[jlbrach]

I too am anxiously awaiting the Hugo 2 but i would rather they make sure they do it right

 

[Rob Watts]

Let's be patient, folks. If you've spent any time in the consumer electronics supply chain, you know that it's a non-trivial process - even for trivial products. The Hugo 2 is decidedly NOT a trivial product. I seriously seriously doubt that Franks was yanking our chain when he posted about the supply chain problems. Also remember that Chord is a complete nobody in the global electronics supply chain (no offense intended, John & Rob!). If things are backed up or otherwise screwed up in the supply chain, SONY UK and Pioneer UK and 100 other companies in the UK get their **** first - THEN Chord gets their **** - if they're lucky.

Imagine how much capital Chord has tied up in Hugo 2 production: cases, electronics, labor, packaging, etc. etc. Millions of pounds, probably and ALL those suppliers who don't demand up-front payment (Chord being a tiny company, relatively speaking) are well-past 30 days payment due and probably past 60 days and heading towards 90 days ---- and Chord can't sell **** yet because it's not RIGHT AND READY. They are NOT having a spot of tea and eating crumpets while we wait. THEY'RE SWEATING BULLETS. Cut them some slack, maybe?

I'm EAGERLY looking forward to my Hugo 2 and will continue to wait. I won't be patient about it, because patience isn't my thing , but I know that kicking and yelling isn't going to help either.

Xoxo,
Doody

When I saw John's post blaming Brexit on supply problems I thought come on John, that's stretching things a bit. But I was with him in Asia recently, and he explained that they had scheduled orders for parts that were supposed to be delivered; and when it came to shipping them, they were not available. It turned out that the exchange rate volatility after Brexit meant that distributors were not ordering parts to meet schedules but to suit currency variations. Moreover, there is a general shortage of parts; even dumb things like ceramic capacitors are proving difficult (I know this because I had to approve alternatives).

Rob

 

[x RELIC x]

While waiting for my pre-order Hugo2, i've been living with a $200 Dragonfly Red thru an amp+loudspeaker system. Since January i've been continuously improving my system and USB chain in anticipation of the magical day when I can plop in my machined-aluminum-battery-powered-WTA-filter-Pulse-Array wonder.

Today, Audioquest released the 1.06 firmware to allow MQA playback and then i listened to the master tracks on TIDAL for the afternoon. Well, despite the uncertainty about MQA in the press and so-so reviews ...i can tell you the technology does improve the sound and makes the listening experience a lot better. Some of the audible cues i'm hearing are what i remember from my Hugo2 headphone auditions. Definitely MQA technology has some of the benefit of WTA (in terms of improving transients and depth/staging) - and the analog section of the DragonFly is pretty darn good. I listened to 15-20 albums i was familiar with and they were all very good. i mean ...very good.

So, regarding the previous comments on DAVE -vs- cheaper DACs being comparable ...I think there will be only be more and similar comments coming. Chord Electronics + Rob Watts are trying to stave off MQA and the onslaught of hundreds of super inexpensive and rapidly improving devices. Shouldn't Hugo2 have some nod to MQA compatibility?? Its only a matter of time before all online music is MQA'd (or processed with something like M-Scaler WTA) so next years $200 DAC + Tidal Masters (etc) will sound as good as (or good-enough-as) Hugo2 or even Chord's TOTL stack. Yikes.

So ...its with some chagrin now that I am contemplating saving $2000 ($3000 up here in Canada) to pass on my Hugo2 and enjoying what i have for the summer. Of course, that may all change once i get a REAL chance to hear it.

To say all online music will eventually be mqa processed can never become a reality? surely an over exaggeration. based on Rob's advice about the WTA interpolation filter sounding better than the mqa interpolation filter and the poor timing here i plan to "passthru" mqa when listening to tidal masters on my hugo 2. it is not the fact that a track is mqa ready or that a dac decodes mqa it is the quality of the dac itself which is paramount. a cheap mqa decoding dac will not sound as good as a high quality non mqa decoding dac like the hugo 2.

I listen to Tidal through an Auralic Aries. Auralic have released a beta firmware upgrade that processes MQA files in the Aries and I am using this at the moment.

The Aries then of course feeds into my Blu2 / Dave.

Job done and no need to get in a tizz about whether or not the Blu2 / Dave / Hugo2 etc can process MQA.

Will there be an inexpensive external add on solution to permit MQA files to be played on the Hugo2 or DAVE? I saw the Auralic steamer for $499 somewhere. Is this what you are using? How does it allow MQA files to be played through DAVE??

You will have to ask MQA if they are going to provide that. There is nothing preventing them from making the unfolding of MQA a total separate software solution, outside of hardware components like DAC's.

There will be an add-on and John/Rob have said they could look at doing MQA in that (or Poly) if felt necessary but the word Inexpensive can't be applied to Chord products other than the Mojo I'm afraid. You may have read the device for the Mojo called the Poly is £500 so no way they will charge less for a Hugo 2 version.

Now can we move past the MQA from Chord questions. Just like Schiit I don't think Chord or Rob have any intention of supporting the MQA format as evidenced in this post:

https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/chord-electronics-dave.766517/page-574#post-13498604

I was actually being polite; the MQA interpolation filters against a standard WTA interpolation filter (I compared it using a Mojo) sounds dreadful. MQA is technically flawed, with huge and completely unacceptable levels of aliasing. And it's those two reasons why I refuse to implement it in my designs.

 

[Currawong]

This looks like it might be the offical Hugo 2 leather case

https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/★-2017-tokyo-spring-fujiya-avic-headphone-festival-report-★.846734/#post-13472628

No, it's a Van Nuys prototype case. It was fantastic though. Unfortunately they aren't set up for international distribution.

 

[cs600]

When I saw John's post blaming Brexit on supply problems I thought come on John, that's stretching things a bit. But I was with him in Asia recently, and he explained that they had scheduled orders for parts that were supposed to be delivered; and when it came to shipping them, they were not available. It turned out that the exchange rate volatility after Brexit meant that distributors were not ordering parts to meet schedules but to suit currency variations. Moreover, there is a general shortage of parts; even dumb things like ceramic capacitors are proving difficult (I know this because I had to approve alternatives).

Rob

Does this mean that the final hugo2 will/may not have exactly all the parts which were intended in the original project? And/or that not all Hugo2 released will/may mount the same parts/measure the same/sound the same? Please don't get me wrong but if Chord asked you to approve alternatives. ..well these parts are not so dumb at the end...

 

[Sil3nce]

Let's try to keep the discussion relevant
Take the debates to the PM's.

 

[Rob Watts]

Does this mean that the final hugo2 will/may not have exactly all the parts which were intended in the original project? And/or that not all Hugo2 released will/may mount the same parts/measure the same/sound the same? Please don't get me wrong but if Chord asked you to approve alternatives. ..well these parts are not so dumb at the end...

No don't worry, it was voltage rating only in PSU parts for the charger. The dielectric is the same, it will not change the SQ at all.

 

[Peter Hyatt]

When I saw John's post blaming Brexit on supply problems I thought come on John, that's stretching things a bit. But I was with him in Asia recently, and he explained that they had scheduled orders for parts that were supposed to be delivered; and when it came to shipping them, they were not available. It turned out that the exchange rate volatility after Brexit meant that distributors were not ordering parts to meet schedules but to suit currency variations. Moreover, there is a general shortage of parts; even dumb things like ceramic capacitors are proving difficult (I know this because I had to approve alternatives).

Rob

Thanks, Rob. It is disarming and helpful to know a detail about the delay. The unknown breeds anxieties, which may be behind cancelations and some of the complaints.

Chord has a reputation for excellence which is why people like me buy without demo. Even updates that do not include precise dates are reassuring.

 

[Peter Hyatt]

Let's try to keep the discussion relevant
Take the debates to the PM's.

Silence,

Question - although I am not part of the debate, I enjoy learning from the contrary opinion of others. Would this be appropriate for them to post in Sound Science?

If it is just through private message, it is exclusionary and for me, a negative.
The overall trend in societies is to silence others. I grew up in an era of the opposite.

thank you.

 

[psikey]

He only removed stuff that was going into the area of UK Politics so nothing really at all to do with Hugo 2.

 

[cs600]

No don't worry, it was voltage rating only in PSU parts for the charger. The dielectric is the same, it will not change the SQ at all.

Thank you so much Rob for your reassurances
Mauro

 

[Peter Hyatt]

He only removed stuff that was going into the area of UK Politics so nothing really at all to do with Hugo 2.

Thanks. I didn't see it and thought it was the MQ quality debate thing.

It is off topic and that makes sense.

I know the currency issue is frustrating but it is good to know there is not something wrong within manufacturing. Thanks, Psikey.

 

[Peter Hyatt]

Thank you so much Rob for your reassurances
Mauro

Add my thanks. Mauro: "Reassurance" is a better word.

 

[sling5s]

When I saw John's post blaming Brexit on supply problems I thought come on John, that's stretching things a bit. But I was with him in Asia recently, and he explained that they had scheduled orders for parts that were supposed to be delivered; and when it came to shipping them, they were not available. It turned out that the exchange rate volatility after Brexit meant that distributors were not ordering parts to meet schedules but to suit currency variations. Moreover, there is a general shortage of parts; even dumb things like ceramic capacitors are proving difficult (I know this because I had to approve alternatives).

Rob

I hear the difficulty of their circumstance, and so are we looking at July shipping now (for US) or even possibly August?

 

[Maru10]

When I saw John's post blaming Brexit on supply problems I thought come on John, that's stretching things a bit. But I was with him in Asia recently, and he explained that they had scheduled orders for parts that were supposed to be delivered; and when it came to shipping them, they were not available. It turned out that the exchange rate volatility after Brexit meant that distributors were not ordering parts to meet schedules but to suit currency variations. Moreover, there is a general shortage of parts; even dumb things like ceramic capacitors are proving difficult (I know this because I had to approve alternatives).

Rob

This is actually very strange behaviour on the side of treasurers and procurement of these big corporations. I work in investment banking, and know for sure that the likes of Sony and co. are usually well hedged against any volatility in export/import chains. Be it materials such as copper, precious metals or forex risks, any FMCG CFO/CRO worth their salt has the cashflow hedged in 3-12 months horizon. I worked with companies with less than 100 people having their input chain as well export cashflow hedged, especially when a turbulency is to be expected due to the planned macroeconomic event with unsure results, such as Brexit vote...
It seems strange and irresponsible to imagine big corporations forsaking cashflow mgmt in favour of lucky timing of order placing... the risk of having to choose between stopping the production due to the dried-out supply, cutting into margins, or increasing of end prices seems too big to handle for most. But who knows, maybe the new age needs new financial strategies
Anyway Rob, I hope that the alternatives has not push you to compromises, and that these delays did not cause any serious problems to my favourite audio pioneers

More to the topic, my supplier here in CZech informed me that they'll have H2 ready next week, so I hope it is true this time...