Chord Hugo

[Bizzarophile]

Sold my mojo 2 cos I preferred the original Hugo. Found the mojo 2 more resolving but thinner. Fantastic unit but crap battery and hate the recessed io.

 

[Whazzzup]

Well I'm not sure 36 hour burn in time is enough but things seem to start to settle in now (bass was a bit over the top initially) so here are the first impressions.

Coming from already high expectations here are things that to me fell a bit short:

1) Box package seems a bit cheap
2) The on/off switch is quite small and recessed not the easiest thing to flick especially when the mini usb slot is plugged in
3) The silicon feet should really be spaced wider apart. Not sure why they are so close. If you push on the left or right sides/edge the casing will "hit"

Not deal breakers for me but the product is not cheap and these things fall a little short (#1 & #3)

I was pleased that this played well with whatever I threw at it a) Win 7 PC with USB out b) Mac Air with Audirvana USB out and c) iPhone 5s with adapter.
All formats from 16/44 to DSD worked (DXD as well as I mistakenly coverted DSD->DXD). This thing can take anything you dish at it.

With regard to sound my first impressions out of the box was very very detailed high resolution.

At this point the resolution continues to impress me - incredibly detailed, silent background with very low distortion. Bass is very solid (using SE846 so your mileage will vary with other phones) but not the boomy resonating kind - again very detailed. High end is a little fireworks show - almost too "hifi". I'm hoping the whole frequency range will start to settle down past 100 hours especially the high end. I very much like the harmonics and overtones especially when say a chords are played on Piano recordings - the attack is not sloppy and just right (neither leading nor lagging) and the decay is excellent (read long).

This DAC may be the one to beat with anything under $3k - portable or stationary.
Every "low end/mid fi" DAC I have used in my PC room was left me wanting to go hear things on the big rig via the DAC2x because the gap was too huge - here the gap is no longer a canyon - I can now say okay good enough no need to move to the living room.

It crushes the Meridian explorer - from the limited time I have spent with the Prime - I think it beats the prime as well. AK120? Probablly good as a server for the Hugo I don't think it's in the same league. Haven't heard the AK240. If the AK240 can't beat the Hugo I don't think there is going to any DAC south of $5k that can beat it.

The last ak I tested was 380. Ak oversampling produces a warm sig that’s nothing like hugo.

 

[icnaiwhimor1975]

today i got my hugo 1
now i'm in this club too