Chord Electronics - Blu Mk. 2 - The Official Thread

[EVOLVIST]

All I can think of is the other new products are creating such a stir that it is stretching the teams available time. Nobody is giving a definitive launch date yet for Blu2 and we are close to end of March. I hope we are not looking at a further delay because I want one!

I was speaking to my audio dealer and he was telling me that he hasn't moved a DAVE all month when usually it's at least one a month. However, he's been getting orders for the Hugo2 on the uptick. Two orders for Blu2, one of those being me.

I don't know. I think with all of the hubbub over the new and shiny - not to mention less costly products - that Chord might be pushing for volume? After all, who the hell is going to buy a 10k CD player in 2017?!!!! Heh.

It's that the Hugo2 is really priced right for the masses.

 

[GryphonGuy]

My guess is Chord Electronics is trying to move away from being a niche-market player to a mass-market player. Hugo2 is probably going to help in a big way to achieve that along with their other popular products like Mojo/Poly.
 
I have heard Hugo2 and it is a great sounding DAC until you hear DAVE. But mass market people will likely not even listen to a product they know they cannot or will not pay for. Hugo2 is going to be a success. I might even consider buying one for travel because I cannot see my self risking my bulky DAVE whilst travelling.
 
Regards
GG

 

[jelt2359]

  My guess is Chord Electronics is trying to move away from being a niche-market player to a mass-market player. Hugo2 is probably going to help in a big way to achieve that along with their other popular products like Mojo/Poly.
 
I have heard Hugo2 and it is a great sounding DAC until you hear DAVE. But mass market people will likely not even listen to a product they know they cannot or will not pay for. Hugo2 is going to be a success. I might even consider buying one for travel because I cannot see my self risking my bulky DAVE whilst travelling.
 
Regards
GG

I think it's quite simple. Hugo2 for IEMs, Dave for Cans or Speakers.

 

[jlbrach]

  I think it's quite simple. Hugo2 for IEMs, Dave for Cans or Speakers.

can't agree....the hugo 2 will play quite nicely with full sized HF's...i know it will for me and i suspect it will for most...my prior Hugo did quite well with a wide variety of high end HP's

 

[jelt2359]

  can't agree....the hugo 2 will play quite nicely with full sized HF's...i know it will for me and i suspect it will for most...my prior Hugo did quite well with a wide variety of high end HP's

Yes but I was trying to explain why not everyone is going for the Dave. I have many friends who are IEM only. The Hugo2 is a better choice for them.
 
On the other hand those wanting the best choice for HPs and Speakers would likely look at the Dave over the Hugo2, but hey I may be wrong, maybe the Hugo2 works better for some people with a wide variety of high end HP's- I didn't feel so with my Dave vs Hugo.

 

[seeteeyou]

Tap length filter: 49,195 – 10 element Pulse Array design

 
http://www.chordelectronics.co.uk/product/hugo-2/
http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/1049757.html
 
Since the heavy lifting should be handled by M-Scaler with 1,000,000 taps, it would be mighty interesting if 3Qute were able to handle dual S/PDIF BNC Coax instead of single Coax via 3.5mm Jack that's provided by Hugo 2.
 

---

Quote:

Coax via 3.5mm Jack (Red): 44.1kHz – 768kHz – 16bit – 32bit 

 
Maybe something like this could fit the bill without any adapters then?
 
https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=541536816998
 

  When I tested Hugo 2 with the Blu 2 I used a cheap 1.5 M headphone cable (3.5mm to RCA) with BNC adaptors. It worked perfectly in terms of no errors or glitches at all - I must say I was pretty astonished, as this is after all 768 kHz SPDIF.

 
Wait a minute, are we talking about fully utilizing 1,000,000 taps "with a trick" or is that still limited to 500,000 taps?
 
Let's just imagine a future network streamer that's working just like Poly with an integrated M-Scaler, pair that bad boy with 3Cute via dual S/PDIF BNC Coax and basically we'll wipe the floor without even breaking a sweat. A "perfect" combo with a really attractive price tag should be leaving competition in the dust since it's gonna be quite a challenge to match the SQ for a long time.

 

[AndrewOld]

All I can think of is the other new products are creating such a stir that it is stretching the teams available time. Nobody is giving a definitive launch date yet for Blu2 and we are close to end of March. I hope we are not looking at a further delay because I want one!

I suspect they have a lot on their plate with the Hugo2 and Poly. The software content of the Poly is considerable, and relatively novel for Chord, with many different use cases to check out. They can't afford to stumble.

 

[Rob Watts]

  When I tested Hugo 2 with the Blu 2 I used a cheap 1.5 M headphone cable (3.5mm to RCA) with BNC adaptors. It worked perfectly in terms of no errors or glitches at all - I must say I was pretty astonished, as this is after all 768 kHz SPDIF.

 
Wait a minute, are we talking about fully utilizing 1,000,000 taps "with a trick" or is that still limited to 500,000 taps?
 
 

 
No its the full 1,015,808 taps per channel at 768 kHz output.

 

[Triode User]

   
No its the full 1,015,808 taps per channel at 768 kHz output.

Soooo, the big question, what is better? Dave or Hugo2 + Blu2. Not a big difference in price in the great scheme of things.

 

[seeteeyou]

  No its the full 1,015,808 taps per channel at 768 kHz output.

 
Thanks Rob, now that's mighty interesting if I were able to understand correctly:
 

1. For connections between DAVE and Blu Mk.2 / DAVINA, dual S/PDIF BNC Coax (on both ends) will be able to fully utilize 1,015,808 taps per channel at 768 kHz output.

 

1. For connections between Hugo 2 and Blu Mk.2 / DAVINA, 3.5mm to dual S/PDIF BNC Coax will be able to fully utilize 1,015,808 taps per channel at 768 kHz output.

 

1. For connections between anything else and Blu Mk.2 / DAVINA, *ONLY* 507,904 taps per channel at 384 kHz output.

 

---

 
And then it's time to get VERY greedy, is it technically feasible (hopefully there are still some taps left since we've got 49,195 this time...) to hook Blu Mk. 2 up with a pair of Hugo 2 for dual-mono setup, so basically 1st Hugo 2 for the left channel and then 2nd Hugo 2 for the right channel respectively. All we need is a pair of cables, one for each channel:
 

Finally we've got balanced connections with headphones cables like this, once again it's one channel per Hugo 2:
 

 
You guys will probably sell even more Hugo 2 than you could imagine, does it sound like a deal or what?

 

[Sonic77]

Why buy a Dave and Blu 2 when a Hugo 2 and
Blue 2 will get you there cheaper? Assuming streaming only.

 

[Triode User]

Why buy a Dave and Blu 2 when a Hugo 2 and
Blue 2 will get you there cheaper? Assuming streaming only.

I suspect because the number of taps is not the be all and end all to the sound quality. There are probably other components / parts of the Dave circuit that also have an influence on the sound.
 
My dealer is going to personally deliver my Blu2 to me and I am going to ask if he can bring a Hugo2 with him as well so we can have a bit of a bake off with mixing and matching Dave / Hugo2 / Blu2.

 

[Sonic77]

I suspect because the number of taps is not the be all and end all to the sound quality. There are probably other components / parts of the Dave circuit that also have an influence on the sound.

My dealer is going to personally deliver my Blu2 to me and I am going to ask if he can bring a Hugo2 with him as well so we can have a bit of a bake off with mixing and matching Dave / Hugo2 / Blu2.

Great! Let us know what you think.
The last time I talked to my Chord dealer he said shipment could be late April, but said he will update me if he hears anything different. Anyone else get an update?

 

[AndrewOld]

I was speaking to my audio dealer and he was telling me that he hasn't moved a DAVE all month when usually it's at least one a month.

Maybe not surprising in view of the speculation that a Blu2 and a Hugo2 might be better than a DAVE, or the fact that the M Scaler seems to render some of the DAVE redundant.

 

[DaveRedRef-III]

Even if some people just stick with the Dave, it is still one hell of a DAC. On good recordings it is truly an outstanding piece of equipment.

Currently listening to Lightnin' Hopkins 'Prestige Profiles' and the presentation is astonishing through Dave. Crazy good.