CES 2017

Due to a scheduling conflict I missed the press conference with power point presentation (you can see the slides here), but having spent some time with Chord's Rob Watts in the past, I'm sure the new products are packed with carefully thought out tech. Pictured here is the new Chord Hugo₂, which follows on the heels of the successful Hugo DAC launched three years ago.

Available in both silver and black, casework has been sleekinized and the innards upgraded all around. Inside is the company's latest proprietary FPGA technology (which I loved in the pricier Hugo TT reviewed earlier last year), and a remote control has been added as well. Intended for both portable and desktop use, there are both headphone and line-level outputs along with four digital inputs including Bluetooth.

In addition to the latest FPGA magic, the Hugo₂ includes four user-selectable WTA (Watts Transient Aligned) filters that can process pretty much anything you throw at it up to 768kHz and DSD512 (!!) via the HD USB input. Battery life has been extended to about seven hours, and the Hugo₂ should be in stores this April for roughly $2,500.