Qutest, Hugo TT2, Mscaler

Just changed over noticeable improvement, don’t really understand why but it works. A wee bit less stable in terms of quick change/fast forward of tracks/albums but picked up on one of the forums trick is to pause/stop before moving on, this seems to work.
Thanks for mentioning it, a free upgrade !

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Naim’s transformer “blues” is probably worse in many cases… :cry:

It works because it uses Innuos’ player instead of Roon player and the former plays from a memory buffer. Does make a noticeable difference but you are right about the slight glitches. The new Innuos software is eagerly anticipated which is supposed to improve on the interface, so that will be worth trying too

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I tried everything with my HiCap DR. I loved what it did, which is why I kept it but that buzz/humm :face_with_symbols_over_mouth:

The Etude is whisper quiet in comparison. I have to be within inches to notice.

I wasn’t aware of any planned software release from Innuos, seems after a very short play around with it that if you take your time it’s stable. Guess that’s the trade off that is discussed, weird seems to be only certain albums, Nils Lofgren Acoustic Live stuttered a wee bit first few bars then stabilised, all the others so far are fine.

blimey Simon - this is looking very good for keeping the etude and selling your Naims?

I think this thread has become Naim’s worst nightmare. :sweat_smile:

I can see the headlines now: “Naim Community’s chief influencer defects to Chord. Keeps token streamer… for now

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Yeah, until he tries an Antipodes K series.:flushed:

When the original Hugo took the forum by storm, a few years ago, quite a few people flogged their NDAC, although it remains popular today. Naim didn’t go bust, and it’s to their credit that they allow this open discussion of HiFi in general, not just Naim gear.
I believe Naim is a strong enough brand that it can withstand the competition. If they try to narrow down the remit of the forum, as some other brands do, and use it more as a direct marketing and support platform only for Naim and Focal products, it will lose much of its appeal. I think that would also be a mistake from a commercial point of view. The openness of the forum is what draws people in and sets them on the upgrade ladder, and I’m pretty sure it’s made Naim a huge amount of money as a result.

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You do realise I was jesting don’t you?

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Yes, of course, but I’m not sure everybody will, especially given the number of people here for whom English is a second language.

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Exactly… people interested in Naim are interested in Chord and vice-versa. I have no doubt people have moved back in forth with various bits of gear to build a system that suits their needs.

There will Naim owners that prefer chord Dacs with Naim Amps and I have no doubt people who prefer Naim amps with their Chord Docs. They probably make good money off each other!

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and Chord DACs off Naim streamers…

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Lets follow the smart money

Will Simon’s 552 end up for sale or not !

Which is probably the most common crossover.

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I was a very early adopter of the original Hugo and I used it with a range of Naim components. I moved to Hugo 2 and then to my current set up and I’m convinced there is real synergy between Chord and Naim. Each time I’ve improved my source it has shown me know much better my Naim amp can sound. Perhaps in the future I will look elsewhere but using both together has raised appreciation of Naim amplification even if it has moved me away from Naim DACs and streamers

Its an interesting one - I found the Hugo 1 absolutely sang with with my 552/250. Less so with the Hugo 2, TT2 and definitely not the DAVE - and I have written much about this on this forum over the years.
I discovered when I got into higher end planar headphones what the newer Chord DACs were truly capable off. I then started to realise that system synergy starts to count for a lot.
The newer Chord DACs (TT2 and DAVE) are very fast and handle transients very well - it was this my 552/250 ATC combo was less capable to resolve musically.
However when I replaced the 552/250 with an equally fast amp design from Chord - namely the Etude, I noticed i was able to appreciate what I was hearing with my planar through my system into my ATCs

So I do think synergy is possibly more important that I gave it credit for. That said the Hugo 1 still is a wonderful match for my 552/250 - but ultimately Hugo 1 is quite a bit behind the performance of the newer DACs.

The new Chord amp designs really do compliment the performance of the newer Chord DACs. Equally the ND555 sounds very attractive on NAP300DR / 500DR 552 based systems - but the architectures and sonic approaches i have come to appreciate as being very different between these two families.

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Thanks Simon, interesting. Perhaps in future I will road test some of the Chord amps but at present my wallet is red hot from the changes I’ve made recently and I am still in love with my humble 282/250DR. Scary stuff this can be but it has certainly taught me recently that source remains king

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Were you not tempted to try a 300? On paper your system is obviously up to it, and some of the best systems I’ve heard have been built around a 552/300. Or perhaps you have already moved on.

Chris, if I am honest no… although almost certainly my 250 was the weakest link… I think as you say I had mentally moved on