[Sound Eq]

hopefully i will be getting my hugo tomorrow
 
now i need a dap to go with it and i am not planning to pay too much for a dap
 
my choices
 
1- astell and kern 100
2- fiio x5
3- ibass dx90
 
does it matter which one i buy as i will be using in the end the dac of the hugo so I am leaning to AK100 what do u think?
 
dsd is not that important to me as i don't have any dad files anyway, all I care about is to keep the sound signature of the hugo without affecting it negatively

 

[holeout]

   
The M7 I feel has a magic presentation with music that draws you in emotionally. The Hugo seemed to lack that magic until I switched to using the Audiophilleo as the input. 
 
The Esoteric D01 also used the PCM1704UK x8, but it wasn't $50k. 

I'm in agreement with Curra's impression. I've ran both AP1 SE/PP and AP2 SE/Teddy Pardo USB PSU to the Hugo (MBA SSD > AP1/AP2 SE > Hugo > LAu > Abyss - Nordost Heimdall 2 USB/Wireworld Platium Digital coax) and the initial few minutes I felt the highs are not as exciting as through the HD USB input. However, upon further listening, I do noticed a quieter background with a more 3D soundstage. The highs are smoother while not losing any details and transparency. It just let me sink deeper into the music and I guess that's what the "magic" is about. MBA Audirvana+ > AP2 SE Teddy Pardo PSU > Hugo has been my preferred setup i'm using for the past month.

 

[obsidyen]

My Hugo which I bought from Custom Cable arrived this afternoon. I bought ex-show stock (latest revision) but it's in perfect condition apart from a small scratch. I paid GBP 999 for it (about USD 1700). There were many cables in the box, thanks to Chord for that. Also my Chord Company Crimson Plus cables fit the RCA holes perfectly. I'm going to try my Dali Kubik system later and compare to the internal dac, which sounds great on its own.
 
In the last few hours, I've tried it with 2 headphones and one set of IEMs. Senn HD650, Momentum and IE800s. I also have an AKG K452 lying around somewhere, I'll listen with it too. Hugo sounds very neutral with all of them, no colour whatsoever. Yet it is very musical, never thin or harsh sounding. HD650s sound completely on another league now, with Meridian Explorer they sounded great but now they sound much more open and airy with no trace of the so-called veil.  I listened to:
 
- The Lady of My Life by George Benson (24/96)
- Luka - Suzanne Vega
- Mud on the Tires - Brad Paisley
- Bailando - Enrique Iglesias
- Instant Crush - Daft Punk (mastering quality)
- Do My Thang - Miley Cyrus (this type of modern pop especially sounds good with Hugo-Momentum duo)
- American Idiot - Green Day (24/96)
- Ascolta il tuo cuore - Laura Pausini
- Crush - Paul van Dyk
- Dernière Danse - Indila
- My Love is Winter - The Smashing Pumpkins
 
All of them sounded amazing but of course this was not a thorough listening session, it was just to calm my excitement. I'll probably write a review on Head-Fi after a few weeks.
 
Ps: I'd like to thank Phil and rest of the Custom Cable staff for great customer service. I bought a dac and cables from them before and they've always been great.
 
Ps2: One negative point for Hugo is that the packaging is really lame. Even the much cheaper Meridian Explorer had premium packaging. You may have a technological marvel in your hands but that doesn't mean presentation isn't important. For some customers, it's what mostly matters (the average folk, not head-fiers). Other than that, unlike many people, I'm fine with Hugo's design. I don't have high-end cables so maybe that's why.
 
My babe next to the laptop (I won't travel with it unless I leave home for a few days at least).
 

 
 
 
A question: I assume it's fine leaving Hugo plugged in all the time?

 

[Sound Eq]

  hopefully i will be getting my hugo tomorrow
 
now i need a dap to go with it and i am not planning to pay too much for a dap
 
my choices
 
1- astell and kern 100
2- fiio x5
3- ibass dx90
 
does it matter which one i buy as i will be using in the end the dac of the hugo so I am leaning to AK100 what do u think?
 
dsd is not that important to me as i don't have any dad files anyway, all I care about is to keep the sound signature of the hugo without affecting it negatively

any thoughts on the above which to use as a transport connected to hugo

 

[OK-Guy]

  any thoughts on the above which to use as a transport connected to hugo

 
yup...  ZX1...

 

[lovethatsound]

My Hugo which I bought from Custom Cable arrived this afternoon. I bought ex-show stock (latest revision) but it's in perfect condition apart from a small scratch. I paid GBP 999 for it (about USD 1700). There were many cables in the box, thanks to Chord for that. Also my Chord Company Crimson Plus cables fit the RCA holes perfectly. I'm going to try my Dali Kubik system later and compare to the internal dac, which sounds great on its own.

In the last few hours, I've tried it with 2 headphones and one set of IEMs. Senn HD650, Momentum and IE800s. I also have an AKG K452 lying around somewhere, I'll listen with it too. Hugo sounds very neutral with all of them, no colour whatsoever. Yet it is very musical, never thin or harsh sounding. HD650s sound completely on another league now, with Meridian Explorer they sounded great but now they sound much more open and airy with no trace of the so-called veil.  I listened to:

- The Lady of My Life by George Benson (24/96)
- Luka - Suzanne Vega
- Mud on the Tires - Brad Paisley
- Bailando - Enrique Iglesias
- Instant Crush - Daft Punk (mastering quality)
- Do My Thang - Miley Cyrus (this type of modern pop especially sounds good with Hugo-Momentum duo)
- American Idiot - Green Day (24/96)
- Ascolta il tuo cuore - Laura Pausini
- Crush - Paul van Dyk
- Dernière Danse - Indila
- My Love is Winter - The Smashing Pumpkins

All of them sounded amazing but of course this was not a thorough listening session, it was just to calm my excitement. I'll probably write a review on Head-Fi after a few weeks.

Ps: I'd like to thank Phil and rest of the Custom Cable staff for great customer service. I bought a dac and cables from them before and they've always been great.

Ps2: One negative point for Hugo is that the packaging is really lame. Even the much cheaper Meridian Explorer had premium packaging. You may have a technological marvel in your hands but that doesn't mean presentation isn't important. For some customers, it's what mostly matters (the average folk, not head-fiers). Other than that, unlike many people, I'm fine with Hugo's design. I don't have high-end cables so maybe that's why.

My babe next to the laptop (I won't travel with it unless I leave home for a few days at least).






A question: I assume it's fine leaving Hugo plugged in all the time?

yes you can leave it plugged in all the time, enjoy your hugo my friend.

 

[cho8]

Had one on loan to try for a few days. Found it bigger than I expected but ultimately not a chore to carry around in a satchel bag and I had it with me for the whole day. I initially listened to it at home and am not too knowledgeable about how to describe things but immediately noticed that there was a much bigger 'space' to the soundstage. Everything was much tighter(defined?) but I also noticed in a few tracks that the vocal somehow got drowned out by the instruments which didn't happen when just playing through the iPhone. I normally only use my iPhone with a set of CIEMs plugged in directly and am happy for the most part as I'm on the move most of the time. What I do know now is that I won't be happy with just using the iphone(obviously, just never got around to getting a DAC)as there is such a difference to listening even when out and about that I will be picking out problems all the time otherwise.

I did have a few issues with the 3.5" jack and also not knowing what all the lights meant(loan hardware probably meant no instruction manual!) and didn't know the volume reset every time the Hugo was switched on. Only needed one lesson for that to sink in! One last point is that the current iPod nano doesn't work with the Hugo, or at least not through the USB. It doesn't get recognised but I'm not sure if that is because of the apple camera cable or incompatability with the Hugo.

 

[Currawong]

 

   
The M7 I feel has a magic presentation with music that draws you in emotionally. The Hugo seemed to lack that magic until I switched to using the Audiophilleo as the input. 
 
The Esoteric D01 also used the PCM1704UK x8, but it wasn't $50k. 

I'm in agreement with Curra's impression. I've ran both AP1 SE/PP and AP2 SE/Teddy Pardo USB PSU to the Hugo (MBA SSD > AP1/AP2 SE > Hugo > LAu > Abyss - Nordost Heimdall 2 USB/Wireworld Platium Digital coax) and the initial few minutes I felt the highs are not as exciting as through the HD USB input. However, upon further listening, I do noticed a quieter background with a more 3D soundstage. The highs are smoother while not losing any details and transparency. It just let me sink deeper into the music and I guess that's what the "magic" is about. MBA Audirvana+ > AP2 SE Teddy Pardo PSU > Hugo has been my preferred setup i'm using for the past month.

 
I may have missed some of Al's recent replies, but we had a chat via PM and he has the DSD version of the AP1. I can use DoP with my non-DSD version but it doesn't show the correct volume for the track. That might explain why his impressions are different. 
 

 
So am I right in thinking your cables arrangement for AP1/PP is as follows:
 
MacBook Air > Oyaide USB > AP1 > BNC to RCA (male) adapter > Hugo 
MacBook Air > USB cable > PP > mini power cable > AP1
 
I assumed your AP1 is using the power from your Oyaide USB cable?

 
Yes. the PP is powered separately from a USB charger, not my MB Air. I never found a difference in sound using computer power versus a hub for the AP1 after I got the Pure Power.

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

  hopefully i will be getting my hugo tomorrow
 
now i need a dap to go with it and i am not planning to pay too much for a dap
 
my choices
 
1- astell and kern 100
2- fiio x5
3- ibass dx90
 
does it matter which one i buy as i will be using in the end the dac of the hugo so I am leaning to AK100 what do u think?
 
dsd is not that important to me as i don't have any dad files anyway, all I care about is to keep the sound signature of the hugo without affecting it negatively

 
AK100 and X5 becos both have two card slots
X5 is cheaper and sounds better than AK100 as a DAP
you can also consider this: http://www.qlshifi.com/en/wzcapi/qa360.htm

 

[ted_b]

   
I may have missed some of Al's recent replies, but we had a chat via PM and he has the DSD version of the AP1. I can use DoP with my non-DSD version but it doesn't show the correct volume for the track. That might explain why his impressions are different. 
 
 
 

I'm confused by your "Al has the version that does DSD".  Aren't ALL versions of the AP1 or 2 DoP capable (i.e 24/176k)?  The SE version will do DSD128 (and 24/384k) but I was not aware there were AP's out there that didn't go to 24/176.4k.

 

[ALRAINBOW]

I may have missed some of Al's recent replies, but we had a chat via PM and he has the DSD version of the AP1. I can use DoP with my non-DSD version but it doesn't show the correct volume for the track. That might explain why his impressions are different. 


Yes. the PP is powered separately from a USB charger, not my MB Air. I never found a difference in sound using computer power versus a hub for the AP1 after I got the Pure Power.

Hello what hesdphones did you use with tha ap1/PP. ??
Al

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Ted I think the one I have does dsd direct without the dop. And the higher PCM as well. It is avalible , but not as an upgrade inwas told it's a whole new board inside. Inwas wondering if it might be the reason I hear it differently. . The original only does dsd 64 the new one goes to dsd 128.
Go to the website and look.
Al

 

[AnakChan]

I'm confused by your "Al has the version that does DSD".  Aren't ALL versions of the AP1 or 2 DoP capable (i.e 24/176k)?  The SE version will do DSD128 (and 24/384k) but I was not aware there were AP's out there that didn't go to 24/176.4k.

it's actually a special edition I thought?

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Yes now intil. Back when currawong and I bought the ap1/PP. There was no dsd 128 and in fact it did not dac it played dsd at all. I begged for the update .
Al

 

[archeryc]

AK100 and X5 becos both have two card slots
X5 is cheaper and sounds better than AK100 as a DAP
you can also consider this: http://www.qlshifi.com/en/wzcapi/qa360.htm

But does x5 really better than ak100 if we use it as source ONLY?