[nOtEcH]

It's getting late for me.. need a shut eye..

 

[SearchOfSub]

Its a giant killer if you see the product as 2x the retail price that have been set and say to yourself i would still buy this and think its worth the price.
 
So in this case the HUGO which retails for $2,400.00. Would you pay $5,000.00 for this and still be happy with it?

 

[ALRAINBOW]

NO I would not pay it.
Al

 

[SearchOfSub]

It gets a little more real the word "giant killer" when we put it this way dosent it lol.

 

[TLS1]

Curious how people react to the look and size of things. Chord's QBD76HDSD is selling for $8500 US and John Franks proprietor of Chord Electronics pretend that Hugo is their new reference dac!

 

[flymetothemoon]

I laugh between the Hugo , my two iPhones and a galaxy note 4 and my iPad it's way above 5k in toys . But the trains are filled with iPads and stuff it's fine.
Al

iPhones and iPads are more tradable and your Hugo should be super safe in NYC's subway LOL

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Yea. I am amazed how people walk around the subways wit there iPhones and I pads. They are clueless. Tot he crime . Everyday there are multiple robberies of these gadgets.
Oh well
Al

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Who sells a USB mini that is better than the stock Hugo,one. Any ideas. My use is strictly portable so no adaptors I need the cable as is but better .
Help please
Al

 

[estreeter]

  Its a giant killer if you see the product as 2x the retail price that have been set and say to yourself i would still buy this and think its worth the price.
 
So in this case the HUGO which retails for $2,400.00. Would you pay $5,000.00 for this and still be happy with it?

 
Once again, I disagree with your analysis, but let's pose this a little differently. If you were in a blind A/B test with two DACs and you didnt know that one of them was the Hugo - simply that both were '5K+ retail' - would you have an issue with the price estimate when they were revealed and one was a large desktop unit with a separate PSU while the other was the Hugo ? AK240 aside, we are conditioned to believe that smaller, portable components simply dont cost this much money - the sticker remains an issue for quite a few who've seen only photos and reviews. Personally, I think anyone who needs AK240+Hugo for a portable rig has already spent too much money but conversely I believe that the Hugo is a killer desktop component which just happens to be easily transportable.  Just as many recoiled in horror at the sticker price on the Bakoon AMP-12R when it was released, I expect that a 5K Hugo would have caused a similar amount of forum chatter - Bakoon got some glowing reviews and the rest is history. To me, it comes down to whether you see Chord playing in the same sandpit with Fiio or whether you see the Hugo as a premium product - with the exception of the muddled interface design, I see it as the latter. Sonically, I'd love to sit in on a blind A/B test with some of the 5k+ DACs, regardless of the outcome. 
 
For those wondering 'What the hell is a Bakoon ?':
 
http://www.bakoonproducts.com/store/shop/amp-12r/
 
Their headphone amp is considerably more conventional in appearance and much cheaper
 
http://www.bakoonproducts.com/store/shop/hpa-01/

 

[tgx78]

Who sells a USB mini that is better than the stock Hugo,one. Any ideas. My use is strictly portable so no adaptors I need the cable as is but better .
Help please
Al

 
It is not USB mini B, but it is micro B. 
 
Not sure the connector on this needs to be trimmed to fit hugo, but here is one that is very well received by many.
 
http://shop.mapleshadestore.com/prodinfo.asp?number=CLEARLINK3-MICRO-PL

 

[flymetothemoon]

Yea. I am amazed how people walk around the subways wit there iPhones and I pads. They are clueless. Tot he crime . Everyday there are multiple robberies of these gadgets.
Oh well
Al

You still need to be highly cautious of your gears, be safe.

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Thanks
Al

 

[sutjahjo]

Once again, I disagree with your analysis, but let's pose this a little differently. If you were in a blind A/B test with two DACs and you didnt know that one of them was the Hugo - simply that both were '5K+ retail' - would you have an issue with the price estimate when they were revealed and one was a large desktop unit with a separate PSU while the other was the Hugo ? AK240 aside, we are conditioned to believe that smaller, portable components simply dont cost this much money - the sticker remains an issue for quite a few who've seen only photos and reviews. Personally, I think anyone who needs AK240+Hugo for a portable rig has already spent too much money but conversely I believe that the Hugo is a killer desktop component which just happens to be easily transportable.  Just as many recoiled in horror at the sticker price on the Bakoon AMP-12R when it was released, I expect that a 5K Hugo would have caused a similar amount of forum chatter - Bakoon got some glowing reviews and the rest is history. To me, it comes down to whether you see Chord playing in the same sandpit with Fiio or whether you see the Hugo as a premium product - with the exception of the muddled interface design, I see it as the latter. Sonically, I'd love to sit in on a blind A/B test with some of the 5k+ DACs, regardless of the outcome. 

For those wondering 'What the hell is a Bakoon ?':

http://www.bakoonproducts.com/store/shop/amp-12r/

Their headphone amp is considerably more conventional in appearance and much cheaper

http://www.bakoonproducts.com/store/shop/hpa-01/

I tend to agree with you. Personally anything is worth it if it gives you the value or the satisfaction you deem fitting the amount paid. And value is totally relative depending on individual.

Personally, I have seen so varied how values are perceived by different people I refuse to judge anyone or anything based on their sense of values. One other passion I have is a perfectly good example, I have seen some who bought good quality stuff at reasonable prices and some who pays half a million dollar for nothing more than a brand name is. Yet, the psychological rewards they receive are always worthy of the amount they spend.

The lesson to me (personallyy) is to enjoy my passions and stop judging others.

 

[Clemmaster]

Very quick first impression, on day 3.
I agree with those who said the sound is quite a departure from the full and warm QuteHD. The Hugo is more in the crystal clear camp.
The level of refinement is at least on par with my SA-2 + OR5, which is great (read no digital nastiness in the treble). It has more bass presence and better details all around, but this was never the emphasis on the SA-2 in the first place.
 
I feel it's gonna be a great pairing with my Lavardin amp.

 

[SearchOfSub]

   
Once again, I disagree with your analysis, but let's pose this a little differently. If you were in a blind A/B test with two DACs and you didnt know that one of them was the Hugo - simply that both were '5K+ retail' - would you have an issue with the price estimate when they were revealed and one was a large desktop unit with a separate PSU while the other was the Hugo ? AK240 aside, we are conditioned to believe that smaller, portable components simply dont cost this much money - the sticker remains an issue for quite a few who've seen only photos and reviews. Personally, I think anyone who needs AK240+Hugo for a portable rig has already spent too much money but conversely I believe that the Hugo is a killer desktop component which just happens to be easily transportable.  Just as many recoiled in horror at the sticker price on the Bakoon AMP-12R when it was released, I expect that a 5K Hugo would have caused a similar amount of forum chatter - Bakoon got some glowing reviews and the rest is history. To me, it comes down to whether you see Chord playing in the same sandpit with Fiio or whether you see the Hugo as a premium product - with the exception of the muddled interface design, I see it as the latter. Sonically, I'd love to sit in on a blind A/B test with some of the 5k+ DACs, regardless of the outcome.
 
For those wondering 'What the hell is a Bakoon ?':
 
http://www.bakoonproducts.com/store/shop/amp-12r/
 
Their headphone amp is considerably more conventional in appearance and much cheaper
 
http://www.bakoonproducts.com/store/shop/hpa-01/

 
 
 I heard the Bakoon with the Soundwave Kaos 40's and it sounded exceptional. It was actually compared to Job 225 Amp in a review and  the reviewer said it sounded similar. But the Job 225 $3,700.00 less. Thats what I call Giant killer.  Its a $1,700 amp that runs class A upto about 98 db.
 
Anyway, for you to write that I figure you don't think its worth $5,000.00?  Many say its a giant killer, but I for one reading AL and your take on it just think its a very reasonable priced dac/amp. Which still is very good imho.