Chord Electronics - Hugo 2 - The Official Thread

[miketlse]

I've always been a advocate to bring you on officially @ Chord. Even if it's part-time WFH. With your elephant memory, your the closest to a Chord Wikipedia.

I think that's a step in the right direction to repair the Chord image. I hope you can take over the Official Chord Account one day.

That would also offload from the enormous weight Rob Watts carries on this site.

Thank you for your kind words.
Yes the head-fi threads represent a huge knowledge base of real world experience for Chord owners, or head-fiers researching Chord products.
You could say much the same for other manufacturers on head-fi.
Anyway yes I have discussed the knowledge management approaches, to try and maximise the benefits for Chord owners/researchers with Chord.
But then came covid, and the world changed - the focus for manufacturers became just surviving, and so discussions about knowledge management became a low priority.
Now that the world is gradually emerging from covid, who knows.......

 

[PANURUS]

No, I never had the pleasure. It would be a dream, although speakers don't interest me at this time. I'm also more high-efficient speakers so Omega or Voxativ if I go don't that rabbit hole as I want zero amps in the mix, just the pure Chord DAC output. Maybe a B&W 803D to emulate Rob Watts, but lower efficiency is easy pass.

But that is my point, the average Chord consumer is not aware that one of the Chord Pillars for amps is zero loss of transparency and resolution. Rob Watts design in zero loss, yet under the Chord badge an amp is recently released. It's confusing as it has the same shape as a Qutest.

The thing is they are both completely independent projects. One is Chord-branded and one is a Rob Watts product. They are on complete different orbits of quality and quality control. I would never touch a Chord product not supervised by Rob Watts.

I don't believe the Anni has complete zero loss of transparency and resolution? And Rob Watts cannot comment negatively as their is a conflict of interest.

I would not trust a Chord Anni, 2Go or Poly. It's not Rob Watts quality. Just because an Anni looks flush again a Qutest, A Poly looks flush again a Mojo1/2 and a 2Go looks flush against a Hugo2 and have a Chord Marketing label doesn't make it good. None of those are up to Rob Watts standard. I'm sure Rob Watts can get any of those devices for free, but I haven't come across any post that Rob Watts utilises any of those devices. I wouldn't.

I am a fan of the products developed by Rob Watts. It's been 6 years that I'm waiting to use some Dave's features. This is intended to operate with one or more DX amps. 2 years ago, Rob Watts announced its DX amp for in 3 years. So I went to choose an Ultima 6 amp in the meantime and I will never regret it because at least I can listen to my 805d4 with a dynamic and control of the bass frequences that few setup can reproduce.

As good as it is the Dave, it took me 6 years to find a Streamer who did not send noise to the 220V and therefore did not kill the quality of the Dave, HMS, Blue2 or TT2.
The solution was provided by Chord with the 2GO2YU.
Many users of DAC Chord are struggling to identify and solve noise problems on the 220V.
When buying the Dave, I have never imagined that this problem will also be prominent and my conversations with Rob Watts showed me that he had not met them and that I had to conduct my own investigation. Then started the ferrite festival.

When buying the Mojo, it was quickly demonstrated that the incoming noise in the USB interface was calamity. The solution also came from Chord with the poly. Jitterbug was only a plaster on a wooden leg.


I had the opportunity to listen to the loss of transparency attributable to the use of the Ultima preamp. If indeed it is minimal and undeniable, the benefit of a quality 220V cable placed on an Ultima amp is much larger. It is easy to speak theoretically in the absolute of certain aspects but evaluate them by relativizing them with other aspects is much more difficult.

It may seem strange that, which for you is second-class products, represents some solutions for me.

 

[Rob Watts]

Re; Coax and toslink input and possible clock issues
This is where @Rob Watts I hope would chip in and explain.
USB input is Asynchronous, coax and toslink are not!
Asynchronous means that the DAC is master, it asks data to be sent and the (DAP) obliges, at a pace the DAC sets. The DAC re-clocks the blocks of data to decode.
Technically coax and toslink just send data at their own rate (clock speed) and the DAC is then has to keep up and decode, so technically USB system is superior!
Also, the FPGA is doing a ton of calculations at the same time (many thousands of TAPs). This tells me that Chord DACs should be operating at high latency (delay) which shouldn't go hand in hand with synchronous inputs (coax and toslink/optical).
Yet Chord DACs like toslink better ( for various reasons) and have no issues.
Unless, the DACs are buffering the data in large quantities! (to my limited knowledge), is this in fact what is going on behind the scenes?

In the past my DACs had a 4 second buffer, and data was clocked out via a local low jitter clock. If you wanted low latency, then you had to use an analogue PLL. These devices create huge problems, which hugely affect SQ and the measurements. So I decided to replace the PLL with my DPLL - this took 6 years to perfect - but I ended up with the DPLL sounding identical to the RAM buffer.

You can think of the DPLL as a frequency locked micro buffer, with the DAC using the local jitter free clock. It means that it doesn't matter if the source is asynchronous or not - the only issues are the amount of RF noise getting into the DAC.

I've always been a advocate to bring you on officially @ Chord. Even if it's part-time WFH. With your elephant memory, your the closest to a Chord Wikipedia.

I think that's a step in the right direction to repair the Chord image. I hope you can take over the Official Chord Account one day.

That would also offload from the enormous weight Rob Watts carries on this site.

It's certainly not an enormous weight - I post because I enjoy posting!

 

[Kentajalli]

In the past my DACs .....
You can think of the DPLL as a frequency locked micro buffer, with the DAC using the local jitter ........

Thanx for replying.
Is it possible to explain further on DPLL?
I am interested to learn.

 

[miketlse]

Thanx for replying.
Is it possible to explain further on DPLL?
I am interested to learn.

https://www.head-fi.org/search/8661988/?q=DPLL&c[users]=Rob+Watts&o=relevance

 

[Kentajalli]

https://www.head-fi.org/search/8661988/?q=DPLL&c[users]=Rob+Watts&o=relevance

Thank you, silly me for not doing it.
I am still not knowledgeable enough to grasp the DPLL, it seems (as I understand it) that it corrects and re-clocks the SPDIF data, uses a small buffer for times when data is delayed or otherwise and outputs a jitter free words to the following stage.
USB being asynchronous, wouldn't need DPLL, so in essence is slightly lower latency! if it wasn't for the (possible) RF noise , USB would have been the best option.
Which brings me to the notion of USB to Toslink adaptors! I wonder if there is (as Robwatts puts it) much mileage in that, or would a galvanic isolator yield better results - they both use power though . . .

 

[Kentajalli]

Rheme Case from Amazon for £8 that fits Hugo2 perfectly .

 

[546687]

It's certainly not an enormous weight - I post because I enjoy posting!

Many thanks Sir Rob for a fabulous five years with the Hugo₂. It's been a journey and now that I figured out my optimal synergy, there is nothing left to do except wait for the Hugo₃. My Hugo₂ Arc has come to an end and I will just have to wait for the requel or sequel.

The Hugo₂ is perfect for my needs as I can't use Headphones because it causes pain on my ear flaps and I can't get into speakers as I may get called on to go overseas for extended times. So CIEMs are perfect since I can control the environment with precision, efficient and run everything off Passive Power. I also have no ability to precisely place B&W's to an inch. I'm a low volume listener so the low noise floor created by decoupling and Passive Power does wonders for my listening habits. Just so detailed at low volumes with no fatigue.

Anyways, if you want to take a break with the Classical genre you might want to check out:

https://crapfromthepast.com/compactdiscs/index.htm

I just love Redbook rare well-mastered tracks. Impossible to find on HiRes. Thanks to the Hugo₂, I've come to the conclusion that if your system is resolute and transparent enough there is no need to compensate with non-Redbook. Redbook PCM is such a beautiful format. For some reason, Redbook and Toslink seems to have such nice synergy. Only Glass Toslink can retain Redbook details to the extreme.

Well-mastered Redbook is my closest thing to an addiction. I can listen to a track 30 times in a row without a hint of tiredness. With the right Passive Powered source of course, otherwise I can barely get through a track the second time around.

Enjoy your DCA Stealth.

EDIT:

I'm working on a stand for the Hugo₂:




Should be done by Summer. It reflects how I feel the Hugo₂ sounds with my Source.

 

[546687]

I am a fan of the products developed by Rob Watts. It's been 6 years that I'm waiting to use some Dave's features. This is intended to operate with one or more DX amps. 2 years ago, Rob Watts announced its DX amp for in 3 years. So I went to choose an Ultima 6 amp in the meantime and I will never regret it because at least I can listen to my 805d4 with a dynamic and control of the bass frequences that few setup can reproduce.

As good as it is the Dave, it took me 6 years to find a Streamer who did not send noise to the 220V and therefore did not kill the quality of the Dave, HMS, Blue2 or TT2.
The solution was provided by Chord with the 2GO2YU.
Many users of DAC Chord are struggling to identify and solve noise problems on the 220V.
When buying the Dave, I have never imagined that this problem will also be prominent and my conversations with Rob Watts showed me that he had not met them and that I had to conduct my own investigation. Then started the ferrite festival.

When buying the Mojo, it was quickly demonstrated that the incoming noise in the USB interface was calamity. The solution also came from Chord with the poly. Jitterbug was only a plaster on a wooden leg.


I had the opportunity to listen to the loss of transparency attributable to the use of the Ultima preamp. If indeed it is minimal and undeniable, the benefit of a quality 220V cable placed on an Ultima amp is much larger. It is easy to speak theoretically in the absolute of certain aspects but evaluate them by relativizing them with other aspects is much more difficult.

It may seem strange that, which for you is second-class products, represents some solutions for me.

Ditto. I'm glad we have that in common. I'm more into his philosophy because products come and go. Yes, I noticed your DX amp posts at the very beginnings of the Watt's Up post. I hope you are the first or very first ones to be able to pre-order the DX amp. As a past owner of B&W 800 non-diamond series, I hope you are enjoying your 805d4. I recently noticed a pair in a Hans Zimmer Masterclass video. You should try Rob Watt's solid core solution with a TT2 as that can be vital for analogue:



That way, you will have the closest emulation to Rob Watt's chain.

But we have to rationally separate as Ultima amps are legacy Chord products. The amps Rob Watts is designing are no where near production although I read he had some breakthroughs. But we still have to logically separate that Ultima and Anni do not adhere to Rob Watt's philosophy. They can be considered like any random high-end amp branded product. I know it's hard because hard earned money is spent on these products that have a Chord logo. But it's naive to lump them together with Rob Watt's philosophy of products. They're completely different entities.

Same thing with the 2Go. I'm glad it's working out for you mainly due to it's decoupling effect. I'm a big fan of decoupling and the low noise floor that it provides. Many Chord users will never experience this effect. They rather double down and not evolve rather than keep an open mind. So I'm glad you kept an open mind after 6 years and found your solution. Be happy with it. Don't mind me, I'm eccentric.

I started on this site over 20 years ago trying to convince posters to switch to FLAC from MP3 back in the day. But in order to play FLAC on a first generation iPod, you needed to hack the operating system. Very few would go to that extent thus not being able to enjoy the benefits of FLAC. So I don't expect people to go to extremes.

Fortunately, FLAC ignited an explosion in portable audio products so general users don't need to go to such extremes. I'm always shocked when I see devices support FLAC because it used to be only for Purists / Enthusiasts. I'm glad it caught on. We are not there yet though with Music Streamers and Passive Power Supplies.

Most will never experience a proper source in the prime of their Chord DAC. They rather wait for the next DAC upgrade and expect the DAC to work miracles. Being a pragmatic realist, it doesn't work out that way. It's GIGO. You can't expect the DAC to spit out magic. Source matters, there's a whole industry dedicated to sources. You won't find good source solutions on this site, you need to go to the hardcore Music source sites. It's caveman sources on this site. Since you have been around, if you ever wondered where your Chord colleagues went, they grativated to other sites because it's so basic here on sources.

Here, it's how to connect Apple devices or a FOTM commercial streamer is the biggest worry. Commercial streamers you cannot install audio-specific operating systems and thus provide no value. They only contain a general-purpose OS unless you spend over $10k.

You also need to separate the expertise. While Rob Watts is the expertise on the DAC design, you can't expect him also to the expert on the Headphone design and the Source design. I treat these as three separate black boxes thus requiring three separate solutions. There are experts on other sites on source design.

The 2Go is headed in the right direction. It utilises better playback software than subpar Android / iOS playback software. It's important to remember Chord didn't invent this playback software. It's always been available, some for over 20 years. I remembered they try to market their Wireless products like they had invented this software and re-invented the wheel. Chord users drooled over that Marketing. To find the optimal solution, you can't fall in love with the Chord brand. It's much more easier if you can detach that it's not a Rob Watt's product.

For the 2Go, when I look at the hardware and the battery, it checks no boxes. Not performance hardware, not performance low impedance battery. When I look at the operating system and the playback software, it checks no boxes. It's just a generic OS. Audiophile Quiet USB port? No. It's just a generic USB port.

Plus, I like value so I see no value in the 2Go. It's like a few hundred in hardware that would never meet my standards and the rest is markup. For Hugo₂, I see value as it can compete with $7000 DACs when it launched. But 2Go, no value unless you can justify for convenience. But as a stay put Music Streamer, there are more robust options.

I can see value in that it decouples from Mains. Powering sources with Batteries or SuperCaps is a dealbreaker, so if I didn't have a solution then I may have considered the 2Go. I would never use a Mains source regardless of price.

That was one of my objectives, to get that black low noise floor background. Not possible without decoupling. To do a USB source right, you need Passive Power, Audiophile OS, and an Audiophile USB port. It's not easy. Fortunately SPDIF doesn't need a complication like an Audiophile USB port, so it's more straight forward.

2Go also has a sporadic Software Architecture. Some random software breaking from time to time. Bad Wifi HW. But again, if I didn't have my own Battery solutions it may draw interest as decoupling from Mains is priority.

So I can see why the 2Go would draw interest due to its decoupling capabilities.

But since I'm able to power a source with more horsepower and versatility, I just see the 2Go as negative expected value. I just see it as a high markup product that values in the few hundred range. Counter that with a battery-powered NUC that when you add a proper Audiophile OS, it rivals $7500 Commercial Streamers. It's just unfortunate NUCs don't have a proper Audiophile USB port. Difficult, but not impossible to install one. Add in the USB optical to decouple and you have the potential of a really good Music source for the price of a 2Go. There are commercial NUCs available for $5000 too, but why when you can build yourself something better at the price of a 2Go. If you have the knowledge to build, you can avoid high markup products.

So for the same price as a 2Go, would I want 2Go that provides a negative expected value less than it's actual retail price or would I want a more robust solution the same price as the 2Go that gives a positive expected value of $7500? With battery, positive expected value of $10,000. Similar to Rob Watt's solution, spend $500 on solid core wiring. Build yourself and it arguably has a positive expected value of $5000. If I spend that $500, and it has a negative expected value of just a few hundred it just doesn't make sense to me.

I'll try to add more on a Source Take posts. I'm almost out of energy here, so just a few more posts then I'm out until Hugo₃.

But just enjoy the 2Go. Music source's are rabbit holes that take a lot of dedication. I did mine during the Pandemic and I'm not sure if I would be as dedicated without a Pandemic.

For example, I can easily build something that rivals $10,000 commerical streamers for the price of a 2Go. The trick is the Audiophile OS which propels it into the >$7500 category. And since it's battery-powered and I can bridge and stack battery power supplies for longer hours, it's very much preferred over commerical offerings. Especially since there are genuine reports of expensive Mains Streamers being noisy beast. And it's understandable, that's why I want nothing to do with Mains Sources.

The NUC is also much more versatile. I can replace the RAM with Industrial RAM which has a positive aspect on SQ. I can also install MacOS w/ Audirvana on the NUC. So I can do RAM playback only via Audirvana on Industrial Quality RAM for that extra special SQ. I can also boot into Windows if I need the native Chord drivers. But preferably it boots into my Audiophile OS which propels it into the expensive Commercial Streamer territory.

With the 2Go, it's a blackbox you can't do much with and at the mercy of it's hardware.

With USB optical, the NUC is a wonderful solution for Hugo₂ users. The only thing holding it back is an Audiophile USB port which I haven't tackled the issue yet. But with my SPDIF source, I don't really have much of an incentive now. But a battery-powered NUC / USB optical is a good backup plan and for general use. If I had a Table Top, then I have to consider more extreme builds but I haven't experimented using Passive Power yet to those solutions. The Taiko power supply costs about the same as the 2Go, so it's such a rabbit hole. And it will likely not beat my State of the Art Oscillator SPDIF, so very difficult to justify a build.

That's why it's difficult to justify a 2Go when you can get so much more positive expected value at the same price for other battery-powered solutions. But these are for extreme cases in which one has the battery-powered option, 99% do not so 2Go seems like a logical gravitation if you are not aware of other battery-powered solutions. It's like if you can't hack your own OS to play FLAC, it's better to just stay put and not explore other options. It's such a rabbit hole and a grind. Well worth it, but it takes a lot of discipline. Maybe one day it will become more mainstream.

There's even a Mac Mini being released this week and reports are you can reduce it's size 80%. Now if you can power with 12V batteries, that can work too. Although, no Audiophile OS is compat it still has value over a 2Go if you can passively power.

 

[546687]

Reminder that USB optical needs to be on a flat solid surface, not a sofa / couch / bed / etc. as that may stress the USB socket:

 

[546687]

Thanks for letting me share the SOTA (State of the Art) and USB Optical solutions. It wasn't my intention to share at this time. I just wanted to discuss that passive power solution alternatives are available that perform better (super low impedance [batteries] and super super low impedance [super capacitors]. You are not bottle-necked by a regulator which kills performance. And of course it decouples from dirty, unstable Mains so you get the pure 100% low noise floor SQ experience.

Regardless of how the DAC handles the source. SPDIF sources requires great clocks to do right. This is a quote from the owner of Sonore:



It's vague, but it's just the source needs to be done right when pursuing the SPDIF route.

I took on this SPDIF project before being introduced to USB optical. I was 5 minutes away from giving up as it's complex and just use USB optical. But once I heard what SOTA can do, it stole my heart, I'm done. There will be no source like this for a Chord DAC for a long time, if ever.

While it may seem like an overpowered solution due to its size, it's actually quite subtle and removes any harness. Just natural, warm and smooth. Doesn't dominate the sound. It's super transparent. I was thrown off because I didn't expect it to be so relaxed due to it's physical size.

I listened to one well-mastered track and noticed a shotgun pumped in the background. I never noticed this detail. It stood out as it jumped out at me, but in a subtle way and had a volume of it's own.

Below, on top of the SOTA clock are a pair of typical HiFi clocks. Big eyesore, but the sound... Solid core wiring of course...

Embedded clocks in typical streamers, you cannot even see with the naked eye. The size difference between embedded clocks parallel the SQ difference with it's HiFi clock counterpart. HiFi clocks are nice, but SOTA is something else.

Although the SQ increase parallels between the SOTA clock to the HiFi clock size is on a more figurative level. But it's a huge SQ increase.

Sound is just so sweet, well worth it. Above outputs into the Source. I would never dare power sensitive oscillators with Mains. Batteries mandatory.

This SOTA clock measures better than the $20,000 MSB clock. Listening tests confirm it's competitive at a fraction of the price.

Hugo2 Source Pairings Take

SOTA == State of the Art

1. SOTA Clocks w/ realtime low latency OS
2. Hi-Fi Clocks w/ realtime low latency OS [TOTL DAPS, Matrix USB->SPDIF, pi2aes, Uptone, Sonore]
3. USB Optical w/ realtime low latency OS [5V powered by Super Capacitors]
4. Embedded Clocks w/ realtime low latency OS [HiFiBerry, Allo, Typical Commercial Streamers with SPDIF output, Typical USB->SPDIF]

All battery-powered sources. USB optical. Toslink Glass Optical. All decoupled. Redbook.

I did my Hugo2 justice.

Magnitudes

SOTA is just magnitudes better than anything else. Even though it can be subtle at times, it's an entirely different experience after Brain-burnin. Even though it's subtle, it's magnitudes better experience depending on the Masterings. It's SQ I would expect if I had to dish out 4 stacks of high society for Audio equipment. Realism, warm tone and natural.

Having a realtime low latency OS combined with USB optical pushes this over the top of Embedded Clocks SPDIF. Both #3 and #4 I can live with, but after experiencing #1 it would be hard. Same with #2.

After experiencing SOTA, #2 can be harsh. If my SOTA ran into an accident or disappeared, I would do everything in my power to pursue SOTA again. It's irreplaceable. I don't think there's anyway I can go back to #2 or anything else. #2 is hard to justify with a #3 option.

That's why I recommend #3 if you are just looking for a simple SPDIF solution. SPDIF is just not practical. Best to just go USB optical, even if you don't run a realtime low latency. USB optical just offers so much flexibility. It's future-proof. USB optical has a low noise floor as it decouples. And that's usually the only reason to go SPDIF. So if that is the goal, just save aggravation and go USB optical.

#2 is a magnitude better, but I don't think it's worth the trouble. I faced this dilemma when I wasn't sure if I can get SOTA off the ground because of it's complexity. I was ready to settle @#3. Especially since I can triple boot realtime low latency OS, Windows and MacOS.

So unless you are a geek from the streets and can provide a stable and clean power source with batteries or super capacitors for #1, I think #3 is good. Mains is just way too dirty and unstable for #1 (highly-sensitive). Maybe improve the USB port (output) if you can for #3.

Notes: I haven't experimented with re-clocking USB / Motherboard and have not had the pleasure to try a dedicated PCI-e Audiophile USB card.

For those on a Hugo2 budget, forget about Commercial streamers, build your own. Commercial streamers are such high markup. Just get a simple general purpose PC like a NUC. Invest in Industrial RAM like Apacer. The key is to put a realtime low latency OS as this propels your PC to compete with >$7500 Commercial Streamers if done right.

Since I make sure NUCs I purchase can run MacOS, I can use Audirvana with RAM Play via the Apacer Industrial RAM when I don't boot to the realtime low latency OS. The thing with NUCs is you cannot upgrade the USB port for Audio.

If you are eccentric, go State of the Art Clocks otherwise USB optical is acceptable. #2 and #4 is just not practical unless you go all out for #1.

SOTA is special. I wish I could setup a VPN server, so you can stream PCM into your Hugo2 but it doesn't work that way. I do stream lossless PCM via VPN realtime low latency to my Apple dongle but that is a less complex process (minimalistic portable solution).

Apologies if I repeated some statements. It was a copy and paste from my notes. I'm out of energy, so brain-dead.

 

[PANURUS]

On the Mojo thread in 2015 Rob Watts wrote:
1. SPDIF decoding is all digital within the FPGA. The FPGA uses a digital phase lock loop (DPLL) and a tiny buffer. This re-clocks the data and eliminates the incoming jitter from the source. This system took 6 years to perfect, and means that the sound quality defects from source jitter is eliminated. How do I know that? Measurements - 2 uS of jitter has no affect whatsoever on measurements (and I can resolve noise floor at -180dB with my APX555) and sound quality tests against RAM buffer systems revealed no significant difference. You can (almost) use a piece of damp string and the source jitter will be eliminated.

Some day later, I had my first Chord product: the Mojo
Knowing that my future sources would not require the use of an atomic clock.

Ditto. I'm glad we have that in common. I'm more into his philosophy because products come and go. Yes, I noticed your DX amp posts at the very beginnings of the Watt's Up post. I hope you are the first or very first ones to be able to pre-order the DX amp. As a past owner of B&W 800 non-diamond series, I hope you are enjoying your 805d4. I recently noticed a pair in a Hans Zimmer Masterclass video. You should try Rob Watt's solid core solution with a TT2 as that can be vital for analogue:

But we have to rationally separate as Ultima amps are legacy Chord products. The amps Rob Watts is designing are no where near production although I read he had some breakthroughs. But we still have to logically separate that Ultima and Anni do not adhere to Rob Watt's philosophy. They can be considered like any random high-end amp branded product. I know it's hard because hard earned money is spent on these products that have a Chord logo. But it's naive to lump them together with Rob Watt's philosophy of products. They're completely different entities.

Same thing with the 2Go. I'm glad it's working out for you mainly due to it's decoupling effect. I'm a big fan of decoupling and the low noise floor that it provides. Many Chord users will never experience this effect. They rather double down and not evolve rather than keep an open mind. So I'm glad you kept an open mind after 6 years and found your solution. Be happy with it. Don't mind me, I'm eccentric.

For me philosophy exists but when I choose a product, I am interested about topology and pairing parts.
John Franks is not the designer of this new topology of the Chord amp but he is one of the pioneers of his implementation.

With regard to future DX amp, I have difficult to imagine that John Franks's expertise in choosing components will not participate in its success.

 

[joshnor713]

Question for anyone running a tube amp off the H2. Does the volume level you select on the H2 matter? I naturally first tried lining it out to my new amp, but finding it too loud, even close to the amp's lowest volume setting. Thanks!

 

[ChrisGB]

Question for anyone running a tube amp off the H2. Does the volume level you select on the H2 matter? I naturally first tried lining it out to my new amp, but finding it too loud, even close to the amp's lowest volume setting. Thanks!

I briefly tried it through the Mclntosh tube headphone amp. Wasn't sure about line level, so just set the amp impedance for the 'phones I was using, then set volume around half way on the amp and turned H2 up until it sounded right. I think H2 line level is 3V.

 

[Daniel Johnston]

Question for anyone running a tube amp off the H2. Does the volume level you select on the H2 matter? I naturally first tried lining it out to my new amp, but finding it too loud, even close to the amp's lowest volume setting. Thanks!

Line level out is 3V.

It was too hot for my tube amp. This is not universally true however. My PrimaLuna had no issues with the 3V.

Since you aren't bypassing any extra output stage, set the H2 volume to wherever you want. 4-5 clicks on the remote IIRC will give you about 2V out. Just remember to turn it back down prior to plugging in your iems.