Chord Electronics - Hugo 2 - The Official Thread

[Malcyg]

Hi thank you both for replies. I have set to DAC mode as advised.

Excuse my ignorance, but when you say DAC mode does that mean previously the DAC from my amp was overriding my Hugo 2's DAC?

And when you say "Four clicks on the remote", which button are you referring to?

Cheers

DAC mode just means you are setting the volume of the Hugo at a fixed and very high level. If you use this mode, do not plug headphones into Hugo without first reducing the volume level right down or you can damage your headphones or, worse, your ears.

When feeding Hugo‘s output into an external amplifier via the RCA analogue output, it can operate as either a pre-amp or a DAC. The difference between the two is in how the Hogo volume operates. If you feed a power amp, the amp will not have a volume control of its own and you therefore need to use the Hugo in its normal mode and change the system volume via the Hugo volume control. Hugo is effectively a pre-amp in this mode of operation. If your amp is an integrated type - i.e it has a pre and a power amp combined in one unit - it will have its own volume control and you should use Hugo in DAC mode and control the system volume using the amp volume control.

If your amp has an integrated DAC, this should not override Hugo’s DAC if you are feeding the output from Hugo into analogue inputs on the amp and selecting that input as the source. The user manual or operating instructions for your amplifiers should cover all of this.

Finally, you should be ok using the standard DAC mode which outputs 3V but, if you hear any indication of clipping (distortion), just notch the Hugo volume down a touch from Lilac until it disappears.

 

[gryffe]

Cheers Malcyg, that explains it brilliantly for me. I have an Arcam integrated amp and an Arcam power amp which are connected by pre out cables. So I do connect the Hugo via RCA cable to the integrated amp and am using the integrated to control the volume. So far I haven't noticed any distortion, but will reduce via Hugo volume if I do.
Thanks.

 

[ecwl]

Cheers Malcyg, that explains it brilliantly for me. I have an Arcam integrated amp and an Arcam power amp which are connected by pre out cables. So I do connect the Hugo via RCA cable to the integrated amp and am using the integrated to control the volume. So far I haven't noticed any distortion, but will reduce via Hugo volume if I do.
Thanks.

If you really want to hear what your Hugo 2 can do, you should try directly connecting the Hugo 2 into the Arcam Power amp (obviously not in DAC mode). You might be surprised by how much more you hear through the Hugo 2 when you use Hugo 2 digital volume control.

 

[gryffe]

If you really want to hear what your Hugo 2 can do, you should try directly connecting the Hugo 2 into the Arcam Power amp (obviously not in DAC mode). You might be surprised by how much more you hear through the Hugo 2 when you use Hugo 2 digital volume control.

Thanks, but would this not make my Arcam amp redundant?

 

[InstantSilence]

Anyone want a 2go?

 

[CaptainFantastic]

Anyone want a 2go?

I read on the 2go thread that it's an utter mess from a software perspective. Although some "reviewers" on Youtube sang its praises.

 

[ecwl]

Thanks, but would this not make my Arcam amp redundant?

If you don't bi-amp and don't have other analog sources, yes?
It took me about 6 months after connecting my Chord DAC directly into my amp before I came around to selling my already very transparent and expensive preamp. I simply found significantly more transparency, microdynamics and detail with a deeper soundstage through direct connection.
It also took me a while to come to terms with the fact that any sonic deficits through this direct connection was due to my source or my amp or my speakers (or room acoustics) and not the absence of my old preamp. (Back in the day, I had a very bad USB source that was injecting too much noise into my Chord DAC causing excess harshness and my older amp was also a little harsh and bright so the preamp softened the sound a little. Fixing the USB source made the music sound much better and led me to selling the preamp. Upgrading the amp eventually made the music is even better.)

Ultimately, it's your system so you should connect it in a way that sounds best to you. But if you do find out that you enjoy connecting your Hugo2 directly to your Arcam power amp more, you can get some money back by selling your old integrated amp or maybe put it in a different system.

 

[Malcyg]

Thanks, but would this not make my Arcam amp redundant?

I assumed you were using the preamp for accepting other sources. If this is not the case, I would also go direct into the power amp from Hugo and use the volume on Hugo. The preamp will be detracting from the purity of the Hugo signal to some extent.

 

[Malcyg]

I read on the 2go thread that it's an utter mess from a software perspective. Although some "reviewers" on Youtube sang its praises.

As an alternative point of view, I have been sitting out in the garden with a Hugo 2Go feeding a pair of Utopia from the SD card and been marvelling at the quality of sound available to me in a portable device.

 

[rwelles]

I read on the 2go thread that it's an utter mess from a software perspective. Although some "reviewers" on Youtube sang its praises.

There are certainly a substantial number of 2Go users that aren't shy about sharing their issues!! That said, there are number of users (though not as vocal) who are very happy with it, including myself. I'm currently enjoying some wonderful old Coltrane albums via Roon as I type this.

 

[Hooster]

Cheers Malcyg, that explains it brilliantly for me. I have an Arcam integrated amp and an Arcam power amp which are connected by pre out cables. So I do connect the Hugo via RCA cable to the integrated amp and am using the integrated to control the volume. So far I haven't noticed any distortion, but will reduce via Hugo volume if I do.
Thanks.

No. Connect the Hugo directly to the power amp and use the Hugo to control the volume. By going through an integrated amplifier first you are taking away a lot of the quality you paid for when you purchased the Hugo.

 

[gryffe]

If you don't bi-amp and don't have other analog sources, yes?
It took me about 6 months after connecting my Chord DAC directly into my amp before I came around to selling my already very transparent and expensive preamp. I simply found significantly more transparency, microdynamics and detail with a deeper soundstage through direct connection.
It also took me a while to come to terms with the fact that any sonic deficits through this direct connection was due to my source or my amp or my speakers (or room acoustics) and not the absence of my old preamp. (Back in the day, I had a very bad USB source that was injecting too much noise into my Chord DAC causing excess harshness and my older amp was also a little harsh and bright so the preamp softened the sound a little. Fixing the USB source made the music sound much better and led me to selling the preamp. Upgrading the amp eventually made the music is even better.)

Ultimately, it's your system so you should connect it in a way that sounds best to you. But if you do find out that you enjoy connecting your Hugo2 directly to your Arcam power amp more, you can get some money back by selling your old integrated amp or maybe put it in a different system.

Cheers for reply (and malcyg as well)

Sorry, my question with hindsight was silly. I do bi-amp, and I'm using the integrated/power combo for vinyl playback also. The Arcam S30 integrated is only a month or so old so not getting rid of any time soon lol. To be honest most of my Hugo listening is late at night with headphones so all things considered I think I'm getting the best of all worlds with Hugo, whether it's part of my hifi setup when not listening to vinyl, or when listening with headphones too.

 

[endre83]

Does the Hugo 2 work / sound well as a DAC only into tube amps (pendant for example) ?

 

[robo24]

Does the Hugo 2 work / sound well as a DAC only into tube amps (pendant for example) ?

Yes! I’ve enjoyed it as a DAC for a Woo WA7, Valhalla 2, iFi Pro iCAN in tube+ mode, and on a Louie P20. You get the amazing details and soundstage of the Hugo2 with the warmth (or whatever your tube flavor) of tubes. Also works great with the STAX 323A energizer.

 

[edwardsean]

Yes! I’ve enjoyed it as a DAC for a Woo WA7, Valhalla 2, iFi Pro iCAN in tube+ mode, and on a Louie P20. You get the amazing details and soundstage of the Hugo2 with the warmth (or whatever your tube flavor) of tubes. Also works great with the STAX 323A energizer.

This is a topic that gets debated with every Chord product. Rob Watts designs these units with key principle of signal purity: every component in the chain will degrade transmission to some extent. So, Chord products use a pulse array for their D/A conversion, which allows them to skip the normal analog stage used in other DACs (R2R, SD). This is the closest you will come to getting a direct tap on the D/A chip of any DAC. Part of this Chord ”magic” is undone if you then add all the components of an external amplifier after the Hugo2 output.

Now, there are good reasons for needing to do this: high impedance phones, electrostatic or ribbon transducer phones. There are valid reasons for wanting to do this: you value the coloration of your favorite amp, or the largest possible soundstage.

If these are trades you need or want to make, you have to go with what you enjoy! Don’t let anyone tell you different. However, what they are telling you is true: the most transparent, natural, accurate sound will always come from the direct output.