[Chianti]

It very easy to turn down the overall gain on a Dac's output stage or amplifier to get a low noise figure like many other units. However the clever thing is to keep the gain really high over 125 plus and still keep the noise levels vanishingly low like Rob has achieved This means we don't need all those silly gain option switches that can change the sonic signature of the system. Many are there to coverup design limitations.

I need a silly iEMatch dongle for my Hugo 2 to reduce hiss and RF noise with most IEMs - would for sure have welcomed a silly option switch instead? Emphasis on "switch" - not enthused about the shiny rattling (sometimes failing) baubles

 

[guerph]

on the upsampling capabilities of hugo2...
so maybe no need for me to look into replacing my 10 yr old laptop (as it can't handle any Roon upsampling) with a Sonictransporter i5 https://www.smallgreencomputer.com/collections/audio-server/products/sonictransporter-i5
or the more $$$ nimitra @ US$1300..http://www.fidelizer-audio.com/nimitra-computer-audio-server/..or the upcoming turnkey Roon nucleus products...
(as i use roon, tidal and a microrendu/lps1)

decisions....

Forget laptop and get a cheap NUC to run ROCK. That's what I've done. It upsamples brilliantly, if that's your thing. But as has been stated, I haven't found Roon's upsampling improves anything on my 2Qute or Mojo.

 

[miketlse]

Go Lance!

They all conspired against you, man, it wasn't your fault. You didn't juice. Everyone does it. Someone gave it to you while you were sleeping. The French conspired against you. They hate you ,man! You didn't juice. It was Oprah's fault. You thought you were taking cough drops and butt cream!

I couldn't resist

I love the Tour and watching the climbs is something special though the TT is fun too. I hope one day to visit on a day of the Mountain climb. I'd need a good H2 carry "man bag" thing!

I ordered the gusti bag that you liked. I had been searching for a bag to carry hugo 2, Shanling M1, headphones, ID etc for months, and that was the best cheap bag that i spotted.

Yesterdays Tour start at blagnac was the first that i have attended - it was utter chaos but a well rehearsed roadshow. Trying to drive into Blagnac was blocked because all the team coaches and vans were blocking the route. A short while later, thousands of pedestrians were walking into the town, followed by a couple of hours walking around seeing the sites, followed by meeting my friends at a convenient viewing spot on the course. And then in the space of a couple of minutes all the cars and riders shoot past. And then all the spectators start to make their way home, and all the teams start to dismantle all the media displays that they erected just 3 hours earlier, and then off to the next town. Well rehearsed indeed.

 

[Hooster]

I need a silly iEMatch dongle for my Hugo 2 to reduce hiss and RF noise with most IEMs - would for sure have welcomed a silly option switch instead? Emphasis on "switch" - not enthused about the shiny rattling (sometimes failing) baubles

Are you seriously saying that there is hiss with IEMs? Don't you think Chord would simply have included a gain switch to remove the hiss if that was the case?

 

[Peter Hyatt]

I don't think you understand complexity in terms of product design.

• The case consists of only two pieces, the top and the bottom - it is already simple, because it is difficult to achieve better part count reduction
• coloured balls rather than knobs and switches - the coloured balls (or alternatively knobs), both control switches to achieve a certain control functionality. The only way to reduce part count, and achieve physical simplicity, is to use a touch screen which contains no moving parts.
• The software is complex, but contains no moving parts, so cannot cause any physical wear and tear

If only Chord could have been counseled before production with the brilliant "KISS" philosophy rather than have all these successful and advanced marvels for sale.

Oh, boy.

 

[audi0nick128]

Talking about IEMs has anyone tried Periodic Audio Beryllium with Hugo 2?

Cheers

 

[Doody]

Audio46

Hear hear. I'm a big fan as well. Got my CH2 and SE846s there.

Doody

 

[Chianti]

Are you seriously saying that there is hiss with IEMs? Don't you think Chord would simply have included a gain switch to remove the hiss if that was the case?

Go back e.g. to page 191 of this thread. Multiple reports of IEM hiss with Hugo 1 and Mojo (e.g. with Shure 846), John Franks' statement:
"the Noise on Hugo2 is about half of the noise level of Mojo so it's extremely quiet especially when you consider the high levels of none switched gain and huge output voltage swing of just over 5Volts RMS. it's pretty much state of the art."

So ... quiet, especially when you consider that Chord did not include a gain switch (which could have lowered it potentially to where IEMs wouldn't hiss)?

This is not a unique issue with Hugo (1/2), some IEMs will exhibit it to some degree e.g. with Sony NW-ZX2. Cowon Plenue is one of the best behaved PMPs in that regard.
iFi did the right thing with their portable DACs (comparable to Hugo) with an IEM sensitivity switch.

Worse than hiss - subjectively - is RF noise. No problem with Hugo 2 and full size headphones, can be pretty bad with IEMs. E.g. JH13Pro has combination of hiss and RF noise (think: AM radio in the background), cured by IEMatch.

 

[maxh22]

Go back e.g. to page 191 of this thread. Multiple reports of IEM hiss with Hugo 1 and Mojo (e.g. with Shure 846), John Franks statement that hiss should be reduced by half with Hugo 2.
This is not a unique issue with Hugo (1/2), some IEMs will exhibit it to some degree e.g. with Sony NW-ZX2. Cowon Plenue is one of the best behaved PMPs in that regard.

Worse than hiss - subjectively - is RF noise. No problem with Hugo 2 and full size headphones, can be pretty bad with IEMs. E.g. JH13Pro has combination of hiss and RF noise (think: AM radio in the background), cured by IEMatch.

Can you retest hiss and RF noise when you get a new unit? I don't exactly have super sensitive IEM's but the sound is crystal clear with no hiss or RF noise with my IE 80's and IE 800's.

 

[Doody]

Can someone clarify that these hiss and AM radio noises are related to the source material coming off of a smartphone? I was under the impression that all the RF signals on the phone (GPS, BT, WiFi, 3G, 4G, etc.) were most of the problem. Is that not so?

Someone proposed that if you put your smartphone into "airplane mode" these problems disappeared.

Doody

 

[Whazzzup]

hiss is not rf noise

 

[Chianti]

Can someone clarify that these hiss and AM radio noises are related to the source material coming off of a smartphone? I was under the impression that all the RF signals on the phone (GPS, BT, WiFi, 3G, 4G, etc.) were most of the problem. Is that not so?

Someone proposed that if you put your smartphone into "airplane mode" these problems disappeared.

Doody

No smartphone, USB, or power cable - Hugo 2 in my hand, not plugged into anything besides the IEMs (JH13 Pro) - I even put it on mute, though hiss/noise remains constant at all source volumes. Constant hiss which is modulated to resemble "between channel" radio noise.
Completely cured with iEMatch, which you should just buy - then no real world concerns remain. Would have been nice though if Chord had included this via a sensitivity/gain switch in the unit.

 

[psikey]

No smartphone, USB, or power cable - Hugo 2 in my hand, not plugged into anything besides the IEMs (JH13 Pro) - I even put it on mute, though hiss/noise remains constant at all source volumes. Constant hiss which is modulated to resemble "between channel" radio noise.
Completely cured with iEMatch, which you should just buy - then no real world concerns remain. Would have been nice though if Chord had included this via a sensitivity/gain switch in the unit.

Not got the Hugo 2 to test yet (couple of weeks) but I detect no hiss with my SE846's and Mojo so not expecting any with Hugo 2. Must have super ears if you can hear hiss.

I do have an iEMatch as needed to use it with the Fiio X5III and my Samsung S8, but not the Mojo and noise level supposedly even less with H2.

 

[Currawong]

I plugged in Andromedas. I get silence. However for a bit I did get some on-and-off hiss which disappeared when the Hugo 2 changed power/charging modes.

so its the fpga and the software code embedded on it which elevates the price of H2?

In terms of simplicity, I am referring to the fact that it has an elaborate/expensive case and that is is controlled by colored balls rather than the traditional knobs and switches. I can't really criticize it much though, it seems to be a great success and that is what counts. Congratulations, and good job, Chord. Keep up the good work. I can't wait to see what Chord comes up with next.

John Franks has said in the past that the price of all Chord products is calculated against the price of the hardware, using the same multiplier, so I don't think removing features would reduce the price, as most of them are essentially software. I don't think traditional knobs and switches would change that. Anyhow, the switches under the balls are regular ones used in electronics.

Quick question. Susvara?

No. Tried. It clips.

 

[canali]

Forget laptop and get a cheap NUC to run ROCK. That's what I've done. It upsamples brilliantly, if that's your thing. But as has been stated, I haven't found Roon's upsampling improves anything on my 2Qute or Mojo.

thanks