[uzi2]

  Your pic looks like the new, as the RCA opening around the jacks appear to be enlarged. New version also inverted the USB jacks to secure them more solidly to the frame.  Picture below is the new.

The inverted USB ports came a bit later. I have a black Hugo with the new RCAs, but old style USBs.

 

[boomtube]

What's a good tube-amp to pair with the Hugo to give more body and sound stage?

 

[Whazzzup]

  What's a good tube-amp to pair with the Hugo to give more body and sound stage?

depends on what HP, but i hear good things about zana deux. if i ever tube up my hpa8 for my la900 thats probably what I'm getting.

 

[ubs28]

What's a good tube-amp to pair with the Hugo to give more body and sound stage?

Buy the Chord Dave

 

[zachawry]

What's a good tube-amp to pair with the Hugo to give more body and sound stage?

I use my Hugo with a MicroZOTL2, which is on the airy/transparent side of tube amps, but it's awesome!
Definitely does great things for the soundstage and instrument separation.

 

[montanari]

Dear all
Unfortunately I have a problem with my chord Hugo :
The HD USB port doesn't work on my MacBook Pro
I thought it was the cable or the Mac USB port, but it does work from the Driverless USB input 16-bit/48kHz
From the laptop with Windows no problem at all

 

[miketlse]

Dear all
Unfortunately I have a problem with my chord Hugo :
The HD USB port doesn't work on my MacBook Pro
I thought it was the cable or the Mac USB port, but it does work from the Driverless USB input 16-bit/48kHz
From the laptop with Windows no problem at all

 
Are you saying that both the Hugo USB sockets work with your Windows laptop, but not your Macbook Pro?

 

[montanari]

Both the USB sockets work with my window laptop but only the driverless USB (not the HD) works with my MacBook Pro

 

[jmills8]

The Hugo is really a very good amp/dac. My bunny has no idea how good it is. I have been playing with the Crossfeed and having it off the music sounds great, but on certain tracks turning it on really enriches the over all sound.

 

[elviscaprice]

  We are coming up on three years soon enough.  Time for a little DIY on the Hugo.  Starting with the power supply.  Since I use the Hugo in a desktop only design.  I would like to eventually remove the batteries and power the Hugo with a more robust Linear Power Supply.  I have no fear of doing a little soldering.  What is the range of power that can be supplied to the Hugo?  I see the batteries are charged off a 12V .7ah power supply.  Could the Hugo be powered with a linear power supply?  Some official help from Chord would be appreciated on the notion that we are on our own. 

 
Did a little digging around. 
Hugo uses 2 batteries that can be fully charged to 8.4V total.  You need about 1.8 watts of power. 
There is a new superior power supply coming out from Uptone Audio that I would consider using in place of the batteries in the Hugo.  But, I don't know what the minimum or maximum voltage requirements are for the Hugo to operate.  Also, can one bypass the safety feature for minimum charge on the battery?  If so, then can the Hugo operate from a supply of 7V 1A?
 
EDIT:  Received a reply from Chord.  The 7V 1A supply will work, but not output the same volume levels as the batteries 8.1V level.  Considering I use the Hugo as a desktop unit, this will suffice. 
I am still 6 months away from performing this DIY, (warranty expired) or sooner if the batteries go dead.

 

[miketlse]

   
Did a little digging around. 
Hugo uses 2 batteries that can be fully charged to 8.4V total.  You need about 1.8 watts of power. 
There is a new superior power supply coming out from Uptone Audio that I would consider using in place of the batteries in the Hugo.  But, I don't know what the minimum or maximum voltage requirements are for the Hugo to operate.  Also, can one bypass the safety feature for minimum charge on the battery?  If so, then can the Hugo operate from a supply of 7V 1A?
 
EDIT:  Received a reply from Chord.  The 7V 1A supply will work, but not output the same volume levels as the batteries 8.1V level.  Considering I use the Hugo as a desktop unit, this will suffice. 
I am still 6 months away from performing this DIY, (warranty expired) or sooner if the batteries go dead.

 
Sound like Chord could be moving from a position that 'all third party power supplies will void the warranties' to 'here is our list of 'approved' third party power supplies'. 

 

[elviscaprice]

   
Sound like Chord could be moving from a position that 'all third party power supplies will void the warranties' to 'here is our list of 'approved' third party power supplies'.  

 
Chord does not recommend the modification.  They just confirm it would work.  Also, my three year warranty will have expired.  You only get two years, from my understanding, on the battery life.  I'm well over two years.
 
Most folks will want to stick to batteries, for mobility and Rob's careful RF noise suppression system.  Your going to want to be careful in replacement of any batteries.  Handling LIPo batteries properly is important.
 
But for those folks using the Hugo in only a desktop application, such a DIY, with the upmost clean source possible, may benefit in SQ.  We shall find out if the batteries can be topped in performance.

 

[Whazzzup]

Or just get TT and enjoy the super capacitors among other technical upgrades and the bigger bass slam, better mids and slight darker tone with the wider sound scape.
Course no tinkering is necessary and Hugo gets relegated to portable so...

 

[elviscaprice]

I don't use a portable.  I have the Hugo already and don't need to make a sideways movement towards the TT if I can upgrade the power supply on the Hugo at a much smaller expense than buying a TT.  I already have great galvanic isolation in the Intona, which is probably superior to the implemented galvanic isolation on the TT.
 
Thus, with the inevitable need to replace the batteries on the Hugo and my needs being only that of a desktop, this modification makes very good sense. 
 
Ultracap LPS-1

 

[Whazzzup]

Looks like you have it all figured out and rationalized to a T, Not a TT tho. 

 I forgot sideways ya thats the ticket, good luck anyways, but the suggestion was for the concept and a viable alternative that will guarantee positive results.