the timing problems are in the reconstruction filter, or the over sampling process, there are no timing problems with decimation, its just a straight forward anti-aliasing filter.
 
Hope this helps,
 
Rob

Thanks Rob,
I prefer to use the Optical connection - I guess I'll down sample it to 44.1KHz
 
Thanks again!

 

[rgs9200m]

Once I tried the USB input, I was so smitten by the sound I didn't even bother with anything else.

 

[Kakki]

Hello Rob,
 
Would appreciate your opinion if there is any SQ changes when we use good (expensive) USB calbes to Hugo. And if yes, I would appreciate your technical explanation what makes the SQ change...
 
I still believe that the quality of USB cables will not make any change to the digital signals and am very curious what makes the SQ change if there is any reasons / fact that the USB cable quality affects the SQ.

 

[Somphon]

Also intetrst

Hello Rob,

Would appreciate your opinion if there is any SQ changes when we use good (expensive) USB calbes to Hugo. And if yes, I would appreciate your technical explanation what makes the SQ change...

I still believe that the quality of USB cables will not make any change to the digital signals and am very curious what makes the SQ change if there is any reasons / fact that the USB cable quality affects the SQ.

Also interested to hear

 

[Rob Watts]

  Hello Rob,
 
Would appreciate your opinion if there is any SQ changes when we use good (expensive) USB calbes to Hugo. And if yes, I would appreciate your technical explanation what makes the SQ change...
 
I still believe that the quality of USB cables will not make any change to the digital signals and am very curious what makes the SQ change if there is any reasons / fact that the USB cable quality affects the SQ.

USB cables can make a difference to the sound - not due to source jitter (as this is completely removed by Hugo), but due to the amount of RF noise that gets injected into the ground plane of Hugo. More RF noise, more noise floor modulation, which makes it sound brighter. Unfortunately, I suspect some expensive USB cables actually make RF noise levels worse, so it will sound brighter and give the impression of more detail. So my advice is to be careful if it sounds brighter!
 
Another issue is signal dependent ground currents that are distorted - these currents come from the source when processing the data - but the cable can't do much to change this, as it is a low frequency error. Galvanic isolation can be made to work to solve both the RF noise injection, and the distorted signal dependent ground currents. These ground currents affect sound stage depth, as the corrupting signals are at their worst when the data crosses through zero, as all the bits switch from all 0's to all 1's and vice versa - so it degrades low level details, which are the cues for depth perception.
 
Rob

 

[Sound Eq]

  USB cables can make a difference to the sound - not due to source jitter (as this is completely removed by Hugo), but due to the amount of RF noise that gets injected into the ground plane of Hugo. More RF noise, more noise floor modulation, which makes it sound brighter. Unfortunately, I suspect some expensive USB cables actually make RF noise levels worse, so it will sound brighter and give the impression of more detail. So my advice is to be careful if it sounds brighter!
 
Another issue is signal dependent ground currents that are distorted - these currents come from the source when processing the data - but the cable can't do much to change this, as it is a low frequency error. Galvanic isolation can be made to work to solve both the RF noise injection, and the distorted signal dependent ground currents. These ground currents affect sound stage depth, as the corrupting signals are at their worst when the data crosses through zero, as all the bits switch from all 0's to all 1's and vice versa - so it degrades low level details, which are the cues for depth perception.
 
Rob

so according to this which is the best usb cable we can buy for hugo, and hopefully someone can send us a link for a shot one the same size as the one included by chord

 

[bobbyhol]

Dear Rob ;
 
 Obviously the Hugo has been designed, positioned and accepted as a statement product that has gotten your company much well-deserved praise and attention. Would it be logical to assume that the cables you supplied with Hugo should allow it to perform at the peak of it's abilities under most circumstances ? And if not, why would you send out a product that is clearly a high-end unit with cables that don't match it's quality ? Anyone likely to purchase Hugo at it's current price point would not likely be scared off if the cost of 'better' cables ( assuming they are needed ) were added to the price.
 
I ask as someone who is still trying to navigate the thorny issues of connections and the perceived differences between them.
 
Best,
 
Another Rob