[musickid]

Is a DAC strictly an analogue device or a combination of digital and analogue?

 

[miketlse]

Is a DAC strictly an analogue device or a combination of digital and analogue?

The description Digital to Analogue Converter should give you a clue.

 

[asia]

No you are not the only one; some find it v small, some find it much larger a difference. And it depends upon the source;so the HF filter is not there for 44.1, but 96k and 192k, when you will hear a bigger change. Also, the type of music plays a big part; so the 16FS filter to 256FS filter it is easier to hear with piano music; you can hear the starting and stopping of the notes much more easily. Also, its an effect that is easier to hear when just playing music, rather than AB listening.

I am listening to DSD256 piano music right now, Yarlung Records, Yuko Mabuchi Trio. I agree the 16fs to 256fs filter difference is apparent in the starting and stopping of the notes.

Also, with both DSD64 and DSD256, the green filter seems to add a small but audible treble rolloff. My Andromeda seem to emphasize treble slightly, with the green filter a little less so. So far for me the green filter is nice to have.

 

[bytor33]

a question to rob , why Hugo 2 seem to have lower volume for dsd files ? I remember Hugo 1 was not like this. is it something to do with Dave like processing in Hugo 2 ?

I’m wondering about this too. And for some reason I enjoyed DSD a lot more on my Mojo than the Hugo 2. There seems to be a fragility to the sound of DSD with Hugo 2, it doesn’t sound as full as it does on the Mojo.

 

[jarnopp]

Is a DAC strictly an analogue device or a combination of digital and analogue?

Musickid, can you provide a bit more color around what you are asking or why? There are several dac designs that may be thought of as more digital or more analog. For example, Morse code is a digital signal. A human can see it and speak the decoded words, thus doing a digital to analog conversion. But a computer can do the same thing upon receiving a Morse code signal.

 

[514077]

I’m wondering about this too. And for some reason I enjoyed DSD a lot more on my Mojo than the Hugo 2. There seems to be a fragility to the sound of DSD with Hugo 2, it doesn’t sound as full as it does on the Mojo.

I thought DSD was 6db lower in level than PCM. Not sure about that, but I like DSD on the H2. If I remember, DSD is converted to 705.6 PCM as opposed to the DAVE which does straight DSD.

 

[rkt31]

yes dsd is 6db lower but I remember both hugo 1 and mojo having in built compensation for that . Hugo 2 may not have that as it treats dsd differently like in Dave.

 

[rkt31]

green filter with some extremely transparent amps like benchmark ahb2 is very clearly audible. with 88.2 khz and above it improves the sound a lot. hugo 2 suddenly becomes something much more expensive a kit. ( that does not mean without green filter it sounds bad)with 44.1 khz it seems to make music a bit dull.

 

[x RELIC x]

green filter with some extremely transparent amps like benchmark ahb2 is very clearly audible. with 88.2 khz and above it improves the sound a lot. hugo 2 suddenly becomes something much more expensive a kit. ( that does not mean without green filter it sounds bad)with 44.1 khz it seems to make music a bit dull.

Rob just pointed out on the previous page that green filter does nothing with 44.1 (see spoiler below). I wonder what you’re hearing then.

Spoiler: Rob’s comment on the HF filter

No you are not the only one; some find it v small, some find it much larger a difference. And it depends upon the source;so the HF filter is not there for 44.1, but 96k and 192k, when you will hear a bigger change. Also, the type of music plays a big part; so the 16FS filter to 256FS filter it is easier to hear with piano music; you can hear the starting and stopping of the notes much more easily. Also, its an effect that is easier to hear when just playing music, rather than AB listening.

Once I was listening on a flight,and the music sounded soft and lacking edge. I thought it was my ears; but half way through the flight I noticed it was on red. Switched to green, and the sharpness of the edges reappeared immediately; you could hear notes starting properly. And over extended listening it is very much more obvious.

As to your unit working - if the lights are changing,then this for sure means the filters are functioning, as the lights are controlled directly from the FPGA. Its impossible for it not to be working - as failure would be indicated by nothing at all happening.

 

[JaZZ]

The green filter does make an audible difference also with 44.1 kHz recordings to my ears. After all it produces a slight roll-off (1 dB at 20 kHz).

 

[tekkster]

I was supposed to go to sleep 2 hours ago.

Can't stop listening to Emily Bear's Diversity album and Dave Brubeck's Countdown: Time in Outer Space, and also the 1957 albun The Cats, with John Coltrane, Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Burrell, and Idrees Sulieman. Thelonius Monk's 'Round Midnight. Just a little Cinematic Orchestra thrown in (Les ailes pourpres)

H2 + Utopia....definitely my limited budget's end game.

Too bad my wife won't let me listen to open backs in bed.

 

[Phronesis]

Rob just pointed out on the previous page that green filter does nothing with 44.1 (see spoiler below). I wonder what you’re hearing then.

The green filter does make an audible difference also with 44.1 kHz recordings to my ears. After all it produces a slight roll-off (1 dB at 20 kHz).

Some of us (myself included) may not hear much at close to 20 kHz, and 1 dB difference isn't much.

A good experiment with the filters is to put your finger on the filter button, close your eyes, press the button numerous times until you lose track of the filter setting, then switch between filter settings to listen for shorter and longer intervals, and see if you can hear differences or predict what the filter setting is. For me, with well-recorded piano music, at 44.1 with Tidal Hi-Fi, I can't consciously hear any differences between the filters. Maybe my ears aren't good enough, but they're at least good enough to clearly hear differences between the DF Red, Mojo, Hugo 2, and other DAC/amps I've tried.

 

[JaZZ]

Some of us (myself included) may not hear much at close to 20 kHz, and 1 dB difference isn't much.

A good experiment with the filters is to put your finger on the filter button, close your eyes, press the button numerous times until you lose track of the filter setting, then switch between filter settings to listen for shorter and longer intervals, and see if you can hear differences or predict what the filter setting is. For me, with well-recorded piano music, at 44.1 with Tidal Hi-Fi, I can't consciously hear any differences between the filters. Maybe my ears aren't good enough, but they're at least good enough to clearly hear differences between the DF Red, Mojo, Hugo 2, and other DAC/amps I've tried.

Admittedly the difference is subtle – but it can be crucial nonetheless (like at some point in the past with a deviating EQ setting for the HE1000). Also, I'm mainly referring to the DAVE with exactly the same HF filter characteristic. I don't hear up to 20 kHz myself, but the roll-off starts earlier, so there may be –0.5 dB at 15 kHz and –0.15 dB at 12 kHz.

 

[Phronesis]

Admittedly the difference is subtle – but it can be crucial nonetheless

To me, a difference which is subtle, to the point where I can barely detect it, wouldn't generally be crucial. The differences between headphones are glaring, so IMO choosing well in that regard is top priority. I also find that the differences between DAC/amps are enough to matter - especially with decent headphones - and of course there's also the issue of compatibility between DAC/amps and headphones, so I can justify spending over $2K on the Hugo 2, even if the last increment of refinement provided by the filters isn't available with my sources or my ears.

 

[JaZZ]

To me, a difference which is subtle, to the point where I can barely detect it, wouldn't generally be crucial. The differences between headphones are glaring, so IMO choosing well in that regard is top priority. I also find that the differences between DAC/amps are enough to matter - especially with decent headphones - and of course there's also the issue of compatibility between DAC/amps and headphones, so I can justify spending over $2K on the Hugo 2, even if the last increment of refinement provided by the filters isn't available with my sources or my ears.

Accepted – as your personal experience and approach. However, I was just responding to the alleged inaudibility confirmed by Rob. The filter is audible for people with corresponding sensitivity.