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Chord Hugo 2 DAC with Free Miter Leather Case

Chord Hugo 2 DAC headphone amp

Rating:
100%
26 Reviews
As low as $2,495.00
In stock
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Roon Tested

Roon Tested DACs are certified by Roon Labs and automatically connect to Roon software. Learn More about Roon Ready devices.

Both Hugo 2 colors are In Stock.

Chord Electronics advances the revolutionary Hugo digital to analog converter (DAC) and portable headphone amplifier with the next generation Chord Hugo 2.

Perfect for on-the-go high fidelity, while being comfortable in support of a conventional audio system, Chord’s new Hugo 2 rocks.

Chord’s new Hugo 2 digital to analog converter (DAC) and headphone amplifier continues to inspire a revolutionary high fidelity in portable music listening from the innovative makers at Chord Electronics in Kent England. Timing accuracy, noise reduction, and dynamic range are a few of the sonic performance improvements headphones, and stereo listeners will feel as much as hear with the Chord Hugo 2 DAC and Amp.

The most advanced field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and highly advanced watts transient aligned (WTA) filters bring vast improvements to the Chord Hugo 2 sound via headphones, in-ear monitors (IEMs) or stereo gear.

Digital Inputs and Outputs

The Chord Hugo 2 has four digital inputs: optical, coaxial, HD USB and extended-range Bluetooth with file playback up to 768kHz and DSD512 (Octa DSD) via HD USB input so very high resolution coming in means great sound going out. Two RCA, 3.5mm, and 6.35mm headphone analog outputs cover playing music to just about every headphones, in-ear monitors, and pre-amplifier imaginable.

 Do-It-Yourself (DIY)

The Chord Hugo 2 brings power and do-it-yourself (DIY) beauty to portable DAC and headphones amplifiers high fidelity sonic performance. Like warm and soft or precise and dynamic when you listen to music? Chord Hugo 2 provides a four-function filter to change the sound and sonic performance by manipulating a simple switch. The Hugo 2 creates listening power and flexibility for listeners - a future audio gear trend we suspect.

 

Crossfeed for Headphones

If you like the new Focal “speakers on your head” headphones listening experience you’ll be glad to know the Chord Hugo 2 retains Hugo’s popular digital crossfeed function with three options. Hugo 2 cross-feeds a 400-millisecond delay in shaping music from left and right output to the different channels based on advanced binaural audio research to emulate the effect of listening to music in a room with a stereo and speakers.

 

The Portable DAC That Can Stay Home Too

The Chord Hugo 2 features a new precision-machined aircraft-inspired aluminum case. A sharper lower profile with four now larger but still round control buttons makes the Hugo 2 a more portable DAC and headphones amp than its predecessor. Clearly, the new Hugo 2 design speaks to the portable DAC success achieved by the Chord Mojo DAC. The company anticipates greater “indoor” usage too by including a full-featured remote control.

Chord Hugo 2 USB DAC Headphone Amplifier

Battery Life

Battery life makes a significant contribution to any portable DAC or headphone amplifier. Chord Hugo 2 battery life is around seven hours with two “automatic charging” modes via dedicated Micro USB charging port: fast or 1.8 amperes and slow coming in at less than one ampere. The Hugo 2 includes a battery charge indicator and status gauge.

Moore’s Law

We loved and agreed with this note from Richard Dale on Head-fi.org:

It's very impressive how Moore's Law is giving Chord more powerful, less power-hungry FPGAs year by year and they are taking great advantage of it. The technology in the regular DAC chips, such as ESS, isn't progressing at such a rapid rate. I listened to the audio recording that Chris put up of John Franks and Rob Watts talking about the new kit. It was incredible to hear that Rob Watts dreamed of a million tap filter in the early 80s and never believed it would be possible, and now 35 years later he's able to announce a product with such a thing in it.

Chord Hugo 2, Smartphones and Dragon Audio Cables

Now that the Chord Mojo isn’t the only portable high fidelity digital to analog converter (DAC) and headphones amplifier buyers and listeners will be glad to know the Chord Hugo 2 adds new depth, soundstage, and intimacy to music via iPhones, iPads, or Android smartphones and tablets. Apple iPhones and iPads will need a camera adapter (CCK) via USB since Chord Electronics continues to balk at paying Apple licensing fees.

We recommend our Apple CCK + Silver Dragon USB for customers who love precision and detail when listening to their music and Apple CCK + Black Dragon for music lovers look for more warmth and better lower and mid-tones in their portable DAC listening experience.

Android phones and pads can connect directly to the new Chord Hugo 2. We recommend Silver Dragon USB for Android smartphone listeners who look for precision and detail and Black Dragon USB for those seeking warmth and robust low to mid-tones.

The Power of Upscaling

To upgrade your Chord Hugo2 to the next level, we recommend adding the Chord Hugo M Scaler.

The M Scaler is an instant upgrade to any existing DAC you have. It has the ability to upgrade your standard definition digital input signals and output them to your DAC at a max resolution of 352.8 or 384kHz via a single BNC SPDIF output or via a 176.4 or 192kHz via an Optical SPDIF output. If you have a Chord Electronics DAC that utilizes Dual Data Digital inputs, such as the Chord Qutest, Hugo2, Hugo TT2 or the Dave, then you can increase this output resolution to 705.6 or 768kHz via the M Scaler Dual BNC SPDIF outputs. The Hugo2 requires a special cable for the 3.5mm dual data input, so we've developed a Black Dragon Mini Coax Cable to connect it to the M Scaler.

Keith Howard wrote a wonderful profile on Rob Watts' theories of why the upsampling filters are so critical to remarkable digital audio playback. Read the Hifi Critic article here.

Chord Hugo 2 Buzz

"There isn't another DAC around at anywhere near this sort of price able to communicate so torrentially, so unambiguously, or so effortlessly. It's expensive, but the boost in performance is worth every penny." - What HiFi?, Best DAC £1000+
"The finest DAC I've ever seen/heard/used." - John Darko, Knock Out Award
"If I sound deeply impressed by the Chord Hugo2, that’s because I am. At this moment in time I really can’t think of any other transportable headphone amp/DAC that can directly compete with Hugo2, or that even comes close. " Read Full Review - Chris Martens, hifi+

Chord Hugo Features

Hugo 2 includes the latest FPGAs and WTA (Watts Transient Aligned) filters with new features:

  • 7 Hour Battery Life
  • 49,152 Taps
  • 768kHz Micro USB Input
  • 384kHz Coax Jack Input
  • 192kHz Optical Input
  • Bluetooth Apt X Input
  • 1x 1/4" Headphone Output
  • 1x 3.5mm Headphone Output
  • Unbalanced RCA Outputs
  • DSD512 (8x) Native
  • Native DSD Support
  • 4x Playback Filters
  • 3x Crossfeed Function

Awards

EISA Award 2018-2019
What HiFi? Award 2018
What Hi-Fi? Award 2019

Press and Reviews

Chord Magazine Guide
Chord Magazine

Guides & Advice
by Moon Audio

What Hi-Fi? Review
What Hi-Fi?

by Staff
Oct. 2018

pdf
User Manual | Hugo2
(Size: 4.5 MB)
Chord Electronics Hugo2 DAC

Includes

  • 3-Year Warranty

Specifications

Materials:
Clamshell precision machined aluminium casing with polycarbonate,buttons, acrylic signal window, and glass viewing portal. Available in a choice of two colours – natural silver, and satin black
Battery:
2x Rechargeable custom Enix Energies 3.7v 9.6Wh Li-ion (lithium-ion (2600mAh) batteries*
Tap length filter:
49,152 – 10 element Pulse Array design
Play time:
In excess of seven (7) hours
Charging:
Nominal four (4) hours via Micro USB at 1.8amps (fast charge) – Nominal eight (8) hours at 1amp (slow charge)
Connectivity (input):
Micro USB (White): 44.1kHz – 768kHz – 16bit – 32bit
Coax via 3.5mm Jack (Red): 44.1kHz – 768kHz – 16bit – 32bit
Optical (Green): 44.1kHz – 192kHz – 16bit – 24bit
Connectivity (input wireless):
Bluetooth (Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR with APTX) (Blue): 44.1kHz – 48kHz – 16bit
Connectivity (output):
1x ¼” jack headphone output
1x 3.5mm jack headphone output
1x stereo (L & R) RCA output
PCM support:
44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 358.8kHz, 384kHz, 717.6kHz, and 768kHz.
DSD support:
Native playback supported. DSD64 (Single) to DSD512 (Octa-DSD)
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
Power saving mode:
Auto-shutdown after ten minutes of input inactivity
Driver support:
Driverless with Mac OS X and Linux, driver required for Windows OS
Chipset:Chord Electronics custom coded Xilinx Artix 7 (XC7A15T) FPGA
Tap-length: 49,152
Pulse array: 10 element pulse array design
Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz +/- 0.2dB
Output stage: Class A
Output impedance: 0.025Ω
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
Power output @ 1kHz 1% THD: 94mW 300Ω
740mW 33Ω
1050mW 8Ω
Weight: 450g
Dimensions: 130mm (L) x 100mm (W) x 21mm (H)
Boxed Dimensions: 220mm (L) x 122mm (W) x 85mm (H)

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5.0 / 5.0
26 Reviews
5 Stars
4 Stars
3 Stars
2 Stars
1 Star
26
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The most compact amplifier in the world
If I have one complaint I still have not figured out what all the colors mean but this is compact and sounds phenomenal. Even better with my high end Mr. Speaker headphones.
Very simple connections to headphones, my phone for Tidal music and the AC cord.
Very simple connections to headphones, my phone for Tidal music and the AC cord.
April 30, 2019
Purchased
 7 months ago
Compact and beautiful
The music is smooth and the clarity is awesome. It took sometime to set it up with roon. One of the product reviews suggested using a headphone amp like Schiit Magini 3 I did and the performance peaked. It is not as portable as Mojo but that should not stop one from considering it. The FPGA circuitry used is great benefit for streaming.
March 28, 2019
Wonderful product
I went in to see Drew hoping for a new external DAC and headphone. He spent much of the afternoon showing me several options and allowed me to "test drive" them with my MacBook. My only experience with external DACs was a Dragonfly Red. The Hugo2 was a huge step up in sound quality. I got the Hugo with a USB Silver Dragons to connect to the MacBook. I'm really enjoying my music.
Hugo garage/headphone stand
Hugo garage/headphone stand
January 3, 2019
Purchased
 11 months ago
Response from Moon Audio
Thanks so much, George for this review. The Hugo 2 is an excellent choice and one of our top selling DACs. You made a great choice that will give you years of listening pleasure. Never hesitate to contact us for support or questions that arise during your listening sessions.
January 11, 2019
Nichole B
Chord Hugo 2 - I Want To Pump (clap) You Up
Thanks to friends at Moon-Audio.com I&rsquo;ve been listening to the Hugo 2 driving my Shure KSE1500 in-ear monitors (IEMs), my iPad with Tidal as the music source, Blue Dragon cables between the Shure&rsquo;s and Chord&rsquo;s new digital to analog converter (DAC) and Silver Dragon cables with Apple CCK from the Hugo 2 to the iPad. I've been listening since Tuesday. With more than 20 hours in I know a Hugo 2 is in my future and here's why.

I started the week at the quiet folk/jazz end of my listening preferences. I prefer to listen to albums such as Elton John&rsquo;s Madman Across the River, U2&rsquo;s Joshua Tree, Kind of Blue by Miles Davis, and Sweet Baby James by James Taylor when evaluating new gear. These albums and a handful of others etched such grooves in my brain hearing what new equipment is/isnot doing becomes easier.

Chord&rsquo;s Hugo 2 has cojones.

There isn&rsquo;t a musical transition, dynamic reach, or sudden musical shift the Hugo 2 can&rsquo;t handle and smooth if ever so slightly. I only understood a fraction of Drew&rsquo;s explanation about why the Hugo 2 more than doubled the detail, clarity, and smoothness from its immediate predecessor the Chord Hugo. There was something about &ldquo;tap count&rdquo; and then I lost the thread.

I may not be as smart as Drew, but my ears know what they like. My ears and brain LOVE the Hugo 2. It&rsquo;s rare to find a DAC capable of helping both ends of the sound spectrum. Usually, DACs good at shaving brittleness from digital sound are limited when it comes to speed or support for dynamic range. Not so much with Chord Hugo sequel.

Capable of keeping up with Edge&rsquo;s guitar on Joshua Tree, Cannonball Adderley&rsquo;s baritone saxophone on Kind of Blue and Mud Slide Slim (James Taylor), the Hugo 2 delivers subtle muscle. &ldquo;Subtle muscle&rdquo; sounds like an oxymoron, but you&rsquo;ll recognize it when you hear it. Bono&rsquo;s Joshua Tree voice has never sounded warmer, more complete and present. Edge&rsquo;s guitar raspier smooth and Larry Mullen&rsquo;s drums more supportive.

The Chord Hugo 2 agrees with Bono, &ldquo;You have to scream without raising your voice&rdquo;. Too Good!
July 26, 2018
Stunning
And incredible product. There isn't too much I could say that hasn't been said already multiple times. The H2 is a marvel in sound separation, detail, layering, and beautifully balanced, and sounding natural and musical throughout. Violin, guitar, cello, vocals, and piano all come through more realistic, and percussion sounds are very fast and emotional.

Paired with the right headphones the H2 shines like no other DAC/AMP I've ever heard. Maybe one day, I'll go for its older brother, the Dave. But for now, with my more modest budget, the H2 is a wonder that I'll enjoy for years to come.
February 1, 2018
WOW, amazing sound and can be used in home audio setup too
Excellent DAC, I am so impressed with the sound quality of this DAC, it makes me fall in love with my music all over again.
November 2, 2017
&quot;Incredible&quot;..... isn't sufficient
Forget the &quot;audiophile speak&quot;, regardless of the genre, file type or listening device, the Hugo2 just makes everything sound sooo much better! incredible DAC in a small package!
August 31, 2017
Thank you Moon Audio
Love this DAC. Use daily. Moon Audio wa
S great to work with!
August 30, 2017
Spectacular
Huge improvement in clarity and aeriness on my HD800 compared to the Mojo. Yes, if you connect it to a dedicated amp like my Bryston BHA-1F it will give it more oomph and bass but alone it is still spectacular. I did have to cut the shielding of my AQ RCA cables with a small plumber's pipe cutter (super precise with round blade and turning it slowly as you tighten) to fit into the Hugo 2 jacks but it was simple enough to do. It will outresolve probably any other component you have downstream.
August 24, 2017
So far absolutely spectacular
I am mostly listening to it with my B&amp;W P7 headphones. But I also listened to the Focal Elear headphones at my local HiFi retailer. Even the salesman agreed: the best headphone amp we have heard. It easily compares to bulky desktop headphone amps costing much more. There is so much fullness and detail in the full spectrum of sound. Absolutely no regrets. Very easy to use and setup. I haven't yet used the analogue out (my previous Audioquest Diamondback RCA-RCA cables don't fit into his very tight space Chord provided for analogue out). However, my retailer had some demo Audioquest Golden Gate cables which fit perfectly. So, mine are on order. When I have connected it to my HiFi system, I'll update this review (Parasound Halo A21 Amp, Halo P5 PreAmp, B&amp;W CM9S2 speakers).
August 7, 2017
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Chord Hugo 2 Review: Details, Features and Specifications

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Chord Hugo 2 DAC Design News at LA Audio Show 2017

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