[pekingduck]

@Surfski thank you for the impressions, especially those with the HD800. I am seriously thinking about buying a pair of HD800 (again!) and I'll need a relatively compact device for that. Seems like the Hugo would be an excellent choice.
 
Quote:

 
Scenario 2 - Same as above but with HD800. I have struggled to come up with a DAC / amp combination that really sings with this headphone. I was really surprised how well Hugo supported the HD800. All the openness you would expect, neutral, and credible bass. Really nice...particularly for a mobile solution. Again, you can pay a lot more for a high end DAC / Amp combination and get more...but you will not be listening to this in business class either. 
 

 

[Surfski]

   
 
Just to clarify:
 
those of discussing a potential Chord DAP are specifically referring to a 'transport-DAP', rather than a full-blown DAP.  i.e. we are hoping for a slim DAP that does not include an amplification stage or a DAC, but offers a full compliment of digital output options.
 
Just something that will serve files to the Hugo or equivalent device. The point is that this would offer many opportunities, on a modular basis. It is a niche not yet catered for in the portable audiophile marketplace.

Good clarification. I agree a matching transport or mini server would would be nice.
Perhaps I was in error but I think most people thing of DAP as an all in one solution.  

 

[Surfski]

...but my guess about the market would be the transport would be a smaller opportunity than Hugo as it stands. In any case, Chord is on to something here that they did not really hit with the Chordette or QuteHD.  

 

[Mython]

  ...but my guess about the market would be the transport would be a smaller opportunity than Hugo as it stands. In any case, Chord is on to something here that they did not really hit with the Chordette or QuteHD.  

 
 
It is not just as a product in it's own right that a transport could benefit Chord and their customers, but also as a potential stepping stone to a wider range of associated modular components. That's a long way off, but it would open the door.
 
And be certain of one thing - if Chord don't do it, another vendor absolutely definitely will. The niche may be relatively small but it is solid, is crying out to be filled, is very likely to expand, and can, as I've said, provide a stepping stone for a very lucrative range of modular components. Only someone with this longer term, broader viewpoint, will be willing to justify the R&D investment, and I appreciate that it's a big undertaking, but, in order to reduce R&D time & expense, I feel that there may be substantial scope in modifying an existing android device, whether that be in a secondary sense or in a joint-venture sense.
 
 
 

---

 

[audionewbi]

I wouldn't hold my breath.

 

[Mython]

I wouldn't hold my breath.

 
 
Yeah, maybe Chord won't take the plunge (please DO, Chord!!

), but someone like Fiio or iBasso might. Fiio, in particular, could accomplish this in a heartbeat (given appropriate motivation).
 
No doubt iRiver will do it at some point, too, but I don't care for them as a company.
 
Linn sell a lot of Hi-Res music and haven't, thus far, shown any interest in producing any portable products to play their content, but, as unlikely as it may seem, any long-established hi-fi manufacturer can potentially surprise the market, just as Chord have, to a certain extent, with the Hugo. Meridian have already dipped their toes in the water with a compact desktop DAC-Amp, as well as a budget USB DAC, and are intimately aware of Neil Young's forays with the Pono venture.
 
Interesting times and lots of money to be made, as the portable Hi-Res audiophile market is likely to expand over the next few years.

 

[audionewbi]

Linn profit is in their home hi fi, sadly most high end folks think of us head fi portable folks as child play.

 

[OK-Guy]

  I feel that there may be substantial scope in modifying an existing android device, whether that be in a secondary sense or in a joint-venture sense.

 
excuse me for being a numb-nuts but why does everything have to revolve around Android & Apple?... Windows have a mobile platform why not use that as the base of a system, surely seeing that most music programs are Windows based and that would allow for seamless integration, just a thought.
 
ps.... it's Neil Young's pony venture.

 

[nOtEcH]

I wanted to know if a power supply upgrade would be better with the Hugo, and this is the answer I got from Chord:
"The power supply just charges the batteries. Changing it will not make any difference. The voltage from the power supply is filtered and then regulated before going into the charging circuit to feed the batteries."
 
 
My wallet is relieved.. 

 

[nOtEcH]

   
excuse me for being a numb-nuts but why does everything have to revolve around Android & Apple?... Windows have a mobile platform why not use that as the base of a system, surely seeing that most music programs are Windows based and that would allow for seamless integration, just a thought.
 
ps.... it's Neil Young's pony venture.

From my point of view I guess it is all about the apps.. in the iOS and Android world.. you have available a lot more apps..

 

[nOtEcH]

I asked Chord if the power supply could be "always on" without damaging the batteries, and got this response:
 
"Yes you can keep the power supply always connected. It will go into low power trickle charge mode when the batteries are fully charged.
The charging circuit is quite complex to make sure that the batteries are kept in optimum condition."
 
It seems like they have put in a lot of thoughts in this product..

 

[NZtechfreak]

   
excuse me for being a numb-nuts but why does everything have to revolve around Android & Apple?... Windows have a mobile platform why not use that as the base of a system, surely seeing that most music programs are Windows based and that would allow for seamless integration, just a thought.
 
ps.... it's Neil Young's pony venture.

 
Does Windows Phone have USB Audio like Android? Well, no, it doesn't.
 
Does it have some proprietary way to send digital audio streams to off board devices like Apple devices? Well, no, it doesn't.
 
You wonder why we're not talking Windows Phone here?
 
If you're talking about producing a specific transport then Android is the only relevant OS amongst the three, as it lets you install it on whatever hardware you like, and allows manufacturers to make whatever changes they see fit to the OS at the software level also.
 
All of these factors are leading the conversation that way, and that's before you even consider the market share of WP.

 

[OK-Guy]

   
Does Windows Phone have USB Audio like Android? Well, no, it doesn't.
 
Does it have some proprietary way to send digital audio streams to off board devices like Apple devices? Well, no, it doesn't.
 
You wonder why we're not talking Windows Phone here?
 
If you're talking about producing a specific transport then Android is the only relevant OS amongst the three, as it lets you install it on whatever hardware you like, and allows manufacturers to make whatever changes they see fit to the OS at the software level also.
 
All of these factors are leading the conversation that way, and that's before you even consider the market share of WP.

 
why does Windows phone or Apple or Android come into it... it you want a DAP that sings and dances get a ZX1.
 
people are talking as a 'source' for that so you will only need the basics, you won't need any apps as it would be a dedicated music server otherwise you might as well use the source of your choice be it a Sansa-Clip or 'Mr Whippy' Android10.1... most use a Windows based system for uploading/downloading their music, most will use a Windows based system for a DAC/amp use via a laptop or pc, so logically in my thinking (not being very adept around a pc) is that for simplicity sake why not Windows.
 
personally I don't see the need for it as there are a myriad of sources already available.

 

[NZtechfreak]

Huh? You were the one who raised Windows mobile platform here.

The Hugo's use as a portable source is why lots are interested in using it with mobile devices.

Your suggestion to just get a DAP is out of step with what a lot of us want.

You don't have to understand our choices, and it seems clear you don't, but there is no denying the will is there. Railing against the rest of us having that conversation is rather futile.

 

[OK-Guy]

thanks for your assumption, I'm impressed with my lack of understanding... I thought the whole point was to have a separate source with memory that slotted onto the Hugo, I was wrong, my profuse apologies.