Some of what you have read here on Audiogon may have been from me. I am
listening to the Chord Hugo on my main rig as I type this. It is really an
amazing dac and while I have listened to the headphone outputs, Im not really
a headphone listener so I can't compare its performance as a headphone amp.
As a dac, I am very impressed by the performance. All the detail, layering and
fluidity one could hope for in an audio component.
The fact that it was designed to be portable and thus runs on battery power
creates a few pros and cons. Pros: The thing is dead quiet. I mean silent! Its
footprint is obviously tiny which provides numerous placement choices. It also
doesnt care about a power cable which will save you a few bucks if you are
into audiophile cables. While on the subject of cables, its usb input is of the
micro variety which means, even though it is supplied with all of the cables
you need to hook up to almost any transport, few of us have audiophile grade
usb cables with the tiny micro termination. The cable they supply is ok and
will get you up and running. Also on the cable front, the Hugo is so light
weight that heavier audio file rca interconnects will require you to secure the
Hugo with a weight of some kind if your interconnects apply any weight.
I leave mine on and it is really a revolutionary product BUT....and this may be
a big BUT, it is so small that the on off switch is tough to use if you have large
fingers because it is placed between the charger cable input and the usb
input. Other than those small nits, this dac is terrific! I surmise when Chord
releases their dedicated rack mount dac based on this technology that it will
make waves. Best of luck. |
I know what you mean, the head-fi community is quite active. One problem here that will probably prohibit the Chord Hugo from penetrating the market too much is that it is simply not big enough nor "audiophile" enough. It doesn't benefit from an expensive power cord, its just simply fabulous. Its a game changer. Fr instance, I see all the time old dacs trade hands here for multiples of the cost of the new Hugo and I just shake my head in disbelief. A few of the dacs I've owned: Benchmark, McIntosh, Mytek, Playback, Audio Research, Naim, LM, Cary and while they are all excellent and enjoyable the Chord is pretty special.
The people in our hobby have traditionally been reluctant to adopt products that have have small or outside the box/unconventional form factors. Maybe some of the newer entrants to our hobby are less wed to the milled aluminum remote control as a critical arbiter of quality? Maybe the 100 pound slabs of milled aluminum casework are no longer necessary for great sound? What is being done inside the Hugo was not possible even a few years ago. The FGPA would have, according to the designer, required a power supply weighing over 100 pounds to power the processing requirements of the previous generation FGPA technology. We will see what the future holds but the Hugo is the real deal. |
No one is comparing the Hugo to a Lampi here but lets make a couple of things very clear: it is at an entirely different level from the Qute line, this is a reference caliber dac. I listened to both versions of the Qute and its a really good dac, the Hugo is really great. Secondly, it is far from thin or lacking in dynamics....somebody is either talking out of their bum or have an agenda. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but the only way I could imagine someone thinking the Hugo is thin is they were listening through very inefficient cans. It may or may not compare with other dacs in the opinion of a given user but this dac is extraordinary on its own merits.
Chord themselves consider this an accidental reference dac. They admit they discovered its extraordinary performance after prototyping. While I'm interested in others opinions and system implementations, the excellence of the Hugo is obvious to even the casual listener. Peace. |
Wisnon, so, you've made your point that you are positive that the Hugo is not better than a Big7. I'll concede since I've never heard a Lampizator and likely never will. Once again, no one is saying that it is! It's probably not competitive with a DCS stack either....nor an ARC reference dac.....nor many others.
The point I believe we are trying to make here is that in general there are some really cool developments happening in the digital world right now. Specifically we are saying that the Hugo moves the needle in what may be possible at a reasonable price point presently. the qute dacs, while very good are not at the level at which the Hugo performs. You may disagree, which is terrific....especially in light of the fact that I can not possibly imagine the depth of your immense knowledge of the development of this DAC. Be sure to pick up your telephone when called upon by Chord's r&d department, your input will likely be crucial to their very survival. peace. |
Wisnon, I was snide toward you for a couple of reasons.
First, your comment touting your expertise when it is obvious you haven't personally listened to a Hugo. That doesn't help your credibility.
Second, in reviewing your participation with these forums, you tend to shill a few products BEFORE ever hearing them, which you have done with both Lampizator dacs and Job amps. Both I'm sure are fine products, I'M JUST NOT QUALIFIED TO COMMENT BECAUSE I HAVEN'T HEARD THEM PERSONALLY.
I have no vested interest in whether you listen to a Hugo or not, couldn't care. Prior to commenting on performance though it would probably be commendable if you had listened to a product in advance of doing so. |
Wisnon, certainly no offense was intended personally with my snide commentary tossed your way. I use sarcasm often as a way of pointing out something that should be called out for its disconnect with logic. I was merely trying to point out that your hyperbole was a stretch in light of the fact that you have never even listened to a Hugo. Your intense desire to be a contributing poster to this thread that solicited hands on feedback on a product you have absolutely no experience with deserved mention, although I probably could have communicated in a better way. In addition, your statement that your friend may sell his Hugo, when balanced with your interraction with "Mega Ultra" equipment designers taken in the context of your own assertions that "we have no idea" the depth of your qualifications makes me chuckle.
I tend to trust my ears, in my system. I have no axe to grind, no financial motives in the industry. I care not whether one person buys one dac, amp, speaker or what have you. I enjoy tinkering with equipment. Ive never owned Goldmund, Job, Tekton, Lampizator or the other brands you mentioned and mention often. They all have great commentary by those who have heard them so I can only assume that for many they fill the need. But, and this is a big but.....you should not be analyzing the performance of a component you have never heard. It lacks credibility in every way. |
Wisnon, thanks for the clarification.
To recap: your friend is selling his Hugo because he believes it to be a little
lean (his opinion matters in his system) however he is going to purchase
the desktop version of the Hugo when it comes out because he, like you
with the portable Hugo apparently, can reasonably guess how it will sound?
I guess he is guessing it will sound pretty good? It probably will! Heck, he is
probably already thrilled in advance with how nicely the midrange is fleshed
out.
Next, is your assertion that many reviewers don't own every product out
there, of course, is true. They do, however, typically have a couple of
references from which they can compare the sound, as they perceive it, of
a given product in for review. I know of no CREDIBLE reviewer who
reviews a product without first hearing it. You are not the first though I'm
sure who has somehow developed this skill. I must say though that I
sincerely believe you to be an honorable person. Someone otherwise might
have taken their preconceived negative biases that were based on
assumption, not experience, and then demoed the equipment in question
after the fact to confirm their preconceived bias. At least you have shown
the character to not do that and to continue to hold those biases without
firsthand knowledge.
You live in Switzerland, which is very cool (thanks for keeping the Pope
safe) and due to the fact that you know some mega ultra equipment
designers (as you refer to them, not me) is also cool. You are correct in
your supposition that you can, through conversations with highly skilled
experts in a specific field, learn a great deal. I'll wager though that none of
those "mega ultra" friends of yours evaluate any audio product
without first listening. |
Wisnon, thanks for the offer to discuss offline the merits of publishing listening impressions for a piece of gear without ever listening but I simply would rather not, I'm not sure I have the patience to discuss why some people have "special powers" while others do not. You and I can agree to disagree as gentlemen though: i take a firm position that in order to form an opinion, right or wrong, on the sound of a piece of gear that it seems preferable to actually hear one, thats all.
To Ssos101: congrats in advance on getting a Lampi7 but your impressions, while valid if you do in fact get one, probably belongs in its own thread rather than a Hugo thread.
Warm regards to both of you. |
Wisnon, agreed on both fronts.....whomever made the comment(if it was in fact made) that the Hugo was better than the Lampizator 7 was probably just another troll, desperately needing to communicate and appear like they were some sort of expert.
Ssos101 brought it up again and while I would really enjoy reading about someones listening experience with any cool new product, it just deserves its own thread. Best wishes, GH |
