Chord Hugo M Scaler - Silver

"Once You Hear It, There's No Going Back"

Using technology first seen in the flagship BLU MKII digital/CD transport, the Hugo M Scaler is a standalone upscaling device containing the world’s most advanced digital filter. When used with a dual-BNC-input Chord Electronics DAC, it is capable of redefining digital audio sound quality.

The Hugo M Scaler uses unique filter technology designed by Rob Watts’ (Chord's Digital Design Consultant) that Chord calls "the most advanced in the world." It upscale standard 44.1kHz digital audio up to 705.6kHz (16x CD’s 44.1kHz native resolution), ready to be passed to a suitable DAC. Hugo M Scaler extends its upscaling performance to 768kHz (from 96kHz input data) for Chord's dual-BNC-input DACs, such as the Qutest, Hugo 2, Hugo TT 2 and DAVE.

"Once you hear the M Scaler in action, there’s no going back," raves Chris Martens in The Absolute Sound magazine. "The M Scaler makes substantial, across-the-board improvements to almost every qualitative aspect of the sound – so much so that you might feel like you are either listening through an altogether different and better headphone amp/DAC, or listening to delightfully re-mastered and/or much higher-resolution versions of your favorite recordings."

"A Unique and Extraordinary Product"

"This is a unique and extraordinary product," notes Noel Keywood, Hi-fi World magazine. "Chord Electronics M Scaler embodies Rob Watts view of how to perfectly reproduce digital. I thought it was devastating. You get to clearly hear how CD can sound when all the rubbish is swept away, performers and instruments all being placed in solid form on a wide and clear sound stage. Add in almost-peculiar bass timing and resolution and you end up with a sound not available elsewhere."

Ground-Breaking Filtering Technology

The Hugo M Scaler brings the unrivalled advantages of Chord's ground-breaking FPGA-based WTA (Watts Transient Alignment) filtering technology to digitally connected audio devices, dramatically improving sound quality. Although optimized for use with selected Chord Electronics DACs (for the maximum 768kHz upscaling/decoding benefit), the Hugo M Scaler can be used with other DACs with suitable inputs, subject to their decoding capability.

The Hugo M Scaler’s compact form factor aligns with the TT (Table Top) series and has been designed to be stackable with other units in the range, including the TToby stereo power amp and the Hugo TT 2, to form a highly advanced yet space-saving system. In line with other models in the Hugo and Hugo TT series, the device features a number of illuminable fascia-mounted spherical controls, governing input selection, output sample rate, and video mode for lower latency. The control spheres display data visually including input source and the incoming sample rate, using a polychromatic scale.

When partnered with either of Chord Electronics’ 768 kHz-capable dual-BNC-input DACs, the Hugo M Scaler sets an astonishing technical benchmark for digital audio performance at its price point, redefining sound quality from digital audio.