Season’s Greetings to you all, it is time for a little reflection over this period. With this in mind, over the Twelve Days of Christmas, we will be looking at the HF&MS (hifiandmusicsource.com) Reference System. Several times, we have been asked, ‘ What is your Reference System?’. It is a decent question because reviewing different components in a HiFi System requires you to ‘know’ the characteristics of your Reference System to hear some differences. This assumes your system is revealing enough in the first place but with a good source, an excellent amplifier and proper speakers, you can get to grips with HiFi reviewing. Choose some Reference Tracks, and you’re good (this will be the last article in the Twelve Days of Christmas).
Source
Let’s start with the source in the first HF&MS Reference System feature. For this, we are going with a streaming bridge component that will stream our music to an HF&MS Reference System DAC (see tomorrow, you’ll know what it is if you are a regular reader). This streaming bridge is, of course, the Chord Electronics 2go with the 2yu network bridge. In tandem, these two are the cleanest and most effective streaming sources you can access. We said of the of the 2go/2yu;
The 2go/2yu streaming transport combination offers the highest value streaming option to a standalone digital DAC.
Now yes, the 2go/2yu streaming transport combination is not the most aesthetic solution to streaming music but it is certainly one of the more revealing out there. The interesting thing about the 2go/2yu streaming transport combination is it is the only streaming solution that Chord Electronics offers, despite its pedigree (Chord offers the Poly for the Mojo 2 on the move of course). Could there be a new streamer coming from Chord in 2024? Let’s all hope so.
Other Reference Sources
As we know, the 2go pairs seamlessly with the Chord Electronics Hugo 2 turning that into the perfect desktop headphone solution. The Hugo DAC however is not in the HF&MS Reference System! The preferred DAC will be revealed tomorrow. Other streaming sources here would depend on your budget, as we discussed in our streaming video. If it were to remain here at HF&MS, the Auralic Aries G2.2 Streaming Transport would be in the HF&MS Reference System, however it is not. With many thanks to all at Chord Electronics, the 2go/2yu streaming transport combination is our preferred source.
But Analogue is better than Digital Man!
Hmm depends. We will reveal the HF&MS Reference System turntable in a few days but for now, let’s stick with digital. Yes, we all love the warmth, detail and process involved in a record player and this reviewer has loved the surprising Cambridge Audio ALVA TT2 and the Vertere DG-1S this year. The HF&MS Reference System would happily nominate either of these turntables, the Rega Planar 10 or the Vertere MG-1 Mk II (with associated phono stages) if they were in residence but sadly they are not. Watch this space for the Reference Turntable nomination in the coming days.