[zachawry]

How is the Hugo 2 portable and not transportable?

I don't mean relatively portable compared with the 5+ tier mini-nuclear-reactor stacks that some carry around... I mean portable in a true sense where it can fit in your pocket and you don't need extra luggage like a bag just to carry it around. Even the Mojo was hard to pocket as a stack and this is even larger...

Genuinely asking here, not hating - how do people carry this around? I'm interested in buying it but the price and form factor are stopping me.

I can convince myself the sq is worth the price, but so far I see this as a desktop or transportable unit.

I often fit my Hugo/AK120II stack in my back jeans pocket while I'm wandering around town, riding trains, etc.
Works fine. Totally safe and comfortable. Not like I'm about to forget it's there and sit down.

 

[Azurik]

I mainly use my hugo 2 with headphones. Looking to use speakers at some point.

Has anybody a good recommendation for speakers being driven ok with the hugo 2 (Music/ movies and games). I take it I will need active speakers right? Looking for a bookshelf sized combo. Not too big. Something that sounds good and looks good left and right of the tv without over towering everything.

Since the hugo 2 has rca output, I understand I need active speakers where one connects in to the other which is then mains powered and connected via rca to the hugo??

 

[6RS]

Regarding filter settings with Hugo2, I prefer the white reference setting, occasionally the slight roll-off of the green comes handy to tame a bright recording. The red ones are less to my liking, there is some "suffocation" of detail (apparent in reverberation and overtones), like that proverbial veil being pulled over the sound.

 

[514077]

Regarding filter settings with Hugo2, I prefer the white reference setting, occasionally the slight roll-off of the green comes handy to tame a bright recording. The red ones are less to my liking, there is some "suffocation" of detail (apparent in reverberation and overtones), like that proverbial veil being pulled over the sound.

Like I found when contrasting Mojo to Hugo1. Makes the hunger pains more acute.

 

[audi0nick128]

I mainly use my hugo 2 with headphones. Looking to use speakers at some point.

Has anybody a good recommendation for speakers being driven ok with the hugo 2 (Music/ movies and games). I take it I will need active speakers right? Looking for a bookshelf sized combo. Not too big. Something that sounds good and looks good left and right of the tv without over towering everything.

Since the hugo 2 has rca output, I understand I need active speakers where one connects in to the other which is then mains powered and connected via rca to the hugo??

Imho you could use a speaker with highly efficient full range drivers, to drive directly from Hugo 2.

I imagine the entry level voxativ drivers would be well suited, with a rated 100db.

The drivers alone are 2k €...

I have also read that people driver much less efficient speakers directly from Hugo 1 /Mojo, but unless you only listen to calm classical music you will probably miss impact...

Cheers

 

[gnomen]

I recently had the tweeters replaced on my ATCSCM50As (the old ones were 18 years old). ATC used the latest version of the tweeter for the replacements -- their own design and manufacture -- should be the same as your ATC gear then. Result is incredibly smooth, detailed and clear. This is with a TT of course, not a Hugo 2. It is connected via SLIC Innovations Eclipse C XLRs which I found to be better than anything else up to around £1500. The old tweeters could be a bit edgy which I suspect was due to the lubricating bath evaporating over the years. The new sound is much better -- I was very pleased. It might be the XLR cables giving you a different sound with the later model ATCs. I doubt it is the speakers themselves.

 

[514077]

I mainly use my hugo 2 with headphones. Looking to use speakers at some point.

Has anybody a good recommendation for speakers being driven ok with the hugo 2 (Music/ movies and games). I take it I will need active speakers right? Looking for a bookshelf sized combo. Not too big. Something that sounds good and looks good left and right of the tv without over towering everything.

Since the hugo 2 has rca output, I understand I need active speakers where one connects in to the other which is then mains powered and connected via rca to the hugo??

May I suggest googling the Audio Stream site with Michael Lavorgna, (not sure of the spelling). He did some reviews on desktop speakers of different types about a year or two ago. Adam Audio or something of that sort, was one of them. You're sure to find some good ideas there.

 

[Rob Watts]

Regarding filter settings with Hugo2, I prefer the white reference setting, occasionally the slight roll-off of the green comes handy to tame a bright recording. The red ones are less to my liking, there is some "suffocation" of detail (apparent in reverberation and overtones), like that proverbial veil being pulled over the sound.

The green against white does not make much difference with 44.1 - its 96 kHz or 192 kHz where it really makes a big difference. With 768 kHz (I have one test recording) it becomes essential.
But yes the orange or red is not a small difference, although some can't hear much of a change. But the sonic effect is that the edges snap into focus; that is you can clearly hear the starting of notes much more easily.

The truly bizarre thing about this is that technically it is a very small change; all that is happening is the 16 FS to 2048 FS linear interpolation filter and the two low pass filters are enhanced by a 16 FS to a 256 FS WTA filter - so the linear interpolation filters now work only from 256 FS to 2048 FS - and this should not make a difference to the sound quality, but to my ears it is very easy to hear.

Incidentally, all R2R DAC's do not have any digital filters above 16FS (because they are too slow), and all of the current production delta sigma DAC's do not have any filtering at all (or at least it's not talked about in the data-sheets); they just rely on a crude sample and hold. It illustrates that the recovery of timing from a sampled data to a continuous waveform is incredibly important subjectively.

 

[tichyztech]

Thank you very much.
Have you used it with an amp?

regards

The only amp I have is the Jot. But for my needs the Hugo 2 is able to drive my headphones, MK3,X2, M1060,HD650 and HD800s. I've got say the MK3 sound great with Hugo2

 

[audi0nick128]

Hey there,

Are there any Hugo 2 owners with Nighthawks and can comment on the synergy/ sound quality?
Maybe in comparison to Nighthawks with Mojo?

 

[6RS]

The green against white does not make much difference with 44.1 - its 96 kHz or 192 kHz where it really makes a big difference. With 768 kHz (I have one test recording) it becomes essential.
But yes the orange or red is not a small difference, although some can't hear much of a change. But the sonic effect is that the edges snap into focus; that is you can clearly hear the starting of notes much more easily.

The truly bizarre thing about this is that technically it is a very small change; all that is happening is the 16 FS to 2048 FS linear interpolation filter and the two low pass filters are enhanced by a 16 FS to a 256 FS WTA filter - so the linear interpolation filters now work only from 256 FS to 2048 FS - and this should not make a difference to the sound quality, but to my ears it is very easy to hear.

Thank you for the explanations! I was listening to a "Vox Cosmica" that I downloaded as a 24/192 version for the quick evaluation of filters.

 

[6RS]

Hey there,

Are there any Hugo 2 owners with Nighthawks and can comment on the synergy/ sound quality?
Maybe in comparison to Nighthawks with Mojo?

Compared to Mojo, the sound is more spacious, ie complex orchestral music is much better resolved, instruments are better separated. Rhythm is more compelling. Each note is nuanced and fleshed out. More impact and authority, more drive compared to Mojo. I do like the combination. I can still appreciate the mature relaxedness that is the strength of the Nighthawks.

 

[miketlse]

£20 mee iem's straight from a late 2013 imac with tidal hifi sounds half decent!!!! listening to drake now. but tinny and irritating a bit too. the bass however is smooth. half an hour to decide if silver becomes available. lol.

I presume that you would have posted, if you had opted for the silver unit.

 

[Azurik]

Any ideas if the Hugo 2 can drive these passive bookshelf speakers https://us.creative.com/p/speakers/e-mu-xm7-bookshelf-speakers

If so, how do I connect them to the single rca output on the Hugo?? Do I need a red rca to 2 speaker wire (with banana plug) and the same for the white one?

Thanks

 

[audi0nick128]

Compared to Mojo, the sound is more spacious, ie complex orchestral music is much better resolved, instruments are better separated. Rhythm is more compelling. Each note is nuanced and fleshed out. More impact and authority, more drive compared to Mojo. I do like the combination. I can still appreciate the mature relaxedness that is the strength of the Nighthawks.

Thanks for your detailed response.
Orchestral music isn't my cup of tea, but I guess the improvements are transferable

Cheers