[musickid]

I have listened to TT2 and TT2/mscaler so yes i can answer that question myself. However i enjoy gauging my findings against those of others. Sometimes unexpected conclusions and results arise that may have been overlooked. I did report all of my impressions on TT2/HMS/H2 a while back. If you read my post here again you will see that it is not a question but more a prompt to open debate on the given issue. That being TT2 vs H2/HMS.

 

[GreenBow]

The philosophical and tangible qualities/debate concerning h2/hms vs tt2 naturally arises next.

I can't see how the TT2 can compete with the Hugo 2 and HMS. Not directly anyway, in terms of sonic clarity, and detail etc. I suggest that because of how folk talk about the H2/HMS performance, being better than DAVE.

However the TT2 has its own merits:

• I think you get better TV or PC watching streaming compared to Hugo 2 alone. As I think that HMS causes lag when watching TV, YouTube, etc. (If I am wrong, sorry.) This is important if you like gaming.
• TT2 also has more inputs. I have both optical in use as of now, and USB. Although my DAB radio can run into DAC via coax, so Hugo 2 has enough inputs for me for now. Although via optical I don't need to worry about buying shielded coaxial cables. (Actually got really lucky with my £5 optical cable as it a can manage 192Khz signals and not fault. I bought as a test cable from PC.)
• TT2 can drive speakers direct with easily enough volume. Some say it goes *loud*. I have not connected speakers directly to TT2 yet, and won't need heaps of volume though. Driving speakers directly is going to be like a TT2 upgrade all on its own. Although it might be tricky getting well made, fully shielded cables. That Atlas cables allowing us custom builds looks a perfect solution though.

I think I have settled on maybe other TT2 benefits, but can't remember them now. Of course Hugo 2 is excellent for TV viewing, and gaming. HSM added to that is unquestionable. Like maybe, the TT2 has tonal weight, but doesn't the HMS add some of that anyway. I also wanted another DAC as I didn't want to be always unplugging my Hugo 2 and plugging it back in. It's because I prefer Hugo 2, to Mojo, when DAC is used around the home, via DAP file transport.

Can you add if there was any audio lag compared with the TV picture or did the lag get worse compared with Hugo 2?

I tried Qutest , PCM from the tv and when looking at a picture, the sound was coming a bit later than when using direct tv speakers.

I will watch carefully. However I never noticed lag with the Hugo 2. Watching Into the Badlands yesterday was surreally good, and the TT2 immerses more than the Hugo 2. The Hugo 2 is perfect, but the TT2 sounds like you are there. Although, I think sound was exceptionally well recorded on Into the Badlands. I found myself admiring the quality of the recording equipment that they must have used. (I also watched Kong: Skull Island later, and the sound wasn't quite as impressive.)

I was also watching only the programme Into the Badlands. It's coming to the end of the last series. Sad stuff, and it makes watching even more intense.

 

[musickid]

Two points 1) chord dacs were optimised for music playback. Game sound tracks and film audio do not display the real capability of chord dacs. Lossless/high res music is needed IMHO.

2) By always referring back to the emotional pull/effect chord dacs have on you and centralising this as the most important factor is a refreshing change and a great way of thinking about things here.

 

[ZappaMan]

Two points 1) chord dacs were optimised for music playback. Game sound tracks and film audio do not display the real capability of chord dacs. Lossless/high res music is needed IMHO.

2) By always referring back to the emotional pull/effect chord dacs have on you and centralising this as the most important factor is a refreshing change and a great way of thinking about things here.

Don’t blu rays contain hi res audio?
Alien - on blu Ray - with headphone and chord dac was really an amazing insight into how audio engineers work and what they add to the film as a whole. An amazing experience.

 

[Skyhawk182]

Good morning from Toronto!

I have a TT2. I am currently using it with Focal Utopia's via the 1/4" Headphone jacks in the front. I am thinking of buying the Stax 009S system. Is it possible to use the XLR outputs into an amp at fixed output and the headphone output , using variable volume, at the same time?

I am trying to get my 13yr old into HiFi. I would let her use the Utopias while I use the stax and we can bond over tunes older than us both.

Or should I just get an Mscaler?

 

[musickid]

I always imagined chord dacs would be tuned with hi-res/rbcd music but if blu ray contains hi-res audio that could be excellent too on reflection.

 

[rkt31]

Ahb2 is one of the cleanest but tt2 has better specs but then you can't compare a dac to power amp for the same specs. Btw I am one of the few who is using a chord dac directly into a power amp in low gain mode of ahb2. I am sure low gain mode of both tt2 and ahb2 together specially with XLR to XLR may set new standards of transparency and may be the end game set up. In actuality we don't use full power of amp most of the time . I get sufficient room filling volume when ahb2 is in low gain (3x approx) and Hugo 2 is light blue to dark blue ( 1 to 1.5v approx ) this translates into 8watt approx into 8ohm speakers. In theory you can go upto white volume of Hugo 2 which is 5v approx which is around 30w of ahb2 and plenty loud. So in a way low gain of both tt2 and ahb2 with XLR is match made in heaven imho . However tt2 I have yet to experience with ahb2.

 

[musickid]

TT2 solo is unmatched according to past feedback here?

 

[GreenBow]

Two points 1) chord dacs were optimised for music playback. Game sound tracks and film audio do not display the real capability of chord dacs. Lossless/high res music is needed IMHO.

2) By always referring back to the emotional pull/effect chord dacs have on you and centralising this as the most important factor is a refreshing change and a great way of thinking about things here.

I think you will find Rob says that Chord DACs are optimised to recreate the analogue signal as perfectly as possible. With a flat output response, you would have to explain how you think Chord are optimised only for music. Your comment in that respect doesn't even make sense.

You can't write off games and TV for poor sound. I just said above I found myself admiring what the sound recording equipment Into the Badlands must have used. An example of film music, is Hans Zimmer, and should be explored. Secondly PC games are not garbage in respect to sound. There are gaming music awards for game scores, and you can often purchase the music. Some music runs in game, at CD quality for games. Games are also full of sound effects like movies. You have been misinformed if you think that sound it not important in games. Excellent audio quality immerses the player more in the game. It makes the game feel of higher quality all round.

One example of game sounds. The recently released (excellent) Tom Clancy: The Division 2, used real gunfire. Algorithms were produced to make rain change processing depending on where you were in the game. E.g. next to a car, and ran sounded like it was bouncing off metal. Rain next to plastic barrels sounded like it was bouncing off plastic. Rain falling on grass just sounded soft. You can see how the audio engineering was made here.



Lastly though, to put it into perspective. Gaming is a bigger industry than the film industry and the music industry, put together.

 

[ThatPhil]

Immersive audio in games will likely be even more of a priority now that the next gen Playstation is confirmed to have hardware based 3D audio.

 

[seedubchris]

A big American band I respect said yes to using their music in a game but they are anonymous in the game. The game producer said he paid them $20k per tune. Sony PlayStation is full dsd capable. Has been for a decade.

 

[21qz]

Wonder if anyone who's owned both the H2/TT2 here can make some kind of "Buy this one if" type of comparison list? for example, buy the H2 if you want portability, or buy the TT2 if you need connectivity.

 

[CRITICALSHOT]

Ahb2 is one of the cleanest but tt2 has better specs but then you can't compare a dac to power amp for the same specs. Btw I am one of the few who is using a chord dac directly into a power amp in low gain mode of ahb2. I am sure low gain mode of both tt2 and ahb2 together specially with XLR to XLR may set new standards of transparency and may be the end game set up. In actuality we don't use full power of amp most of the time . I get sufficient room filling volume when ahb2 is in low gain (3x approx) and Hugo 2 is light blue to dark blue ( 1 to 1.5v approx ) this translates into 8watt approx into 8ohm speakers. In theory you can go upto white volume of Hugo 2 which is 5v approx which is around 30w of ahb2 and plenty loud. So in a way low gain of both tt2 and ahb2 with XLR is match made in heaven imho . However tt2 I have yet to experience with ahb2.

My Rogue Audio RH-5 arrives on Saturday. I think I heard something negative about hooking the TT2 into a preamp using the XLR; I am wondering if this would be a bad idea? Is there a specific way to do it? I am was assuming that the TT2 would automatically enter DAC mode, correct?

 

[GreenBow]

My Rogue Audio RH-5 arrives on Saturday. I think I heard something negative about hooking the TT2 into a preamp using the XLR; I am wondering if this would be a bad idea? Is there a specific way to do it? I am was assuming that the TT2 would automatically enter DAC mode, correct?

Read the manual. Or experiment with the Menu and Set buttons.

 

[CRITICALSHOT]

Read the manual. Or experiment with the Menu and Set buttons.

I did read it, thanks for your time.