[koven]

What volume are you guys listening to HD800S at? I'm usually between blue and purple, I catch myself upping the volume a lot since the sound is so clean and addictive, kind of worried about hearing damage.

 

[odanovich]

What volume are you guys listening to HD800S at? I'm usually between blue and purple, I catch myself upping the volume a lot since the sound is so clean and addictive, kind of worried about hearing damage.

Haha mee too brotha. Me too.

 

[Joseph Lin]

Oops sorry about being so repetitive, I am a bit loopy today. I will write a much better review on the the Hugo 2 and how it drives the different headphones from my collection.

No problems! Great review by the way.

 

[JacquesDewitt]

What volume are you guys listening to HD800S at? I'm usually between blue and purple, I catch myself upping the volume a lot since the sound is so clean and addictive, kind of worried about hearing damage.

That's too strong!
I usually listen to the red zone, reaching yellow is already quite strong.
I was quite surprised since with mojo I had to reach higher levels (purple and blac)

 

[csglinux]

That's too strong!
I usually listen to the red zone, reaching yellow is already quite strong.
I was quite surprised since with mojo I had to reach higher levels (purple and blac)

Is this even a sensible discussion? You're presumably all listening to different tracks with different dynamic ranges and different average and peak dB levels?

 

[Hooster]

Yes I am in awe at how superb the i4’s sound, when driven by the Hugo 2 and my Liquid Gold.

How does the Liquid Gold improve the sound compared to driving the i4 straight out of the Hugo 2?

 

[Whazzzup]

Isn’t lau a fully balanced amp front to back. Since the ch2 is only rca out se may not be ideal. Although I’m sure it sounds good in that mode

 

[reddog]

How does the Liquid Gold improve the sound compared to driving the i4 straight out of the Hugo 2?

The Liquid Gold offers better power, better, more controlled bass as well as a wider, more detailed 3 dimensional soundstage. plus I can use my XLR headphone cables/ connectors. However the Hs’s amp is very robust and can handle most of my headphones. I just wished the H2 has a XLR headphone out.

 

[reddog]

I see no mention of the treble? Did you find, like I have and some others too, that some (rock for me) music sounds a bit too hot?

No I have never found the UTopia to be to hot. I find the treble to be rock solid. And I dislike strident sounding headphones

 

[csglinux]

The Liquid Gold offers better power, better, more controlled bass as well as a wider, more detailed 3 dimensional soundstage. plus I can use my XLR headphone cables/ connectors. However the Hs’s amp is very robust and can handle most of my headphones. I just wished the H2 has a XLR headphone out.

I can't argue with the power issue, and I'll take your word about the bass control. I'm curious about the last point. It doesn't seem likely that an amp would increase the channel separation or have any other beneficial effect on timing. The only thing I can think is that maybe(?) sufficiently-long, non-balanced headphone cables result in some channel crosstalk due to EMI effects? I'm probably clutching at straws here. What's going on?

 

[x RELIC x]

I can't argue with the power issue, and I'll take your word about the bass control. I'm curious about the last point. It doesn't seem likely that an amp would increase the channel separation or have any other beneficial effect on timing. The only thing I can think is that maybe(?) sufficiently-long, non-balanced headphone cables result in some channel crosstalk due to EMI effects? I'm probably clutching at straws here. What's going on?

Sounds to me like the LAu (Liquid Gold) is just adding its Cavalli sonic flavour, as I can attest to. I have the LAu and the i4, and I listened extensively to the i4 with the Hugo2 when the tour ended. The power to me is a moot point as I don’t tap anywhere near the max quoted power spec of the LAu, and the Hugo2 easily has more than enough drive (Voltage and Current) for the i4. What @reddog describes is what I hear with every single IEM and headphone I own (see signature) when connected to the LAu, which tells me the (enjoyable) tuning of the amp is much more a factor than anything else.

That said, for my tastes, I usually prefer the i4 without the LAu in the chain as I feel the resolution and finest nuance is somewhat glossed over with the amp, given how resolving the i4 is, and I’m not talking just about FR brightness passing off as detail. Nothing outwardly noticeable as such and not in any way offensive, but the LAu flavour is there over everything regardless. Of course this is just my thoughts on the differences, YMMV.

 

[reddog]

Sounds to me like the LAu (Liquid Gold) is just adding its Cavalli sonic flavour, as I can attest to. I have the LAu and the i4, and I listened extensively to the i4 with the Hugo2 when the tour ended. The power to me is a moot point as I don’t tap anywhere near the max quoted power spec of the LAu, and the Hugo2 easily has more than enough drive (Voltage and Current) for the i4. What @reddog describes is what I hear with every single IEM and headphone I own (see signature) when connected to the LAu, which tells me the (enjoyable) tuning of the amp is much more a factor than anything else.

That said, for my tastes, I usually prefer the i4 without the LAu in the chain as I feel the resolution and finest nuance is somewhat glossed over with the amp, given how resolving the i4 is, and I’m not talking just about FR brightness passing off as detail. Nothing outwardly noticeable as such and not in any way offensive, but the LAu flavour is there over everything regardless. Of course this is just my thoughts on the differences, YMMV.

I agree I mostly just use the H2 to enjoy my i4’s.

 

[odanovich]

Any Roon users on this thread? I've got a question for you..

PC 》 Hugo 2 》 LCD-i4 + LCD-XC (both plugged into Hugo 2.

Which DSP setting should I choose on Roon if I want both headphones playing at the same time... XC or i4? Or maybe something else.

Thanks

 

[audionewbi]

I had another session with HUGO 2, deciding whether to trade in my hugo to hugo 2, beside built improvement sound wasn't altered significantly enough for me to trade in my perfectly good DAC with extra 2.5k AUD on top of it.
However all will change if HUGO 2 has a ROON ready attachment. The more I use ROON the more I'm becoming dependent on it. I am still in trial period but I can see myself buying the lifetime in a heartbeat only if I can have a wireless option for it.

Anyone knows what will HUGO 2 attachments will be?

 

[514077]

I had another session with HUGO 2, deciding whether to trade in my hugo to hugo 2, beside built improvement sound wasn't altered significantly enough for me to trade in my perfectly good DAC with extra 2.5k AUD on top of it.
However all will change if HUGO 2 has a ROON ready attachment. The more I use ROON the more I'm becoming dependent on it. I am still in trial period but I can see myself buying the lifetime in a heartbeat only if I can have a wireless option for it.

Anyone knows what will HUGO 2 attachments will be?

Chord knows, and they ain't tellin'.