[Hooster]

Line level mode will take care of the optimum voltage requirement for line level inputs of amps. Maybe it doesn't make much difference but its 1 less thing to worry about..

Yes, it "will take care of" it. Especially in cases where 3V overloads the input.

 

[Swiftfalcon]

Yes, it "will take care of" it. Especially in cases where 3V overloads the input.

That would spell bad rep for chord. Does it happen? I used to be worried about it in the past. I used to regularly reduce my mojo’s output to 1.9 v by pressing volume down button 4 clicks after powering it on to line out mode. After a while I got lazy and stopped doing it. I also read a few articles saying 3 v line out is harmless. Anyway I haven’t bothered about all that with hugo2. Still would like to hear of cases of overloads.

 

[ChisChas]

Have you seen that Focal have just launched the Clear, positioned somewhere in between the Elear and Utopia? https://www.head-fi.org/threads/focal-clear-headphones.861727/page-9#post-13767354

Very interesting, thanks for the 'heads' up. My 2 hours of listening to the Utopia & Questyle QP2R at the Show revealed the over hot treble aspect of the Utopia with some of my music and this has been mentioned by most reviewers including the Head-Fi guy in the Clear video here. When I have run in my Hugo 2 I will borrow the Utopia's for a decent home dem with the H2 and my QP2R but I suspect I will have the overhot treble (for me and many others) reinforced during an extended audition. The Clear sounds like an interesting compromise but whether it's a sufficient upgrade on my K812's, as opposed to a different sonic sig remains to be discovered.

 

[Hooster]

That would spell bad rep for chord. Does it happen? I used to be worried about it in the past. I used to regularly reduce my mojo’s output to 1.9 v by pressing volume down button 4 clicks after powering it on to line out mode. After a while I got lazy and stopped doing it. I also read a few articles saying 3 v line out is harmless. Anyway I haven’t bothered about all that with hugo2. Still would like to hear of cases of overloads.

It really depends on the component that you are feeding 3V into. You could argue that it would spell bad rep for that component if it can not handle 3V. You could also argue that it spells bad rep for Chord for not taking that into account. In any event it is easy to get around this by decreasing the output of your Chord. In the future Chord should probably consider setting their so called line out to 1.5V or 2V.

 

[Peter Hyatt]

two days at large retail electronic store trying to get questions answered about which speakers work with Hugo 2.

End result: frustration, conflicting info, unable to demo, more confused, but salesman bought a Mojo and drooled over H2.

 

[Hooster]

I am using Hugo 2 only (with MacBook Pro) in small living room. I think with H2 only I need powered not passive speakers-- under 1K, can I get a nice sound? I don't understand the power issues. I'd so appreciate a few more recommendations...research online is confusing as there are not a lot of threads anywhere that talk about Hugo (1 or 2) and speaker hook up.

Yes, you can get a lot more than just "nice" sound. If I were you I would get active/powered professional studio monitors. For some reason these often seem to offer more value for money than pure consumer stuff. Dynaudio, Yamaha and Adam for example should all be able to provide something good for you. You should be able to find these in shops that sell musical instruments, rather than in hifi shops.

These should be great in a small living room, and you can have a party too

https://www.thomann.de/gb/prod_AR_405588.html?sid=7f7af8f73aebbb13b479012fa1a71543

Lots of choices:
https://www.thomann.de/gb/active_nearfield_monitors.html

 

[boomtube]

Listening to 'Infected Mushroom' ...QP1R. Hugo2. Focal Utopia...

 

[JacquesDewitt]

After my first week, I can say that I am delighted with the sound. Very surprised that with regular recordings we hear quite well.
A marked change of chord mojo and dx200.

On the other hand is a little disappointed with the quality. One would expect that for this price, the product is without any kind of detail. My unit came with a very black spot and stripe, both small.

Best regards

 

[Dvdlucena]

Need to do some seriously dust off the pictures tells.

But on this setup my 2Qute works better than the Hugo2.

Man, you just trashed 25.000 taps! Holy mother
Of god!!

 

[michaelvv]

Man, you just trashed 25.000 taps! Holy mother
Of god!!

A little less than that 49152-26368 = 22784

 

[JMR77]

This weekend I was able to put some perspective on Hugo’s 2 value as a whole package, now that I got used to how it sounds. On Friday I could spend some time with the Dave (and other good stuff) at a local dealer’s headphones exhibition. I tested the Dave with some FLAC (CD quality) music I know well and like. The Dave did not produce any “wow” effect on me.

I was expecting to hear an immediate improvement from the Dave, compared to my experience Hugo 2, similar to what happened to me when I first listened to the Hugo 2 and I was coming from a Mojo. Such a revelation did not occurred this time; I was a bit disappointed actually, as I’ve read so many comments about the Dave. I did not bother to make an A/B test between Dave and Hugo 2 right there, as I wanted to spend time testing other audio stuff.

Don’t take me wrong, Dave sounded obviously excellent, and I could appreciate it offers excellent articulation/definition/detail, which may best the Hugo 2, but I would still need to make an A/B with the Hugo 2, and spend more time with the Dave for critical listening, to truly appreciate how much better Dave actually is with the music I like. I tested the Dave with an LCD 2 and 3 headphones by the way. Bottom-line, I felt there’s a lot of diminishing return in buying a Dave if you already have a Hugo 2, YMMV, and I’ll rather spend money on other expensive headphones.

To my ears the Hugo 2 is a great performer (and package, as I can use it at work every day) compared to other more expensive gear. For instance I also tested a Moon 280D+430HA combo and I didn’t feel it offers “better” (desktop) dac performance than just using a Hugo 2, it’s not like the Simaudio combo plays in a different league but rather offers a different flavor (more warmth), although you obviously get more output power from the 430HA.

 

[Peter Hyatt]

This weekend I was able to put some perspective on Hugo’s 2 value as a whole package, now that I got used to how it sounds. On Friday I could spend some time with the Dave (and other good stuff) at a local dealer’s headphones exhibition. I tested the Dave with some FLAC (CD quality) music I know well and like. The Dave did not produce any “wow” effect on me.

I was expecting to hear an immediate improvement from the Dave, compared to my experience Hugo 2, similar to what happened to me when I first listened to the Hugo 2 and I was coming from a Mojo. Such a revelation did not occurred this time; I was a bit disappointed actually, as I’ve read so many comments about the Dave. I did not bother to make an A/B test between Dave and Hugo 2 right there, as I wanted to spend time testing other audio stuff.

Don’t take me wrong, Dave sounded obviously excellent, and I could appreciate it offers excellent articulation/definition/detail, which may best the Hugo 2, but I would still need to make an A/B with the Hugo 2, and spend more time with the Dave for critical listening, to truly appreciate how much better Dave actually is with the music I like. I tested the Dave with an LCD 2 and 3 headphones by the way. Bottom-line, I felt there’s a lot of diminishing return in buying a Dave if you already have a Hugo 2, YMMV, and I’ll rather spend money on other expensive headphones.

To my ears the Hugo 2 is a great performer (and package, as I can use it at work every day) compared to other more expensive gear. For instance I also tested a Moon 280D+430HA combo and I didn’t feel it offers “better” (desktop) dac performance than just using a Hugo 2, it’s not like the Simaudio combo plays in a different league but rather offers a different flavor (more warmth), although you obviously get more output power from the 430HA.

I think this is where the "little DAVE" or "portable DAVE" notion came from. There are others who also found the leap from Mojo to H2 to be greater than the leap of H2 to DAVE. I hope to get opportunity to spend a quiet hour with DAVE, my headphones and my most familiar music.

 

[Bob9520]

I thought that I would share my experience with the H2 X-PHD settings. This is exclusively with Oppo PM1s and a mac mini/itunes/puremusic setup using the optical output to the H2. Music is most in ALAC format with a few high def FLACs. Content is mostly and unashamedly Prog/symphonic Rock, neo prog, orchestral film soundtracks and others.
Initially, going from nothing to any x-phd setting sounded to me like going from stereo to mono so I instantly dismissed it. Then, Rob & others said that the lowest setting would get rid of the 60s (Beatles mostly) 'extreme' stereo which it does. But I still turned it off for other tracks. However, for the last few weeks I have had it on its highest blue setting permanently and it is a revelation! Indeed, switching back to the off setting now gives the music an artificial sound. Wide is no longer better to my ears. Equally, you do not lose stereo definition. I would equate it as, in the off setting a flat line between the ears, as opposed to, with the blue setting a deep triangle pointing outwards.I am now listening to my music all over again and it is very enjoyable. I encourage you all to try it over an extended listening period and see what you think.

 

[Dvdlucena]

This weekend I was able to put some perspective on Hugo’s 2 value as a whole package, now that I got used to how it sounds. On Friday I could spend some time with the Dave (and other good stuff) at a local dealer’s headphones exhibition. I tested the Dave with some FLAC (CD quality) music I know well and like. The Dave did not produce any “wow” effect on me.

I was expecting to hear an immediate improvement from the Dave, compared to my experience Hugo 2, similar to what happened to me when I first listened to the Hugo 2 and I was coming from a Mojo. Such a revelation did not occurred this time; I was a bit disappointed actually, as I’ve read so many comments about the Dave. I did not bother to make an A/B test between Dave and Hugo 2 right there, as I wanted to spend time testing other audio stuff.

Don’t take me wrong, Dave sounded obviously excellent, and I could appreciate it offers excellent articulation/definition/detail, which may best the Hugo 2, but I would still need to make an A/B with the Hugo 2, and spend more time with the Dave for critical listening, to truly appreciate how much better Dave actually is with the music I like. I tested the Dave with an LCD 2 and 3 headphones by the way. Bottom-line, I felt there’s a lot of diminishing return in buying a Dave if you already have a Hugo 2, YMMV, and I’ll rather spend money on other expensive headphones.

To my ears the Hugo 2 is a great performer (and package, as I can use it at work every day) compared to other more expensive gear. For instance I also tested a Moon 280D+430HA combo and I didn’t feel it offers “better” (desktop) dac performance than just using a Hugo 2, it’s not like the Simaudio combo plays in a different league but rather offers a different flavor (more warmth), although you obviously get more output power from the 430HA.

Interesting. I had a chance to listen to Dave with Focal utopia and a pair of Yamaha hs8. Sorry but my opinion is that hugo cannot touch DAVE. For me, Dave was the real deal, if you know what I mean. Maybe the problem with your impression was the audeze? Cheers

 

[musickid]

i hope to have a dave by the summer. if anyone is patient enough i will post my impressions of dave vs H2 in exactly 8 to 9 months from now.............. time flies. i'm using mojo/roon till then with oppo pm1 and optical.