[Paul Bjernklo]

What's the best inout to use to connect Hugo2 to the PIE2AES streamer and any recommendations on a specific good cable? Thank you

or if you are on a budget Kabeldirekt optical from Amazon might be worth trying as fits well but is not a glass cable like lifatec and Qed’s glass optical. I assume your streamer has optical output. I use sysconcept cable but also have Kabeldirekt optical from another source at times. They both sound better (more depth and more detail but not artificially brighter) than the stock cable provided in the box

 

[joshnor713]

There’s really nothing wrong with the Gryphon, it’s a wonderful device. To me it doesn’t sound as good as my recent M 17 purchase. I guess it shouldn’t over BT right? And I don’t like connecting DAC/amps via cable to my phone so was searching for a different HiFi solution. I’m new at this. How good are the two combos you just mentioned? Better than the M17?

No one can say one is better other than you

I haven't heard the M17, but would think the Mojo2/Poly would rival it. Sound quality of Hugo2/2Go should surpass the M17, but again, it's up to a person on which "sounds better". These solutions definitely sound better than Bluetooth as Airplay is much less compressed than sbc/aac.

 

[ChrisGB]

There’s really nothing wrong with the Gryphon, it’s a wonderful device. To me it doesn’t sound as good as my recent M 17 purchase. I guess it shouldn’t over BT right? And I don’t like connecting DAC/amps via cable to my phone so was searching for a different HiFi solution. I’m new at this. How good are the two combos you just mentioned? Better than the M17?

I've never listened to the M17, but in my experience, some DAPs can sound extremely good and are a nice one box solution.

Even the best Bluetooth codecs seem to compromise the music, so having a DAP or Poly/Mojo 2 or 2go/Hugo taking it's signal from wifi will be better sonically than any Bluetooth solution I can think of.

I never used my Mojo 2 with a Poly, but sonically I found i preferred my Shanling M6 (AKM version) for it's portrayal of nuance and detail. The Mojo 2 had better pace and weight. The 2go/Hugo 2 combination moves the sound into a completely different league in my opinion. More transparent and revealing than either M6 or Mojo 2 by a very obvious margin, with excellent weight and drive to the sound too. If cost is not prohibitive, you might like to give one a listen.

 

[Kordonrules]

No one can say one is better other than you

I haven't heard the M17, but would think the Mojo2/Poly would rival it. Sound quality of Hugo2/2Go should surpass the M17, but again, it's up to a person on which "sounds better". These solutions definitely sound better than Bluetooth as Airplay is much less compressed than sbc/aac.

So a person connects to the 2Go through airplay to play music from there phone?

 

[Kordonrules]

I've never listened to the M17, but in my experience, some DAPs can sound extremely good and are a nice one box solution.

Even the best Bluetooth codecs seem to compromise the music, so having a DAP or Poly/Mojo 2 or 2go/Hugo taking it's signal from wifi will be better sonically than any Bluetooth solution I can think of.

I never used my Mojo 2 with a Poly, but sonically I found i preferred my Shanling M6 (AKM version) for it's portrayal of nuance and detail. The Mojo 2 had better pace and weight. The 2go/Hugo 2 combination moves the sound into a completely different league in my opinion. More transparent and revealing than either M6 or Mojo 2 by a very obvious margin, with excellent weight and drive to the sound too. If cost is not prohibitive, you might like to give one a listen.

When you say taking its signal from WiFi, what do you mean? How does the music from a phone get to the 2Go?

 

[ChrisGB]

When you say taking its signal from WiFi, what do you mean? How does the music from a phone get to the 2Go?

I'm using the 2go / Hugo2. An app on the phone uses the home wifi network to either stream music from Qobuz (also works with Tidal) or to play .FLAC files stored in the phone (or memory card in the 2go module) to the Hugo2. This means that all my music transfer is at the very least, CD quality and wireless.

As I understand it, although I've not tried it yet, if there is no wifi network, you can put the 2go in hotspot mode and use it's wifi to carry out the same functions. Could someone confirm or correct me if I'm wrong on using the 2go hotspot mode please?

Download and have a look at the 2go user manual for a good insight into how it works and what you can do.

 

[Kordonrules]

I'm using the 2go / Hugo2. An app on the phone uses the home wifi network to either stream music from Qobuz (also works with Tidal) or to play .FLAC files stored in the phone (or memory card in the 2go module) to the Hugo2. This means that all my music transfer is at the very least, CD quality and wireless.

As I understand it, although I've not tried it yet, if there is no wifi network, you can put the 2go in hotspot mode and use it's wifi to carry out the same functions. Could someone confirm or correct me if I'm wrong on using the 2go hotspot mode please?

I see. So it works like the iFi Gryphon does with Bluetooth? Does anyone know if it rivals the sound quality of the Gryphon? Also, do you get full hirez when connecting just the Hugo 2 via cable to an iPhone?

 

[Daniel Johnston]

I see. So it works like the iFi Gryphon does with Bluetooth? Does anyone know if it rivals the sound quality of the Gryphon? Also, do you get full hirez when connecting just the Hugo 2 via cable to an iPhone?

Haven’t heard the Gryphon, but airplay to H2/2go caps at 16/48. So theoretically lossless up to cd quality. BT doesn’t have the bandwidth for uncompressed streaming like WiFi.

I can’t tell a difference between Roon 24/96 vs airplay to H2.

The only ifi product I have is a go blu. H2/2go easily better in all regards.

BT even in LDAC form never sounds right to me. I actually like AAC best. it Sounds the most “dynamic“ of all the codecs. However, the signal is enhanced using Apple’s proprietary encoding algorithm.

 

[ChrisGB]

I see. So it works like the iFi Gryphon does with Bluetooth? Does anyone know if it rivals the sound quality of the Gryphon? Also, do you get full hirez when connecting just the Hugo 2 via cable to an iPhone?

I've not tried it with bluetooth. There seems to me to be absolutely no point in squeezing high res music through a sonically destructive bluetooth connection. With WiFi, the signal path would be as follows:

Using the Mconnect app....

High res .FLAC file stored on phone is sent complete to 2go via WiFi at full resolution, which is decoded by Hugo 2.

High res .FLAC files stored on memory card in 2go are requested to be played directly to Hugo 2.

Music streams are requested by the phone over WiFi and sent directly and at full resolution from streaming service to 2go to Hugo 2.

For a wired connection, high res file or stream would go directly from your phone to the Hugo 2.

Using the Gofigure app, you can also play back music stored in memory card in 2go and also access internet radio (which sounds surprisingly OK).

Sorry, but I'm not familiar with the Apple airplay system, but the 2go manual gives details.

As for sound quality comparisons, I've never heard a Gryphon. It was on my shortlist. From what I have read, in reviews, the Gryphon and Mojo 2 offer a different but similarly detailed performance. My old setup was a DAP, a Shanling M6 (AKM edition) driving Quad ERA-1 headphones. These headphones seem to be very revealing of differences between sources. I liked the level of fine detail, nuance and fatigue free listening the Shanling offered, but it seemed to lack a bit of pace and weight driving low impedance planar headphones (and battery life was also short as a result). I tried the Mojo 2, and felt that I gained the weight and pace, I had ben looking for, and also had a beautifully fluid and organic sound. On the downside, I lost a little perceived detail and texture in higher frequencies and lost nuance and texture in the bass. Moving on to the Hugo 2, I got more weight and texture, better nuance, better high frequency detail than either previous setup, but still with the lovely organic fluid feel of the Mojo 2. These were not subtle differences needing hours of A/B listening tests to detect, more a punch in the face obvious move up the quality ladder.

Hope this helps!

 

[Kordonrules]

Haven’t heard the Gryphon, but airplay to H2/2go caps at 16/48. So theoretically lossless up to cd quality. BT doesn’t have the bandwidth for uncompressed streaming like WiFi.

I can’t tell a difference between Roon 24/96 vs airplay to H2.

The only ifi product I have is a go blu. H2/2go easily better in all regards.

BT even in LDAC form never sounds right to me. I actually like AAC best. it Sounds the most “dynamic“ of all the codecs. However, the signal is enhanced using Apple’s proprietary encoding algorithm.

Thank you! Is cable connection from iPhone to Hugo full hirez?

 

[Kordonrules]

I've not tried it with bluetooth. There seems to me to be absolutely no point in squeezing high res music through a sonically destructive bluetooth connection. With WiFi, the signal path would be as follows:

Using the Mconnect app....

High res .FLAC file stored on phone is sent complete to 2go via WiFi at full resolution, which is decoded by Hugo 2.

High res .FLAC files stored on memory card in 2go are requested to be played directly to Hugo 2.

Music streams are requested by the phone over WiFi and sent directly and at full resolution from streaming service to 2go to Hugo 2.

For a wired connection, high res file or stream would go directly from your phone to the Hugo 2.

Using the Gofigure app, you can also play back music stored in memory card in 2go and also access internet radio (which sounds surprisingly OK).

Sorry, but I'm not familiar with the Apple airplay system, but the 2go manual gives details.

As for sound quality comparisons, I've never heard a Gryphon. It was on my shortlist. From what I have read, in reviews, the Gryphon and Mojo 2 offer a different but similarly detailed performance. My old setup was a DAP, a Shanling M6 (AKM edition) driving Quad ERA-1 headphones. These headphones seem to be very revealing of differences between sources. I liked the level of fine detail, nuance and fatigue free listening the Shanling offered, but it seemed to lack a bit of pace and weight driving low impedance planar headphones (and battery life was also short as a result). I tried the Mojo 2, and felt that I gained the weight and pace, I had ben looking for, and also had a beautifully fluid and organic sound. On the downside, I lost a little perceived detail and texture in higher frequencies and lost nuance and texture in the bass. Moving on to the Hugo 2, I got more weight and texture, better nuance, better high frequency detail than either previous setup, but still with the lovely organic fluid feel of the Mojo 2. These were not subtle differences needing hours of A/B listening tests to detect, more a punch in the face obvious move up the quality ladder.

Hope this helps!

Excellent! Very informative.

 

[rwelles]

Thank you! Is cable connection from iPhone to Hugo full hirez?

Yes, assuming a 2Go is not connected.

 

[Daniel Johnston]

Thank you! Is cable connection from iPhone to Hugo full hirez?

No. I use the 2go.

You‘ll get full resolution to H2 via USB To iPhone.

 

[wilsonlaidlaw]

I have been having problems with my Benchmark Media DAC3L since my house in France was struck by lightning just before I left France last autumn to come back to the UK for the winter. I only found this out when I got back to France a couple of days ago. I feared the DAC3L would have to go back to the USA for repair but as a last resort I tried changing the input and output cables to some old cobbled together stuff from my assorted cables box and it would seem that it was a cabling problem. While I am waiting for new Coax, Optical, Thunderbolt 3 to USB-B cables, and XLR balanced audio cables to be delivered (all apparently delayed in the wonderful French postal system - an argument if there ever was one, against privatisation), I am therefore for the moment using my Chord Hugo 2 as a DAC. Due to my current lack of decent cabling, it has to sit at the back of my audio system and behind the 55" TV and to reach it involves a bit of crawling over a rat's nest of cables. I don't mind doing this once a day to turn it on and then off at the end of the day but every time I pause whatever source is playing, for more than a few minutes, the Hugo 2 auto-switches off. Is there any way to disable this. The Hugo 2 is running on its charger. Unfortunately I forgot to bring the Hugo 2 remote with me and that will not be coming out until some family come down to France in a few months time. The theft rate of items sent by post from the UK to France is horrendous. Last year, I twice had my prescription medicines stolen en route to me

Wilson

 

[Droffen]

I have been having problems with my Benchmark Media DAC3L since my house in France was struck by lightning just before I left France last autumn to come back to the UK for the winter. I only found this out when I got back to France a couple of days ago. I feared the DAC3L would have to go back to the USA for repair but as a last resort I tried changing the input and output cables to some old cobbled together stuff from my assorted cables box and it would seem that it was a cabling problem. While I am waiting for new Coax, Optical, Thunderbolt 3 to USB-B cables, and XLR balanced audio cables to be delivered (all apparently delayed in the wonderful French postal system - an argument if there ever was one, against privatisation), I am therefore for the moment using my Chord Hugo 2 as a DAC. Due to my current lack of decent cabling, it has to sit at the back of my audio system and behind the 55" TV and to reach it involves a bit of crawling over a rat's nest of cables. I don't mind doing this once a day to turn it on and then off at the end of the day but every time I pause whatever source is playing, for more than a few minutes, the Hugo 2 auto-switches off. Is there any way to disable this. The Hugo 2 is running on its charger. Unfortunately I forgot to bring the Hugo 2 remote with me and that will not be coming out until some family come down to France in a few months time. The theft rate of items sent by post from the UK to France is horrendous. Last year, I twice had my prescription medicines stolen en route to me

Wilson

From the manual:
After 24hrs on constant charge Hugo 2 will enter into Intelligent Desktop Mode where the battery is neither charged nor discharged. Hugo's auto-shutdown feature is now disabled.