Chord Hugo M Scaler - Black

A Million Taps, Before Your DAC Ever Sees the Signal

The Hugo M Scaler sits between your source and your DAC and rebuilds the digital signal before conversion happens. Its filter runs 1,015,808 WTA taps. A very good DAC might use a few thousand. That difference is the whole product.

The idea comes from Chord's flagship BLU MKII transport, brought down into a standalone box you can put in front of a DAC you already own. Rob Watts wrote the filter; the FPGA inside runs it. Nothing about it is a conventional off-the-shelf chip.

It measures 23.5cm wide, 23.8cm deep and 4cm tall, and weighs 2.55kg, in black or silver. The box is unusually complete: the power supply, a remote, a USB cable, two BNC cables, an optical cable and batteries all come with it.

What Goes In, and What Comes Out

Inputs cover most systems. There is a galvanically isolated USB Type-B, two coaxial BNC inputs and two optical inputs, all accepting PCM up to 192kHz. Galvanic isolation on the USB matters because a computer is an electrically noisy thing to connect to a hi-fi.

Outputs are where the pairing decision gets made. A galvanically isolated dual BNC output reaches 768kHz with a DAC that accepts dual-data, which is where the M Scaler does its most complete work. A single BNC S/PDIF output and an optical output run to 705.6kHz for everything else.

Chord's own DACs take the dual BNC feed directly, which is the reason the M Scaler and the Qutest are so often bought together. Other makes connect happily over the single BNC or optical output instead.

Who Is This Upscaler Best For?

• You already own a DAC you like — the M Scaler improves what that DAC is given to work with rather than replacing it, so the component you chose stays in the system.
• Most of your library is CD-rate — the filter has the most work to do on 44.1kHz material, which is exactly where a large collection usually sits.
• You run a Chord DAC — the dual BNC output carries 768kHz into a Qutest, Hugo or TT, which is the full-rate connection the M Scaler was designed around.
• You want it to arrive ready to use — the power supply, remote, USB cable, two BNC cables and an optical cable are all in the box, so nothing else needs ordering.
• You already own a converter you like — the M Scaler upscales ahead of it — pair it with one of our DACs

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Your source connects to the M Scaler first — a computer or streamer over USB, a disc player or television over coaxial BNC or optical. The M Scaler then feeds your DAC, and the DAC feeds your amplifier as it always did.

If your DAC takes dual BNC, use both supplied cables and you get the full 768kHz. If it does not, run the single BNC or the optical output instead. The remote selects input and upscaling rate from your seat.

Pairs Well With

Building around the Hugo M Scaler? Here are some great companions:

• DAC: The M Scaler needs one downstream — see our Digital to Analog Converters.
• Music Streamer: Feed it over USB or coaxial — see our Music Streamers.
• CD Transport: Where the filter has the most to do — see our CD Players & Transports.
• Interconnects: For the run onward from your DAC — see our Interconnect Cables.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does an upscaler actually do?

It reconstructs the digital signal at a much higher sample rate before conversion, using a far longer filter than a DAC has room for. Your DAC then converts an easier signal.

How many taps does the filter use?

1,015,808 WTA taps, running on a custom-programmed FPGA rather than an off-the-shelf converter chip.

Which inputs does it have?

A galvanically isolated USB Type-B, two coaxial BNC and two optical, all accepting PCM to 192kHz.

What rate does it output?

Up to 768kHz over the galvanically isolated dual BNC output with a compatible DAC, and up to 705.6kHz over the single BNC S/PDIF or optical output.

Will it work with a DAC that is not a Chord?

Yes, over the single BNC or optical output. The dual BNC connection and its full 768kHz rate need a DAC built to accept dual data.

What comes in the box?

The 15V power supply, an IR remote with batteries, a USB cable, two BNC-to-BNC cables, an optical cable, and the quick start guide.

See It in Action

Watch this product-focused video:

13th Note HiFi Reviews examines this model:

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Learn More

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