I am considering a Chord 2 headphones amp to use plugged into, presumably, my ND5XS2?
As I understand it, it’s a rechargeable battery-operated unit? Can it also be run direct from the mains?
I presume you mean Chord Hugo 2? The Quick start guide that is available for download will tell you all…
But briefly, yes you can run it off the mains as I do. After 24hrs of charging in enters desktop mode where the rechargeable batteries are no longer charged. A cracking DAC.
Hmm. Looking at prices that might be too much of a stretch.
What I’m trying to do is improve the SQ of my current passive headphones listening for indoors from ML5909’s/Dragonfly Red/Dragontail/Android phone.
Would the previous iteration Chord “Hugo” offer a significant uplift in SQ?
Are you using the AQ the correct way round now?
Mike, @badlyread is spot on with his description of the Hugo 2 operation. I have had my Hugo 2 for nearly 5 years now and it’s a cracking dac/ headphone amp.
I use it on my pc for headphone listening with it permanently plugged in and also (sometimes) in my NDX2 based system as a change from the inbuilt Naim dac.
If you can stretch to the cost I can highly recommend.
Unfortunately I can’t comment on the original versus Hugo 2 as I have never tried the original.
Cheers
I ran a Hugo MK1 for a year or so as my main hifi system DAC, it was very very good. It is battery operated but unlike the MK2 it’ll keep the battery at 100% charge if plugged in permanently. I used to run it off batteries and recharge when necessary, to avoid it being kept at 100%. I now run it just as a headphone amp and the battery seems very fit, keeping it’s charge very well when not used.
The only thing I’m not sure about is how it would compare to the dragonfly, but it was a very well regarded DAC. Last time I looked they were 400-500 in the UK, you could probably buy one and try it and sell it on if it didn’t suit?
As good as the No. 5909’s might be (I don’t have personal experience), they are still, first and foremost, bluetooth headphones, presumably optimized for portable and wireless operation.
You are already running them wired. If you really want to step up the sound quality, in addition to considering a better DAC and headphone amp, you should audition some quality, wired-only headphones.
If you share more detailed requirements, you’ll receive more relevant suggestions.
- Portability requirements? (fixed like on a desktop or rack, transportable between fixed locations, like btw home & office, fully-portable like out walking/exercising or travel by bus/train/airplane)
- Noise cancelling or isolation requirements? (if not, open-back headphones generally sound more natural and spacious than closed-back headphones).
- Budget?
Yeah I think that’s the way to go. I want to use it for my indoors listening through my system with a long lead to my headphones. 
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Yeah I know all that. I bought them to replace my exclusively Bluetooth Sennheiser Momentum 4’s to cover all bases, Bluetooth AND passive, which they are supposed to do.
However, LDAC is rubbish. Keeps stuttering or dropping out, so I locked my phone on aptX Adaptive, which the 5909’s should work with. They don’t, even after a factory reset, so now I use them in passive mode but even THAT needs a third party app that piggybacks onto Qobuz so I get some volume. I’ll still use them with the Dragonfly when I’m sitting out on the patio (which I do a lot, I live in Spain).
For walkabout Bluetooth, I still use the Mo’ 4’s which, to be fair, still sound impressive plus the fact that they’re lighter and don’t look like I’ve strapped a couple of dustbins to my head.
I’m aware that exclusively passive headphones would be optimum for a head amp, but the 5909’s sound pretty mind boggling on the Dragonfly, frankly. I’m pretty sure they’d be even more so on a Hugo, and my budget doesn’t extend to buying another set of headphones as well as the Hugo, so there it is.
Just asked the AI bot what the problem might be with these bins and Bluetooth. Turns out, having the “On Head” detector turned on in the app was the culprit. Result!
Now if I can just avoid feeling self-conscious because they make me look like a Cyberman when on walkabout, I’m home free…
Oh what joy it was in that dawn to be alive.
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Understood, but trying to cover all use cases with a single pair of headphones tends to compromise performance across the board.
It might be better to first choose between the Momentums (more comfortable, less obtrusive) or the No. 5909s (better sound quality) for walking about, depending on which attributes are most important to you. Then sell the other pair.
Next (whenever your budget can accommodate it), invest in a proper wired-only, home set-up, which can far surpass the sound quality that’s achievable with bluetooth headphones.
BTW, if you really don’t want to stick out while out-and-about, you could go with IEMs instead of headphones.
I would get a mojo 2.
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