[flymetothemoon]

   
http://redwineaudio.com/mods/rwak240

Thanks

 

[zachchen1996]

  Based on reading the Cord Hugo thread according to Mr Watts (designer of the DAC) he himself preferred the optical cable over the coaxial input

 
Yes, but based on impressions from owners / users of the hugo, the coaxial input is superior.

 

[my-2000]

I looked at the Japaneses site URL but cannot read it. What are the specs on these two "new" models?

There're only 3 lines on that page so you can imagine nothing is really said there. It just says the 2 models will be presented at the German event "HIGHEND" on 5/15 and there's no detail atm. This site has more information per se but nothing meaningful either, other than mentioning the "disk size" will be larger for sure (duh). I guess we can only wait till 5/15.

 

[Sylafari]

My AK240 I just gotten is gonna be obsolete in just a few weeks

, I think I can still return it though...

 

[angelo898]

what iem/headphone were you using to test this?

 

[angelo898]

  I agree with kantana...
 
Yesterday for a few hours I had a very amazing opportunity to listen to the brand new RWAK 240 modification from Red Wine Audio vs. the Cord Hugo.  Blind testing using conventional CD quality 16 / 44.100kHz all the way to higher resolution sources up to 24 / 176.4kHz DSD .  Blind testing was conducted 7 times between the two sources and 6 of the 7 times I picked the RWAK 240 over the Cord Hugo with regard to better SQ!!!  The differences were obvious and almost immediate to me. We were using the AK240's 2.5mm TRRS balanced output connector. The base AK240 without the mod using the balanced output and good cables is close to the Cord Hugo but in my humble opinion the Cord is just more musical!  That said, with the RWAK240 modification the AK has the edge over the Cord.  
 
I want to extend a huge THANK YOU to Tom Boozebuttons and Vinnie from Red Wine Audio for helping me make this testing a reality. I was honestly so set on purchasing the Cord Hugo before the testing began.  I was really shocked after the testing but at the end of the day my own ears told me otherwise!  Both DAC players are really amazing and current state of the art.  You couldn't go wrong with either choice. 
 
Sincerely,
Speedracer1  (aka Tom)  

what headphone/iem were you testing this with? sorry i forgot to quote and dunno how to delete the above post

 

[HideousPride]

   
Yes, but based on impressions from owners / users of the hugo, the coaxial input is superior.

Not sure what kind of stake you have in trying to prove the Hugo is superior, but give it a rest please. Especially considering each individual has their own subjective opinions, it'd be great if you try to stop pushing your own bias on others. If you haven't heard both set ups yourself, your opinion is completely unnecessary and does not contribute to the thread.
 
EDIT: FWIW, I have heard both. The AK240 suited my needs better and so I picked it up, but I'm not going into the Hugo thread touting as such because there's no point.

 

[zachchen1996]

speedracer1,
 
The red wine mod for the ak240 appears to only improve on the ak240's amp section & not its DAC section.
The Hugo's amp section is not its strong point, the Hugo's DAC section is. So it is very believable that the amp section of the rwak240 is better than that of the hugo's. What I highly highly doubt, is that the rwak240's DAC section can exceed the Hugo's DAC section. A comparison between the 2 devices DAC section only would be greatly appreciated (if you have time of course).
 
Thanks 

 

 

[zachchen1996]

  Not sure what kind of stake you have in trying to prove the Hugo is superior, but give it a rest please. Especially considering each individual has their own subjective opinions, it'd be great if you try to stop pushing your own bias on others. If you haven't heard both set ups yourself, your opinion is completely unnecessary and does not contribute to the thread.
 
EDIT: FWIW, I have heard both. The AK240 suited my needs better and so I picked it up, but I'm not going into the Hugo thread touting as such because there's no point.

 
I'm not trying to prove any devices superiority.
I am just genuinely curious about how the DAC section of the devices compare. (personally don't care about the performance of the amp sections of either device because I would use an external amp)
 
Because if the RWAK240's DAC is better than the DAC in the HUGO, I would love to get a RWAK240

 

[flymetothemoon]

   
Exactly,
 
According to some Hugo owners, the hugo sounds best through it's coaxial & HD USB input, and not its optical input.
Maybe you should redo the comparison, except this time, use the hugo's coax input. Yeah the mod may improve the ak240's sq, but I highly doubt it would make it surpass a dedicated DAC.

Very good point Zach.
 
We should focus on comparing the Hugo to other "dedicated DAC" rather than AK240.  

 

[Bluebear]

  speedracer1,
 
The red wine mod for the ak240 appears to only improve on the ak240's amp section & not its DAC section.
The Hugo's amp section is not its strong point, the Hugo's DAC section is. So it is very believable that the amp section of the rwak240 is better than that of the hugo's. What I highly highly doubt, is that the rwak240's DAC section can exceed the Hugo's DAC section. A comparison between the 2 devices DAC section only would be greatly appreciated (if you have time of course).
 
Thanks 

 

 
I understand the best part of Hugo is its customized FPGA DAC, but shouldn't we be comparing the entire package of RWAK240 mod vs the entire package of Hugo as a whole? Else, what is the point of doing the RWAK240 mod like based on what you said it only improves on the amp? I am going to bring either the RWAK240 or the Hugo when I go out with me to listen to my music. I am not going to split the DAC from the amp and bring only the DAC outside leaving the amp part at home, and then pair either of them with another external amp...
 
The RWAK240 mod is building upon what is already an excellent portable AK240 DAP (which is a tiny powerhouse in such a small form factor) and is here to address and boost the final weak link in its design which is the limited power of the amp in such a small package.

 

[flymetothemoon]

   
I'm not trying to prove any devices superiority.
I am just genuinely curious about how the DAC section of the devices compare. (personally don't care about the performance of the amp sections of either device because I would use an external amp)
 
Because if the RWAK240's DAC is better than the DAC in the HUGO, I would love to get a RWAK240

What if Hugo's DAC part is better, what source that you'd use (Hugo on its own won't sing though)?

 

[zachchen1996]

  What if Hugo's DAC part is better, what source that you'd use (Hugo on its own won't sing though)?

 
iPhone 5s paired with a VentureCraft GO-DAP DD Limited 12V w/ MUSE02 op-amps coaxial out into the hugo's coaxial input
Hopefully the upcoming Fiio X7's digital coaxial out quality is really good, because then it could be an excellent candidate as a proper transport for the Hugo.

 

[zachchen1996]

   
I understand the best part of Hugo is its customized FPGA DAC, but shouldn't we be comparing the entire package of RWAK240 mod vs the entire package of Hugo as a whole? Else, what is the point of doing the RWAK240 mod like based on what you said it only improves on the amp? I am going to bring either the RWAK240 or the Hugo when I go out with me to listen to my music. I am not going to split the DAC from the amp and bring only the DAC outside leaving the amp part at home, and then pair either of them with another external amp...
 
The RWAK240 mod is building upon what is already an excellent portable AK240 DAP (which is a tiny powerhouse in such a small form factor) and is here to address and boost the final weak link in its design which is the limited power of the amp in such a small package.

 
Oh I completely agree with you here, if someone is looking for a totl all in one / self contained device then the rwak240 is it!
 
But for me, since I personally don't mind carrying around humongous stacks on the go, I will be pairing the hugo with an external amp (Wagnus Epsilon S), hence why I only care about the DAC section's performance & not the amp section's performance.
 
There's a different device for different people & different needs.

 

[angelo898]

  What if Hugo's DAC part is better, what source that you'd use (Hugo on its own won't sing though)?

the sony zx1 would be a good choice imo