advertisement


Chord Hugo Batteries

D

DaveMc64

pfm Member
Hi All
On Sunday, the Chord Hugo in my main system died. Obviously a bit disappointing. I have temporarily replaced it with a Hugo TT that I've had for a while that was seeing service in another system. I never enjoyed the TT in my main system as much as the non-TT version.

Anyway, I took the dead Hugo apart with the view to changing the batteries. However, when I opened it up it looks like the batteries are different from all the pictures I've seen previously. See pic below:
IMG1242s.jpg


There is one picture on the interwebs of a Hugo 2 with blue batteries but no designation on them.

So my question is do you think these are newer Chord batteries (maybe changed by them) or just ones someone has found that fit and put them in? I bought it used so anything could have been done before I got hold of it.

If not Chord then I'm in a dilemma. Do I go with the normal replacement batteries or try to find ones like these again given I preferred this Hugo to a TT? Bear in mind that as far as I know, the circuit board is the same for both and the difference is in the psu/batteries (I'm not using the USB which is also different).

Any thoughts appreciated (except that all dacs sound the same :D)

cheers
Dave
 
Its not, the audiophonics is a nominal 3.7v, the blue one is weirdly a 3.85v

3.7 is the industry standard.

Torchythebatteryboy has some 3400maH 18650, these are pretty much the highest power density currently possible, excluding Tesla's in-house stuff.
 
Thanks both. I think the 18650 is the size designation, you can get them in lots of different capacities. Voltages are normally 3.7 like you say but there are a lot of 3.6v ones as well. Haven't found another 3.85v one though.
Also they come in protected and unprotected types and with and without flying leads.

I did read somewhere that Chord had sourced a cheaper supplier than Enix so was wondering if it may have been these Blue Taiyang?

Blue Taiyang themselves seem to have them all down as 3.7v: http://www.bluetaiyang.com/detail.php?aid=49
 
18650 is 18650....buy a couple of Sony or LG ones on fleebay and solder them in
Possibly best to get the protection version...to save over change or discharge... though chord probability have this well covered ...and 3000mha is a good size to choose
 
Au contraire 18650 is a size designation only, the nominal voltage is variable, 3.2, 3.6 and 3.7, the 3.2 only being lifepo chemistry.
 
Last edited:
Mynamemynaim said:
18650 is 18650....buy a couple of Sony or LG ones on fleebay and solder them in
Possibly best to get the protection version...to save over change or discharge... though chord probability have this well covered ...and 3000mha is a good size to choose
Click to expand...


Not quite lithium batteries are a potential fire hazard, youtube is full of examples. If you buy from eBay there is a very high probability they will not be Sony or LG, maybe they will be ok, maybe they won’t but it’s not worth the risk. Someone was killed in China a few years back when their cheap mobile phone battery exploded.
 
Thanks for your thoughts everyone. Maybe I am overthinking this. It's impossible to get 3.85v 18650s anyway so I think I'll stick with similar to original.
cheers
 
Mynamemynaim said:
18650 is 18650....buy a couple of Sony or LG ones on fleebay and solder them in
Possibly best to get the protection version...to save over change or discharge... though chord probability have this well covered ...and 3000mha is a good size to choose
Click to expand...

sq225917 said:
Au contraire 18650 is a size designation only, the nominal voltage is variable, 3.2, 3.6 and 3.7, the 3.2 only being lifepo chemistry.
Click to expand...

I wasn’t aware of voltage differences, but 18650 isn’t even a size standard - some of them come a few mm longer than 65mm because they have inbuilt overload protection. Lesson learned when I bought my eVape thingy a few years back! Maybe that also explains the voltage differences?
 
Even unprotected come is marginally +/-. Its a 5hit show once you leave the top five brands.
 
DaveMc64 said:
Thanks for your thoughts everyone. Maybe I am overthinking this. It's impossible to get 3.85v 18650s anyway so I think I'll stick with similar to original.
cheers
Click to expand...


I think the 3.85 V means it has 3.0AH if it is charged to 3.85V, a fully charged lithium ion is about 4.2V but it’s not good to do this as it reduces the lifespan, iirc it’s best to charge them approx 90% of max, which would give you nearer the 3.85V on the cell.
 
After research, its a battery that goes from 3.3v when depleted to 4.35v when fully charged as opposed to 3v to 4.2 in the nominally described 3.7v battery.

Every day is a school day
 
I got stung for £120 to have the ones in mine replaced by Chord after just over 2 years use. Not used since they were replaced and I wouldn't touch Chord again because I'm a skinflint
 
I think charging 1500 quid, making it so the user can't replace the battery and expecting people to stump up another 120 when it goes just outside the warranty isn't a sign of a company that values it's customers
 
DaveMc64 said:
Hi All
On Sunday, the Chord Hugo in my main system died. Obviously a bit disappointing. I have temporarily replaced it with a Hugo TT that I've had for a while that was seeing service in another system. I never enjoyed the TT in my main system as much as the non-TT version.

Anyway, I took the dead Hugo apart with the view to changing the batteries. However, when I opened it up it looks like the batteries are different from all the pictures I've seen previously. See pic below:
IMG1242s.jpg


There is one picture on the interwebs of a Hugo 2 with blue batteries but no designation on them.

So my question is do you think these are newer Chord batteries (maybe changed by them) or just ones someone has found that fit and put them in? I bought it used so anything could have been done before I got hold of it.

If not Chord then I'm in a dilemma. Do I go with the normal replacement batteries or try to find ones like these again given I preferred this Hugo to a TT? Bear in mind that as far as I know, the circuit board is the same for both and the difference is in the psu/batteries (I'm not using the USB which is also different).

Any thoughts appreciated (except that all dacs sound the same :D)

cheers
Dave
Click to expand...


Slight tangent but why did you like the TT less than the basic Hugo? The differences are a bigger battery/ cap reservoir and an enhanced output stage to drive balanced connectors with the TT, so on paper should sound better.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top