Chord Electronics Poly Portable Music Streamer and Player for Mojo 2 and Mojo at Vinyl Sound Toronto Canada

The Chord Poly is a portable music streamer and player from Chord Electronics (Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom), available at Vinyl Sound in Toronto, Canada. Designed to connect directly to the multi-award-winning Chord Mojo 2 or original Mojo DAC, the Poly adds 2.4GHz Wi-Fi streaming, Roon endpoint capability, AirPlay, DLNA, and Bluetooth A2DP to the Mojo's award-winning FPGA DAC stage, transforming it into a self-contained portable hi-fi streaming system. An onboard microSD card slot accommodates music libraries of unlimited capacity for local playback, and a 2,200mAh LiPo battery provides over nine hours of playback with fast charging via USB. Managed via the Gofigure app and compatible with up to 32 remembered Wi-Fi networks, the Poly was awarded five stars by What Hi-Fi? and the Diapason d'Or award for Best Portable Audio DAC in France.

World-First Modular Streaming Architecture: Poly with Mojo 2

The Chord Poly was the world's first portable music streamer of its kind when launched, introducing the concept of a dedicated streaming module that physically and electrically integrates with a separate DAC/headphone amplifier rather than functioning as a standalone device. The Poly connects directly to the Mojo 2 or Mojo's input sockets using mechanical prongs and physical connectors, creating a unified portable unit in which the Poly handles all network communication, storage access, and streaming protocol management while the Mojo 2 performs all digital-to-analogue conversion using its proprietary FPGA-based WTA filter. This architecture means that the quality of audio conversion is entirely determined by the Mojo 2's award-winning FPGA DAC stage, with the Poly contributing no conversion processing of its own. Reviewer Audio Bacon noted that in practice the Poly and Mojo combination outperforms even a direct USB cable connection from a computer to the Mojo, because placing digital storage adjacent to the DAC eliminates the electrical noise that a connected smartphone or laptop introduces into the signal path. PCM is supported from 44.1kHz to 768kHz across ten sample rates, with DSD64 to DSD256 (Quad-DSD) supported natively from the microSD card and DoP from streaming sources.

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay, DLNA, Roon, and Hotspot Mode

The Chord Poly provides comprehensive wireless connectivity for both home and portable listening. It connects to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi networks with auto-connect functionality remembering up to 32 previously configured networks, enabling seamless transition between home, office, and mobile Wi-Fi environments without manual reconfiguration. A dedicated Hotspot mode allows the Poly to broadcast its own Wi-Fi network with a configurable SSID and password in situations where tethering is unavailable or restricted, ensuring uninterrupted streaming capability in any environment. Streaming protocol support spans Roon endpoint, DLNA (server and renderer), AirPlay, and Bluetooth 4.1 A2DP, with Tidal, Qobuz, and internet radio accessible via compatible third-party control apps. The Gofigure app for iOS and Android handles initial setup, network configuration, Hotspot activation, and firmware updates. Playback is gapless across all supported protocols and file formats. The Poly's 2,200mAh rechargeable LiPo battery delivers over nine hours of playback and charges via a fast-charging USB circuit; both the Poly and Mojo 2 can be charged simultaneously from a single connection, with desktop charging mode activating automatically to keep the combined unit topped up during stationary use.

Key Features

• World's First Modular Portable Streamer: The Poly introduced a new category of audio product at launch, physically and electrically integrating with the Mojo 2 or Mojo so that all audio conversion is handled by the DAC's award-winning FPGA stage rather than a separate chip inside the streamer.
• Roon Endpoint: Full Roon endpoint capability supporting all Roon audio formats, accessible via the Roon application on any device on the same network as the Poly.
• 2.4GHz Wi-Fi with 32-Network Memory: Auto-connects to previously configured Wi-Fi networks, remembering up to 32 SSIDs, with Hotspot mode for use in environments without a fixed wireless network.
• AirPlay, DLNA and Bluetooth A2DP: Comprehensive multi-protocol streaming support for Apple, Android, and PC-based audio sources and control applications simultaneously.
• Unlimited-Capacity MicroSD Storage: A single onboard microSD card slot accommodates any capacity card for local library playback via MPD, independent of any network connection.
• PCM up to 768kHz and DSD256: Supports PCM at 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 358.8kHz, 384kHz, 717.6kHz, and 768kHz, plus DSD64 to DSD256 via DoP from streaming and native DSD from microSD.
• 9-Hour Battery with Fast Charging: A 2,200mAh LiPo battery provides over nine hours of playback with fast charging via USB; simultaneous Poly and Mojo 2 charging is supported from a single connection.
• Hotspot Mode: Broadcasts its own Wi-Fi network in environments where tethering is unavailable, ensuring full streaming functionality in hotels, vehicles, or countries with network restrictions.
• Gofigure App Control: Free iOS and Android app manages setup, network configuration, Hotspot mode, streaming service access, and firmware updates.
• Compatible with Mojo 2 and Original Mojo: The Poly connects directly to both the Chord Mojo 2 and the original Chord Mojo via mechanical prong connectors aligned with each DAC's input sockets.
• Comprehensive File Format Support: AAC, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, OGG Vorbis, ALAC, WMA, MP3, and additional formats supported from local microSD storage.
• NAS Drive Access: Compatible with network-attached storage (NAS) drives via DLNA, enabling access to large home network music libraries without transferring files to the microSD card.

Technical Specifications

Awards and Critical Recognition

• 5 Stars, What Hi-Fi? (UK) - "A match made in hi-fi heaven. Doing what most Chord digital products do best, the Poly/Mojo duo sounds fantastic"
• Diapason d'Or, Diapason magazine (France, 2020) - Best Portable Audio DAC for the Mojo/Poly combination

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Chord Electronics Poly?

The Chord Electronics Poly is a portable music streamer and player that physically and electrically integrates with the Chord Mojo 2 or original Mojo DAC. It adds 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Roon endpoint capability, AirPlay, DLNA, Bluetooth A2DP streaming, and onboard microSD card local playback to the Mojo's award-winning FPGA DAC stage. It supports PCM up to 768kHz and DSD64 to DSD256 (Quad-DSD), is managed via the free Gofigure app, and provides over nine hours of playback from its 2,200mAh LiPo battery. What Hi-Fi? awarded it five stars and described the Poly and Mojo combination as a match made in hi-fi heaven.

How does the Chord Poly compare to the Astell and Kern AK HC4 or Sony NW-WM1ZM2?

The Chord Poly is architecturally distinct from standalone portable music players such as the Astell and Kern AK HC4 or Sony NW-WM1ZM2. Rather than including its own DAC or amplifier stage, the Poly routes all digital-to-analogue conversion through the Mojo 2's proprietary FPGA-based WTA filter, which is a fundamentally more sophisticated conversion architecture than the chip-based converters in either competitor. The Poly adds streaming functionality that neither the AK HC4 nor the NW-WM1ZM2 offers at a portable form factor, including Roon endpoint, AirPlay, and DLNA server/renderer capability alongside Tidal and Qobuz support. The combined Mojo 2/Poly system is also Mojo 2 agnostic as a DAC — the Mojo 2's four-time consecutive What Hi-Fi? Award-winning conversion performance is present regardless of the source connected to the Poly.

Does the Chord Poly work with Roon?

Yes, the Chord Poly is a Roon endpoint, appearing as a fully featured zone within the Roon application when connected to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network shared with the Roon core. All Roon audio formats are supported up to 768kHz PCM and DSD256 via DoP, with the audio converted by the Mojo 2's FPGA DAC stage. Roon's DSP engine, playlist management, and library browsing are fully functional with the Poly as the endpoint device, and the Gofigure app handles Wi-Fi configuration for Roon network access.

Can the Chord Poly stream Tidal and Qobuz?

Yes, the Chord Poly supports Tidal and Qobuz streaming through compatible third-party control applications accessible via its DLNA renderer capability, in addition to AirPlay and Bluetooth A2DP from smartphones and tablets. The Gofigure app manages Wi-Fi network configuration to ensure reliable streaming from both services. The Poly also remembers up to 32 previously configured Wi-Fi networks, automatically reconnecting to known networks without manual input, which makes switching between home, office, and mobile streaming environments seamless.

Does the Chord Poly improve the sound of the Mojo 2 compared to a direct USB connection?

Yes, using the Chord Poly with local microSD card playback can improve the sonic performance of the Mojo 2 compared to a direct USB connection from a smartphone or computer. This is because connecting a smartphone or laptop via USB introduces electrical noise from the source device's power supply and processing into the DAC's input stage. The Poly isolates the Mojo 2 from this noise source by placing the digital storage physically adjacent to the DAC, with the Poly's battery handling all its own power needs independently. Audio Bacon noted in its review that the Poly and Mojo combination measurably outperformed a direct USB cable connection from a computer, which was an outcome beyond the reviewer's initial expectations.

Where can I buy the Chord Electronics Poly in Toronto or Canada?

The Chord Electronics Poly portable music streamer is available at Vinyl Sound, an authorised Chord Electronics dealer located in Toronto, Canada. Vinyl Sound carries the complete Chord portable ecosystem including the Poly, Mojo 2, and Hugo 2, and can demonstrate the Mojo 2/Poly streaming system in-store. Canadian customers across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond are welcome to contact or visit Vinyl Sound Toronto for expert advice on building a complete Chord portable audio system.