Should I add an M Scaler to my Qutest or Hugo 2, or upgrade to TT2 first?
Short answer
No single rule: Watts says it depends on what you value, and advises auditioning both Head-Fi, Dec 2020Head-Fi, Mar 2019. For Hugo 2 he called the M Scaler "transformational" and the TT2 "a big upgrade" (2018) Head-Fi, Jul 2018, and in 2020 said the M Scaler is the bigger jump while TT2 is more refined Head-Fi, Dec 2020. For Qutest, he said in an interview published December 2019 to January 2020 (recording date not stated) that the M Scaler wins if TT2 would only be a DAC Passion for Sound 23:23, but in March 2019 called TT2's simpler path than Qutest plus headphone amp its biggest benefit Head-Fi, Mar 2019.
The practical answer
Watts gives no single rule. For a Hugo 2 he chose the M Scaler first in 2018 and in 2020 called it the bigger jump, with the TT2 the more refined unit Head-Fi, Jul 2018Head-Fi, Dec 2020. He framed this as personal opinion Head-Fi, Jul 2018Head-Fi, Oct 2019. For a Qutest he said he could not give a hard and fast answer and advised a dealer audition Head-Fi, Mar 2019. In a Passion for Sound interview (published in parts December 2019 to January 2020; recording date not stated) he said the M Scaler is the better buy if the TT2 would only be a DAC into an integrated amplifier, but that the choice is down to the listener Passion for Sound 23:23Passion for Sound 24:58. He named the TT2's simpler analog path as its biggest benefit over Qutest plus a separate amp, without ranking it against the M Scaler Head-Fi, Mar 2019.
Hugo 2
In July 2018 (the post date is estimated from its ID), a Hugo 2 owner asked whether to buy the M Scaler or a TT2 first. Watts wrote "In the case of the Mr Speakers Aeon it's easy - the M scaler" and "a TT2 is a big upgrade from Hugo 2 - but the M scaler is not an upgrade - it's transformational" Head-Fi, Jul 2018. He called this "a very personal opinion", said the change for him was worth "the considerable hassle of connecting up and carrying a rather heavy unit", and added that with "impossible" headphones, or driving efficient loudspeakers directly, "perhaps your choice would be different" Head-Fi, Jul 2018.
In October 2019 he wrote "I can live with Hugo 2 against the much better TT2 - but I can't tolerate music without the M scaler in place", adding "Hopelessly biassed? Of course" Head-Fi, Oct 2019. In December 2020 he said "the M scaler would add a much bigger jump - with improvements in instrument separation, speed and warmth and more natural sense of flow", but "TT2 is considerably more refined and smoother than Hugo 2, so only you can decide which performance facet wins for you", and suggested trying both at a local dealer Head-Fi, Dec 2020.
What the TT2 adds over Hugo 2, in his words: in May 2018, after a volume-matched comparison on Aeon headphones, "depth and detail resolution is a lot better" and "instrument separation and focus is also much better too" Head-Fi, May 2018. In August 2018: "TT2 is warmer than Hugo 2 with the M scaler too" Head-Fi, Aug 2018. In July 2021 he called TT2 "quite a bit warmer (in a good way) in tonal balance than Hugo 2", worth carrying for hotel use but not onto aircraft, "unlike the M scaler for example" Head-Fi, Jul 2021.
Qutest
In September 2018 he wrote "Qutest, like Hugo 2 benefits hugely with the M scaler, but an M scaled Dave easily beats an M scaled Qutest - the relative differences between DACs are still there" Head-Fi, Sep 2018. In March 2019, in the Qutest thread, he said the M scaler does things to musicality "that nothing else touches" while eliminating an external amp gives "big transparency benefits"; "I can't give you a hard and fast answer to your question of which will be most important", and "My advice is to find a good dealer and try for yourself" Head-Fi, Mar 2019. The next day, on TT2 against Qutest, he listed better FPGA noise shapers and more advanced reference circuitry, then said "the biggest benefit is the simplification of your analogue path", since "TT2 is an order of magnitude simpler than Qutest + headphone amp" Head-Fi, Mar 2019.
In Part 4 of that interview (published January 2020, so check the recording), asked about a Qutest owner choosing between the two: if the TT2 would feed an integrated amplifier as a DAC, Watts said "Then you'd be better off with the M Scaler" Passion for Sound 23:23. He said "The TT2 is more transparent", but "the M Scaler just does something entirely different" Passion for Sound 23:33. He added that "some people really love the transparency" and others the musicality, and that using Qutest with another amplifier costs transparency compared with TT2 driving headphones Passion for Sound 24:58.
If you end up with both
In the same interview, weighing DAVE alone against a similar-price TT2 with M Scaler, he said "my preference would be to go for a TT2 M Scaler" because musicality matters most to him; the transcript here is rough Passion for Sound 24:16. In October 2024 he said he uses Chord's newer Quartet scaler with Hugo 2 in hotels, and "All get elevated to a new level of performance" Head-Fi, Oct 2024.
Will you hear it?
In August 2018, discussing Hugo 2, he said he heard the M scaler's effect "using cheap computer loudspeakers", with a bigger difference from transparent transducers Head-Fi, Aug 2018. In October 2018 he said whether you find it transformational "depends upon two things - yourself first; and the quality of the rest of your system" Head-Fi, Oct 2018. In an interview published in October 2026 (recording date not stated), he recalled early visits to reviewers' systems and said that in some "you can barely hear the difference", for example with Class D power amplifiers, and contrasted that with DAVE, Hugo 2, TT or Mojo 2 on headphones, where he has "complete control" HiFi Buys 2:24:19.
What he has not said
He gives no price or value ranking for this choice and no rule for every listener Head-Fi, Dec 2020. His direct answers date from 2018 to 2020; later posts touch it only in passing.
Quotes
“the M scaler is not an upgrade - it's transformational”2018-07-24 Head-Fi, Jul 2018
“I can live with Hugo 2 against the much better TT2 - but I can't tolerate music without the M scaler in place”2019-10-22 Head-Fi, Oct 2019
“the biggest benefit is the simplification of your analogue path”2019-03-13 Head-Fi, Mar 2019
“only you can decide which performance facet wins for you”2020-12-27 Head-Fi, Dec 2020
Dated positions
| When | Products | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-07 | Hugo 2, Hugo TT2, Hugo M Scaler | For a Hugo 2 user with Aeon headphones he chose the M scaler over TT2, calling TT2 a big upgrade but the M scaler transformational, with a different choice possible for very hard headphones or direct loudspeaker use. Head-Fi, Jul 2018 |
| 2018-05 to 2021-07 | Hugo 2, Hugo TT2 | TT2 is better than Hugo 2 in depth, detail, instrument separation and focus, more transparent and refined, and warmer, including with the M scaler; in 2021 he called the difference worth carrying TT2 to hotels but not onto aircraft, unlike the M scaler. Head-Fi, May 2018Head-Fi, Aug 2018Head-Fi, Dec 2018Head-Fi, Jul 2021 |
| 2019-03 | Qutest, Hugo TT2, Hugo M Scaler | In the Qutest thread he said he could not give a hard and fast answer on whether the M scaler's musicality or removing an external amp matters more, advising a dealer audition; the next day he said TT2's biggest benefit over Qutest is a simpler analog path than Qutest plus a headphone amp. Head-Fi, Mar 2019Head-Fi, Mar 2019 |
| 2019-10 to 2020-12 | Hugo 2, Hugo TT2, Hugo M Scaler | He called TT2 much better than Hugo 2 but said he could not tolerate music without the M scaler, and in 2020 said the M scaler is the bigger jump while TT2 is more refined, so the listener must decide. Head-Fi, Oct 2019Head-Fi, Dec 2020 |
| 2019-12 to 2020-01 | Qutest, Hugo TT2, Hugo M Scaler | In a Passion for Sound interview published in parts from December 2019 to January 2020 (recording date not stated), he said that if TT2 would only be used as a DAC into an integrated amp, a Qutest owner would be better off with the M Scaler, while saying TT2 is more transparent, that Qutest with another amplifier loses transparency against TT2 on headphones, and that the choice depends on whether the listener values transparency or musicality. Passion for Sound 23:23Passion for Sound 23:33Passion for Sound 24:58 |
| 2018-08 to 2026-10 | Hugo M Scaler | The size of the M Scaler's effect depends on the listener and the rest of the system; in an interview published in October 2026 (recording date not stated) recalling early reviewer visits, he said in some systems (for example with Class D power amps) it was barely audible, while headphone use of DAVE, Hugo 2, TT or Mojo 2 gives him complete control. Head-Fi, Aug 2018Head-Fi, Oct 2018Head-Fi, May 2019HiFi Buys 2:24:19 |
Caveats and open points
- All positions are his listening opinions; he gives no blind tests or measurements for this choice.
- Head-Fi, Jul 2018 has an estimated date (22 to 24 July 2018); the poster's question is about a Hugo 2 owner, and the Aeon headphones are named only in Watts's reply.
- Head-Fi, Mar 2019 and Head-Fi, Mar 2019 have no captured question text; what was asked is inferred from his replies.
- The 2026 Class D remark concerns early M Scaler demonstrations in reviewers' systems, not Qutest or Hugo 2 specifically.
- Head-Fi, Oct 2024 (2024) concerns the Quartet, not the Hugo M Scaler.
Topics: Product comparisons and upgrade paths, Pairing a scaler with a DAC