Hugo TT 2 by Chord Electronics - The Official Thread

[GreenBow]

Welcome to Audio Hell
An electron's radius is 2.82x10 to negative 15th power (m). Your 25 cm adapter is still a ginormous, massive distance to an electron, so why couldn't it make a difference? In fact, a 3 cm connector is still a massive distance to an electron..

But before you make conclusions about the wire you used, you should make an identical adapter with RCA plugs to compare the XLR vs. RCA output differences.

Yes I will do that today I think and put myself out of misery. However the new stretch of cable produced richer sounds at high frequencies too. Meaning not just bassier sound like balanced users reported. … I don't know though. Only one way to find out.

I never understood why folk said the XLR port produced more bass. I always found with the TT2 attached to RCA, that bass was outstanding. I personally never heard anything like it before. Talk about grip.

@GreenBow how are your soldering skills? I have noticed the type of change you're describing with the same cables, but an improved soldering job. I didn't used to be too good and would frequently burn the solder, leaving it dull and dark. A clean solder where nothing gets burnt and the solder looks nice aand shiny actually resulted in a notable improvement in sound. Maybe that's what you're hearing?

Like I said in reply above, will make some RCA TT2 adapters with this cable.

Yes please!

I use NAS, but when I'm using in our bedroom I use a DAP. Problem is the TT2'S galvanic isolation drains the battery ridiculously fast and other than the KANN, I haven't find another that can be charged while is use. I'm even concerned that the KANN cannot be charged as fast as it's battery is being drained.

Just being able to replace a battery easily would alone make it worthwhile. There is the Xduoo Digital Turntable that folk mentioned above, but again it would be down to sourcing batteries. Have been told the Xduoo Digital Turntable is working with 400GB and 512GB, although it's only specced to 256GB.

 

[Focux]

hello TT2 owners, anyone w prior experience regarding HEKSE paired w TT2?

am coming from Hugo 2 but contemplating to try R2R (Wavelight/Vox/Pontus)

thanks all!

 

[dawktah2]

Who wants a DAP? Especially a non dac dap? once you are at the chord level a quality server is the only viable option to achieve sq level worthy. You can use any old dap, or iPhone as is now, if that’s what one desires. Now a dap with dac certainly would be another thing, but would canabilize hugo mojo sales.

I would definitely want one,
With my three current different cd player/ transports all sounding a bit different feeding Mscaler, and not quite as clean as I would ideally want, internal dacs interferring? a dac-less DAP that would play the formats I need ie DSD 64/128/256 and why not DSD 512 and DSD 1024 as well, plus of course pcm from 16/44.1 up to 32/768khz could possibly be THE optimal way to feed clean signals to my Mscaler from an 2-4 tb ssd card?
And if like my macbook pro it also had a handy little remote I wouldn't need to keep moving my mbp from it's office location on a daily basis.
I could of course also spend the price of a Dave on an Innous Statement server but I won't!
"Different courses for different horses"
Cheers CC

I agree with you. (Admittedly the TT2 is more for servers or static file-sources. Posting this in the TT2 thread was an accident. I meant it for the Hugo 2, Mojo, or 2Go thread.)

The moment a file-source like that made by Chord Electronics was declared stable, I would buy it. No hesitation. Immediately.

Anyway I edited the post quite substantially and posted it over in the Hugo 2 thread. I had to edit and add stuff that I had forgotten about. It was late last night when I posted so missed a lot. Like I could have made the post for Mojo Ideas attention for a start. I forgot about adding manual controls.

Yes I think the main problem with this is that it would be too cheap to make so no incentive to make one, at least not for Chord.

I got burnt with Hugo1.
But to my BIG surprise it has recently re-surrected from the DEAD!
But I don't want to listen to it long term after Mscaling entered the scene.
Only a bit of Youtube videos and such.
And when it dies again, which it eventually and undoubtedly will, I am VERY unlikely to send it to Chord for a high cost battery change.
Cheers CC

Yes please!


I use NAS, but when I'm using in our bedroom I use a DAP. Problem is the TT2'S galvanic isolation drains the battery ridiculously fast and other than the KANN, I haven't find another that can be charged while is use. I'm even concerned that the KANN cannot be charged as fast as it's battery is being drained.



Yep

Those of us old enough to remember the first TV remotes, that had a cord, as mentioned would be a great Chord remote that doubles as DAP!

EDIT: I'd pay for a DAP in aluminum case same width and depth as TT2, but a third of the thickness, with similar glowing orbs, SD slot and a remote that controls it and the TT line.

Maybe @Rob Watts can explain. Other than form factor what the difference between the Poly, 2go and a DAP? Seems to me a Table Top DAP version is right in line with new products. I'M SURE the CHORD would excel and not have a DAC.

Again, I'd buy especially if it allows me to keep my music where it is.

 

[karmapolice]

if I wanted extra power supply for chord tt2 so easier to have set up in multiple rooms......any one recommend a reliable same spec as original to use in US?

 

[dawktah2]

if I wanted extra power supply for chord tt2 so easier to have set up in multiple rooms......any one recommend a reliable same spec as original to use in US?

I just ordered one from my dealer since using anything else voids warranty

 

[okplayer]

I just ordered one from my dealer since using anything else voids warranty

How much did dealer charge you for additional power supply?

 

[okplayer]

Do most people use stock chord usb chord if using USB based source feeding TT2?

I believe in cables but not sure so much for going into the chord tt 2 dac.

Any positive experience with modest costing usb upgrades for std length 2-3 meter range

 

[nwavesailor]

Do most people use stock chord usb chord if using USB based source feeding TT2?

I believe in cables but not sure so much for going into the chord tt 2 dac.

Any positive experience with modest costing usb upgrades for std length 2-3 meter range

Supra have good reviews and are inexpensive. Only downside is the Supra color!

 

[GreenBow]

Follow up to my TT2 speaker adapters.

I had made some XLR (single-ended) adapters to drive speakers, using about 25cm of Audioquest Rocket 22 cable. .. I had some RCA adapters made with cheap electrical cable, which I wanted badly to upgrade from. I kept the RCA ones just in case, when I made the XLR ones.

The result when I put the XLR ones with Rocket 22 was immediate. It was warm sounding. The electrical cable on the RCA ports was actually a touch bright, but it was very lively. It was surprisingly solid and revealing, and was difficult to criticise for what it was. Then moving to the Rocket 22 made a bad first impression, and it's warmth was too much. I re-read the What Hifi review and they said it seems dull and murky at first, but opens up. Murky was an incredibly apt description. (Although I can imagine Rocket 22 doing well in a bright system.)

I think the truth was more likely that listeners just adapted to the Rocket 22. Listened to it differently. However I kept thinking that my TT2 driving speakers was kind of boring. I know Rob Watts advises us that the more natural sound is the warmer one. (Not questioning Rob here. Just saying.) That sometimes we might think that brightness is giving us detail and transparency. The problem with Rocket 22 for the adapters, was that sometimes music was making me want to go to sleep. Meaning it wasn't the right level of warm in this case.

In the interest of science if you can call it that. I made some RCA cables for the TT2 out of Rocket 22. I did it because some folk report that there is more bass from the XLR ports in balanced to speakers. (I was going single-ended.) My impression and I said it before, was that it was the Rocker 22 warming the signature. It fitted completely What HiFi's review of the Rocket. (I should add that I did not think my TT2 and Dynaudio Special Forty bright. The touch of brightness I heard with my RCA adapters I was sure was the cheap electrical cable.)

However I chose a slightly warmer cable for adapters in Rocker 22. This was an experiment because once before, had some Chord Clearway for speaker cable. That was before I bought the speaker cable I have now. Well Chord Clearway is just on the bright side, so for once I figured put a bit of warm in and see. Plus I wanted something not expensive, but not cheap to experiment with. Hence Rocket 22.

Anyway Rocket 22 on RCA adapters sounded just the same as it did on XLR.

What this means is that I need some bang in the middle cable for my adapters. It means also that just 25cm of wire for an adapter can make a clear difference in sound signature of the system. It means if you make adapters, choose well.

To explain how warm I found Rocket 22. That soundstage was reduced, and the sounds moved less in the soundstage. They didn't move with intonation changes. They sounded a bit too rich. The treble with the Rocket 22 wasn't bad. It was crisp, but it was also rich. It wasn't that sparkly though, and there was less air. Rocket 22 was still lively, but it was also masking some of what I know is there. I think the main issue might be I need something more refined and lively, to match my kit.

That concludes my long posts about this. Hope it someone to know that XLR single-ended and RCA sound the same to me. Although we never really doubted it.

 

[JaZZ]

I know Rob Watts advises us that the more natural sound is the warmer one.

I'm quite sure that he only meant this for digital connections – where brightness hints to RFI. With analogue cables OTOH – especially for speakers and headphones – the treble-friendliest cable is the best in my book, the one with the largest bandwidth.

 

[GreenBow]

It does make we wonder why folk say that balanced out driving speakers, is bassier. … I found it strange because I always found single-ended driving speakers had bass completely right. More would have been a bit if a disaster. RCA single-ended had vice-like grip.

There is also the possibility that SE from XLR sounds very slightly different from RCA. In the same way that Rob Watts tells us that the Mojo ports sound ever so fractionally different.

 

[DesignTaylor]

Hey TT2 owners. I've got a Qutest and have been considering taking the plunge as I'm also in the market to upgrade my desktop amp. I trust the DAC portion is awesome but I'd be very interested in your thoughts on the headphone amp side of things. How have you found the amp to be in comparison to other comparable priced amps (~$2,500)?

One thing that jumps out at my for a unit in this price range is the lack of 4-pin XLP headphone output for balanced applications. I understand that you can use the 3-pin XLR outs on the back with an adapter. Is anyone doing that? Would love your feedback.

Thanks!

 

[andrewd01]

The TT2 is engineered for optimal sound out of the single ended output. It is not a given that balanced is always better, the whole circuit design needs to be taken into account. Rob has explained his design in some earlier posts.

 

[N Quarter]

It does make we wonder why folk say that balanced out driving speakers, is bassier.

Probably because most people using the balanced out are using pins 2 and 3 for the 18 watts, which gives more bass when driving speakers directly.

 

[dawktah2]

How much did dealer charge you for additional power supply?

Sent you a PM