What cables are you referring to?
BNC cables from M-Scaler to Hugo TT2?
If so, I’ve tried the stock cables, stock cables modified with a trio of cheap (specifically tuned) ferrite cores attached to them, expensive ferrite-festooned cables (which I won’t name), and Opto-DX, and I neither heard, nor measured, any difference at the output of the DAC.
Same was true when Hugo TT2 was replaced with DAVE.
Sorry, yes, BNC cables from TT2 to the M-Scaler. Thanks!
I would love to hear/see more about this case. I’m trying to put together something similar with a Pelican Air and would appreciate any inspiration. 
For example - do you carry headphones in the same (huge) case or are you using separate cases? Do you have any photos? Right now all I’m managing is a Hugo 2, but would love something more substantial when I’m hanging out in the same place for a week.
It is nothing special, I have a few Pelican cases used for other toys and simply re-purposed a few of them for audio use.
I initially tried this case, and stacked the two units:
It was a tighter fit than I would have liked, and was not able to fit the power bricks or cables.
I also had this case to try and it was able to easily fit the TT2/HMS and quite a bit of accessories such as my Mac mini (Roon server), Rpi4 (Roon endpoint), and all the cables for connection, power and headphones. Depending on the headphone, it would be a toss up as my Verite would not fit however my LCD or HD650 would fit:
I need to buy a new set of the pick n’ pluck foam to customize for the stack:
Another option to consider is to have them create the foam via this service:
I love using their cases and stick to either the Protector or Storm series. They have been to some crazy places where the elements such as sand, water, and other nasty stuff protected my gear with no issues for several years.
I am sure the Air is great, it is a bit of a newer line that was not around when I bought my cases.
Happy to talk what you are looking to do with your gear, as your needs may differ from mine.
Thanks @Roark! Great info. I have a few 1560s laying around from some other projects as well, so I’ll give one a go and see how everything fits. I love the idea of the custom foam will try that out, but may start with the TrekPak until I stabilize on a configuration 
Just curious - when you moved from TT2 to DAVE, each time with the M Scaler, what was the magnitude of improvement for you? Just months into the TT2 honeymoon but a boy can dream.
I didn’t do that.
I had the Chord DAVE first. I bought the Hugo TT2 later to use at the office.
The M-Scaler is more of a tweak than a transformation. It’s an important tweak, but still more of a tweak than the night/day differences many attribute to it. I would suggest that people get their transducer, DAC and amp all settled before they add an M-Scaler.
Put another way … it’s something you do after you get your primary components sorted, but before you start faffing about with cables.
…
And to further clarify, here’s how I’d rank the various Chord DACs, in descending order of preference, with and without the M-Scaler:
And then upgrading from M-Scaler → Hugo TT2 to DAVE is a bigger improvement to adding an M-Scaler to DAVE. Though in most cases, if you have an M-Scaler and a Hugo TT2 you’re just going to replace the TT2 with the DAVE and keep the M-Scaler.
…
In terms of the magnitude of difference between a “raw” Chord DAC and the same DAC fed from an M-Scaler, I’d say it’s between 5-10% … depending on the specific DAC in question and, of course, the rest of the system and one’s preferences.
Great thoughts - I have the M Scaler so I can kinda see my future.
In terms of the TT2 as a all-in-one, if you have tested its HP output much, what would you say to those making comments that it can come across a bit bright or brittle?
Just a case of not hugely recommended to pair with already bright cans?
Emphasis mine …
I would say, “Stop using Beyerdynamic and/or Grado headphones to listen to Anime OSTs with the treble on your software EQ raised so high it is permanently clipping.”
I didn’t find the Hugo TT2’s internal headphone output to be bright at all, and definitely not brittle.
I almost dropped my bag of Cheetos reading this.
If we have the TT2 unit at $6000 in your dollars. Let’s say $1000 of that is just accepted as Chord brand and the sweet form factor. Is the amplification stage inline performance wise of say comparable $2000 Amps?
Does a Bear shit in the woods? And does wearing a Fedora increase my chances of finding m’lady?
It’s more than sufficient to properly drive any headphone I can think of, not just in terms of power but also qualitatively. Though in some cases, you’d need a special cable to let you come off the XLRs on the back of the Hugo TT2 instead of via the front-panel outputs.
Here’s how it stacks up in terms of power …
Qualitatively, ANY amplifier you add will, by definition, result in reduced transparency, resolution and increased noise. There is no way around this. All of the outputs from the Hugo TT2 are fed the same way, so you can’t “bypass” anything by, say, using the rear-panel connections.
That said, there are situations, be they for the purposes of adding color/flavor/character or for getting more headroom (for very demanding headphones) or both, that adding an external amplifier is desirable. Going with tubes is one. Wanting more headroom for very inefficient (HE6, Susvara, maybe the Abyss or LCD-4) cans is another. And the end results of that might be “better” sound overall.
For me, personally, I came off the Hugo TT2’s outputs directly anytime I was listening to mine unless I fancied some tube flavor.
Thanks mate. Helpful.
I’ve made those cables before for TT2 users. I guess it also gives me flexibility to go for a passive desktop nearfield speaker, should one exist. It may not.
I’ll get a unit in to Demo against my current Qutest + SparkoS Aries setup and see.
I’ll have a D8000 to test with. Susvara will be gone, good headphone but not quite my jams. Close, but not quite.
Edit; What sort of speaker sensitivity would the TT2 run on a desktop, so pretty low SPL. Would 8ohm, 87db ones work well?
Do you happen to know how to push the 18W into speakers?
Is it using the XLR outputs, amplication mode. Then is it pin 2 and pin 3 off to banana plugs per channel?
Yep, that’s it.
Bear in mind the 18W is into an 8 ohm load. It’ll be more power with lower impedance speakers, less with higher.
I actually did this, into a pair of PSB Imagine B a 4 ohm 87db sensitivity load. The tt2 lasted less than a minute before shutting off.
It may be possible with a very friendly load, like a speaker that matches with set type tube amps, but on what I had lying around it was a fail.
P.s. I have a pair of Amazon cables wired for this if anyone wants them to try it.
Rob Watts responded to me via PM. He says don’t run speakers off the balanced. Either just use the RCA or of you need to use the XLR, run as single ended.
Which leads to the question of “What exactly is the 18W balanced output for?”.
Edit: just realised speaker sensitivity is 1 watt measured at 1m. So if I’m sitting 1m away, and they are 86db speakers, I only need 1watt to get loud. 7w should be well enough.
For marketing and sales, bigger/larger numbers sell… 
