Chord "Mojo"

What OTG cable did you use? Do you have to USB Audio Player Pro?

 

It shouldn't matter, just speculation though.

 

I used this cable. Android Marshmallow on the N5X routes to the usb audio device automatically via OTG (can be disabled) upon initialization. I did use UAPP for FLACs and the like.

 

I own Bifrost Multibit, Mojo, and a Theta DS pro Progeny v. A.

If we are comparing redbook, I would rate them like this: Theta > Bifrost Multibit > Mojo

But when I listen to hi-res I would rate them this way: Mojo > Theta > Bifrost Multibit

Does this have something to do with the resolution? I noticed Bifrost Multibit measured with 96 dB of dynamic range and the white pages for the PCM67P-k say 106 dB of resolution from the 18-bit R2R hybrid.

It would make sense that with modern technology newer DACs would be better suited towards playback with hi-resolution music rather than trying to oversample and fix the redbook sound. I have limited understanding of how oversampling works but I understand that my Theta is 8X oversampling which equates to 352.8 khz and by doing so there is more space for resolution.

 

I was very close to buying a Mojo yesterday.

After an extended comparo against GO v2+ Infinity, with an iPhone 6S as the source and using SINE and Savant, the Mojo was a little bit tighter and crisper, but without being bright. Significant advantage on well-recorded solo piano.

But at the end, on a whim, I took the Mojo out of the signal chain and plugged the Savants directly into the phone. And decided that I could live with that until my finances get a little cleaner.

 

8xr?

 

Don't know if you've seen their marketing campaign for the Hugo, but people don't put them in their pockets. They carry them around everywhere in their hands.

 

Does not work with a Samsung Note 5. I want to try it with my Samsung S7 (US version).

 

Why is that middle-aged Asian woman wearing a sweater that only covers her tits? Do they get cold as they extend past the rest of her torso? What if she has a slight pot belly that gets cold too? Middle-aged people are prone to pot bellies. Does anyone actually use the HD 800 outside?

 

I am using Mojo with Oneplus one with Penonaudio Silver OTG cable. This is by far the best digital cable.
I use Mojo at home connecting to Nexus 7 tablet.

This is my first post

 

I recently downgraded (a second time) from a Gungnir Multibit/T3 setup to the Mojo and my Valhalla 2 I never got around to selling after building the T3. I could have continued to roll Schiit downhill (Yggdrasil, Gungnir Multibit, etc.) but I decided to try something different and test the hype.

So far I've only listened as a DAC to the Valhalla 2 fed by iUSB 3.0 and running the TH-X00 Purple heart. Will test HD-650 soon. Still trying to find my adapter to 3.5mms so I can try direct.

I have to say, it does sound pretty good, considering the size and price. I haven't heard the Hugo but have read the criticisms. If the Mojo is voiced warmer, I probably wouldn't like the Hugo either. The tonal balance of the Mojo is ideal for my taste. It also seems to do leading edge transients and micro dynamics very well. And seems to portray clarity without being strident or fatiguing. It is a little laid back, but not boringly so.

I am also trying to account for the relative losses of going straight from a maxed T3 back to the Valhalla 2. I think the losses are greater from that, than from the Gungnir Multibit to Mojo. But like I said, I still need to test direct from Mojo. And USB decrapification may be boosting the Mojo as well.

 

It's a perfectly nice DAC, and a passable mobile amp for IEMs and the like, but I'm a little tired of the kool-aid guzzling audiophools blindly parroting marketing material about how "its measured capabilities and processing power is magnitudes more (sic) than most DACs many times its price".

It will make your IEMs sound nice on the train, for sure- and if you plug it into a proper amp and full-sized headphones, it will sound OK as a DAC (maybe a bit rolled-off, but in a nice way). However, it won't cause you to ascend bodily to the heavens though transcendent musical joy while your erogenous zones are stroked by an unusually attractive string quartet, as people seem to claim.

The lack of good galvanic isolation on the USB is a pain, and the form factor is a bit weird for banding to a phone, too. There are more convenient options, though maybe none that sound as nice at the price point.

I'm pretty happy with mine, but it took some faff to get to that point. Maybe if I'd known about all the downsides, I'd have just got a Sony NW-ZX2 or something.

 

Introduce yourself buddy. There is a thread around.
& do not use words like 'best' around here, in the rando phase at least.

 

Hmmm i came from a mojo and went to a zx2. The zx2 is clearly much easier to use on the go and the battery life is great, but for some reason i miss the mojo. Zx2 images better and draws plenty of detail but for some reason the timbre doesnt sound as convincing as i remember from the mojo. This is when listening to a lot of classical music and vocals. String instruments especially. Technicalities aside the sound from the mojo sounded more live...maybe because of its forward sounding mids and sounding a little.more energetic. Im not sure but currently im debating whether or not to go back to the mojo....but i have a feeling it might sound different than what i remember.

 

I just finished up my time with the Mojo loaner. I was actually quite (pleasantly) surprised. I am someone who is skeptical of DACs. Not skeptical of the differing quality of DACs themselves but of my ability to hear and/or appreciate a difference. But using the Mojo primarily with my Senn HD 600 (and to a lesser extent my PM-2 and K7xx) I was really enamored by the Mojo sound signature and enjoyed it immensely. It has a nice warm, consumer-friendly sound without sounding too-off of neutral (IMHO). I thought the highs were extended but smooth, but others might find them a bit rolled. I felt the soundstage was good with decent width and depth and good instrument separation/placement. I happened to have the Jotunheim loaner at the same time and did not think the Mojo gave up much if anything in that regard, although the Jodie excelled in certain other areas.

In fact, I enjoyed the Mojo direct to HD 600 so much that it was a struggle during the overlapping loaner period to decide whether to use the Mojo alone or the Jodie (and I mostly used the Mojo as DAC for the Jodie during this period). The Jodie was more neutral for sure, but I found something very engaging in the Mojo by itself.

A while back a local dealer told me how he paired the Mojo with his V-Moda XS (the successor to my own M-80) and how much it improved the sound. I called BS (not to him, but in my head). As much as I like those cans, they are pretty efficient and I supposed there were just limitations to the driver and an external DAC/amp would not make any differnece. I have to say that using the Mojo for my M-80 instead of just my IPhone 5S made a world of difference - better soundstage, detail and texture/tonality. A friend plugged in his current-gen B&W P5 and he said he was instantly blown away by the difference.

One big issue for me is that it is pretty kludgy with an IPhone as a CCK is needed in addition to the micro-USB cable. Not really pocketable at all. That said, I enjoyed this so much that I am likely to buy one soon. I have been toying with what to do for my bedroom and the Mojo plus Iphone or Ipad is actually a pretty good solution. I don't really want boxes on my nightstand. Plus, while I need a good DAC for my main living room stereo setup I am currently very space constrained until we do some home renovations. Even a Momby would take up more space in my small cabinet than I would prefer (plus take up a precious power outlet slot). I would really like the Gungnir Multibit but it is simply too big for me right now. So, I am thinking that I can drop in the Mojo between my Sonos and amp (currently LC, but likely soon to be Jodie) and it will tide me over nicely until I can build out the space a bit better.

I am kind of rationalizing a bit here. I don't know if I have the best use-case for this device, but I liked the sound so much that I am trying to justify the purchase. I do think that alone as a bedroom unit it is justifiable (particularly as I am seeing some good prices now), with anything on top of that use gravy.

 

Are you open to using any daps? I didn't get to directly compared the mojo and the zx2 but I enjoyed the zx2 way more with my UERMs. They won't be able to power full sized headphones however.

 

You know, I have always been against DAPs since I moved from an IPod to just using my IPhone for music on the go. I just didn't want another device to carry around. But when listening to the Mojo I though if I could get my music and SQ on one device then I could go for a DAP. But in doing some quick research on DAPs I saw two issues. One, no internet connectivity for music streaming services. Although I have a pretty extensive library of stuff I own, I now get most of my music from streaming services. Two, needs to be able to power full-sized headphones as I want second room (I.e., bedroom) functionality, not just portable.

If there are DAPs that satisfy those criteria then I am open to suggestions.

 

Disregard this. Posted in the wrong section lmao..

 

I've had the Mojo for about 4-5 months now, and been using it daily with my HD600, Focal Spirit Pro, Ortofon EQ5 and recently the Mee Pinnacle P1. I succumbed to the Chord hype and was expecting a giant 1000£ slayer in a portable format. This is my experience using it directly as headphone dac:

My iConnectivity Audio 4 (studio desktop audio interface, but almost half cost of the Mojo) sounds better; its more muscular and alive, with better defined bass and wider soundstage, it just sounds more real for a lack of a better word, the Mojo sounds tame and flat in comparison. Not saying the Mojo is bad but it's magical hype status is undeserved, I don't think its the miracle giant killer it's been hyped up to be on Headfi, and if the Chord Hugo has similar sound at 1400£ then that's a massive ripoff. I do like it though for portable use, it's got a fairly balanced and controlled sound with nice instrument separation, better than my iDSD Nano that I used previously (which was tinny in comparison). It requires clean digital signal otherwise it can sound a little digital and rough; sounds much better from my mobile device than my Mac USB, best via battery powered M2Tech Hiface 2 spdif. I will be trying a jitterbug soon too.
I haven't tested other portable DACs, so perhaps in the portable world it's good value

 

Chord stuff is a massive ripoff, generally, @limesoft.

I like my Mojo a lot for mobile use, too- I have it banded to an old phone stuck in flight mode*, and plugged into my SE535, it's a fairly cheap and enjoyable combo- fairly detailed and resolving but a touch on the warm side, which is perfect for soothing my frazzled nerves while commuting.

I do have to say that I think my much cheaper Modi Multibit sounds better as a standalone DAC, though- very rarely tempted to use the Mojo on the desktop.


* Because if the train hits a low signal area, the sound of the baseband chipset searching for the cell at max gain comes storming down the USB cable otherwise, and the Mojo completely fails to isolate/filter it.