tallbeardedone
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- Sep 3, 2022
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Hey guys I was lucky enough to be leant a Chord Hugo TT2 to blind test in my system. I still have it in my room so the testing is ongoing as I get more people around who want to listen.
SET-UP: I have the Chord on a side table to the left of my Hegel h390 and beneath my Auralic Aries G1 streamer which sits on a seperate book shelf. I cover everything with a piece of black fabric during the testing.
Connection from streamer to DAC was carried out via an AQ Carbon USB cable. Connection between Chord and Hegel was via BJC xlr cables.
SETTINGS: the settings I used in the Hugo are as follows:
Low Gain (note the gain is still quite high so BE CAREFUL WITH VOLUME when switching)
Filter 1 - (sharp roll-off after 20khz, same as Filter 3, as opposed to the slow roll-off starting at 5khz with the other two filters. No idea why people would want to take anything OUT of the signal).
DAC mode
USB output
DIM 2 - lowest dimming setting. I really wish there was a lights off setting as it would make covering up the damn thing a whole lot less hassle.
XFD 0 - crossfeed off as I'm not using headphones.
SWITCHING TIME: ~1 min to turn off amp and streamer, switch USB cable from Hegel to TT2, turn everything back on, switch inputs on the amp, and level match the volume.
LEVEL MATCHING: Even in Low Gain mode the Chord has a very high output voltage. Using my SPL meter and a 200hz test tone I level-matched the volume at my listening position and recorded the following results. (+/-1.5dB)
70dB: Hegel DAC volume 70, Chord TT2 volume 57
75dB: Hegel DAC volume 80, Chord TT2 volume 67
80dB: Hegel DAC volume 90, Chord TT2 volume 77
NOTE: I still believe most of what people hear when they plug in a new DAC and go WHOA is simply more sound pressure (and therefore more detail, etc) at the same number on the dial on their amp.
ROOM AND SPEAKER PLACEMENT:
My room has excellent acoustics due to the diffusion and absorption of the bookshelves, carpet, soft furnishing, and furs/blankets over the fireplace and bay window. My speakers have been exactingly placed using Master Set and WASP positioning techniques, using email correspondence with Bob Robbins of myspeakersetup.com, measuring tapes, laser measure, laser level, furniture sliders, and my ears. My listening position is at the exact tip of the equilateral triangle formed by the tweeters and my head.
TESTING TRACKS:
Bass output, linearity, & depth: "Royals" by Lorde
Detail, tonal balance, & ambience: "Gentle Rain" by Houston Person & Ron Carter
Center imaging: "Little Room" by Norah Jones
Separation: "Doin' Time" by Lana Del Rey
Soundstage Width and Depth: "Pink Panther Theme" by Christopher Beck, "Leaving the Table" by Leonard Cohen, "Jack Sparrow" by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
SIGHTED TEST SUBJECTS:
There have been only four test subjects thus far for the sighted tests: me, my girlfriend, my buddy, and my local hi-fi dealer (who, yes, is trying to sell me the Chord TT2 and M-Scaler (which I may test next)).
SIGHTED RESULTS:
I first listened each of the above tracks on my reference system, then switched to the Chord and listened to the same four tracks in the same order. I repeated this process 4 times. I was listening carefully for extraction of more detail, and especially any EXPANSION of SOUNDSTAGE WIDTH or DEPTH, along with instrument separation, as well as noting the emotional "pull" of the music. Even sighted, when listening closely, I personally could tell no (or very, very, very little) difference.
My hi-fi dealer then came round and listened. During a sighted test he believed he could hear greater separation between instruments and more fine detail on one track ("Doin' Time" by Lana Del Rey) through the Chord, but when we went straight back to the Hegel he noted that the difference, if any, had disappeared. We then went back and forth with the first 30s of that track 5 more times. If there was a difference it was so extremely small as to be inaudible.
BLIND TEST SUBJECTS:
Me, my girlfriend, and my buddy. (My hi-fi dealer didn't feel like blind testing yesterday, but I'm hoping to rope him in soon).
BLIND ABX RESULTS:
Five ABX tests were carried out per person. The results speak for themselves:
ME: 2/5 correct (thought maaaybe I could discern a difference in separation)
BUDDY: 2/5 correct ("reasonably certain" he got it right each time)
GF: 3/5 correct (picked using the "emotion" the music elicited in her)
TOTAL: 7/15 (basically a coin flip)
As stated above, it appears that much/all of the differences to be heard between well-implemented modern DACs is due to failure in level-matching. Once level-matched all differences between these two DACs could not be reliably discerned in a blind abx test.
If there WAS a difference, it was extremely small and, to me, in no way worth the $9,000 NZD price tag.
If you're in the area and want to try the test, definitely come round! All welcomed.
TLDR; NO DIFFERENCE could be reliably discerned via blind abx testing between the Hegel h390 internal DAC and the Chord Hugo TT2 under close listening in my listening room.
SET-UP: I have the Chord on a side table to the left of my Hegel h390 and beneath my Auralic Aries G1 streamer which sits on a seperate book shelf. I cover everything with a piece of black fabric during the testing.
Connection from streamer to DAC was carried out via an AQ Carbon USB cable. Connection between Chord and Hegel was via BJC xlr cables.
SETTINGS: the settings I used in the Hugo are as follows:
Low Gain (note the gain is still quite high so BE CAREFUL WITH VOLUME when switching)
Filter 1 - (sharp roll-off after 20khz, same as Filter 3, as opposed to the slow roll-off starting at 5khz with the other two filters. No idea why people would want to take anything OUT of the signal).
DAC mode
USB output
DIM 2 - lowest dimming setting. I really wish there was a lights off setting as it would make covering up the damn thing a whole lot less hassle.
XFD 0 - crossfeed off as I'm not using headphones.
SWITCHING TIME: ~1 min to turn off amp and streamer, switch USB cable from Hegel to TT2, turn everything back on, switch inputs on the amp, and level match the volume.
LEVEL MATCHING: Even in Low Gain mode the Chord has a very high output voltage. Using my SPL meter and a 200hz test tone I level-matched the volume at my listening position and recorded the following results. (+/-1.5dB)
70dB: Hegel DAC volume 70, Chord TT2 volume 57
75dB: Hegel DAC volume 80, Chord TT2 volume 67
80dB: Hegel DAC volume 90, Chord TT2 volume 77
NOTE: I still believe most of what people hear when they plug in a new DAC and go WHOA is simply more sound pressure (and therefore more detail, etc) at the same number on the dial on their amp.
ROOM AND SPEAKER PLACEMENT:
My room has excellent acoustics due to the diffusion and absorption of the bookshelves, carpet, soft furnishing, and furs/blankets over the fireplace and bay window. My speakers have been exactingly placed using Master Set and WASP positioning techniques, using email correspondence with Bob Robbins of myspeakersetup.com, measuring tapes, laser measure, laser level, furniture sliders, and my ears. My listening position is at the exact tip of the equilateral triangle formed by the tweeters and my head.
TESTING TRACKS:
Bass output, linearity, & depth: "Royals" by Lorde
Detail, tonal balance, & ambience: "Gentle Rain" by Houston Person & Ron Carter
Center imaging: "Little Room" by Norah Jones
Separation: "Doin' Time" by Lana Del Rey
Soundstage Width and Depth: "Pink Panther Theme" by Christopher Beck, "Leaving the Table" by Leonard Cohen, "Jack Sparrow" by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
SIGHTED TEST SUBJECTS:
There have been only four test subjects thus far for the sighted tests: me, my girlfriend, my buddy, and my local hi-fi dealer (who, yes, is trying to sell me the Chord TT2 and M-Scaler (which I may test next)).
SIGHTED RESULTS:
I first listened each of the above tracks on my reference system, then switched to the Chord and listened to the same four tracks in the same order. I repeated this process 4 times. I was listening carefully for extraction of more detail, and especially any EXPANSION of SOUNDSTAGE WIDTH or DEPTH, along with instrument separation, as well as noting the emotional "pull" of the music. Even sighted, when listening closely, I personally could tell no (or very, very, very little) difference.
My hi-fi dealer then came round and listened. During a sighted test he believed he could hear greater separation between instruments and more fine detail on one track ("Doin' Time" by Lana Del Rey) through the Chord, but when we went straight back to the Hegel he noted that the difference, if any, had disappeared. We then went back and forth with the first 30s of that track 5 more times. If there was a difference it was so extremely small as to be inaudible.
BLIND TEST SUBJECTS:
Me, my girlfriend, and my buddy. (My hi-fi dealer didn't feel like blind testing yesterday, but I'm hoping to rope him in soon).
BLIND ABX RESULTS:
Five ABX tests were carried out per person. The results speak for themselves:
ME: 2/5 correct (thought maaaybe I could discern a difference in separation)
BUDDY: 2/5 correct ("reasonably certain" he got it right each time)
GF: 3/5 correct (picked using the "emotion" the music elicited in her)
TOTAL: 7/15 (basically a coin flip)
As stated above, it appears that much/all of the differences to be heard between well-implemented modern DACs is due to failure in level-matching. Once level-matched all differences between these two DACs could not be reliably discerned in a blind abx test.
If there WAS a difference, it was extremely small and, to me, in no way worth the $9,000 NZD price tag.
If you're in the area and want to try the test, definitely come round! All welcomed.
TLDR; NO DIFFERENCE could be reliably discerned via blind abx testing between the Hegel h390 internal DAC and the Chord Hugo TT2 under close listening in my listening room.
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