Chord Hugo M Scaler User manual

Hugo M Scaler
Manual
V.1.0
Chord Electronics
Product Communication | English
_
The Pumphouse Farleigh Lane,
East Farleigh, Maidstone
ME16 9NB United Kingdon
[e-mail]
chordelectronics.co.uk

THIS IS PURE AUDIO

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Contents 0.0
1.0 Safety instructions 07
1.1 Introduction 08
1.2 Protection against liquids & heat 09
1.3 Dismantling & radio frequency 10
interference
1.4 Connecting your equipment 11
2.0 Warranty 13
2.1 Warranty period & registering 14
your purchase
2.2 Making a claim & warranty exclusions 15
3.0 Getting to know Hugo M Scaler 17
3.1 Getting to know Hugo M Scaler & drivers 18
3.2 The front panel 20
3.3 The top panel 21
3.4 The rear panel 22
3.5 The remote control 23
4.0 Setting up Hugo M Scaler 25
4.1 Placement 26
4.2 Connecting an input to 27
Hugo M Scaler & input selection
4.3 Connecting Hugo M Scaler 28
to Hugo TT 2
4.4 Connecting Hugo M Scaler 29
to another DAC
4.5 Output sample rate settings 30
5.0 How to navigate the menus 33
5.1 Basic navigation 34
5.2 Video mode 35
6.0 Special features 37
6.1 Dimming the brightness 38
6.2 Galvanic isolation 39
0.0 Contents

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1.1 Introduction
1.2 Protection against liquids & heat
1.3 Dismantling & radio frequency interference
1.4 Connecting your equipment
1.0 Safety
instructions
Safety instructions 1.0

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1.1 Introduction
1.2 Protection against
liquids & heat
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Protection against
liquids & heat
1.3 Dismantling & radio frequency
interference
1.4 Connecting your equipment
1.3 Dismantling & radio frequency
interference
1.4 Connecting your equipment
Introduction Protection against
liquids & heat
1.1
1.2
Hugo M Scaler is a device
that converts your sources to
705.6 or 768kHz 24-bit PCM
and achieves reconstruction of the
original analogue signal in the ADC to
a better than 16-bit accuracy under all
conditions.
Before operation, we strongly advise
you read this user manual thoroughly.
We also recommend that you store this
user manual, along with your original
receipt of purchase, in a safe place
should you require assistance in the
future.
The Hugo M Scaler is not
protected against liquids
of any kind. Never place
containers of liquid on Hugo M Scaler.
Never allow Hugo M Scaler to come
into contact with moisture or liquids;
doing so could result in electrocution or
damage to the Hugo M Scaler’s internal
circuitry.
Be aware that liquids, including water
that has dried, can leave minerals
that can aect the PCB and other
components, which could eventually
lead to oxidisation and short-circuiting.
If the Hugo M Scaler comes into
contact with moisture or liquids,
immediately disconnect from the
mains power supply, and connected
equipment and contact Chord
Electronics for further advice.
The Hugo M Scaler has
internal thermal protection
which will shut down the unit
in the event of excessive temperatures
being reached. Never operate the
Hugo M Scaler near sources of heat or
naked flames as this will decrease the
lifespan of the internal components.
It is advised that you do not operate
the Hugo M Scaler in an area of direct
sunlight or on top of significant heat-
producing devices.
Please be aware that it is entirely
normal for the Hugo M Scaler to
become warm during use, particularly
within a stacked configuration. If you
are concerned about the temperatures,
please switch the device o or consider
a dierent placement.

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Dismantling & radio
frequency interference
1.3 Connecting your equipment 1.4
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Protection against
liquids & heat
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Protection against
liquids & heat
1.3 Dismantling & radio frequency
interference
1.4 Connecting your equipment
1.3 Dismantling & radio frequency
interference
1.4 Connecting your equipment
There are no user-serviceable
components within the
Hugo M Scaler or its power
supply. Dangerous voltages/currents
exist within the Hugo M Scaler and its
power supply, posing a severe risk of
electrocution and/or fire.
Never attempt to open,
dismantle or apply internal
third-party devices to it or
insert anything other than the listed
interconnects or headphone adapters
within this user manual.
If the Hugo M Scaler develops a fault
or the casework becomes damaged,
immediately disconnect from the
mains power supply and connected
equipment, and contact Chord
Electronics for further advice.
Before connecting the Hugo M
Scaler to any equipment, consult the
manufacturer’s user guide to confirm
compatibility.
When connecting the Hugo M Scaler
to any equipment, make sure that all
devices are o, including the Hugo M
Scaler.
Once connected, switch all equipment
on starting with the source and ending
with the amplification.
Initially, operate the any connected
equipment on its lowest gain setting
and lowest volume setting, gently
increasing to a comfortable listening
level.
Never operate connected equipment to
the Hugo M Scaler at excessive sound
levels; permanent hearing damage and
loss can occur.
The included 15V 4000mA power
supply simply plugs into the Hugo M
Scaler.
If the power supply is prematurely
disconnected Hugo M Scaler may still
remain active for up to 15 seconds,
however, this may cause damage to
connected equipment.
With a thick, solid aluminium chassis,
the Hugo M Scaler’s casework largely
protects the sensitive internal circuitry
from radio frequency interference.
However, for optimal performance, it is
recommended that the following points
are observed:
1. Consider placing the
Hugo M Scaler away from
wireless routers.
2. Separate the Hugo M Scaler
from amplifiers using
toroidal transformers.
3. Operate mobile phones
at a distance to avoid
interference.
Although the Hugo M Scaler
is largely shielded, it can
generate radio frequency
interference that may have an eect
on radio and television reception. If
this occurs, please reconsider your
placement.
Never disconnect the
power cable during
operation. Only
disconnect when Hugo M
Scaler is o. If the power
cable is disconnected during
operation there is a risk
of damage to connected
equipment.

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2.1 Warranty period & registering your purchase
2.2 Making a claim & warranty exclusions
2.0 Warranty
Warranty 2.0

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Warranty period & registering
your purchase
2.1 Making a claim
& warranty exclusions
2.2
2.1 Warranty period & registering
your purchase
2.1 Warranty period & registering
your purchase
2.2 Making a claim & warranty
exclusions
2.2 Making a claim & warranty
exclusions
At point of sale, Chord Electronics
Ltd. provides the Hugo M Scaler with
a comprehensive three-year warranty*
which covers defects in materials and
workmanship through fair wear and
tear. The warranty will be void if any
other PSU other than that supplied is
used.
*The warranty is transferable with proof
of purchase, however is not available
on ex-demonstration products.
Please use the form below
to record the details of your
purchase in the event that
these are required at a later date, we
further advise that all purchases are
registered with Chord Electronics
at: chordelectronics.co.uk/register-
product/
In the unlikely event of a claim, you
must provide Chord Electronics with
the details of the claim, including your
original proof of purchase and serial
number in order to validate the nature
of the repair.
Upon receipt, Chord Electronics will
make an assessment within 30 days
and provide a reasonable solution.
All warranty repairs must be carried
out by Chord Electronics or an
approved service centre to guarantee
the quality and safety of the repair.
WARRANTY EXCLUSIONS: The warranty
does not cover connected equipment,
personal injury or development natural
patina of the metalwork and will be null and
void if the following is applied: wilful neglect;
modification or tampering of the product;
improper use of the product; acts of God;
damage caused by a connected device;
mechanical shock; fire or application of
excessive heat or repair/modification by a
non-authorised third-party vendor.
RETAILER:
UNIT COLOUR:
DATE OF PURCHASE:
TRANSACTION ID:

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3.1 Getting to know Hugo M Scaler & drivers
3.2 The front panel
3.3 The top panel
3.4 The rear panel
3.5 The remote control
Getting to know
Hugo M Scaler
3.0
3.0 Getting to know
Hugo M Scaler

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Getting to know Hugo M Scaler
& drivers
3.1 Getting to know Hugo M Scaler
& drivers
3.1
3.1 Getting to know Hugo M Scaler
& drivers
3.2 The front panel
3.1 Getting to know Hugo M Scaler
& drivers
3.2 The front panel
3.3 The top panel
3.4 The rear panel
3.5 The remote control
3.3 The top panel
3.4 The rear panel
3.5 The remote control
DRIVERS: The Hugo M Scaler
is driverless with Mac OS X
and Linux operating systems
and only requires drivers
for Windows.
These can be found on
the product page at:
chordelectronics.co.uk
The Hugo M Scaler is a highly advanced
standalone upscaler capable of
redefining sound quality from digital
audio.
The Hugo M Scaler uses the world’s
most advanced filter technology to
upscale standard 44.1kHz digital audio
up to 705kHz (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 dual-BNC-
input Chord Electronics DACs: (at the
time of writing) DAVE, Qutest, Hugo 2
and the new Hugo TT 2.
To get the very most from the device
we recommend that you familiarise
yourself with the user manual.

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The front panel 3.2 The top panel 3.3
3.1 Getting to know Hugo M Scaler
& drivers
3.2 The front panel
3.1 Getting to know Hugo M Scaler
& drivers
3.2 The front panel
3.3 The top panel
3.4 The rear panel
3.5 The remote control
3.3 The top panel
3.4 The rear panel
3.5 The remote control
Whilst an IR remote control is supplied,
the front panel of the Hugo M Scaler is
the main user interface and can entirely
control all user-configurable options
and inputs.
The top panel of the Hugo M Scaler
does not provide any visual feedback,
with the exception of the buttons
labelled within the previously
annotated front panel.
You may view the internal plate via the
porthole looking glass which protects
the sensitive internal circuitry from
radio frequency (RF) interference.
The middle of the front panel contains
a black acrylic infrared signal window.
If you intend to use the remote
control with the Hugo M Scaler it is
recommended that clear line of sight is
available between the remote control
device and the signal window.
Refer to partnering
in product manual
Output sample rate -
Pass-through/Low/Medium/High
Video mode -
O/On/Automatic
Refer to partnering
in product manual
Refer to partnering
in product manual
Input - USB/BNC 1/BNC 2/
Optical 1/Optical 2/Automatic

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The rear panel 3.4 The remote control 3.5
3.1 Getting to know Hugo M Scaler
& drivers
3.2 The front panel
3.1 Getting to know Hugo M Scaler
& drivers
3.2 The front panel
3.3 The top panel
3.4 The rear panel
3.5 The remote control
3.3 The top panel
3.4 The rear panel
3.5 The remote control
The rear panel houses the device’s
wide-ranging connectivity, inputs
and outputs. The Hugo M Scaler
also features a dual-data output, for
optimum use with selected Chord
Electronics’ DACs.
When installing any cable, you must
make sure that they securly click into
place, especially optical.
For convenience, a branded infra-red
remote control is included with the
device.
The IR remote control will operate up
to a distance of 10 metres with clear
line of sight to the infra-red receiver,
which is located on the front of the unit.
For best operation, do not operate the
Hugo M Scaler within a cabinet or place
other materials/devices on top of the
device.
NOTE: Please only
insert AAA batteries
into the IR remote
control and observe the
correct orientation as
indicated within the remote
control. Failure to do so
could result in non-operation
or battery leakage.
WARNING: Do not
use any other power
supply other than
that supplied. Doing so will
invalidate your warranty.
Optical input 2 BNC S/PDIF output
BNC output 1USB inputBNC input 1
BNC output 2BNC input 2
DC 15V input Optical input 1 Optical Output
Select USB input
Automatic input Select BNC 2
input
DX up
Select output
sample rate
Select optical 2
input
DX down
Select video mode
USB
BNC 1
OPT 2
AUTO
SOURCE
DX
MUTE
DX
DX OP
VIDEO
BNC 2
OS SR
OPT 1
Select BNC 1
digital input
Cycle DX Output Mute
Select optical 1
input

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4.1 Placement
4.2 Connecting an input to Hugo M Scaler & input selection
4.3 Connecting Hugo M Scaler to Hugo TT 2
4.4 Connecting Hugo M Scaler to another DAC
4.5 Output sample rate settings
Setting up
Hugo M Scaler
4.0
4.0 Setting up
Hugo M Scaler

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Placement 4.1 Connecting an input to Hugo M
Scaler & input selection
4.2
4.1 Placement
4.2 Connecting an input to
Hugo M Scaler & input
selection
4.1 Placement
4.2 Connecting an input to
Hugo M Scaler & input
selection
4.3 Connecting Hugo M Scaler
to Hugo TT 2
4.4 Connecting Hugo M Scaler
to another DAC
4.5 Output sample rate settings
4.3 Connecting Hugo M Scaler
to Hugo TT 2
4.4 Connecting Hugo M Scaler
to another DAC
4.5 Output sample rate settings
Whilst the Hugo M Scaler operates
normally within a stack of Chord
Electronics Table Top (TT)
components, such as the Hugo TT 2,
it is recommended that you allow the
device to breathe. Allocating 10cm of
space around it to convection-cool
during operation is advised. If possible,
do not place the unit(s) inside a
cabinet.
As the infra-red remote control
requires a direct line of sight to
the viewing portal, please avoid
placing objects in front of either device.
In order for the Hugo M Scaler to
upscale, you must connect the digital
output of your audio playback device,
for example, computer via USB or
CD transport via BNC, to the Hugo
M Scaler directly instead of to your
existing DAC. M Scaler’s output can
then be connected to a DAC.
You can select your input via the input
selection switch on the front panel of
Hugo M Scaler. Please make sure to
select the approproate output on your
playback device.
OPT OUT S/PDIF DUAL BNC OUT
1
2
3
Input selection colours
COLOUR INPUT
USB
BNC 1
BNC 2
Optical 1
Optical 2
Automatic
Dual BNC

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Connecting Hugo M Scaler
to Hugo TT 2
4.3
4.1 Placement
4.2 Connecting an input to
Hugo M Scaler & input
selection
4.3 Connecting Hugo M Scaler
to Hugo TT 2
4.4 Connecting Hugo M Scaler
to another DAC
4.5 Output sample rate settings
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Connecting Hugo M Scaler
to another DAC
4.4
4.1 Placement
4.2 Connecting an input to
Hugo M Scaler & input
selection
4.3 Connecting Hugo M Scaler
to Hugo TT 2
4.4 Connecting Hugo M Scaler
to another DAC
4.5 Output sample rate settings
Using the supplied BNC cables, it is
simple to connect the Hugo M Scaler to
the Hugo TT 2:
1) Turn o the Hugo M Scaler,
Hugo TT 2 and any other
connected equipment
2) Locate BNC Output 1 on the
Hugo M Scaler and connect to
BNC Input 1 on Hugo TT 2
3) Locate BNC Output 2 on the
Hugo M Scaler and connect to
BNC Input 2 on Hugo TT 2
4) Turn on all equipment, including
the Hugo M Scaler and Hugo TT 2
5) Cycle through the inputs on
Hugo TT 2 until ‘DBNC’ is
displayed
6) Connect the output of the
device you wish to play music
from to the digital inputs of
the Hugo M Scaler
7) Initiate playback
Although the Hugo M Scaler is
optimised for use with Chord
Electronics’ DACs, especially for
the full 768kHz upscaling/decoding
performance, the Hugo M Scaler can
be connected to a third-party DAC to
increase performance.
Connection to a third-party DAC can
be made either via the available BNC
output, or the optical output. The dual-
data BNC outputs must not be used
with non-Chord Electronics DACs.
1) Turn o both the Hugo M Scaler
and any connected equipment
2) Locate the S/PDIF output
connector or the Optical output
and successfully connect to the
corresponding input on the
chosen DAC
3) Turn on all equipment including
the Hugo M Scaler
4) Select the appropriate input
on the DAC
5) Connect the output of the
device you wish to play music
from to the digital inputs of
the Hugo M Scaler
6) Initiate music playback via the
Hugo M Scaler
OPT OUT S/PDIF DUAL BNC OUT
1
OPT OUT S/PDIF DUAL BNC OUT
It is recommended
that you choose the
highest resolution
output of the Hugo M Scaler
for best performance. The
graph below illustrates the
highest possible sample rate
for each connection:
2

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Output sample rate settings 4.5
4.1 Placement
4.2 Connecting an input to
Hugo M Scaler & input
selection
4.3 Connecting Hugo M Scaler
to Hugo TT 2
4.4 Connecting Hugo M Scaler
to another DAC
4.5 Output sample rate settings
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Output sample rate settings 4.5
4.1 Placement
4.2 Connecting an input to
Hugo M Scaler & input
selection
4.3 Connecting Hugo M Scaler
to Hugo TT 2
4.4 Connecting Hugo M Scaler
to another DAC
4.5 Output sample rate settings
Please use the graph shown on the
right hand page to determine your
optimum sample rate settings.
The maximum achieved upsampling will
depend entirely on your source input
sample rate.
M Scaler / upsampling chartKey
OP SR COLOUR DUAL BNC/USB INPUT SINGLE BNC OPTICAL DUAL BNC/USB INPUT SINGLE BNC OPTICAL
SAMPLE FREQUENCY
RED (BYPASS)
GREEN
BLUE
WHITE
44.1 - 48 kHz 44.1 kHz 44.1 kHz 44.1 kHz 48 kHz 48 kHz 48 kHz
176.4 kHz 88.2 kHz 88.2 kHz 192 kHz 96 kHz 96 kHz
352.8 kHz 176.4 kHz 176.4 kHz 384 kHz 192 kHz 192 kHz
705.6 kHz 352.8 kHz 176.4 kHz 768 kHz 384 kHz 192 kHz
RED (BYPASS)
GREEN
BLUE
WHITE
88.2 - 96 kHz 88.2 kHz 88.2 kHz 88.2 kHz 96 kHz 96 kHz
176.4 kHz 88.2 kHz 88.2 kHz 192 kHz 96 kHz
352.8 kHz 176.4 kHz 176.4 kHz 384 kHz 192 kHz
705.6 kHz 352.8 kHz 768 kHz 384 kHz
96 kHz
96 kHz
192 kHz
192 kHz
176.4 kHz
RED (BYPASS)
GREEN
BLUE
WHITE
176.4 - 192 kHz 176.4 kHz 176.4 kHz 176.4 kHz 192 kHz 192 kHz 192 kHz
176.4 kHz 176.4 kHz 192 kHz 192 kHz
352.8 kHz 176.4 kHz 384 kHz 192 kHz
705.6 kHz 352.8 kHz 768 kHz 384 kHz
192 kHz
192 kHz
192 kHz
RED (BYPASS)
GREEN
BLUE
WHITE
352.8 - 384 kHz 352.8 kHz 352.8 kHz 352.8 kHz 384 kHz 384 kHz 384 kHz
352.8 kHz 352.8 kHz 384 kHz 384 kHz
352.8 kHz 352.8 kHz 384 kHz 384 kHz
705.6 kHz 352.8 kHz 768 kHz 384 kHz
RED (BYPASS)
GREEN
BLUE
WHITE
705.6 - 768 kHz 705.6 kHz 705.6 kHz 705.6 kHz 768 kHz 768 kHz 768 kHz
705.6 kHz 768 kHz
705.6 kHz 768 kHz
705.6 kHz 768 kHz
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Improvement
No improvement
Not supported
N/A
N/A
N/A

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5.1 Basic navigation
5.2 Video mode
5.0 How to navigate
the menus
How to navigate the menus 5.0

With each press of the Hugo M
Scaler’s available buttons, you will
cycle through the available options; no
further interaction is required to make
the section active: it automatically
engages.
The Hugo M Scaler is a highly flexible
standalone upscaler that is not only
designed to be used with music, but
with video, too. You can playback video
via a computer/laptop/server or a Blu-
ray player etc. to get the best audio
quality from video soundtracks.
However, if playing back video content
with the video filter o the enormous
processing capabilities of Hugo M
Scaler may introduce an undesired
latency. This can appear as if the sound
is not syncronising with the on-screen
content. To counteract this, the Hugo
M Scaler can be put into ‘Video mode’.
This mode will not change the upscaled
sample rate, however, it will decrease
the number of operating ‘taps’ (how
hard the device is working to reproduce
the original waveform), in order to
decrease any latency.
Video filter o: The full 1-million tap
upsampling performance is available
for all music and audio playback. This
mode is not recommended for video
playback.
Video filter on: The tap-length is
moderately reduced to allow for
a latency reduction. This mode is
recommended for video but not music
playback.
Automatic: This mode will detect when
video is being played by looking for a
48kHz digital audio signal. If a 48kHz
signal is detected, the Hugo M Scaler
will automatically switch the video
filter on and display a cyan colour
light, otherwise. a yellow light will
be displayed to indicate that music
playback is in progress.
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Basic navigation 5.1 Video mode 5.2
5.1 Basic navigation
5.2 Video mode
5.1 Basic navigation
5.2 Video mode
Video mode selection
COLOUR INPUT
Video filter o
Video filter on
Automatic mode: Music playback detected
Automatic mode: Video playback detected

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6.1 Dimming the brightness
6.2 Galvanic isolation
Special features 6.0
6.0 Special
features

To cycle between low and high
brightness levels, simply press ‘DX V’
and ‘DX /\’ simultaneously.
Galvanic isolation involves isolating
the power rails of the data USB input,
allowing for greater sonic performance.
The Hugo M Scaler features a Class 2
Type-B USB input with this protection.
Galvanic isolation also features on the
dual-BNC outputs.
No special attention or cables are
required to allow the Hugo M Scaler
to function in this mode. However,
the usual USB +5V rail will need to be
present.
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Dimming the brightness 6.1 Galvanic isolation 6.2
6.1 Dimming the brightness
6.2 Galvanic Isolation
6.1 Dimming the brightness
6.2 Galvanic Isolation