How does the Quartet M Scaler differ from the Hugo M Scaler?
Short answer
Watts calls Quartet "a bigger, more exotic, more expensive version of the Hugo M Scaler" (July 2024) HIFICLUB 57 that "does everything that HMS does but more so" (June 2024) Head-Fi, Jun 2024. It has five FPGAs against one and 4 million taps against about 1 million Audio Force 24:08Hifi Pig TV 1:28, plus a new Blackbird WTA filter he ranks above tap count Audio Force 14:13. It ships with its own power supply Head-Fi, Jan 2025 and, he said in May 2024, works with any Chord DAC over dual BNC ConvinceMeAudio 11:42.
The practical answer
He called it "a bigger, more exotic, more expensive version of the Hugo M Scaler" in July 2024 HIFICLUB 57, wrote in June 2024 that it "does everything that HMS does but more so" Head-Fi, Jun 2024, and in September 2025 called it "an advanced version of the M Scaler, the Hugo M Scaler" The Source AV 8:42. In July 2024 he said it "does exactly the same as the Hugo M Scaler", upsampling to 705 or 768 kHz Hifi Pig TV 3:08Hifi Pig TV 3:12. He designed it to match DAVE HIFICLUBE.NET JVH 8Hifi Pig TV 34, but said in May 2024 that it works with any Chord DAC, Mojo 2 included, because they all accept dual BNC ConvinceMeAudio 11:42. In an October 2025 podcast (published March 2026) he said it transforms "a mojo" as much as a DAVE, then spoke of Mojo 2 while not recommending that pairing ecoustics 1:25:47ecoustics 1:26:03.
What differs
Processing. Quartet has five 200T FPGAs, "5 times the number of chips that's inside the Hugo M Scaler" (talk published March 2026; recording date not stated) Audio Force 24:08, the same FPGAs as the Hugo M Scaler (May 2024) ConvinceMeAudio 42. Taps go from the Hugo M Scaler's million HIFICLUB 9:54 to 4 million, "4 times the tap length" (July 2024) Hifi Pig TV 1:28. In May 2024 he said the algorithm "is much more important than the number of taps" AVstore 4:40. In talks published in 2026 he named that filter Blackbird WTA and called it "the primary difference between Quartet and what I was doing in the past" Audio Force 14:13Audio Force 7:39; he said its sinc function reconstruction accuracy "gets ten times better" article, Oct 2026. In the talk published March 2026 he spoke of "a 10 times improvement in sound quality" and, asked whether Quartet is four to five times better than the M Scaler, answered "It's more like 10 times" Audio Force 14:13Audio Force 17:42.
Power. Quartet is two boxes because the FPGAs need seventy five amps (July 2024) Hifi Pig TV 1:28. In January 2025 he wrote that "only the supplied unit will give the required performance" Head-Fi, Jan 2025, and in the talk published March 2026 that owners will not be able to upgrade the supply because it is already the best possible Audio Force 26:36.
Cables and isolation. In May 2024 he said you "don't have to worry about your BNC cables in the way that you used to have to worry with the Hugo M Scaler" ConvinceMeAudio 10:47, and gave three stages of galvanic isolation against the M Scaler's one ConvinceMeAudio 11:00. In July 2024 he said the M Scaler's cable sensitivity "wasn't a huge difference, but it was noticeable", and that Quartet is "less sensitive to your BNC cables" HIFICLUB 45:42HIFICLUB 46:35.
Connections. In May 2024 he listed USB, optical and BNC inputs and two sets of BNC outputs ConvinceMeAudio 11:31ConvinceMeAudio 14:16. In June 2024 he said it supports dual AES format "like the Hugo M scaler" Head-Fi, Jun 2024. Before launch, in March 2024, he said its single BNC and optical output is "different to the Hugo M scaler" because it is fixed at 176.4/192k Head-Fi, Mar 2024.
Delay. In 2018 he gave the Hugo M Scaler's delay as 0.71 seconds at 44.1 kHz Head-Fi, Jul 2018. In May 2025 he said 0.7 of a second with the M Scaler and three seconds with Quartet, because the longer it sees the audio, the more accurately it reconstructs transient timing Audiophile Junkie 17:12Audiophile Junkie 17:21. The three-second figure is transcribed.
Extras. Before launch he said it "will have more complex and lossless EQ built in" Head-Fi, Mar 2024. In talks published in 2026 he described an analog input using a pulse array ADC Audio Force 29:11Part-Time Audiophile 50:30.
Sound, travel and price
With a pre-production unit in May 2024, he reported "a huge change over the Hugo M scaler into his Dave" in a friend's system, adding they "could have been caught up in the moment" Head-Fi, May 2024. In the talk published March 2026 he said DAVE and M Scaler owners at New York CanJam found "a much bigger change than they expected" Audio Force 21:35.
In June and July 2024 the Hugo M Scaler was still what he flew with Head-Fi, Jun 2024Hifi Pig TV 4:13, though in July 2024 he also said he had taken the Quartet to Munich as carry-on and travels with the prototype Quartet Hifi Pig TV 3:43Hifi Pig TV 4:39. By October 2024 he took Quartet traveling and used it with Hugo 2 in hotels Head-Fi, Oct 2024. In September 2025 he called flying with only an M Scaler "disappointing" now he had Quartet The Source AV 15:46. Replying (between March 2025 and March 2026) to a reader who hoped a travel-friendly DAC would let him leave his M Scaler at home, he said no similar low-power FPGA exists yet, so "you will need to continue to carry your M scaler - at least it's a lot easier than Quartet plus PSU which I have been travelling with for the past couple of years" Head-Fi, Mar 2025.
On price, in 2024 he expected it to be more expensive than DAVE, with the price not set ConvinceMeAudio 12:03Hifi Pig TV 1:16; in a talk published August 2026 (recording date not stated) he called it "an expensive scaler" The Source AV 4:30.
What he has not said. On price, in January 2025 he wrote it was "not known at this stage" Head-Fi, Jan 2025, and in August 2026 he said he believed the UK price was £25,000 The Source AV 4:25. This archive has no direct Quartet against Hugo M Scaler listening comparison on any DAC other than DAVE.
Quotes
“it's a bigger, more exotic, more expensive version of the Hugo M Scaler.”2024-07-12 HIFICLUB 57
“Quartet M scaler is a major advance on Hugo M scaler - and it does everything that HMS does but more so.”2024-06-24 Head-Fi, Jun 2024
“It's an advanced version of the M Scaler, the Hugo M Scaler. But it's jam-packed with brand new technology.”2025-09-14 The Source AV 8:42
“So the 4 million taps isn’t the story. The story is the new algorithm, the new filter structure.”2026-10-17 article, Oct 2026
Dated positions
| When | Products | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-03 to 2024-04 | Quartet M Scaler, Hugo M Scaler | Before launch he said Quartet's single BNC and optical output, unlike the Hugo M scaler's, is fixed at 176.4/192k, that it will have more complex lossless EQ, and that it will work with all current DACs. Head-Fi, Mar 2024Head-Fi, Mar 2024Head-Fi, Apr 2024 |
| 2024-05 to 2024-07 | Quartet M Scaler, Hugo M Scaler | He called Quartet a bigger, more exotic, more expensive version of the Hugo M Scaler that does everything it does but more so: five of the same FPGAs, 4 million taps, a two-box design for 75 amps, three isolation stages against one and less sensitivity to BNC cables. He still flew with the Hugo M Scaler, while also taking the prototype Quartet when traveling. HIFICLUB 57Head-Fi, Jun 2024ConvinceMeAudio 42Hifi Pig TV 1:28ConvinceMeAudio 11:00HIFICLUB 46:35Hifi Pig TV 4:13Hifi Pig TV 3:43Hifi Pig TV 4:39 |
| 2024-10 to 2025-05 | Quartet M Scaler, Hugo M Scaler | He traveled with Quartet, said only the supplied power supply gives the required performance, and gave the delay as 0.7 of a second with the M Scaler and three seconds with Quartet. Head-Fi, Oct 2024Head-Fi, Jan 2025Audiophile Junkie 17:12 |
| 2025-09 | Quartet M Scaler, Hugo M Scaler, DAVE | He described Quartet as an elevation and an advanced version of the Hugo M Scaler, not a replacement for DAVE, and found flying with only an M Scaler disappointing once he had Quartet. The Source AV 8:42The Source AV 15:46 |
| 2026-03 to 2026-10 | Quartet M Scaler, Hugo M Scaler | He named the Blackbird WTA filter as the primary difference, said the 4 million taps are not the story, said the sinc function reconstruction accuracy gets ten times better, and described an analog input via a pulse array ADC. Audio Force 14:13article, Oct 2026Audio Force 29:11 |
Caveats and open points
- March 2024 statements on outputs and EQ are pre-launch descriptions of the design.
- No Quartet against Hugo M Scaler listening comparison on a DAC other than DAVE appears in this archive.
- Sound comparisons are his reports of listening sessions, not measurements.
Topics: Product comparisons and upgrade paths, M Scaler and Quartet settings and operation, Why upscale, and why a separate scaler