Chord Hugo TT2 dac and Hugo M Scaler

[adyc]

Thanks. How would you rate detail resolution on the Kassandra?

Very good. It is a very good DAC. Someone will definitely prefer it as it has tubes as output stage. Tube lovers may think this DAC is the best because of tube output.

 

[Al M.]

Very good. It is a very good DAC. Someone will definitely prefer it as it has tubes as output stage. Tube lovers may think this DAC is the best because of tube output.

I am a tube lover but I prefer my tube sound uncolored; I have an Octave HP 700 preamp and Octave RE 320 amp. I also prefer a solid state DAC. You found the DAVE to have more accurate timbre. Is the Kassandra in your opinion colored, and does it have a "richer" sound than the DAVE?

 

[Al M.]

Yes, Al so many times where I hear the comment digital sheen the very first place I think of is in the cables. That greyness and glare can so often be higher order noise coming in as RFI.

Which is also why I am hesitant to switch from CD transport to server. But the best servers seem to be much better at RFI emission than regular computers. If I'd go server, I'd go all out.

With digital I think taking a hazmat approach for all cabling and connectors is a wise one.

I like your expression "hazmat approach" .

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Bill, well you know what I think.

Yes well you know what I think too !

 

[spiritofmusic]

Well Bill, it's been pointed out how poor my Zus look internally, so in my case "stones/glasshouses" comes to mind. And my Entreq innards are nothing to crow about. I'll leave others to comment publicly. FWIW, I have seen another server internally, priced midway btwn Innuos Statement and SGM and thought it looked a little lacking. The Extreme must set the bar impossibly high for those below.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Amazon is releasing a “better than cd” streaming service it seems...

 

[ngamountains]

Amazon is releasing a “better than cd” streaming service it seems...

As an existing Prime member, this sounds encouraging!

 

[spiritofmusic]

Yep, let's all allow Amazon to take over even more. Er, that's a "no" from me.

 

[josh358]

I don’t have experience on TT2. But I agree TT2 + HMS is better than DAVE. Since you have a budget on digital, I would suggest you take DAVE off your list. HMS is adding something that DAVE cannot provide.

What about TT2 + HMS vs.DAVE + HMS?

 

[spiritofmusic]

A recent effusive review rated HTT2 plus HMS > D alone.
No similar comparison of HTT2 plus HMS versus D plus HMS.
The conclusion was that HTT2 may be the more analog sounding dac wrt D, so HTT2 plus HMS the sweet spot on performance AND price

 

[josh358]

Thanks. I saw that about the review -- I can believe it, given that the HMS is doing the heavy lifting.

 

[the sound of Tao]

As the Antipodes CX Server settles in and opens up with Sotm ultra as endpoint and Sotm switch up front and then the downstream combo of a Chord TT2 with Mscaler I’ll admit I’m struggling to come to terms with just how much the Antipodes CX brings to the outcome.

It has to be said that any of the components in the digital stream removed creates a serious step back in terms of ultimate musicality and nuance but by putting a great server up front it really has opened up all the potentials for the rest of the gear.

Infrastructure with regards to power supplies, power and signal cables as well as resonance control and RFI shielding still has to be implemented all the way and the devil is clearly in the detail with digital but this has been a year of learning and broadening horizons with just what’s possible in the digital source.

I’ve been playing catch-ups for years with the front end but finally have the music streaming in ways that just makes me not worry at all about upgrading, just doing it out of habit really. I’m now actively working at convincing myself of any need to upgrade much and tbh its proving a hard sell.

 

[johndoe21ro]

Any new owners? Any new opinions or comparisons?

 

[sale]

Dont ever get the Chord Dac without the Mscaler. Mscaler is reasonably price and it provides a huge upgrade. Server technology is changing fast. I would get the Chord + Mscaler then buy a server later. SGM seems like a safer bet.

Why would anyone buy Mscaler when Antipodes EX can be bought used for $1600 and run HQPlayer as upscaler?

 

[the sound of Tao]

Why would anyone buy Mscaler when Antipodes EX can be bought used for $1600 and run HQPlayer as upscaler?

Because it sounds better. All these things sound completely different.