[seaice]

Well, I switched full 1M / passtrough mode a couple of times today and I can immediately hear clear differences with my Dave. Tomorrow, it will be 1 month with my HMS. With 1M taps, everything deepens immediately in the 3D space. I would say that everything is less-digital, more analogue, more musical, more enjoyable, more three-dimensional...

And my Hugo 2 was delivered yesterday (as my TV and mobile device). It is a nice upgrade from Hugo 1. I will try it with the HMS as well but I must buy a coax adapter first.

 

[Amberlamps]

I was on a flight a few days ago. Somewhat perturbed by the comments of pass thru not making much difference, I toggled whilst on the flight, using a Hugo 2, Mr Speakers Aeon and with all the noise of the aircraft, the effect was huge, and very easy for me to hear.

So no, the problem is certainly not Hugo 2.

The only times that I have not heard a huge difference was whilst using questionable headphones or loudspeakers; if your transducers are not transparent (many are not IMO), then sure the effect will be less.

The other huge variable is the bit between the headphones! We all have different sensitivities and abilities to do AB testing.

One thing I would stress is stress.

Take a chill pill.

By this I don't mean illegal substances, but stress when you are doing an AB tests is a sensitivity killer. The minute you start to panic that you can't hear any change means you are guaranteed to hear no change.

So:
Keep calm and carry on... enjoying music.
Don't worry about a thing, 'cause every little thing gonna be alright (sorry Bob Marley is on my current playlist... and I just couldn't resist that)

Rob, I’m not worried about passthrough, I was happy with your explanation that you gave me the last time I messaged you. I even mentioned it above in my post that you just quoted. I also remember you telling me that the MScaler works good on Hugo 2 also,

I have on multiple ocassions posted your explanation of how passthrough works, and I have told people that if upscaling was happening in passthrough mode, it would show on hugo, which it doesn’t, so everyone should be happy. < thats me being on your side.

My mscaler never gets put in passthrough mode, it stays on USB, always, except for the one or two times that I tried the optical connection, and also the few times that I tried Passthrough mode, which is a useless mode for me as I won’t use it, regardless of what it sounds like.

The question about the store that said “you really need a dave to experience the best out of the mscaler”, that’s not my fault, I was told that by some un-named person on the forum, and which I took with a large pinch of salt, but since he said it, I was curious if it was true and only mentioned it here incase any lucky dave and hugo 2 and hugo mscaler owners had tried it or could clarify the situation.

As I was curious if there was a big difference since I have a tt2 on order and wondered what I could expect, if anything. When I say a large pinch of salt, I mean a bucket full in his case.

I have even mentioned numerous times that I could not go back to using my Hugo without the mscaler, the change was that big. So it’s not like I’m hating on your mscaler. last night I even said that if my tt2 was not here before xmas, I would cancel it and just live with hugo 2 and the mscaler, as they are a great combo.

I have 0 regrets about buying the mscaler.

I have to stop here, as I have a parcel from sennheiser that needs opening.

Peace.

 

[Rob Watts]

No worries - I know that you fully recognise the musical benefits of the M scaler - my comment being perturbed about the impressions of pass-thru was meaning that I am only intellectually worried by it, as hearing the change of pass-thru is so clear cut to me.

Sure TT2 is more transparent than Hugo 2 - plus more refined (and the refinement or things sounding warmer with better instrument separation and focus is more apparent than the increase in transparency), so perhaps pass-thru will be more noticeable when you get your TT2.

But one thing that often comes to my mind regarding audio and trying to understand what we hear and why we hear it is Hamlet and the quote "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

 

[paul2qute]

I was on a flight a few days ago. Somewhat perturbed by the comments of pass thru not making much difference, I toggled whilst on the flight, using a Hugo 2, Mr Speakers Aeon and with all the noise of the aircraft, the effect was huge, and very easy for me to hear.

So no, the problem is certainly not Hugo 2.

The only times that I have not heard a huge difference was whilst using questionable headphones or loudspeakers; if your transducers are not transparent (many are not IMO), then sure the effect will be less.

The other huge variable is the bit between the headphones! We all have different sensitivities and abilities to do AB testing.

One thing I would stress is stress.

Take a chill pill.

By this I don't mean illegal substances, but stress when you are doing an AB tests is a sensitivity killer. The minute you start to panic that you can't hear any change means you are guaranteed to hear no change.

So:
Keep calm and carry on... enjoying music.
Don't worry about a thing, 'cause every little thing gonna be alright (sorry Bob Marley is on my current playlist... and I just couldn't resist that)

I listen to Bob Marley and take loads of chill pills, now why would anyone want to use pass thru? Might as well not have a M scaler and save yourself a fortune, unless I'm missing something

 

[ZappaMan]

I was on a flight a few days ago. Somewhat perturbed by the comments of pass thru not making much difference, I toggled whilst on the flight, using a Hugo 2, Mr Speakers Aeon and with all the noise of the aircraft, the effect was huge, and very easy for me to hear.

So no, the problem is certainly not Hugo 2.

The only times that I have not heard a huge difference was whilst using questionable headphones or loudspeakers; if your transducers are not transparent (many are not IMO), then sure the effect will be less.

The other huge variable is the bit between the headphones! We all have different sensitivities and abilities to do AB testing.

One thing I would stress is stress.

Take a chill pill.

By this I don't mean illegal substances, but stress when you are doing an AB tests is a sensitivity killer. The minute you start to panic that you can't hear any change means you are guaranteed to hear no change.

So:
Keep calm and carry on... enjoying music.
Don't worry about a thing, 'cause every little thing gonna be alright (sorry Bob Marley is on my current playlist... and I just couldn't resist that)

Maybe passthrough only works above 30,000 feet? Just kidding.

 

[musickid]

Nice to see the thread heading in a good direction.

 

[paul2qute]

Maybe passthrough only works above 30,000 feet? Just kidding.

Or don't be doing an a to b test when taking off or landing.
I can't use the pass through anyways as I don't have anything to pass through to. Can I play music just from the M scaler? Didn't think so

 

[Amberlamps]

I’d just like to comment in canada you can smoke legal narcotics and this could greatly chill one listening to mscaler pass through or no.

Ya man.

Just my luck. Now that it’s legalised, I don’t smoke anymore.

Not saying I was scarface, but a doob or 10 certainly helped with my schizophrenia, it worked so good, I now only have 14 different personalities, and none of them are called p...

Disclaimer.

I do not take drugs or smoke, incase anyone was wondering.

 

[ubs28]

I am going to cancel my order. The wait takes way too long.

Even hand made custom build niche products I use for sports are delivered faster.

 

[Jan Tage Holmber]

Hence need to buy Chord DAC as well.

As I understand it Chord DACs does not have many superiors so there might be several benefits to such an aquisition

 

[musickid]

No superiors from a scientific, engineering or design perspective with the big emphasis here being on the scientific.

 

[paul2qute]

Chord m scaler chord hugo TT 2 and Empyrean headphones, with the stand over 12 grand, keep pinching myself

 

[Jan Tage Holmber]

Thanks Triode User,
nice to read your take on things being one of those with solid experience also of BLU 2.

After having spent a solid five hours today and another 5 yesterday with M Scaler and TT2 and also Qutest only via headphones I basically hear the same things from M Scaler as both you and some others here.

To quote one dealer's comment about M Scaler sums things up pretty well imho.

"It is difficult NOT to hear the difference it makes."

I am also a bit suprised when some report little or no difference with and without M Scaler.
I suspect they are listening to bad recordings.
But as Music Kid quite wisely said earlier M Scaler will NOT make all recordings sound bettter.
Only well made recordings will really benefit imho.
With bad recordings you will hear even more how bad they really are.

Closely comparing Qutest with TT2 I have to admit that TT2 will show the benefits even more than the headphone amps and Qutest I have been auditioning so far with the best of the amps so far being the MILO.
The TT2 and M Scaler are a nice combo for sure. But I would not buy the TT2 on its own. Qutest with M Scaler sounds obviously better than TT2 on its own imho.

But even the humble battery powered headpphone amp I am actually travelling with this winter connected to Qutest, CLEARLY and very obviously lets me hear the advantage of M Scaler via headphones like HD800 and HEK V2 and HE1000SE which are the ones I have used most of my listening time.
To my surprise my old battered HD 800 scales much better than expected and also reveal the obvious increase in resolution timbre and space and depth compared to no M Scaling.
I normally find it VERY difficult to listen to 16/44.1 with classical music but M Scaler makes them much more listenable than any other options I have heard.
Going back to Qutest on its own for example without M Scaler on full M scaling was painful again with ripped 16/44.1 material.

CD still really sucks unless M Scaled imho.

But although vastly better M Scaled it still does NOT compare with proper hi res Mscaled,with well recorded large scale symphonic acoustic music to my ears.

The busier things get, the more obvious what is lacking and missing even with M scaling and 16/44. to my ears.
I am not at all convinced that 16 bits accuracy Mscaling is enough with large scale classical.

Especially percussion and massed strings are still not as close to the real live sound as good hi res imho.
Nor as close as really good vinyl.

I heard live strings the day before yesterday at about ten metres distance in a very good hall, so I am very updated on how violins and cellos sound live.

And I still have reasons to suspect that the brickwall 22khz could be a limiting factor for 16/44.1.
Who knows maybe pcm actually needs 64 bits/768khz to capture enough information?

Cymbals and triangles in 16/44.1, even Mscaled ,do not sound as realistic as with hi res Mscaled.

And with my best native 24/192 and DXD masters Mscaled, it becomes quite obvious that 16/44.1 M scaled, still doesn't really compare in effortlessnes and sheer realism.

The more I hear of Mscaling the more difficult it becomes to think it away I am afraid.

Provided I can get international warranty here I will most probably get an M Scaler when black ones are available.
My money will go to the dealer who can give me the best price.
Cheers Controversial Christer

These are interesting observations. While actually starting to enjoy my CD collection through M Scaler I have not yet had time to seriously compare Redbook vs HiRes material through HMS. It would be nice to hear more on this issue and maybe the money spent on HiRes is not wasted after all.

 

[paul2qute]

I am going to cancel my order. The wait takes way too long.

Even hand made custom build niche products I use for sports are delivered faster.

Good things come to those that wait, it's what you want so why settle for less because your impatient.
I get my M scaler tomorrow minus my hugo TT 2 but who cares, it's part of the excitement

 

[simorag]

Speaking about how the M Scaler can transform a listening experience … I just listened to the Tchaikovsky 1st piano concerto (Pogorelich, LSO, Abbado), a Deutsche Grammophon CD recording from 1986 (now ripped in my music server) that I listen to regurarily since many, many years.

I have always enjoyed this music and the 27yr old Pogorelich muscular interpretation, but from the audiophile standpoint never been really pleased, because of a somewhat flat soundstage, and due to a certain hardness / compression of the orchestra, especially in the most tumultuous passages where its music comes at you as an almost indistinct wall of sound. The piano was not truly satisfying as well, due to a slightly dry and metallic presentation.

Now, the M Scaler really brings life into this recording. As with many other tracks I played with and without the M Scaler, the audiophile jargon is not what comes to my mind to describe the differences I am hearing, but it is rather like a different emotional experience, where the I just feel more sucked into the music, forget analyzing it and let go to a relaxed and more profound enjoyment.

I believe this is mostly the result of a more naturalistic presentation overall (timbre, rise, decay and resonance of the notes, spatial / atmospheric cues, cohesive opposed to hyper-detailed…) which resembles more what I feel when attending live concerts, rather than a mixing-studio-like dissection of the musical content.