[miksu8]

Hmm, being one of those very much still "sitting on the fence" as far as HUGO 2 is concerned, I would like to know what musical genres you are referring to with your observation of voices sounding unnatural and digital. Are you listening to modern studio style pop/rock stuff where the singer basically puts a mic in his/her mouth? Or classical where the human voice almost always is miked at a distance?
If you mean pop/rock singers, what you hear could actually be things not resolved by some other dacs and not really a fault of HUGO 2 at all.
It could simply be a standard case of bad miking more brutally revealed than you were used to?
If on the other hand, you hear the same happening with vocals in Opera and other classical music, there could be other, less flattering to HUGO 2, reasons for what you are hearing imho.
Finally what speakers /headphones are you using with your HUGO 2?
Cheers Christer

Modern pop/electronic so far. Was also thinking if it's a recording issue which other DACs haven't revealed but it's quite frequent.

Would be nice to have some sources which are "proven" to be of good quality so I could test some. Preferably a link to free sample/source on net. Classical music ok too.

 

[Light - Man]

Modern pop/electronic so far. Was also thinking if it's a recording issue which other DACs haven't revealed but it's quite frequent.

Would be nice to have some sources which are "proven" to be of good quality so I could test some. Preferably a link to free sample/source on net. Classical music ok too.

Are you using Sen HD600?

Sea-Lion Dijon - AKA Celine Dion is supposed to be a good test for tone.

I tested my previous AKG 812 on her and it did not sound right.

 

[Peter Hyatt]

Nice to hear that you have discovered young Brahms' early masterpiece "Ein Deutsches Requiem".
I have this recording in its orginal LP version and it is great by any standard.
If you also want a downloadable more modern hi res version to saviour via your HUGO 2, there is quite a good one from the BSO available as 24/88.2 download from their own BSO site and several other sites too.
Some other Masses and Requiems of similar greatness are IMHO , Bach's B-minor Mass , Mozart's Requiem and Beethoven's Missa Solemnis.
And Verdi's Requiem is, though not as comforting and soothing as Brahms' German Requiem can be in both psychological and musical terms, a timeless masterpiece. But an even more dramatic and even defiant take on the inevitable ending of human life.
And if you want to sample a bit of Handel for free his Oratorio "Israel in Egypt" is still up, both in stereo, and as binaural on the BBC PROMS sites.
I started my day yesterday with it and Handel's wonderful music with a mix of both his "Messiah" and "Fireworks Music" thrown into one and the same work had me humming in great spirit all day.
Cheers Christer

Thanks for the recommendation. If my wife whispers, "hey, man up a bit there...", you'll know I loved it. I found this: http://www.hdtracks.com/handel-israel-in-egypt

thoughts?

Next up: I search or wait for HD Tracks coupon. Cause, you know, I could quit at any time.

OT: I enjoy asking opinions here. Over a year ago, I asked John for what he enjoys and he recommended Stravinsky "Right of Spring", which I love. It took my wife time to adjust with Mojo, and with Hugo 2, again, little by little, but with ROS, it may not just be data overload/autism!

If others could weigh in on specific classical recommendations that H2 has given great enjoyment, I am grateful.

 

[Peter Hyatt]

Here in Canada, DAVE now retails for $14,500. That's ...Fourteen Thousand Five Hundred Dollars. Almost five times the price of an already very expensive Hugo2. Plus taxes. At 46% marginal tax rate you need to carve out $30,000 of your annual income to buy a DAVE. One component in a necessarily high priced chain of components.
This is not a 'hobby' at this level of spend.
Maybe I'll take a five year break from high end audio; stop visiting HEaDFI and just enjoy my $500 setup.

The tax rate is punitive. Are you able to purchase it over the border?

No matter where we are politically, we may be sure that each new cycle of politicians will promise more stuff to more people and somewhere someday someone gets the bill.

I am almost afraid to hear DAVE.

Almost.

 

[TokenGesture]

I don't hear this 'digitalness" in voices that I'm reading about. Maybe my ears aren't up to the task, don't know.

Modern pop/electronic so far. Was also thinking if it's a recording issue which other DACs haven't revealed but it's quite frequent.

Can you give an example of a track you notice this effect? So that we can compare?

 

[Peter Hyatt]

DSD and Audirvana Plus Question:

Once loaded into the software, must the file be kept on the MacBook Pro? These files are large.

I am enjoying the H2 colors!

 

[guerph]

Anyone else notice that all the dealer prices went up? Maybe they want us to pay for improved quality control? I ain't mad...truly. Actually, I am kinda. Two defective units. I slept on it last night and woke up deciding to return the second defective unit and wait for them to sort out these issues before reordering. Screw me, I'll have to pay an extra $200.

 

[Christer]

Here in Canada, DAVE now retails for $14,500. That's ...Fourteen Thousand Five Hundred Dollars. Almost five times the price of an already very expensive Hugo2. Plus taxes. At 46% marginal tax rate you need to carve out $30,000 of your annual income to buy a DAVE. One component in a necessarily high priced chain of components.
This is not a 'hobby' at this level of spend.
Maybe I'll take a five year break from high end audio; stop visiting HEaDFI and just enjoy my $500 setup.

Listen to the voice of reason and it ought to be pretty obvious that the price you quote for DAVE is nothing less than a rip off.
I will never be a victim of such pricing, no matter how good a product sounds. I would rather ,and do spend my money on travel and live concerts instead.

 

[Christer]

DSD and Audirvana Plus Question:

Once loaded into the software, must the file be kept on the MacBook Pro? These files are large.

I am enjoying the H2 colors!

I store all my hi res files on separate portable harddrives.
Only whilst actually playing them will they be loaded in to the 8 gigabyte ram disk on my MBP.
My files as seen in iTunes are only proxys the real files sometimes up to 2-3 gigabyte per album are not taking up any real space on my MBP's hardrive at all.
I have two portable drives with 2Tb capacity. One full and one with a bit more than 1Tb free for more music.
When I download music I do so onto the desktop of my mac and then move the files to the portable drive and from there I add the music to Audirvana.
Remember to delete the file on your desktop and make a backup on a second harddrive as well before deleting the orginal, to be on the safe side.
There is a risk of getting unwanted copies on you harddrive if you open iTunes or Audirvana first or download from Qobuz where at least last time I used that site everything goes by default into i-Tunes on your laptop.
Hope this helps.
Cheers Christer

 

[Christer]

Hey there @Christer

I am not trying to troll, but could it be that those moods of Hugo you are talking about are in fact your mood at the given time of listening? I think that a bad mood can spoil a lot of pleasure listening to music... Until the music changes your mood ... But maybe that's just me.

I am afraid that's most likely just you.
I am very rarely in a bad mood.
A daily dose of Mozart is the best profylactic against bad moods I know of.

What happens with HUGO when it gets in "a bad mood" is that very good recordings I know very well, start sounding thin,wiry and unlistenable.

I think the culprit is bad isolation against whatever interferences there might be in my home and other places.
For a while I suspected the 60 Pounds heavy PSU of my amp and at other times power fluctuations,stray currents, loop currents and what not.
But since the nastiness only happens with HUGO plugged in and never with DAC 2 or any of my earlier DACs I ruled out the other suspects.
And since I travel a lot and have had to plug in my HUGO with the charger connected in Asia many times and I know from too much experience that very often HUGO reacts with thin wiry and unpleasant SQ in such cases I now avoid using it that way.
With DAC 2 I can enjoy music with both DAC 2 and my laptop connected to power.
Hakuna matata.
But my HUGO needs both laptop and HUGO disconnected from power to sound good.
And sometimes even those precautions don't help.

 

[halloweenman]

Beyerdynamic T1 and their T8ie (IEM) I am "definition" orientated. I remain a fan of German manufacturing. I hope to give Nighthawks a demo, though, as my wife is interested. Right now, we share the headphones. After Rob's post, Mr. Speakers AEON will have to be tested too.


I'm having too much fun ($) with hi res downloads and H2. I've got to quit. I know I can. I really do. Any time I want. I don't have a problem. Really. I heard the DSD of Dylan's "Street Legal" with music I did not know was part of it and I've known this album since I was 16. Going from ALAC to DSD seemed to "open up" the music even more. I don't know how to describe it.

Thanks Peter, I'll check them out.

Dylan was one of those artists that got me more seriously into music as a teenager, as a player, and as a listener. After decades of listening to the same songs they continue to provide just as much enjoyment as the first time I listened to them.

 

[Christer]

Thanks for the recommendation. If my wife whispers, "hey, man up a bit there...", you'll know I loved it. I found this: http://www.hdtracks.com/handel-israel-in-egypt

thoughts?

Next up: I search or wait for HD Tracks coupon. Cause, you know, I could quit at any time.

OT: I enjoy asking opinions here. Over a year ago, I asked John for what he enjoys and he recommended Stravinsky "Right of Spring", which I love. It took my wife time to adjust with Mojo, and with Hugo 2, again, little by little, but with ROS, it may not just be data overload/autism!

If others could weigh in on specific classical recommendations that H2 has given great enjoyment, I am grateful.

Hello Peter,
I am not familair with the Handel recording at HD Tracks, the only one I have ever heard in fact, is the live performance still available to listen to for free at BBC RADIO 3
Just go to BBC Proms and listen for free in pretty good SQ to a lot of really good music while it lasts.
I have only listened once to any of my hi res downloads in recent weeks.
I get my daily endorphine dose courtesy of the BBC and my Yoga.
Cheers Christer

 

[maxh22]

Listen to the voice of reason and it ought to be pretty obvious that the price you quote for DAVE is nothing less than a rip off.
I will never be a victim of such pricing, no matter how good a product sounds. I would rather ,and do spend my money on travel and live concerts instead.

Audiogon has used Dave's for about $8000 and if you were to buy used Dave's from the UK the price might even be lower.

 

[Hooster]

Listen to the voice of reason and it ought to be pretty obvious that the price you quote for DAVE is nothing less than a rip off.
I will never be a victim of such pricing, no matter how good a product sounds. I would rather ,and do spend my money on travel and live concerts instead.

Well, the average wage in Canada is $50.000, so I suppose you are doing ok if you make $75.000. Of that you will take home $52.000 after taxes. It may be a stretch, but you might be able to put away 5% of that after paying for housing, transport, health, insurance, education, groceries, etc. That would make $2500. So, if you want the Dave it would take you 5.8 years of work to pay for it, and forget about the fancy stand. 5.8 years of work to pay for a DAC? I don't think so.

If on the other hand you are some kind of hedge fund broker and make big bonuses, then why not?


Regarding the QC issues, just make 100% sure you get a unit that is sealed by Chord when you get a replacement. The unit's packaging seal must be intact. That way you will avoid getting a dealer refurbished item. Someone also posted that he had a unit where RCA connectors did not fit the case and another unit where they did easily. I doubt that there is much variation in genuine Chord Hugo2s. They must be made by CNC and it should not be possible. Is there a chance that there are counterfeit Hugo2s?

 

[miketlse]

Audiogon has used Dave's for about $8000 and if you were to buy used Dave's from the UK the price might even be lower.

I can only see one left now, so the others must have been snapped up.