[elviscaprice]

  I'm glad you edited your post to add in that final paragraph because I thought your response was less than gracious bearing in mind what Chord are doing for you.

​I don't feel the need to have to suck up to anyone.  I just call it like I see it.   Chord wants to do the right thing, they are an outstanding company, but it will be up to you, the customer, to help them see the correct path.
 
Anyways, let's not get ahead of ourselves, we have yet to see any big complaints/numbers on this issue, if we do and the Hugo 2 is out, maybe Chord can give a little financial incentive/trade in to those original warranty holders on Hugo???  Could be a win win for both.

 

[rkt31]

@boomtube, I used a 12v small battery which to power arcam irdac with great effect . I don't have 2qute but you can try a battery with 2qute. it will be cleaner than any linear or sm power supply and much cheaper too.

 

[miketlse]

 
​I don't feel the need to have to suck up to anyone.  I just call it like I see it.   Chord wants to do the right thing, they are an outstanding company, but it will be up to you, the customer, to help them see the correct path.
 
Anyways, let's not get ahead of ourselves, we have yet to see any big complaints/numbers on this issue, if we do and the Hugo 2 is out, maybe Chord can give a little financial incentive/trade in to those original warranty holders on Hugo???  Could be a win win for both.

If you look at the AudioSanctuary site https://www.audiosanctuary.co.uk/chord-hugo-2-portable-dac-headphone-amplifier.html they are already asking is interested customers have a Hugo to part-exchange.
 
I don't think it is up to Chord to provide a financial incentive, because dealers themselves will be happy to offer part exchange for Hugos, if they believe that there is a large enough market of people interested in buying a second hand Hugo via Ebay or wherever. Your continual posts about battery armageddon being about to hit Hugo owners, is probably reducing the number of individuals interested in buying a second hand Hugo, and consequently reducing the likelihood of part exchange deals.

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

I think it's hard to escape the thought that the battery replacement cost of the Hugo is way too high. With 400 usd you can get a decent phone, and here we are talking about a battery. If you take into the consideration that we in Asia can buy the Hugo for ~1300 usd, I think people will have second thoughts before going for any Chord product. Personally I had hoped that the Hugo would be my endgame DAC with reasonable maintenance fee in the forseeable future. Wouldn't want to spend 400 on a DAC battery.

 

[rq1111]

Agree. It will also affect the sale for Hugo 2 as battery is a concern too for Hugo 2.

 

[doraymon]

Sorry for the ignorance but is the Hugo battery a Lithium battery?

Where I love there is a ban to ship any package containing Lithium batteries of any sort.

 

[ecapsretliab]

Sorry for the ignorance but is the Hugo battery a Lithium battery?

Where I love there is a ban to ship any package containing Lithium batteries of any sort.

It's Lithium, so can't go on a passenger plane, only cargo planes I think.  And some countries like China are pretty strict about lithium batteries.  

 

[SeaWo|f]

I'm pretty sure those restrictions are only applicable to shipping in bulk. Individual RMA/warrantee issues need not apply.

 

[doraymon]

It's ok to carry it in a plane, the problem is if I sell it to someone outside the country they won't let me ship it.

 

[ansi]

I think it's hard to escape the thought that the battery replacement cost of the Hugo is way too high. With 400 usd you can get a decent phone, and here we are talking about a battery. If you take into the consideration that we in Asia can buy the Hugo for ~1300 usd, I think people will have second thoughts before going for any Chord product. Personally I had hoped that the Hugo would be my endgame DAC with reasonable maintenance fee in the forseeable future. Wouldn't want to spend 400 on a DAC battery.

 
Hugo is $1,000 in China. Battery making up for 40% of the cost is just silly. 

 

[Triode User]

Sorry for the ignorance but is the Hugo battery a Lithium battery?

Where I love there is a ban to ship any package containing Lithium batteries of any sort.

You have a problem then.
 
Lithium batteries are in iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch, MacBook and countless other devices.

 

[doraymon]

 
You have a problem then.
 
Lithium batteries are in iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch, MacBook and countless other devices.

I know, I just hoped that Hugo was powered by some kind of new/high-tech non-Lithium batteries...
Yes, I do have a problem.
I will have to ship it during one of my business trips...

 

[Crashem]

The batteries are rated at 2000 charge cycles. Assuming a charge cycle every single day (which is unlikely for the average user) that equates to an average battery life of 5.4 years. The batteries are simple and are easily available. I have only quickly looked in the UK and they can be bought for £13 each inc tax. On the basis that the Hugo is out of warranty anyway by then I would be very happy doing the swop myself as it is a VERY simple solder job to connect the new batteries to the pc board. For people not happy with a soldering iron I cannot imagine being charged more than half an hour or maybe an hours labour.

No one has to spend ~£250 on a battery change by sending the Hugo back to Chord unless you want to. If you have an iPhone that is out of warranty would you insist that on sending it back to Apple? There have been many many thousands of Hugos sold. If the batteries start requiring to be changed then it is certain that specialist companies (for instance the sort that already do smart phone battery work) will start offering Hugo battery changes at a competitive price. The fact that they haven't started offering the service indicates that the batteries are not failing in sufficient numbers to make it a viable business. Any local technician can do the work though.

I have owned the Mojo, Hugo, HugoTT and Dave. I like the sound and I don't see the batteries as an issue. But then I regard myself as a reasonable and pragmatic person.

It's a free world though so you can buy your next DAC wherever you wish. 

Triode,

It is a lithium ion battery. Charge cycles mean less for them. It's a complicated thing to figure out their life span (do a quick search on lithium ion battery life), but 3 years is a good and generous guess of average life span. We are coming up on this # for a lot of people so this problem should start appearing more.

Your comparison vs apple is silly. There are lots of people advertising replacing apple batteries and options. I only know of chord and I am not as confident as you that "lots" of specialist companies will arise to meet the needs of Hugo owners. Hugo is a successful NICHE product, but it's not the kind of volume to inspire others to make their fortunes in servicing it.

Fact is if battery is as simple to replace as you say then it makes the cost seem even more egregious. This is a part that will fail. It doesn't seem Hugo is designed to replace that battery easily (that's consumer easy, if you have to get solder gun out, you have already failed). Where is the replacement battery listed? It's not in the manual or anywhere I could find on website. Feels like chord like most manufacturers would like you to use their approved methods whether under warranty or not. I would like options from Chord vs finding some guy. And I would like these options not to seem like their are trying to make excessive amounts for something so basic.

I am glad you think I can buy my next DAC where I wish. But my original message was directed to the Chord employees who are often here. And they hopefully don't have your attitude on this issue. I am simply asking for them to look at the issue as I feel like it is impending and hopefully come up with better options/pricing as current one does not reflect well on the Chord brand.

 

[Crashem]

I know, I just hoped that Hugo was powered by some kind of new/high-tech non-Lithium batteries...
Yes, I do have a problem.
I will have to ship it during one of my business trips...

Unclear which battery they are using or what lithium tech they are using. There are some types of lithium batteries that can be shipped in pretty much all countries. Some restricted from bulk and everything in between. What country are you in? Hopefully someone can comment what battery is confirmed used in Hugo and then we can truly see,

 

[Triode User]

  I know, I just hoped that Hugo was powered by some kind of new/high-tech non-Lithium batteries...
Yes, I do have a problem.
I will have to ship it during one of my business trips...

But how do you and your country deal with all of the other items that I mention?