[Somphon]

  I'd appreciate some feedback from anyone who is using their Hugo exclusively from a USB 3 port on a laptop or desktop - am having some fun and games with my current generation Mac and several of my USB DACs. Funny thing is that I recall the Hugo worked from the USB 3 port on my - now departed - Windowa 8.1 laptop. 

 
ground noise from usb3 port on my rmbp mid 2012
toslink yield cleaner background for me.

 

[Eide]

I'm experiensing a frustrating amount of hissing sound when I use my Shure SE846 iem with my Hugo. I'v asked in the SE846 forum if anyone else have the same hiss and it seems like there's no one else. I know there's one here on the Hugo thredf that has mentioned it, but I'm starting to think it may be a fault with my unit.

The hissing is very audible without any source plugged in. And it doesn't change with the volume. I hear it very clear when playing delicate accoustic recordings. (Which I listen to quite often) I know the SE846 are VERY sensitive. No other headphones or iems have hissing at all, including Sennheiser ie800.

When I listen to my AK120 there's no hissing at all, but the Hugo is so much better in every other way, except for the hissing. It's driving me insane. Hehe... I know it's a first world problem, but are there anyone else here who has exceperiensed this kind of hissing sound?

Maybe I should get my Hugo checked by my dealer?

 

[SilverEars]

Just out of curiosity, do you hear hissing with your other sources connected via usb to your computer with SE846?  Have you set the bit depth to 24?  When I initially had it hooked up via usb which was default to 16bit, it hissed noticeably until I switched to 24bit mode.  

 

[Eide]

I hear the same amount of hissing regardless if I'm hooked up to iPad or laptop by USB, or AK120 via optical or if nothing is connected at all. Regardless of volume.

 

[SilverEars]

I hear the same amount of hissing regardless if I'm hooked up to iPad or laptop by USB, or AK120 via optical or if nothing is connected at all. Regardless of volume.

Probably the sensitivity of the iem then if you have your computer audio setting set to 24 bit.

 

[2a3set]

Here I get very positive result to power the USB card with linear PS and save a USB cable,
 
USB3.0 card (NEC chip) is moved out from PC with PCI-express extension cable powered by 5V Salas reflektor shunt regulator with remote sense.
 
Normally USB 3.0 board needs both 5v and 12v supply from the power supply connector on the PCI-express extension card. The extension card PCB has LDO to generate 3.3v for the board meanwhile passing 12v directly up. On the usb board, there are 12V-5V DC-DC switch supply for USB vbus, 3.3v-1.05v DC-DC for USB chip core together with 3.3v for USB peripheral, so a single 5V is good enough for both vbus and usb chip, it is ideally to replace the 1.05v switch supply with LDO as well.
 

 

[isquirrel]

If you prefer total darkness then there's no reason you couldn't cover the Hugo, it doesn't generate much if any heat. The lights are fairly bright at night, I can see them from across the room.

 

[ajay555]

I have the harmonic light two leg USB cable (one power and other data) . The cable is awesome. My original hugo with old case worked fine when i disconnected the power leg. But the new hugo with new casing does not work the same. Disconnecting the power cable drops the data too hence no music. 
 
Any one have any idea? Is this a defected hugo?
 
Thanks

 

[isquirrel]

I have the same cable, it's white correct? I don't understand how you're fitting it to Hugo as it does not come with a micro USB connector or am I missing something?

 

[ted_b]

  I have the harmonic light two leg USB cable (one power and other data) . The cable is awesome. My original hugo with old case worked fine when i disconnected the power leg. But the new hugo with new casing does not work the same. Disconnecting the power cable drops the data too hence no music. 
 
Any one have any idea? Is this a defected hugo?
 
Thanks

 
I am not aware that the Hugo USB power scheme changed; I am surprised you ever got music with the power leg disconnected.  As has been discussed here a bunch of times, the Hugo uses the 5V power simply to alert the battery and USB chip to turn on.  It does not actually use the mostly-dirty 5V from the computer (good news) but requires it or the receiver will turn off when it is absent.  This saves battery use, too (i.e no reason to power the USB chip internally if using another input like coax).

 

[weisse muller]

In an earlier posting, I think Rob Watts said Hugo has around 5 micro volts of noise but a big 5volts output swing whereas the A and K has a 3.5 microvolts of noise but only a 1.5 volt output swing. So if it's a problem. I think he said to use a output Resistor with very high sensitivity IEMs.

 

[rvikul]

  Dear Rob ;
 
 Obviously the Hugo has been designed, positioned and accepted as a statement product that has gotten your company much well-deserved praise and attention. Would it be logical to assume that the cables you supplied with Hugo should allow it to perform at the peak of it's abilities under most circumstances ? And if not, why would you send out a product that is clearly a high-end unit with cables that don't match it's quality ? Anyone likely to purchase Hugo at it's current price point would not likely be scared off if the cost of 'better' cables ( assuming they are needed ) were added to the price.
 
I ask as someone who is still trying to navigate the thorny issues of connections and the perceived differences between them.
 
Best,
 
Another Rob

Did Mr. Watts reply to this? I see mention of RFI but no mention of how the HUGO is designed to handle it. Will a bog standard USB cable into the HD input of the HUGO produce the best possible output from the HUGO?

 

[estreeter]

  Did Mr. Watts reply to this? I see mention of RFI but no mention of how the HUGO is designed to handle it. Will a bog standard USB cable into the HD input of the HUGO produce the best possible output from the HUGO?

 
Here we go again ...
 
if you go way back in this thread, Rob makes it clear that he favors the Toslink cable the comes with the Hugo but others prefer coaxial or USB connections. I'm not aware of any DAC or amp manufacturer that ships boutique cables with their product - they seem to leave that to the dealers to recommend partnering equipment - and I've yet to see consensus re expensive USB cables on any forum.
 
As a consumer who has not one, but two, bulky and basically useless Audeze travel cases, the last thing I want is for manufacturers to start making more decisions re accessories on my behalf - I paid for two boxes that I not only have no use for, but which I believe were simply a clever shipping design for Audeze rather than a genuine value-add for their customers. I would also question the value of adding something like the Lightspeed cable - ~1K retail - when some owners are using USB-SPDIF converters and others the Toslink connection : they would be paying for something they dont need. 

 

[rvikul]

   
Here we go again ...
 
if you go way back in this thread, Rob makes it clear that he favors the Toslink cable the comes with the Hugo but others prefer coaxial or USB connections. I'm not aware of any DAC or amp manufacturer that ships boutique cables with their product - they seem to leave that to the dealers to recommend partnering equipment - and I've yet to see consensus re expensive USB cables on any forum.
 
As a consumer who has not one, but two, bulky and basically useless Audeze travel cases, the last thing I want is for manufacturers to start making more decisions re accessories on my behalf - I paid for two boxes that I not only have no use for, but which I believe were simply a clever shipping design for Audeze rather than a genuine value-add for their customers. I would also question the value of adding something like the Lightspeed cable - ~1K retail - when some owners are using USB-SPDIF converters and others the Toslink connection : they would be paying for something they dont need. 

Your response is out of context. I did not ask if HUGO ships with a fancy cable nor do I want it to. What your Audeze ships with is irrelevant. A USB cable for a USB DAC is not an accessory and a properly designed DAC should be agnostic of the USB cable as long as said cable is built to spec. 
 
I found my answer here - http://www.head-fi.org/t/702787/chord-hugo/8190#post_10876672
 
I guess galvanic isolation was not feasible in a unit this small.

 

[Currawong]

In an earlier posting, I think Rob Watts said Hugo has around 5 micro volts of noise but a big 5volts output swing whereas the A and K has a 3.5 microvolts of noise but only a 1.5 volt output swing. So if it's a problem. I think he said to use a output Resistor with very high sensitivity IEMs.

 
Interesting comment. I posted it in the portable thread, but here was an interesting (and crazy) rig I saw in Tokyo:
 

 
Above the Hugo is not an amp, but an isolation transformer! It is supposed to isolate the headphones from an amp's electrical noise (if I read the Japanese right).