[uzi2]

   
 
Maybe I'm missing something, but, other than the claimed 'native' DSD decoding, I'm struggling to see anything particularly innovative or special about that device.
 
6 hrs battery life is inadequate for portable use, too.

As a source for the Hugo, the battery will no doubt last many times longer. I would expect it to outlast the Hugo by a considerable margin.

 

[FidelityCastro]

Just a little happy note on the Hugo - two different moments today:

1. I bought an album off iTunes (pause for collective sharp intake of breath for Head-Fier purchasing MP3 from Satan's spawn). For anyone who likes rock, it was the new album called 'Wonder Days' by a UK band called Thunder (showing my age). When I got home I plugged the iPhone 6 into Hugo via optical, with decent over-ears (Denon D7000) and listened to it via Onkyo HF Player (which I believe upsamples - over to experts to clarify), and it sounded fantastic. Had to pop out to supermarket, so took the iPhone + Hugo but swapped the Denons for my Earsonics EMS6 IEMs. Again, fab.

2. Signed up to an online live gigs website called iConcert. Plugged Hugo into IPad - again via optical - to watch a 1990s ZZ Top live concert in Germamy. Again, sounded absolutely fantastic through the Denons.

My daily commute DAP is an AK120 modded (the Singapore dudes rather than Red Wine), and it sounds great. (I'm waiting for balanced cables for the Earsonics and my SE846s from Ted, which I know will be even better, and I may get the Glove Audio A1.) The AK120 already sounds better than the iPhone solo (both single ended). But the iPhone / Hugo combo using HF Player, with single-ended, destroys the AK with single-ended.

We are lucky to have such good choices. I've never regretted the Hugo, especially for mobile listening.

 

[wsilvio]

OK, so I finally broke down and bought a Hugo after many weeks of looking at these and other threads!  I hope when it arrives it will be as glorious as everyone says!  I plan on using it with my iPhone either with the camera connection kit or using coax out of my Algorythm solo. Also at work with my mac running Amarra.   I'll post impression after I receive it.

 

[audionewbi]

Congratulations

 

[Somphon]

OK, so I finally broke down and bought a Hugo after many weeks of looking at these and other threads!  I hope when it arrives it will be as glorious as everyone says!  I plan on using it with my iPhone either with the camera connection kit or using coax out of my Algorythm solo. Also at work with my mac running Amarra.   I'll post impression after I receive it.

Congratulations! You made the right choice. Sounds great out of iPhone cck.

 

[wsilvio]

I thought about getting an AK240 but as a MAC user I worried about the ease of file transfer and firmware bugs etc. Plus I like the connectivity of the Hugo.  I also like the fact that Chord used an FPGA instead of an off the shelf solution.  My PS Audio Directstream DAC uses an FPGA and it's quite impressive.  

 

[RubenV]

  OK, so I finally broke down and bought a Hugo after many weeks of looking at these and other threads!  I hope when it arrives it will be as glorious as everyone says!  I plan on using it with my iPhone either with the camera connection kit or using coax out of my Algorythm solo. Also at work with my mac running Amarra.   I'll post impression after I receive it.

Congrats! You will not be dissapointed. I am using it also with an iPhone 6 when on the move. That works great.
 
 
 

  I thought about getting an AK240 but as a MAC user I worried about the ease of file transfer and firmware bugs etc. Plus I like the connectivity of the Hugo.  I also like the fact that Chord used an FPGA instead of an off the shelf solution.  My PS Audio Directstream DAC uses an FPGA and it's quite impressive.  

 
The best DAC's I've heard all used FPGA's. I think the Hugo is one of the first portables that uses these instead of off-the-shelve chips. Before I bought my dCS DAC I used an Antelope Zodiac +. Decent DAC, but not as good as the Hugo and no portable use. Even more expensive, go figure...

 

[Mython]

  The best DAC's I've heard all used FPGA's. I think the Hugo is one of the first portables that uses these instead of off-the-shelve chips. Before I bought my dCS DAC I used an Antelope Zodiac +. Decent DAC, but not as good as the Hugo and no portable use. Even more expensive, go figure...

 
 
I reckon Rob's barely hit his stride yet - there may be some wonderful DACs in his (and our!

) future, if the Hugo is anything to go by.
 
OK, so we're not going to see the ideal infinite taps anytime, but I suspect there's probably quite a bit more capacity available in the Xilinx Spartan-6, and eventually a Spartan-7 will become available - goodness knows what level of awesomeness Rob may yet have in store for us, in the next few years, then

 

[Somphon]

  I thought about getting an AK240 but as a MAC user I worried about the ease of file transfer and firmware bugs etc. Plus I like the connectivity of the Hugo.  I also like the fact that Chord used an FPGA instead of an off the shelf solution.  My PS Audio Directstream DAC uses an FPGA and it's quite impressive.  

I can confirm that AK240 does not play well with Mac. Spending many many hours selecting and transferred files to have it disappeared 3 times in 2 days. Switching to Windows (in Mac's parallels) seems to resolve the issues though. My 240 piggy back Hugo nicely.

 

[efftee]

I can confirm that AK240 does not play well with Mac. Spending many many hours selecting and transferred files to have it disappeared 3 times in 2 days. Switching to Windows (in Mac's parallels) seems to resolve the issues though. My 240 piggy back Hugo nicely.

Hmm, I've filled and refilled the 256Gb on my AK240 solely with my MacBook Pro 13 (Retina) running Maverick first, then Yosemite, and never had any problems. You might want to check if you are on the latest version of Android File Transfer.

 

[jwbrent]

 
My 240 piggy back Hugo nicely.

 
The tiny rubber bumpers on the Hugo are set perfectly for the 240. I normally don't like to stack gear, but this combo looks like they belong together even though there is an overall dimensions difference.

 

[Somphon]

Hmm, I've filled and refilled the 256Gb on my AK240 solely with my MacBook Pro 13 (Retina) running Maverick first, then Yosemite, and never had any problems. You might want to check if you are on the latest version of Android File Transfer.

Im happy for you that you do not have issues.
Yes i have the latest version, tried the older version... Same issue.

 

[Mython]

I'm unfamiliar with the AK240 in relation to Macs, but I know from past experience, that my Mac played absolute havoc with a Cowon J3, because of writing DS_Store files all over the J3 memory.
 
Not presuming it's the same issue, but have to ask if you've at least discounted this from being a possible cause of your issues with the Android-based AK240.
 
Maybe this topic isn't best suited to the Hugo thread, though...

 

[dallan]

I had avoided the ak240 for the same reasons. Didn't want to try to deal with android based dap with a Mac. Glad I waited and then got to hear this in that it is more versital since I needed a home dac upgrade too and I prefer the sound quality. Add to that I already have ak120 to feed it and it was a no brainer.

 

[wsilvio]

  I'm unfamiliar with the AK240 in relation to Macs, but I know from past experience, that my Mac played absolute havoc with a Cowon J3, because of writing DS_Store files all over the J3 memory.
 
Not presuming it's the same issue, but have to ask if you've at least discounted this from being a possible cause of your issues with the Android-based AK240.
 
Maybe this topic isn't best suited to the Hugo thread, though...

Yeah, I bricked a J3 using my Mac.  I actually liked the player, but it was too much trouble getting files on it without screwing it up.  If you forgot to eject the player properly it was all over.  Luckily Amazon took it back.