LIKE THIS VIDEO? Please support what we do via Patreon: www.patreon.com/johndarko Backstory: darko.audio/2020/04/a-short-film-about-the-chord-2go-hugo-2/ 10 more thoughts on the Chord 2go + Hugo 2: darko.audio/2020/04/10-more-thoughts-on-the-chord-2go-hugo-2/

@user-tj5sh1tp5y

4 жыл бұрын

John! Greetings from Boston! Great video! I have Mojo+Poly and I will definitely use many ideas from this video. I noticed you have Mojo+ Poly too. Question: what wire would you recommend for line out from Mojo to my pre amplifier. I have a Parasound JC-2BP and JC5 Power Amp. Thank you very much! Subscribed and big fan of your videos

Another mojo/poly owner here. The combo sounds fantastic... when it works, but it seems to be a fundamentally flawed product. Plenty of software bugs, clunky & often frustrating UX, Airplay is unreliable (random dropouts on the go). I've had multiple polys die on me, with no international warranty support (one died while I was travelling and I couldn't replace it until I could reach the store I purchased it from), another one took months to be replaced. Based on my experience, I'd caution anyone from running out and buying this, without researching and possibly demoing it. I.e. if you're just using it with Roon it may be everything you could ever want, but if you're planning on using it just an airplay endpoint, you're probably better off just getting a DAP

@buicksbluesbbq

4 жыл бұрын

AAA you make valid points... good post!

@alorrio

4 жыл бұрын

I agree, I’ve been unable to make a stable and clean sound from any source and any transmission mean (WiFi, LAN or Bluetooth)

I feel better already. A new video from Darko has dropped. A million thanks John!

Fantastic video as always! Thanks for making it.

Like the addition of the captions and descriptions for the various pieces of gear shown in the video, good work.

Thank you very much John, for the 2go video which I have been waiting for so long! Now the 2you question left :) Stay safe ✊

Thanks John - this is the review I've been hoping you would produce. Excellent as usual and looking forward to your written follow up on the website.

Great video John. Thank you!

Love Chord products. Thanks for the great review John.

As always... very helpful and good video! Cheers!

I own the Chord Hugo2 and just purchased the 2go. I am thus far sampling with my B&W P7 headphones. Next up will try my Audeze LX2. My (not very technical) preliminary review is: WOW!!!. Setup is easy (manufacturer acknowledges problems with Mojo/Poly software / firmware challenges in setup that have apparently improved in this product), streaming is phenomenal, and sound quality is superb. I tried streaming via Roon with audio library on my iMac (mostly high resolution HDTracks files) as well as KZread music from my MB pro via AirPlay. So, far no complaints. With those who are having trouble with AirPlay, my impression: AirPlay quality depends a lot on the source device (I have a lot of drop outs with AirPlay from my AppleTV but not much trouble from my MB Pro streaming to B&W Zeppelin Wireless).

Your videos are the best in the audiophiles reviewers... good camera shots... editing.... script....etc. The rest pale in comparison. Carry on John.

Great video; thank you. I also just started listening to your podcast. Well done. Thanks.

I love my Chord Poly/Mojo combo - sounds epic. This must be amazing! Great review, as always.

@andrewcale6100

4 жыл бұрын

If you use Apple devices which player do you use for Tidal / Spotify in combination with your Poly?

@gandalfthewhite4097

4 жыл бұрын

I have the Hugo2 and just purchased the 2go. Listening with my B&W P7 headphones. SIMPLY WOW!

@user-xz6ko8xd4d

Жыл бұрын

Change to Mojo 2 and it will have 95% of Hugo 2👌

I’m often sitting on the toilet waiting for the drop!

It connects just like an IKEA furniture!

Usefull. As allways. Thanks

Mconnect! I've been so frustrated not having gapless playback with my Chord Poly until now. Your suggestions are so helpful. Thank you!

Great review!

I absolutely love your music selection for your videos. My dirty secret is I go to your list and find the music in AM to add to my play list.

Did I just hear someone is playing New FADS as part of a listening review. Wow, wonders will never cease.

I love the sound of the chord products ... the only pain in the ass is the micro-usb connector at the mojo & hugo I really hate it

@lazarosnikolaidis256

4 жыл бұрын

Totally agree, I mean where someone can find a decent USB cable? Come ooooon!

@optimustait

4 жыл бұрын

micro-usb? oh heellz no

@trilingualkid

4 жыл бұрын

why dont you use Optical?

Thank john that very interesting! Hopfully you'll take a look at the 2yu as well at some point, but nice to see that this works well.

I do like your attitude towards audio!

Do like your stuff John. Keep it up, and stay safe over in Europe-Berlin. Luv your passion for audio. Think you had the Meze Empyrians. Maybe one day I'll snag a set. 😁 Interesting look at the Hugo 2 and 2go, and your comparing it, to the mojo and Polly; as well as the Qutest. Audiophile land, is ideal, in these times; i.e., tough isolated times. 🙏🏼✌🏼

The Tomorrows world of Audio. I wish Chord would make a Walkman type of player.

The music at the start is phenomenal

Neat concept. The device itself has dreadful aesthetics. It looks like a kids toy from the 80s. The functionality is pretty cool, though.

@gandalfthewhite4097

4 жыл бұрын

IMHO the esthetics elicit a love or hate response. I understand that the display (color coded) is too complex for ease of use (requires memorizing the color coding scheme), but the rigid steel cage adds a level of strength that renders the esthetics less relevant (or me). I read a review where the author dropped it from his balcony and the 2 connected devices landed unharmed.

Best Video- & Sound.👌😍

John, I've got the Hugo2go and agree wholeheartedly with your emphasis on "around the house" portability. Especially as the whole family is now living in close quarters while sheltering-in-place, it's great to be able to pick up and move your audio system to another room, no cables, no power cords, no bother. FYI, I got a Jansport "Weekender" mini bag (US$20) to give me a bag and shoulder strap for my Hugo2go, making it even more grab-and-go-able around the house.

@pee430

4 жыл бұрын

Have you experienced any problem with the wireless play? and does it feel any different in term of sound quality compared to the usb?

Great video. Toilet bit was funny😊

I use mac book pro roon to control bluesound node, and usb put to hugo 2, and analog to AVR, but it always has problems. Using optical won’t have problem…. couldn’t know why

Well why not just loudspeakers in your toilet, like in the bathroom. Most houses does have central heating and my house does allso have a central stereo. Think the Hugo will well perform in the car, or am I wrong?

Here I was wanting the usual Spotify playlist link lol. Review video was nice. I don't own any portable or fancy headphones but the looks on that machine, the design, those LEDs, the convince... made me think I need one

Nice video, this thing seems to be brilliant. Having just ordered a pair of Meze headphones the Hugo+2Go seems like a nice dac/transport. Having USB between the units makes me wonder if they lost the advantage of being able to pull data from the source using only one clock or if there still is a clock in the 2Go that has to synchronize with the Hugo hence introducing more jitter than necessary...

im so confused ... yet I still enjoy these videos

I've got the Poly / Mojo and it's been a bag of washing. Would I buy one for my Hugo2 - No.

@user-xz6ko8xd4d

Жыл бұрын

I have Poly and connect to my new Mojo 2. It sound fantastic, easy to connect to my network and do not have drop out since updated to the latest firmware . Compare to my Hugo 2 connected to Sonore optical Rendu as source . Both connected to my Hi Fi system. The Poly / Mojo2 was only marginally under the Hugo system . Both Chord products sound dynamic, details and excellent bass. My Hi Fi system cost UsS&30000.

Mr. Darko, as much as I truly enjoy your videos and I watch every single one of them, your taste in music astonishes me. As soon as I saw Chris Clark record being played I jumped out of my chair :D You made my day sir :)

“Do I listen to music on the toilet?” Form and function - an audiophiles approach. Next weeks video.

@Villaboy78

4 жыл бұрын

We’ve had kallaxfi, next it’s soapdishfi

I just started watching your videos and bloody love them. UK lockdown means I have more time to dedicate to enjoying music and doing so has made me realize my system isn't very good. Search on how to improve led me to your videos. I have repositioned my speakers away from the wall and repositioned my chair which has improved things massively, far less boomy and muddy. My speakers are probably too big for the room but they are all I have and have a love for them having inherited them from my Dad, childhood memories etc. Anyway at the moment my system is two pioneer cs607 speakers, a yamaha htr-5540RDS av receiver, a very cheap Bluetooth receiver and my phone. My budget is low, (furloughed). Any tips on what to buy to improve my listening experience etc? I'm a complete novice to home audio. I'm also thinking of buying or building some stands to get my speakers off the floor, again any tips or products I should look at? Cheers all.

@dorkvader5332

4 жыл бұрын

As for speakers, measure the size of the bottom of themif you have a manual for them see if it has any mention of how far off the floor they should be. John has a few reviews of speaker stands.

I just bought the Hugo 2 and love it so far with my Audeze LCD-X. I stream Qobuz via my iPhone plugged into the Hugo 2. Since I only have my phone as my only source, are there any advantages to the 2Go?

Quick question: Can the 2Go cut hair? Asking for a friend. It's getting serious out here.

@SchwizzZer

4 жыл бұрын

Actually, it can style your hair, just give it some 230 VAC

Sweet looking unit

How would this setup be compared to AK SP2000 + campfire Solaris for home use?

So leaving the transportabillity aside, would you go for this combo or the Mytek Brooklyn Bridge? Primarily for headphone listening.

John, was an early adopter with Poly and love it with 2.0. Had the 2go for a few weeks now as well and love it with Roon. Was curious to know if you like the sound pairing with the Solaris. I have the Atlas and Cascade. Been on the fence with the Solaris.

Of course it's for using on the toilet. That's why it's call 2Go.

Thanks for the video. Question: if I'm streaming wireless over my network, does it really matter if the server is of an 'audiophile' quality. i.e. will my desktop PC (iMac) used as a ROON core work just as well as a dedicated audio PC such as; a ROON nucleus or an Innuos??

@DarkoAudio

4 жыл бұрын

yes, your iMac will work just as well.

John, How would you compare the mojo and poly combo to this combo? Significant step up? Heard some might even prefer the mojo and poly combo and that adding the poly gives the the mojo a nice jump in sound quality? Thanks!

Hi John, thanks for the good video. I have Qutest and i'm very happy about that DAC. I've noticed Chord Huei on the audio rack. Is the video/review coming of that too?

Thanks John. The reason I gave up on my Mojo 1 was the sheer bulk and wires

If you already own the Mojo/Poly combo for portable use around home with Roon as the source, do you feel the cost/value proposition is worth the perceived “upgrade” in sound quality John?

@k-doggy1762

4 жыл бұрын

If you think Hugo 2 is worth 4 times the cost of the Mojo then this upgrade would make sense.

@buicksbluesbbq

4 жыл бұрын

@K - Doggy essentially that was my question... if JD felt it was worth the extra cost, as HE has listened to both, and I have not. If YOU have, why don’t you comment on that...

Can you use w phonostage as digital preamp (& isn’t the volume control analog)?

10:50 re: the negative influence of the room, listening to speakers nearfield (where the speakers are in the middle of the room) on a much lower volume reduces the effect of the room tremendously. If you end up liking it then choosing speakers takes on a whole new realm as speaker characteristics for nearfield are completely different.

Great video! Thanks again as always, also, who makes the bass traps sitting behind the JBL'S?

Any sound quality improvement compared to usb connected to a phone? I know mojopoly sounded better than mojo hooked up to a phone via usb.

I love that you can have fun with a little toilet humor in your reviews. Anyhow, I have a Qutest on my main system and use the Auralic Aries G1as my streamer. I absolutely LOVE that combo. But, I found myself listening to more headphones lately at home and at the office. So, I started to research PDPs and immediately thought of the Mojo/Poly combo. I auditioned one and it was lovely. Then, my dealer told me about the upcoming 2Go unit for the Hugo. He said if I wanted something that sounded a little more like my Qutest, this may be something to consider. At the end of the day, I would be listening to local files via a memory card and stream Tidal when I could as my office does not have wifi that can be used on non business devices. I didn't much care for the way the Mojo/Poly was controlled via an app and decided to go with a more traditional (if there is such a thing) PDP. Once I saw the recent sale price on the discontinued Astell and & Kern Kaan, I picked one up. It's been a great way to listen to my Quad ER1s cans around the home and Campfire Audio Solstice CIEMs out and about. If I didn't already have a nice streamer and DAC, I could see something like this Hugo2 and 2Go combo being a nice all-rounder.

Say if you have a good pair of headphones, but no integrated amp or speakers. If you want to buy a good Bluetooth speaker like a soundboks 3, can the Hugo 2 stream over Bluetooth to the soundboks 3 at better than CD quality, though it's a lossy format?

Tempted to get this along with the Chord 2YU to connect my Qutest. Any plans to review the 2YU?

@JimmyLegrand

4 жыл бұрын

I had a Qutest as well and I wonder if it vould be possible to connect directly the 2Go to the Qutest. It would be a great news if it would work.

@Villaboy78

4 жыл бұрын

That kind of money (2go + 2yu) makes me think hard about an SoTM sms 200 ultra neo or Sonore ultrarendu with power supply. I love chord products but same time I can’t help thinking there’s some disdain for the honest joe customer who is stumping up their very hard earned cash for what seems over priced , functionally. Prove us sonically wrong , chord ;)

@alexandremarques1367

4 жыл бұрын

2Yu wont come as soon as we thought. Yes 2go and 2Yu together will make it possible to work with any DAC.

@Dan_Mellinger

4 жыл бұрын

@@JimmyLegrand It can't. the 2go needs to be connected to the 2yu to function as a standalone streamer for anything other than the Hugo 2.

Hi, like you i am also a ROON enthousiast user. I feed my Hugo 2 directly from my iMac mini. Maybe a not so smart question, but is it possible to use also use the 2go as a ROON core ? What is the impact/benefits if i add the 2go between the imac mini and the hugo2

@DarkoAudio

4 жыл бұрын

No, you can't run Roon Core on the 2go. You need a PC or Mac for that.

I have not heard any Chord products. Comparing those products, esp. the Mojo, to headphone listening through an LG V40 or my favorite player, the ZTE Axon 7, can someone give me a sense of scale of difference between those and the Mojo? Having a 1 box music solution is fantastic, but I'm curious how much I'm leaving on the table by ignoring things like Mojo or Dragonfly or the new Fiio wireless DAC/AMP. I did have an ES100 for a while, but the build quality was terrible and after a couple of replacements, I gave up on it.

From Hugo to Lego in just couple of bricks. 🔝

@John Darko Based on your experience, which DAPs the V30 and G7 could rival?

John do you think 2go 2 you is best streaming option for Chord Dave ? Currently using Project Ultra S2 and looking to find an improved product wish they had something in similar form factor like Chord devices , streamer with M scaler build-in wound be so cool

Very very similar to my Chord Mojo Poly. Yes I know you already did this one.

I like your website more. Videos are nice with great production but the website provides a better perspective along with your very well crafted writing.

Chord 2Go + Hugo 2 + 64 Audio U18 Tzar is one of the craziest setups if have ever heard. You can hear the spinning of the protons! :D

Listening to music while during your daily #2..... sounds like me for sure.

Congratulations John, your make GREAT videos. Excelent presentation, soundtrack and cinematography, world class really. You have come a LONG way since your first videos on this channel that were made in 2015. But I must ask.. What in the word where you using to film those 2015 videos with!? They look like they were shot using one of those camcorders from the early 90s, or the cameras from early 2000 flip phones. Cheers John, stay safe.

Thank you for calling out the nonsense of those rubber bands, I also got them with my iFi Nano. They either block your display or fiddle with buttons on the side of your phone. And the whole package is too bulky anyway. :)

I'm sure it sounds extraordinary and I am all in favour of expensive gear, if it makes sense. But this makes no sense. It costs 3500 euros, it is extremely bulky and lacks proper control app for the streaming part. Personally I would just pick up an IFI xdsd (or nano bl) for on the go and spend the rest on a really good fixed streamer/dac for the main stereo. The Chord Qutest, which you already mention is better, costs only 1500 euros, leaving another 1500 for a brilliant streamer like the innuos zen.

Maybe a stupid question.... could I use this device outside where I won't have wifi but still stream Tidal if I'm paired to my iPhone? Purpose is to use this for morning/evening walks and the gym (once its safe to go back if ever)

@DarkoAudio

4 жыл бұрын

Not a stupid question. Yes, you can do this by pointing 2go at your phone's hotspotted internet connection.

Portable at a push, but would you carry a 2 grand bit of kit out and about on a regular basis?

Oh that music is delicious!

I thought this set was lossy since it's not cable-connected but it's not! Now I want them.

Can you use the LAN port to stream Tidal directly i.e. no player like mconnect? Or do you still need a third-party software?

@DarkoAudio

4 жыл бұрын

You still need a third party app.

Dear John, I’m not quite sure I should be thankful for this video as previous videos of yours made me buy a H390 from Hegel last month and this one a Hugo2/2Go combo after I finished watching it. Can you make a video on how you do your sound recording/editing so my wife will stop thinking some witchcraft is involved ? Thanks a lot

Used to own the mojo+poly combo. It’s a complete nightmare especially with the go figure app. Chord should develop their own player control app to provide an intuitive user experience. With the go figure + a 3rd party app it’s just way too clutter IMHO.

@flohmann

4 жыл бұрын

Chord did a pretty major revision of the goFigure app for the 2go launch. I never used the older version, but I've got no complaints about this new one for configuring my Hugo2go. I use Roon for playback, tho.

@anthonyberryman3443

4 жыл бұрын

Nic Chan Totally agree, the Chord / Poly combination when it works it sounds fantastic, however most of the time it doesn't connect to the App and when it does playing in Hotspot it will suddenly stop playing music when at home or when out and I am on the latest software. It's a complete nightmare and not fit for purpose and the 2 Go is having the same problems.

How would I connect sony Walkman please

Hi john, quick question: since it doesn’t support MQA is it still possible to stream tidal on the highest quality? And if that isn’t the case is it maybe a better investment because it is also much cheaper to buy the pro-ject pre box s2 + pro-ject stream box S2 I would really appreciate your answer(s) and thoughts about it! Keep up these great videos!

how far the sound is from dCS Barton? or from tt2 w mScaler?

You've made numerous strong cases for the LG phone models with excellent audio.

@DarkoAudio

4 жыл бұрын

I have -- but the 2go/Hugo2 goes far beyond the sound of an LG phone.

After installing room-treatments in our toilet there wasn’t any room left to go to the toilet. Bass-trap made a handy bog-roll holder though.

Looking for advice: I'm pricing a build out and I'm pretty new to the whole audio world. What I'm looking at now is; 1.Canton reference 5k (or previous gen 5.2 DC) tower speakers 2. McIntosh MA252 combined amp/preamp 3. Cord Qutest DAC Where I'm stuck is actual delivery of music to that system. I'm just going to download the highest quality version, or rip from cd, my library onto some kind of hard drive and connect it to the DAC. I don't want any redundancy like a headphone amp, DAC, etc. I just need something that stores high quality audio files and can push those files to my system. Something with an app I can control with my phone would be perfect. Anyone have any ideas?

Thin White Rope! Great band !

I am interested in a comparison of sound quality between the 2Go and a smartphone connected directly to the Hugo2. Could you add this to your followup please?

@DarkoAudio

4 жыл бұрын

It's already in there, Miguel.

@miguelbarrio

4 жыл бұрын

John Darko found it. Thanks!

Listening to this through my Meze Empyrean's connected to my Hugo2go w/ audio streamed via Airplay from my Macbook ;) Also, I just wrote in a comment on FB yesterday how this combo was more "transportable vs. portable." Seems we've had identical experiences.

@pee430

4 жыл бұрын

Have you experienced any problem with Airplay? and does it feel any different in term of sound quality compared to the usb?

I listen to music on Spotify (320KB). Is it worth spending the money on a Hugo 2?

The Hugo2 offers bluetooth input and I could stream music from my phone to Hugo2 through BT. What's the point of having 2go then?

@unbornG4

4 жыл бұрын

BT compresses the sound quality and in the HIFI world is frowned upon. The idea is to retain the as much of the original sound & quality of the recording to get as much accurate detail from the heaphones. BT & Airplay defeat that purpose due to their compression.

The Hugo 2 + Meze Empyrean is my dream setup. One day.

@klaus2325

4 жыл бұрын

The same for me. Hugo 2 + 2Go + Emyrean. Really GREAT!

@Jose-fm2zy

Жыл бұрын

It was my dream setup as well since the Empyrean came out. I finally got them, it is life changing!

Nice boxes 👍

Does this make sense to use instead of the DAC on an Eversolo or Fiio?

Excellent video Interesting product. Would like to know more about the battery life.

What’s the battery life expectancy in the real world? Great insight,as always John.

Would love a 2yu review John

02:53, ahh now everything makes sense! I was asking myself whether the two Micro-USB connectors would hold the child and the mothership in place! Well, that's how you lock two shelves together, smart.

I’m not convinced by this one . It looks great and takes some wires out of the mix when using it as a ‘trans’portable unit , but Go figure was just horrific to configure under the mojo / poly and had a long running issue with native qobuz support . I hope they’ve done the promised upgrade work on the UI and qobuz done their bits too . Since upgrading the mojo to the Hugo2 I’ve paired it with the latest schiit magni 3+ and it’s the most amazing office headfi setup (DCA Aeon 2 closed), but I’m still looking for a reason to spend this big money on the 2go. (I’ve got a Qutest at home which is really only a few quid more than the 2go by itself - now THATS nuts)

Could you make a video on outdoor hifi, how to achieve a great sound on balcony?

I definitely like the Chord products but my biggest gripe is the with potential battery replacement, both in the cost and that it's not meant to be user replaceable. When the battery in my Mono finally goes I'm going to remove the battery and just run it off of an external battery or USB power supply.

Hey John, I just shortly wanted to mention Dave Tipper's Album Broken Soul Jamboree. You would love it if you do not already know of it. Thanks for your content. Keep it up!