Chord Hugo TT2 - My experience so far
Wanted to share some thoughts and potentially some tips for owners of this DAC based on my experience with it in the last months…
In the course of the last few years I’ve tried several DACs:
Chord Qutest, Mytek Brooklyn +, Bryston BDA3, Benchmark DAC 3 HGC, Bricasti M3, PS Audio DSD MkI. My system evolved around these DACs but the sonic signature of each of these units was nonetheless apparent. The Qutest really impressed me and I wanted to try the TT2. So when I first received and connected this DAC, I was disappointed. The system just didn’t sound right. I have two integrated amps right now, Coda CSiB and Boulder 866. What I heard with both amps was consistent - sound was too busy, lacking finess, separation of instruments, clarity was poor and as the mix got busier, things were getting lost in translation and obscured. Vocals were set behind the instruments and were completely overwhelmed by the rest of the mix.
I was experiencing fatigue and I was puzzled - this DAC did not sound as good as any of the DACs I owned previously.
I was using the TT2 in its DAC mode. After reading and watching reviews, I began to suspect the output of TT2 was too hot. Using balanced cables, this DAC, when set to DAC mode, produces a whopping 5v! Being the kind of guy who reads the manual only when there are problems, I referred to the manual and of course, there it is! A short paragraph about DAC output and matching it to the preamp/integrated amp.
Setting this DAC to AMP mode, Low Gain and attenuating volume to between -7 and -10 is a game changer! Gone is the big ball of sound, the stage expanded, nothing is lost in the mix anymore, vocals are clear and upfront with instruments behind the singer spread out nicely, very good depth (although it doesn’t match the Bricasti M3 in this area), proper separation of instruments, undetectable noise floor and most importantly it now sounds natural and relaxed.
So once again, synergy is key! Matching the source to preamp section by output voltage and impedance (the latter is quiet low with TT2 so it should work with pretty much anything) is extremely important. I’m once again able to listen and enjoy music fatigue free for hours!
Hope this help others who own this DAC fine tune and optimize their systems.
Hi, i am new to this forum, I have a TT2, M Scaler and BerTTi power amp. The Bertti and TT2 are connected by XLR cables. When streaming I regularly hear the playback becoming muffled and then righting itself to a full/complete sound. I have checked all the connections and can't find any issues. Is this something anybody has experienced and have you any ideas as to what the issue maybe? Hi, I have an Eversolo DMP-A6 |
Have you tried running the eversolo internal dac straight to amp ? ( my personal experience with the A6 have been concluded in another post,it's not positive. ) I know you loose the benefits of M scaler TT2 combo but it might solve your problem. Next I would recommend another streamer, one that is in the same league as the rest of your equipment 🙂 |
@pgk188 how is Eversolo connected to Mscaler? List all your cables - brand and model. 1. make sure you only have one type of connection between Eversolo and MScaler Do not have multiple interfaces connected at once. Use only USB to connect the streamer to Mscaler for example. That interface with your streamer would be your best option in any case. 2. Be certain to use legitimate BNC cables to connect Mscaler to TT2. You can’t use regular RCA audio cables with BNC adapters as they have different impedance and will cause issues
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Anyone interested in Eversolo should read their forum. Tons of bugs with each "update" You pay $899 for their base model and get a lot less than $899 worth of support. Buy an innuos or Aurender and save yourself future headaches Why are they building these with the Android 11 OS which was End of Life meaning no security patches since Jan 24? Good luck to all who buy into the Eversolo hype. |
