Chord Hugo 2 Review (Portable DAC & HP Amp)

[Somafunk]

This was my experience. I posted some actual acquired data showing that a headphone accessory made by one of their sponsors did nothing, then took it apart, analyzed the "magic" materials using XPS and SEM, and included the results of that analysis (narrator: They weren't magic). Poof, gone within a day. First and last time I ever used that website.

Years ago i posted in a thread extolling the virtue of an expensive wooden box claiming to be a very effective earthing unit for hifi use and I merely pointed out in a very easy to follow fundamental electrical basic high school physics that everyone will have been taught that proved it did the sum total of sfa except furnish the manufacturer with their cash.

Got my post removed and a PM warning from a mod not to continue with such posts in the future otherwise my account would be reviewed.

Guess some folk just don’t like truths.

 

[jacko]

Another made in Britain scam. Why is it you don't see the Germans or Japanese pulling this kind of stunt? At least Sennheiser gives you some marble trimmings with their HE-1 and Stax are assembled in a clean room. All you are paying for here is a chunk of aluminium and a piece of Rob Watts' mind apparently.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

Years ago i posted in a thread extolling the virtue of an expensive wooden box claiming to be a very effective earthing unit for hifi use and I merely pointed out in a very easy to follow fundamental electrical basic high school physics that everyone will have been taught that proved it did the sum total of sfa except furnish the manufacturer with their cash.

Got my post removed and a PM warning from a mod not to continue with such posts in the future otherwise my account would be reviewed.

Guess some folk just don’t like truths.

I have argued with many on Headfi.
Including Rob Watts himself!
never got told off, well not yet!

 

[Trell]

I have argued with many on Headfi.
Including Rob Watts himself!
never got told off, well not yet!

Did you write “blind test” or “ABx” in your posts on head-fi? No?

 

[Ken Tajalli]

Did you write “blind test” or “ABx” in your posts on head-fi? No?

Blind test, may have.
ABX, don't think so.
Rob Watts always talks about blind test, measurements and so forth, not kicked out yet.

 

[JaMaSt]

Blind test, may have.
ABX, don't think so.
Rob Watts always talks about blind test, measurements and so forth, not kicked out yet.

Gee I wonder why a manufacturer wouldn't be kicked off Head-Fi....

 

[staticV3]

Another made in Britain scam. Why is it you don't see the Germans or Japanese pulling this kind of stunt?

The Germans:
https://www.l7audiolab.com/f/cayin-n6mk2-r01/
$1820

The Japanese:
https://www.l7audiolab.com/f/sony-nw-wm1zm2/
https://electronics.sony.com/audio/walkman-digital-recorders/walkman-mp3-players/p/nwwm1z
$3200

Snake oil vendors come from all nationalities.

 

[PeteL]

The Germans:
https://www.l7audiolab.com/f/cayin-n6mk2-r01/
$1820

The Japanese:
https://www.l7audiolab.com/f/sony-nw-wm1zm2/
https://electronics.sony.com/audio/walkman-digital-recorders/walkman-mp3-players/p/nwwm1z
$3200

Snake oil vendors come from all nationalities.

I don't read chinese. The Sony's measurments look pretty good. What makes Sony a snake oil vendor?

 

[staticV3]

I don't read chinese.

Chrome can auto translate websites for you.

The Sony's measurments look pretty good.

The NW-WM1Z costs $3200. It has more distortion than the Apple dongle which costs $9

What makes Sony a snake oil vendor?

From the NW-WM1Z''s website:

 

[PeteL]

Chrome can auto translate websites for you.

The NW-WM1Z costs $3200. It has more distortion than the Apple dongle which costs $9

From the NW-WM1Z''s website:
View attachment 219223 View attachment 219224

OK

 

[AudioSceptic]

Not in this case. Two of my cables would not make a solid connection. My older canine camera connection is also kind of loose but not as bad as this.

Canine camera? You have one just for dog photos? Or you've trained a dog to use it? <chortle>

 

[jacko]

The Germans:
https://www.l7audiolab.com/f/cayin-n6mk2-r01/
$1820

The Japanese:
https://www.l7audiolab.com/f/sony-nw-wm1zm2/
https://electronics.sony.com/audio/walkman-digital-recorders/walkman-mp3-players/p/nwwm1z
$3200

Snake oil vendors come from all nationalities.

Am I missing something? Cayin seems to be a Chinese brand and there's nothing about Germans in that first one that I could find. Sony makes some whacky stuff but at least there is craftsmanship behind it. That thing looks like a piece of art whereas Chord's little aluminium box can be had from any cheap machine shop. Absolute scam for 3000 quid or whatever they charge over there. No one can possibly defend this apart from some stuff about supporting Britain. And now Chord Electronics website seems to be down for good measure. Maybe they will have closed up shop!

 

[staticV3]

Am I missing something? Cayin seems to be a Chinese brand and there's nothing about Germans in that first one that I could find.

Cayin has a detailed "About us" section on their website:
https://cayin.com/china-high-end-hifi/
Seems like their products are designed in Germany, made in China.

 

[Haruko]

Not in this case. Two of my cables would not make a solid connection. My older canine camera connection is also kind of loose but not as bad as this.

in that case I'll take it back of course I just remember the days I was charging my phone just by hanging it from short micro usb cable (it was tight fit), something i would definitely not do with usb c...

 

[Garrincha]

Can you link us the measurments?

It is all here on ASR, but if you are really too lazy to use the search function:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/e1da-9038d-review-portable-dac-amp.21556/ (the unbalanced version) or look at this:

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Or you could take the LG G7 or some similar model as a DAC/DAP

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and use the Topping NX7 as a heaphone amp, offering 1.4 W at 32 Ohm, thus beating many desktop amps. The combination is well below $1000 and beats the Hugo2 in every respect (price, measurements, power, portability,....)

 

[PeteL]

It is all here on ASR, but if you are really too lazy to use the search function:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/e1da-9038d-review-portable-dac-amp.21556/ (the unbalanced version) or look at this:

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www.audiosciencereview.com

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This is a review and detailed measurements of the HIDIZS DH80S portable stereo USB DAC and balanced headphone amplifier. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $140 on Amazon including Prime shipping. In person, the DH80S looks a lot more compact and beautifully made: It comes in a...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Or you could take the LG G7 or some similar model as a DAC/DAP

Review and Audio Measurement of LG G7 ThinQ Smartphone

This is the review and measurements of the audio performance of LG G7 ThinQ smartphone. It was purchased by my son a couple of weeks ago. It retails for USD $750. Its claim to fame is inclusion of an ESS quad (four paralleled) DACs ES9218P with integrated headphone amplifier. There are...

www.audiosciencereview.com

and use the Topping NX7 as a heaphone amp, offering 1.4 W at 32 Ohm, thus beating many desktop amps. The combination is well below $1000 and beats the Hugo2 in every respect (price, measurements, power, portability,....)

Thanks, so you agree with me that Hugo is the most powerful battery powered dac amp we have seen measurments so far right? unless I'm missing something. For the rest of ghe measurments, they are all in inaudible territory.

 

[nagster]

Another photo.
This Hugo2 is a one-owner and has never been used outdoors.
The optical jack and headphone jack are unused. I have never turned a screw.
About subjectivity.
The feel of the buttons, knobs and connectors is about the same as the TOPPING PA3S. The accuracy of the case and the quality of the finish are also similar.
Both are ok. However, the setting display by color coding of Hugo2 is the worst thing so far.

Each filter stepped frequency sweep measurement of Hugo 2.

 

[amirm]

Each filter stepped frequency sweep measurement of Hugo 2.

You zoomed to 1.1 dB there. Better note that the difference is really small.

 

[maxxevv]

Can you link us the measurments?

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This is a review and detailed measurements of the HIDIZS DH80S portable stereo USB DAC and balanced headphone amplifier. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $140 on Amazon including Prime shipping. In person, the DH80S looks a lot more compact and beautifully made: It comes in a...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Cars-N-Cans]

Micro USB geometry and engineering is just about as bad as... USB C. Both were made by engineers who couldn't comprehend that a tiny wafer of silicon is more fragile than something like a lightning connector.

Its obvious that it won’t be as nice as the apple connector (duh). But as an engineer myself getting that to be the standard was never going to happen. Not just due to potentially paying royalties on Apples IP, but due to the complex geometry of those connectors. It’s not as cheap to make like USB C is. It could probably be done, but it was unlikely we would get it. Im sure there is more nuance to be said as well by those versed in such things.

One thing Apple did do right was get good engineers. One guy at my last company left to work on the design team for the Apple Watch. But most companies today are cheap AF and the USB C at least offers some compromise between what we want (a good connector) and what was there before, which is something cheesy that broke off if you even farted on it. The shell on the USB C is substantially stronger, and doesn’t have those wretched locking tangs on it. It at least stands a chance of lasting. I had a micro USB connector last for 8 years on my last cellphone, but only because I knew it was crap, and I took extreme care to not stress it.