Chord 2Go & 2Yu Wired/Wireless Network streamer and S/PDIF adaptor - Official thread

[SteveHulk]

We are working very hard behind the scenes to investigate the pops and clicks issue. The problem we heard and measured was fixed by the V1.0.0 firmware update so it is not the same thing.
The trouble is that there seems to be no consistency or particular method that we can see from the reports that would indicate how these pops and clicks are being generated. The fact
that it only seems to affect a small number of people is also frustrating for them as well as us as it doesn't give much to work with. We are on it though and doing all we can.

Is it the case that since the firmware 1.0.0 update that you yourselves at Chord are unable to recreate the issue on a test rig in-house?

 

[SteveHulk]

Just to add some data to the VPaCs issue...

My use case is that I listen with my music when out and about. I have an sd card plugged into the 2go using BubbleUPnP running on my Android Galaxy Note 9. This is connected to the 2go using the 2go's hotspot mode.

In this scenario my phone and the 2go are always within a couple of feet of each other.

I have no issues with VPaCs whatsoever.

 

[joshnor713]

We are working very hard behind the scenes to investigate the pops and clicks issue. The problem we heard and measured was fixed by the V1.0.0 firmware update so it is not the same thing.
The trouble is that there seems to be no consistency or particular method that we can see from the reports that would indicate how these pops and clicks are being generated. The fact
that it only seems to affect a small number of people is also frustrating for them as well as us as it doesn't give much to work with. We are on it though and doing all we can.

Thanks Matt.

I don't get why this is happening when Poly hasn't had such issue. Maybe you guys should be focusing on what's different?

 

[Progisus]

I thought mpd players like Rigelian initiate the transfer direct sd card to device. That is why they sound so good. Icbw

 

[SteveHulk]

I thought mpd players like Rigelian initiate the transfer direct sd card to device. That is why they sound so good. Icbw

I must say that when I first heard of the 2go I was hoping that such a mode would be possible: ie the 2go would serve the music directly to the hugo 2 with my phone connected to the 2go via Bluetooth and just acting to select the music.

The general model seems however to be: server to control point to renderer. This applies even when the 2go is both server and renderer regardless.

This, I assume, is why using Bluetooth to connect to the 2go degrades the sound even when music is being played from an sd card in the 2go.

 

[Doody]

So there's some confusion here. I'm hoping @Matt Bartlett might step in and lay it out in geeky detail .

You can definitely tell H2go to play from sd card without it routing the signal anywhere but from sd card to Hugo2. Right now I am playing a DSD256 file off of sd card and my phone is powered OFF (after I got it going via HotSpot mode). H2go is in airplane mode, no ethernet cable connected, and disconnected from power/USB also. There's no way the signal is routing in any way other than off the sd card and into the H2. I'm using MConnect.

There is ALSO a use-case where you can route the data off of the sd card and to your phone and then to someplace else - as SteveHulk indicated. It's entirely possible you could do this and route it back to H2go - but that's obviously not a useful thing to do .

Doody

 

[SteveHulk]

So there's some confusion here. I'm hoping @Matt Bartlett might step in and lay it out in geeky detail .

You can definitely tell H2go to play from sd card without it routing the signal anywhere but from sd card to Hugo2. Right now I am playing a DSD256 file off of sd card and my phone is powered OFF (after I got it going via HotSpot mode). H2go is in airplane mode, no ethernet cable connected, and disconnected from power/USB also. There's no way the signal is routing in any way other than off the sd card and into the H2. I'm using MConnect.

There is ALSO a use-case where you can route the data off of the sd card and to your phone and then to someplace else - as SteveHulk indicated. It's entirely possible you could do this and route it back to H2go - but that's obviously not a useful thing to do .

Doody

I totally want to hear a clarification of this because I am now totally confused.

 

[Doody]

I totally want to hear a clarification of this because I am now totally confused.

It has to be two different protocols. I'd like to hear the details from Chord. In one case, there's a CONTROL protocol (MPD???), which is what I'm presumably doing. In the second case, there's a TRANSFER protocol (UPnP???), which is what you were presumably doing. There's another user on the board using that transfer protocol to see if the 2go can be a "server" to ship music around his home - with the theory that the usb- or battery-powered 2go using complete solid state storage (the sd cards) will be quieter than any Raspberry Pi server or other server serving up the bits.

Doody

 

[SteveHulk]

It has to be two different protocols. I'd like to hear the details from Chord. In one case, there's a CONTROL protocol (MPD???), which is what I'm presumably doing. In the second case, there's a TRANSFER protocol (UPnP???), which is what you were presumably doing. There's another user on the board using that transfer protocol to see if the 2go can be a "server" to ship music around his home - with the theory that the usb- or battery-powered 2go using complete solid state storage (the sd cards) will be quieter than any Raspberry Pi server or other server serving up the bits.

Doody

Ok let me tell you what I just did...

I am sitting in the park with my phone running BubbleUPnP and the hugo 2 2go in my bag. The phone is connected to the 2go via the 2go's hotspot mode. My system is totally isolated.

I put two tracks in a playlist and started it playing. Immediately I powered off my phone. The hugo 2 2go continued playing. It went smoothly on to the next track I had put on the playlist, played that and then STOPPED, having completed the playlist.

I can't tell you how happy I am that it did that. The 2go *had* to be playing directly to the hugo 2. Also, the 2go had received the instructions from the phone to play the two tracks and that's exactly what it did.

I must confess that I was expecting it either to 1) cut out when or shortly after I powered off the phone, 2) quit playing after the first track and not play the second track, 3) play until the end of the album maybe, 4) continue playing random tracks from the sd card.

BUT, I am still at a loss to what this system is actually doing network-wise

 

[SteveHulk]

Ok let me tell you what I just did...

I am sitting in the park with my phone running BubbleUPnP and the hugo 2 2go in my bag. The phone is connected to the 2go via the 2go's hotspot mode. My system is totally isolated.

I put two tracks in a playlist and started it playing. Immediately I powered off my phone. The hugo 2 2go continued playing. It went smoothly on to the next track I had put on the playlist, played that and then STOPPED, having completed the playlist.

I can't tell you how happy I am that it did that. The 2go *had* to be playing directly to the hugo 2. Also, the 2go had received the instructions from the phone to play the two tracks and that's exactly what it did.

I must confess that I was expecting it either to 1) cut out when or shortly after I powered off the phone, 2) quit playing after the first track and not play the second track, 3) play until the end of the album maybe, 4) continue playing random tracks from the sd card.

BUT, I am still at a loss to what this system is actually doing network-wise

I'll do some more testing of this behaviour and post the outcomes.

 

[SteveHulk]

I'll do some more testing of this behaviour and post the outcomes.

And...

It was a coincidence. I did a further test with a playlist with several tracks, started the list playing, and switched my phone off. It only played the first two tracks after I turned my phone off.

Why it plays the second track and not just the first? Beats me.

 

[radnor]

Cross posting in relevant threads. SO I just got the Hugo 2 and 2GO. This is a brief review of the H2G) and comparison with FIIO M15 and Mojopoly with LCD4Z... this review is about sound quality only... iI am still getting connectivity issues with Roon on the 2GO in different rooms.

OK

I have never heard a hugo2 before so my 1st experience is with the 2go attached.

I have LCD4Z.

I had been using FIIOM15 for last few weeks balanced. My Mojopoly collecting dust. I thought I'd write something immediately based on 1st impression... may make a youtube vid.
1st. My experience has now confirmed that there are MANY on headfi that are entirely full of SH!T... ALSO synergy is important. I know that AUdeze tuned the 4Z with a hugo 2 so maybe this pairing has some magic.

SO

1st... Hugo 2 is smaller than i expected in person... it looks bigger in pictures... while bigger than a typical DAP its size is manageable.

2nd... FIIO M15 is a wonderful step up from Mojopoly balanced... it drives the LCD 4z quite nicely... Id say a 10% bump over poly.. air.. dynamics etc.

I also read some dude saying the Hugo 2go was like a little slice of Dave... and I was thinking "BS!"

well here it is..

The H2GO destroys the FIIO M15 with the LCD 4Z... dynamics... air everything... maybe this pairing is something special and would not work with every HP. But it is shocking how much better... we are talking at least a 40% bump over Mojo Poly and 30% over Fiio M15... not having heard the SP2000 or IBasso DX220 MAX... I really can't see either of these being close.... this thing is a freaking knockout... and i have been a critic of Chord.... now if they get their game together on the connectivity and SW issues they are the kings. YES this is like a slice of TT2/Mscaler (i have one) in your hand.

 

[Luvdac]

Network issues seem to the problem with my 2go but not to the extent where I'm tearing my hair out.
Yesterday, listening to the h2go from its usual place on my desk-- line of sight to the router 15 steps away - 24/192 file, the dropouts started again and track skipping as well. Checked roon and some of the tracks were plain old 16/44.
Then realised my phone was doing a 3gb sacd download @ 1mbps simultaneously over the same network as the h2go. Proceeded to pause the download, the skipping and dropouts stopped. Restarted the download and the problem started again. Repeated a few times with the same results.
Bandwidth problem? Its a deco m9 plus mesh system and shouldn't technically be the culprit. Also my phone is a Samsung note 9 and should be on the 5ghz band whereas thd 2go uses the 2.4ghz. Though maybe not top of the line, the router is pretty much one of the newer crop of routers out there. I've also given the 2go priority in the deco app.
@NYanakiev, could you please share your router details and set up?

 

[PiggyD0g]

Network recommendation:
1. Any network brand is better than others?
2. Is 3 antenna better than 2 antenna? Or 4?
3. How about transmission power, stronger the better?
4. IEEE standard, which is better, 802.11a,c, b, g, n?
5. Need open "MU-MIMO" function?
6. Where is the best position to put the wireless router?

Bill,

In can’t comment on 2Go (I have it but cannot use it because I need 2Yu for my Qutest), but I have super high speed fibre broadband and was experiencing persistent wifi drop outs generally and weak connectivity in the bedrooms (reinforced concrete apartment walls in Singapore).

So I first upgraded my modem to router ethernet cables from Cat 5e to Cat 8, which resulted in no more drop outs (for me, YMMV). Standard cables supplied with routers are usually Cat 5e, which is the minimum for modern broadband (100-350Mhz/1000Mbps/unshielded). Cat 8 is 2000Mhz/25-40Gbps/shielded.

Now I know that sounds like overkill for music streaming, but it’s a relatively inexpensive upgrade to eliminate the possibility of ethernet cable density/crosstalk issues, between modem and router, off the list of causes.

I then upgraded my router from a Linksys EA7500 (which is no slouch) to an Asus RT-AX88U Wifi 6 gaming router. Now I have full connectivity strength in all rooms. Again that’s my experience YMMV.

 

[Bill Chu]

Bill,

In can’t comment on 2Go (I have it but cannot use it because I need 2Yu for my Qutest), but I have super high speed fibre broadband and was experiencing persistent wifi drop outs generally and weak connectivity in the bedrooms (reinforced concrete apartment walls in Singapore).

So I first upgraded my modem to router ethernet cables from Cat 5e to Cat 8, which resulted in no more drop outs (for me, YMMV). Standard cables supplied with routers are usually Cat 5e, which is the minimum for modern broadband (100-350Mhz/1000Mbps/unshielded). Cat 8 is 2000Mhz/25-40Gbps/shielded.

Now I know that sounds like overkill for music streaming, but it’s a relatively inexpensive upgrade to eliminate the possibility of ethernet cable density/crosstalk issues, between modem and router, off the list of causes.

I then upgraded my router from a Linksys EA7500 (which is no slouch) to an Asus RT-AX88U Wifi 6 gaming router. Now I have full connectivity strength in all rooms. Again that’s my experience YMMV.

Thanks Piggy, agree cable is very critical for a system, drop outs issue should try upgrade cable