[Reactcore]

Thanks for this. I'll take a look at the back outputs. In my case, I can hear some music coming through my headphones but it's very distant and weird. I asked the official chord support for a recommended technician for a repair but they didn't bother to reply. I also have an M scaler plumbed into to the TT2 and when I switch to that output, the problem is the same.

Are your headphones plugged directly in TT2?
If the ground pin of the jack is not connected you get mono, echo like sound..
Then you should check your headphone cable and plug/adapter

 

[gwenver]

Are your headphones plugged directly in TT2?
If the ground pin of the jack is not connected you get mono, echo like sound..
Then you should check your headphone cable and plug/adapter

thanks for this suggestion. I've tried different headphones plugged directly into the TT2 and the dismal sound is still dismal. I will take another look.

 

[Amberlamps]

Thinking of trying the D10 ddc and apart from using it with my imac would it work if i connected an ipod touch usb out into it via a camera adaptor? The ipod is a roon endpoint powered by a portable battery. So would the usb powered D10 effectively be powered from the powerbank connected to the ipod or is it taking power from the ipod usb out or are both basically the same thing? Similar to this. I'm going topping d10 to mscaler optical in to dual bnc to tt2.

Sup MK,

I use a D10S so I could use the optical out as a bridge to my mscaler and then optical out from there to optical in on tt2, makes a big difference in my opinion, using usb direct in to mscaler and dbnc on tt2, it sounds veiled to me now, I just use optical 1 on tt2 and things are remarkably clearer.

 

[musickid]

Hello Amberlamps,

Mine is arriving tomorrow. My initial useage is optical in mscaler dual bnc out to tt2. I'll look at other options like your arrangement later on to see if hear the improvements you mentioned. Do you know if the optical out is bit perfect on the D10s? I'm assuming it must be.

 

[bede11]

Today I noticed that TT2 stops working instantly when disconnecting the DC cable, not running for 10 more seconds like it should. Maybe is a problem with supercapacitors, should I worry? Otherwise is working normally.

They replaced the unit in warranty, props to Chord.

 

[Amberlamps]

Hello Amberlamps,

Mine is arriving tomorrow. My initial useage is optical in mscaler dual bnc out to tt2. I'll look at other options like your arrangement later on to see if hear the improvements you mentioned. Do you know if the optical out is bit perfect on the D10s? I'm assuming it must be.

Yup, it does / is bit perfect.

 

[musickid]

finally a ddc that does 44, 96 and 192 khz usb to optical perfectly and is usb powered.

roon imac > topping d10s > optical mscaler > dual bnc tt2 > kef ls50 metas > JL audio d110 subwoofer.

the topping is sounding excellent. for the time being headphone listening is talking second place. i'm getting results equal to that of a large floor standing speaker worth 3 to 4 times as much as my set up. i will go into detail as to how i got here shortly. it wasn't easy. a complete transformation to how i listen to music for the better in every way.

 

[alekc]

finally a ddc that does 44, 96 and 192 khz usb to optical perfectly and is usb powered.

roon imac > topping d10s > optical mscaler > dual bnc tt2 > kef ls50 metas > JL audio d110 subwoofer.

the topping is sounding excellent. for the time being headphone listening is talking second place. i'm getting results equal to that of a large floor standing speaker worth 3 to 4 times as much as my set up. i will go into detail as to how i got here shortly. it wasn't easy. a complete transformation to how i listen to music for the better in every way.

@musickid congrats on new setup

Careful with praising Topping so much here, you may be converted to "ASR heretic" Sorry I couldn't stop myself from writing this little poor joke. It's Friday after all

Enjoy your music. I can't wait to return home and have a listen to good jazz on speaker setup in snowy surroundings.

 

[musickid]

I wanted to add something to my setup but with mtt2 ( for which i tried a dave and it didnt take long to yearn for the wholeness and fuller more accurate sounding mtt2) giving total satisfaction alongside my oppo pm1 headphones and kef ls50 metas speakers which ive been powering direct single ended from mtt2 for a year and totally satisfied with them i found myself in a dead end. BTW the metas powered directly from tt2 are stunning so replacing them with more expensive bookshelf size speakers is something i struggled with and ultimately came across as pointless to me. I listen nearfield.

Then by thinking outside of the box the idea of adding a quality subwoofer came to mind. Ok it shouldn't take longer than an hour to find one within my budget of 1500 problem solved. Well not quite. One hour turned into a 6 week long intensive project with multiple communications between me Steve and Rob. Big thankyou to them otherwise nothing would have happened.

Areas which involved a very steep learning curve. Finding the right powered subwoofer that would compliment my kef ls50's perfectly and my room size. This took literally between 30 to 40 hours of online reading. Secondly understanding subwoofer science ie phase crossover placement and so on. The last point which i really struggled with was understanding the polarities of xlr cables and what i needed to do as to be able to ensure that tt2 which is signalling the sub operates correctly. Finally i had a custom cable made. Also ordering an aperta subwoofer base for vibration control. The D110 subwoofer takes no power from the tt2 the tt2 is just "signalling it". The D110 contains a 750W class D amp. (The sub is placed just under my desk the kefs on the desk...an extremely high quality nearfield set up).

Key here is finding a sub which in no way whatsoever overtakes the sound coming out of the kef speakers but a sub that compliments them perfectly. The reason for this is that my kefs are sounding magical as my mscaler // tt2 are powering these passive speakers. This point was essential. The JL Audio d110 did all of this.

Final result......before i was getting a 2D representation of the music focussing on the mids and highs the kef is small and doesn't reach down. With the new sub im basically listening to all of the new information in the music at the low end below 80hz. In effect i'm now imitating a large floor standing speaker that might cost 20 thousand or even more at way less than that price. My kefs have totally bloomed and my room is filled with a true concert quality sound. I'm not listening loudly or shaking the room as the d110 is all about quality bass not quantity hence its compact size. Everything is exponentially way more riveting in my listening and im rediscovering my roon digital music collection.

Without the magic of mTT2 driving the kefs directly through the rca outs none of this would be possible. The audiophile level subwoofer is reflecting and interacting with the main sound from the kefs and giving it a foundation thats solid thats all. I personally would never go down the active "speaker" route and loose that chord magic. My passive ls50 metas excel with mTT2 single ended powering them and the accuracy of tt2 xlr out L+R (with two xlr to rca cables from tt2 to line in on the sub L +R) only ensures that the dominion sub gets the timing and control it needs to perfectly paint this beautiful picture. A new topping d10s usb to optical convertor for roon on my imac to optical mscaler concludes this chapter in this phase of my audio journey by adding that last bit of icing onto the cake. Thankyou for reading.

(im listening to andrea bocelli cinema album now and i feel as if im in a real cinema with the all encompassing audio effects you get there... incredible)

two quotes which helped me along the way::

to Say that Paul McGowan CEO of PS Audio, who can have whatever he wants chooses a pair of LS50's with a sub for his personal home for general listening...that alone means something

it’s objectively hard to beat ls50 meta and even a single well integrated quality sub for good sound at spl levels most people would typically want.

 

[Digital Enigma]

I wanted to add something to my setup but with mtt2 ( for which i tried a dave and it didnt take long to yearn for the wholeness and fuller more accurate sounding mtt2) giving total satisfaction alongside my oppo pm1 headphones and kef ls50 metas speakers which ive been powering direct single ended from mtt2 for a year and totally satisfied with them i found myself in a dead end. BTW the metas powered directly from tt2 are stunning so replacing them with more expensive bookshelf size speakers is something i struggled with and ultimately came across as pointless to me. I listen nearfield.

Then by thinking outside of the box the idea of adding a quality subwoofer came to mind. Ok it shouldn't take longer than an hour to find one within my budget of 1500 problem solved. Well not quite. One hour turned into a 6 week long intensive project with multiple communications between me Steve and Rob. Big thankyou to them otherwise nothing would have happened.

Areas which involved a very steep learning curve. Finding the right powered subwoofer that would compliment my kef ls50's perfectly and my room size. This took literally between 30 to 40 hours of online reading. Secondly understanding subwoofer science ie phase crossover placement and so on. The last point which i really struggled with was understanding the polarities of xlr cables and what i needed to do as to be able to ensure that tt2 which is signalling the sub operates correctly. Finally i had a custom cable made. Also ordering an aperta subwoofer base for vibration control. The D110 subwoofer takes no power from the tt2 the tt2 is just "signalling it". The D110 contains a 750W class D amp. (The sub is placed just under my desk the kefs on the desk...an extremely high quality nearfield set up).

Key here is finding a sub which in no way whatsoever overtakes the sound coming out of the kef speakers but a sub that compliments them perfectly. The reason for this is that my kefs are sounding magical as my mscaler // tt2 are powering these passive speakers. This point was essential. The JL Audio d110 did all of this.

Final result......before i was getting a 2D representation of the music focussing on the mids and highs the kef is small and doesn't reach down. With the new sub im basically listening to all of the new information in the music at the low end below 80hz. In effect i'm now imitating a large floor standing speaker that might cost 20 thousand or even more at way less than that price. My kefs have totally bloomed and my room is filled with a true concert quality sound. I'm not listening loudly or shaking the room as the d110 is all about quality bass not quantity hence its compact size. Everything is exponentially way more riveting in my listening and im rediscovering my roon digital music collection.

Without the magic of mTT2 driving the kefs directly through the rca outs none of this would be possible. The audiophile level subwoofer is reflecting and interacting with the main sound from the kefs and giving it a foundation thats solid thats all. I personally would never go down the active "speaker" route and loose that chord magic. My passive ls50 metas excel with mTT2 single ended powering them and the accuracy of tt2 xlr out L+R (with two xlr to rca cables from tt2 to line in on the sub L +R) only ensures that the dominion sub gets the timing and control it needs to perfectly paint this beautiful picture. A new topping d10s usb to optical convertor for roon on my imac to optical mscaler concludes this chapter in this phase of my audio journey by adding that last bit of icing onto the cake. Thankyou for reading.

(im listening to andrea bocelli cinema album now and i feel as if im in a real cinema with the all encompassing audio effects you get there... incredible)

two quotes which helped me along the way::

to Say that Paul McGowan CEO of PS Audio, who can have whatever he wants chooses a pair of LS50's with a sub for his personal home for general listening...that alone means something

it’s objectively hard to beat ls50 meta and even a single well integrated quality sub for good sound at spl levels most people would typically want.

Im very surprised that you are able to properly drive LS50 meta out of a TT2...

They have a sensitivity of 84db and drop down to 2ohms! im not surprised you wanted a sub woofer to pair with them. 84db is low and they need some serious current to get those drivers performing to their full potential. I get this "pure as possible signal" thing many people want but this isn't the way to go with LS50s, you are handicapping them from the fear of a bit of added distortion which in my opinion is far less important than under powering a speaker.

Have you actually tried a dedicated amplifier? its not just about higher volume, you might be surprised about not needing the sub.

 

[AussieMick]

Im very surprised that you are able to properly drive LS50 meta out of a TT2...

They have a sensitivity of 84db and drop down to 2ohms! im not surprised you wanted a sub woofer to pair with them. 84db is low and they need some serious current to get those drivers performing to their full potential. I get this "pure as possible signal" thing many people want but this isn't the way to go with LS50s, you are handicapping them from the fear of a bit of added distortion which in my opinion is far less important than under powering a speaker.

Have you actually tried a dedicated amplifier? its not just about higher volume, you might be surprised about not needing the sub.

Plenty of people are using LS50 near field with low power amplification. Your point about a sub is a good one, but these speakers can sound remarkably transparent above 200Hz when fed in this way.

 

[hammondfan]

Hello ! Does someone know if it is possible to use a dual 6.35 male to Xlr4 female adapter connected to the 2 headphone outputs of the Hugo TT2 to benefit from a balanced headphone output like in the Mytek Brooklyn Bridge ? Or is it better to use the XLR3 line outputs with an adapter (dual xlr3 to xlr4) ? If yes, Will it result in sound inprovement ? Is there a risk to dammage the headphones ? What would you recommend for a Hifiman Susvara ? Thanks a lot !

 

[hammondfan]

By the way I asked chatgpt and it answered the following ...


Using a dual 6.35mm male to XLR4 female adapter with the Hugo TT2's headphone outputs won't create a balanced headphone output like the Mytek Brooklyn Bridge. It's better to use the XLR3 line outputs with an adapter (dual XLR3 to XLR4) for balanced output. This could potentially improve sound quality, but it's important to note that the improvement might not be substantial and could vary depending on the headphones used. There shouldn't be a risk of damaging the headphones when using appropriate adapters, but always ensure compatibility and use quality adapters. For the Hifiman Susvara, leveraging a balanced connection might offer better performance, but it's recommended to test and compare to perceive any noticeable difference in sound quality.

 

[AussieMick]

By the way I asked chatgpt and it answered the following ...


Using a dual 6.35mm male to XLR4 female adapter with the Hugo TT2's headphone outputs won't create a balanced headphone output like the Mytek Brooklyn Bridge. It's better to use the XLR3 line outputs with an adapter (dual XLR3 to XLR4) for balanced output. This could potentially improve sound quality, but it's important to note that the improvement might not be substantial and could vary depending on the headphones used. There shouldn't be a risk of damaging the headphones when using appropriate adapters, but always ensure compatibility and use quality adapters. For the Hifiman Susvara, leveraging a balanced connection might offer better performance, but it's recommended to test and compare to perceive any noticeable difference in sound quality.

ChatGPT is right! The dual XLR3 to XLR4 is readily available commercially and will give you a little more power. I’ve never tried a Susvara this way so I can’t say if it’s an improvement or not. The adapter cable is cheap so not much to lose if you decide to stick with the unbalanced.
Keep in mind that Chord DACs are native unbalanced, and that it does require some extra internal circuitry to create the balanced outputs. Some say this decreases transparency, but surely there are other variables? Some people say they are completely happy running Susvara from the 6.35mm output single ended, some say it’s not enough power to control it.
So, I reckon you’ll get conflicting answers on this one and the only way you’ll resolve it is to try it yourself.

 

[Articnoise]

ChatGPT is right! The dual XLR3 to XLR4 is readily available commercially and will give you a little more power. I’ve never tried a Susvara this way so I can’t say if it’s an improvement or not. The adapter cable is cheap so not much to lose if you decide to stick with the unbalanced.
Keep in mind that Chord DACs are native unbalanced, and that it does require some extra internal circuitry to create the balanced outputs. Some say this decreases transparency, but surely there are other variables? Some people say they are completely happy running Susvara from the 6.35mm output single ended, some say it’s not enough power to control it.
So, I reckon you’ll get conflicting answers on this one and the only way you’ll resolve it is to try it yourself.

I would not say that the balanced outputs decreases transparency. I heard it more as a decrease in tonalitet/naturalness, but that's just me.