[Shini44]

@rudi0504
 
Can you please tell us more about the amp section? does it justify the price? right now i got the Chord Hugo, the amp section alone don't feel as full as Desktop amps, its not high end at all, no offence other Hugo fans, i am saying my honest opinion as an owner of that unit ^^

so please if you can compare the amp section between both that will be cool, or compare the TT's amp with some other amps directly.


for me the Portaphile 627 (old version) does way better than my Hugo's amp section, it make my CIEMs sound fuller and give me a bigger sound stage.
 
 
Thanks in advance for the information and for the earlier feedback.  

 

[JaZZ]

  @rudi0504
 
Can you please tell us more about the amp section? does it justify the price? right now i got the Chord Hugo, the amp section alone don't feel as full as Desktop amps, its not high end at all, no offence other Hugo fans, i am saying my honest opinion as an owner of that unit ^^
so please if you can compare the amp section between both that will be cool, or compare the TT's amp with some other amps directly.
for me the Portaphile 627 (old version) does way better than my Hugo's amp section, it make my CIEMs sound fuller and give me a bigger sound stage.
 
Thanks in advance for the information and for the earlier feedback.  

 
Now what is «high end» exactly? I think the interpretation depends of the sonic ideal, the sonic philosophy of the listener/owner. Roughly spoken it means a sound which appeals more than what the broad mass of playback devices are capable of delivering. So I'm not going to change your mind about the Hugo. To me it represents something like a sonic ideal which I followed since many years. Not just its DAC, but explicitly also its headphone stage. Granted, it does sound slightly leaner of drier or whatever you might call it than via my Corda Symphony, a headphone amp which has grown dear to me due to its extremely clear and very honest reproduction without too much alteration of the sound. It makes my HD 800 sound slightly more spectacular, fuller, warmer than directly from the Hugo. But on closer inspection I also noticed that it lacked the ultimate precision, imaging, atmosphere and captivating musicality, the soul of the direct connection. I consistently got the same impression from further comparisons. In fact the Hugo with the HD 800 – a dynamic headphone driven directly by a DAC's output stage, so to speak –, reminded me strongly of my experiences during my speaker(-builder) era: with my fantastic (modified) Metaxas Solitaire power amp fed directly from the Bel Canto DAC2's line out (more precisely: with a voltage divider/resistor network as signal attenuator in between) instead of a preamp. I really enjoyed the almost sacral atmosphere this configuration created: the music flowing with a warm accuracy full of lovingly preserved spatial detail to my ears.
 
That the Hugo/HD 800 system gives me a similar impression has its reason: It's the same purist approach. During my career as a music listener and electronics consumer I have learned that many components (I'd even say most) seduce with a euphonic sound instead of the plain truth (which is utopic anyway). And that's exactly the effect of double amplification: The sound gets fuller, warmer, rounder. But it loses transparency and accuracy, possibly also some of the recording's harshness, or it compensates for the headphone's sharpness or lean bass. To me, the sound directly from the Hugo isn't really leaner, it's just «faster». Although the Hugo's sound (in the function of a DAC or a DAC/amp combo) is spectacular on its own to my ears – smooth yet extremely detailed and transparent –, it probably isn't spectacular in a more common sense or for someone else with a different sonic ideal who prefers a meaty and pronouncedly dynamic presentation.
 
I have high respect for Rob Watts and the People from Chord for dedicating so much love (!) to the Hugo's design. It also expresses itself in the excellent crossfeed implementation, in my book an indispensable feature for an unclouded enoyment of music through headphones. Remember that almost all of the music we listen to is recorded for speaker reproduction. This comes with inevitable irritations (depending on the individual recording) when you listen to them through headphones which naturally lack the crosstalk at low frequencies you get from a speaker setup. The Hugo crossfeed is as perfect as it gets to my ears. (I have crossfeeded my whole music collection beforehand, so I actually don't benefit from it.)
 
Rob Watts' design philosophy behind the Hugo and its headphone stage can be read here.

 

[sutjahjo]

I love the Chord Hugo and is completely satisfied with it at the moment. Personally, what I am looking forward to is an even better Hugo at the same size and weight combination, not a bigger Hugo TT (even if better).

 

[bmichels]

I love the Chord Hugo and is completely satisfied with it at the moment. Personally, what I am looking forward to is an even better Hugo at the same size and weight combination, not a bigger Hugo TT (even if better).

+1    
 
(I also love my HUGO, but... I want better SQ while on the move with my LCD-X and ED5.  Looking for more "body" and "warm".  Sometime I add my TUR-06 to my HUGO, but it becomes cumbersome ! )
 

 

 

 

 

[Chris J]

+1    

(I also love my HUGO, but... I want better SQ while on the move with my LCD-X and ED5.  Looking for more "body" and "warm".  Sometime I add my TUR-06 to my HUGO, but it becomes cumbersome ! )

Mind if I ask how much that portable system weighs?
The one shown in your photos, the Hugo and the "tiny" tube amp.

 

[bmichels]

Mind if I ask how much that portable system weighs?

The one shown in your photos, the Hugo and the "tiny" tube amp.

 
well, Hugo is  400 grams  and the TUR-06 is  490 gr.  total = 900 gr  (+ AK Source)

 

[bmichels]

Can this AYRE CODEX be a serious  HugoTT competitor at half the price ?  Coming in MAY at $ 1500 !
 
 

 

[Chris J]

well, Hugo is  400 grams  and the TUR-06 is  490 gr.  total = 900 gr  (+ AK Source)

Thnaks, we're planning on going to Brugge in the next few years, BTW.

 

[Whazzzup]

well, Hugo is  400 grams  and the TUR-06 is  490 gr.  total = 900 gr  (+ AK Source)

Thnaks, we're planning on going to Brugge in the next few years, BTW.

Seen the movie. Hilarious.

 

[paladinm]

I wonder how Hugo TT sounds like, compared with separate dac+amp in the same price range. I agree what ppl said above. I'm looking forward to a Hugo 2 or Hugo plus, not a Hugo tt. IMO, although it is much smaller than most desperate dac+amp combo, it is still not portable...of course, that's why they named it TT! Oh Darn! I wish I could go the Canjam this year and hear the TT myself!

 

[Sonic77]

  Can this AYRE CODEX be a serious  HugoTT competitor at half the price ?  Coming in MAY at $ 1500 !
 
 

Not in my opinion, I heard it a can jam and was not impressed, although not terrible, not in the Hugo league.

 

[dallan]

Question for Rob. This is a major purchase for me. Heard it at Canjam and it is on my short list. I did have a tech point out that servicing may be an eventual issue. How would this be addressed if there was a problem at one point. I have a tube point to point wired that is easy for most techs to fix when i have had a switch or something go out but on the Hugo TT i am sure it would be more elaborate. Will you have people in the U.S. or would you do all servicing in England? $5000. or there about is huge so just want to touch all the bases, like i said the tube amp has been good for seven years and i would hope to get at least five out of the TT, maybe more so fixes come into play.
 
Edit-I just got the Hugo two months ago and it occurred to me for that as well...

 

[OK-Guy]

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Shanghai International High-End HiFi Show (SIAV 2015) ​

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Date: 24th - 26th April 2015​

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Venue: SIAV 2015​

             Shanghai International Exhibition and Convention Center​

             2727Riverside Avenue, Puddong​

Shanghai, China.​

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Booth number - 5T02​

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Dita Audio (China) will be hosting Chord Electronics at the upcoming SIAV event - John Franks will be unveiling and presenting the Chord Hugo TT on Saturday 25th, also on display will be the Hugo and 2Cute with a multitude of differend sources.​

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[dallan]

Over a week later no answers for me……

 Guess the answer is it will never break.

 

[Super Pang]

Rob just designs the thing. Contact Chord Electronics directly.