Chord Hugo 2 Review (Portable DAC & HP Amp)

[Jomungur]

With all due respect, I think taking $4k headphones out of the house is bordering on insanity (and I'd struggle to justify buying them at all).

No offense taken. Look at it this way. If you paid $4k+ for headphones that made you happy and had to travel a lot, you might try to figure out a way to listen to it as much as you can.

 

[threni]

Whether you think this is ugly or beautiful is completely subjective.
It passed the measurement standards for portable devices and it is one of the finest so far measured on this site, we should give it credits where its due.
Now the price.... It's pretty much the big barricade here. I am convinced that most people in this hobby, even hardcore audiophiles don't like this price and some think it's not worth the MSRP.

This makes me wonder... If products made from china companies can easily top the SINAD score and they can sell them for very competitive prices.... What can western-based companies do to remain strong in this competition? They obviously do not have an advantage in prices, labor costs, maintenance fees etc.... I think it's a bit helpless.

Just state "buy this product and if it fails in the first 5 years you'll get a replacement for free within 48 hours". Sorry but I'm not buying anything expensive that's not covered for 5 years. If companies want to rush stuff out untested like it's software that's fine but the handling of any resulting problems should be as painless for me as quickly updating the software too.

 

[bennetng]

The filter point was interesting. They are extremely subtle for sure and I can't say 100% that I hear a difference between them (I don't have them on me but I wouldn't put good odds on being able to pass a blind test with them). I believe the high frequency ones are the same that the DAVE uses. Amir, if you have time you might want to try listening and see if you hear a difference in the filters. There is almost no pause when switching them. But if you do hear a difference, then something is happening that is not being picked up at the measurements.

It is rather difficult to spot small frequency response differences with a highly zoomed out white noise even by eyes. Frequency response measurements are usually presented in this way. Audibility is another topic of course. I would recommend Amir include this test in all future DAC tests, especially the ones with different filter choices.

Review and Measurements of Chord Hugo 2 DAC and Headphone Amplifier

This is a detailed measurement and review of the Chord Hugo 2 DAC. It retails for $2,700 in US. The unit I had in for measurements was from an ex-Microsoft colleague and recent forum member. I only had an hour or so with it and it is now returned. This is an odd looking box to be sure...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Another example of frequency response test, but on ADC:

Review and Measurements of KORG MR-2000S ADC & Comp. to RME ADI-2 Pro

This is a review and detailed measurements of KORG MR-2000S ADC and comparison to the ADC portion of RME ADI-2 ADC. I have previously measured the DAC portion of KORG MR-2000S and RME ADI-2 DAC. The KORG has been on loan to me from a kind owner. It will be shipped back tomorrow so I won't be...

www.audiosciencereview.com

The frequency response ripple on the RME is originated from the AKM ADC chip itself, RME later also has firmware update to reduce the ripple by utilizing the processing power of the onboard FPGA.

 

[Katji]

Not me... I just crank the stereo in my car.

 

[AudioSceptic]

These dinky sweet boxes are actually quite heavy when handled.

I think the idea is to make them seem as if they're milled from solid, like the Linn Klimax gear. I also like the Sci-Fi look of the big stuff. <https://chordelectronics.co.uk/product/ultima-pre>

 

[juliangst]

No offense taken. Look at it this way. If you paid $4k+ for headphones that made you happy and had to travel a lot, you might try to figure out a way to listen to it as much as you can.

I second that.
I'm taking my Aeon Noire out and about daily and if I had the money for DCA Stealth I would do so as well.
I have speakers for listening to music at home and listening to headphones outside is not as boring as sitting at the desk all the time imho

 

[Katji]

But a little more than that, is it still worth, or? Perhaps?BUT 3K is two darn expensive.Would be interesting if those who write in the thread stated a numerical figure on how much money they could imagine giving, what they consider it worth. Amir said $ 600. Or rather, Amir said, "I think we should expect them to sell it for $ 600."

OT, speaking of two darn. Now it is England that is experiencing extreme heat. Record apparently.

Yes. I saw that just now - 41 predicted. Incredible.

Although the song is about sex, or rather it is too hot to have sex but still.

I know one place where it is normally well over 40 in the hot season, and the birth rate is quite high. They have beds on the roof, or aircon.

 

[odyo]

Worse than Creative G6 ?

 

[DanielT]

Yes. I saw that just now - 41 predicted. Incredible.


I know one place where it is normally well over 40 in the hot season, and the birth rate is quite high. They have beds on the roof, or aircon.

I agree with Ella Fitzgerald. Too hot for a northerner anyway , i skip it.

I also pass Chord Hugo 2, too expensive. Especially considering what you get for the money.

 

[Jim Shaw]

It seems to me that an important driver of audio tech is the development of defined purpose chips. We start a new branch of tech with a bunch of chips and discrete devices on a PC board wrapped in a large box. Next wave, we have fewer chips performing the same task, not quite as well, but at half the cost. Meanwhile, the industry also provides miniature (portable) dongles and small boxes that do the same thing poorly with one or two special purpose chips designed just for this task. Steadily, the chips get larger and better, rivaling the old multi-chip and discrete performance. Before long, the single, multi-purpose chips get as good or better than the original, first-issue boxes.

That's the knee of the curve in cost versus performance. We have seen this in DACS and class D amps in the last ten years. The first decently performing items using newer tech sell for (like) $3500. Then, $2000. Then, $750. Then, $250 and even $100.

Along the way, opportunists will attempt to sell you the new chip tech at last gen prices, ie, $150 worth of tech for $2500. This might be such an example.

As another example, the function of a WiiM streamer, four years ago, might cost $3000. Then, $850. Now, $89. Meanwhile, the braggarts who bought in at $3000 will make assertive efforts to discredit the new devices: 'can't recommend it to others because it doesn't do Roon...' or such.

For the economical audiophile wanting to employ new tech, unless you are wonderfully wealthy, it's better NOT to be an early adopter, eh?
(Brag rights notwithstanding.)

-Just one man's view

 

[JSmith]

Look at it this way.

Fair call... I mean this is how we used to roll portable wise, AA batteries and all;

JSmith

 

[sarumbear]

I am not a fan of two separate USB inputs one for data and the other for charging. Why not charge using the data connection?

The micro-USB is automatically enough to make me hate something, and gives pretty much any device a distinctly "cheap" feel to it now that USB-C has been around for a while. For the cost they should convert it over since its fairly minor changes to the tooling

I think both of you are missing the reason for the separate USB connector for charging and why it’s a micro USB.

This is a portable device with an internal battery. In EU all mobile phones are required to have a micro USB charger. As this device will be used with a mobile phone it’s logical to use the same connector the mobile phone charger use. That way you don’t have to carry a different charger with you.

Similarly, if there has been a single USB port, the mobile phone would be charging the device, depleting it’s battery quickly. Furthermore, with a single USB port you wouldn’t be able to use the device while charging the its battery.

Get it?

 

[Rednaxela]

In EU all mobile phones are required to have a micro USB charger.

That must be non-Apple phones then?

 

[sarumbear]

That must be non-Apple phones then?

In EU Apple ships iPhones with a micro USB to Lightning adapter.

 

[juliangst]

In EU Apple ships iPhones with a micro USB to Lightning adapter.

I've never seen any iPhone coming with a micro USB adapter. Older iPhones come with lightning to USB A and most new iPhones come with Lightning to USB C

 

[sarumbear]

Along the way, opportunists will attempt to sell you the new chip tech at last gen prices, ie, $150 worth of tech for $2500. This might be such an example.

You may want to study the company because you are very wrong. Their designs are the total opposite of what you say. They create their own circuits using programmable ASIC FPGA. They don’t use off-the-shelf chips.

 

[Moderate Dionysianism]

Actually, USB-C will become the EU standard by Autumn '24.

Other than that, I second @sarumbear's points. A dongle draining your phone's battery is the opposite of true portability imho, and AFAIK, Android doesn't give the user control over charging (like forcing a 'data only' connection).

 

[PeteL]

I think both of you are missing the reason for the separate USB connector for charging and why it’s a micro USB.

This is a portable device with an internal battery. In EU all mobile phones are required to have a micro USB charger. As this device will be used with a mobile phone it’s logical to use the same connector the mobile phone charger use. That way you don’t have to carry a different charger with you.

Similarly, if there has been a single USB port, the mobile phone would be charging the device, depleting it’s battery quickly. Furthermore, with a single USB port you wouldn’t be able to use the device while charging the its battery.

Get it?

Not sure where you got that. It was just in the news that EU was about to force Mobile phone manufacturers to include USB-C connectors for charging... I have never heard of an already in place direction about micro USB. This new thing is making waves already with outrage from apple....

EU agrees to make common charger mandatory for Apple iPhones and other devices

The European Commission is going to force smartphone manufacturers to equip their devices with a standard USB-C charging port.

www.cnbc.com

 

[sarumbear]

I've never seen any iPhone coming with a micro USB adapter. Older iPhones come with lightning to USB A and most new iPhones come with Lightning to USB C

Are you talking about the small white, less than half an inch long adapter or the cable?

 

[Somafunk]

In EU Apple ships iPhones with a micro USB to Lightning adapter.

Does it?, I’ve had every iPhone since the og and no adapters included.