Hugo TT 2 by Chord Electronics - The Official Thread

[Sound Trooper]

Minor correction - the ADC in the FPGA only monitors the DC output of the single ended output via an integrator - this is part of the digital DC servo system, where a digital filter in the FPGA eliminates servo noise and distortion to just tweak the DC levels to remove offsets. This scheme allows no coupling caps at all, but with zero DC output, and no servo noise or distortion. The DC coupled negative output does not need a DC servo, as DC offsets are eliminated by design, so there is no ADC/FPGA path for the negative OP.



1. It's the same display as per the original TT.
2. Yes, there are independent cross-feed controls for headphone mode or amp/DAC mode.
3. Don't bother.
4. You can use the XLR's - either get adaptors made up, or your HP cables terminated with XLR's. But I can't see anybody needing more than 7W/8 ohms or 9V RMS for headphones from the SE drive anyway!

Note that on the display I have conformed to Dave display - -3dB is set to 3v RMS output - so TT will only voltage clip at +7dB volume with 0dBFS input.

Thanks @Rob Watts , I’m waiting for my dealer to open up the preorder. I suspect that the gap between the TT2 + Blu2 & Dave + Blu2 would be pretty small with the depth being the biggest difference?

 

[paul2qute]

Sorry to hear about your Dad Paul.

I have no words.

Put on some music that he liked and raise a glass to him.

You takecare.

Thanks mate really appreciate it

 

[paul2qute]

I have a strange reservation about saving my dosh over the summer for a TT2. Everyone mentions endgame. Supposing a year from now you have some wealth would not the temptation to sell TT2 and add 4k for a dave not creep in. If an mscaler is released how could you settle once and for all on an mscaler plus TT2. So my point is that we say endgame now but doesn't that really mean endgame can only be dave plus mscaler as the not knowing of what or if of superior music reproduction will keep on biting. How is everyone rationalising this. For me at least TT2 is a massive investment and if i could add an mscaler later on that would be the icing on the cake but what about the rest? i.e. what about dave and an mscaler. I hope members can make me understand this. I want the end game so i can get on with enjoying the music but....mojo plus pm1 sounds stunning and i am enjoying the music like never before now so TT2 must transport you to somewhere else. Dave is out of my reach now but what about if i get that job next year. I'm certainly over qualified for it. Will any of this detract me from aiming for a TT2.....no. Any thoughts appreciated.

I'm getting the hugo TT 2 so whenever the hugo TT 3 comes out I don't have to fork out loads of money for it I'm on the ladder so to speak, I'm not bothered not having the Dave,I love the fact that the hugo TT 2 has a more powerful amp than Dave.
It's also nice knowing their is better gear out there so I can keep dreaming, if we all had what we wanted when we wanted it how boring would life be, just enjoy the music,mojo, hugo 2,hugo TT 2, Dave doesn't matter as long as your feet are tapping and the music brings a smile to your face

 

[paul2qute]

Dave just has a ultra low THD op-amp OP stage for the negative OP; TT2 enjoys the exactly the same amplifier as on the single ended outputs - the high power discrete OP stage plus the second order analogue noise shaper. The intent with Dave was to drive power amp inputs only; with TT2 it's for passive loudspeaker loads, or crazy headphones, or driving power-amps. And I still can't get over how linear the OP is with 20 Hz at 12W - no change in distortion at all with the load added or not. I actually had to create a new load, as my standard 8 ohm loads distorted too much - so my new loads use PTFE solid core wiring, no crimp/screw down terminals and only soldered joints. The balanced XLR drive is capable of 18W RMS into 8 ohms at 1% THD.



Yes use an adaptor. Or better still, get your HP cable re-terminated with XLR's.

Got loads of questions to ask you but I'll just ask one for now, I'm thinking of getting the Sony Z1R and it comes with a balanced cable 4.4 I think, would I just get both re terminated with the balanced plugs and then it will be true balanced?Sorry think you already answered that question a couple of replies ago thanks

 

[paul2qute]

Well, my period of indecision was rather short; I’ve just pre-ordered the TT2 in silver. Luckily I have a shed-load of stuff to part-exchange which will cover 80% of it. I’m hoping it will be a great match for my LCD-4s (and Oppo PM-1s, of course!).

Congratulations mate, never heard the lcd 4 bet that's a nice headphone

 

[tonyl59]

Thanks Paul. I’ve had a bit of a love/hate relationship with them since I got them in September. Perhaps I just haven”t persevered with them, although funnily enough they’ve been sounding really good straight from Hugo 2 since I decided to get the TT 2 and trade in my Oppo HA-1. Maybe they just needed hundreds of hours to free up properly. They have a similar overall balance to the PM-1s so I think you’d like them! Sorry, didn’t mean to plant a seed....

 

[paul2qute]

Thanks Paul. I’ve had a bit of a love/hate relationship with them since I got them in September. Perhaps I just haven”t persevered with them, although funnily enough they’ve been sounding really good straight from Hugo 2 since I decided to get the TT 2 and trade in my Oppo HA-1. Maybe they just needed hundreds of hours to free up properly. They have a similar overall balance to the PM-1s so I think you’d like them! Sorry, didn’t mean to plant a seed....

Tony I've just ordered the lcd 4z just to do your head in light as a feather mate,on a serious note I'm going for budget headphone this time, thinking of the Sony Z1R

 

[tonyl59]

Tony I've just ordered the lcd 4z just to do your head in light as a feather mate,on a serious note I'm going for budget headphone this time, thinking of the Sony Z1R

Budget?

 

[paul2qute]

Dave just has a ultra low THD op-amp OP stage for the negative OP; TT2 enjoys the exactly the same amplifier as on the single ended outputs - the high power discrete OP stage plus the second order analogue noise shaper. The intent with Dave was to drive power amp inputs only; with TT2 it's for passive loudspeaker loads, or crazy headphones, or driving power-amps. And I still can't get over how linear the OP is with 20 Hz at 12W - no change in distortion at all with the load added or not. I actually had to create a new load, as my standard 8 ohm loads distorted too much - so my new loads use PTFE solid core wiring, no crimp/screw down terminals and only soldered joints. The balanced XLR drive is capable of 18W RMS into 8 ohms at 1% THD.



Yes use an adaptor. Or better still, get your HP cable re-terminated with XLR's.

Hi Rob when you said about how linear the OP is with 20 Hz at 12W - no change in distortion at all with the load added or not...I wanna say well-done that's fantastic but don't know what that means? To me it means that a load of 20 hz is same low distortion as no load but why 20hz ?is that because the lower Hertz is harder on a amp than say 6khz?

 

[paul2qute]

Budget?

Well I've owned the focal utopia and clear but I know this is so weird but I'm looking for a headphone that is speaker like and I just know deep down the Sony Z1R is gonna be right up my ally,gorgeous looking, understated and not perfect but bags of fun like myself

 

[musickid]

For Rob,

Apologies first of all to everyone for repeating this question.

My primary headphone is the oppo pm1 at 32 ohms with sensitivity 102 dB in 1 mW. Its a very easy to drive pair of headphones as the specs show.

My question is that the TT2 (even though it is not all about power as previously explained and the advantages of the new noise shaper/98k taps are evident) would the TT2 be overkill for my oppo headphones? With talk of the TT2 being able to drive "crazy headphones" would my oppo's not really benefit as a whole from the TT2? This is a very important factor for me. Many thanks MK.

 

[miketlse]

For Rob,

Apologies first of all to everyone for repeating this question.

My primary headphone is the oppo pm1 at 32 ohms with sensitivity 102 dB in 1 mW. Its a very easy to drive pair of headphones as the specs show.

My question is that the TT2 (even though it is not all about power as previously explained and the advantages of the new noise shaper/98k taps are evident) would the TT2 be overkill for my oppo headphones? With talk of the TT2 being able to drive "crazy headphones" would my oppo's not really benefit as a whole from the TT2? This is a very important factor for me. Many thanks MK.

Rob is the only person here who has heard the TT2.
If you have such nerves and doubts about the TT2, you should wait and demo one in the autumn, and then you can make your decisions based on real evidence.

 

[Giraku]

Well I've owned the focal utopia and clear but I know this is so weird but I'm looking for a headphone that is speaker like and I just know deep down the Sony Z1R is gonna be right up my ally,gorgeous looking, understated and not perfect but bags of fun like myself

How about Audio Technica ADX5000? To my ears, they are really speaker like sounding.

 

[musickid]

The nearest dealer is 6 hours there and back. As long as i get clarification on this point i will more than likely go ahead.

 

[paul2qute]

How about Audio Technica ADX5000? To my ears, they are really speaker like sounding.

It's strange I've never really looked into audio technica until I bought the Bluetooth Audio-Technica ATH-DSR9BT,oh my word what an amazing headphone, by passes the dac on my phone and I swear I'm in heaven, polish the house and Hoover with them on superb