[onlychild]

Do you know if the external amp was set on high or low gain?

I've read other impressions that it's a very powerful amp and has great synergy with the HE1K.

 

[bmichels]

Do you know if the external amp was set on high or low gain?

I've read other impressions that it's a very powerful amp and has great synergy with the HE1K.

 
The AK was on "high gain".  
 
The AMP was more powerful in balanced mode than SE mode, but still....not very powerful !?

 

[lextheimpaler]

as a DAP does the AK380 does the sound better than Hugo Chord alone? i mean at this price ofc i wana know, it costs more than my Hugo Chord alone, which i can paid with Fiio X5 (Hugo bypass the DAC in it)

I've been listening to the 380 vs Hugo for a few days and I like the 380. Not to say the Hugo is bad. The Hugo is more analytical whereas the 380 just pumps out the music like its live. Im using Layla's btw. The 380 also sound good with ie800s. Less so with K10. I listen to the Hugp/iPhone when I want Tidal streaming. The 380 should really have capability for Tidal streaming.

 

[sutjahjo]

There are many who believe that Transport doesn't matter, I personally find transport matters and AK380+Chord Hugo make the best combination so far.

 

[lextheimpaler]

There are many who believe that Transport doesn't matter, I personally find transport matters and AK380+Chord Hugo make the best combination so far.

I didn't believe it either until I heard the 380/hugo, the 380 by itself and the Hugo/iPhone and Hugo/zx2. The Hugo/ 380 with Layla's give off surreal sound.

 

[Shini44]

There are many who believe that Transport doesn't matter, I personally find transport matters and AK380+Chord Hugo make the best combination so far.

is the difference small? (hugo + any vs Hugo + 380) i mean the jump in the quality etc, worth paying 3k? 

i hope so , cause i am not sure i want to pay 3k for a slight change, if its a very noticeable difference that will make me say worth it, then count me in the 380 club cause i am a sucker for noticeable upgrade!!  

what do you think?

 

[Duncan]

Depends on your level of headphones I suppose, and how much OCD you suffer from (and how big your bank account is!)...

In absolute terms, difference will be minimal, but perceivable (not night and day)...

To me, at that stratospheric level, synergy plays more of a part than technical merits of gear.

 

[Shini44]

Depends on your level of headphones I suppose, and how much OCD you suffer from (and how big your bank account is!)...

In absolute terms, difference will be minimal, but perceivable (not night and day)...

To me, at that stratospheric level, synergy plays more of a part than technical merits of gear.

i hate when the sound is lacking, and i don't mind to pay to make it reach perfection, i love a perfect setup, been searching for ages, and i keep upgrading, we are head-fiers after all man.

for example the Hugo alone as an amp is really really bad for me, why? compared to portaphile 627/pico power, it have less power, less bass impact, thinner body, and smaller sound stage, overall not making TOTL CIEMs. or headphone to sound like how they sound when paired with Hugo + external good amps.
 
i heard the Hugo TT solve this problem, yet i still doubt that the TT's internal amp will do things better than the external amp even at that price, will wait for more real reviews with people who compare more.

for now my eyes on the 380, and i wonder if it will add up to the chain,  

like from PC + Hugo to 380 + Hugo, what will change? bass texture? slam? presentation? cleaner? mids? would like to hear more info ^^
 
 
and thanks all for being so helpful  

 

[sutjahjo]

At this serious forum I respect a lot, we should all look for the "best" audio quality we prefer, no matter how small the difference is.

To me, the AK380 makes the already great Hugo comes alive, to an unbelievable level I never thought possible - and it is OBVIOUSLY better than other DAPs+Hugo combination.

ps. obvious doesn't mean BIG.

 

[cheznous]

i hate when the sound is lacking, and i don't mind to pay to make it reach perfection, i love a perfect setup, been searching for ages, and i keep upgrading, we are head-fiers after all man.


for example the Hugo alone as an amp is really really bad for me, why? compared to portaphile 627/pico power, it have less power, less bass impact, thinner body, and smaller sound stage, overall not making TOTL CIEMs. or headphone to sound like how they sound when paired with Hugo + external good amps.

i heard the Hugo TT solve this problem, yet i still doubt that the TT's internal amp will do things better than the external amp even at that price, will wait for more real reviews with people who compare more.


for now my eyes on the 380, and i wonder if it will add up to the chain,  


like from PC + Hugo to 380 + Hugo, what will change? bass texture? slam? presentation? cleaner? mids? would like to hear more info ^^


and thanks all for being so helpful  

In my view the 380 gave no improvement over the ZX2. Especially the ZX2 with an external amp. I prefer this set up to the Hugo good though the Hugo is.
So my advice is buy the 380 from Amazon and try it. If no improvement then return. You lost nothing.

 

[Ruben123]

  i hate when the sound is lacking, and i don't mind to pay to make it reach perfection, i love a perfect setup, been searching for ages, and i keep upgrading, we are head-fiers after all man.

for example the Hugo alone as an amp is really really bad for me, why? compared to portaphile 627/pico power, it have less power, less bass impact, thinner body, and smaller sound stage, overall not making TOTL CIEMs. or headphone to sound like how they sound when paired with Hugo + external good amps.
 
i heard the Hugo TT solve this problem, yet i still doubt that the TT's internal amp will do things better than the external amp even at that price, will wait for more real reviews with people who compare more.

for now my eyes on the 380, and i wonder if it will add up to the chain,  

like from PC + Hugo to 380 + Hugo, what will change? bass texture? slam? presentation? cleaner? mids? would like to hear more info ^^
 
 
and thanks all for being so helpful  

Audiophiles dont ever have a perfect setup, because they always think it could be better and they tend to forget how to listen to music. Stick with what you have and get emotionally involved in the music, instead of the gear. No need to spend more.

 

[Shini44]

In my view the 380 gave no improvement over the ZX2. Especially the ZX2 with an external amp. I prefer this set up to the Hugo good though the Hugo is.
So my advice is buy the 380 from Amazon and try it. If no improvement then return. You lost nothing.

both hugo and ZX2 are Nuetral, yet the ZX2 is more on the warmer side, different presentation, i saw few others who love this kind of presentation over the hugo, the hugo is more in your face kind of presentation, which i tend to like, but ofc its about preferance in the end ^^ 

 
Audiophiles dont ever have a perfect setup, because they always think it could be better and they tend to forget how to listen to music. Stick with what you have and get emotionally involved in the music, instead of the gear. No need to spend more.

sorry for confusing you, i listen to J-pop and its harder to look for a prefect setup for that, due bad recording issues, i did test WA7tp, and portable amps, Portaphile 627 + Hugo was the best and i don't find myself in a need to change the setup, the 627 is the best neutral amp (IMO), the WA7tp is good but some songs didn't sound right with it, i guess its the the recording etc

again, i didn't mind trying new stuff, i can sell later after i test, i love testing to see the differance, its part of our hobbies

i was Ultra curios about this DAP now that i heard there is a difference that made people smile (regardless the price) 

thanks for the advice ofc, guess i made it look like i am a crazy spender on stuff that i don't need

once i bought the Ragnarok amp just to test it, then i sold it after two weeks

btw i live in Dubai, can't test stuff at all, unless i buy it and thats what i do, test, learn , enjoy, review and then sell once i am done
 
part of being an audiophile is curiosity as well, and ofc we don;t forget to listen to music and enjoy ^^

 

[deafanddumb]

Just tried the the 380 for the first time at canjam...with the AK T5p...and my TH900...wow and wow. Too expensive but awesome.

 

[lextheimpaler]

  is the difference small? (hugo + any vs Hugo + 380) i mean the jump in the quality etc, worth paying 3k? 

i hope so , cause i am not sure i want to pay 3k for a slight change, if its a very noticeable difference that will make me say worth it, then count me in the 380 club cause i am a sucker for noticeable upgrade!!  

what do you think?

The best setup for me is AK380+Hugo+Layla. For me there is a discernible difference. Its not night and day but once you get used to it you won't go back. I just wish the AK380 could have access to Tidal. The ZX2 is nowhere near the AK380 sonically, but it does have music streaming.

 

[lextheimpaler]

 
Audiophiles dont ever have a perfect setup, because they always think it could be better and they tend to forget how to listen to music. Stick with what you have and get emotionally involved in the music, instead of the gear. No need to spend more.

This much is true. There is an urge to constantly tweak your setup. For me the Hugo/380/Layla is the best combo for "portability".  I also have the ZX2,K10,IE800.
For the Layla's use Spinfits, then after you put them on, twist the headphones clockwise until they lock-in.