Chord Electronics Poly launched – Mojo’s wireless audio streamer

Earlier today I was at the official launch of Poly by Chord Electronics. This is a ground-breaking portable music streamer, the first of its kind in the world.

I managed to get my hands on a Mojo to review at the end of 2015, and very impressive it was too.

That powerful portable digital analogue converter (DAC) has since won many awards, and rightly so.

Not ones to rest on their laurels, Chord let us know about Poly earlier this year. Now they have finally released it.

Chord Poly

When partnered with the Mojo DAC, Poly enables music streamed to be from a range of wirelessly connected devices, all to be enjoyed at the best possible sound quality.

It is also a music player: its unlimited-capacity Micro SD card slot can house huge libraries. This means you can liberate storage on your smart devices. For instance, I have my eyes on a 200GB microSD card.

Full smartphone control using everyday apps enables effortless music playback whether streaming or playing music from the Micro SD.
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Poly and Mojo

Poly connects directly to Mojo’s award-winning DAC tech and so dramatically improves the audio quality of streamed music.

This pairing instantly makes Android and Apple smartphones/tablets portable ‘hi-fi-quality’ digital audio players. Now, the smart device becomes the controller, with the dynamic duo doing the high-level audio heavy lifting.

Of course, it can also be used with computers and laptops. Moreover, it can access networked audio stored on NAS drives using popular DLNA apps.

Playback is via Mojo’s twin headphone outputs. Additionally, home and in-car audio systems with auxiliary (AUX) inputs can also benefit from improved sound quality.

Hi res audio

Poly is high-resolution audio compatible. It happily supports the latest studio-quality files; PCM data up to 768kHz resolution and DSD64 to DSD256 (Quad-DSD).

Supported file types include ACC, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, OGG VORBIS, ALAC, WMA and MP3.

Wireless skills

Firstly, it can connect to Wi-Fi networks, including mobile hotspots when on the go. It is smart enough to remember multiple networks with its auto-connect functionality.

Secondly, it also benefits from Bluetooth 4.1, AirPlay and DLNA connectivity. This translates to uninterrupted music streaming even when you leave your home.

Finally, it also features its own hotspot mode. So, you can still connect even where devices, networks or countries do not facilitate tethering.

Battery life

Its rechargeable LiPo batteries offer up to nine hours of playback from a four-hour charge thanks to its fast-charging USB circuit.

Additionally, both Poly and Mojo can be charged simultaneously.
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Updates to come?

Updates will come over-the-air, keeping the unit up-to-date with the latest firmware.

Future updates will include Native Spotify and Tidal integration and a forthcoming app, GoFigure.

GoFigure will assist with initial network set-up and device configuration settings.

Proudly British

Like Mojo, Poly proudly uses British design and technology and is also made in Britain.

It’s precision CNC-machined from solid aluminium billet with black anodisation and laser-ablated logos.

A high-quality combo protective leather case is available separately.

Price and availability

Poly is available is the UK now, with international markets following shortly.

• Poly £499
• Mojo £399
• Poly/Mojo leather case £79