Chord Electronics’ 2go, the portable streamer/server designed to transform the Hugo 2 DAC into a fully featured wi-fi and Ethernet enabled network music player and streamer, is now shipping globally. Announced in December, debuted in January and revealed (in Europe) in February, the £995 2go streamer/server (along with the partnering 2yu digital interface) made its international debut at CanJam New York in January 2020, which was closely followed by the European launch at The Bristol Hi-Fi Show in February, which enabled show-goers to get ‘hands-on’.
2go introduces high-resolution streaming to Chord Electronics’ Hugo 2 DAC/headphone and also benefits from 2x 2 TB-rated SD card slots for digital storage and playback, enabling Hugo 2 as a high-capacity solid-state digital music server (using MPD), all from a compact, space-saving and highly portable device. All forms of digital playback can benefit from battery power alone, negating the need for external power supplies, expensive mains conditioners, distribution boards and cables etc., and removing the potentially degrading influence of AC mains noise and artefacts. 2go brings the benefits of both wireless convenience (2.4GHz Wi-Fi and A2DP Bluetooth) plus the stability and performance of wired (Gigabit) Ethernet connectivity, the latter offering set-up-free plug and play operation. 2go also benefits from comprehensive audio interfacing and offers Tidal, Qobuz and Internet radio playback with Spotify (and others) earmarked for the future. 2go is also Roon Ready, offers gapless audio and DoP/Bit Perfect support, as well as being fully DLNA-compliant (server/renderer) and AirPlay-ready.
A key feature of 2go is its auto-switching input function: every audio interface is always on, therefore switching between inputs is as easy as hitting ‘play’ on the chosen control point app; 2go convenience-switches between all its inputs automatically, giving a seamless user experience when playing music from different sources or even streaming services. Like all of Chord Electronics’ hardware, 2go is handmade in the UK and shares the same aircraft-grade aluminium casework, along with design cues from the Hugo 2. Based around a powerful triple-core audio processor, 2go’s proprietary streaming circuit fits into a slender chassis which offers Micro USB charging of the internal batteries, a power on/status/battery/network indicator, 2x 2 TB-rated SD card slots, a Gigabit Ethernet port and an IR window; an internal voice engine also allows for audible status information. Set-up is via Chord Electronics’ well-established Gofigure configuration app for both Android and iOS.