[archeryc]

Sorry I wanna ask a question, I'm apology if this has been answered before...
 
Can I use the balance headphone amplifier with the Hugo? Does the dual RCA output of Hugo supports balance amplifier?
 
Thanks~~

 

[obsidyen]

  i will wait for the fidelio x2 also i considered vmoda m100 
 
i wish i can test the vmoda 100 as i read only good things about it
 
so i will wait until the x2 gets released then ask some who can compare it to the vmoda 100
 
lets see when i will stop spending money on this expensive hobby but i blame mostly my issues with dam bad recording qualities from artists i like especially synth pop and dark wave artists are recording rubbish music quality maybe i should start listening to justin bieber

Do you think Justin Beieber's music's production is good? It's auto-tuned, highly compressed garbage. Most modern music is. Now I really like modern music and mostly listen to EDM, indie/alternative and pop but 95% has bad production quality. For instance, Coldplay's albums are mastered awfully, just so bad. High quality recordings are usually classical and jazz. One of my recent reference albums, for instance, is George Benson's Guitar Man. Production values of that album are very good, the sound is clear, pure, uncompressed. Very good recording.

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

  Sorry I wanna ask a question, I'm apology if this has been answered before...
 
Can I use the balance headphone amplifier with the Hugo? Does the dual RCA output of Hugo supports balance amplifier?
 
Thanks~~

Hi, you can use balance headphone amplifier as long as the amplifier can take the  RCA (single-ended) output from Hugo and allow you to connect your headphone using balance headphone cables. I think it is best to check with the balance headphone manufacturer or distributors for the same... It is not a true balance end-to-end setup as the Hugo audio output will always be single-ended. I believe Rob has explained in interviews about his belief in balance output.

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

  what duo mean by roll the headphone cables 

I was typing on the way home. I meant to change the stock headphone cable to a different one. In my opinion, it is fine tuning the sound. It seems in your case is that you do not like the way your headphone presents the music as there is not enough mid-bass or not forward enough. Cables will not let you change the sound signature of your headphones. IMHO, Hugo could produce very very high quality bass, it is up to us to choose on how this be presented by choosing the right headphones.

 

[Sound Eq]

 
Do you think Justin Beieber's music's production is good? It's auto-tuned, highly compressed garbage. Most modern music is. Now I really like modern music and mostly listen to EDM, indie/alternative and pop but 95% has bad production quality. For instance, Coldplay's albums are mastered awfully, just so bad. High quality recordings are usually classical and jazz. One of my recent reference albums, for instance, is George Benson's Guitar Man. Production values of that album are very good, the sound is clear, pure, uncompressed. Very good recording.

its such a shame coldplay new album is so so so bad quality if u listen to the song magic i honestly don't know what were they thinking to release in this dam bad quality. If users like us know its bad i am so surprised that artists let their songs be recorded that way as i am sure coldplay put a lot of effort into writing and composing such great songs, how did they let their songs be treated so badly
 
and even worse album is HURTS album called exile is it pile of trash recording 

 

[LFC_SL]

After an annoying setback yesterday, I now have in my possession a pair of Philips Fidelio X1, and whilst far from scientific (on a train at a quiet volume so as not to annoy other passengers) seems that these paired with Hugo are much more to my taste than the LCD2 that I've been using...

Looking forward to getting home and trying then out properly.

What nirvana do you live that allows you to rock Audeze on a UK train!

IEM rule as they are portable, discreet and anonymous, unless someone really looks up close

 

[Duncan]

What nirvana do you live that allows you to rock Audeze on a UK train!

IEM rule as they are portable, discreet and anonymous, unless someone really looks up close

Sorry - poor choice of wording on my part...

I tried the X1 on the train, at discreet volumes, just to get a feel for them, and - now I am at home, I can confirm that I prefer the more fun, bouncy nature of the X1, nice to have some kick to the bottom end

the LCD2 are definitely home based, I use IE800 out on the road / rails...

I posted this image in another thread, but strangely apt here - looks like someone in FGW management is a [closet] audiophile - what I spotted on the train earlier...



Funny that they put a dig in at Bose!

 

[isquirrel]

  This would be for use at home for ultimate listening pleasure

- for on the road Hugo without the AP + PP
 
I did hope that an AP (or Audiobyte Hydra) would NOT be necessary. Or in other words that there would not be a difference in SQ between Hugo and Hugo + AP;
But unfortunately the difference is quite obvious and worth the effort for those who can hear it  .....

Hearing the obvious difference! No it would not make a good stack, but for home its the best solution until Chord gives us a desktop DAC that outperforms Hugo.
 
The Mac D100 is going back to the store today....

 

[rgs9200m]

  Sorry I wanna ask a question, I'm apology if this has been answered before...
 
Can I use the balance headphone amplifier with the Hugo? Does the dual RCA output of Hugo supports balance amplifier?
 
Thanks~~

Well, you can use a big Rudistor amp with a phase shifter that turns an RCA signal into a balanced one (I think that's
what it does). My Chord/Rudistor combo sounds just great and I see no need to upgrade to anything.

 

[SearchOfSub]

Schitt Ragnorak just came out. Might want to look into that for headphone amp.

Sent from my SM Galaxy Tab using Tapatalk

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

The Mac D100 is going back to the store today....

This is the comparison I need. Thank you.

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

Schitt Ragnorak just came out. Might want to look into that for headphone amp.

Sent from my SM Galaxy Tab using Tapatalk

Just finished reading the funny FAQ page...interesting stuff

 

[isquirrel]

This is the comparison I need. Thank you.

I will expand for you. I home demo-ed a used D100 with hundreds of hours on it. It was the latest firmware. My impressions were it had a solid sound with good drive that initially appealed. It was musical but lacked the articulation and intricate airy delicate detail that I get from the Hugo. The Hugo made live recordings sound well live, the D100 always sounded like very good reproduction of music. I knew it was in the signal chain and it had its own signature, which was warm, however at times it sounded a touch harsh in the treble, more of a digital glare. Whereas the Hugo seems to me at least to be tonally neutral and doesn't have that same glare although it can be in your face and that's what some people are complaining about I guess.
 
The other aspect I didn't like was over time the D100 sounded constrained, I would have said a little compressed. MY partner who being equipped with those "female' ears heard more obvious differences and did not like the Mac D100 at all. This is with an ALO Studio Six and LCD-X's so not exactly lacking in the rest of the audio chain.
 
The D100 did not do DSD which I would have put up with if it had sounded better than Hugo.  In the meantime I have the AP1 & PP which has helped lift the Hugo's sound into magical territory. I picked up a good S/PDIF cable this morning and that sounds better than having the AP1 connected directly. I can also now see the display which is a help.
 
Now of course this is all leading me to form the conclusion that future DAC's in general must pay attention to what Rob Watts is doing with his designs. I see MSB and a few other DAC's going down similar paths. Of course careful attention has to be paid to the analog section. 
 
I am very much looking forward to the new QBD76, I am saving my $ for that.

 

[archeryc]

Hi, you can use balance headphone amplifier as long as the amplifier can take the  RCA (single-ended) output from Hugo and allow you to connect your headphone using balance headphone cables. I think it is best to check with the balance headphone manufacturer or distributors for the same... It is not a true balance end-to-end setup as the Hugo audio output will always be single-ended. I believe Rob has explained in interviews about his belief in balance output.

Thanks for the answer! I'm searching Rob's explainations now. But it's hard to find from this 500+ pages thread...

The amp I'm gonna use is the GS-X MK2, the retailer told me that it will not degrade the SQ and it has no real deference compares with true balance to balance.

 

[archeryc]

Well, you can use a big Rudistor amp with a phase shifter that turns an RCA signal into a balanced one (I think that's
what it does). My Chord/Rudistor combo sounds just great and I see no need to upgrade to anything.

Thanks for the recommendation! So far I have placed my goal on the GS-X MK2 already... Haha