seedubchris
100+ Head-Fier
Ak380 toslink optical . I’ll get to the usb with the right cable I don’t currently possess . Which one wins?
Hugo TT 2 by Chord Electronics - The Official Thread
- Thread starter ChordElectronics
- Start date
ZappaMan
Headphoneus Supremus
Cool, my optical from pc wasnt great because my computer kept doing weird interfering noises and grinding etc so playback wasn’t smooth. But usb, chord asio I use.
seedubchris
100+ Head-Fier
https://tidal.com/track/96970811
This is an example of a track I didn’t like that much until I heard it through the tt2. The kick is so percussive. Never heard drum machine/samples that sharp. The panning effects are realer sounding somehow. More engaging. Testament to the superior transient shaping and low noise floor I would presume. Great analog section on this thing . Smooth as silk . Black as night .thinking about a Kimber silver upgrade from the Cardas I made up. Another grand I don’t have.
This is an example of a track I didn’t like that much until I heard it through the tt2. The kick is so percussive. Never heard drum machine/samples that sharp. The panning effects are realer sounding somehow. More engaging. Testament to the superior transient shaping and low noise floor I would presume. Great analog section on this thing . Smooth as silk . Black as night .thinking about a Kimber silver upgrade from the Cardas I made up. Another grand I don’t have.
ZappaMan
Headphoneus Supremus
Glad to see someone getting excited about tt2!
What headphones are you using?
jlbrach
Headphoneus Supremus
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I had the TT some time ago...traded up to the Dave...no comparison ,not even close...Dave was head and shoulders better
Hi Ray,
A buddy brought over his brand new TT2 last night and we had a VERY productive session: HMS, TT2, DAVE, First Watt F1J, First Watt F2J, Omega Super Alnico Monitors, Voxativ Z bass unit, Voxativ 9.87's, NUC running highly optimized AudioLinux as end point, etc.
The combination of TT2 + Omega SAMs + Vox Z bass unit + NUC end point was absolutely spectacular (said another friend, "This is the best I've ever heard music in this house"). For what comes in at a grand total ~$10k all in (if you pick up things used, etc), this is a world class system. Incredible
HMS took it even higher still, but things were so good from the TT2 directly, I think most in the room would have been delighted to live with that jaw dropping goodness for a long time before feeling the urge to upgrade with the HMS. The synergy between the TT2 + SAMs + Vox bass unit + what you get from an optimized NUC was breathtakingly good.
For those driving high efficiency speakers directly, you absolutely must give a listen to the Voxativ bass units (either the baby Z unit, or the big brother Pi units). The clarity and reality you get by having a bass unit with an ultra high efficiency driver (when combined with TT2) must be heard to be believed. It is a completely next level experience compared to a sub, no matter how musical that sub is.
How big of a difference can you say it is between Dave+Omega and Hugo TT2+ Omega both driven directly ?
I know the first has more taps and better resolution and the second more power.
Thank you.
seedubchris
100+ Head-Fier
Lcd/xc. No strident fizzy highs like with most amps I have tried them wth . 64Audio A18t CIEM. Mostly I’m listing I’m dac mode feeding grace m920 SE rca Cardas to three way 1200 watt reference monitors(Barefoot audio MM27’s) on steel lead shot filled sound anchors in the tuned mix room . This is the rig I work on all day so I’m acutely aware of changes .
The xc’s are finally under control. Now the problem is they want to vibrate off my head .
Have not listened to the A18t yet. Hunting Kimber Kable silver with wbt.
I would say the biggest impact on the overall experience was the Vox Z sub unit, followed by the dynamics of the TT2, then the spatial sense from the NUC. We did not spend a lot of time with the DAVE or 9.87's (we got lost in the Omegas + TT2 for 5 hours)
However, we have found many times (reiterated last night as we were comparing the TT2 direct to the TT2 feeding the First Watt amps) that the Omegas benefit hugely from improved dynamics and power (my Vox 9.87's much less so than the Omegas). The reason the First Watt amps have been part of our eval mix is that we've been looking for current amps that could preserve the transparency of Chord DACs. The FW amps completely transform the Omegas into almost a full range speaker experience (at the price of transparency), but do almost nothing for the Vox's (except kill transparency). With the TT2, the Omegas were by far the best I've ever heard them, with all that magnificent transparency preserved.
Specific to the Omegas, subject to revision when we do more critical listening, I would definitely lean very heavily toward the TT2 over the DAVE (no brainer after what we heard last night). With the Vox 9.87's (with the ultra high efficiency 4D drivers), DAVE is still king by (for me) and not leaving my system any time soon.
If you had told me 2 years ago that ~$10k could buy you a world class system of this caliber, I would asked where you dropped a zero before laughing you out of the room. This is astonishingly immersive and engaging music, pointing to how critical both speed and transient timing are to recreating a sense of reality. Incredible.
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Good for you. A totally unnecessary waste of energy. You might find that multiplied out across the globe not turning off unused appliances causes a great deal of harm.
.
A buddy brought over his brand new TT2 last night and we had a VERY productive session: HMS, TT2, DAVE, First Watt F1J, First Watt F2J, Omega Super Alnico Monitors, Voxativ Z bass unit, Voxativ 9.87's, NUC running highly optimized AudioLinux as end point, etc.
The combination of TT2 + Omega SAMs + Vox Z bass unit + NUC end point was absolutely spectacular (said another friend, "This is the best I've ever heard music in this house"). For what comes in at a grand total ~$10k all in (if you pick up things used, etc), this is a world class system. Incredible
HMS took it even higher still, but things were so good from the TT2 directly, I think most in the room would have been delighted to live with that jaw dropping goodness for a long time before feeling the urge to upgrade with the HMS. The synergy between the TT2 + SAMs + Vox bass unit + what you get from an optimized NUC was breathtakingly good.
For those driving high efficiency speakers directly, you absolutely must give a listen to the Voxativ bass units (either the baby Z unit, or the big brother Pi units). The clarity and reality you get by having a bass unit with an ultra high efficiency driver (when combined with TT2) must be heard to be believed. It is a completely next level experience compared to a sub, no matter how musical that sub is.
Interesting comments thanks I'm currently using Bastanis Mandala speakers 100db sensitivity and am looking at a couple of upgrade options for driving them including direct from TT2 but also TT2/maybe stretch to a used Dave with Pass F4 or Pass Aleph J both around 25W.
Whazzzup
Headphoneus Supremus
What’s with head fi, or is it just me attracting the beauts?
supervisor
500+ Head-Fier
@seedubchris I am starting a photo gallery of TT2 users leaving the plastic on the infrared panel
Triode User
Member of the Trade: WAVE High Fidelity
I suspect that one trip in a car to collect a TT2 might outweigh a lifetime of leaving low power usage HiFi turned on 24/7. I’ve got to admit I leave my DACs on 24/7.
I have roof full of high efficiency solar panels basking in the Southern California sun to (90%) offset my audio and electric car (and everything else in the house) guilt...works like a charm
To bring things back on topic, someday we may be running direct DC from our solar panels to a battery to our Chord TT3!
tell that to users of a certain brand, I won't naim them.
btw... I've found a way to reduce my carbon footprint, I only breathe out on my third breath, took some practise mind.
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