«Re-processing» is an ugly word for mere DSP, as it implicates a massive signal deterioration, including the infamous breaking of «bit perfection». But if you categorically dismiss DSP, you're also not allowed to use equalizers or digital volume control. Among those there are enough well-implemented examples to disprove the claim of lost clarity and transparency. In my case the equalizer (Neutron) even enhances clarity and transparency – by removing masking effects by dominating frequency bands, without affecting small signals in any way.
It'd be interesting to actually try software that can do a good job of changing the music without deteriorating the sound, but everything I've tried so far destroys some aspect of the sound in an unacceptable way. MQA is a good example of this, destroying depth cues in classical music and outputting an unnatural sound. A good tube amp, at the most, just adds a bit of even-order harmonic distortion, and you lost a tiny bit of detail, but without losing the naturalness of the sound.
I get your logic about not buying a $5k amp for a singular purpose -- this is why I gave up the idea to buy a Blue Hawaii some years ago, but I don't consider a regular amp that I'm using all the time to be that.
Currently, it is rather difficult for me to extra drive to Osaka to give both a listen especially because the shop I usually go to does not have a 2Go as a mo unit yet.
In the end, would like to know if the sound quality Gap between the Hugo2 and the SP2000 is huge or not. I do know the Hugo and will borrow one from a friend soon again but I do not know the SP2000. Does the Hugo2's sound quality outweigh the improved practicality of the SP2000? Are they soundwise far apart?
You're not missing anything by the 2go not being there, as 90% of it has to do with functionality. A DAP with optical output will do for testing.
Does anyone have issue using Bluetooth as an input? Got a new macbook pro and for my living room speaker setup it would be far easier to use bluetooth, but every time I've used it it's been choppy, laggy and just flat out unacceptable sound wise. (sounds perfect via every other input)
I compared the Bluetooth input to various things, and found it degrades the sound enough that it ended up about comparable to the FiiO M11 I was testing with, so I'd not recommend using it at all. If a 2go is too expensive, a Raspberry Pi with DietPi, Ropieee or Volume IO and a good USB WiFi adaptor (or ethernet) would be a better option for wireless transmission.