Chord Hugo 2 DAC and Headphone Amplifier - Black

Chord Does Not Buy Its Converter Chips

Almost every DAC on the market uses an off-the-shelf converter chip. Chord does not. The Hugo 2 is built around a Xilinx Artix 7 field-programmable gate array that Chord codes itself, running a filter of its own design with 49,152 taps and a ten-element pulse array.

That is the whole argument for the price. The company has been refining this approach since long before the first Hugo arrived in 2014, and what you are buying is the code as much as the hardware inside the case.

What It Plays

PCM runs from 44.1kHz all the way to 768kHz, at 16 to 32 bits, and DSD from DSD64 through to DSD512. Four filter settings and a three-stage crossfeed let you adjust the character a little without touching anything else in the chain.

A Desktop DAC You Can Put in a Bag

Two internal lithium-ion batteries give better than seven hours of playback and recharge in about four, so the Hugo 2 works away from the mains. It is not a pocket device, but it will sit in a bag and run a pair of headphones all day.

Everything Plugs In

Inputs cover optical at up to 24-bit and 192kHz, coaxial RCA at up to 384kHz, and an HD USB input that carries the full 768kHz and DSD512. Bluetooth with aptX handles a phone when a cable is inconvenient.

There are two headphone outputs, a 3.5mm and a full-size 6.35mm, so both of your pairs stay plugged in. A pair of RCA line outputs turns the Hugo 2 into the front end of a speaker system rather than only a headphone rig.

The controls are the part people notice first. Chord uses illuminated spheres that change color to show input, filter, volume and sample rate. It looks like nothing else, and it takes a little learning before the colors mean anything to you.

What Reviewers Are Saying

What Hi-Fi? made the Hugo 2 an Awards 2022 winner under the headline "A stunning sequel from Chord." Its verdict: the Hugo 2 "proves well worth its not inconsiderable sum." First among the strengths it listed: "Prodigiously detailed, dynamic and coherent."

The magazine's verdict went further. "There isn’t another DAC around at anywhere near this sort of price able to communicate so torrentially, so unambiguously or so effortlessly," it wrote. "We like it a lot."

The same review listed two practical caveats. On the sphere controls: "All those colours can get confusing." And on carrying it about: "Not strictly speaking portable." It travels happily in a bag, but it is not a pocket device.

Who Is This DAC Best For?

• You want conversion nobody else can sell you — the FPGA and Chord's own filter code are the product, so this is not a chip you can buy in a cheaper box next year.
• You listen on headphones and on speakers — two headphone jacks and a pair of RCA line outputs mean one box serves the desk and the main system without being unplugged.
• You travel with your listening — seven hours of battery and a four-hour recharge mean it works on a train or in a hotel, not just at a desk.
• Your sources are a mixture — USB, coaxial, optical and Bluetooth aptX all feed the same converter, so a laptop, a transport and a phone can stay connected at once.
• The Hugo 2 is a converter and headphone amp — the line outputs need an amplifier to reach passive speakers. Pair it with one of our integrated amplifiers.

How Does It Connect to Your System?

A computer connects on HD USB, which carries the highest rates. A disc transport or a streamer uses the coaxial or optical input, and a phone pairs over Bluetooth with aptX. Switch between them from the sphere on the front.

Headphones go into the 3.5mm or the 6.35mm jack. To feed a system, run the RCA line outputs to an integrated amplifier or a preamp. Charging is over the supplied 2.1A adapter, and it runs on battery while you listen.

Pairs Well With

Building your system? Here are some great companions:

• Headphones: Both jack sizes are covered — see our Headphones.
• Integrated Amplifier: For the line outputs and a pair of speakers — browse our Integrated Amplifiers.
• Cables: A good USB or coaxial run into the Hugo 2 — see our Interconnect Cables.
• Headphone Amplifier: If a harder-to-drive pair joins the collection — see our Headphone Amplifiers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What resolution does it handle?

PCM from 44.1kHz to 768kHz at 16 to 32 bits, and DSD from DSD64 through DSD512 over the USB input.

How long does the battery last?

Better than seven hours of playback, recharging in around four hours with the supplied 2.1A charger.

Which inputs does it have?

HD USB, coaxial RCA, optical Toslink and Bluetooth with aptX.

Can I use it with speakers?

Its RCA line outputs feed an integrated amplifier or preamp, so it can act as the digital front end of a speaker system.

What do the colored spheres mean?

They show input, filter, volume and incoming sample rate. It takes a little learning, and the manual maps every color.

Does it have a balanced headphone output?

Both jacks, the 3.5mm and the 6.35mm, are unbalanced. A balanced cable needs an adapter to use them.

See It in Action

What Hi-Fi? reviews the Hugo 2 on camera:

And Amplify Audio Reviews revisits it some years on:

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Learn More

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