Hi Guys,
It just happens that we did direct comparisons of many mentioned here DACs. Among them Hugo, Lampi lvl 4.5, Meitner MA-1.
In my view, the easiest way to sum it up, is that one is getting what he is paying for.
Hugo is great little DAC but cannot compete with MA-1. Hugo is great DAC but only better in one aspect then Lampi lvl 4.5 and that is ultimate detail retrieval / resolution which is slightly better on Hugo. In all other aspects Lampi is better DAC in my view without any doubts.
Hugo is anything but lean, and I am surprised that anyone can even suggest this. Hugo is so reach in tonal balance that I perceive it as over contrasted / over saturated and in fact it is a minus for me as it does not sound natural.
The fullness of sound is at same level as Lampi but the increased contrast makes it look as it would be even richer then on Lampi, however as stated before to the extent it sounds unnatural to me.
I also owned Job 225... the hype around it is amazing but I dont rate it at all. On plus sides, it has great flow and fluidity. Depth and natural sound staging but also it lacks resolution and blurres the sound. It makes sound monochromatic and is extremely power cord and speaker cable dependant (it is not a good characteristics IMHO).
So here you go. Those are only my but first hand opinions.
Cheers
