[x RELIC x]

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.

It’s a ‘problem’ with every electronic component sold in the planet, not just the ones you listed. I wonder how many other components can be revealing enough of the benefit of reducing RF noise.

 

[JTbbb]

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.

I too have gone the KGSSHV route with the SR 007 Mk2. My source is the Innuos Zenith Mk3 with TT2. I have yet to try HMS.

 

[Ragnar-BY]

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.

What cables do you use?

 

[Christer]

What cables do you use?

I have the Storm and Stream cables from Wave Fidelity on trial and I am comparing them to each other and against stock BNC with Qutest /HMS and via both headphones and big electrostatic speakers in a big amp system.
And three different rca cables to compare with as well.
Quite a task, but I hope to come to clearer conclusions which cable combos work best in my systems within a week or so..
So far all I can safely say, is that both the Stream and Storm improve on the stock cables both via headphones and speakers and with all three rca combos.

Cheers CC

 

[Ragnar-BY]

I have the Storm and Stream cables from Wave Fidelity on trial and comparing them to each other against stock BNC with Qutest /HMS and via both headphones and big electrostatic speakers in a big amp system.

Thank you.

I wonder if anybody have compared Wave Stone with other Wave cables. I want to change my stock BNC cables, but Stream and Storm looks ridiculously expensive to me. I would feel robbed if I pay that much for a pair of cables.

 

[GreenBow]

" all have different output impedances.

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.

Many thanks. (I wouldn't utilise an electrostatic plate charging amp, as my headphones would be moved about. Great suggestion though. I found some very good reviews of the SR-L700. The HiFi Plus was brilliant.)

@Everyone

By the way, generally, I was thinking how using my portable Chord DACs would give me an impression of headphones. Like for auditioning in shops, and then use for use with TT2 at home. However I think frequency response alters a little depending on output impedance of DAC. I am not sure though. (Maybe it's why different folk get different results from the same headphones.)
I noted that Mojo, Hugo 2, and TT2 all have very slightly different output impedances.

 

[rkt31]

Low output impedance does not affect the frequency response of headphones. As output impedance increases it starts affecting the frequencies which have lower impedance in the frequency vs impedance curve of headphones. Say if a headphone driver has lowest impedance for 1khz( typical of dynamic driver), as output impedance of source increases , frequencies near 1khz will be suppressed because higher source impedance will not be able to drive the headphones for that frequency and nearby frequencies . So sound will become more v shaped and the first impression will be a punchier sound because of this v shaped signature. Chord dacs have ultra low output impedance so it won't favour or reject any frequency, that's why rob watts once said " your headphones just been driven correctly by chord dac ".

 

[George Hincapie]

I'm not reading 391 pages of this thread. Make it simple for me. Is the Hugo TT2 the bollocks or not? For headphone use only.

 

[Nautrachkfriend]

I'm not reading 391 pages of this thread. Make it simple for me. Is the Hugo TT2 the bollocks or not? For headphone use only.

Stellar all in one solution for headphone use. Want to take it a step further? Add the M-Scaler. Done. No fluff. You're welcome.

 

[Mediahound]

I'm not reading 391 pages of this thread. Make it simple for me. Is the Hugo TT2 the bollocks or not? For headphone use only.

Stellar all in one solution for headphone use. Want to take it a step further? Add the M-Scaler. Done. No fluff. You're welcome.

Jude (owner of this site) has literally said the TT2 is his headphone amp of choice and it with M Scaler is the best headphone rig he's ever heard to date. (I believe it was in the last CanJam video he did before this latest recent one).

I can say that I concur.

 

[Triode User]

I'm not reading 391 pages of this thread. Make it simple for me. Is the Hugo TT2 the bollocks or not? For headphone use only.

If you do not have power hungry headphones and depending on your budget then Dave is quite a way ahead of TT2 (IMHO). However if you have that budget then it becomes interesting as to whether you would prefer TT2 and HMS compared to solo Dave. Only your own ears could tell you that.

If the budget only stretches to solo TT2 then it is indeed a very fine headphone dac/amp and you should be very pleased with it.

Get yourself to a dealer and have a listen though. Then you will know.

 

[musickid]

My plan is to add a TT2 to my mscaler and use them with my Oppo PM1 planar magnetic headphones. This will be my endgame. (The PM1 will be a collectors item in the near future). I've decided that i value the mscaler above all else including a solo Dave.

 

[George Hincapie]

Stellar all in one solution for headphone use. Want to take it a step further? Add the M-Scaler. Done. No fluff. You're welcome.

Perfect. The sort of no-nonsense response I appreciate.

Gratitude.

 

[iceanddice]

Will a Xlr to RCA hypershort adapter plus rca to banana plugs work to utilize the 18wpc of the TT2? Or do you have to make a XLR to speaker tap cable?

 

[jarnopp]

Will a Xlr to RCA hypershort adapter plus rca to banana plugs work to utilize the 18wpc of the TT2? Or do you have to make a XLR to speaker tap cable?

It depends how the XLR to RCA adapters is wired. If it’s wired pin2 and pin3, it should work. If it’s pin 1 and 2, you will only get SE output. Take care that only 2 pins (2 and 3 OR 1 and 3) are wired, or you will fry your TT2.