[GreenBow]

I just read that JRiver is going to be available on Android soon.

 

[wdh777]

Does anyone know how much power this TT2 has compared to the original TT? I found the original to not be quite enough to drive LCD-4s but hoping the TT2 will have plenty of power. Thanks

 

[111MilesToGo]

Just out of general interest, what's the reason you'd like native DSD support from Linux with Hugo2?

There aren't any/many DSD512 recordings that I'm aware of. Is it for up-sampling to DSD512 to Hugo2? Did you know DSD is decimated (converted to PCM) anyway inside Hugo2?

Just interested why DoP (up to DSD256 on Linux) isn't working well with your Hugo2 ?

Cheers!

I'm glad that you asked, @Em2016. There are a number of reasons why I brought this question to the public and in particular to Chord. There are posts regarding native DSD not only on this Hugo 2 thread, but also on the Qutest thread here at Head-Fi, maybe elsewhere, too.

Let me begin by introducing a bit of what I think I am. First of all, I am a music lover - that's what it's all about here, enjoying music. Second, music should be brought to us in an audiophile way. Third, all audio technology is a tool to serve the music, and as a tool it should work just exactly perfect, by all standards of state-of-the-art, and in the most easy to handle way. Fourth, technology is an interesting beast in its own right, and I like to basically understand it enough in order to get it to work right.

I got into music and audio a LONG time ago, but then this hobby got retired when I became just unhappy with being unable to overcome my biggest problem back then, room acoustics. Just two years ago, I sort of simultaneously started my interests in computer audio and Linux. I had been with Windows all the time, of course, but open source and free computing with Linux is fascinating, and being able to at least partially steer away from the Big Three M/A/G is very appealing. So now audio is back with me (AudioQuest DragonFly Red and Hugo 2 DACs, Violectric HPA V281 headphone amp, Sennheiser HD 800 S cans and BeyerDynamic Xelento IEMs).

My route into computer audio started on Windows with foobar2000 and much later Roon, but my main listening is on Linux with MPD (Music Player Daemon) plus a GUI client or stand-alone players. Of course, my route started with getting things right for myself, but now I am thinking about the "big picture": Many users out there, many usage cases, many competitor products. I am more than happy to have discovered Chord, in particular the Hugo 2.

So here is a first answer to your questions: This is just for myself, but I would never have approached Chord and Rob Watts if that were all. For many practical purposes, I am just happy with what I get - Linux into Hugo 2 works fine for PCM up to 384 kHz and DoP up to DSD128. There aren't many recordings beyond those, but the number of DSD256 recordings does grow. Remark: My Linux's do also play 705.6 and 768 kHz PCM as well as DoP256, but I am getting awful high-frequency sounds when pausing or stopping such tracks. I still have to figure out the root cause. Linux is not taking care of native DSD to any Chord DAC yet. With native DSD, I would be fine up to DSD256.

Answer 2 to your questions is: I am thinking about many music lovers / computer audio users / usage cases out there. Due to its low computer resource needs, Linux is used with many music server solutions. These range from single-purpose servers (e.g. Intel NUC, Roon ROCK) to setting a PC (old and small is good enough) aside just for this purpose. Roon has its Roon Core for Linux, but any Linux distribution with standard (free!) software suffices. Thus, it is a fair request that such Linux systems should be capable of handling all audio transports to any DAC. And this shall include native DSD to Chord DACs.

Answer 3 to your question is: I am thinking about Chord, and how they might advance their spread in the market. In light of my answer 2 above, it would just be great for Chord to be able to state "native DSD works on Linux up to DSD512 without the need for installing proprietary drivers" for the phalanx of Chord DACs. AFAIK, native DSD gives one rate higher than DoP (e.g. DSD512 as compared to DoP256 only). As of now, Linux is able to handle native DSD out-of-the-box for quite a number of competitor products: XMOS chip based USB DACs (e.g., Auralic, Gustard, iFi, Oppo, PS Audio, Wyred 4 Sound), Amanero chip based DACs (e.g. T+A), ITF-USB DSD based DACs (e.g. Denon, Luxman, Marantz, TEAC) and many more - just quoting names from https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/sound/usb/quirks.c a.o.

Answer 4 to your question is: I am thinking about computer operating systems and audio player software - these should be as easy and fully functional out-of-the-box as possible. Of course, Roon is as much plug-and-play as it gets, but on Windows it takes installation of device-dependent drivers and switching between them (e.g. between WASAPI and ASIO). And Roon is horrendously expensive... Talking about Windows: foobar2000 is a very technical player, it takes so much manual switching that it becomes a nuisance. Linux is quite to the contrary: With MPD, it doesn't take any switching, it just selects the best-suited transport method automatically for the DAC device in use. Again, this calls for native DSD on Linux. And finally, consider that the scope is much wider than the "esoteric Linux": Android is based on Linux, and I just found out that the same a.m. quirks.c is present for Android.

PS: Just a little war story of mine. After purchasing the DragonFly Red as a first step to get into computer audio, I had purchased an Oppo HA2-SE. However, I returned it to my dealer since it seems to have a design flaw (switches off after a very short while without data coming in, turns on again upon receiving data but with 2-3 seconds loss of music!), and purchased the Hugo 2. Nowadays I wish I had kept the Oppo, if only as a testing ground for native DSD...

EDIT: I added that one sentence for Android to the last but one paragraph, although I do not at all know enough about Android and actually have a certain opinion on it. But I guess it's worth some thought.

 

[flyte3333]

Thanks @111MilesToGo !

I’m playing DoP256 without issues with multiple Linux based sources already (Allo USBridge, Sonore microRendu, Intel NUC running Roon OS). Never had a single issue with Linux as it is, so the need for Linux native DSD support (for Hugo2 DAC specifically) never came to my mind.

And of course there’s only a handful (maybe a couple) of DSD512 recordings available on the planet that I’m aware of.

The fact that DoP256 is failing is a good bit perfect test with your chain.

Have you tried that same chain on a Windows machine running Chord’s ASIO driver to play DSD256 natively? Did it work or same issue?

As I was reading each of your points I was saying to myself “but DoP256 already works perfectly with Linux based sources and Hugo2” so there must be something wrong with your chain ?

As for the request on other Chord threads, some people want to up-sample to DSD512 and so they need native DSD support but I wonder how many of those are aware of the DSD decimation for all of Rob’s DAC other than Dave in DSD+ mode...

 

[jarnopp]

Does anyone know how much power this TT2 has compared to the original TT? I found the original to not be quite enough to drive LCD-4s but hoping the TT2 will have plenty of power. Thanks

At least over 10x the wattage. You will get 7w into 8ohms single ended and 18w balanced. That should translate into more than enough for the LCD4s, elven single ended.

 

[acordfan]

I hope anyone can answer if it’s safe to run passive speakers straight from Hugo2 on a daily basis? The volume is usually set in purple-white using my LS50s for nearfield listening.

 

[miketlse]

I hope anyone can answer if it’s safe to run passive speakers straight from Hugo2 on a daily basis? The volume is usually set in purple-white using my LS50s for nearfield listening.

I think @Rob Watts has posted about the maximum volume to direct drive speakers.
For example https://www.head-fi.org/threads/cho...official-thread.831345/page-435#post-13631492

 

[maxh22]

I hope anyone can answer if it’s safe to run passive speakers straight from Hugo2 on a daily basis? The volume is usually set in purple-white using my LS50s for nearfield listening.

Are you satisfied with the sound?

 

[acordfan]

I think @Rob Watts has posted about the maximum volume to direct drive speakers.
For example https://www.head-fi.org/threads/cho...official-thread.831345/page-435#post-13631492

From what I’m getting here, it’s safe as long as it’s not clipping, and there’s a limiter of output current which is lower than what the battery can deliver. This is good to know thanks

Are you satisfied with the sound?

Yes, it sounds surprisingly good and plays to sufficiently loud levels at arms length from my listening position, though I’m having thoughts on what it’ll sound like when played at louder levels with an amplifier

 

[Hooster]

Yes, it sounds surprisingly good and plays to sufficiently loud levels at arms length from my listening position, though I’m having thoughts on what it’ll sound like when played at louder levels with an amplifier

You will actually have some authority in the bass for one thing.

 

[Christer]

I found an interesting point in the HiFi News review of the Qutest. They were talking about the filters. They suggested using the green filter because it cuts out noise above 20Khz caused by high res music. ..... Their precise words are, "The HF roll-off filters have a curtailed response above 20KHz to help suppress noise and distortion from hi-res digital recordings that suffer it."

I always used either white - neutral, or green - incisive neutral with HF roll off. I think I might keep to green in future.

Hmm I also just happened to read that review a couple of days ago but interpreted it exactly opposite from the way you did.
They mentioned the filters as you say. But the reviewer ended the review with saying there's really no need for them in his opinion.
He did mention problems with the supplied power unit though. They found it noisy and even asked if anyone else had experienced the same problems with it that they did.
Maybe I am mixing this up with another review of Qutest?
But all in all the review was positive. It was in the november issue of HIFI NEWS
Cheers Controversial Christer

 

[acordfan]

You will actually have some authority in the bass for one thing.

I caved in and got a Hegel integrated amp. Expensive but sounds fantastic along with Hugo 2 as DAC. Driving directly with Hugo 2 sounds thin in comparison.

 

[Amberlamps]

Does anyone know how much power this TT2 has compared to the original TT? I found the original to not be quite enough to drive LCD-4s but hoping the TT2 will have plenty of power. Thanks

It will be enough to drive any headphone on the plant and some, with exception to electrostatic headphones.

Chord made sure that headphone users would have nothing to worry about for years to come.

 

[odessamarin]

I caved in and got a Hegel integrated amp. Expensive but sounds fantastic along with Hugo 2 as DAC. Driving directly with Hugo 2 sounds thin in comparison.

try Qutest

 

[Hooster]

I caved in and got a Hegel integrated amp. Expensive but sounds fantastic along with Hugo 2 as DAC. Driving directly with Hugo 2 sounds thin in comparison.

Bravo! Enjoy. Of course it sounds thin direct from Hugo2.