I'm kinda in this camp. I have done the volume matching tests and find that I can't really tell the difference between dacs but having several gears and listening for a time to them...I kinda tend to appreciate certain gears. After awhile of listening with volumes changing with different gears, you don't need volume matching...you just know how you like to hear the music and sound and for me I appreciate matching gears (dac and amps) that gives me the most headroom in terms of volume.
Well me too.
Some assume if you value subjective sound quality results, then by default you dismiss objective, scientific approaches, nothing of the kind.
No gear is perfect! It is a question of, if you can live with it long term, without the need to keep convincing oneself.
Both DX7 pro and Hugo2 are excellent, I doubt anybody denies that, as it got proven to me. Hugo2 has an
edge!
I am praising both, frankly in desktop mode, considering price, DX7 pro wins.
I paid £280 for the Topping and less than £900 for Hugo2 in
used condition.
So here is a question!
Paying full wack for a DX7 pro against a used Hugo2 (@1K), which one would be a wiser buy?
You see, that option exists! There are hardly any DX7 pro's being offered on used market (I had been looking for months), but because of a
rumour, people are selling their Hugo2's thinking an upgrade will soon to be announced, partly due to Mojo2's recent release.
If one needs transportability, and that
edge is audible to them, and they are ready to dish out the money, good luck.
There are enough people out there praising the sound of Chord DACs, and hardly anyone calling them subpar, so all this bickering is pointless.