Company & Product Overview
The founder of Chord Electronics, John Frank, got his start working in aviation engineering. When an audio component fails, the music just stops playing, but if an aircraft fails, you have a big problem. When you’re building an aircraft, quality and attention to detail are of the utmost importance. Frank took this philosophy with him when he started Chord, beginning with a series of uncompromising amplifiers.
Word got out in the UK recording industry that these new amps deserved a listen, and it wasn’t long before the BBC had several installed. Others followed, and today Chord products are found in nearly 50 famous recording studios and performance venues around the world, including Sony Music, Abbey Road, and the Royal Opera House.
Eventually, Chord recognized the growing popularity of high-performance listening on the go, including an ever-increasing selection of high-end headphones. Many audio enthusiasts were wanting to take their music with them and play it through their smartphone, without sacrificing quality. This lead the Chord team to develop a line of portable products that are easy to use and carry around but can provide the sound quality of ultra high-end home audio gear.
The original Hugo DAC quickly became a reference-level component for many headphone lovers. Eventually, Chord had developed their digital technology to the point that it was time for an upgrade, and the Hugo 2, the subject of today’s review, was born.
The Hugo 2 is a battery powered headphone amp that is also a world-class DAC. It will accept digital audio from a Bluetooth source, USB, plus both optical and coaxial digital inputs.
Design & Build Quality
Chord is serious about maintaining a high standard of build-quality. To ensure they meet this standard, they produce all of their gear in their UK factory, rather than outsourcing their manufacturing like many other audio brands today. The fit and finish on every part of the Hugo 2 is top notch. The CNC aluminum chassis feels really nice and substantial in your hand.
The visual design of the Hugo 2, and really all Chord products, is interesting and unique. They have a distinct look. The main body of the unit is a rectangular shape, less than 1” tall and is 4” wide by 5” long, so it can easily fit in a briefcase or travel bag. One side has both a full-sized and mini headphone output jack. Next, you’ll find analog audio outputs, followed by a mini plug coaxial digital input and an optical input.
The end under the buttons has a mini USB input and the mini USB charging input, allowing you to charge and use the USB at the same time.
On top of the unit are 4 rounded buttons and a raised section in the center with a larger button that rolls. The buttons illuminate different colors — code for information such as power, inputs, filtering, and additional functions.
Close to the center is a round glass window and along one side is the IR receiving window for the supplied remote control. While you can control everything from the Hugo 2’s button array when you are using it on the go, the IR remote is perfect for use at home in your music system. And trust us, the Hugo 2 is a perfect choice for either type of listening!
Features & Technology
Setting up the Hugo 2 is pretty simple. A 2-Volt charging adapter is included with the unit and allows you to fully charge your Hugo 2 in 4 hours, providing around 7 hours of playback time. If the power button is glowing blue it means that the battery is 80%-100% charged. Green is 50-80%, orange is 20-50%, and red is 2-20%. When the Hugo is about to die, the power button flashes red.
The Hugo 2 also has an impressive power management system. The easiest way to ruin a set of lithium batteries is overcharging them. After 24 hours of charging, the Hugo 2 will put itself in desktop mode where it will not use battery power. Also, when using it with no power supply plugged in, it will turn itself off after 15 minutes of inactivity, in order to conserve battery.
To select the input you want to use, simply toggle through them on the Hugo 2 by pressing the input button. The input button works similarly to the power button/battery indicator and uses color codes for each input.
If you are using the Hugo 2 as a portable headphone amp the rolling volume button follows a color scheme as well, so at a glance, you can tell where you are. It will go from black at the low end to red, yellow, green, blue, purple and finally white as you open up the volume.
When it comes to options for shaping the sound itself, the Hugo 2 has two really unique features. The first is a set of filters that can provide some needed warmth to a harsh sounding recording. Again, the lights tell you where you are in the filter section. They go from pure with no filtering, to a minor roll off of the top end, to one that increases warmth, and finally to one that rolls off the top and increases warmth.
