Chord Hugo 2
Portable DAC and headphone amplifier by Chord, compact yet suitable for use in a home hifi system thanks to its line output.
Description
The Hugo 2 is a digital-to-analogue converter combined with a headphone amplifier, designed by Chord to work equally well on the move and within a home hifi system. Thanks to its line output and remote control, it can drive a conventional hifi system while retaining its primary purpose as a portable headphone amplifier.
The unit incorporates an FPGA chip paired with WTA (Watts Transient Aligned) filters, which govern the digital signal processing. It accepts high-resolution files up to 768 kHz in PCM and up to DSD512 in DSD via its USB HD input, allowing lossless playback of the most demanding formats available for download or local streaming. A user-selectable four-position filter allows the sound presentation to be adjusted between a warm, smooth rendering and a more transparent, incisive one, offering genuine scope for personalisation depending on the headphones or system used.
In terms of connectivity, the Hugo 2 offers optical, coaxial and USB HD inputs, as well as Bluetooth connectivity. On the output side, there are two RCA outputs for use in a hifi system, along with two headphone outputs in 3.5 mm and 6.35 mm formats. Four backlit, colour-coded spherical buttons control power, input selection, filtering and the unit's cross-feed functions.
Output power varies according to the connected load: 94 mW into 300 ohms, 740 mW into 33 ohms and 1050 mW into 8 ohms, allowing it to drive high-impedance headphones as well as earphones or lower-impedance loads. Total harmonic distortion of 0.0005%, a dynamic range of 135 dB and a signal-to-noise ratio of 126 dB reflect particularly clean signal processing, with an output impedance of 0.025 ohms and a damping factor greater than 100, both favourable to transducer control.
This DAC headphone amplifier is aimed at users on the move seeking high listening quality while travelling, but also at enthusiasts wishing to integrate it into a fixed hifi system thanks to its line output. Its compact size, with dimensions of 100 x 21 x 130 mm and a weight of 450 g, makes it an easily portable device while still capable of driving a wide range of headphones.
Technical specifications
| Output power (300 ohms) | 94 mW |
| Output power (33 ohms) | 740 mW |
| Output power (8 ohms) | 1050 mW |
| Total harmonic distortion | 0.0005% |
| Dynamic range | 135 dB |
| Signal to noise ratio | 126 dB |
| Output impedance | 0.025 ohms |
| Damping factor | >100 |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 100 x 21 x 130 mm |
| Weight | 450 g |
What to check before buying used
Check that the four-position filter selector switches cleanly between settings without any loose contact, a common fault on heavily used units. Test each digital input (optical, coaxial, USB HD) as well as Bluetooth, and observe the ring of illuminated spheres, which should change colour clearly according to the resolution of the incoming signal. Also check the internal battery's charge retention, a sensitive point on this type of portable DAC, and ensure there is no play in the RCA and headphone outputs.
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