Chord Electronics Hugo 2 DAC
You want one Chord that leads two lives: by day on your headphones on the train, by night as the converter in your system. That is why Hugo 2 is the hinge of Chord. On the move it drives just about any headphone, six hours on battery, and over a long session its crossfeed pulls the music out of the middle of your head, a little more like speakers in a room. Four filters let you choose the treble, from sharp to warm, to suit recording and mood. At home you set it to line level, pick up the remote, and it is a fixed component — the same conversion as in the Qutest. What Hi-Fi? made it Best DAC every year from 2017 to 2022. It still charges over micro-USB, not USB-C, and whoever never listens on the move buys the same conversion cheaper as a Qutest.
Specifications
| Chipset | Chord Electronics custom coded Xilinx Artix 7 (XC7A15T) FPGA |
|---|---|
| Pulse array | 10 element pulse array design |
| Tap length | Tap-length: 49,152 | Tap length filter: 49,152 – 10 element Pulse Array design |
| PCM support | 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz, 717.6kHz, and 768kHz. 16 – 32bit |
| DSD support | Native playback supported. DSD64 (Single) to DSD512 (Octa-DSD) |
| Digital filters | Incisive neutral (Ultimate reference) (White); Incisive neutral HF roll-off (High Frequency roll off) (Green); Warm ('Smooth') (Orange); Warmer HF roll-off (High Frequency roll off) (Red) |
| Crossfeed | Off – No Crossfeed; Level 1 – Light; Level 2 – Medium; Level 3 – Heavy |
| Inputs | Micro USB (White): 44.1kHz to 768kHz – 16bit to 32bit | Coax via 3.5mm jack (Red): 44.1kHz to 384kHz – 16bit to 32bit | Coax via 3.5mm jack Dual data mode (Yellow): 44.1kHz to 768kHz – 16bit to 32bit | Optical (Green): 44.1kHz to 96kHz – 16bit to 24bit | Bluetooth® (APTX) (Blue): 44.1kHz to 48kHz – 16bit |
| Outputs | 1x ¼" jack headphone output; 1x 3.5mm jack headphone output; 1x stereo (L & R) RCA output |
| THD | THD: <0.0001% 1kHz 3v RMS 300Ω | THD and noise at 3v RMS: 120dB at 1kHz 300ohms 'A' wighted (reference 5.3v) |
| Noise | 2.6 uV 'A' weighted; No measurable noise floor modulation |
| Signal-to-noise ratio | 126dB 'A' Weighted |
| Channel separation | 135dB at 1kHz 300Ω |
| Frequency response | 20Hz – 20kHz +/- 0.2dB |
| Output impedance | 0.025Ω |
| Output power | 94mW 300Ω; 740mW 32Ω; 1050mW 8Ω |
| Output stage | Class A |
| Volume control | Digital, activated in 1dB increments. Last known state saved upon shutdown, with exception of line-level mode |
| Line-level mode | Activated via dual press of middle 'Source' and 'Crossfeed' buttons. Line level = 3v via all outputs. Reset by power cycle |
| Driver support | Driverless with Mac OS X and Linux, driver required for Windows OS |
| Battery | 2x Rechargeable custom Enix Energies 3.7v 9.6Wh Li-ion (2600mAh) |
| Playtime | 6 hours (Avg. time) |
| Charging | Nominal six (6) hours via Micro USB at 1.8amps (fast charge); Nominal eight (8) hours at 1amp (slow charge) |
| Protection | Auto-shutdown after ten minutes of input inactivity |
| Materials | Precision-machined aluminium casing with polycarbonate buttons, acrylic signal window, and glass viewing portal |
| Dimensions | 2.1cm (H) 10cm (W) 13cm (D) |
| Dimensions, boxed | 8.5cm (H) 12.2cm (W) 22cm (D) |
| Weight | 365g |
| Finishes | Natural silver and satin black |
| In the box | Hugo 2 user manual; Safety instructions; Drawstring bag; 5V 2A Switching Micro USB power supply; IR remote control; Micro USB to Type-A USB cable; Micro to Micro USB OTG cable; Optical cable; Optical to 3.5mm optical cable; 2x AAA batteries |
Where to listen
Every model is sold and demonstrated through Joenit's authorized dealer network in the Benelux. Find your nearest dealer to hear it for yourself.
