[EagleWings]

Can someone please tell me if I can use an 4.4mm female (TRRRS) to 3.5mm male (TRRS) cable adaptor to be able to use ALO Ref.8 4.4mm cable with H2?

Yes, you can. But NOT the TRRS 3.5mm male. You need the TRS 3.5mm male.

 

[rkt31]

sabre chips have been improving at a fast pace. their latest 9038pro is used in opportunity udp205 audiophile universal player and have been receiving extremely good reviews on some forums. has anybody compared it with hugo 2 ? it seems the yggy fever is now over and people are talking more and more about newer sabre DACs . any idea ?

 

[miketlse]

sabre chips have been improving at a fast pace. their latest 9038pro is used in opportunity udp205 audiophile universal player and have been receiving extremely good reviews on some forums. has anybody compared it with hugo 2 ? it seems the yggy fever is now over and people are talking more and more about newer sabre DACs . any idea ?

Rob watts has explained that "Silicon DAC's are horribly noisy, as the substrate and grounds are bouncing around due to switching activity."
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/cho...in-3rd-post-◄★☆.784602/page-384#post-12102313

I presume that the new generation of Sabre chips will still suffer from this noise, even if slightly less than before.
The only way to prevent the noise completely, is to change the technology.

 

[rkt31]

newer sabre chip said to run processes in parallel which improves s/n ratio . if the manufacturers plan to add more such chips it improves the s/n ratio further. though imho these chip will still be suffering from poor transients accuracy as the number of taps are still very less.

 

[rkt31]

in the mean while I have been listening to some good recordings through Hugo 2 . Lyn Stanley interludes is not just any audiophile attempt to sound good but the music is very good too. Amanda McBroom's-Growing Up in Hollywood Town, Sheffield disc is one of the cleanest transfer of analog master to digital and chesky's portrait of Cuba's first track, the tuba sounding so realistically on right side are reproduced by Hugo 2 with aplomb. Hugo 2 instantly differentiates between poor and good recording , even singer going close to mic etc. still Hugo 2 is never fatiguing.

 

[465176]

Rob watts has explained that "Silicon DAC's are horribly noisy, as the substrate and grounds are bouncing around due to switching activity."
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/chord-mojo-dac-amp-☆★►faq-in-3rd-post-◄★☆.784602/page-384#post-12102313

I presume that the new generation of Sabre chips will still suffer from this noise, even if slightly less than before.
The only way to prevent the noise completely, is to change the technology.

Mr Watts would say that though wouldn’t he, as it’s a direct competitor’s product..... (and I have owned a Mojo, Hugo, and currently am very pleased with my Hugo 2). But if this Sabre noise was in practise bad/audible, we’d have heard about that issue by now. So much hype about Hugo tech, and dissing of the competition, but I’m only concerned if it obviously affects performance. Otherwise it’s merely a form of school playground my product measures better than yours boastings.....

 

[miketlse]

Mr Watts would say that though wouldn’t he, as it’s a direct competitor’s product..... (and I have owned a Mojo, Hugo, and currently am very pleased with my Hugo 2). But if this Sabre noise was in practise bad/audible, we’d have heard about that issue by now. So much hype about Hugo tech, and dissing of the competition, but I’m only concerned if it obviously affects performance. Otherwise it’s merely a form of school playground my product measures better than yours boastings.....

Based on your post, I presume that you have never read any of Rob Watts posts describing dac technology, or looked at any of the graphs he posts revealing the chord dac measurements.
He openly posts his evidence.
You have rubbished his findings - you have the opportunity to publicly post your evidence.

 

[GreenBow]

Please folks,

I am convinced my Hugo 2 is not running purely off charger-adapter when in desktop mode. I am not sure if I have a faulty one, or I am wrong.

I believe my Hugo 2 is doing just as the Mojo does when plugged in 24/7. Meaning charging and discharging the battery in cycles, of maybe twenty minutes or half an hour. (However long the cycles generally are.)

I feel that I do not have a working desktop powered DAC, which is what I thought I was buying.

Is it just my unit. (Second time asking. Hoping for some confidence on this.)


Secondly, I know Rob Watts said that he designed the Hugo 2 differently. Meaning filtered noise from the USB lines out, thus removing noise brightness. However I am convinced I hear a darkening in tone if I pull out the charger while it's playing. It's not a huge darkening, but it's better when it's running only off battery.


I am genuinely only running my Hugo 2 off battery now.

 

[Triode User]

Please folks,

I am convinced my Hugo 2 is not running purely off charger-adapter when in desktop mode. I am not sure if I have a faulty one, or I am wrong.

I believe my Hugo 2 is doing just as the Mojo does when plugged in 24/7. Meaning charging and discharging the battery in cycles, of maybe twenty minutes or half an hour. (However long the cycles generally are.)

I feel that I do not have a working desktop powered DAC, which is what I thought I was buying.

Is it just my unit. (Second time asking. Hoping for some confidence on this.)


Secondly, I know Rob Watts said that he designed the Hugo 2 differently. Meaning filtered noise from the USB lines out, thus removing noise brightness. However I am convinced I hear a darkening in tone if I pull out the charger while it's playing. It's not a huge darkening, but it's better when it's running only off battery.


I am genuinely only running my Hugo 2 off battery now.

Regarding desktop mode, this does not mean that H2 runs purely off the charger. Rather it means that the battery is kept charged to a slight lower voltage to promote battery life, the H2 still runs off the battery in desktop mode.

Check how your H2 sounds with and without the charger, I was pretty sure that Rob Watts thought there was no difference. Perhaps others will add with their experiences.

 

[GreenBow]

Regarding desktop mode, this does not mean that H2 runs purely off the charger. Rather it means that the battery is kept charged to a slight lower voltage to promote battery life, the H2 still runs off the battery in desktop mode.

Check how your H2 sounds with and without the charger, I was pretty sure that Rob Watts thought there was no difference. Perhaps others will add with their experiences.

I thought Hugo 2 in desktop mode, ran from the charger and used only battery power sometimes when extra power was needed. (Mine seems to do a regular charge discharge cycle.)


It might just be me, hearing better tone when running just off battery. However while listening to music and unplugging the charger, sometimes I was absolutely sure I heard a tone darkening. ... I am going to try again and again with this. It might be a placebo, in that I as I unplug the charger, I accidentally focus on bass sounds. ......... I did buy a quality iFi 5V power supply that I never even opened yet, so all is not lost.

I worry about the charger desktop mode thing though, If my isn't running in desktop mode as I thought, and it's running like Mojo. Then I risk damage if I leave it plugged in, as some Mojos became faulty.


Thank you for your reply though, because it's making me think again and worry less. (I feel better already.)

 

[Triode User]

I thought Hugo 2 in desktop mode, ran from the charger and used only battery power sometimes when extra power was needed. (Mine seems to do a regular charge discharge cycle.)


It might just be me, hearing better tone when running just off battery. However while listening to music and unplugging the charger, sometimes I was absolutely sure I heard a tone darkening. ... I am going to try again and again with this. It might be a placebo, in that I as I unplug the charger, I accidentally focus on bass sounds. ......... I did buy a quality iFi 5V power supply that I never even opened yet, so all is not lost.

I worry about the charger desktop mode thing though, If my isn't running in desktop mode as I thought, and it's running like Mojo. Then I risk damage if I leave it plugged in, as some Mojos became faulty.


Thank you for your reply though, because it's making me think again and worry less. (I feel better already.)

Your previous understanding of the working of desktop mode wasn’t right. You are not the only one though. If you want reassurance try a search on here or elsewhere. Rob Watts has posted several times on here explaining how desktop mode works. I suspect your H2 is perfectly normal.

 

[nkbg]

Just reporting that I’ve been using the H2 in my car (iPhone>CCK>USB>H2>Aux) and it’s big step above the builtin CD player or CarPlay SQ. Makes my longer drives quite enjoyable.

 

[paul2qute]

Rob watts has explained that "Silicon DAC's are horribly noisy, as the substrate and grounds are bouncing around due to switching activity."
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/chord-mojo-dac-amp-☆★►faq-in-3rd-post-◄★☆.784602/page-384#post-12102313

I presume that the new generation of Sabre chips will still suffer from this noise, even if slightly less than before.
The only way to prevent the noise completely, is to change the technology.

I've got the latest Sabre chips in my 4k oppo player the 205 and it bores me to death for music,apparently the headphone socket is wired
direct to the dac but that bores me to tears too

 

[GreenBow]

Your definition of the working of desktop mode is wrong. If you want reassurance try a search on here or elsewhere. Rob Watts has posted several times on here explaining how desktop mode works. I suspect your H2 is perfectly normal.

The Hugo 2 user manual states that the battery is neither charged nor discharged, in Desktop mode. That's what I am going off. (With the additional point that the Hugo 2 will draw a little power from battery when needed. I.E. for particularly demanding parts in music.) Whereas my Hugo 2 seems to be charging and discharging the battery regularly. Like I said, scary, because some Mojo units that did that, went faulty.

It's point blank obvious my Hugo 2 is using battery, because of how different it is coming out of desktop mode. Sometimes it's blue light with lots of blue light time to go. Sometimes it's blue light with only a very few minutes of blue light to go. ... (I will re-check this though!)

 

[JaZZ]

The Hugo₂ always and exclusively runs from its batteries, that's also valid for the desktop mode. The difference to the regular/portable mode is that the battery doesn't get fully charged, but is regularly recharged on a lower level – as you're experiencing with your unit. So it behaves normal. Contrary to your fear the desktop mode is officially the most gentle operating mode.

BTW, I don't hear any difference with and without the charger.