Chord Hugo TT2

The Hugo TT2 is a digital-to-analogue converter and desktop headphone amplifier designed by Chord Electronics. It is intended for those who wish to get the best out of a digital source, whether for headphone listening or as a preamplifier connected to a hi-fi system. It accepts several digital inputs and features balanced outputs, allowing connection to both computer sources and dedicated digital players.

At the heart of the unit is a Xilinx Artix 7 FPGA custom-programmed by Rob Watts, built around 86 cores clocked at 208 MHz working in parallel. This architecture builds a WTA 16FS filter with 98,304 taps, twice as complex as that of the Hugo 2. In practical terms, this type of digital filtering aims for a more precise signal reproduction, with fewer artefacts related to digital-to-analogue conversion. The output stage, entirely redesigned and coupled with second-order noise shaping, helps reduce distortion, measured here at 0.00008% THD.

On the power side, the TT2 abandons the Li-Po battery of the original Hugo TT in favour of six supercapacitors, capable of delivering high dynamic current peaks when the music demands it, up to 5 A at 9.3 V RMS. This energy reserve supports a headphone output power of 7.3 W RMS at 8 Ω unbalanced, and up to 18 W RMS at 8 Ω balanced, enough to drive current-hungry headphones. The output impedance of 0.075 ohm, the 127 dB dynamic range and the 138 dB channel separation complete an impressive set of technical measurements.

The unit also offers user-selectable filter settings in four positions, inherited from the Hugo 2, as well as a three-stage digital crossfeed function intended for headphone users wishing to get closer to the spatial perception of speaker listening. It can also later be paired with an M Scaler module for additional digital upscaling.

This DAC amplifier is aimed at an experienced user, already owning a high-end headphone sensitive to source quality, or wishing to build a complete desktop system relying on the balanced outputs and built-in preamplifier. Its compact format and 3 kg weight make it a unit designed for stationary rather than portable use.