[GreenBow]

I have to retract my positive response on the isilencers on the charging port of the H2. After trying more tracks, and adding 8 more isilencers on the chain on the charging port, I can hear how the isilencers linearly hurt the sound. Too muffled and slower.

So....don't do it.

Also, iPad charger, Samsung tablet charger and the ipower 5v are good chargers that can make the H2 charge on 'white light' mode.

It's incredible how much placebo can alter one's perception. Not being horrible, or accusing you or anyone of placebo. I am just saying this.

Last night I swapped over from the USB input to the optical. (Only using cheap cables in both cases, so results my be inaccurate.)

I started listening with USB. Then switched to optical. However, I kept the USB attached, and switched the output on my computer, to effectively optical out.

Immediately I thought the sound was warmer, a bit smoother, and smaller in sound-stage. Less bright in other words. ...... That's what we expect to hear, if there is noise on the USB lines, thus removed by going optical.

Wait for it.....!

Anyway, after re-thinking and wondering why I did not need to change the input on the Hugo 2. I checked what I had done. I went into the computer sound settings again. I found I was still on Chord (or USB out). ... My computer is set to default to Chord. Therefor, since I had the Chord still attached, it took priority over me manually switching to optical out.



Not saying you noticed nothing, so please don't take it that way.

 

[Hooster]

I've placed a deposit on a silver H2/Mscaler. All these unplanned miscellaneous costs are cropping up primarily to do with accommodating the new system in my flat. Creativity is needed.

Congratulations, you are the man. Sounds like it is time to get a bigger flat.

 

[801evan]

It's incredible how much placebo can alter one's perception. Not being horrible, or accusing you or anyone of placebo. I am just saying this.

Last night I swapped over from the USB input to the optical. (Only using cheap cables in both cases, so results my be inaccurate.)

I started listening with USB. Then switched to optical. However, I kept the USB attached, and switched the output on my computer, to effectively optical out.

Immediately I thought the sound was warmer, a bit smoother, and smaller in sound-stage. Less bright in other words. ...... That's what we expect to hear, if there is noise on the USB lines, thus removed by going optical.

Wait for it.....!

Anyway, after re-thinking and wondering why I did not need to change the input on the Hugo 2. I checked what I had done. I went into the computer sound settings again. I found I was still on Chord (or USB out). ... My computer is set to default to Chord. Therefor, since I had the Chord still attached, it took priority over me manually switching to optical out.



Not saying you noticed nothing, so please don't take it that way.

In your session, if you did it right, you should have gotten a mute signal when you 'switched' to optical, right?

Oh I know what you mean. I catch myself a fair bit of times having false perceptions. Like, my Audeze LCD2c just sounds darker now after a whole afternoon reading about Focal Clear. Haha.

With the experiment that I retracted, I definitely heard a difference but I fell into a ''honeymoon" stage where this isilencer clearly changed the sound and, by default, thought it was for the better coz it had a lower noise floor. I have failed to test it on the highs and how faithful it was in rendering it.

 

[miketlse]

It's incredible how much placebo can alter one's perception. Not being horrible, or accusing you or anyone of placebo. I am just saying this.

Last night I swapped over from the USB input to the optical. (Only using cheap cables in both cases, so results my be inaccurate.)

I started listening with USB. Then switched to optical. However, I kept the USB attached, and switched the output on my computer, to effectively optical out.

Immediately I thought the sound was warmer, a bit smoother, and smaller in sound-stage. Less bright in other words. ...... That's what we expect to hear, if there is noise on the USB lines, thus removed by going optical.

Wait for it.....!

Anyway, after re-thinking and wondering why I did not need to change the input on the Hugo 2. I checked what I had done. I went into the computer sound settings again. I found I was still on Chord (or USB out). ... My computer is set to default to Chord. Therefor, since I had the Chord still attached, it took priority over me manually switching to optical out.



Not saying you noticed nothing, so please don't take it that way.[/QUOTE
This has caught several owners out with chord gear - so if you try any input other than usb, always remove the usb cable, because the dac checks if the 5V signal is on the VBUS pin, and autoselects the usb input.

 

[bluesbreaker63]

Hi
My Hugo 2 has suddenly appeared as 'IOUSBHostDevice' instead of 'Hugo' on my Mac and in Tidal for 'Sound Output' - it was fine earlier today!!
I've turned off both devices, restarted Mac & Hugo and removed/re-attached all cables - with no joy!
Has anyone else had the same issue - and is there a solution?
Cheers

 

[Hooster]

Hi
My Hugo 2 has suddenly appeared as 'IOUSBHostDevice' instead of 'Hugo' on my Mac and in Tidal for 'Sound Output' - it was fine earlier today!!
I've turned off both devices, restarted Mac & Hugo and removed/re-attached all cables - with no joy!
Has anyone else had the same issue - and is there a solution?
Cheers

Your dealer will be delighted to solve your issue, hopefully free of charge, depending on consumer protection laws in your country.

 

[miketlse]

Your dealer will be delighted to solve your issue, hopefully free of charge, depending on consumer protection laws in your country.

I sense a touch of sarcasm?

 

[bluesbreaker63]

The Hugo still works - it was the sudden name change that concerned me

 

[miketlse]

The Hugo still works - it was the sudden name change that concerned me

OK, that's good to know.
Sometimes small seeming changes, like a software update, or a change of settings, can change what the computer names the chord dac.
Flagging it up, like you have done, usually leads to a solution, and an improved knowledge base for other hugo 2 owners.
The short-term first step, is to make sure that you can still enjoy listening to music.
The rest will follow in due course.

 

[bluesbreaker63]

Thank you

 

[GreenBow]

In your session, if you did it right, you should have gotten a mute signal when you 'switched' to optical, right?

Oh I know what you mean. I catch myself a fair bit of times having false perceptions. Like, my Audeze LCD2c just sounds darker now after a whole afternoon reading about Focal Clear. Haha.

With the experiment that I retracted, I definitely heard a difference but I fell into a ''honeymoon" stage where this isilencer clearly changed the sound and, by default, thought it was for the better coz it had a lower noise floor. I have failed to test it on the highs and how faithful it was in rendering it.

... and @miketlse

Even funnier when I remember that I tried testing the optical vs USB before. I pretty much concluded then, it was a close as could be or identical.

Also Rob had told us he hears no difference between optical and USB. .... I mean you have to try for yourself, but you know.


After my previous testing I had concluded that the Hugo 2 was just brilliant anyway. I didn't actually really need to compare to optical, because I had always found the USB fine. USB always had, a natural level of warmth, and overload of detail. Sumptuous bass. .... I found it amazing straight out of the box, and concluded it perfect even then. I just knew on day one I had to adjust to the new level detail and presentation. It was sensory overload. That was it. A month later and fully brain/(maybe compontent)/ burned in.

 

[Deftone]

It's incredible how much placebo can alter one's perception. Not being horrible, or accusing you or anyone of placebo. I am just saying this.

Last night I swapped over from the USB input to the optical. (Only using cheap cables in both cases, so results my be inaccurate.)

I started listening with USB. Then switched to optical. However, I kept the USB attached, and switched the output on my computer, to effectively optical out.

Immediately I thought the sound was warmer, a bit smoother, and smaller in sound-stage. Less bright in other words. ...... That's what we expect to hear, if there is noise on the USB lines, thus removed by going optical.

Wait for it.....!

Anyway, after re-thinking and wondering why I did not need to change the input on the Hugo 2. I checked what I had done. I went into the computer sound settings again. I found I was still on Chord (or USB out). ... My computer is set to default to Chord. Therefor, since I had the Chord still attached, it took priority over me manually switching to optical out.



Not saying you noticed nothing, so please don't take it that way.

You wouldnt of had the benefit of optical anyway while the usb was still plugged in even if you would have switched the sound output in OS.

If you do test again you should remove the usb cable when using optical.

 

[Peter Hyatt]

Update; I found a replacement adapter at Amazon for $7 (US) that has H2 in Desktop Mode.

 

[musickid]

Going from mojo to H2/Scaler in terms of readjustment is going to be akin to going from the UK to the Antarctic then. I briefly listened to dave/blu2 with my oppo pm1 at Sonority design and i quite literally had to remove the headphone and pause before recommencing. I heard something "new" "alien to me".

 

[flyte3333]

I have to retract my positive response on the isilencers on the charging port of the H2. After trying more tracks, and adding 8 more isilencers on the chain on the charging port, I can hear how the isilencers linearly hurt the sound. Too muffled and slower.

So....don't do it.

Thanks for sharing. It goes back to 'there's no free lunch' with any component you add to the system.

Of course there are many cases were the trade-off can be in favour of adding a particular component, but there's no hard and fast rule and no guarantee.

You did the ideal thing of course - you decided after extended listening.

I've recently been discussing the infamous Corning optical USB cable with another respected DAC designer. I picked one up last year, in a random 2nd hand shop actually. I went to this used items shop in search of a used iPad but randomly saw the 10m Corning cable there for $40. I tested to make sure it was working and it was - bargain.



https://www.corning.com/optical-cables-by-corning/worldwide/en/products/usb-optical-cables.html

Anyway I used it last year in a previous system, to feed the input of an Uptone Regen, where I needed the 10m length and it worked nicely. I no longer have that system so the Corning was sitting in a box for quite a while.

Anyway back to the discussions with another DAC designer. I already knew that the power and ground lines of the Corning are not isolated - it's only the data lines that are optically isolated. But it was explained that the extremely thin power and ground lines of the Corning can have great technical benefits in terms of RF being picked up and radiated.

So I found my Corning after it had been packed away and had a really nice long listening session yesterday.

So it's just a direct USB connection from a powered (grounded) USB hub, to Hugo2. I use a really short microUSB cable on the output.

I tested DSD256 files with Hugo2 just to test for dropouts and it played fine - bit perfect playback.

And it sounds great. Of course 'there's no free lunch' still applies, maybe in this case due to the optical conversions involved. But overall, this is the first time I've enjoyed a direct USB cable connection between my Mac (powered hub) and Hugo 2 - it does sound warmer. I say 'direct USB cable' loosely though, since it's more of a gadget than a normal cable, with the optical converters. Not to say a direct USB cable (without the Corning) sounds bad with Hugo2 in my system - it sounds great.

But it sounds a bit warmer and smoother with the Corning optical cable. No listening fatigue after 2 hours of listening. That's always my key test.

Note: over the years many people have had issues with the Corning optical cable in their system, so it's not something I'd advise anyone to go out and buy brand new - unless you can return it for a full refund. Or if you spot a used one like I found.