[dontfeedphils]

First, I'm happy for the users that fit this use case for them. I truly hope it works out for them.

Second, I'm a big fan of Chord if RW is leading the project. If RW is not involved, Chord is just another high-end brand. So to me, this is just another high-end audio product. I'm not a salesman so not pushing a brand, but I'm inspired by the DAC designer.

Third, I want optical purity. Not no USB conversion complication. Why not purity? You have Chord DAC's, why wouldn't you want a pure solution? On the Rpi, the data goes straight to i2s to the optical decoder. Zero USB involvement.

For icing on the cake, I want my "Now Playing" track to load into RAM before playing. Rpi does this, I assume 2go plays off the microSD card like every other device:



AO

I can run this off a small footprint or a desktop footprint:



I can rotate Anker battery packs at will. Don't have to worry about expensive battery replacement or shipping into limbo-land.

The same components but branded and marked up can be found in other audio brands with a similar cost as the 2go:





https://www.moon-audio.com/bryston-bdp-pi-digital-player.html

One can also program a full IR remote control to navigate their music if you don't want to use a smartphone.

I try to play as close to the master source if possible, so I don't want an complications; just purity.

I believe I maxed out the Chord DAC with close to master source => pure optical => glass optical cable => Chord DAC.

This falls inline with RW optimal philosophy: Solid battery-power + pure optical...

For the best depth for your Chord DACs... pure optical... Why have more of a 2d wide sound when you can increase it's depth to something more 3d.

All this for a very reasonable cost if you are willing to spend 10 minutes on physical install and 10-20 minutes on configuration via web browser.

Zero RFI noise, Zero ground loops. Easy replacements and compat with future Chord DACs.

With a glass optical cable, you have the crispness of USB without the USB harshness. Glass optical is neutral, natural and life-like...

For my front-end I run Ipeng by a German developer:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ipeng/id767266886

http://penguinlovesmusic.de/ipeng-8/

1 decade of development and refinement makes for a polished product and UI.

That's my "Killer" app. Doesn't affect/manipulate SQ, just a dumb terminal like a IR remote control. Everything runs on the back-end. No silly apps that re-sample on top of Android/iOS re-sampling. No daisy-chaining apps on one another. No this app depends on this app to run this app. I don't believe Poly has a "Killer" app. Might as well have my IR remote control manipulate SQ too.

For the back-end, I run Squeezebox which a backed by a multi-billion dollar company in Logitech.

The $10k Antipodes runs Squeezebox so there is no questioning SQ:

https://antipodes.audio/squeezebox/

This has 2 decades of development and refinement.

And to ensure I get enough power bandwidth, I'm using a 'DC' power-only 5-layered shielded Gotham USB cable. No USB data.

I agree with most of what you're saying. USB is still much more than just usable though, and with a proper source can sound damn near indistinguishable from optical. Plus you're not going to get your super high sample rates without USB. A non-issue for me, but not for everyone.

Also, reports on the SQ of the Poly as a source are overwhelmingly positive and although I haven't heard it myself, I'm certainly not going to discount such an overwhelmingly positive reception.

 

[Widell]

who does NOT own a smartphone? the whole point is that phones will keep coming out, and will still be able to control these Chord devices no matter what. DAPs have limited lifespans based on technology, GoFigure is immune from that if it's controlled from the current iteration of any smartphone on the market. it's the best remote control.

+1

 

[jlbrach]

I currently own a H2 which I use via my ak120 and an optical cable....the ak120 has 2 micro sd slots as well...do I understand this product properly?..I would be able to put 2 cards into the 2go and then control the content via my phone with an app or using roon on my phone to control the 2go?

 

[Widell]

As a Poly/Mojo user I think Chord missed the boat when they did not have a control app as part of GoFigure (which you need on your phone anyway).

Sure, but Chord is small bespoke company in the big scheme of things but always active here on this site, listening to our wishes...not that they can bring Santa all the time...Sony missed the boat 15+ years ago they could have been the world leader and ruled the world in digital audio, headphones and "intimate audio", but as we know it...they screwed that up impressively... let's try it out and see if it s personally suitable, if not it's our choice to choose something else as it is our prerogative! We do live in the golden age of great HD hifi...and WE make the choice what we want to spend our hard-earned $$ on. on the bench waiting for now.......but probably will buy the 2GO, but would have liked to try with the Poly first with my mojo, but poly to expensive to buy as a trial...

 

[ZappaMan]

I currently own a H2 which I use via my ak120 and an optical cable....the ak120 has 2 micro sd slots as well...do I understand this product properly?..I would be able to put 2 cards into the 2go and then control the content via my phone with an app or using roon on my phone to control the 2go?

yes

 

[ZappaMan]

i have the poly and it works really well, its like the missing part of mojo, so if you take your hugo to work, or in the car, then it will probably become indispensable, as thats how poly has become.
you can make arguments about, it does the same as a phone and a cable, but you get a lot of convenience when the two items are paired.
especially in work, where you can't be seen to be faffing too much (all day), so anything that makes listening less faff-ful is good. Having 800gb of music is a good doomsday option too, for whenever the internet finally gets shut down.

 

[GreenBow]

Well, that's exactly what I guessed and feared Chord would deliver.

A very delayed product that can't even compete with a cheap DAP in functionality but has all the bells and whistles fanboys are asking for like ROON ready, Tidal ,Quboz and other streaming platforms that can easily go out of business when you least expect it.
Both Quboz and Tidal have been in very dire straights not long ago.

And quite frankly, unless these toys prove to sound MUCH better than my MBP/Qutest/HMS via usb and optical out from a cd player,my personal interest in these two once again VERY expensive new toys from Chord if one looks at what they deliver is VERY limited indeed.

It would have been nice and at least a bit tempting if it/they had at least worked as simply and consumer-friendly as basically ALL CHEAP DAPs already do.

But NO, not from Chord!

A H2 even bigger and less pocketable and with those horrible VERY sharp corners on an even bigger scale, on a unit that is marketed as portable is NOT anything I'd want to carry around.

Yes my Qutest has also got VERY sharp corners but I don't hold it in my hand or carry it around more than in my backpack on travels.

But maybe instead of the control screen the Asian companies can EASILY add on products selling for as low as 100€ or less in their smart solution DAPs, it would NOT surprise me if Chord has another specially made 100€ matching SOFT warm leather case up their sleeve for their fanboys.


I'm sure all Chord fanboys will drool over these toys for months even if all they do is add more expensive little boxes to their systems, but turn out to offer no increase in SQ over what can already be achieved with much cheaper solutions in combination with the MScaler.

What's the point of adding SD cards ports if you can't play what's on them without a smartphone or an iPad?

And don't tell me nobody asked for a control screen on 2Go!

For me personally if I want to avoid having to connect my mbp laptop to my HMS I think I will get a cheap DAP instead.

Rob Watts himself has claimed that he gets excellent results with his moblie phone connected to a H2.
That seems like a soo much SMARTER solution.

Quite honestly the ONLY reason I am using Chord's products is the MScaler!
And that has ALL got to do with SQ!
Nothing else.
Basically everything else I want and expect from HIFI products in general and portable ones in particular, is imho, much better served by other companies.
Both design and functionality.
Cheers CC

You have a point Christer. However the Chord products outgun other products, because they use a more powerful processing system. That puts demand on the Chord product battery life, that other DAPs do not have. Therefor not having a screen on the device is a effectively a potential plus in this case. That all of course depends on how well it works with the phone and app. … I know if I were out an about with Hugo 2/2Go, I would prefer to keep it in a bag. Not be getting it out to change music or volume.

The benefit may comes form using the 2Go in bettered sound quality. What Rob said about getting good sound from files played from his phone was made pre-2Go. Therefor he may prefer a 2Go. No idea about that of course, as it's speculation. However Hugo 2 sound quality was never under speculation, from pretty much any source. Rob implemented noise filtering on the USB input to Hugo 2, so it was pretty much source equal.

I personally tried a quick USB / optical listening test with Hugo. Can't say I heard any change. I suppose a longer listening of one source then a week later change, would have been necessary.

who does NOT own a smartphone? the whole point is that phones will keep coming out, and will still be able to control these Chord devices no matter what. DAPs have limited lifespans based on technology, GoFigure is immune from that if it's controlled from the current iteration of any smartphone on the market. it's the best remote control.

I don't have a smartphone yet. I have my eye on two though, and will finally make the jump.

 

[GreenBow]

I don't own a smartphone.
And I have no immediate plans to buy one either.

I have a small Samsung mobile phone which I use for phone calls.
A really small foldable little thing that fits easily in basically any pocket.
I paid 30€ for it and it is and was an open phone not locked to any specific company or subscription based plan.
I can fit it with any simcard I want and need wherever I happen to be on my travels and make calls all over the world much cheaper than via any locked iPhone or similar smartphone pushed on easily fooled consumers at 20-30 times the price of my phone plus hefty monthly bills on top.

Besides the whole idea of portable with DAPs and potentially, but not in practice with H2/2Go for me would be to have ONE small portable unit that does ONE thing VERY well, without ANY need for other accessories, playback music stored either internally or on sd card.
A screen for that would have been really SMART and competitive.
And regarding lifespan do these two toys run on H2s battery or how are they powered?

If they run on internal rechargable batteries like H2 I hope they have at least made them user exhangable when they die,which they will inevitably do one day.

My Hugo 1 died a few months ago and needs to be sent to Chord for a new battery at about the same price some all in one,smart unit DAPs sell for, to be brought back to life. How smart is that from a consumer and user point of view?

I don't like it when planned obsolence can be suspected from any company.
But I'd be interested to know in more detail than your:"based on technology" what makes specifically DAPs susceptible to limited lifespan?
If you know which ones to really avoid that'd be great to know.
Hugo 1 was disappointing enough for me in that respect.


Cheers CC

I think it would be best if Chord had its own website page to sell its batteries. Then no-one would have to send their unit in. Just order the new battery online, wait for it to arrive, and install it. What could be less hassle free for everyone, including Chord? …… Bearing in mind that absolutely no-one like posting their expensive kit around for battery replacement.

I know in some cases it's possible to buy batteries through a Chord retailer. However I think there have been scare stories where some retailers cannot provide them. Might be wrong though.

 

[Currawong]

There is also a claim on the Chord website that the 2Go is a ”Roon endpoint and streamer” . What does ”streamer” mean in that context?

Streaming just means sending music over a network to the 2Go, rather than directly through USB or S/PDIF.

Using optical means there is an extra conversion process going on inside the 2Yu. Fair enough, if you want to use it as a sample rate converter, which it can be, but I would’ve hoped that USB was fine. If you use optical the clock in the 2Yu is controlling the show, rather than the clock in the M Scaler. It might not matter though. Time will tell. I think Hugo2 owners are the real target. TT2/M Scaler/DAVE owners are just an afterthought. £500 for a USB to USB converter is a bit much!

I don't see any info about it being an SRC anywhere. The presence of optical doesn't imply anything either. I think much of the point is about being able to network the Hugo 2 easily.

One thing that I noticed is no mention of other than A2DP for Bluetooth Audio. I would have expected at least APTx, with many people expecting LDAP nowadays. However, since the prime feature is wireless lossless streaming, it's rather unnecessary, though people will judge them for an incomplete feature.

 

[ZappaMan]

Never noticed it shows the bridging device and the audio device now in Roon device setup

 

[Luvdac]

...... You can use a phone/ipod for this purpose but it is not ideal as the Roon connection gets dropped when the display times out.....

Not anymore. Roon fixed that. My Samsung galaxy note 9 plays roon glitch free now.

 

[jarnopp]

Never noticed it shows the bridging device and the audio device now in Roon device setup

Do you think Roon really knows or that the entry for Poly presumes there is a Mojo connected?

 

[theveterans]

I wish 2Yu had AES/EBU out for balanced input and better noise rejection as there are some non-Chord DACs that sound best through AES/EBU input

 

[474194]

I agree with most of what you're saying. USB is still much more than just usable though, and with a proper source can sound damn near indistinguishable from optical. Plus you're not going to get your super high sample rates without USB. A non-issue for me, but not for everyone.

Also, reports on the SQ of the Poly as a source are overwhelmingly positive and although I haven't heard it myself, I'm certainly not going to discount such an overwhelmingly positive reception.

Yes, I agree. Going from a USB cable to a USPCB to a USB direct connection COMPUTES.

If that was available when the H2 launched, it would of been more than acceptable. But in that time and learning RW's teachings, I've come to accept his philosophy. I'm a purist, so looking for the most optimal, darkest black background, best depth, smooth sounding and least fatiguing.

I'm even working on damping / sound isolation around the ears as I'm sensitive to ambient / white noise even with -26db isolation and it annoys me when I'm trying to get in a good session. Hopefully I get good results.

What does NOT COMPUTE was the USB -> SPDIF conversion I had a USB issue with... not the USB audio portion.

I can see though balancing convenience with USB direct a great solution @$999.

Anyways, wish the Chord team success with these products. I'll check back Monday on any updates and surprises.

 

[AndrewOld]

I don't see any info about it being an SRC anywhere.

If you cllick the “features” tab on the product page, you will see it lists “integrated sample rate converter“ as one of the features.

https://chordelectronics.co.uk/product/2yu/