Hugo TT 2 by Chord Electronics - The Official Thread

[musickid]

For Rob

My headphone has a maximum input power of 500mW. How then can it play on high gain with TT2? Is it that the measured power output of TT2 unbalanced in high gain represents the absolute maximum power on full volume? Many thanks mk.

The headphone can also accept short pulses up to 2W.

 

[Ragnar-BY]

@musickid

Power depends on load. TT2`s "maximum power" in spec sheet (7.3 W RMS 8Ω) means that for 8Ohm load TT2 can supply 7,3W of power and still have distortion not more than 1%

It does not mean that TT2 provide 7,3W of electrical power each time when it`s volume is turned to max.

7W for headphones is a huge number, and TT2 would not ever need even 10% of that power to drive your headphones (which are quite effective) at maximum volume.

 

[x RELIC x]

For Rob

My headphone has a maximum input power of 500mW. How then can it play on high gain with TT2? Is it that the measured power output of TT2 unbalanced in high gain represents the absolute maximum power on full volume? Many thanks mk.

The headphone can also accept short pulses up to 2W.

Yes, max power is max volume. The two are interchangeable, and as @Ragnar-BY mentioned the max output is dependent on the load. That’s why the spec should always read something like 7W in to 8 Ohms and you’ll always see lower numbers for higher loads. When you reduce volume from the max you simply reduce power output.

 

[PY034]

I called up my local dealership and how coincidental that they have one last TT2 in stock. The rest was history, I am on board.

 

[AndrewH13]

When I was earlier discussing headphones that I thought I might like with TT2, I wrote off the Utopia. (Am on the hunt for headphones to buy.) However on further reading on the Focal Utopia, I was surprised by many things.

So nearly bought the Utopia Saturday till the shop owner urged me to listen to another headphone!

I visited HiFi Lounge / High-end Headphones (Biggleswade) for their summer party BBQ. Armed with Hugo 2, I listened to Focal Stellia, Meze Empyrean and MrSpeakers Ether 2. All good in different ways, but Utopia was still the best to me, and 10% off Focal for the day was too tempting.

Then Paul, the owner, said he had similar tastes to mine: fast, dynamic, and crisp drums and cymbals like they really sound, not rolled off. He said while Utopia is great, I really should listen to Stax first.

Really? I thought of Stax as a classical favourite, cheaper range looked plastic, and they need a dedicated Energiser amp. Anyway, 40 minutes later, having played three tracks (Bruce Springsteen, London Grammar and Sixx AM) through two Stax’s and comparing and swapping with those three other classic headphones, I’ve seen the light and am quite amazed I never gave them more time before. The lower end, very good Stax SR L700 with matching energiser is a thousand less than the Utopia, the amazing SR 009 with top energiser T8000, unfortunately double.

The shop owner uses a TT2 in his home system with the Stax SR 009, many other Chord owners using Stax?

I have some catching up to do before deciding exact model to pair with my Chord DACs. But Greenbow, if your system is static, I would recommend having a listen to L700.

 

[rkt31]

Did you try totl hifiman like he1000 V2 with tt2 ? I tried with tt2 HMS combo and it beat utopia by a clear margin.

 

[Ragnar-BY]

Stax SR L700 with matching energiser is a thousand less than the Utopia

Which energiser was used with L700?

 

[AndrewH13]

Did you try totl hifiman like he1000 V2 with tt2 ? I tried with tt2 HMS combo and it beat utopia by a clear margin.

No, heard v1 with Hugo 1 some time ago and liked it.

 

[AndrewH13]

Which energiser was used with L700?

Both 009S and L700 were wired through a T8000. But I need to hear L700 through a cheaper Srm 006ts if I buy it.

 

[rkt31]

One of the most neutral yet very refined sounding headphones he1000 v2 imho

 

[Ciggavelli]

In regard to electrostatics, I bought a Koss 95x from massdrop a few months ago. I fed my Hugo 2 to the energizer and it sounded very good. I ran it off my TT2 as well (which also sounds good). Running a $5700 dac to a $500 set of electros is way overkill, but going from a low end dac, like a Element, to a high end one like the TT2 reveals a significant difference.

I listen to a lot of metal. I think the Utopias play metal very well, as they are fast like electrostatics. However, in comparison to the Koss 95x, the Koss has better timing and speed. Unfortunately, the bass is very understated. You can get used to the difference, but it’s not ideal. I was contemplating buying some Stax 009s headphones with a blue Hawaii se energizer, but decided to upgrade my traditional headphone setup.

Still, depending on genre, I could see how one would prefer the electrosatic headphones. I am sure that feeding the energizer the m-scaler and TT2 would yield great results. My m-scaler is on backorder still, so I haven’t tried it myself though

 

[AndrewH13]

In regard to electrostatics, I bought a Koss 95x from massdrop a few months ago. I fed my Hugo 2 to the energizer and it sounded very good. I ran it off my TT2 as well (which also sounds good). Running a $5700 dac to a $500 set of electros is way overkill, but going from a low end dac, like a Element, to a high end one like the TT2 reveals a significant difference.

I listen to a lot of metal. I think the Utopias play metal very well, as they are fast like electrostatics. However, in comparison to the Koss 95x, the Koss has better timing and speed. Unfortunately, the bass is very understated. You can get used to the difference, but it’s not ideal. I was contemplating buying some Stax 009s headphones with a blue Hawaii se energizer, but decided to upgrade my traditional headphone setup.

Still, depending on genre, I could see how one would prefer the electrosatic headphones. I am sure that feeding the energizer the m-scaler and TT2 would yield great results. My m-scaler is on backorder still, so I haven’t tried it myself though

The Stax L700 had noticeably more bass than the 009. I actually preferred it on a couple of tracks.

 

[Deftone]

dude...

 

[Christer]

One of the most neutral yet very refined sounding headphones he1000 v2 imho

When I got my HMS I was at first a bit worried about the overbrightness almost metallic sheen on some well recorded tracks, I would hear with HEV2 compared to my HD800 both via Qutest and TT2 and stock BNC cable.

But in recent days with BNC cables that sound clearly better than the stock BNC cables that came with my HMS I am again quite impressed with my HEV2.

I was even thinking of selling mine.
But it scales surprisingly well now and the overbrightness I heard before is gone to my relief.

With one of the two BNC cables I am trying, some of my reference tracks sound almost as good as they did via DAVE/BLU2 and Susvara.

Well to be completely honest, not quite as good as that combo.

Anyway one thing is clear, my HEV2 now sounds not only more resolving but also less coloured than my HD800.


RF seems to be a much bigger problem than I had realized also with HMS and possibly TT2 as well, and not only with DAVE/BLU2, judging from what I can hear now with these ferrited BNC cables.

Having said this I would not be surprised if the RAAL SRH1A properly driven, will sound even better both via my current little Qutest/HMS and TT2 or DAVE/HMS than both the HEV2 and Susvara.
And then there is the new kid on the block around the corner HEDD that might kick them all?
I am looking forward to auditioning that one at first available opportunity.
And yes I need to give TT2 another listen too with better than stock BNC cabling.
Cheers CC

 

[plinth]

So nearly bought the Utopia Saturday till the shop owner urged me to listen to another headphone!

I visited HiFi Lounge / High-end Headphones (Biggleswade) for their summer party BBQ. Armed with Hugo 2, I listened to Focal Stellia, Meze Empyrean and MrSpeakers Ether 2. All good in different ways, but Utopia was still the best to me, and 10% off Focal for the day was too tempting.

Then Paul, the owner, said he had similar tastes to mine: fast, dynamic, and crisp drums and cymbals like they really sound, not rolled off. He said while Utopia is great, I really should listen to Stax first.

Really? I thought of Stax as a classical favourite, cheaper range looked plastic, and they need a dedicated Energiser amp. Anyway, 40 minutes later, having played three tracks (Bruce Springsteen, London Grammar and Sixx AM) through two Stax’s and comparing and swapping with those three other classic headphones, I’ve seen the light and am quite amazed I never gave them more time before. The lower end, very good Stax SR L700 with matching energiser is a thousand less than the Utopia, the amazing SR 009 with top energiser T8000, unfortunately double.

The shop owner uses a TT2 in his home system with the Stax SR 009, many other Chord owners using Stax?

I have some catching up to do before deciding exact model to pair with my Chord DACs. But Greenbow, if your system is static, I would recommend having a listen to L700.

Another satisfied customer of Paul's here. I went there expecting to buy the Stax 009 and the Stax T8000. If I am honest I did not care for any of the energisers I tried (SRM 007, T8000 and a British one whose name I always forget). They hinted at the greatness that the 007, 009 and L700 could provide but seemed anaemic, lacking power and grip. Time and time again I came back to the 007 MK2; it was just closer to music than I had tried in my hifi career. I researched widely before settling on Mjölnir Audio KGSSHV Carbon. This combined with the 007 was an immense combination. Insane grip on the low end, extension that went on forever, a speed with no overhang and a transmission of timbre in instruments that I did not really think had timbre. You could hear the key of all percussion together with its respective decay signature. I use a Chord TT2 with Chord Mscaler fed from Sonore Ultrarendu, Uptone LPS1.2 and Small Green Computer Sonic Transporter as the server.

I listen for hours a day and I just can't bear to listen to any other headphones (except for my Shure electrostatic IEMs on aircraft).