[514077]

PS: Just listened to it. I thought I heard a little boost in the level of the HH toward the end of the 2nd verse; but might've been just the 'looking for something' bias. I have the JB/Regen setup too, but didn't notice any distorted HH. The only thing I did notice was a peculiar (what might be) distortion with the out-of-phase regae guitar and the kickdrum playing together. Bare in mind that the Police production was somewhat more primitive until Ghost In The Machine. But wow! what an atmosphere that song conveys.

This might sound like a strange request, but does anyone have The Police's Reggatta de Blanc on DSD and can tell me if the Hi-hats sound too piercing and fatiguing on Walking on the Moon?
I only have the H2 for a few days and it's playing only when I'm listening, so I might be at the stage of (brain?) break in where things start to sound worse before they get better.
Also, my source is a desktop PC with an AQ Jitterbug + Uptone REGEN for USB reclocking. I'm not sure if I have room to improve in the source section, and that might help keep the highs smoother?

EDIT: It's not throughout the entire track, just at some places.
I'm listening straight out of the H2 with LCD3, so the problem is probably not with the headphones

I never noticed that, (LCD-X), but I'll give it another listen and let you know.

 

[hugo poon]

I shot a quick update about my experiences with the headphone driving ability of the Hugo 2 and how to use the coaxial inputs. Nothing particularly new, but I wanted to update my review(s).

It has nothing to do with the plugs or using adapters whatsoever. If your read my post again, this is what I wrote:

"A small 3.5 mm connector plus RCA plugs is what we began with (see the first pic); after we confirmed that such improvement is genuine (I could still recall how stunned I was by the separation, 3D, sense of living presence and naturalness), we moved on even more aggressively by making a special headphone cable having RCA plugs at the other end to connect directly to the Hugo 2..."

In other words, we did not make the cable with RCA plugs in the first place; we decided to do this only after being able to confirm we are hearing the difference. Again, let me reiterate that I don't have any clue (I wish I had) why the Hugo 2's RCA out would sound better than the headphone out, yet since I've been enjoying this set up so much that I thought I might perhaps share it here.

 

[514077]

Thanks! I heard it with other DACs and I don't remember it being this piercing. I guess I should try it again with the Mojo and compare. I will have a look at the igalvanic (but doesn't Rob Watts say galvanic isolation is not needed when not using an external amp?)

I also wonder if there is a cheap way to test out the optical input. My pc doesn't have optical out.

Don't forget the Hugo2 is very revealing. And do you have a DAP with optical out?

 

[514077]

This will clear your sinuses, Nightwish playing to 85,000 at Wacken Festival 2013, the female vocalist Floor Jansen is a star performer, sounds great with Hugo 2/Focal Utopias with Moon Audio Black Dragon cable

Thanks @ChisChas! New group for me to get into.

 

[musicday]

You fellows got me thinkin'. Maybe Hugo 2 used principally driving Omega Juniors. Prefer speaker to headphone listening anyway. Dedicated Chord app for Hugo 2/2 Go would be clincher. Don't care much for third party apps.[/QUOTE]


PM for extra information if you have any additional questions.
Rest reassured Hugo 2 with Omega speakers are clearly a winner combination in my book.
Not much else needed apart the A16

 

[Chikolad]

Don't forget the Hugo2 is very revealing. And do you have a DAP with optical out?

Nope, I don't have any DAP at all. Just an LG V20.

Yeah the recording on that album is not very good in audiophile terms, but it does contain The Police's 2 most defining recordings, WOTM and Message in a Bottle, both with amazing atmospheres. I actually think that the SACD version is not the best available quality version for this album.
The album that came out next, Zenyatta Mondatta, sounds really great to my ears.

 

[maxh22]

You fellows got me thinkin'. Maybe Hugo 2 used principally driving Omega Juniors. Prefer speaker to headphone listening anyway. Dedicated Chord app for Hugo 2/2 Go would be clincher. Don't care much for third party apps.

I have a silly question, is it $1,895 per speaker or for the set? Also do you think you can record your setup playing some tracks? I'm really curious to hear how it sounds (Yes I know the A/D converter in your phone or camera will mess up the sound to an extent but it still still give me a good idea of how it sounds

 

[maxh22]

Nope, I don't have any DAP at all. Just an LG V20.

Yeah the recording on that album is not very good in audiophile terms, but it does contain The Police's 2 most defining recordings, WOTM and Message in a Bottle, both with amazing atmospheres. I actually think that the SACD version is not the best available quality version for this album.
The album that came out next, Zenyatta Mondatta, sounds really great to my ears.

Are you satisfied with the USB out on your V20? My V20 has these really annoying intermittent pops that randomly occur irrespective of the audio playing software used (ie. UAPP, LG music, Tidal app).

I've basically given up on it..

Right now the Chromecast/ Ifi psu is serving me much better .

 

[Chikolad]

Are you satisfied with the USB out on your V20? My V20 has these really annoying intermittent pops that randomly occur irrespective of the audio playing software used (ie. UAPP, LG music, Tidal app).

I've basically given up on it..

Right now the Chromecast/ Ifi psu is serving me much better .

I actually never used the USB out enough to give a definite answer, but from the little I tried it with the Mojo and UAPP I can't recall hearing pops. I do recall that the sound wasn't as good as with the Mojo coming out of my laptop + Jitterbug (the Jitterbug doesn't work out of the V20 with the USB type c to micro USB adapter I use).

 

[maxh22]

I actually never used the USB out enough to give a definite answer, but from the little I tried it with the Mojo and UAPP I can't recall hearing pops. I do recall that the sound wasn't as good as with the Mojo coming out of my laptop + Jitterbug (the Jitterbug doesn't work out of the V20 with the USB type c to micro USB adapter I use).

That's weird, Jitterbug works perfectly fine with my V20 but either way I was getting these pops and it was bothering me a lot. The V10 never had such a problem and as a transport it actually sounded cleaner and better, I wonder if its my particular V20 lol

 

[514077]

Nope, I don't have any DAP at all. Just an LG V20.

Yeah the recording on that album is not very good in audiophile terms, but it does contain The Police's 2 most defining recordings, WOTM and Message in a Bottle, both with amazing atmospheres. I actually think that the SACD version is not the best available quality version for this album.
The album that came out next, Zenyatta Mondatta, sounds really great to my ears.

What would you say is the best version of this album?

 

[Chikolad]

What would you say is the best version of this album?

Not sure, I will have to find it, but WOTM sounds a little better to me on the Every Breath You Take compilation that I have. Maybe it was treated especially for the compilation, but maybe there is a better version of the entire album.
Should have written "might not be the best version"

 

[Paul Bjernklo]

I'm leaning more and more towards believing that for the most part, break in is a process that happens in our brain and less in the electronics themselves. This is also what Chord claims, and I find they are usually right.

To be honest I never understood that argument, as I don’t need “break in” hearing live voices or live unamplified music, and the Hugo 2 is more natural than other non Chord DACs in my view. For me hearing the original Hugo and the new Hugo 2 requires less “strain on the brain” than previous DACs so my brain did not need any break in. Yes it is very different with more transparency, detail and more musicality, but to me was pure immediate musical enjoyment!

I had some brain adjustment coming from a very good Class A amplifier, when switching to my Benchmark AHB2 power amplifier with my speakers as the sound was so different (better in my opinion, much lower distortion, darker and transparent), so I guess the argument may be valid but not based on my experience for the Chord DACs. I do however think that my Hugo 2 sounds even better over time as I hear so much more layering (maybe that is the depth Rob W refers to but I heard that at least to some part from the beginning) in the music so possibly there is some truth in it...

 

[dmance]

I'm leaning more and more towards believing that for the most part, break in is a process that happens in our brain and less in the electronics themselves. This is also what Chord claims, and I find they are usually right.

There is general consensus that the Schiit Yggdrasil DAC, based on the military grade Analog Devices AD5791,does require the chip to be 'hot'. Meaning the processing in the chip (a kind of R2R) delivers its specified D/A performance only after several days of being left powered on. Then when powered down - the chip does not maintain any benefit and will subsequently have to be left on again. Hence users claim better sound if its just left on all the time.
I know the Hugo2 is not like this (my understanding and Rob Watts comments) but I think too many people have noted differences for it to be purely imaginary.

 

[NickedWicked]

Spend few days with the Hugo 2 and a Aeon Flow Open but it just sounded awful much preferred my ADI-2 Pro with it’s slightly more relaxed sound, on my Focal Clear however it’s another story entirely, seems it doesn’t suite every kind of headphone.