However, if you have harder to drive headphones like myself, want to drive speakers, or would like a more “affordable” option, the HTT2 is the way to go.Īs I was waiting for my HTT2 to arrive, I was using my trusty iFi iDSD Black Label, running into a cheap marantz speaker amplifier to drive my headphones, especially the Susvara. If you have easier to drive headphones, and can afford it, the DAVE is still the king. Both are superb DACs and it is a case of your budget, and use case, as to which you should choose if you are in the market.
The HTT2, however seems to have a bit more meat on its bones, and is a tiny bit warmer than the DAVE. It is also a bit less bright than the HTT2. To do a quick comparison, the DAVE is the king of micro detail, and has a more transparent and nuanced presentation than the HTT2. An all in one item, that is powerful, as well as being the closest to the DAVE in terms of sound quality as anything else offered by Chord. Thankfully the HTT2 was announced, and it seemed perfect. I knew that I would never be able to afford both the DAVE as well as a suitable powerful amplifier to pair with it, so I ended up selling the DAVE and beginning the search for a replacement system. Enough for many headphones, but not for the aforementioned hard to drive headphones I enjoy. The problem with the DAVE is that it only offers 2w maximum out of its headphone output. Perhaps there are better DACs out there on the market, but I have not heard them. My reference DAC (that I sadly do not own anymore) is the Chord DAVE. Well, not too seriously with everything except with regards to the sound of their gear. I quite enjoy them as they are a bit fun, and it shows the Chord as a company doesn’t take themselves too seriously. Whilst not everyone enjoys the marbles on Chords various pieces of gear, they are an innovative way to convey the sample rate etc…that you are currently using. Speaking of the light up marble, it’s a fairly quirky and genius way to indicate the current volume on the device. Not too hard to turn, but never feeling light, cheap and tacky. All the knobs, or in this case, a light up marble, have the perfect feel. Everything seems to have a place, and function. One thing I have noticed with Chord Electronics gear is that they are almost unrivalled in terms of build quality. Opening the HTT2 box, you are greeted by a compact, well built, solid piece of kit. Offering up 7.3w at 8 ohms single ended, and 18w at 8 ohms from the balanced outputs on the rear of the device, there aren’t many headphones the HTT2 can’t handle. The Hifiman Susvara, Hifiman HE6se, Abyss AB-1266 and similar. These super capacitors allow for a much higher maximum output power, which is perfect for the headphones I typically enjoy. The space these batteries took up in the HTT1 has been reworked and 6 super capacitors have been put in to replace the batteries. Negating the need for the batteries inside.
It is a great bit of gear no doubt, but there was room for improvement.Ĭhord Electronics seems to have realised that the vast majority of Hugo TT owners used it as a stationary desktop piece of gear. The Hugo 2 fixed the bright and slightly brittle sound of the Hugo, but lacked the drive for the hard to drive planar magnetic headphones I tend to enjoy.
Be it battery life, output power, sound etc…The original Hugo was a bit bright and brittle sounding, and the Hugo TT didn’t have enough output power (in my opinion) for a dedicated desktop option. However, they all had things that could have been improved upon. All three previous Hugo’s have offered excellent sound quality, features, and build quality. The HTT2 is the latest evolution of the Hugo family, following the Hugo, Hugo TT, and Hugo 2. For the rest of the review I will refer to this piece of gear as the HTT2. Today we are going to be looking at the most recent DAC from Chord Electronics, the Hugo TT2.
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