[574206]

Hey WyWy @Wyville,

After many years, Chord users are finally coming to the conclusion how close the Hugo₂ and DAVE are to one another.

I replied in another thread to that post, but I'll copy and paste here. My Summer Project is taking longer than expected, but hopefully the results of going with Ultra Capacitor Power will pay off in the long run. Soldering thick stiff Solid Core cable to tiny USB connectors was not as straightforward as I had hoped so time line pushing into August. No energy left for this hobby as I'm not in my Prime so I just want to be done with it all and just listen and collect Music.

If I didn't go SilverFi, I would of made my own Solid Core IEM cables with ConX. What Rob Watts does is he oven bakes his Solid Core cables called "annealing" after he twists two into one for his B&W Diamonds. He has unlimited resources, so it's great sometimes we share similar philosophies on Audio such as Solid Core Wiring. SilverFi > Solid Core OEM > OEM (typical slave labor IEM cable).

I started this hobby when compiling FLAC software to your hacked Apple Device was a thing. It's one of those For Geeks only for years, then mainstream caught onto FLAC and it changed the world. 99% on this site are consumers and salesmen, the purists are long gone except for I + possibly Rob Watts. Without FLAC, this hobby would of never blown up so shout out to the FLAC developers on github. Interacting with the Rockbox and FLAC developers were good times.

Once your chain becomes super transparent, WAV makes a audible difference so I'm exclusively WAV going forward. Plus FLAC uses 3-5% CPU constantly. WAV about .3% so I like to keep my chain tight.

I had both of these. Just a faint memory now... Both Rockbox.



Again, I'm not in my prime so I'll be calling in quits soon but don't worry about I, my chain is pretty solid to ride off into the sunset. S- rated professional CIEM with professional tone and timbre not bad especially since not many CIEM options these day. High markup B rated circle-jerking each other off universals were never an option for I. CIEM-only. I would never trust anything other than professional reference CIEM after I completed my chain post-COVID emergency because once your chain become so transparent, exaggerations will be too noticeable and annoying. My chain is also around the level of a dcS Rossini since it shares similar philosophies in implementation. Of course I prefer mine as I power with Ultra Capacitors (close to Nuclear clean power) not dirty noisy Mains power. I'm trying to get Rob Watts into CIEMs with professional digital impressions only. He's open to the idea but timing has to be right since there's nothing I can recommend in production right now and he goes to Irvine once a year.



I like how 50 says "I'm done.... I got other things to do" at the end, that statement is cutoff in the above YT video but not in the below Reddit video:

50 cent gets it

Again, without Nic's thread, Nic and crew I would of never found my momentum again so you guys created this current Monster. With the power of hindsight, I wouldn't of changed a thing which is amazing but somehow Nic knew me better than my 2017 self.

Oh, the tail end of my Summer Project is not ready (Solid Core USB cables) but the Ultra Capacitors are ready for production. The world's best 5V power supply @ about 3000 Farads. I'll build a 9000 Farad @ 16V for the clocks in a few years. They currently run on Batteries. You can get a sense of the stiffness of Solid Core Cables. It will run Industrial Strength 24/7 in Off Mains mode. It will need 3 minutes a day to re-charge via Mains. Otherwise, it's optically isolated from Mains full-time:

 

[574206]

@Wyville ,

Copy and paste (no alternations / edits) from another Chord thread.:

Thank you for this post. Since I'm only interested in professional reference CIEMs used and endorsed by professionals within the Southern California Sound Industry, the Hugo₂ is very special for my specific use case. It falls within the "Goldilocks"-zone of consumer and professional gear, so it's accessible and you know you are not losing a single SQ even when compared to the DAVE. Headphones and Speakers have too much variance, so I couldn't ask for a better fit than the Hugo₂ for my CIEM. I'm experimenting with Digital Sources presently to prepare for the Hugo₃.



I do treat my CIEM chain though as if I were running headphones or speakers. I even run WBT RCA for perfect imaging, lightning-quick transient response and zero cross-talk for my CIEM with the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) IEM cable. Please excuse photo as the Red / Right side of the WBT is missing as it's in for repairs.



As I improved the clocking of my digital player, I feel like it becomes more DAVE-like as it's just so next level. With a improved Digital Source, I'm definitely out of Mid-Fi hell, but I can't really say if it puts me in Summit-Fi territory as of yet. But I really enjoy in the TT₂ thread and your post how comparisons are made for the Hugo₂ similar to a Mini-DAVE. Again, "Goldilocks"-zone, so little risk, high reward for this product. When you are exclusively CIEM, no other modern option. Especially, those cringe AIO (All-In-One) IEM Source options. TT₂ too much of an overkill and it has resistors on 3.5mm / 6.3mm OUT so really not an option if you are a purist. The RCA OUT on TT₂ likely too powerful for CIEM.

Clocking a digital player has nothing to do with Chord products. It's like clocking a CD player, they are independent of one another. GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage OUT) so it's just feeding a Chord product via Toslink. Please don't mix clocking with a Chord product. It's similar to a dcS chain, clocked source + FPGA DAC. If you are using a MSI Laptop with Toslink OUT, you are using embedded clocks. So everyone using Toslink anything into their Chord product is clocking their digital source. The clocks are just not up-gradable for clock-rolling like my digital source.

A reference Clock is installed inside an audio player, and will have the
effect of cleaning up the sound stage. This means the sound stage will
spread out correctly, and make it easy for you to feel where the
instruments and artists are placed. It essentially turns music from
background noise to a living experience.

The Sound-stage has audibly changed with improved clocking:

USB, boring closed-in phone-booth background noise:



Average Hi-Fi clocks on Toslink side:



With clocks > dcS clocks on the digital source side:


So in my experience, I turned the Hugo₂ into something like a dcS Rossini for my CIEM even though I use better clocks:

dCS AUDIO – ROSSINI MASTER CLOCK – Class 1 Master Clock

Powerful and graceful too, the Rossini renders music with the utmost precision and care, delivering a fluid and natural sound without the slightest hint of harshness or glare. From the softest strings to the sharpest brass, and the quietest intake of breath, it unearths each aspect of a recording to reveal a performance that feels layered, lifelike and whole.
No matter how complex the music, it never loses its composure, or its sense of rhythm and flow, tracking even the swiftest shift in dynamics and pace with a sense of utter control. With its unshakable focus and astonishing insight, it presents a holographic view of a recording, and the atmosphere and space in which a performance takes place.

Having this ability with CIEMs is a dream and I'm glad to have experienced this before the world boils over. Thanks Humanity.

The spread out spatial audio and precision bass with improved clocking on the digital player is I can't go back scenario.

Also, duets+ with improved source is something I never distinguished in the past. I understand the FPGA separates instruments and each have their own volume, but with a improved source I get something similar with Duet+ voices. I get chills when Duet Singers sync their lyrics and it just feels like they are in completely different spaces and volumes.

Thanks for letting me share. I understand Chord DACs are trying to be miracle workers so whatever you feed, either cheap USB sources or cheap Toslink sources, it will perform that miracle. After fiddling with good sources, that's not the case in my experience. For I, I want solid fundamentals whether it's pure old school 16-bit Toslink with standard Redbook original sampling rate (No cheesy 32-bit Redbook conversion for modern, old school pure 16-bit) or PCI-E cards for USB optical on the PC side. No cheap Motherboard USB ports and basic MSI laptop with embedded clocks for Toslink on my side. I don't believe in miracles, just solid implementation throughout the chain. But I understand the need to market it as you can throw any cheap source at the products.

 

[574206]

Hey WyWy,

I'll check back in a few when I test my Summer Project and hopefully get the right side of my split R4 back. No energy left after Summit-Fi stuff post. Will copy and paste again... Absolutely just want to listen and not post, but Summer is close to over. No revisions or edits, so I can't redact. Hope "facts > feelings" here as my intention is not to talk badly about other gear to hurt feelings. I'm about being at different stages in this hobby and hopefully grow and learn, not about being at a certain stage. My first CIEM is older than some posters here. It's like 2Pac has passed that "being dead" more in years than "being alive" more in years. I'm glad the LVPD (Las Vegas Police Department) is on top of their game as they just made an arrest this month for 2pac's murder.

----------------------------

First, many thanks to Sir Rob Watts for building such solid products. To be able to feed 16-bit instead of 32-bit Toslink into my Hugo₂ is amazing. I believe most DACs nowadays need to convert to 32-bit before proceeding. And to be able to handle Clock Frequencies near the lowest common denominator. I don't run the standard 44 kHz Clocks like mainstream products / streamers, I run the highest-performance reference low phase noise super low MHz Frequency optimised purely for Redbook use. I believe in High Quality Well-Mastered Sources, not High Resolution Sources. Too many HiRes/DSD/etc/ gimmicks, I just want purity. I like to keep it simple because I have a niche use case of being CIEM-only, Redbook-only, Toslink-only, etc. and keeping my chain within a certain "Goldilocks"-zone. I don't want to get too crazy and out of control which can easily happen in the Summit-Fi world. It's also amazing that pre-emphasis and de-emphasis are built into Chord DACs. I have not had a chance to test, but since I'm a Redbook fanatic, I will try one day.

Jitter is a very small part. It's about the quality of the source and attempting to re-create what the Artist originally intended. For I, since I was an 80s kid, I try to re-create a Time Machine to take me back to that early 80s era. With the help of high performance state of the art external clocks and Chord DACs, it gets me there. I can close my eyes and the sound is Analog as can be given current technology and it takes me back to that 80s era. But you can only do this when your entire chain is super transparent then feeding it well-mastered sources from original 80s recording before sound processing became a thing. I exclusive run only WAV as it's audibly transparent once your chain gets to a different level. If you run WAV on a Apple Dongle, there's not much difference. The higher up your chain in getting super transparent, the more you notice the little things can make a big difference.

For example, I only use specific Masterings such a this (the CD design is easily recognisable by Purists):



To be able to listen to these Artists in a well-mastered format as purely and faithfully possible is a dream. So much media out there that were never well-mastered back in the day makes me sad. It just makes me appreciate more, but the costs of well-mastered media is rising.

Imagine if you had a Goto CD Player that plays Redbook really well. You don't worry about Jitter. You might worry about upgrading the clock in that CD Player for the highest performance possible. You treat the CD Player independent of the DAC. I don't understand the obsession with everything having to revolve around the Chord DAC instead of focusing on the chain as a whole. For I, the Chord DAC is just a conduit to translate from a high performance digital player source to it's fullest. If you feed the Chord DAC 128Kbs MP3 Audio File, it's going to translate that the best it can. If you feed it a highly-optimised clocked source that faithfully reproduces what the Artist intended, the Chord DAC will translate that to it's fullest. GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage-Out). For I, I built a Time Machine to bring me back to early 80s so I couldn't be happier.

A clocked source to a FPGA DAC is more a dcS philosophy and implementation than Chord philosophy. That's why 95%+ of dCS users purchase a Clock along with their dCS DAC as one could not live with just a basic dCS DAC alone once experiencing the Clock effect. I just try to combine both worlds to Max my CIEM experience. There are no chains that are built specifically for CIEMs in mind so I'm glad to build the most robust possible in this modern age. I'm trying to simulate old school well-mastered sources with modern technology to the fullest extent. Any DAC > Hugo₂ is overkill in power and having to throw an amplifier in the mix, so Hugo₂ pretty perfect for my use case. It helps clarify my chain because I'll definitely go crazy with a DAC > Hugo₂. Of course, there's nothing wrong with a dCS alone or a Chord DAC alone.







I get the same results as a "dCS external clock + dCS DAC" with my "State of the Art external clock + Chord DAC". Sure, the basic Chord DAC can stand on it's own, but "Clock+Chord DAC" takes me to another world (Time Machine) like it would with a dCS chain.

I experience the same as dCS Marketing speak:

Powerful and graceful too, the Rossini renders music with the utmost precision and care, delivering a fluid and natural sound without the slightest hint of harshness or glare. From the softest strings to the sharpest brass, and the quietest intake of breath, it unearths each aspect of a recording to reveal a performance that feels layered, lifelike and whole.
No matter how complex the music, it never loses its composure, or its sense of rhythm and flow, tracking even the swiftest shift in dynamics and pace with a sense of utter control. With its unshakable focus and astonishing insight, it presents a holographic view of a recording, and the atmosphere and space in which a performance takes place.

When an MSI laptop with Toslink OUT is used, jitter is never discussed. When someone is using a Toslink Streamer with Average basic Clocks, jitter is never discussed. I think jitter is mentioned only as a defense mechanism for something unknown. For these other Toslink solutions, all I see are cheap embedded clocks and solutions. Why not use high performance clocks instead of the cheap stuff on your Toslink source? dCS does it. I also combine with a high performance realtime low latency Audiophile OS and the transient response is taken to new levels. The Chord DAC definately does it's job and can handle a modern high performance feed. So it can be a bit hypocritical to mention jitter when ANY Toslink source also employs clocks, but I understand that this can be such an unknown territory. Just follow dCS's example. dCS users don't mention jitter as they know they are using high quality not AliExpress gear.

This chain performs so well, I started investing in Ultra Capacitors to slowly upgrade the Power in the next few years. Of course, they are passive power supplies that don't run off Mains. I would never use Active Power Supplies with Chord DACs. I don't believe in gimmicks like LPS and 1TB files for each track / song, I believe in solid fundamentals. I'll upgrade the power on the Clocks @16V to Ultra Caps with 9000 Farad one day.

For now, I'm focusing on the world's best 5V @ 3000 Farad power supply:







I'll build 3.3V, 5V @ 3000 Farads this Summer and 12V, 15.5V @ 9000 Farads in the upcoming years. I wish I could build a 12V for you Summit-Fi guys this year, but Ultra Caps get pretty expensive. For this solution, the Mains is always plugged-in to recharge the UltraCaps when low. So maybe 3 minutes a day running 24/7 depending on use. It then goes back to full-time optical isolation mode which 100% cuts off from Mains during performance use. I think it's dynamic up to 1000Amps, so it's will handle dynamic swings beautifully. Solid Core wiring of course... I don't cut corners. Zero regulators for 3.3V, 5V, 12V and 15.5V, just pure goodness.

For clocks, it's about keeping it's composure even with high dynamism and fast attacks. It's about placing vocals and instruments in a properly spaced SoundStage. The high performance clocks do their job and the Chord DAC does it's job. I would only be concerned about jitter on cheap Toslink clocks / embedded clocks like MSI Laptops, Chromecast Audio, AliExpress devices, Average Hi-Fi Streamers, etc. With a dCS clock or high performance clocks, jitter is about political not performance.

This Soundstage is not much of an exaggeration as Spatial Audio is properly placed within an large Soundstage. Depending on the Mastering of course. I run Japanese Masterings too as a good amount have low noise floor. But one only experiences this once their chain is tight. The precision, layered Bass I did not expect with external clocks, but it's welcomed.

Another advantage is being to able to listen @ super low volumes with zero to very low noise floor and zero fatigue while retaining all the details. So for ear health reasons alone, this chain is easily justifiable for my use case. Average HiFi clocks are bright and fatiquing, state of the art are just smooth and clean.

 

[574206]

Oh, since some of you are so into AliExpress gear...

Just put an high markup, mention it's loud and bassy, grease the right fingers and it will fit right in...

 

[574206]

Oh, the Asus ROG Steam Deck competitor has a bad microSD card implementation. Better to wait for 2nd Gen.

That's why I prefer the Steam Deck, more critical mass so more accessories and easy to return if needed. Discounts, etc.

 

[574206]

Whoops, I guess I had one more post in me before my DIY break:

-----

Maybe in September, it's not my design but it's an Italian design. I'm out of energy and my whole main purpose on being back at this site is to complete my Ultra Capacitor Power @5V for my Hugo₂ which I've been running 24/7/365 since COVID started. I hope to report success, but the Ultra Capacitor needs 3 minutes off Mains to charge so I don't know how that plays with the Hugo₂ since it needs a constant charge with zero interruption to stay in 24/7 mode (forget the tech). I don't know that when it switches back and forth between Mains if it will interrupt the charging process. Also, my chain is completely disassembled ATM.

I can give you a sneak preview though.

These are owners of two major Audiophile companies, so they likely run 6 to 7 digit chains. It's very difficult to 'Wow' them as they heard it all.

But they are Amateurs, for I, my jaw dropped for the 'Wow' moment in .5 second. For them, it took a few notes. Amateurs. I also questioned to myself if I really owned this chain. That this is a dCS quality chain, how can I possibly own and experience this just for CIEMS? I'm not worthy.

I am running the best performance clock at single digit MHz. They are running a clock in the 20s MHz for Ethernet. It's a $5000 Network Distribution device. They replaced an average clock with a SOTA (State of The Art) clock. My Infrastructure is fully optimised around SOTA clock. There's is a replacement so my dedicated SPDIF source should have a larger difference. It bring tears to my eyes reading as I know exactly what they are experiencing, but I'm on a CIEM budget, not the unlimited budget of Audiophile CEOs.

I'll be back in September. My USB connector parts are here, so I need to focus on DIY in August.

 

[Wyville]

That's a lot to digest there.

Oh, the Asus ROG Steam Deck competitor has a bad microSD card implementation. Better to wait for 2nd Gen.

That's why I prefer the Steam Deck, more critical mass so more accessories and easy to return if needed. Discounts, etc.

I haven't made a decision yet. I want to replace my aging PS4 and since Bethesda's Starfield is now a Microsoft exclusive, I might switch to the Asus Ally, a PC or simply an xBox. That also depends on what budget I can allocate. Since my wife has her eyes on adopting a Newfoundland, that budget might end up being very minimal because it would require us to (once again) trade in our car for a bigger one to accommodate the dogs.

 

[subguy812]

Getting ready to plug it in and test it.

 

[subguy812]

I posted this the next morning after I received the unit, so it is a cross post from the Mass Kobo thread. I am using the SP3000 as my source with 2.5V fixed LO.

I listened for an hour and was totally impressed by the level of quality I was hearing. A very dynamic listen. The staging is spacious and accurate and one area that instantly demanded my attention. Clearly the amp showcases it’s technical prowess, very easy to pick out instruments and voices in crowded songs. Noise free and very transparent. It is a surprisingly full sound given the clarity and transparency.

It comes set default to high gain and I am going to experiment with switching to low gain, as soon as I can find something to flip the toggles. The gain settings are inside by the batteries not a switch on the outside of the unit.

 

[subguy812]

It looks as if the EE Raven is going to be available on pre-sale in a few days, certainly interested in that. What other IEMs are upcoming on the radar?

 

[gLer]

It looks as if the EE Raven is going to be available on pre-sale in a few days, certainly interested in that. What other IEMs are upcoming on the radar?

VE flagship (VE X). And Traillii 2 should be around the corner.

 

[subguy812]

My case arrived for the Mass Kobo 475. Excellent quality and craftsmanship, very pleased how it turned out. Found it on EBay, but had to design it. Many options for design and received it in around 3 weeks.

 

[aaf evo]

My case arrived for the Mass Kobo 475. Excellent quality and craftsmanship, very pleased how it turned out. Found it on EBay, but had to design it. Many options for design and received it in around 3 weeks.

This looks really good and higher quality than what Vishnu offers unless you buy his more expensive leather.

 

[subguy812]

This looks really good and higher quality than what Vishnu offers unless you buy his more expensive leather.

I paid $75 plus tax + free shipping.
EBay

 

[Jackpot77]

Hey guys

Long time no post, but good to see some familiar faces like @Wyville and @subguy812 are still active on here - hope you guys are well?

Been keeping a low profile recently, but came out of hibernation for the recent London Canjam

IEM impressions from the show are here, if anyone is interested:

https://audioprimate.blog/2023/08/20/canjam-london-20th-august-2023/

Long story short: Soundz are an excellent new brand (or more correctly an excellent existing Greek CIEM maker with some very good sounding universal models), the Nightjar Singularity is phenomenal, ditto the VE10 from Vision Ears, and the Twin Pulse from Spirit Torino is great sounding but the most ridiculous IEM design since the EX1000 from Sony.