[EagleWings]

Of all reviews on Chord Hugo 2 I've read, put yours right up there at the top. Really don't know what to make of Vlad's Hugo 2 article, though understand and empathize with his dislike for micro USB connectors as I'm no fan of them either.

Thank you bud. You made my day.

 

[muski]

if the recording is extremely closed mic'd it will sound like that. listen to Diana krall's 'sway', it is like she is in the room playing piano and singing in front of you.

Thanks for the pointer to this track—it’s outstanding, even by the generally high standard of Diana Krall. I purchased the 192/24 version on HD Tracks and love it.

I also rate Darko’s opinion highly and think the Hugo 2 is way up there on the DAC list. When I read the Verge review, I immediately wondered if his USB source was inferior/noisy. I feed my H2 from a Sonore Microrendu via a Curious USB Cable and never notice any harsh brightness.

 

[Phronesis]

The Verge review seems to be getting way too much attention. He’s just one guy who wrote some opinions. Does he have qualifications which warrant giving his opinions more weight than our own opinions? Does he have a track record which reflects valuable insights in prior reviews?

 

[Peter Hyatt]

consider: you don’t have to stop posting; discussion & differences are helpful.
Just remember your audience and context and there may be less heavy emotion response.

 

[corius]

The Verge review seems to be getting way too much attention. He’s just one guy who wrote some opinions. Does he have qualifications which warrant giving his opinions more weight than our own opinions? Does he have a track record which reflects valuable insights in prior reviews?

Well, he is a founder member of a popular web site and makes money reviewing audio equipment that a lot of people read.

Audio equipment is not a religion. You are free to enjoy your Hugo 2 as do many other people. However, it is not a personal attack if others prefer something different. Be happy in your choice and respect other people's choices and opinions.

People need to be wary of appearing the same as the MacOS/Windows, or IOS/Android zealots. If there really were a "best" product then everyone would be using it. Patently they are not.

 

[Phronesis]

Well, he is a founder member of a popular web site and makes money reviewing audio equipment that a lot of people read.

Audio equipment is not a religion. You are free to enjoy your Hugo 2 as do many other people. However, it is not a personal attack if others prefer something different. Be happy in your choice and respect other people's choices and opinions.

People need to be wary of appearing the same as the MacOS/Windows, or IOS/Android zealots. If there really were a "best" product then everyone would be using it. Patently they are not.

I'm not bothered by his review. My comment is about so many people in this forum caring about it. Unless there's some reason I'm not aware of why his opinion should carry weight, it's just another opinion. Personally, I don't disregard the opinions of others, but I look at them in aggregate, assigning weights to each opinion to the extent that I can, so it would be rare for any one opinion to have a lot of significance for me.

But the discussion has been useful, because it highlights the fact that the sound we perceive is a function of many factors, including our preferences regarding how we like things to sound, which are in turn influenced by what we're used to. If music has acoustic instruments and vocals, my main benchmark for sound quality is how they sound in real life. But, of course, how they sound is still a function of how they were recorded and mixed.

 

[Amictus]

I'm still hesitating. I have spent a couple of hours basking in the sound of the original Hugo... glorious.

 

[miketlse]

I'm still hesitating. I have spent a couple of hours basking in the sound of the original Hugo... glorious.

I never owned a Hugo, but have a Hugo 2.
For myself, I found myself on a musical journey, starting with the Dragonfly, then the Oppo Ha-2, then the Mojo, then the Hugo2.
Most owners with Chord dacs seem to go through a process of rediscovering their music collections, and finding new enjoyment/energy in the process.
Always feel free to post questions regarding the Hugo. There are so many of us on the Chord threads fining new discoveries/enjoyment using chord dacs, that someone will answer your questions.

 

[514077]

I'm still hesitating. I have spent a couple of hours basking in the sound of the original Hugo... glorious.

Maybe, if you're happy with Hugo original, stay with it. That's always an option.

 

[dpetr]

I'd still like to know how the Hugo 2 or Qutest compare to the Audio Note DAC 4.1 (the one from ANK if I have to name one).

hi Rhamnetin - I got my Qutest yesterday afternoon, and it's been playing constantly for the past 24 hours. After a week, I'm going to start comparing it to my AN DAC 4.1 LE kit that I built about 7yrs ago. Since that time, I've done many mods (Black Gates, AN silver foil caps, both I/V and output transformers, and the power supply board from an Audio Note M8), so it may not be a fair fight, but right out of the box, the Qutest is sounding pretty &*%$ good...I was surprised how small it is too. I'll post back in a week to let you know how they compare.

Dave

 

[Rhamnetin]

hi Rhamnetin - I got my Qutest yesterday afternoon, and it's been playing constantly for the past 24 hours. After a week, I'm going to start comparing it to my AN DAC 4.1 LE kit that I built about 7yrs ago. Since that time, I've done many mods (Black Gates, AN silver foil caps, both I/V and output transformers, and the power supply board from an Audio Note M8), so it may not be a fair fight, but right out of the box, the Qutest is sounding pretty &*%$ good...I was surprised how small it is too. I'll post back in a week to let you know how they compare.

Dave

Excellent, thanks! Looking forward to your impressions.

 

[Amictus]

@miketlse @UELong I am sort of familiar with Chord products. I bought the Hugo and it travels between the UK and France. Here, it is plugged in to a MacBook Pro and goes out (at the moment) via Chord Company Shawline interconnect to a Schiit Lyr. Works beautifully. In France it improves on the internal DAC of an Oppo 105 for all non-BluRay duties. Through the French system (basically Naim SuperNait 2 going out to Spendor A6R speakers) I could do with even more of what the Hugo brings to the table in terms of definition. I realize that I should get a Dave, but I have just bought a Linn LP12 Klimax, so give me a break! A Hugo 2 might stay in France, therefore.

A friend bought me a Chord TT for Christmas (!) a couple of years ago, but I keep that at her house, where it is now joined with an Oppo 205. I keep my HE-500 cans there, which seems a marriage made in heaven.

So - I have some Chord equipment and like it a lot. A lot depends on how much better the Hugo 2 is. Thinking...

 

[AndrewH13]

And, wasn't Rob around as far back as the Chord 64 or something like that? The original Hugo just changed the playing field quite a bit.

Way before that! Check out Deltec DAC. Deltec Precision Audio was co-formed by Rob in the 90s I reckon. I remember seeing this DAC at a hifi show many years ago. Not the best looker, but always ahead of the game.

 

[514077]

Way before that! Check out Deltec DAC. Deltec Precision Audio was co-formed by Rob in the 90s I reckon. I remember seeing this DAC at a hifi show many years ago. Not the best looker, but always ahead of the game.

Thanks, Andrew. I was trying to correct someone's assumption that Rob only came along to Chord with the Hugo. I was certain he'd been working much longer than that with JF & co. Didn't know about Deltec. I'll have to try and find some commentary from back then.

 

[514077]

@miketlse @UELong I am sort of familiar with Chord products. I bought the Hugo and it travels between the UK and France. Here, it is plugged in to a MacBook Pro and goes out (at the moment) via Chord Company Shawline interconnect to a Schiit Lyr. Works beautifully. In France it improves on the internal DAC of an Oppo 105 for all non-BluRay duties. Through the French system (basically Naim SuperNait 2 going out to Spendor A6R speakers) I could do with even more of what the Hugo brings to the table in terms of definition. I realize that I should get a Dave, but I have just bought a Linn LP12 Klimax, so give me a break! A Hugo 2 might stay in France, therefore.

A friend bought me a Chord TT for Christmas (!) a couple of years ago, but I keep that at her house, where it is now joined with an Oppo 205. I keep my HE-500 cans there, which seems a marriage made in heaven.

So - I have some Chord equipment and like it a lot. A lot depends on how much better the Hugo 2 is. Thinking...

I stand by my opinion that a big difference can be heard moving up to the Hugo2: Not the same at all. It's in your court.
But, on another note; I'm interested in a DAVE. Tell me more about your friend, huh?