[Jeff Y]

I get the feeling I should have indeed gone for one of the Audezes instead of the Fostex TH-900. Perhaps I will have to experiment with darker headphones to counter all that brightness. But there are so many disconcerning things about Audeze (general heaviness, wood rings cracking, drivers dying all over the place ...).  Anyone tried other "dark" 'phones like Audioquest Nighthawk, for example?

I will go try out the Nighthawk asap with my Hugo for that reason but I didn't like the prototype that much out of my DAP so I'm not expecting much.
And yes, Audeze qc seems to be not doing its job.
 
My HD650's got a nice tonality with the Hugo I think.

 

[TokenGesture]

Maybe try Oppo PM2 as well?

 

[OK-Guy]

  My HD650's got a nice tonality with the Hugo I think.

 
if it sounds good it is good...

 

 

[Jeff Y]

Maybe try Oppo PM2 as well?

I tried all of OPPO's headphones and if I see all of them next time, I'll only try the PM-3.
1 and 2's tonalities don't work for me. Their bass is too limp, mids are distant, and highs are not neutral with other frequencies either.
PM-3 sounds the best though it's the cheapest and is the only closed back out of their range ironically. I'm even considering getting one.
Of course people say different things and YMMV.
 

   
if it sounds good it is good...

 

That should be Chord's slogan eh?

 

[sp3llv3xit]

You must listen at incredibly high volumes. :eek: I could never listen at maximum setting, and I listen fairly loud.

I understand that the sonic balance isn't realistc to your ears, but the amps you use not just shift the sonic balance, but also sacrifice accuracy and add harmonic distortion. Maybe there's an other way of shifting the sonic balance without the drawbacks?

The beauty of this hobby is it accords everyone with a chance to tailor fit the presentation of music to his individual sophisticated taste or his idiosyncratic preference.


Sure we appreciate the truth but a little flattery goes a long way towards brightening up your day - even if it is but for a day.

Life is fleeting. We enjoy it in the way we can and in the manner that speaks of the culmination of what and where we've been. At the end of the day, I will only try people's suggestions. How I keep my rig speaks of my individuality and what I think is the most pleasing sound for me.

I know this smacks of subjective nincompoopery and lame ass excuse to stay in the "incorrect" or "lack of sonic balance" group. But I like sub bass to have a little bloom before it decays out of audible range.

Is that so bad?

 

[AndrewH13]

I like my Hd800s with Hugo, but for rock I sometimes need my Grado 325s for a brighter more attacking sound

 

[JaZZ]

The beauty of this hobby is it accords everyone with a chance to tailor fit the presentation of music to his individual sophisticated taste or his idiosyncratic preference.

Sure we appreciate the truth but a little flattery goes a long way towards brightening up your day - even if it is but for a day.

Life is fleeting. We enjoy it in the way we can and in the manner that speaks of the culmination of what and where we've been. At the end of the day, I will only try people's suggestions. How I keep my rig speaks of my individuality and what I think is the most pleasing sound for me.

I know this smacks of subjective nincompoopery and lame ass excuse to stay in the "incorrect" or "lack of sonic balance" group. But I like sub bass to have a little bloom before it decays out of audible range.

Is that so bad?

 
It's not bad, and you're actually misinterpreting my statement. I'm all for customization of gear to one's personal preferences. It's just that you may not be aware of your options – instead of degrading the sound with the introduction of an additional amplification stage (maybe nevertheless a necessity given your [incredible] listening volume) you could equalize it in the digital domain, which would largely preserve the original accuracy, maybe even improve it if the adaptation of the sonic balance fits your personal HRTF better. And it would save you money.
 
But I know, collecting fancy gear is a hobby just as much as listening to music is...

 

 

[sp3llv3xit]

   
It's not bad, and you're actually misinterpreting my statement. I'm all for customization of gear to one's personal preferences. It's just that you may not be aware of your options – instead of degrading the sound with the introduction of an additional amplification stage (maybe nevertheless a necessity given your [incredible] listening volume) you could equalize it in the digital domain, which would largely preserve the original accuracy, maybe even improve it if the adaptation of the sonic balance fits your personal HRTF better. And it would save you money.
 
But I know, collecting fancy gear is a hobby just as much as listening to music is...

 

Ah. Sorry for the misinterpretation.

But I did that already.  EQ'd the 240SS to death before deciding to finally do some experiments with introducing a portable amp into the mix.

The result was quite delightful, actually.

Almost everyone to whom I opened my rig to was pleasantly surprised that this rig could sound so good that one of them actually asked me, "Why do you still want to buy a desktop amp?  What more are you looking for?"  

He knew before auditioning that I am saving up for a GSX mkII.

 

[craigp]

Agreed - LCDX plus Hugo for rock and electronic, HD800 plus Hugo for classical, happy happy 

 
I've spent (wasted?) a lot of money on headphones over recent years but have ended up being delighted with a very similar setup (only with LCD3 instead of X).  I also love my HD800 out of the Hugo for classical/choral/live music but agree with sp3llv3xit that for many other types of music the combination is indeed "thin".  That's when I grab the Audeze instead 

 
There was a time I was convinced that a single top tier headphone should satisfy all music types but in the end I've given in.  I'm currently listening to some choral works by Vaughan-Williams on the HD800 and it sounds amazing but I really struggle to listen to Coldplay (as an example) with the same cans.
 
Bottom line is the Hugo is an amazing little box that with the right cans (for the right music!) is awesome! 

 

 

[Sam Edwards]

I can't believe you guys are fantasying about a replacement for the Hugo. My only desire is that the current unit stands the test of time like the HD600. I don't think we're going to get a great leap forward like the hugo every couple of years, and please don't tempt the manufacturer to come out with a v2 as a marketing ploy. Just enjoy it. If you want a 'new benchmark' product every year, buy an A&K. Please don't stir the pot of upgrade-itus!

 

[JaZZ]

  Ah. Sorry for the misinterpretation.

But I did that already.  EQ'd the 240SS to death before deciding to finally do some experiments with introducing a portable amp into the mix.

The result was quite delightful, actually.

Almost everyone to whom I opened my rig to was pleasantly surprised that this rig could sound so good that one of them actually asked me, "Why do you still want to buy a desktop amp?  What more are you looking for?"  

He knew before auditioning that I am saving up for a GSX mkII.

 
To each his own. I adapt the headphone output signal from my Hugo (via the FiiO X5's EQ) to my head- and earphones, and it works. I see you have your HD 650 modded. So why not the HD 800? It is a treble-friendly headphone without it and without counterbalancing electronics – as I hear it.

 

[sp3llv3xit]

   
To each his own. I adapt the headphone output signal from my Hugo (via the FiiO X5's EQ) to my head- and earphones, and it works. I see you have your HD 650 modded. So why not the HD 800? It is a treble-friendly headphone without it and without counterbalancing electronics – as I hear it.

 
 
I tried the Anaxillus mod. Too treble shy.  I like treble that extends to high heavens without getting strident.  But I also like to have that thick vocals to add to the midrange focus.  Bass must also be punchy with a little bloom before getting withdrawn or pulled out.  

This rig has it all.  And the best thing is I can carry it in a sling bag with me wherever I go.  All that is required is to stuff the HD800 in a suitable carrying bag and I can listen to HD800 quality sound in hotels.

 

[sp3llv3xit]

  Don't worry, Hugo TT has more power. Jokes aside, HD800 does require a lot of power though. My friends listen to music much louder than I do so I guess you're more the norm.

Hugo even at max volume (white), sounds thin and bass is too fast, withdrawn too soon.

Treble while pushed out with great extension sounds thin and dry.

 

[Duncan]

Holy moly!!

I thought I listened loudly, but even I would never push the Hugo into the white zone...

Should be considered that we are in the portable Hugo thread, maybe HD800s are listened to portably, but at FULL volume? I'd quite literally hate being sat next to you on the train / plane!!

Every source (which, let's face it, the Hugo is) can be a little cranky if items downstream do not suit, ignoring perceived loss of fidelity, I would love to see if the comments above would still stand with the likes of the Philips Fidelio X1...

 

[jlbrach]

hugo at full volume?only a self destructive masochist would possibly do that...with my LCD-XC I listen with volume at red and sometimes pushed to the next color....with my alpha primes i do have to listen at the green volume and sometimes a touch beyond but that is as far as i can imagine going without hurting my ears with extended listening...