[Christer]

You have set yourself up to be record holder for only a few minutes or hours.
There are posters on the DAVE thread, who listen through expensive systems, and @Christer often mentions that a Chord dac does not sound as good as a different system with an eye watering price.

On a positive note, you now have to choose between a Blu2 and the linn/sennheiser system.
2018 will be expensive for you.

Hmm?
When and where did I often mention that "a Chord dac does not sound as good as a different system with an eye watering price."
I am not sure I ever said that?
I think you are misquoting me here.
As far as no compromise at all products like DAVE/BLU2 I have only heard DAVE/BLU2 via headphones and with headphones the combo can drive on its own like Utopias and HEKV2 I have often mentioned they are firmly in the SOTA class imho.
And even in combination with a separate headphone amp like WA33 for example the combo delivered some of the most accurate and resolving SQ I have ever heard.
I have not had the opportunity to compare DAVE/BLU2 to other highend DACs and in SOTA speaker systems and made no comments of how it compares with other systems with eye watering prices via speakers as far as I can remember?

The only Chord DAC I have criticised with speakers is my own HUGO, no other Chord DAC.
What I have said though,is that Chord dacs are not the only good sounding dacs on planet earth.
But it would not surprise me if DAVE/BLU2 is currently the best sounding dac combo both with speakers and headphones.
Correct me if my memory serves me wrong.
PS Just back in civilization after some weeks staying in a jungle bungalow with NO RF inducing things like TVs, fridges or such,where my DAC Headphone combos sounded very nice indeed, by the way.
Tomorrow I am ready for a live concert again.
Cheers Christer

 

[Currawong]

Found it! This is brilliant. I wish I'd known about it before.

 

[RobinTim]

Found it! This is brilliant. I wish I'd known about it before.

What is it and where can I buy it?

 

[thePhones]

The most likely explanation is that it's the RF noise from the blu ray player creating a little more noise floor modulation, making it sound brighter. Whichever source sounds warmer is actually technically better.

Thanks for your reply Rob. I have found one very old post in the forums describing the same things I have noticed. But this time both are going to his dac via optial. Once directly from the player, the other one going over the (conversion happening here?) TV.
I have also noticed some small change in loudness, forgot to say that.

I have a Vizio TV that I use for TV (Tivo), TV Computer and BluRay. For ease of use for the SO, I run everything to the TV via HDMI, so she only has to use one remote to switch inputs, volume, etc. There's an optical out from the TV to the receiver. Just out of curiosity I put a new CD in the BluRay player and connected an optical from the player to the receiver. When I A/B'd them, the optical from the player sounded better and was at the least louder. I had (naively) assumed that digital was digital was digital, and that the audio over HDMI would be same bitstream as the SPDIF.

So, it seems one of the following happened:

1. HDMI is bit-perfect, but my TV converted it somehow (D->A to the internal audio mixer, then A->D from the internal to the optical out)
2. HDMI isn't bit perfect
3. Pixies

Anyone ever try this before? Next step I guess would be to go HDMI from the BluRay to the receiver, then A/B it again.

Maybe someone has also experienced something like that?

Greetings from Germany

 

[Morimoriya 62]

Found it! This is brilliant. I wish I'd known about it before.

Lol ,my best friend purchased it ,He loaned me for testing

 

[miketlse]

Hmm?
When and where did I often mention that "a Chord dac does not sound as good as a different system with an eye watering price."
I am not sure I ever said that?
I think you are misquoting me here.
As far as no compromise at all products like DAVE/BLU2 I have only heard DAVE/BLU2 via headphones and with headphones the combo can drive on its own like Utopias and HEKV2 I have often mentioned they are firmly in the SOTA class imho.
And even in combination with a separate headphone amp like WA33 for example the combo delivered some of the most accurate and resolving SQ I have ever heard.
I have not had the opportunity to compare DAVE/BLU2 to other highend DACs and in SOTA speaker systems and made no comments of how it compares with other systems with eye watering prices via speakers as far as I can remember?

The only Chord DAC I have criticised with speakers is my own HUGO, no other Chord DAC.
What I have said though,is that Chord dacs are not the only good sounding dacs on planet earth.
But it would not surprise me if DAVE/BLU2 is currently the best sounding dac combo both with speakers and headphones.
Correct me if my memory serves me wrong.
PS Just back in civilization after some weeks staying in a jungle bungalow with NO RF inducing things like TVs, fridges or such,where my DAC Headphone combos sounded very nice indeed, by the way.
Tomorrow I am ready for a live concert again.
Cheers Christer

Sorry, my comment was meant very tongue in cheek. I will edit it tonight, to remove offence.

 

[GreenBow]

i am pretty sure ifi nano is not in any way providing galvanic isolation as compared to ifi galvanic. totally different things. AFAIK galvanic isolation prevents any ground loops or stray currents entering the dac and blocks all "dirty noise" from the pc. ie unwanted dirty power doesn't get through only the data. intona isolator is the famous one and now we have isoregen. hope that helps. the dac therefore is "locked down" and only has to deal with a pristine data delivery and some isolators like intona also reclock the signal by 100%. although i'm not sure how useful that is for chord dacs as they reclock the incoming signal anyway AFAIK. thanks mk. users would hope for improved SQ.

Thank you, yeah that helped, and I liked you post a while ago.

I have just looked again on the iFi Nano iUSB 3.0 website, for data on the gadget I bought. It shows that the Nano USB 3.0 does not galvanically isolate. https://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/nano-iusb3-0/

The lower power at 1A Micro iUSB 3.0 does galvanic isolation. They really know how to make you spend more money don't they.

However it does leave me with a puzzle. I either return the Nano iUSB, or keep it. ... I have acquired an optical output device for my computer, so I can skip galvanic isolation that way. However I was hoping to keep optical free, and use USB from PC.

If I keep the Nano iUSB, I will at least have clean power. I understand that the Hugo 2 has incorporated better RFI than the Hugo 1. Yet it can't hurt, and if at all can only help to have better cleaner power supply. I remember Rob telling us with the Mojo that battery some displaces noise from the power in. Assuming that's applicable to the Hugo 2, and whatever else Chord put in. I might gain nothing with a cleaner power supply. People with cleaner PSU do think they hear a change though.

I might find that the Nano iUSB is better at reducing noise on the USB input, over the Jitterbug. The Jitterbug made a clean difference for me with the Mojo. Again though, the Hugo 2 is supposed to be better are coping with RFI. ......... Right now though, I don't know whether to cut my losses and return this Nano iUSB, or keep it. I don't want to open the factory seal cellophane, and then decide to return it. I'd rather decide keep or return, and then stick to it, out of respect for the retailers.

For all the plus points I can think of with this device. I think galvanic isolation would be better to have, than not. ... I have got in a mess haven't I?

 

[GreenBow]

Hi GreenBow,
while the iFi Nano USB 3.0 is a great product it doesn't certainly provide Galvanic Isolation (for that there are specific product, the iFi iGalvanic or UpTone Audio ISO Regen for example).
It is of course a better product than the stock SMPS, but Rob Watts posted slides that proved Hugo 2 complete isolation from powering source, so your iFi product won't change sound that much...

Yeah, after more searching, you were right. https://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/nano-iusb3-0/ I made a bit of a mistake buy.

Please what do you mean, Rob showed Hugo 2 to have isolation from power source. Isolation in regards of what please? When I first read that, I thought you meant better at removing noise from USB lines in. Plus general RFI improvement over Hugo 1.

By the way, you avatar is alright.

 

[hugo poon]

Enjoying my Hugo 2 combo so much that I couldn't help taking a couple of shots! It doesn't only sound fabulous but look cool too!

Happy Listening!!

Hugo

 

[Peter Hyatt]

I purchased a Valentinum case for further protection of H2, especially when mobile.

I'll likely get the official case when 2Go is released to allow for one case to hold both nicely together, similar to the strong Poly/Mojo case. I hope it is just as strong.

 

[Satir]

n/a

 

[ChisChas]

Here's a very complimentary review of the Hugo 2 from HiFi+, guy's got no taste however, it's a silver one

http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/chord-electronics-hugo2-transportable-headphone-ampdac/

 

[GreenBow]

Well, I just tried comparing the Hugo 2 optical input vs USB.

Details:
A cheap optical and coaxial connecter that ports onto my PC motherboard.
A cheap optical cable

A cheap USB cable with one ferrite choke on it.
AudioQuest Jitterbug included on the USB line.

Track to compare with: Dreams by The Cranberries.

Really struggled to hear any difference doing a straight A/B comparison. I might do better leaving one cable on for a week and then swapping over. I think also maybe my amplifier and speakers may not be high quality enough to detect any changes. Also I only use cheap optical cable and they say quality cables are better.

(That Jitterbug does a good job though in removing noise from the USB power lines I think. Thus bringing it closer to optical sounding. I think I also recall Rob Watts saying that optical and USB are closer on the Hugo 2.)


I did find one oddity though, but I do not know it was my computer or the Hugo 2. If I was listening to USB, then swapped over to optical, I would change the input Hugo 2 button. However I would not get sound from the Hugo 2 on optical until I removed the USB cable. It was almost like the input button was being superseded by the Hugo 2 choosing USB over optical. Might well have been my PC though.

 

[mmwwmm]

Great looking case, just ordered one.
How did you connect your LPS to the H2? Did you remove the batteries?

I’m just using the LPS instead the SMPS that comes with the H2. The difference in SQ is inmediately evident. Really the Chord DACs are the more analog sounding of any DACs I’ve ever listened to. Incredibly fluid, transparent, hyperdetailed, airier, delicate and liquid sounding. Very addictive sound!! Every time I listen to the Hugo 2 reminds me of the fluid and liquid sound of some very high end vinyl rigs I listened in the past and always looked for that kind of sound.
When I read some comments about the Hugo 2 being “bright” I can’t understand it. To my ears It has very extended and ultradetailed highs but very liquid at the same time.
I like it A LOT.

 

[GreenBow]

I’m just using the LPS instead the SMPS that comes with the H2. The difference in SQ is inmediately evident. Really the Chord DACs are the more analog sounding of any DACs I’ve ever listened to. Incredibly fluid, transparent, hyperdetailed, airier, delicate and liquid sounding. Very addictive sound!! Every time I listen to the Hugo 2 reminds me of the fluid and liquid sound of some very high end vinyl rigs I listened in the past and always looked for that kind of sound.
When I read some comments about the Hugo 2 being “bright” I can’t understand it. To my ears It has very extended and ultradetailed highs but very liquid at the same time.
I like it A LOT.

Sometimes when I pull my power supply out of the Hugo 2, I think I hear a change. A nice small gentle boost in the bass, with a bit more solidity. Meaning I think if I used a better power supply, I think I might hear a change too. ......... However sometimes I think there is no change in sound quality between battery and then power supply. (I have an iFi Nano USB to try so that should help. Just not made my mind up whether to open it or not.)

Totally agree with you about the Hugo 2 not being bright.