[dan.gheorghe]

  The short answer is its down to the FPGA. But I always go through a complex process of targeting a size, then finding it wont fit or make timing, then adjusting the design and you run through lots of iterations before you can maximize the performance with it meeting timing and leaving enough resources to do the other things you need to do... Sometimes it is like squeezing a balloon, you solve one problem, another one pops up. Part of the problem is that there are lots of ways of implementing the filter, so getting optimum performance for a given FPGA is tortuous.        

Thank you very much for the answer and for your work, as it brings us closer to the music.
 
Hugo has 3 filters. 
Each must have  a tap length of it's own. How is the total tap length calculated? I presume the number of taps is calculated as a convolution(a * b * c, where a,b,c are the tap lengths of each filter) between the taps of the 3 stages, right?
 
I am also curious what tap length the new qbd will have
 
Will a

2560 fpga cluster monster help the sound? ) Just kidding

 

[OK-Guy]

Sony Walkman owners pairing with the Hugo... a DSD update is now available for the ZX1 & F886/7.

 

[bmichels]

Sony Walkman owners pairing with the Hugo... a DSD update is now available for the ZX1 & F886/7.

)). May be now we can hope to get soon à 256 Gb version of the ZX1: this will be à logical upgrade to store those BIG DSD files ?

 

[seeteeyou]

.

 

[Rob Watts]

  Thank you very much for the answer and for your work, as it brings us closer to the music.
 
Hugo has 3 filters. 
Each must have  a tap length of it's own. How is the total tap length calculated? I presume the number of taps is calculated as a convolution(a * b * c, where a,b,c are the tap lengths of each filter) between the taps of the 3 stages, right?
 
I am also curious what tap length the new qbd will have

Actually Hugo has 5 filters - 2 FIR WTA stages, the first being the 26k one, followed by a separate WTA stage that takes the signal to 16FS, then a linear interpolator that takes it from 16FS to 2048FS, then two IIR type low pass filters that work at 2048FS.
 
So when I quote the tap length it is the first stage only I am talking about, I ignore the other taps.
 
Yes I am curious too about the tap length of the new QBD, the filter design (3rd version) just meets timing with the current tap size. And that is a very large no. of taps.
 
What is more exciting is what all this will mean subjectively - its taken me 30 years to get to this point, and I never guessed, 30 years ago, that I would ever find out, as DSP's were poor in the early 80's, and FPGA's had not been invented.    

 

[Racy]

Actually Hugo has 5 filters - 2 FIR WTA stages, the first being the 26k one, followed by a separate WTA stage that takes the signal to 16FS, then a linear interpolator that takes it from 16FS to 2048FS, then two IIR type low pass filters that work at 2048FS.

So when I quote the tap length it is the first stage only I am talking about, I ignore the other taps.

Yes I am curious too about the tap length of the new QBD, the filter design (3rd version) just meets timing with the current tap size. And that is a very large no. of taps.

What is more exciting is what all this will mean subjectively - its taken me 30 years to get to this point, and I never guessed, 30 years ago, that I would ever find out, as DSP's were poor in the early 80's, and FPGA's had not been invented.    

Rob I am a long term user of your DACs and before Hugo came along , I loved the Qute HD and EX . Now however after listening to Hugo for a couple of months and being spoilt by the fluid, non-fatiguing sound, it's very difficult to go back to Qute . Will it be possible to upgrade Qute to Hugo specs? Even with a battery ? As this makes such a difference to cutting out Hash and RFI!

 

[Clemmaster]

Rob I am a long term user of your DACs and before Hugo came along , I loved the Qute HD and EX . Now however after listening to Hugo for a couple of months and being spoilt by the fluid, non-fatiguing sound, it's very difficult to go back to Qute . Will it be possible to upgrade Qute to Hugo specs? Even with a battery ? As this makes such a difference to cutting out Hash and RFI!

+8

 

[holeout]

Just received the Audiophilleo AP1 USB > SPDIF and is running in now. Did some brief listening and sounded quite spectacular - Macbook Air > AP1 > Chord Hugo > Cavalli LAu > Abyss. Compared with direct USB, this setup has a much darker background and lower noise floor with better staging and imaging, sounding really analog! 
 

 

[Laurence11]

 
Think I've finally got it
 
iPod attached by small velcro dots, running in to Focal Classics (nice pairing so far). 

 

[Audiowood]

Just checked the Apx website and it doesn't seem the Note 3 supports Apx Bluetooth.

 


Note 3 support APT X -

http://unleashthephones.com/2013/09/04/samsung-galaxy-note-3-announced-faux-leather-back-snapdragon-800-5-7-inch13-mp-cam/
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note_3-review-996p10.php

"The third-generation phablet also has Bluetooth 4.0 LE. It incorporates Bluetooth 3.0, but also includes the efficient Low Energy mode. It also supports the high-quality Apt-X audio codec."

 

[bmichels]

Finally I received my HUGO !

 
 
Very first listening, but so far I prefer the warmer sound of  HUGO->TU-05  (tube amp) better than HUGO alone (with my Roxane as well as with my TH-900).
 
I guess I may need to be de-intoxicated from my TU-05 warm tube sound to start to really appreciate the "purity" of the HUGO as Rob said  
 
 
 
But I have already some questions. Can someone help  :
********************************************
 
        - I really do not see the interest of the "Volume bypass" set-up  (hold cross-feed while power up) since... the volume is NOT by-passed
          and the level is not always appropriate to my external AMP.  So, what is the purpose of this set-up ??.
 
        - Do I really have to cycle through input selection to get OPTICAL each time I power-up the HUGO ??
          Why doesn'it automaticaly select at power-up the LAST one use ?  this is ANNOWING ! Is there a way around too force this OPTICAL selection ?
 
        - I played DSD through optical through my AK100 (dop I guess ??), and the Sample frequency light was... yellow  (= 88 kHz) !   How comes ???
 
 

 
Anyway, I am happy 

 
 
 
PS:  Some people reported some downsampling with some optical cable, but...with the provided short optical cable, I get 24/192 ( dark blue light) played by the HUGO without any problem.  

 

[jamato8]

I have Sysconcepts multi fiber that can do more that 24/192 so it works fine with the Hugo and the aluminum housing that Sysconcepts uses works fine, you don't have to have them alter the cable. The 1500 fiber cable is excellent, better than their original single optical and better than the 15,000 fiber, which was never released. 
 
Everything I have, RCA, coax, optical and 3.5 fits fine but then I make most everything myself so that helps but I don't see the big deal with the fit. I don't like huge RCA's anyway. They add nothing to the music and just take money out of the wallet. 
 
 
 
Anyone compared the DSD of the AK240 to the Hugo? 

 

[ted_b]

I was not aware that an AK100 could output DSD in any form (DoP).  That player is still only a PCM player (although with proper firmware the AK1XX models can input DSD, but any playback is converted to PCM).  You'd need an AK240 to do DSD (and then no idea if it outputs DSD too).

 

[Laurence11]

Listening to 'Thriller' in SACD with DSD extracted out. My mouth is on the floor.
 
This little silver box is beyond words.
 
 
Also for fun plugged my original PX100's in. They have never sounded like that .
 
 
There are not enough words to describe how much i love my Hugo. The sound is pure (analogue sounding) liquid gold.
 
 
Only prob now is how to i ever go back to even Redbook. DSD out of it is beyond what i thought possible, especially as i am sitting here on my sofa having to remind myself i am listening to a PORTABLE device.
 
David

 

[SleepyOne]

 
        - I played DSD through optical through my AK100 (dop I guess ??), and the Sample frequency light was... yellow  (= 88 kHz) !   How comes ???
 
No idea, but when playing DSD it should be a light turquoise green.
 
 

 
Maybe not good idea to bring this to airport....you might get pull aside