[ubs28]

That’s what I don’t get about the Hugo 2. It should have enough power for the Utopia’s but they sound slightly thin and technical sounding. If it’s not the power, it’s got to be the tuning of the Hugo 2.

When I got the Dave, I’m like, now this sounds right. These headphones are amazing. But it shouldn’t take $10k amp to get that sound and I was right when I got the Focal Arche. Not as resolving but balanced and full sounding. Using HQPlayer with the Focal Arche greatly improves its resolution. So a poor man’s Dave/mscaler.

The problem of the Hugo 2, it has a lot of digital artefacts in the signal which makes it sound digital. The Chord Dave sounds more “analog” so to say, more closer how the signal should be in the real world.

The problem of the Utopia, the headphone is too good, it will even pick up these digital artefacts.

I personally don’t understand why people try to downgrade, even with tube amps to “mask” the problem by lowering the resolving capabilities. The way I see it, might as well use a cheaper headphone? But I let people decide whatever they want to do.

The Hugo 2, works much better with headphones like the Focal Clear, Sennheiser HD 800S and AFC 2 Noire.

Btw, the Utopia is even so good, it will even pick up RFI interference introduced by the Mscaler. (Which is why I did not buy the Mscaler as I heard some funny stuff when I was testing it).

 

[iamoneagain]

The problem of the Hugo 2, it has a lot of digital artefacts in the signal which makes it sound digital. The Chord Dave sounds more “analog” so to say, more closer how the signal should be in the real world.

The problem of the Utopia, the headphone is too good, it will even pick up these digital artefacts.

I personally don’t understand why people try to downgrade, even with tube amps to “mask” the problem by lowering the resolving capabilities. The way I see it, might as well use a cheaper headphone? But I let people decide whatever they want to do.

The Hugo 2, works much better with headphones like the Focal Clear, Sennheiser HD 800S and AFC 2 Noire.

Btw, the Utopia is even so good, it will even pick up RFI interference introduced by the Mscaler. (Which is why I did not buy the Mscaler as I heard some funny stuff when I was testing it).

But then why does the Utopia’s sound better with the Focal Arche. Wouldn’t the dac actually be worse than the Hugo 2? Even the original Hugo was more pleasing with a warm, musical sound. But both Hugo’s seems weak in impact and fullness.

The Chord Dave has more power than the Hugo 2 and the Focal Arche has more power than the Dave. I haven’t heard the TT2 but looks like a lot more power.

 

[Tanalasta]

The TT2 improves on the Hugo2 in almost all respects wirh the Utopia. However, it is still very technical. It’s a tad warmer but the chord sound is still very much it’s signature. I had auditioned it with the thought I’d buy one… and didn’t.

 

[iamoneagain]

The TT2 improves on the Hugo2 in almost all respects wirh the Utopia. However, it is still very technical. It’s a tad warmer but the chord sound is still very much it’s signature. I had auditioned it with the thought I’d buy one… and didn’t.

Well even with the Chord Dave I needed to use the HF on. Wasn’t warm enough with it off but just right with it on. I hadn’t used any of the Chord dacs with external amps. Seems some people find tube amps a good balance to Chords technical sound but goes against Rob’s design philosophy.

 

[Tanalasta]

Well even with the Chord Dave I needed to use the HF on. Wasn’t warm enough with it off but just right with it on. I hadn’t used any of the Chord dacs with external amps. Seems some people find tube amps a good balance to Chords technical sound but goes against Rob’s design philosophy.

have you tried the DCS Bartok with the Utopia? I was warned it would spoil anything else. I haven’t heard another DAC/AMP so accurate. Piano tracks in particular were immaculately realistic.

 

[iamoneagain]

have you tried the DCS Bartok with the Utopia? I was warned it would spoil anything else. I haven’t heard another DAC/AMP so accurate. Piano tracks in particular were immaculately realistic.

No, I ended up going from Hugo, to Hugo 2, to Dave, and finally adding mscaler within a year’s time. By the end of last year I sort of had a wake up call that spent too much money and tried the Focal Arche just for kicks. When I was surprised that it sounded so enjoyable, I sold off the Dave/mscaler. It’s only now that I’ve played around with HQPlayer that I realized how much resolution was missing. But think I can live with Focal Arche/HQPlayer for a long while and have money I got back from selling the Chord setup put aside for non audio things

I was thinking if wanted to go with another end game system it might be the dac Bartok. I’m not a technical purist and really want what sounds the most enjoyable, not necessarily the best measurements. But what I like is the Bartok is a one box solution that includes streamer and nice power supply. The Chord setup can sound worse without good streamer, better bnc cables and battery power for mscaler.

Once we can have headphone meets again, would be nice to compare the Utopia on different setups.

 

[Tanalasta]

Others with more audiophile cred will probably have a better opinion, but the Bartok reminded me of the SP2000 but in a huge desktop solution and “better”.

I found it very enjoyable

Did you find digital artefacts a problem with upscalinf?

 

[iamoneagain]

Others with more audiophile cred will probably have a better opinion, but the Bartok reminded me of the SP2000 but in a huge desktop solution and “better”.

I found it very enjoyable

Did you find digital artefacts a problem with upscalinf?

You mean with using HQPlayer? Not at all. I think it sounds amazing out of the Focal Arche. One of things I think improved HQPlayer is I’m using my Link II streamer as the end point and not a pc. So all the heavy lifting is done on separate computer. Using HQPlayer is giving me all the things the mscaler did with the Dave. Better layering, depth, texture, pinpoint accuracy, life-like sound. I already had a license from before I got into Chord products. I felt HQPlayer wasn’t a good fit with them.

 

[Kiats]

Spending a relaxing start to a Sunday morning with the Utopia out of the Shanling M30 running on Korg nutube output.

 

[ubs28]

But then why does the Utopia’s sound better with the Focal Arche. Wouldn’t the dac actually be worse than the Hugo 2? Even the original Hugo was more pleasing with a warm, musical sound. But both Hugo’s seems weak in impact and fullness.

The Chord Dave has more power than the Hugo 2 and the Focal Arche has more power than the Dave. I haven’t heard the TT2 but looks like a lot more power.

Since the Focal Arche has been designed for Focal headphones, I would be very surprised if it did not sound good with the Focal Utopia, since it is aimed at that headphone.

I haven’t heard the Focal Arche personally, but harshness as a result of digital artefacts in the signal, can be “masked” by making it sound darker for example with an EQ. It is basically fighting the symptom rather than the decease if that makes sense.

It is the same with my old Apogee interface (which has studio quality converters). It sounds darker and “more full” as a result of the tuning, but it sounds very “digital” and you can still hear the harshness.

In the end, it has nothing to do with power, but the quality of the signal that is being fed. I did many tests with IEM’s and other full sized headphones and came to the conclusion that the difference you hear with an external amplifier is either to colour or the impedance, rather than power.

Anyway, just keep using what sounds best to you. I haven’t heard the Focal Arche yet (since I am not shopping for a new DAC / amp), and if that sounds best to you, use that.

 

[Tanalasta]

Not quite as posh … but the Utopia and H2 was made for jazz. Diana Krall’s “turn up the quiet” album In 24/192khz

Incisive neutral filter, no crossfeed. Love the intimacy of the reproduction. It only Diana Krall was really in my living room

 

[Unichu]

What are some tube amp recommendations? I currently drive my Utopias and HD800S with a Bryston BHA-1 and am looking into tubes since both are said to benefit greatly from them.

 

[LarsMan]

What are some tube amp recommendations? I currently drive my Utopias and HD800S with a Bryston BHA-1 and am looking into tubes since both are said to benefit greatly from them.

This guy works great for me, and comes in at around $1000:

 

[thecrow]

What are some tube amp recommendations? I currently drive my Utopias and HD800S with a Bryston BHA-1 and am looking into tubes since both are said to benefit greatly from them.

Though the woo wa2 is very good with the hd800, it isn’t best suited to the utopia.

the wa22 covers all bases and is very versatile. However i have not (properly) tried or demoed other tube amps

 

[Roasty]

the wa22 covers all bases and is very versatile.

I agree. I had the wa22, and with some nice tubes, especially drivers like mullard ECC35, the Utopias sounded amazing on that tube amp. I do sometimes regret selling it. Should have kept it for a bedside or office rig..