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• Can I take DAVE, Hugo 2, an M Scaler and a power bank on a plane, and how does Rob listen on flights?

Everything he said on this topic (75)

One-line summaries in our words, oldest first. Each link opens the original.

• 2014-10-12Watts says he has no specific source recommendations, uses his laptop when traveling, and is deciding between a new phone, tablet or smaller laptop. Head-Fi, Oct 2014
• 2016-05-23Watts says he uses Mojo while traveling and sets up DAVE in hotels, where from cold its sound quality reaches full form within about 10 minutes. Head-Fi, May 2016
• 2016-07-25Watts says his hard disk is bus-powered from the laptop, so it travels to planes and hotels and keeps ground isolated when the laptop charger is unplugged. Head-Fi, Jul 2016
• 2016-08-14Watts says DAVE's switch-mode supply works from 90 to 263 V and 47 to 440 Hz, so DAVE sounds the same on mains in Japan, the US, UK and Europe. Head-Fi, Aug 2016
• 2017-01-09Watts says he uses Hugo 2 on planes and Dave with the M scaler in hotels; Hugo 2 should ship late February or early March and appear at CanJam Singapore. Head-Fi, Jan 2017
• 2017-06-13Watts says he takes his DAVE on travels even without shows, the risk being scratches rather than failure, and that it has covered a quarter million miles. Head-Fi, Jun 2017
• 2017-06-21Watts describes airport X-ray checks of his roughly 20 kg carry-on of DAVE, Blu 2 and two laptops, saying only London Heathrow stops and swabs him every time. Head-Fi, Jun 2017
• 2017-08-11Watts says the million-tap M scaler exceeds 16-bit accuracy, Hugo 2 takes 768 kHz dual BNC, better analog parts put DAVE ahead, and he flies with DAVE and Blu 2. Head-Fi, Aug 2017
• 2017-08-18Watts says the Aeon is more transparent and leaner than the NightHawk with better depth, without losing musicality, and is excellent on planes with good 8-hour comfort. Head-Fi, Aug 2017
• 2018-05-22Watts says only anodized surfaces such as Dave's chassis tingle, and he gets it only in hotels without earthing, from the leakage of his whole mobile rig. Head-Fi, May 2018
• 2018-06-09Watts explains desktop mode keeps Hugo 2's battery near 80% for about 10 years of use, a charger fault means under 1A, and thermal shutdown when charging at red. Head-Fi, Jun 2018
• 2018-06-22Watts says playing while charging from flat is the worst case for battery temperature, though thermal trips protect it; on long flights he recharges Hugo 2 at blue. Head-Fi, Jun 2018
• 2018-06-24Watts says TT2 weighs 2.7 kg and travels well, its supplied PSU was chosen after much testing, and a linear PSU would almost certainly sound worse. Head-Fi, Jun 2018
• 2018-07-21Watts says the DX amps are pulse-array-topology DACs of 400 or 500 watts, with volume set by the M Scaler, which he runs from a battery bank on flights. c w 25:32
• 2018-07-21Watts says he uses mains in business class and carries the M Scaler because Hugo 2 and Dave are hard to hear without it; customs has not objected yet. c w 26:18
• 2018-07-22Watts says Hugo 2 accepts the M Scaler's full 768kHz dual data via 3.5mm to RCA cables and BNC adaptors, and mentions 50 flight hours with the pair. Head-Fi, Jul 2018
• 2018-07-23Watts explains Hugo 2's dual data link (two 384k cables), says FPGA RF noise keeps the scaler separate, shows his homemade flight cable, and rates USB and optical equal. Head-Fi, Jul 2018
• 2018-07-29Watts says his Aeon Closed headphones suppress noise well, and the M scaler is worth the hassle on flights of 12 hours or even 90 minutes. Head-Fi, Jul 2018
• 2018-08-07Watts says he carries a TT2 and programming tool while Chord is still testing it, and will return to traveling with a Dave and Hugo M scaler. Head-Fi, Aug 2018
• 2018-09-24Watts says a connector is a standard 5.5 x 2.5 mm, he now takes the M scaler even on short flights, and describes connecting to performances, especially pre-1968 recordings. Head-Fi, Sep 2018
• 2018-10-13Watts names the Poweradd Pilot Pro 2, which powers the M Scaler at 12 V and Qutest from USB; at 85 Wh it passes airports, giving 35 hours on Qutest. Head-Fi, Oct 2018
• 2018-11-01Watts says yes, he often uses it that way on very long flights, powering or charging Hugo 2 and the M scaler together. needs context Head-Fi, Nov 2018
• 2018-11-16Watts says he uses only the Hugo M Scaler and Hugo 2 on planes, and packs a TT2 to use with the M scaler in hotel rooms. Head-Fi, Nov 2018
• 2018-11-17Watts says a carry-on battery bank clearly rated under 100 Wh is fine, noting Thailand and China check ratings; he has not heard Avantgarde speakers. Head-Fi, Nov 2018
• 2018-12-09Watts says he rarely has airport security problems with DAVE, the M scaler or Mojo, carried on or checked, recounting questions in Indonesia and over Hugo 2 in Hanoi. Head-Fi, Dec 2018
• 2018-12-13Watts lists Hugo M Scaler features (pass-through, video and auto modes, remote, DX), says it runs from 9 to 15 volts, and that he uses it with a battery on flights. Pursuit Perfect System 14:11
• 2018-12-13Watts says he carries his M Scaler on 10 to 13 hour flights and chose the 15 volt input so a standard laptop battery backup could power it. Pursuit Perfect System 15:04
• 2018-12-13Watts describes his flight rig: M Scaler, a Hugo, phone source and MrSpeakers headphones; in economy a battery runs it two hours, reaching about 45 degrees C. Pursuit Perfect System 18:35
• 2019-02-26Watts says TT2 is built like mobile products, his has flown 250,000+ km in luggage, and he carries the M Scaler as carry-on without security issues. Head-Fi, Feb 2019
• 2019-05-12Watts says the M scaler's size keeps its case from reaching 90 C, measures radiative and convective cooling at about 50% each, and finds nearly all CDs now musically enjoyable. Head-Fi, May 2019
• 2019-07-19Watts says TT2 worked fine in Indonesia, even once on 310 V RMS mains, sounding the same as in the UK. Head-Fi, Jul 2019
• 2019-07-28Watts shares flight setups, saying the Hugo M Scaler fits in a man bag and gets warm after two hours. Head-Fi, Jul 2019
• 2019-10-22Watts says, traveling with Hugo 2 and M scaler instead of TT2, he can live without TT2 but not without the M scaler, which he calls essential. Head-Fi, Oct 2019
• 2019-11-27Watts says he uses solid-core ferrite cables at home but not when traveling with Hugo 2, TT2 or DAVE, and notes a battery-powered Hugo 2 avoids ground loops. Head-Fi, Nov 2019
• 2019-12-24In a Christmas fun review, Watts says music sounds better on some aircraft, blaming cabin noise, pressure and humidity, ranks the A380, A350 and 787 best, and gives seating tips. Head-Fi, Dec 2019
• 2020-01-02Watts says 12v works with TT2, a 100W/h power bank gives over 7 hours driving headphones, warns about power-bank limits on flights, and suggests Hugo 2 for portability. Head-Fi, Jan 2020
• 2020-01-03Watts warns 18v or more destroys the Hugo M scaler's protection diode and voids that warranty, says a 9 or 12v power bank works fine, and notes Poweradd flight limits. Head-Fi, Jan 2020
• 2020-06-09Watts says the M scaler's thermal trip protects hands, its case bottom reflects FPGA die temperature rated to 85 C, and hours in a bag stayed below the trip. Head-Fi, Jun 2020
• 2020-06-25Watts says he uses his M Scaler on planes powered by a battery backup, but portability is limited by 12 watts of FPGA power dissipation. Part-Time Audiophile 28:08
• 2020-12-02Watts says he carries his M Scaler and uses it on flights with Hugo 2, finding it essential, though others may hear a smaller improvement. Head-Fi, Dec 2020
• 2020-12-03Watts shares his flight setups in business and economy class, with Hugo 2, M Scaler and a battery in his bag, good for 3 hours thermally. Head-Fi, Dec 2020
• 2020-12-04Watts used crossfeed on Hugo only for hard-panned 60s recordings but runs it at max on Hugo 2 for depth; shrinking dimensions by a third would more than double temperature. Head-Fi, Dec 2020
• 2021-04-18Watts says he travels with small, light JBL speakers, not high end but warm sounding with great depth, and has not yet upgraded them. Head-Fi, Apr 2021
• 2021-07-18Watts says TT2 is warmer in tonal balance than Hugo 2, so he takes TT2 to hotels, but Hugo 2 remains his choice on aircraft. Head-Fi, Jul 2021
• 2021-08-03Watts says his TT2 ran a week on 316V mains in Bali, explains semiconductor failure causes, and leaves equipment under 20W on, citing failures only at turn-on. Head-Fi, Aug 2021
• 2021-11-30Watts lists his flight and hotel kit, says measurements catch gross flaws, and that the brain compensates for transducer distortion but not digital errors like NFM and timing errors. Head-Fi, Nov 2021
• 2022-01-31Watts says some users pair it with an M Scaler, he flies with Hugo 2, an M Scaler and a power bank, and better FPGAs might enable a Mojo-type scaler. Darko.Audio 4:29
• 2022-02-09Watts says the power bank would run Qutest about 100 hours per charge but is too powerful for flying and lacks 12v for M scaler; he suggests a Krisdonia 25000mAh. Head-Fi, Feb 2022
• 2022-02-26Watts reports 6.5 hours powering his M Scaler from a new power bank, warns against its DC out for Hugo 2, and explains annealing his DIY PTFE-insulated cable. Head-Fi, Feb 2022
• 2022-03-22Watts lists his systems: Hugo M Scaler, TT2 and B&W 803 D3 at home; M Scaler, DAVE and DCA Stealth in the office; M Scaler, TT2 and Stealths for flying. article, Mar 2022
• 2022-06-15Watts says the M scaler regulates input to 5 V, 16 V could damage it, and he will try a Krisdonia at 9 V, preferring warmer sound to RF brightness. Head-Fi, Jun 2022
• 2022-06-21Watts says he preferred the Krisdonia's 9 V setting on his Chicago flight, distrusts Krisdonia reliability, found only PowerAdd reliable, and battery power removed the need for better BNC cables. Head-Fi, Jun 2022
• 2022-09-18Watts says he takes an M Scaler with him when flying, even in economy, packed in a bag. The Source AV 6:53
• 2022-09-18Watts says he runs everything from a power pack on flights, business class gives him a shelf for it, and flight attendants ask about the flashing lights. The Source AV 7:02
• 2022-09-18Watts says the closed-back Stealth shuts out noise on about 300 flying hours a year, and Stealth, Hugo 2 and M Scaler performance would have seemed unbelievable in the 1980s. The Source AV 31:18
• 2022-10-18Watts says Krisdonia noise is the likely problem, power-bank tests wait until after his Asia trip, and a 100 Wh Bixpower would run an M Scaler 8 hours. Head-Fi, Oct 2022
• 2023-01-04Watts reports the Bixpower BP90-12v ran an M Scaler nearly 10 hours and clearly beat the Krisdonia on depth and separation, the Poweradd less clearly. Head-Fi, Jan 2023
• 2023-01-21Watts says he drives small efficient speakers directly from Hugo 2's headphone output when traveling, getting plenty of volume in hotel rooms at a low blue volume setting. Head-Fi, Jan 2023
• 2023-01-22Watts says his travel speakers are generic 8 ohm 5-inch cubes costing about £20 that sound good, with depth and lateral imaging, unlike any laptop speakers. Head-Fi, Jan 2023
• 2023-02-04Watts says on planes, about 300 hours a year, he uses his phone with 1 TB of music by USB into a battery DAC, giving perfect isolation. Dusty Audio 1:06:27
• 2023-02-05Watts says he did, with a new power bank lasting 10 hours where the previous one lasted four or five, useful on 13-hour flights to Asia or Los Angeles. Soundnews 48
• 2023-02-05Watts says his phone feeds USB straight into the M Scaler, then into Hugo, driving Dan Clark Audio Stealths, which he calls really good sounding closed-back headphones. Soundnews 1:40
• 2023-02-05Watts says closed-back headphones are needed on flights and that he tends to prefer the sound of closed backs, unlike most people who prefer open backs. Soundnews 1:58
• 2023-02-26Watts says a cold-start test found no significant change, so Hugo 2's 10-minute warm-up on planes is more about his ears and headphones adjusting to cabin pressure. Head-Fi, Feb 2023
• 2023-03-01Watts says the M Scaler needs no warm-up, Hugo 2's in-flight change was ear pressure, describes flying with his battery rig and thermal trip, and says battery plus optical isolates. Head-Fi, Mar 2023
• 2023-06-19Watts says an unnamed project started in 2018 with a first PCB in Feb 2019, his longest; he flies with a Bixpower, Hugo 2, Hugo M Scaler and DCA Stealth. needs context Head-Fi, Jun 2023
• 2023-09-04Watts names the Bixpower BP90-12v as the best-sounding pack, used only on flights; supplied PSU and Wave cables sound the same with optical input. Head-Fi, Sep 2023
• 2023-12-22Watts says that traveling with TT2 and Hugo M Scaler, he stacked or separated them by hotel layout and never noticed a sound-quality difference. Head-Fi, Dec 2023
• 2024-07-25Watts says he uses the Hugo M Scaler when flying and that people think he is crazy for it. Hifi Pig TV 3:30
• 2024-07-25Watts says he has never had security issues carrying an 'MSC' (probably M Scaler) or DAVE, or the Quartet to Munich as carry-on; Mojo 2 once caused an issue. Hifi Pig TV 3:43
• 2024-07-25Watts says security in Vietnam took a unit away for five minutes, yet nobody minds the big Hugo M Scaler on flights; he cannot travel without it. Hifi Pig TV 4:13
• 2024-07-25Watts says he travels with the prototype Quartet because he still has coding to do at shows, and because he loves its sound, which makes good recordings sound more real. Hifi Pig TV 4:39
• 2024-10-02Watts says he uses a scaler with TT2 on his main loudspeaker system and travels with Quartet paired with Hugo 2 in hotels, and that all are elevated in performance. Head-Fi, Oct 2024
• 2025-09-14Watts says since having Quartet it has been disappointing to fly with just an M Scaler, because you get used to Quartet's sound quality. The Source AV 15:46
• 2026-03-24Watts says he always uses Mojo 2's lossless EQ, especially flying since things sound different at 8,000 feet, and unlike normal EQ it does not damage sound quality. Audio Force 36:34