[514077]

It's almost been a month since I returned my faulty Hugo 2; still waiting for replacement.

It's almost been a month since I returned my faulty Hugo 2; still waiting for replacement.

Have you heard from your dealer yet?

 

[Mojo ideas]

It's almost been a month since I returned my faulty Hugo 2; still waiting for replacement.

If you give me some more on where and who info by PM I'll chase it for you and get back to you

 

[EndGameSearch]

My dealer in the US (Audio Advice) received a shipment today and just sent my replacement out via FedEx. I had to awitch to silver but better than nothing. They have been great to work with.

 

[Peter Hyatt]

My dealer in the US (Audio Advice) received a shipment today and just sent my replacement out via FedEx. I had to awitch to silver but better than nothing. They have been great to work with.

At least you get better sound and more features with the silver for the same money.

 

[EndGameSearch]

At least you get better sound and more features with the silver for the same money.

I preferred the darker sound (just to keep the joke alive and well).

 

[sobrietywarrior]

Is there a good tube amp pairing with Hugo 2 and Utopias?

 

[jlbrach]

amp for h2 with utopia.....waste of time and money.....utopia needs no external amp and in fact it will degrade sound to include one....

 

[maxh22]

@Currawong mentioned in his video review that he felt the Hugo 2 alone couldn't get the most of the Utopia and it needed a more powerful amp to sound more dynamic.

 

[miketlse]

I preferred the darker sound (just to keep the joke alive and well).

Please be careful - the last time that people were joking about this subject, some gullible viewers believed them, and complained to the Mods.

 

[miketlse]

Has anyone been tempted to buy a pair of Elear or Utopia, whilst they are on special offer at some US dealers?

 

[jlbrach]

@Currawong mentioned in his video review that he felt the Hugo 2 alone couldn't get the most of the Utopia and it needed a more powerful amp to sound more dynamic.

no way!The H2 easily drives the Utopia....for me the strength of the Utopia is its efficiency and there is no way anyone actually needs an external amp with the H2 and Utopia...worse than overkill,it is detrimental to the sound performance

 

[EndGameSearch]

I don't own the Utopias (looking at them though), but in theory, with your statement, aren't you saying they sound better with the Hugo than they would off a high end desktop set up? I get that they don;t need more power, but if done the right way I would be surprised if a system with clean power would hurt them. Can you elaborate?

 

[xxx1313]

Interesting, thanks for your thoughts. My impression, from reading what others had to say, was that the Hugo 2 vs. SP1000 was a matter of taste more than anything. So I find it interesting that you found the Hugo 2 to be clearly better. I think others have found the SP1000 to win out in treble, I gather you didn't find that to be the case?

I've been debating between them, to pair with a KSE1500, but haven't had a chance to listen to either. I think the Hugo 2 is interesting because the soundstage/imaging advantage (vs. the SP1000) should be all the more useful with IEMs. On the other hand, the SP1000 is obviously lots more portable.

Part of my debate is whether my AK120II might still be good enough for portable use (with the Hugo 2 for home use, and/or transportable stationary use), especially given that it's quite a bit smaller/lighter than the SP1000, not to mention much cheaper (should I lose it/drop it/have it stolen while on the go). Or whether the AK120II will offend my ears, if I become used to the sound of a Hugo 2 at home!

Regarding Hugo 2 vs. SP1000: I did not hear much difference in the treble. SP1000 has better dynamics, at least with some tracks. Hugo 2 offers higher resolution, larger soundstaging and the "better" (not recessed and even more resolving) mids. So, yes, to some extent is is a matter of taste. Even though I like A&K products very much, to me Hugo 2 sounds even better. Please keep in mind that my experience with both Hugo 2 and SP1000 is limited to full-size headphones. Some people really do think that KSE15000 pairs very well with the SP1000. The AK120II does not match the A&K flagships. Nevertheless, even with a Hugo 2 at home it is still possible that your AK120II sounds good enough for portable use. For example, I am still satisfied with the sound of my Oppo PM-3 for portable use (not bad considering its price, but two quality classes below Utopia), even though I listen to my Utopia at home most of the time. On the other hand, it is also possible that you might have to buy both units for complete satisfaction.

 

[Currawong]

no way!The H2 easily drives the Utopia....for me the strength of the Utopia is its efficiency and there is no way anyone actually needs an external amp with the H2 and Utopia...worse than overkill,it is detrimental to the sound performance

It was the Utopia specifically (and you can add the Susvara to the list for obvious reasons), and not just any amp.

 

[jlbrach]

I am sure the susvara requires an amp with the H2....not the utopia though