[zolom]

That's why I got the other one.

 

[No Disc]

That's why I got the other one.

My meaning is what problem did you encounter with it? I am considering getting one.

 

[zolom]

The faulty one has BT connection issues.
Topping's customers service were prompt and sent me a replacement unit immediately.

I truely recommend the BC3.

 

[Lohb]

I had upgraded amps from Monoprice THX887 to a Fluxlab FA-10 class-a amp hoping to address this.

Exact amp path I was on, Fa-10 way fuller and more organic than 887..had wanted to hook Hogo2 into Fa-10 but it's gone..just to flesh it out more for harder to drive cans. It sits sonically between a class A SS amp and high grade tube sound IMO.

Anyone get the Fidelizer higher grade caps and balanced output upgrade done ?

"<< Chord Hugo / Hugo 2

Reference – The reason why Chord Hugo sounds harsh and unforgiving was due to stock capacitors implemented for best specifications in budget. Upgrading capacitors will resolve this harshness and improve musicality a lot.


Signature – Chord Hugo use dual mono battery design so tapping battery to Hugo circuit board directly will require amount of work. I also replaced additional headphone jack with 2.5 termination using best silver-plated contacts.

-Upgrade tantalum capacitor with highend grade ones fixing harshness sound signature
-Upgrade aluminum capacitor for charging and output stage for solid sound performance
-Modify battery module to use direct connection with high purity copper wiring for full sound dynamics
-Replace additional output jack for 2.5 termination with silver-plated contact for balanced ground topology design.>>"

Subjective sound comments by fidezlizer I think were based on first model hugo, not 2..anway been interested in this for H2 to see what it does for it.

Edit : Answer found deeper in the thread on Fidelizer mods and if it is wise/necessary to do it...designer just so happens to know best and probably the original hugo might have benefitted from those mods but H2 - more than fine as is..."Leave great alone - don't tamper with what you do not truly understand"

Agreed; I wouldn't tamper with it either, you are very much more likely to degrade sound quality.

As too capacitors - yes these can have huge effects when in the signal path, and smaller effects on the PSU.

But there are zero capacitors in the signal path with Hugo 2 - so there is nothing to upgrade - due to the digital DC servo - fundamentally solving the issue.

As to the power supply - this is a complex area. The major problem is distortion induced via the power rails, and it's akin to crossover distortion, so very audible and objectionable - it's in extremis capable of distortion products extending to infinite frequencies. Adding extra capacitors will reduce this problem but with Hugo 2 I wanted to completely eliminate this issue - and this has been achieved by using the second order analogue noise shaper approach, as well as adding separately regulated boost power rails on the gain stages of the amplifier. As it happens, I was running a SPICE simulation of this amplifier topology recently, and 1v of PSU noise on the OP stage rails at 1kHz only gave 20pV (0.00000000002 volts) on the outputs - that is a rejection of 214 dB from the main power rails. And I know it works in practice due to the complete absence of crossover distortion when Hugo 2 is measured, and the (unmeasurable) ultra low distortion crosstalk measurements.

In short, the simple and dumb approach is to add lots of caps on the power rails - but this will only reduce the problem. With the separate gain stage PSUs, and the second order analogue noise shaper approach, I can make the output immune from the noise on the power rails - fundamentally solving the issue again, not just playing at the edges.

Happy listening, Rob

 

[nigel801]

Hi All,

My Chord hugo 2 suddenly acting strange while switching input from USB to any other source it gives loud popping and distorted sound and then I have to power it down and power up again and then it doesn't give any problems.

I am worried it will not damage my Empyrean and LCD-XC I know Chord is known for excellent support hope they will be able to answer it, also is the Battery supported in warranty I dont get more then 4 hour sometime even 3.5 hours my unit still has few months left of 3 year warranty.


Thanks.

 

[Lohb]

Battery is 18 months per the warranty card I think.

 

[No Disc]

The faulty one has BT connection issues.
Topping's customers service were prompt and sent me a replacement unit immediately.

I truely recommend the BC3.

I just got this one and will be giving it an evaluation over the next few days.

 

[LCMusicLover]

That's why I got the other one.

How does using this device compare to connecting to H2's BT connection? SQ? Useability?

With the replacement device(s), have the connection issues gone away?

I've had a little trouble connecting to H2 BT when the BT source is 'a bit further away' (next room, etc.)

I just got this one and will be giving it an evaluation over the next few days.
.
.
.

Please let us know how well your device works as an input to Hugo 2 if you try that.

As above, I'm especially interested in performance with this device vs using H2's BT connection.

Also, are either of you connecting to H2 via optical?

TIA

 

[zolom]

How does using this device compare to connecting to H2's BT connection? SQ? Useability?

With the replacement device(s), have the connection issues gone away?

I've had a little trouble connecting to H2 BT when the BT source is 'a bit further away' (next room, etc.)

Please let us know how well your device works as an input to Hugo 2 if you try that.

As above, I'm especially interested in performance with this device vs using H2's BT connection.

Also, are either of you connecting to H2 via optical?

In my opinion, the SQ with the BC3 LDAC, is much clearer and airy, compared to the aptx of the H2.
Mostly, I use it while charging my phone (main source).
I also use the BC3 forward/backward buttons, even when playing via USB audio.
Highly recommended.

 

[Lohb]

That old Verge review of Hugo2 just does not tally with what I hear with H2..just think he was using cans not suited for H2 back then...think they were LCD-4s, not 4z. Must have put a slice of people off H2 initially, including me.

Edit: must be synergy issues for those that used to report "shrill highs & lack of musicality" - do not get that at all across all my planars or most of the negatives that were reported in the past...a weird one..wish I got H2 several years ago now...am sidegrading to black one now after receiving my silver one to test out...just something about the black unit that makes it look more 'hi-tech".


Think I'm won over with the whole FPGA tech sound vs delta-sigma...that bass quality and quantity on H2...wow.

 

[Lohb]

Is something like iPurifier3 not necessary if you are mainly using a battery-powered source..notebook/phone ?

I think you only look at power conditioners if you have notebook connected to mains, and then an amp connected to mains after the Hugo2 and are using USB-out with H2 ?

Also I think I saw Rob saying way back in the thread, don't introduce reclockers behind the device ?
..and iP3 is essentially a reclocker as well as a power conditioner.

 

[GreenBow]

That old Verge review of Hugo2 just does not tally with what I hear with H2..just think he was using cans not suited for H2 back then...think they were LCD-4s, not 4z. Must have put a slice of people off H2 initially, including me.

Edit: must be synergy issues for those that used to report "shrill highs & lack of musicality" - do not get that at all across all my planars or most of the negatives that were reported in the past...a weird one..wish I got H2 several years ago now...am sidegrading to black one now after receiving my silver one to test out...just something about the black unit that makes it look more 'hi-tech".


Think I'm won over with the whole FPGA tech sound vs delta-sigma...that bass quality and quantity on H2...wow.

I think the result the guy got in the Verge review was down to lack of experience.

When I first got Hugo 2 it did sound bright. There was detail all over sounds that I had not heard before. It was sonically blinding and it outfaced me. To be sure, I focused on overall bass vs treble response and found it completely balanced. It was then just a case of taking time to hear all the new detial sounds as part of the whole. ... It took a whole month to fully adjust to Hugo 2 when coming from Mojo. It was just case of sit and listen until it made sense. I did listen too. I felt a strong sense of life was too short to not be listening to the Hugo 2 a lot.

I knew from when I bought the Mojo, that was what to expect. When I first got Mojo it sounded hollow, metallic, thin, and bright. I realised after two days it was more detailed than what I had before. Six days I realised it was smooth sounding. Took me ten days before I realised what I was hearing. After two weeks I was hooked, and it was all uphill.

 

[alxw0w]

When I first got Mojo it sounded hollow, metallic, thin, and bright.

I can understand such description when talking about Hugo2, but Mojo being metallic and thin ?
That's a new one.
What were you listening before Mojo then ?

 

[Edric Li]

I think the result the guy got in the Verge review was down to lack of experience.

When I first got Hugo 2 it did sound bright. There was detail all over sounds that I had not heard before. It was sonically blinding and it outfaced me. To be sure, I focused on overall bass vs treble response and found it completely balanced. It was then just a case of taking time to hear all the new detial sounds as part of the whole. ... It took a whole month to fully adjust to Hugo 2 when coming from Mojo. It was just case of sit and listen until it made sense. I did listen too. I felt a strong sense of life was too short to not be listening to the Hugo 2 a lot.

I knew from when I bought the Mojo, that was what to expect. When I first got Mojo it sounded hollow, metallic, thin, and bright. I realised after two days it was more detailed than what I had before. Six days I realised it was smooth sounding. Took me ten days before I realised what I was hearing. After two weeks I was hooked, and it was all uphill.

I once read a reviewer who refers to Hugo 2 as having a boosted upper mids. Dude heard imaging for the first time in his life and was in denial.

 

[Infoseeker]

It does have an upper-mids glare to me in its upper-mids. Or better worded, it is dry and unforgiving in that region, without my FluxLab Fa-10 amp to compensate for it.