There's a nice thread on headphones dot com about the TT2 with a review that tried all the outputs, which I haven't seen before.
https://forum.headphones.com/t/chord-hugo-tt-2/2436/136
Wait that thread. The first post. A review says the TT2 can't drive Susvara in the bass. However it can drive speakers.
Susvara specs: 60 ohm, 83dB.
My Dynaudio Special Forty (SF40): 6ohm, 86dB.
The Special Forty only drop to 5 ohms impedance, so do the Susvara drop lower than that.
Otherwise personally I found the TT2 could drive the SF40 louder than I needed. With very quiet recordings, I could get the volume orb to about 0dB at most, in a small room. I can imagine with the Susvara sensitivity being lower than the SP40, you'd need more volume gain. I have read that too. Like folk saying the Abyss 1266 Phi TC needing to be around 10dB. Similarly I think someone mentioned the Susvara like that too.
However to accuse the TT2 of running out of current to control bass - that's where you lose me. As Susvara impedance is quite a bit higher than SP40, it would require less current. Unless impedance drops down a long way.
Well HiFi news are saying Susvara drop to 29 ohms
HiFiMan Susvara Headphones Lab Report | Hi-Fi News
That would suggest enough current if you ask me, considering SP40 drop to 5 ohms.
@Rob Watts B&W 803 D3 drop to 3 ohms I think he said, but they are more sensitive so less poke (voltage) needed.
I am going to annoy a few people here but I am going to say it. One of two things is happening.
1. Somehow, unbeknown to me the TT2 is running out of current for difficult headphone loads. However I don't believe it.
2. Some people are mistaking TT2 driving their difficult headphone load sound signatures.
To elaborate on this second point. I used TT2 driving SP40 speakers and with a Chord Ttoby. I compared somewhat the signatures. .... I put the Ttoby on the TT2, using a modest Chord Clearway (ÂŁ100 award winning RCA). It's a touch bright, and not anything like good enough to extoll all that the TT2 and Ttoby can do. It was insightful never-the-less though. ......... My immediate impression with the Ttoby in the system was. Hell's teeth - speed, where's the bass, slightly bigger soundstage. (Bigger soundstage possibly from RCA slight brightness.)
After cooling myself after a few days I had found the bass. THIS IS THE CRUX OF IT. ... Bass seemed to occupy a smaller/different area, which was odd given I thought the soundstage was larger. Bass sounded very tuneful, and to be in perfect balance with treble. (Meaning my slightly bright RCA was doing OK.) There was an overall solidity to everything too, that was different to the TT2 driving speakers. I could just chill 100% to what was happening, and listen to anything. It was a very relaxed but still fast listen.
Anyway long story short: after a very few weeks, the Ttoby went back to the retailer. When I listened to TT2 driving speakers again, it sounded to be 100% honest, '
odd' in the bass. I gave this some thought, and pondered, does the TT2 really need an amp? It wasn't just the bass though. I found it hard to focus on sounds.
Then I remembered, when I first drove speakers using TT2. It took me a whole week (and more with some familiar music) to adjust to the TT2 driving speakers. I thought about that compared to how I felt about bass and everything, after Ttoby was gone. I realised, I had not adjusted back to TT2 driving speakers. It took a while to get the focus and picture back.
I also remembered how I used to feel about bass on the TT2 driving SP40 speakers. It was rock solid. The whole TT2 sounded solid driving speakers. (Also 'wow' watching a movie with TT2 and speakers.)........... Therefor I concluded unequivocally, adding an amp changes the TT2 to a lesser experience. When adding the amp at first it sounds majestic, full, clear, etc etc. .... After removing amplifier, and re-adjusting to the TT2 driving speakers; 'what was I thinking?'.
When you add an amp, you move stuff about in the soundstage, and lose layers of detail. You can't help it, because that's physics. When you remove the amp, you hear more layers; transparency. That can sound like weak sounding poop, until you hear it right. Like I said it always takes me time to readjust. Once you hear the transparency and layers, to be construction of the instrument, it's magic. Until then, it's just confusing as to what's happening, and you think w.t.h?
It was the same going from my first PC DAC to Mojo. Then Mojo to Hugo 2. Then H2 to TT2. Each step took time to adjust to the new layers of detail. ... Anyone who says TT2 hasn't enough current at 6 ohms down to 5ohms, and 86dB. They are not right. ... What you hear from the TT2 and no amplifier, is right. ... That's why I say, listen to TT2 driving your headphones for a long time. (Days/weeks.) Then add the amp, and see how it changes.
Rob watts once said through chord dacs your headphones has just been driven correctly due to ultra low output impedance. Imo it's only the matter how early you get accustomed to uncolored sound of ultra low distortion ultra low output impedance chord dacs. It can be calculated that how increase of even few ohms of output impedance can change the frequency response of headphones depending upon the frequency vs impedance curve of that headphones. So ultra low impedance of chord dacs ensures that there is no affect of output impedance on headphones. Through other dacs/amps, having more output impedance what you here is the change in frequency response which you can't avoid except to have very low output impedance.
