[Biggarthomas]

I actually have a Hugo on loan from my dealer. I really want to know whether I'm just jumping on the Hugo bandwagon or whether the sound that I perceive is being experienced by others with good systems.

I've been using an Aubiolab M-DAC for the past two years. The Audiolab was my first serious DAC and I'm very used to its sound. The Hugo out performs the Audiolab by a wide margin. The Hugo lifts more detail off music files. I'll give some examples. In Sympathy for the Devil, one hears the sound of maracas fairly early in the track. The Audiolab rendered them audible but the Hugo renders them more musical and more present. I know the Moody Blues albums very well the Hugo renders the ambient sounds that the band includes extremely well. In fact, I now have the satisfaction of knowing that I'm not just imagining some of those sounds - they really are there. Listening to Albinoni, Concerti a Cinque Op 10 sounds richer than ever, the violins rendered in a way that you can hear that they are wooden stringed instruments and not just digital sounds. Coltrane's Blue Trane is spectacular with adepth that I have never before experienced.

One of the things that I was very interested in was the effect of Hugo on the excellent sound staging and imagery of the Ayre amp and preamp. I'm hugely happy to report that, as I sit here now listening to Robert Plant sing Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, the Hugo keeps him right in my living room.

 

[bmichels]

disappointed with the TT... QBD update will be my interest

+1

 

[AndrewOld]

 ...also i don't understand why chord is using batterys in the hugo tt when rob has managed 2 sort the 2qute without the use of batterys after all the Hugo tt is not a portable dac.

 
Rob has now answered this. If he designed it again, he wouldn't use batteries.
 

  ..
The reason TT is battery is this guarantees isolation noise from the mains supply. The TT project started in Feb 2014; at that time, we were not sure how much of the Hugo magic was down to the batteries, so the decision was made to go for the guaranteed low risk approach - use the batteries. The 2 Qute program started much later, and its only a few weeks ago that I have confirmed that we can get battery sound quality by the use of a lot more RF filtering and regulation. So if TT was designed today, I would go for no batteries, haven proven it can be made to sound identical.
 
TT can give a bit more power than Hugo, due to the beefed up OP stage and bigger batteries and the super caps.
 
 

 
 see http://www.head-fi.org/t/702787/chord-hugo/9540#post_11282403

 

[craigp]

I've been using an Aubiolab M-DAC for the past two years. The Audiolab was my first serious DAC and I'm very used to its sound. The Hugo out performs the Audiolab by a wide margin. The Hugo lifts more detail off music files

 
I hate you.  I hate you ... My wallet, wife, and the dog all hate you 

 
I love the M-DAC and I'm trying so hard to not want the Hugo and comments like this are not helping!  Why is this such an expensive hobby addiction? 

 

[Whazzzup]

 

I've been using an Aubiolab M-DAC for the past two years. The Audiolab was my first serious DAC and I'm very used to its sound. The Hugo out performs the Audiolab by a wide margin. The Hugo lifts more detail off music files

 
I hate you.  I hate you ... My wallet, wife, and the dog all hate you 

 
I love the M-DAC and I'm trying so hard to not want the Hugo and comments like this are not helping!  Why is this such an expensive hobby addiction? 

Face it  the force is strong

 

[Somphon]

I really dig my hugo and would drop 5500 bucks for the TT if the power output was sufficient to drive higher wattage demand cans like lcd3. I'm looking forward to posters views on this when its out. I mean for that money im not looking for an amp as well, this would have to be an all in one solution for the majority of refrence cans available on the market. Other than that im excited about the launch and give a wiser golf clap to chord.

My Hugo drives LCD-3 and HD800 just fine, so I imagine TT would be even better.

  first of all silver is ugly as hell..
 
secondo.. people wanted hugo with better headphone amp
 
thirdo i would want a tunderbolt ultra low latency asio 4channel hugo with 4 lineout ouput and headphone output so that i can use it for dj gigs..
 
why not add (8in&8out or 16in&16out)adat or midas for studios
 
why not add cheap docking boxes so that it create a real portable package..
or better battery time or lower weight is always good or small size
 
mini xlr balanced output
 
---
 
why not integrate ultra low latency non rigging linear phase dsp EQ..
 
--
 
audiophile are not the only clients anymore you know
 
these days we want everything in one box but we need low latency and tons of connection for the studio and djings(less output for that)
 
but all on a chip design like yours are perfect to handle those field.. but think of the studio..
 
think about that chord
 
and keep price acceptable hihi

I think its been said to death that Hugo DAC/Amp is one of the same, so if you like the DAC section, you should like the amp - cuz its the same... 

 

[rudi0504]

My First Impression today 21 Feb 2015 Chord Hugo TT

Short Impression out The bos Chord Hugo TT:

This Chord Hugo TT is true High End Sound Quality like the big brother QBD 76 HDSD. Less power

Chord Hugo TT SQ
is smoother than Chord Hugo.

My Chord Hugo is less black back ground and i heard less organic sound.

Hugo has better bass impact .but un natural bass impact
Chord Hugo TT Bass can Go deeper and cleaner bass

Chord Hugo TT more soul when the Sanger sing and better dimension too.

Separation : better music separation

Soundstage : more 3 D like in Big Concert Hall.

Overall SQ more natural .like come out from individual instrument .
It is huge improvement over Hugo

IMO

 

[Whazzzup]

nice, its out in canada. Good to hear and see first impressions, enjoy

 

[rudi0504]

My new Chord Hugo TT pair with Abyss 1266

Source :
AK 100 Gold Japan Edition

DAC / Amp :
Chord Hugo TT

Headphone :
Abyss 1266

Cable :
Sys Concept 5,00 mm

Compare my Hugo :
High :
Better in clarity and detail .better present

Mid :
Sweeter and cleaner .better pronounce and better remdering .

Bass :
Better Bass impact and speed .can go lower and cleaner and bettet detail too

Separation :
Better music separation .that between one instrumemt very clear the placement.

Soundstage :
Is wider .taller and deeper .more like in big concert Hall

Conculsion :
Chord Hugo TT Sq is more high end close to their TOTL DAC QBD 76 HDSD.
After i heard Hugo TT .Hugo is Sq for portable can go to home DAC .
Hugo as portable DAC is still the best on the market.
Hugo TT more organic sound .and fuller sound too.
IMO

 

[Super Pang]

 
Pornography. 
So much want. 

 

[lextek]

I need to check my Lotto tickets....

 

[rudi0504]

nice, its out in canada. Good to hear and see first impressions, enjoy

Thank you Whazzzup
Please Share impression too Here

 

[rudi0504]

Pornography. 
So much want. :tongue_smile:

I need to check my Lotto tickets....

Thank you 2 of you to see My post

 

[bmichels]

now they need to come with a "Super Hugo"  

:
 
a slightly bigger Hugo (if needed) that is using the technology developed for the NEW QBD DAC to be anounced in 2 months, with Balanded headphone-out ( & still on battery).
 
Indeed, when the QBD 168 HDSD will be at the Munich show, the HUGO technology will immediatly seems obsolete ! 2 years old in our hobby is a lot when a new one is announced  

 
 
at least , as a long term HUGO owner (I use it on the go alone  & at home with my Eddie Curent 445 tube AMP), this is my wish list for my birthday: a "Super Hugo"  

 

 

[darkbluemn]

My First Impression today 21 Feb 2015 Chord Hugo TT

Short Impression out The bos Chord Hugo TT:

This Chord Hugo TT is true High End Sound Quality like the big brother QBD 76 HDSD. Less power

Chord Hugo TT SQ
is smoother than Chord Hugo.

My Chord Hugo is less black back ground and i heard less organic sound.

Hugo has better bass impact .but un natural bass impact
Chord Hugo TT Bass can Go deeper and cleaner bass

Chord Hugo TT more soul when the Sanger sing and better dimension too.

Separation : better music separation

Soundstage : more 3 D like in Big Concert Hall.

Overall SQ more natural .like come out from individual instrument .
It is huge improvement over Hugo

 
I have the same cable for my ED8 romeo from Stefan Audio. Really beautiful cable, lol, but expensive.