[sp3llv3xit]

  You might want to research the ALO Continental Dual Mono (there's a new review on Headfonia).  A tube hybrid portable amp might give you the analog sound and power you're referring to.  I haven't used an amp with my Hugo (using HD600 and K10's), so I'm just throwing this out there.

I find the 240SS >> Hugo >> CL Trio (tube amp) a good enough rig to drive even the HD800.
 




 
Even my own custom amp drives the HD800 beautifully.

 

[phonomat]

Quote:
 

Also the Hugo is all about musicality and musical flow, and it is hard to appreciate these qualities if you don't compare it to how live music sounds.

 
I just have to requote this, because I did some thinking and reading, and I'm almost sure that this is part of the problem. I think it is just a matter of preference. Make no mistake, I am no purrinite, in fact I never read his thoughts on Hugo until just now, but I think I have to concede that we have some similar preferences. I am sure he is biased against the Hugo for some reason, and I won't even bother to link to his evaluation (those who are interested, will find it), but I have to say that I hear some of the Hugo's characteristics in similar vein. To sum it up, I think I prefer a sound that is less flat, more dynamic, with less accented treble.
 
I maybe should have mentioned this earlier, but I rarely ever listen to "live music". My listening is 90 % or more contemporary electronic music. Synthetic, loop-oriented, pattern-based, repetitive and sometimes probably highly compressed stuff. Let's just call it Techno. I never listen to music that is unamplified, I listen to electronically generated signals that have passed through loads of filters, so I am not sure what "live music" really is. You can compare what you hear to the sound of a real piano or violins, but even when I go to a club, all I hear is the amplified signal coming out of the Funktion One speakers. So, you might be right in that is just the problem: I can't compare it to anything. For me, there is no way of knowing what it's supposed to sound like.
 
One more thing about bias: The good thing about being a total noob is that I can quite safely say that I have close to none. I have no skin in any game, I am not in any camp, I am not trying to impose my opinion on anyone. Things like that don't interest me. All I want is to hear music in a way that is pleasing to me.
 
I will do some more A/B'ing with different devices and headphones (someone recommened the Audioquest Nighthawk to me, and I might try this headphone with the Hugo), and I might just order an the Hedstage Arrow or whatever for the fun of it and test it in various configurations, and awhen I'm done with this, chances are I will let to have the Hugo, well ... go. It's just the way things are, your holy grail can be my "meh". In the end, it's all a matter of taste, isn't it?

 

[phonomat]

Listening to classical music helped me realise this. So now the Hugo is my mainstay for all situations and 'phones.

It's a journey.

 
You are absolutely right. In fact I have just PM'ed someone with the same reasoning. I might just not be ready for the Hugo at this stage. But if, at this time of my journey, I find the Hugo might not be exactly what I'm looking for at the moment, I really only have three choices, I think: 1.) wait until I can savour it for what it is; 2.) accept that it is just not for me and sell it; 3.) try to tweek it to my liking and save it this way, seeing that I spent quite a lot of money on it and do not really want to go through the hassle of selling it with, and also that there are some things that I undeniably like about it. What would you do? (That is a genuine question, by the way.)
 

   
Maybe it would already help to just power down the 6-9 kHz range by 2 or 3 dB to make the sound rounder, maybe additionally some of the upper treble. Or increase the bass to your liking. But please don't sacrifice the qualities of the Hugo if there's another way to approach your sonic ideals than downgrading the sound by means of lesser electronics!

 
Thanks, I will certainly try this! (Even if I don't know if the term "lesser" applies if the "lesser" electronics end up giving me more enjoyment.)

 

  You might want to research the ALO Continental Dual Mono (there's a new review on Headfonia).  A tube hybrid portable amp might give you the analog sound and power you're referring to.  I haven't used an amp with my Hugo (using HD600 and K10's), so I'm just throwing this out there.

 
 

 

I find the 240SS >> Hugo >> CL Trio (tube amp) a good enough rig to drive even the HD800.

 
Thank you for you recommendations, Gentlemen! I will be sure to look into this.
 
By the way, sp3llv3xit, you are something of a hero to me. I used to look through all of the pictures of your stuff, and it just looks so spectacular! I don't know how you do it. It's like you are the first head-fier who has not only perfected the sound (that I can only assume) but also the looks (that I see) of his gear at the same time, kind of taking it to the next level. Even your Hugo case looks incredible and much better than my original one! Much respect!
 
Edit: typos.

 

[sp3llv3xit]

 
By the way, sp3llv3xit, you are something of a hero to me. I used to look through all of the pictures of your stuff, and it just looks so spectacular! I don't know how you do it. It's like you are the first head-fier who has not only perfected the sound (that I can only assume) but also the looks (that I see) of his gear at the same time, kind of taking it to the next level. Even your Hugo case looks incredible and much better than my original one! Much respect!
 
Edit: typos.

 
Flattered.  

Necessity may be the mother of all inventions but boredom is the root of all unnecessary creativity.  Hahahahaha...

 

[TokenGesture]

You are absolutely right. In fact I have just PM'ed someone with the same reasoning. I might just not be ready for the Hugo at this stage. But if, at this time of my journey, I find the Hugo might not be exactly what I'm looking for at the moment, I really only have three choices, I think: 1.) wait until I can savour it for what it is; 2.) accept that it is just not for me and sell it; 3.) try to tweek it to my liking and save it this way, seeing that I spent quite a lot of money on it and do not really want to go through the hassle of selling it with, and also that there are some things that I undeniably like about it. What would you do? (That is a genuine question, by the way.)

Well what I did was throw money at the problem buying DACs until I found one I liked. Your money, your ears.

Maybe take the Hugo out to a meet or a store and hook it up to a couple of amps see if that gets your head nodding

Re the 'true sound' of techno - well theoretically Hugo will tell you what it "really" sounds like

 

[jamato8]

   
You are absolutely right. In fact I have just PM'ed someone with the same reasoning. I might just not be ready for the Hugo at this stage. But if, at this time of my journey, I find the Hugo might not be exactly what I'm looking for at the moment, I really only have three choices, I think: 1.) wait until I can savour it for what it is; 2.) accept that it is just not for me and sell it; 3.) try to tweek it to my liking and save it this way, seeing that I spent quite a lot of money on it and do not really want to go through the hassle of selling it with, and also that there are some things that I undeniably like about it. What would you do? (That is a genuine question, by the way.)
 
 
Thanks, I will certainly try this! (Even if I don't know if the term "lesser" applies if the "lesser" electronics end up giving me more enjoyment.)

 
 
 
 
Thank you for you recommendations, Gentlemen! I will be sure to look into this.
 
By the way, sp3llv3xit, you are something of a hero to me. I used to look through all of the pictures of your stuff, and it just looks so spectacular! I don't know how you do it. It's like you are the first head-fier who has not only perfected the sound (that I can only assume) but also the looks (that I see) of his gear at the same time, kind of taking it to the next level. Even your Hugo case looks incredible and much better than my original one! Much respect!
 
Edit: typos.

How much time do you have on your headphones?

 

[rkt31]

anybody using Hugo with benchmark ahb2 power amp ? can Hugo be used with low gain setting (9.2db) of ahb2 ?

 

[phonomat]

 
How much time do you have on your headphones?

Spankin' new! Think they might settle?

 

[Lornecherry]

Before you even consider dumping the Hugo, please try it with optical in from a good source. It is far superior to any USB implementation I have tried, unless you are using something like an Empirical Audio Off Ramp. The TH900 is match made in heaven for the Hugo, as it's efficient enough not to pray on the Hugo's only weakness (outright power in amp section). Seriously, try optical in with a good DSD recording and even something as lowly as the old AK100. The Hugo scales well with improving the source and I strongly suspect that is the cause. There was a World of difference between my notebook running Foobar or Jriver via USB, vs, optical in from AK or better still from my transport.

 

[Jeff Y]

  Before you even consider dumping the Hugo, please try it with optical in from a good source. It is far superior to any USB implementation I have tried, unless you are using something like an Empirical Audio Off Ramp. The TH900 is match made in heaven for the Hugo, as it's efficient enough not to pray on the Hugo's only weakness (outright power in amp section). Seriously, try optical in with a good DSD recording and even something as lowly as the old AK100. The Hugo scales well with improving the source and I strongly suspect that is the cause. There was a World of difference between my notebook running Foobar or Jriver via USB, vs, optical in from AK or better still from my transport.

Everyone I know who have tried optical then tried coaxial afterwards prefers coaxial. They say there's a difference by a large margin, especially if you use nice coax cables but I can't say myself because I've only tried coax so far. Give it a try if you can get a chance and let us know what you think.

 

[frankrondaniel]

I also have a preference for coax over optical into the Hugo, at least with the sources that I have. My AK240 via optical (using the Chord supplied cable) sounds somewhat bright, glassy while my DX90 and X3 via coax (using cable from Moon Audio) both sound warmer, fuller. Of course that could be due to the differences between the sources, and the specific cables used.

 

[elviscaprice]

Wow, just got the Uptone Regen, hooked it up via Mobo USB from my PC JRiver Windows 7 (no optimization) with a Supra cable to the Regen and my Black Dragon micro from the Regen to the Hugo HD (will test the adaptors direct).  Big difference I am hearing, bass is far more noticeable, louder but defined.  I am hearing things in the low range that I never heard before.  I used to get some sibilance issues from my PC and it would fatigue me over time.  Now that is all gone.  I notice I have to turn up the volume more now, blacker background.  If USB PC audio can sound this good with the Hugo, looking forward to more optimization of my digital chain.  Count me a believer now.  Bits are bits but electricity can be the damnation.
On further listening, with the Regen in the chain, there is a far better balance between lows (much more pronounced), mids (brought forward), highs (as is, less overwhelming).  All makes for a very nice balance.  Right now just playing a lot of familiar pop wave.  Will try out other genres as the night comes.
 

 

[elviscaprice]

Has anyone successfully made the Chord 1.03 ASIO driver work properly for all formats?  I get DSD (via DOP) dropouts (usually beginning of the track, but sometimes much later,  but always the same place unique within each DSD track) with this driver in JRiver 20 Windows 7 bitperfect, latency changes have no effect.  All PCM formats up to DXD work perfectly, just DSD dropouts.
With WASAPI Chord driver, no issues with either PCM or DSD.  Thus,  I think the Chord 1.03 ASIO driver is faulty.
EDIT:  OR JRiver 20 is faulty

 

[frankrondaniel]

  Has anyone successfully made the Chord 1.03 ASIO driver work properly for all formats?  I get DSD (via DOP) dropouts with this driver in JRiver 20 Windows 7 bitperfect, latency changes have no effect.  All PCM formats up to DXD work perfectly, just DSD dropouts.
With WASAPI Chord driver, no issues with either PCM or DSD.  Thus,  I think the Chord 1.03 ASIO driver is faulty.

 
No issues at all with DSD using the ASIO driver.

 

[elviscaprice]

   
No issues at all with DSD using the ASIO driver.

Frank, is that with PC in JRiver?  If so, are you using any of the DSP effects?  Which we shouldn't have to.