Hugo TT 2 by Chord Electronics - The Official Thread

[No KNOTsense]

Is it clicking noise from the unit? or sound inside headphone?

Regardless the cases, mine has no clicking noise at all.

It is coming from inside the unit.

 

[musickid]

Is anyone using high end iem's with tt2? Looking for some general advice or impressions here. Meze's Rai Penta has caught my interest due to its unique comfort and fit. The tt2 also has a dedicated 3.5mm port which hardly ever gets mentioned.

Something indirectly related. If the tt2 outputs around 2.5W into a 32 ohm load and you use a sensitive headphone of 32 ohms impedance but requires far less power but sounds just right with tt2 even at louder volumes how exactly does this work?

 

[alekc]

Is anyone using high end iem's with tt2? Looking for some general advice or impressions here. Meze's Rai Penta has caught my interest due to its unique comfort and fit. The tt2 also has a dedicated 3.5mm port which hardly ever gets mentioned.

Something indirectly related. If the tt2 outputs around 2.5W into a 32 ohm load and you use a sensitive headphone of 32 ohms impedance but requires far less power but sounds just right with tt2 even at louder volumes how exactly does this work?

@musickid Not exactly what you are asking since I am using Fiio FH5 IEMs but here are my findings: HTT2 is dead silent on IEMs (at least on low gain, never had to check high gain). The 3.5mm port isn't often mentioned since its design is flawed IMHO due to being recessed so far that you may have a problem with removing plugged in cable and depending on cable connector shape it may not even fit or fit only in a single position.

 

[bpcans]

It is coming from inside the unit.

@No KNOTsense, do you use the original Chord SMPS to power your TT2?

 

[Widell]

I use Forza Audioworks, bought from fellow forum member qboogie.

First with my HE1000SE, and just today with my new Susvara. No explosions thus far and increased drive power as expected, so presume they are wired correctly.

https://forzaaudioworks.com/en/product.php?id_product=36

Thanks! I have bought cables from these guys b4 so will contact them!

 

[smutnyjoe]

Is anyone using high end iem's with tt2? Looking for some general advice or impressions here. Meze's Rai Penta has caught my interest due to its unique comfort and fit. The tt2 also has a dedicated 3.5mm port which hardly ever gets mentioned.

Something indirectly related. If the tt2 outputs around 2.5W into a 32 ohm load and you use a sensitive headphone of 32 ohms impedance but requires far less power but sounds just right with tt2 even at louder volumes how exactly does this work?

I've been using both UM Mest mk1 and mk2 with TT2. After trying various DAPs I ended up with Hugo2 and thought it's the final word of their sound, but the TT2 took them to an even higher level. There was an easily audible improvement in terms of bass control, imaging and separation, and a sense of depth. No hiss at all. Just have to be cautious when switching between gains not to blow your IEMs up

 

[MasterZen]

There was an easily audible improvement in terms of bass control, imaging and separation, and a sense of depth.

I sometimes use my iems with TT2, agreed on the easily audible improvements mentioned here. Brings new life to my iems, but then also kind of sad that portable solutions are sub-par now....

 

[smutnyjoe]

I sometimes use my iems with TT2, agreed on the easily audible improvements mentioned here. Brings new life to my iems, but then also kind of sad that portable solutions are sub-par now....

True, too true... I don't think this quality can be ever achieved in a portable player / DAC. Moreover, switching between various high-end DAPs and portable DACs was like focusing to find subtle differences, while I could tell it's a TT2 playing with closed eyes after a few seconds of listening (I even asked another person to help me with such a test lol)

 

[musickid]

I'm trying to look forwards to imagine myself listening to a hi end iem thru mTT2 and I find myself fluctuating between yes it would be great to no I wouldn't be at ease with something in my ear. The problem is a 1000 pound investment would be irreversible with an iem due to dealers excluding them from returns due to hygiene issues.

 

[x RELIC x]

Is anyone using high end iem's with tt2? Looking for some general advice or impressions here. Meze's Rai Penta has caught my interest due to its unique comfort and fit. The tt2 also has a dedicated 3.5mm port which hardly ever gets mentioned.

Something indirectly related. If the tt2 outputs around 2.5W into a 32 ohm load and you use a sensitive headphone of 32 ohms impedance but requires far less power but sounds just right with tt2 even at louder volumes how exactly does this work?

The 2.5W you state at 32Ohms is the TT2’s power output potential at max volume. How does this work with 32 Ohm and high sensitivity IEMs you ask? Don’t crank the volume to max!!!

Foe sensitive IEMs you’d be using far less power than the max potential, even at loud SPL.

 

[HarveyLowis]

i used my most sensitive iem ( erl og ) with mTT, volume about -45 to -42 ( high gain ), z1r about -20 to -15 ( high gain ).

 

[Womaz]

I am considering the TT2 to eventually partner the Niimbus US5 Pro. At present I have the Qutest. Love the sound but not the size or the aesthetics I am afraid.
So the TT2 could be the upgrade path , but I cant get my head round that its basically an all in one unit and I would only be using the DAC. Is this a foolish past to follow.
For that sort of cash I could get a stand alone DAC.
Can anyone offer their thoughts on this? is the TT a big step up from the Qutest?

 

[alekc]

@Womaz TT2 is big step up from Qutest for me at least, but it also comes with different sound signature. As I've mentioned already I didn't like Hugo 2/Qutest sound signature coming from Mojo, I also didn't fell in love with Dave signature. For me TT2 is the best sound signature and step up from Mojo, assuming you like Mojo tunning.

HTT2 really needs upsampling and M Scaler should be included by default IMHO. However if you like Qutest sound, TT2 may not be the best path, especially with Niimbus or other transparent amp. In fact HTT2 can be run as AIO and it is still great dac.

I know from @vonBaron that Niimbus pairs well with R2R dacs too - check out Sonnet Morpheus or Rockwa Wavelight. Similar price tag to HTT2. Rockna however truly shines in speaker systems and its size does not make it perfect desktop solution unfortunately.

 

[Progisus]

I'm trying to look forwards to imagine myself listening to a hi end iem thru mTT2 and I find myself fluctuating between yes it would be great to no I wouldn't be at ease with something in my ear. The problem is a 1000 pound investment would be irreversible with an iem due to dealers excluding them from returns due to hygiene issues.

If you check my sig, I use them all with TT2. The best pairing is 64Audio Fourte and EE Legend X. I use them 50/50 with headphones and leave on high gain.

 

[CaptainFantastic]

HTT2 really needs upsampling and M Scaler should be included by default IMHO. However if you like Qutest sound, TT2 may not be the best path, especially with Niimbus or other transparent amp. In fact HTT2 can be run as AIO and it is still great dac.

I owned the M Scaler and I did not find that the TT2 really needs upsampling when used with headphones. What are your concrete impressions on why this is a must (really needed) for the TT2? Genuine curious question to find out what others out there are hearing.

Personally, and only IMHO, strong statements like this lead people to see the M Scaler as a must. What I heard were very minor improvements that did not justify the extra expense or even the extra powered unit on my desk. And my ears seem to be very good in every other respect. When contacted, Chord told me that they too are aware that the M Scaler may not necessarily provide much improvement for headphone use and that they strongly recommend demo-ing the unit to see what each particular user hears in their system.