[SearchOfSub]

I had Hugo connected directly to EA MicroOnes for Dac/preamp/amp and although it distorted at high medium to high volume the Hugo sounded very good. I also heard the Big 7 at the Newport Beach show last year hooked up to 30,000.00 worth of stuff and it sounded very good as well.

Hugo+ EA MicroOnes definatlly  does hold its own even against the big 7 and $30,000.00 worth of gear like the big 7 was hooked up too.

Hugo sounds delicate, airy and spacious with nice real bass and is capable of delivering emotions. I'm not sure if other stuff like seperatel prepamps and amps were hooked up along with it, it might add or take away. I preferred Hugo on its own without any other gear added in the chain to my speakers.

To sum it up, in my experience Hugo is like watching a good bluray movie at home with calibrated tv vs. Big 7 was going to a imax theatre. Don't know if it makes sense,  but big 7 defiantly gave me that headchange and you are there feeling more so than Hugo. It does give your brain and ears a workout more so than Hugo.

Different sound signature. Both very musical, but ofcourse one is solid state and the other is tube so both have their usual characteristics.  If I were to choose one, I'd go with big 7.



-peace

[wisnon]

SofS.

ALRainbow owns the Hugo, 2 Big7s (1 a headDac) an MSB Platinum, a DirectStream, a GD-AudioMaster 7 , an iFi iDSD and a Mytek. We spent a day listening to the Hugo, B7, MSB and DS and it was not close for either of us. Note we used high end headphones.

AL has had them for a year now and uses the Hugo and iDSD daily on the train into Manhatten. He has not changed his mind.

[sfox7076]

His collection, combined with his tubes, probably costs more than my apartment.

[Tomy2Tone]

For whatever its worth...when I was looking in to getting a Lampi dac I contacted a forum member here who had just received a Lampi Amber and whose previous best dac was a Hugo. When asked which dac was better in his system he said he preferred the Amber. A little more apples to apples in regards to price but note that the Amber is now Lampi's entry level dac.

[ted_b]

Norman, you've told that maybe a hundred times!  Al says the Hugo is thin and emotionless.  Al's Hugo setup does not drive his cans, if that's the case (hugo is hardly thin, many say the opposite; but it has a volume control so if impedance isn't right in setup it's not a correct setup).  Dunno what else to say.  And yes, of course the Big 7 sounds better!!!!!!!  So does the $50k MSB Platinum.  I would hope so!

Regardless, opinions like SofS's are legit; to consistently respond to Hugo positive feedback with saying you and Al have heard them one day, and therefore end of story is only relevant to you (and Al).  Sorry, but every one gets a vote.   I could tout Dr Howie (Priaptor) and his feedback that the Hugo holds its own against his MSB Diamond stack; not equal but not far off.  He is a Hugo convert.  Sold his Vega for it. 

What is my point?  Why the Hugo bashing?  It's not a race.  Why the "it was not even close" when anyone else says good things about it?  To paraphrase the Bard: Why doth he protest too much?  Enjoy the Lampi(s) and let others enjoy their dacs.   (Off my soapbox).

[sfox7076]

I agree with Ted on this.  I also don't agree with Al's tube likes.  We all have different tastes.  Regardless, my statement was more to discuss computer and LPS implementation and what that could do for the Big 7, not that the Hugo was trash.  I use my Hugo everyday.

[wisnon]

AL uses his Hugo daily too and he used it with amp and without.

My point to SoS is that its blasphemy to say they sound close when I heard them for myself. Hell, I was the one who suggest to AL to get the Hugo and I own a Qute EX. I thought the whole FPGA tech thingy would have given the Hugo a fighting chance. I was surprised at the blowout (recall the term CHASM?). it was not even close. A deaf guy could tell the difference. Lo

I protest to counter the propaganda. Let me repeat ...its not close. A person may want it one way, but its the other.

Final point, for the price and portability, I do agree that the Hugo is good value for money. i never said otherwise, but the whole gamechanger thing is ludicrous to me.

[wisnon]

I agree with Ted on this.  I also don't agree with Al's tube likes.  We all have different tastes.  Regardless, my statement was more to discuss computer and LPS implementation and what that could do for the Big 7, not that the Hugo was trash.  I use my Hugo everyday.

I never said the Hugo was trash. Its a very decent Dac. I suspect that the Dave will be a whole 'nother category of Dac and COULD give that level of performance that corresponds to the Hugo hype.

Yes, tastes do differ, but what is being discussed is not a matter of taste really.

[ted_b]

For whatever its worth...when I was looking in to getting a Lampi dac I contacted a forum member here who had just received a Lampi Amber and whose previous best dac was a Hugo. When asked which dac was better in his system he said he preferred the Amber. A little more apples to apples in regards to price but note that the Amber is now Lampi's entry level dac.

If that is Randy, he returned his Amber (and Fred was very gracious, and is looking to send Randy another Lampi someday) and is using my Hugo currently. 

[Tomy2Tone]

If that is Randy, he returned his Amber (and Fred was very gracious, and is looking to send Randy another Lampi someday) and is using my Hugo currently. 

Yep, that's who I was referring to. I sent him a message a few days ago to see how it's going but haven't heard back yet. Last we talked he thought it was an amp issue he was having. But I remember him saying he liked the sound of the Amber in reference to the Hugo.

[ted_b]

Um, no!  He did NOT like the sound of the Amber (and it may well have been a bad Amber) so he returned it.  Just setting this anti-Hugo record straight.  It's one thing to have an opinion; it's another to misinform (not saying it's on purpose, T2T, but it ain't the facts).  And it may seem like a nit, but Randy's opinion was put up here as a prime example of "apples to apples" preference, and it is not at all.

Randy is a dear friend and will be at the house on Thursday (where he will hear the Chord 2Qute, the Fore Audio DAISy1, the exaSound e12, among others).  He hasn't heard my Aerial 20Ts yet.  And I am helping him build a new CAPS server.

[Tomy2Tone]

Um, no!  He did NOT like the sound of the Amber (and it may well have been a bad Amber) so he returned it.  Just setting this anti-Hugo record straight.  It's one thing to have an opinion; it's another to misinform (not saying it's on purpose, T2T, but it ain't the facts).  And it may seem like a nit, but Randy's opinion was put up here as a prime example of "apples to apples" preference, and it is not at all.

I just remember what he told me, that's all.

[sfox7076]

As this thread is completely off the rails, maybe we should close it.

[SearchOfSub]

SofS.

ALRainbow owns the Hugo, 2 Big7s (1 a headDac) an MSB Platinum, a DirectStream, a GD-AudioMaster 7 , an iFi iDSD and a Mytek. We spent a day listening to the Hugo, B7, MSB and DS and it was not close for either of us. Note we used high end headphones.

AL has had them for a year now and uses the Hugo and iDSD daily on the train into Manhatten. He has not changed his mind.

Did you listen to Hugo alone or with added amp and preamp? For my system, Hugo sounded better without the Job 225 so I ended up selling that amp and using Hugo alone out to speakers.

Directstream does not sound better than Hugo imo. I also heard that at the Newport Beach show and concluded Hugo sounded more analog and real.

If you visit the PS Audio website, there are many complaints after they bought the DS. If you visit the Hugo thread at Headfi, there are barely any complaints... most are satisfied.

Just to give an example what Hugo did for me, its a DAC/preamp/amp that I can just listen to music without thinking about turning it off and going to do something else. I was able to listen to other music without repeating only favorite tracks. Its audiophille dac. People should try out either of these dacs (Big 7) I think it's worth hard earned money.


-peace

[wisnon]

SoS,

We listened many ways and as I said, AL continues to own all these Dacs a year later and has not changed his mind. I am sure he is reading this thread in amusement.

Also, unlike most people...he did not make the comparisons at shows, nor did he get in each one at different time with little or no overlap...HE HAS OWNED THEN ALL for over a year and has been able to compare them all against each other directly and over a loooong period of time. To me the Dstream edged the Hugo, but they were close. Keep in mind that AL has lost of DS firmware to roll, so is not like most who just use the latest official release.

I do appreciate that others can and do have a difference of opinion, so wont fight you between Hogo and DS, but there was a huge CHASM between those 2 and the Lampi/MSB which BOTH had the high end sound.

Again I say, that the HUGO and DS are fine products, but I have to stop the overreach in its tracks. Its was not close and I am not one to nitpick small nuances.

[sfox7076]

I own both.  That isn't the point.  The point is moot.  We all have different ears.  I tried the PS Audio and agree that the Hugo is not as good. Meitner and Chord are really close in my opinion.  There was a drop off after that in my systemm.  For Dacs I have owned or had long term auditions, this is my order and it is solely related to me:

Big 7
Meitner MA-1
Chord Hugo
PS Audio
Eastern Electric Minimax
DIY Buffalo DAC
Schit bitfrost
Other DIY stuff

[wisnon]

Shawn,

Nothing against the Hugo. Its the gamechange hype and the fact that naive people may be led to belive that it can take on much bigger game....it simply cannot.

DAVE may, we wait to see. I keep an open mind.

[ted_b]

Yeah, cuz "chasm" is not hyperbole??   You heard the Hugo ONCE, Norman!  ONCE!  In someone else's system!  You've never had it in your own system, for one. 

It "simply cannot"??  Huh?  Who made you Lord of this thing??  Your one instance with Hugo makes your comments...let me think...wait for it...an opinion!  Not empirical dogma.  Just sayin.  And my almost 12 months with Hugo (and a myriad of other dacs) makes my comments simply an opinion too.. 

Naive people will read anything into anything (such as "it blows the other thing away" or "listen, take my word for it").   Intelligent people will figure out that opinions are rampant.  We need to let these groups figure it out.   

Demo these units, in your own system, for a period of time.  Synergy is key, and often counter-intuitive on paper.  That is my one strong piece of advice!

[rklein]

Um, no!  He did NOT like the sound of the Amber (and it may well have been a bad Amber) so he returned it.  Just setting this anti-Hugo record straight.  It's one thing to have an opinion; it's another to misinform (not saying it's on purpose, T2T, but it ain't the facts).  And it may seem like a nit, but Randy's opinion was put up here as a prime example of "apples to apples" preference, and it is not at all.

Randy is a dear friend and will be at the house on Thursday (where he will hear the Chord 2Qute, the Fore Audio DAISy1, the exaSound e12, among others).  He hasn't heard my Aerial 20Ts yet.  And I am helping him build a new CAPS server.

I just remember what he told me, that's all.

Ted mentioned this thread to me...  I have not been on AC for a bit and needed to reply...

I was in the market for a DAC.(still am).  I had built a CAPS v.2 and was running an Exasound E20 MKII DAC and getting GREAT sound.  I decided to try a modded Sony HAP-Z1ES which would take the place of my E20/CAPS.  For me, (not others), this was a big mistake!  I bought into the hype from early adopters and while others may love their Hap-Z1ES, it just did not float my boat.  I ended up returning the Sony.

I then bought a used Aries along with a Synology 415+ running direct to the Aries to an Amber DAC that I purchased through Fred at Lampizator NA.  I still was not happy with the sound.  While it was some time since my E20/CAPS combo, this current setup was clearly not what I had in sound quality. 

Tom is correct in that we had conversed and I mentioned that I thought the Amber was better than the Hugo.  However, Ted is correct as well as the more the Amber broke in the more the sound was just not right.   I couldn't put my finger on it but as the Amber broke in the sound got worse.

I then went back to the Hugo and it was just better.  Keep in mind that the Amber uses the Sabre chip which none of the other Lampi's use.  However, I do not contribute the bad sound to the Sabre as I have had other DACS with this chip that sounded very good. (Exasound E20 MKII)

Anyway, I had to send the Amber back to Fred who deserves KUDOS  for the way he handles his business.  He emailed me to let me know that there was something definitely wrong with the Amber as none sounded like the one I received.

I ended up selling the Aries as well as I just did not like the GUI.  I am building a custom PC music server and will be purchasing a new DAC shortly.  It might be a 2Qute.  It might be another Exasound DAC (which is a beast with DSD!!)  Dunno yet. 

I really can't comment on how the Hugo stacks up against any Lampi's. I will say that I disagree with those who constantly portray the Hugo as "thin sounding".  It does PCM very well indeed.  There apparently are many very happy 2Qute owners who wax poetically about how the 2Qute does PCM.  The 2Qute is the same house sound as the Hugo in different clothing.

I am all for "different strokes for different folks".  What I can't seem to fathom is how after one day, a person can post on different forums on how one DAC "massacred' another.  He must have really really good ears.  It usually takes me a couple of weeks of listening a couple of hours a day to make a determination on what I view as better sound for my ears.

Regards,

Randy

[rklein]

Of course this Hugo vs Lampi stuff has absolutely nothing to do with the dedicated server that Lukasz built...

Randy