Hugo M Scaler by Chord Electronics - The Official Thread

[Mediahound]

I currently use the snake river boomslang BNC cables for HMS/TT2 and was thinking about purchasing the WAVE stream cables. The stream cables get a lot of love here, but there is almost nothing about the boomslang. The boomslang cables are ribbon-like instead of tubular and are quite heavy, and I'm limited by how I can arrange the equipment relative to each other. I've got two questions:

1. Has anyone had the chance (besides Jay Luong) to compare these two cables?

2. Which did you prefer?

Never heard of those but I have the Wave cables and can tell you they're freakin heavy! I think they're like 3 pounds or something like that. In my set up, I had to rig cable holders on decks of cards just to get them to a proper height and to support them so they won't be straining my BNC jacks terribly.

Not considering sound, they are not really an ideal form-factor to say the least:

 

[AndrewOld]

Never heard of those but I have the Wave cables and can tell you they're freakin heavy! I think they're like 3 pounds or something like that. In my set up, I had to rig cable holders on decks of cards just to get them to a proper height and to support them so they won't be straining my BNC jacks terribly.

Not considering sound, they are not really an ideal form-factor to say the least:

Didn‘t Rob say somewhere that the BNC leads should be kept well away from other signal leads? Yet you seem to have your crossing?

 

[Mediahound]

Didn‘t Rob say somewhere that the BNC leads should be kept well away from other signal leads? Yet you seem to have your crossing?

I don't know. I'm sure the cable shielding and ferrites take care of it. I do try to keep the power leads away, which are off to the right.

 

[Rob Watts]

@Rob Watts Hi, what is your take on this? Is there anything in the HMS that might be worried by vibration or is it a red herring?

It's a red herring. The M scaler clocks just follow the input - the crucial clock is the 104.25MHz that's in the DAC - the DPLL (actually I should call it a digital frequency locked loop DFLL really as phase is only used at initialisation) buffers and re-times the incoming data. You can have 2uS of jitter on the incoming data and it won't produce any measurable error at all.

 

[Triode User]

It's a red herring. The M scaler clocks just follow the input - the crucial clock is the 104.25MHz that's in the DAC - the DPLL (actually I should call it a digital frequency locked loop DFLL really as phase is only used at initialisation) buffers and re-times the incoming data. You can have 2uS of jitter on the incoming data and it won't produce any measurable error at all.

Thanks, I was pretty sure I could smell herrings. By the way, roll mop herrings are one of my favourite foods.

 

[llamaluv]

I currently use the snake river boomslang BNC cables for HMS/TT2 and was thinking about purchasing the WAVE stream cables. The stream cables get a lot of love here, but there is almost nothing about the boomslang. The boomslang cables are ribbon-like instead of tubular and are quite heavy, and I'm limited by how I can arrange the equipment relative to each other. I've got two questions:

1. Has anyone had the chance (besides Jay Luong) to compare these two cables?

2. Which did you prefer?

Not directly related to your question since you're asking about the TT2, but since you mention Boomslang, it's worth noting that this cable does not work when used specifically with the M-Scaler and DAVE.

 

[Glossator]

It's a red herring. The M scaler clocks just follow the input - the crucial clock is the 104.25MHz that's in the DAC - the DPLL (actually I should call it a digital frequency locked loop DFLL really as phase is only used at initialisation) buffers and re-times the incoming data. You can have 2uS of jitter on the incoming data and it won't produce any measurable error at all.

Thank you - very kind. No need to worry about falling down a rabbit hole!

 

[Christer]

Thanks, I was pretty sure I could smell herrings. By the way, roll mop herrings are one of my favourite foods.

Hello again Nick, slightly OT here I guess, but I am looking into possibly getting an Innous server with my Mscaler.
Today I found an Innous dealer within an hour's drive from where I live.
But unless I misunderstand things completely, to run one with an Mscaler and Qutest in my case, I will also need either a smartphone or an Ipad with an appropriate app AND be connected to the Internet to be able to play even stuff ripped to its inbuilt ripper and harddrive?
The ripping function is tempting.
But even the Statement model doesn't seem to be a standalone fully functional unit on its own, via a dac and usb. No display, no remote and no internal inbuilt player as far as I can see?
To me the Innous products look like cd players that you CAN'T use AT ALL if you forgot to bring your iPhone?
Correct me if I'm wrong.

I've checked Innous' site online and find no information whether they are compatible with any of the completely OFFLINE apps I am currently using with my mbp, Audirvana and Pure Music.

I want better SQ than either of those with my mbp as server.

But I am NOT at all interested in having to start all over again. And be forced to have a phone or Ipad connected to the Internet to be able to listen to music other than when I am actually streaming music from the Internet.
As an Innous user could you please provide information that might help me understand this.
PS. PM me if you feel this is too much OT here.

PS. 2 Having run into this confusion today, I vaguely remember Roy saying that Rob himself preferred the SQ via his Windows laptop over Roy's Innous? server?
Maybe I should just stick with my mbp after all?
But like me, it is getting on in years....
And I've got loads of cds I'd like to rip.
Maybe the actual SQ difference between a laptop and a good music player and expensive "complicated" server solutions like Innous' products is not as big as rumoured with Mscaler in the equation?

Maybe my best option would still be a very good portable DAP connected either optically or via usb?
One where the internal dac chip is bypassed once usb or optical out has been selected.
Anyway I'd much appreciate your and others takes on Innous functionality, and my dilemma.
What to do..
Kathmandu?
Cheers CC

 

[The Jester]

Hello again Nick, slightly OT here I guess, but I am looking into possibly getting an Innous server with my Mscaler.
Today I found an Innous dealer within an hour's drive from where I live.
But unless I misunderstand things completely, to run one with an Mscaler and Qutest in my case, I will also need either a smartphone or an Ipad with an appropriate app AND be connected to the Internet to be able to play even stuff ripped to its inbuilt ripper and harddrive?
The ripping function is tempting.
But even the Statement model doesn't seem to be a standalone fully functional unit on its own, via a dac and usb. No display, no remote and no internal inbuilt player as far as I can see?
To me the Innous products look like cd players that you CAN'T use AT ALL if you forgot to bring your iPhone?
Correct me if I'm wrong.

I've checked Innous' site online and find no information whether they are compatible with any of the completely OFFLINE apps I am currently using with my mbp, Audirvana and Pure Music.

I want better SQ than either of those with my mbp as server.

But I am NOT at all interested in having to start all over again. And be forced to have a phone or Ipad connected to the Internet to be able to listen to music other than when I am actually streaming music from the Internet.
As an Innous user could you please provide information that might help me understand this.
PS. PM me if you feel this is too much OT here.

PS. 2 Having run into this confusion today, I vaguely remember Roy saying that Rob himself preferred the SQ via his Windows laptop over Roy's Innous? server?
Maybe I should just stick with my mbp after all?
But like me, it is getting on in years....
And I've got loads of cds I'd like to rip.
Maybe the actual SQ difference between a laptop and a good music player and expensive "complicated" server solutions like Innous' products is not as big as rumoured with Mscaler in the equation?

Maybe my best option would still be a very good portable DAP connected either optically or via usb?
One where the internal dac chip is bypassed once usb or optical out has been selected.
Anyway I'd much appreciate your and others takes on Innous functionality, and my dilemma.
What to do..
Kathmandu?
Cheers CC

Laptop and music player is a good option, my laptop is 8 years old now but a couple of years back gave it an upgrade, 8mb ram vs old 4mb and the old Hdd swapped out for a 1Tb SSD .. front end for a portable system with a dac/preamp and powered speakers,
main unit a dedicated PC, they say, and rightly with cheap prebuilt stuff that a PC is noisy electrically,
some go for gaming PC hardware due to steeper system requirements but as a retired mad overclocker there is quality stuff out there ...
a good overclockers motherboard and PSU are well regulated and use premium components like Rubycon caps seen in good HiFi, couple that with a low power CPU, basic video card and a good case and there’s a start for a good front end ... a CD drive, a small SSD system drive and as big as you’d like SSD storage drive, good choice of heat sinks in a well ventilated case with one or two temp sensing fans It’d be silent in all but the hottest weather,
upgrade from there to dedicated USB Pci card if warranted,
Having the cheapest basic iPad with a remote app for music player of choice is the icing on the cake though... sitting back in a comfy chair I have 1400 CD’s ripped to HDD at my fingertips, search by Artist, Album or track title ... be hard to go back to getting up to change a CD ....

 

[Christer]

Laptop and music player is a good option, my laptop is 8 years old now but a couple of years back gave it an upgrade, 8mb ram vs old 4mb and the old Hdd swapped out for a 1Tb SSD .. front end for a portable system with a dac/preamp and powered speakers,
main unit a dedicated PC, they say, and rightly with cheap prebuilt stuff that a PC is noisy electrically,
some go for gaming PC hardware due to steeper system requirements but as a retired mad overclocker there is quality stuff out there ...
a good overclockers motherboard and PSU are well regulated and use premium components like Rubycon caps seen in good HiFi, couple that with a low power CPU, basic video card and a good case and there’s a start for a good front end ... a CD drive, a small SSD system drive and as big as you’d like SSD storage drive, good choice of heat sinks in a well ventilated case with one or two temp sensing fans It’d be silent in all but the hottest weather,
upgrade from there to dedicated USB Pci card if warranted,
Having the cheapest basic iPad with a remote app for music player of choice is the icing on the cake though... sitting back in a comfy chair I have 1400 CD’s ripped to HDD at my fingertips, search by Artist, Album or track title ... be hard to go back to getting up to change a CD ....

Hello and thanks for your input.
Yes laptop is a good option and like you I have also gone to 8 gig ram and ssd and two dedicated very easy to use music player apps that work OFFLINE. And I am basically quite happy with that. But with all the hype around servers I am curious to hear if I might be able to squeeze out even a bit higher SQ than I can now.
When you say iPad being the icing on the cake what does it do that my laptop with portable extra hardrives won't do?
I have about 4 tb of music on hardrives that I can connect to my laptop and play music for some 45 hours continuosly should I want to.
An iPad is basically just a very small laptop isn't it?And to actually work with a server it needs to be connected to the Internet doesn't it?

 

[Malcyg]

Hello and thanks for your input.
Yes laptop is a good option and like you I have also gone to 8 gig ram and ssd and two dedicated very easy to use music player apps that work OFFLINE. And I am basically quite happy with that. But with all the hype around servers I am curious to hear if I might be able to squeeze out even a bit higher SQ than I can now.
When you say iPad being the icing on the cake what does it do that my laptop with portable extra hardrives won't do?
I have about 4 tb of music on hardrives that I can connect to my laptop and play music for some 45 hours continuosly should I want to.
An iPad is basically just a very small laptop isn't it?And to actually work with a server it needs to be connected to the Internet doesn't it?

You need a device to enable you to control the server and tell it what to do. That might be a phone, iPad, laptop or similar, but you need to give it instructions as to what to play. A good DAP might be an alternative for you given your aversions and, like the music server, it should be less noisy than a laptop.

 

[The Jester]

Hello and thanks for your input.
Yes laptop is a good option and like you I have also gone to 8 gig ram and ssd and two dedicated very easy to use music player apps that work OFFLINE. And I am basically quite happy with that. But with all the hype around servers I am curious to hear if I might be able to squeeze out even a bit higher SQ than I can now.
When you say iPad being the icing on the cake what does it do that my laptop with portable extra hardrives won't do?
I have about 4 tb of music on hardrives that I can connect to my laptop and play music for some 45 hours continuosly should I want to.
An iPad is basically just a very small laptop isn't it?And to actually work with a server it needs to be connected to the Internet doesn't it?

Depends on your preferred music player, mine ... JRiver has a remote app for the iPad and it allows files on the main server, pc or laptop whichever is selected, to be played out to any compatible device ... needs wifi but not internet ... so from the iPad I can search and view every track on the hard drive, by artist, album, track or search key words ... playback options are anything that is DNLA Compatible so with mine I can select the Main unit, the iPad itself and plug in a set of headphones, and also the Yamaha home theatre amp, Sony BluRay player, a little Yamaha streamer in the bedroom and even the Samsung TV ...
so I can leave the server unit running and take the iPad and a set of headphones into the bedroom to plug into the streamer and still have total access/ control of everything on the hard drive ...
want dedicated 2 channel audio ...select server... laptop in your case and it’ll play through the connected DAC ... Want surround sound ... connect to home theatre amp and and go 5.1 surround or whatever the amp is capable of ... 7.2 in mine ...

 

[SuperBurrito]

Not directly related to your question since you're asking about the TT2, but since you mention Boomslang, it's worth noting that this cable does not work when used specifically with the M-Scaler and DAVE.

That's interesting. Audiobacon did a review of BNC cables for the Blu2 & Dave combo, and the Boomslang worked great. Not sure why the M-Scaler would be any different.

 

[AndrewOld]

That's interesting. Audiobacon did a review of BNC cables for the Blu2 & Dave combo, and the Boomslang worked great. Not sure why the M-Scaler would be any different.

It is possible that things you read on the internet aren’t true.

 

[S-O8]

That's interesting. Audiobacon did a review of BNC cables for the Blu2 & Dave combo, and the Boomslang worked great. Not sure why the M-Scaler would be any different.

It is possible that things you read on the internet aren’t true.

No, never