The Chord Electronics Hugo M Scaler is a state‑of‑the‑art standalone upscaler designed to transform the sound quality of digital audio. Powered by Rob Watts’ proprietary filter technology the most advanced of its kind which upscales standard 44.1kHz audio to an exceptional 705.6kHz (16× CD resolution). When paired with Chord Electronics DACs featuring dual‑BNC inputs, such as the Qutest; Hugo 2, Hugo TT 2, and DAVE, the Hugo M Scaler extends its performance further, delivering up to 768kHz from 96kHz input data.

At the heart of the Hugo M Scaler is our ground-breaking FPGA‑based WTA (Watts Transient Alignment) filter, which dramatically enhances timing accuracy and overall musical realism. While optimised for maximum performance with compatible Chord Electronics DACs, the Hugo M Scaler can also be used with third‑party DACs equipped with suitable digital inputs, subject to their decoding capabilities.

Its compact TT‑series chassis is designed for elegant system integration, stacking seamlessly with the TToby power amplifier and Hugo TT 2 to create a high‑performance, space‑efficient audio system. The unit features illuminated spherical controls for input selection, output sample rate, and a low‑latency video mode. These spheres also provide visual feedback on input source and incoming sample rate via a multicolour display system.

When paired with any of Chord Electronics’ 768kHz‑capable dual‑BNC DACs, the Chord Electronics Hugo M Scaler establishes a new benchmark for digital audio performance at its price point—redefining what is possible from digital playback.

Features

Tap-length filter: 1,015,808 (16FS filter)
Connectivity (input): 1x Galvanically isolated Type-B USB, 2x Coax BNC and 2x Optical
Connectivity (output): 1x Galvanically isolated dual BNC (enables upscaling to the maximum 768kHz), 1x BNC S/PDIF and 1x Optical
PCM support: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz, 717.6kHz, and 768kHz. 16 – 32bit
Driver support: Driverless with Mac OS X and Linux, driver required for Windows OS

Technical Specifications

FPGA: Xilinx XC7A200T
Filter tap length: 1,015,808 WTA taps
Power consumption: Full power – 30 W
Standby: 10 W
Dimensions: 4cm (H) 23.5cm (W) 23.8cm (D)
Weight: 2.55kg