[Sound Eq]

   
According to Rudi,
 
It is an idevice combined with the VentureCraft GO-DAP DD Limited 12V w/ MUSES02 opamps.
 
Then using the coax out of the DD limited to go into the coax input of the hugo.

and the total cost for his step up would be ?????

 

[ted_b]

Was reading through the computer audiophile hugo thread and came across this:


"Please note that the line level "bypass" is not a bypass at all, but simply a 3V boot up (hold crossfeed button while powering up) volume level that was created so Rob could a/b with the Qute EX (same gain). The digital volume is still in the mix, and can be tweeked from there. I have found that an ever so slight lowering from preset is exactly what my 2V max preamp enjoys, and takes the soundstage into a deeper and slightly more 5-7th row center perspective (rather than front row and slightly hot in my setup). "


What do you guys think about this?

That's from me, and I added that to the CA thread because people were calling it a fixed level bypass (which it isn't).  Rob created it to a/b Hugo and Qute, and the idea stuck to have a "line level" preset...but it's hotter than standard 2V RMS.  But lo and behold it does have a nice byproduct...the ability to change the gain structure between DAC and preamp without losing any resolution per se (at least to my ear).  Anytime you change gain of a source the presentation can change (to the point of clipping, of course).  I know folks who use the stock boot up (green volume) with some tube preamps, but I find it too low (and subsequently too laid back) with my preamp.  I set it for preset (hold crossfeed and power up) then lower it as slight as possible. 

 

[vq_aus]

If you have a chance, could you compare the hd usb input with coaxial?

I'll try it next time I have something with a coaxial out - probably next week some time.

 

[sa92058]

Two years ago the whole concept of a portable reference level dac /amp that could drive 3 sets of headphones at once was pure nonsense: but because of experimentation,innovation,and thinking out of the box,Rob Watts has brought this wonderful dac to the market place for all of us to enjoy. Plug and play audiophiles are consumers but NEVER INNOVATORS.I have my Hugo today because of an INNOVATOR:and in this spirit I will continue to modify all my own audio(including Hugo) gear to squeeze out every last drop of sound quality. TRUST YOUR EARS PEOPLE! when they say it should't or can't be done in audio.....IT PROBABLY SHOULD.........JUST FOLLOW ROB WATTS ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK

 

[ouchia]

Question for the owners :  I got a chance to demo the hugo today, but they didn't have a camera connection kit for me to try out my iPhone, just a usb for a comp.  The usb to mini sounded great but I'm wondering how far off the iPhone sounds from the comp connection.  Is it that far off, or pretty close?  Any opinions?  Thx...

 

[Rob Watts]

  Could anyone help me out... what does the white light with "Auth" (circled in red on the picture) written on it means?
 

The FPGA design is stored in a flash memory. To stop people copying the FPGA contents, there is a security feature built into a memory page within the flash. A special programmer looks at the FPGA unique DNA code, then scrambles the DNA, along with other data, and then writes it to the flash. On turn on, the FPGA checks the flash, checks its DNA, if they match the OP is un-muted and the auth (short for authorization) light is lit.
 
This just means that the FPGA design can't be copied. From your POV, treat it as an on/off light!   

 

[pigfatcat]

not all digital sources are created equal. That's why vendors go to great lengths , dealing mainly with the power section, then IIS to SPDIF or USB output conversion, etc to arrive at digital outputs as pure and jitter-less as possible . Even digital top transports like Auralics Aries may not necessarily reach top CD transports. I have done experiments comparing tablet PC and desktop PC with USB(direct tap in or through external linear or battery powered USB hub or optical output to Hugo and Audio GD 10SE then output to Hifiman RE 262, and also further down the chain to 400w into 4ohm high resolution high current  power amps to HE 6. The results could be grossly different.
 
I read many post here which says so long as there is optical or coaxial out from the dap, the results will be the same.I do not believe it. Maybe the present totl daps concentrate on the DACs and amp inside and that the implementation for digital output are more or less in the same rank. I still believe there may be differences between Fiio X5, HM901 and AK 240 and I 'd like to hear comparison from you guys. Some even say that there is no difference from the digital output from Iphone!
 
I believe how much you can hear a difference depends on the calibre of your gears down the stream. For example, using power amp to HE I can discern huge difference between various methods of USB output and SPDIF output , and the difference in calibre between Audio Gd 10SE(which is itself a very capable  DAC/Amp  , can perfectly drive HE-6 and is a steal at its price) and Hugo, such difference may not be so apparent when attaching RE 262 to the two DAC/amps. With HE -6 driven by the power amp, the two DAC/amps are simply not in the same league, in so far as resolution, punch, airiness and musicality is concerned, especially when it comes to old , non-audiophile , 44.1 recordings. I'd like to hear someone comparing Master 7 and Hugo as a DAC.
 
Any way , to put it simply, different digital outputs varies gravely. For this purpose I am waiting for QLS 360 dap. The vendor goes to great lengths as if doing totl desktop or hifi rig digital  transport ,to make sure the power supply as good as possible within the physical limits of the dap, accounting for 50-60% of the cost and space, and write proprietary computer code for single thread handling of all IIS to coaxial/optical conversion. The end results ?- the dap itself may not match HM 901 or AK 240, because it's not using dual totl chips and class A headphone amp output like Hugo.  I'd , however, expect it's coaxial or optical output to surpass even AK 240 and HM 901( it even output Dop at coaxial and optical ouput !)
 
 We'll see .

 

[seeteeyou]

.

 

[Hifi Nutter]

The FPGA design is stored in a flash memory. To stop people copying the FPGA contents, there is a security feature built into a memory page within the flash. A special programmer looks at the FPGA unique DNA code, then scrambles the DNA, along with other data, and then writes it to the flash. On turn on, the FPGA checks the flash, checks its DNA, if they match the OP is un-muted and the auth (short for authorization) light is lit.

This just means that the FPGA design can't be copied. From your POV, treat it as an on/off light!   

Gutted now,was gonna copy the codes on my Commodore 64 and sell to naim,oh well

 

[OK-Guy]

Gutted now,was gonna copy the codes on my Commodore 64 and sell to naim,oh well

 
I was having a nose at the Naim message boards on their forum on Friday after they were mentioned in this thread... looks like the humble little Hugo is causing utter chaos amongst the glitterarti, some are stunned that it doesn't need a dedicated power-supply, looks like the Borg Naim gang realise they don't have to assimilate or be black-balled anymore, 'times are a'changin Bob'.    

 

[estreeter]

  Man this thing needs a balanced connector.  Especially at this price.

 
Hmmm - not sure - on one hand I would have preferred a larger case, but for the R and D Chord have put into this, I believe we got a stone cold bargain. The big issue with DACs is that the price/performance issue is constantly being revised, but we arent talking about someone cloning the internals of the Hugo anytime soon, 

 

[zachchen1996]

 
 
I'd expect someone in China offering mod for the latest QLS QA360 soon and its coaxial output could be one of the best, previous ones such as QA550 and QA660 were already modified with better SQ
 
http://www.qlshifi.com/wzcp/qa360.htm
 
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=8933894460
 
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=15682453549

 
Even though I just ordered a go-dap dd limited for the hugo, I'm still curious about this QLS QA360, do you know if people in the US will be able to get a qa360?

 

[Hifi Nutter]

Had a drink with the other half the other night,drank wine all nite and I listened oh I listened all nite,we went to bed got all snuggled up and I turned to my other half and said we ain't perfect but we perfect for each other,I lent over kissed my Hugo and fell into a deep sleep

 

[jamato8]

Cool, way off track from the Hugo. lol 
 
Hendrix knew what he liked and while he got those swirling distortions, with the black plate RCA 5751, which he liked so well, as is mentioned here, he used distortion and controlled it to his purpose. I have designed and built tube equipment and you can make it do most anything from being so low in distortion that distortion is not a factor in the sound. No more than the distortion that happens in any venue. There is no perfect sound except for what you hear that you believe is perfect and for you it is then, perfect, no matter how it is produced. 
 
Back to the Hugo, what the Hugo does with regular resolution is nothing short of amazing. I had no idea and did not dream that even more could be pulled from red book recordings. Amazing. 

 

[OK-Guy]

  We can debate the science vs perception argument or we can enjoy the lossless rips of our (standard) CDs via Hugo - what say you, brothers ?

 
enjoying the music is paramount imho... fill your boots with what you think is best file-type, ALL will sound great out of the Hugo.