Hugo TT 2 by Chord Electronics - The Official Thread

[Amberlamps]

How many here leave their Hugo TT2 on permantly? I was reading over at Audiophile Style a few do claiming the clocks need minimum of 24 hours to settle. New to me but if that's the case I'll leave it on. In the old days I used to leave on all my Mark Levinson stereo gear 24/7

I did, I had mine sitting on top of my mscaler and I left tt2 in standby mode, i.e pushing the red button on the remote. TT2 in it's hottest part was only 42oC.

However, I'm no longer an advocate of leaving TT2 switched on 24/7, well, unless one is a horologist that is.

 

[Lgn3]

Talking of temperature. I have had my TT2 hooked up to a power amp recently. I noticed it seems to get just as warm running with power-amp, as with an integrated-amp. I would have though it would run cooler at approx. -60dB to -50dB with the power-amp. Compared to running at -5V in amp mode, with an integrated. Maybe I should try with integrated in DAC mode and see about that. It would be the same voltage out though.

Might be not right though. Maybe it does run just a bit hotter with integrated and I am not remembering right.

Not sure what you mean. With an integrated amp too can set TT2 to either Amp or DAC mode with a power amp it has to be Amp mode if you want volume control

 

[Lgn3]

Edit...... you can set no too can set

 

[varadero xl1000v]

How many here leave their Hugo TT2 on permantly? I was reading over at Audiophile Style a few do claiming the clocks need minimum of 24 hours to settle. New to me but if that's the case I'll leave it on. In the old days I used to leave on all my Mark Levinson stereo gear 24/7

..and I do the same thoughts: should I turn off the device, or not? I have to say that I listen for many hours, I only stop late at night when I have to sleep!

The view of Mr. Rob is to stay open 24/7..

 

[nwavesailor]

What exactly does a clock do when it 'needs' settling, produce errors in critical timing?

I have also read this on cable forums suggesting that a section of wire or cable need to settle.
I am skeptical about either needing this time to settle. Perhaps it is ears that may need this time.

 

[dawktah2]

What exactly does a clock do when it 'needs' settling, produce errors in critical timing?

I have also read this on cable forums suggesting that a section of wire or cable need to settle.
I am skeptical about either needing this time to settle. Perhaps it is ears that may need this time.

I'm curious as well, what is settling process?

 

[rkt31]

Can anyone recommend a windows music software file as music player usb based to tt2.

Foobar seems ok trial period but seems bit clunky .....anything better cheaper?

Foobar with upnp plugin takes lossless tidal stream from mconnect app in your android phone. Both are free and foobar allows asio output. There is no free app combination I know currently which does this. This is the most elegant and hassle free streaming solution I have found after searching for many many softwares and apps. foobar once set is the best player.

 

[Rob Watts]

What exactly does a clock do when it 'needs' settling, produce errors in critical timing?

I have also read this on cable forums suggesting that a section of wire or cable need to settle.
I am skeptical about either needing this time to settle. Perhaps it is ears that may need this time.

Conventional DACs (particularly older DACs) use analogue phase lock loops (PLLs) and the quality designs use large value electrolytic caps to give good low frequency rejection. These caps take time to settle and reduce their leakage currents and this could provide a mechanism for improved performance.

With analogue PLLs the clock is constantly hunting and changing it's phase - under direct control of the analogue loop filter capacitor - and this induces distortion and noise within the DAC, together with spurious noise. The resultant jitter is to some extent signal correlated (and this happens when the cap picks up digital data noise), then we also get small signal amplitude errors too - degrading detail resolution and perception of depth.

In the bad old days, before I designed FPGA DACs with pulse array and DPLLs (these replace analogue PLLs and can be made to be completely transparent - that is sounding the same as a local crystal clock) I had huge problems with performance variability - both measured and with sound quality - and indeed better measurements were to be had after several hours of operation (and much better sound quality). But all of those problems have now been eliminated. Chord DACs measure identically from unit to unit, and do not change measurements with time; and as far as sound quality it concerned, you get optimum sound quality within 10 minutes of powering up.

 

[dawktah2]

Conventional DACs (particularly older DACs) use analogue phase lock loops (PLLs) and the quality designs use large value electrolytic caps to give good low frequency rejection. These caps take time to settle and reduce their leakage currents and this could provide a mechanism for improved performance.

With analogue PLLs the clock is constantly hunting and changing it's phase - under direct control of the analogue loop filter capacitor - and this induces distortion and noise within the DAC, together with spurious noise. The resultant jitter is to some extent signal correlated (and this happens when the cap picks up digital data noise), then we also get small signal amplitude errors too - degrading detail resolution and perception of depth.

In the bad old days, before I designed FPGA DACs with pulse array and DPLLs (these replace analogue PLLs and can be made to be completely transparent - that is sounding the same as a local crystal clock) I had huge problems with performance variability - both measured and with sound quality - and indeed better measurements were to be had after several hours of operation (and much better sound quality). But all of those problems have now been eliminated. Chord DACs measure identically from unit to unit, and do not change measurements with time; and as far as sound quality it concerned, you get optimum sound quality within 10 minutes of powering up.

Thanks @Rob Watts for this detailed explanation. I can say your participation is one of the reasons I truly enjoy Chord products outside of the sound.

Slightly off topic question, why do the "mono" blocks still have two channel outputs on the back in Ultima line?

If one needs more power than the TToby

 

[ZappaMan]

Conventional DACs (particularly older DACs) use analogue phase lock loops (PLLs) and the quality designs use large value electrolytic caps to give good low frequency rejection. These caps take time to settle and reduce their leakage currents and this could provide a mechanism for improved performance.

With analogue PLLs the clock is constantly hunting and changing it's phase - under direct control of the analogue loop filter capacitor - and this induces distortion and noise within the DAC, together with spurious noise. The resultant jitter is to some extent signal correlated (and this happens when the cap picks up digital data noise), then we also get small signal amplitude errors too - degrading detail resolution and perception of depth.

In the bad old days, before I designed FPGA DACs with pulse array and DPLLs (these replace analogue PLLs and can be made to be completely transparent - that is sounding the same as a local crystal clock) I had huge problems with performance variability - both measured and with sound quality - and indeed better measurements were to be had after several hours of operation (and much better sound quality). But all of those problems have now been eliminated. Chord DACs measure identically from unit to unit, and do not change measurements with time; and as far as sound quality it concerned, you get optimum sound quality within 10 minutes of powering up.

Rob, what is changing within the first 10 minutes ?

 

[Icenine2]

Conventional DACs (particularly older DACs) use analogue phase lock loops (PLLs) and the quality designs use large value electrolytic caps to give good low frequency rejection. These caps take time to settle and reduce their leakage currents and this could provide a mechanism for improved performance.

With analogue PLLs the clock is constantly hunting and changing it's phase - under direct control of the analogue loop filter capacitor - and this induces distortion and noise within the DAC, together with spurious noise. The resultant jitter is to some extent signal correlated (and this happens when the cap picks up digital data noise), then we also get small signal amplitude errors too - degrading detail resolution and perception of depth.

In the bad old days, before I designed FPGA DACs with pulse array and DPLLs (these replace analogue PLLs and can be made to be completely transparent - that is sounding the same as a local crystal clock) I had huge problems with performance variability - both measured and with sound quality - and indeed better measurements were to be had after several hours of operation (and much better sound quality). But all of those problems have now been eliminated. Chord DACs measure identically from unit to unit, and do not change measurements with time; and as far as sound quality it concerned, you get optimum sound quality within 10 minutes of powering up.

Thank you for the reply Rob. BTW just loving the Hugo TT2. The best part for me is having everything in such a small footprint where before I had separtate everything.

 

[Toonartist]

First post here, all though I've now had the TT2 & M Scaler for a couple of months.

My current setup is... Roon NUC > Auralic Aries G1 > M Scaler > TT2 directly into PMC 25.22 speakers via XLR connection with TQ Silver II cable. I use a 50000mAh power bank @9v with the MScaler and stock supply for the TT2. Using a WireWorld Supernova 7 optical to connect the G1 to the MScaler and couple of WW Starlight 8 1.5m bnc cables. The system is in a small room as a Near Field Listening setup with a 4ft listening triangle.

Why post now? Well, I just felt I needed to thank @Rob Watts for his work. Each day I listen to this setup, which is most days while working and in the evening, it always impresses. The transparency of this system is incredible and I've never missed the Naim SN2 & HiCap since this pair came along. Rob, thanks... this is an amazing DAC and the M Scaler is the icing on a very good cake. Cheers... looking forward to seeing what you do next

 

[Icenine2]

On a different note. Has anyone tried the Furutech NCF Clearline?

 

[N Quarter]

First post here, all though I've now had the TT2 & M Scaler for a couple of months.

Is that you Toonartist? (from the Naim forum), if it is, welcome.

 

[Rob Watts]

Thanks @Rob Watts for this detailed explanation. I can say your participation is one of the reasons I truly enjoy Chord products outside of the sound.

Slightly off topic question, why do the "mono" blocks still have two channel outputs on the back in Ultima line?

If one needs more power than the TToby

I don't design the amps - that's down to John Franks. But I guess two outputs allows for easy bi-wiring.

Rob, what is changing within the first 10 minutes ?

So the mentioning of a ten minute warm-up time comes from Mojo and Hugo 2 as my Dave and TT2 are on all the time. With Hugo 2 it's a bit warmer sounding after the first ten minutes. The issues that can have a bearing on performance with variability are:

1. RF noise - changing RF noise levels will change noise floor modulation, making it sound bright (more RF) or warm (less RF). This is eliminated by RF filtering everywhere, which Hugo 2 does; perhaps the warm-up is down to ceramic caps improving their RF impedance with time - but unlike electrolytic caps there is no mechanism for this.

2. Electrolytic caps take time to achieve lowest leakage current and lowest impedance - they get better with time - but Hugo 2 has no electrolytic caps in the signal path, just two in non critical areas.

3. Biasing of OP stages - bias currents take time to stabilise with temperature. You set bias currents at the operating temp; with conventional amps that will change crossover distortion; but with Hugo 2 the OP stage bias currents are very stable anyway, and the bias level has almost no influence on distortion due to the analogue noise shaper amp topology.

4. Internal jitter levels vary with analogue PLLs - but no PLLs in any of my DACs... The DPLL means source jitter is eliminated - also pulse array is inherently immune from master clock jitter - turning the clocks off only gives a 0.5dB improvement in noise, as noise is dominated solely by Nyquist Johnson resistor noise, not the DAC. So any possible master clock jitter changes can't upset the output at all.

Note that it's a pretty small change in SQ on turn on. And perhaps it's actually nothing to do with Hugo 2 - just me settling down, and my headphones and ears adjusting!

First post here, all though I've now had the TT2 & M Scaler for a couple of months.

My current setup is... Roon NUC > Auralic Aries G1 > M Scaler > TT2 directly into PMC 25.22 speakers via XLR connection with TQ Silver II cable. I use a 50000mAh power bank @9v with the MScaler and stock supply for the TT2. Using a WireWorld Supernova 7 optical to connect the G1 to the MScaler and couple of WW Starlight 8 1.5m bnc cables. The system is in a small room as a Near Field Listening setup with a 4ft listening triangle.

Why post now? Well, I just felt I needed to thank @Rob Watts for his work. Each day I listen to this setup, which is most days while working and in the evening, it always impresses. The transparency of this system is incredible and I've never missed the Naim SN2 & HiCap since this pair came along. Rob, thanks... this is an amazing DAC and the M Scaler is the icing on a very good cake. Cheers... looking forward to seeing what you do next

Thank-you for your kind comments.

Happy listening!