Chord Hugo TT2

[Jimbob54]

Does the TT2 have balanced HP outputs? It doesn't seem to yet they mention a power increase in balanced mode at 300 ohms. WTF?

Twin 1/4 inch sockets so I would guess you can put it in dual mono

The real challenge would be to find out which permutation of ridiculous button presses you need to execute to do that.

 

[DEALUX]

Twin 1/4 inch sockets so I would guess you can put it in dual mono

The real challenge would be to find out which permutation of ridiculous button presses you need to execute to do that.

Doesn't seem like it. The manual doesn't mention it.

 

[Jimbob54]

Doesn't seem like it. The manual doesn't mention it.

You're not wrong. How bizarre.

Some digging got me this post and replies. https://forum.headphones.com/t/chord-hugo-tt-2/2436/44

A review elsewhere mentioned it too, looks like to get balanced headphones connected you need to adapt the 2 rear 3 pin XLR outputs to a single 4 pin and put it in amp mode. So not really a "balanced headphone amp" at all- but should you connect it like that, it will put 1.15W into 300 ohm- I think!

EDIT- of course you can just get an XLR to 1/4 inch adapter and run the headphones single ended. 300 mw or so at 300 ohm should be ample for most users and cans.

 

[Veri]

A review elsewhere mentioned it too, looks like to get balanced headphones connected you need to adapt the 2 rear 3 pin XLR outputs to a single 4 pin and put it in amp mode. So not really a "balanced headphone amp" at all- but should you connect it like that, it will put 1.15W into 300 ohm- I think!

So basically tapping into the XLR outs. A faux head-amp, if you will.

 

[Jimbob54]

So basically tapping into the XLR outs. A faux head-amp, if you will.

I mean, its got 2 stereo 1/4 inch and a 3.5mm as well, do its definitely a "proper" head amp as well, just an odd choice to neither wire those front sockets up so they could run balanced (Like I think the RME pro can), nor add a 4 pin XLR at the front. Bit limiting if you want to run balanced phones and connect an amp via the XLRs - especially if its in a cabinet

 

[ra990]

You can easily create an adapter from the pos/neg pins of the XLR outs into a female XLR4 connector. I have done that and have a balanced XLR headphone port with it. Up to 20 watts @ 8ohm, enough to power the Susvara directly.

 

[Music1969]

Up to 20watts @ 8ohm, enough to power the Susvara directly.

Wowza. 2 watts?

 

[ra990]

Wowza. 2 watts?

20! Or did you mean for the Susvara? I think it would be around 2 watts into Susvara's impedance.

 

[Music1969]

20! Or did you mean for the Susvara? I think it would be around 2 watts into Susvara's impedance.

Wowza! Can drive speakers! Not sure how this can be considered a faux headamp lol

 

[ra990]

Wowza! Can drive speakers! Not sure how this can be considered a faux headamp lol

Yes, it can drive efficient speakers easily.

 

[ra990]

There's no balanced headphone connection because the single ended puts out something like 9 watts as it is. The XLRs can be used to create balanced outs for something like the Susvara or HE6 or Abyss, but everything else will be better served from the single ended outs. The DAC is single ended natively, so they are supposed to be the best sounding outputs - compared with the balanced outs which has some additional circuitry to generate the balanced signals from the DAC's native single ended.

 

[Jimbob54]

Wowza! Can drive speakers! Not sure how this can be considered a faux headamp lol

There may be a minor issue with using the rear XLR as a headphone amp, it may have a higher output impedance than one would expect. Which may be an issue with lower impedance headphones. But I havent seen the output impedance

 

[Veri]

I called it a faux balanced headamp because you are using two 3-pin XLR connectors and mashing them up into a 4-pin XLR one which is probably fine, but you are shorting the ground return path present on the 3-pin standard. Probably not how Chord intended it to be used.

 

[Music1969]

There may be a minor issue with using the rear XLR as a headphone amp, it may have a higher output impedance than one would expect. Which may be an issue with lower impedance headphones. But I havent seen the output impedance

Both the RCA and XLR output impedances are each under 1 ohm.

Rob Watts loves to keep OP impedances for all outputs, under 1 ohm, for all his products.

 

[Jimbob54]

Both the RCA and XLR output impedances are each under 1 ohm.

Rob Watts loves to keep OP impedances for all outputs, under 1 ohm, for all his products.

Then the only issue with using the rear xlr for headphones is the fact its on the back and /or occupying an output you may have wanted for an amp. Personally, think its a bit of a design cop out

 

[DEALUX]

There's no balanced headphone connection because the single ended puts out something like 9 watts as it is. The XLRs can be used to create balanced outs for something like the Susvara or HE6 or Abyss, but everything else will be better served from the single ended outs. The DAC is single ended natively, so they are supposed to be the best sounding outputs - compared with the balanced outs which has some additional circuitry to generate the balanced signals from the DAC's native single ended.

Isn't the A90 more powerful in balanced mode though? They really should have had the balanced output on the front as well on the TT2.

 

[RustyGates]

Isn't the A90 more powerful in balanced mode though? They really should have had the balanced output on the front as well on the TT2.

A90 Single Ended:
0.125W into 600ohm
3.3W into 16ohm (16ohm limit ?)

TT2 Single Ended:
0.145W into 600ohm
7.3W into 8ohm

A90 Balanced:
0.5W into 600ohm
7.6W into 16ohm (limit?)

TT2 Balanced:
0.576W into 600ohm
18W into 8ohm, but 4 ohm limit (20W).

Output impedance: 0.042ohm (TT2) vs 0.1ohm (A90, SE, Spec) & 1.3ohm (A90, ASR test)

All Chord DACs are entirely single ended designs, balanced is derived from the SE outputs. Rob should place a 4-pin XLR on the front... but for now only via a 2x3-pin to 4-pin adapter cable.