Chord Electronics - Hugo 2 - The Official Thread
Apr 29, 2019 at 4:56 AM Post #16,232 of 22,433
Hmm, then I should reconsider buying Hugo 2 now since I have Mojo but only JDS Atom

Unless LCD X will do fine with merely > 1W
Really not familiar with the JDS Atom. But, my favourite combination is the LCD-X with my H2. I've never heard anything with more power driving them. But, so far, I'm not missing anything that I know of, with just the Hugo2 driving them. And I believe it when others say that it's better to hear the RW DACs straight, without extra amplification. But, I don't criticise people who choose to use an extra amp in the circuit. But, if you get a chance to try a Hugo2, try it with your Xs. You might be surprised.
 
Apr 29, 2019 at 5:01 AM Post #16,233 of 22,433
Really not familiar with the JDS Atom. But, my favourite combination is the LCD-X with my H2. I've never heard anything with more power driving them. But, so far, I'm not missing anything that I know of, with just the Hugo2 driving them. And I believe it when others say that it's better to hear the RW DACs straight, without extra amplification. But, I don't criticise people who choose to use an extra amp in the circuit. But, if you get a chance to try a Hugo2, try it with your Xs. You might be surprised.

I will def report back if I do so

Will share my findings and impressions this weekend when I have some spare time to do “critical listening” with Mojo and Atom alone
 
Apr 29, 2019 at 5:52 AM Post #16,234 of 22,433
Leave the atom for yesteryears and just go hugo2. You will not want for nothing. It is far more impressive without doubt. Stop experimenting and tinkering and start planning financially for your hugo 2 purchase. It will satisfy all your headphone wishes. Even mojo is so powerful like a desktop amp it does need the atom.
 
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Apr 29, 2019 at 6:11 AM Post #16,235 of 22,433
Leave the atom for yesteryears and just go hugo2. You will not want for nothing. It is far more impressive without doubt. Stop experimenting and tinkering and start planning financially for your hugo 2 purchase. It will satisfy all your headphone wishes. Even mojo is so powerful like a desktop amp it does need the atom.

u meant "does not need the atom" ?
 
Apr 29, 2019 at 7:15 AM Post #16,237 of 22,433
Hmm, then I should reconsider buying Hugo 2 now since I have Mojo but only JDS Atom

Unless LCD X will do fine with merely > 1W

The LCD-X will not ever actually use 1W unless you make yourself deaf in seconds. Just because an amp with 1W rating at the specified resistance may sound better to a listener it doesn’t mean the headphone is actually fed 1W at listenable levels. The LCD-X will blow your ear drums out fed with 50mW (120dB) according to Audeze’s 20 Ohm / 103dB/mW specs for LCD-X. You can also be sure that the Hugo2 has far more than enough Current for the LCD-X.

Even Audeze has somewhat smartened up with their marketing and recommend a measly 100mW-250mW (at drum reference point) for the LCD-X, instead of their previous outlandish 1-4W power recommendation. Seriously, you’d be far better off looking for the best quality components with enough juice (with a bit of headroom) for your headphones, while also considering synergy and your tastes. You like a warm sound, bright sound, neutral, etc.. Chasing just power is a fools errand unless one owns one of the very few headphones that are actually very power hungry.
 
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Apr 29, 2019 at 7:56 AM Post #16,238 of 22,433
I have a Hugo2 driving loudspeakers (10.5ohm, 96dB) and only find it wanting for power(current) as I push the volume or on extreme bass-heavy or complex passages. Of course I adjust my listening to accommodate ...I will not give up the transparency of dac-direct.

I hope (wish?) that a hybrid ultra cap+lithium battery drop in replacement for the Hugo2 internal battery over the next while can provide the extra kick of power needed. Technology is moving quickly here and, IMO, @Rob Watts is doing the thought leadership with TT2 to show that traditional amplifier architectures (certainly for headphones and high efficiency speakers) are not needed.
 
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Apr 29, 2019 at 8:26 AM Post #16,239 of 22,433
The LCD-X will not ever actually use 1W unless you make yourself deaf in seconds. Just because an amp with 1W rating at the specified resistance may sound better to a listener it doesn’t mean the headphone is actually fed 1W at listenable levels. The LCD-X will blow your ear drums out fed with 50mW (120dB) according to Audeze’s 20 Ohm / 103dB/mW specs for LCD-X. You can also be sure that the Hugo2 has far more than enough Current for the LCD-X.

Even Audeze has somewhat smartened up with their marketing and recommend a measly 100mW-250mW (at drum reference point) for the LCD-X, instead of their previous outlandish 1-4W power recommendation. Seriously, you’d be far better off looking for the best quality components with enough juice (with a bit of headroom) for your headphones, while also considering synergy and your tastes. You like a warm sound, bright sound, neutral, etc.. Chasing just power is a fools errand unless one owns one of the very few headphones that are actually very power hungry.

i am looking for speed, detail and clarity with a touch of warmth (less warm than HD650)

i did want to pick up a gilmore lite mkii amp from headamp tho..
 
Apr 29, 2019 at 8:30 AM Post #16,240 of 22,433
If I had it to do again, or if the timing was right, I would have gone for the TT2 as well. Maybe holding on to that 2,800 longer. The TT1 had the same taps and other stuff of the hugo, so I suspected the TT2 would just be a bigger Hugo2. But, twice the number of taps, plus a lot more power to give my LCD-X a bit of a kick up the scale would have been great. But the ol' Hugo2 is such a big leap SQ=wise over the H1, that I'm happy with it.

It's really nice to hear someone else so happy with the Hugo 2. I am too, even though I recently received a TT2 after a three month wait. The TT2 aside, I was never not happy with the Hugo 2. I needed a second DAC and could have gone with Qutest. As a Qutest and Hugo 2 would have covered my physical requirements. A Qutest would have done amplifier duty, and Hugo 2 cover portable and headphone desktop duty.

However for whatever reason I went with TT2, and it's impossible to be unhappy with that choice. Either way though, Qutest or TT2 for second DAC, and I would have been happy. From the start, the Hugo 2 was out of this world for me. I remember my initial feelings, that it had: such grip on music, much more detail than Mojo, neutrality, and beauty. For a whole month directly after I bought my Hugo 2, I did little else other than listen to music. Life felt too short to do anything else.
 
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Apr 29, 2019 at 8:40 AM Post #16,241 of 22,433
It's really nice to hear someone else so happy with the Hugo 2. I am too, even though I recently received a TT2 after a three month wait. The TT2 aside, I was never not happy with the Hugo 2. I needed a second DAC and could have gone with Qutest. As a Qutest and Hugo 2 would have covered my physical requirements. A Qutest would have done amplifier duty, and Hugo 2 cover portable and headphone desktop duty.

However for whatever reason I went with TT2, and it's impossible to be unhappy with that choice. Either way though, Qutest or TT2 for second DAC, and I would have been happy. From the start, the Hugo 2 was out of this world for me. I remember my initial feelings, that it had: such grip on music, much more detail than Mojo, neutrality, and beauty. For a whole month directly after I bought my Hugo 2, I did little else other than listen to music. Life felt too short to do anything else.

Whenever you have the chance, I’d love to hear your impressions between Hugo 2 and TT2.
 
Apr 29, 2019 at 9:30 AM Post #16,242 of 22,433
Whenever you have the chance, I’d love to hear your impressions between Hugo 2 and TT2.

Yeah, I'd be be happy to. I did make some comments about TT2 and some in relation to Hugo 2 in TT2 thread. However those impressions were messed up by some reverb, that I found was default set on JRiver. (No idea why JRiver do that.) Anyway now I really should go back to Hugo 2 for a while and get re-familiar with it. Then return to TT2 to get some final impression to relate to Head-Fi. However as you can imagine I am using TT2, and going to back to Hugo 2 feels impossible. Not because there is anything wrong with Hugo 2, but just because TT2 is better.

I did for a short while use Hugo 2 again. Hugo 2 was magnificent still, and very familiar sounding after some time with TT2.

For now though, I can conclude that, if anyone is thinking about TT2, don't worry. It's a safe buy.
 
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Apr 29, 2019 at 11:02 AM Post #16,243 of 22,433
Hi,
Probably already discussed by i could not find it in any thread.
Connecting the Hugo 2 to a Windows PC which have USB and SPDIF as well, should i go on the SPDIF connection for a better audio quality?

Thanks!
 
Apr 29, 2019 at 11:05 AM Post #16,244 of 22,433
Hi,
Probably already discussed by i could not find it in any thread.
Connecting the Hugo 2 to a Windows PC which have USB and SPDIF as well, should i go on the SPDIF connection for a better audio quality?

Thanks!
It you play up to 192khz then optical should be better. Remember not to keep usb connected if not in use as it still carries rf
 

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