[Kentajalli]

Pc as transport is the reason for this.

Reason for what?

 

[801evan]

Reason for what?

On why topping seems to sound better. Pc has too much noise and such and it be a better balance for the thin sounding Topping.

 

[559363]

I suspect the 2Go is a dead end, especially given how many people (me included) sent them back for refunds, when they just did not preform as advertised. Wifi connectivity was awful.
Wilson

Ah, a rare critical thinker. Too many vulnerable to propaganda, misinformation, ferrite pixie dust and listening with your wallet. Some even believe in 1TB music files. I guess they rotate through 5 songs at a time. Slap a Chord logo on a product and it just elimantes logic and common sense.

Smart decision. If you take apart those "Chord" streamers, it's a $10 computer thats notoriously known for having terribad Wifi along with terrible USB internal implementation.

Along with the Mickey Mouse Contracted Operating System and second-tier music playback software, I wouldn't even use it for my Apple Dongle.

I like that it runs on battery and cordless, but that's it. $1000 goes to R&D Contractors, few hundy for the Aircraft Aluminum and the rest to Chord. The hardware along with the battery no more than $50 of parts.

It's good though as the Guinea Pigs help fund Phase II of Streamers. If it brings enjoyment, more power to you...

 

[559363]

That green filter has been game changing for me. It makes every CD sound like a MFSL remaster, completely taking away the digital glare.

I noticed as your source improves, well-mastered tracks scale. If you listen to MFSL via iPhone, there may be not much difference.

Once you scale your source, well-mastered is extremely important. I'm feeding Luther (MFSL) into State of the Art Oscillators over low latency realtime operating system and I sing along it's 'So Amazing'. I have the entire MFSL Catalog so I try to only listen to well-mastered exclusively for the desktop.

I'm using better clocks than the dCS Lina feeding the Hugo2:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/int...purpose-built-for-headphone-listeners.963517/

Digital glare and timing errors completely eliminated before hiting the Hugo2. I was wondering where sounds I never heard just suddenly appear. For example, the MFSL Gun's and Roses "Civil War" track. The shotgun blast, I never really noticed, but it jumped at me.

I'll try to check if the Green Filter makes any difference in my case since I have the purest source possible for Chord Dacs.

 

[559363]

Audioquest Black Diamond Optilink is discountinued. What's a good length for Lifatec? Minimum 10 feet.

It's too bad Lifatec does not offer a USB optical. Imagine how great a Lifatec USB optical cable would sound.... I'm connector-agnostic now, but it has to be fiber optic. It has to decouple. Chord DACs run best decoupled and separated. Not this AIO (All-in-one) crap where parts interfere with one another, especially with a screen. The "Chord" streamers are semi-AIO. I guess the streamers are fine for grab and go purposes, but not for pure SQ.

With Chord, you need to conciouslly decouple.

Don't use Coax, it's a RF antenna. There's a reason no reputable brand wants to carry coax, just go USB optical is a better route. There's no Audioquest Diamond Coax, etc. Coax is a dead end. It doesn't decouple. Reason to move to SPDIF is to decouple. Why would one intentionally run Coax on a Chord DAC, makes no sense.

Also, I got PCI-E USB cards working on my Hackintosh. So getting a JCAT PCI-E USB card to work of MacOS should be straigtforward if needed.

Too bad JCAT has bland Hifi Clocks, not State of The Art. HiFi Clocks are good, but nothing like State of the Art clocks.

USB only good if you run it through PCI-E. USB data has noise. PCI-E eliminates. USB pwr has noise, going off mains eliminates.

Pick your poison to elimate one of the USB noises and be legendary and remove both USB noises. But have fun with USB pops. USB audio not ready for prime time. Toslink still and always king until de-throned around a Hugo5 I'm guessing.

Optical is always the reference input.

 

[miketlse]

Ah, a rare critical thinker. Too many vulnerable to propaganda, misinformation, ferrite pixie dust and listening with your wallet. Some even believe in 1TB music files. I guess they rotate through 5 songs at a time. Slap a Chord logo on a product and it just elimantes logic and common sense.

Smart decision. If you take apart those "Chord" streamers, it's a $10 computer thats notoriously known for having terribad Wifi along with terrible USB internal implementation.

Along with the Mickey Mouse Contracted Operating System and second-tier music playback software, I wouldn't even use it for my Apple Dongle.

I like that it runs on battery and cordless, but that's it. $1000 goes to R&D Contractors, few hundy for the Aircraft Aluminum and the rest to Chord. The hardware along with the battery no more than $50 of parts.

It's good though as the Guinea Pigs help fund Phase II of Streamers. If it brings enjoyment, more power to you...

Critical thinking applies in both directions, not just when it agrees with your viewpoint.

Firstly 'If you take apart those "Chord" streamers, it's a $10 computer' - where is your proof?

 

[559363]

@Rob Watts

After watching Stranger Things (Netflix), I'm trying to extract data from my Kate Bush "Black Triangle" well-mastered Redbook.

What do you recommend? Extract pre-emphasis or de-emphasis?

I remembered you mentioned the Hugo2 handles this automatically. What's the optimal?

My whole chain is on fire and humming well, so I want to make sure I feed the Hugo2 properly. I have zero weakness in the chain, so I don't want to make a misstep.

 

[559363]

Critical thinking applies in both directions, not just when it agrees with your viewpoint.

Firstly 'If you take apart those "Chord" streamers, it's a $10 computer' - where is your proof?

There's a screenshot on the 2Go thread. Don't have tyme as it's impossible to search given I have zero interest in that product.

I just stopped by to ask Rob Watts a question and noticed some fun posts.

I know I fully 100% optimised my Chord experience until the Hugo3. No one will come close to this source and experience, but there are some good tidbits here and there. No complete package though. If you get some Hugo3 news, please share so I can start saving. I'm ready to scale.

Oh that reminds me another question for Rob Watts.

Again, more power to those if they enjoy the streamers. But for those that are familar with hardware and software, it's an immediate tell on the product.

 

[559363]

@Rob Watts

I'm skipping the Mojo2, but I was wondering if it's possible to use a USB-C to USB-C optical and then VBUS communication on the microUSB?

https://www.activeopticalcable.com/aoc-u31-c-c

For the Hugo3, I'm assuming it will be similar so if I use a pure USB-C fiber optic cable. The problem is VBUS communication.

So maybe have to run two USB cables and then unplug the microUSB after handshake?

Note: This is not a recommend. Different Fiber Optics have varying SQ. For example, avoid Corning Optical.

 

[559363]

I'll take my State of The Art Low Latency (~$20,000 clock) Realtime stack with a Hugo3 > dcS Lina. State of the Art just loves feeding on well-mastered redbook.

Anyways, good luck guys. Just had an itch for a question for Rob Watts after the Stranger Things screening. Not hanging around.

I want to avoid Vecna (villian in Stranger Things) with the best SQ possible out of a Chord DAC. No noisy, flawed USB. Pure decoupled off-the-grid fiber optic with the chain as bare metal as possible. All in realtime low-latency, none of that bloated software in commercial products. Zero coloration as my chain as it's perfectly neutral with no added warmness or distortions. All USB cables add color with the exception of USB optical.

But I can live with a Hackintosh with PCI-E USB with a USB Optical cable if Chord discountinued the Toslink Input. As long as I can multi-boot into a low latency realtime operating system. Hackintosh just for general audio use. And I can as I quad-boot with the Audiophile OS as an option.

 

[miketlse]

There's a screenshot on the 2Go thread. Don't have tyme as it's impossible to search given I have zero interest in that product.

But for those that are familar with hardware and software, it's an immediate tell on the product.

Those of us who are familiar with manufacturing cost engineering, know when someone tries to pass opinions off as hard proven facts.
Especially when the OP then tries to evade posting the proof to back up their opinions.

Thank you for clarifying how much credibility I should attach to your future posts.

 

[559363]

Those of us who are familiar with manufacturing cost engineering, know when someone tries to pass opinions off as hard proven facts.
Especially when the OP then tries to evade posting the proof to back up their opinions.

Thank you for clarifying how much credibility I should attach to your future posts.

Again, if you are familar with these type of hardware it's easy to spot.

These products there also is no upgradability roadmap. The CPU is weak on this computer. Everything is weak.

Just separate the emotions you have with the Chord brand.

Your role is more of a encyclopedia than a solution architect. It's like going to a local retail store and asking the junior saleperson for advice. No one would ever ask you to set them up with a proper Chord architecture.

Only OG's and Head Fi veterans can come up with clean solutions. That's why no one will ever have the complete package on this Chord threads, only tidbits. There are flawed and weak solutions all around. It's basic at best. Mainly criticial thinking more than the gear itself is the issue.

Just leave it alone. No one likes being here full-time. Some just visit from time to time. 2Go is not worth the energy to argue abouts.

Rob Watts offers great advice, but only a few seem to listen. And to end things:

Optical is always the reference input.

 

[miketlse]

Again, if you are familar with these type of hardware it's easy to spot.

These products there also is no upgradability roadmap. The CPU is weak on this computer. Everything is weak.

Just separate the emotions you have with the Chord brand.

Your role is more of a encyclopedia than a solution architect. It's like going to a local retail store and asking the junior saleperson for advice. No one would ever ask you to set them up with a proper architecture.

Only OG's and Head Fi veterans can come up with clean solutions. That's why no one will every have the complete package on this Chord threads. There flawed and weak solutions all around. It's basic at best.

Just leave it alone. No one likes being here full-time. Some just visit from time to time. 2Go is not worth the energy to argue abouts.

So rather than prove your statement, you try and discredit my experience, even when you have no idea what it is.
Social media is perfect for posters who try and use that strategy?

 

[559363]

So rather than prove your statement, you try and discredit my experience, even when you have no idea what it is.
Social media is perfect for posters who try and use that strategy?

Why? When I don't have the motivation or energy. You are the full-timer here.

I directed you to the screenshot. You expect me to spend energy or remember the location of the post from 3 years ago?

It's about motivation, nothing else. We all love your presense and posts. Just let it go.

I rather spend time reading about optical solutions on Chord threads. 2Go doesn't interest me. It's like spotting a car from 3 years ago and you know market for that car. But now you want me to do the homework for you and find that car along with the market price. If I know cars and I know computers, I know the type and worth of the product.

Just keep bowing to Chord at any costs. It doesn't help architect proper solutions. But yeah, it's difficult to filter through the propaganda these days.

Take Carez

EDIT: No Head-Fi energy anymore. I wasn't planning to stop by until the Hugo3, but the pre-emphasis de-emphasis question was nagging me because there's no instructions or PDF on how that works. Thanks for your understanding. I'm drained from COVID and discussing audio, but enjoying the fruits of years of architecture crossroads labour. So just enjoying the listening process. Chord Gear only of course. No Chi-Fi junk. Don't know why some mix Chi-Fi with Chord gear. There should be a rule. Viva Chord. Good talk.

 

[Nostoi]

Great product.

Awful thread.