MOG App for Windows Mini Review

[crisnee]

Get It!

I wasn't sure whether this topic was worth its own thread and after severe contemplation I decided it wasn't. So being a contrarian, here it is.

 

It sounds much better than my version for Firefox did, and better than the Chrome version, although the difference isn't as great--I hesitate a little on this point as I'd just started using the Chrome version.

 

You can control MOG with the media keys, or better yet one of those cheap remotes, $5, a year or two ago on Amazon.com. Should you switch to MOG, all your favorites and settings travel to it automatically.

 

So, better SQ, how so? A short tale, or not.

I'd not been real happy with the sound of MOG, but kept thinking it was me. After all 320 kb should be pretty good; but it was variably fatiguing and grating, depending on album.

 

So, the other day I checked out an album Paul R. had recommended highly on "Album of the Eve Reviews." I didn't make it through the third track before stopping in disgust. It surprised me, as Paul and HQ-SQ seemed synonymous, and there wasn't any SQ evident on this album.

 

TMALSS (to make a long story short), I emailed Paul and asked him to listen to the MOG version and compare it to his own.

 

He emailed me in return and said that he wasn't too thrilled with MOG sound either (particular so on the Jill Scott album) and that he would email me a few tracks from it to compare for myself.

 

The wav tracks sounded much much better than the MOG version, but overall, not great. So I took the Dynamic Range meter to track #3, the track that had sent me packing and emailing to Paul, and lo, it was DR=7, poor according to the boys over at Dynamic Range Testing.

 

So why am I writing all this? Well mostly 'cause I feel like it, but also because I'm forming a theory; MOG on Firefox, does particularly poorly with dynamically challenged files. Why that would be, no theory there.

 

Okay, what about the SQ on MOG app? It is no longer fatiguing, or at worst only very mildly so--the Jill Scott is now eminently listenable, down right enjoyable even. Instead of wanting to turn the music down every few minutes, I've actually been turning it up. It produces a good sound stage, and now the sound errs (if it does err) on the pleasant side of badness. Instruments have a space of their own-V. Woolf. There is probably a slight veil over the proceedings, but that's okay. What do you want for nada, or better yet, pay $5 per month, and free yourself of the for free-hassle. You get 90% or so of the worlds music to explore and when you want to get real, you'll know more about which recording to buy.

 

I may sound like a MOG affiliate, but I am not, no connection. I'm just amazed by what they offer for so little, and really want them to succeed. They aren't perfect by the way; there are some issues; the biggest to me, no music info along with the albums, even down to lack of performer info and such; most egregious when it pertains to classical music.

 

But in the end, WOW, really, what a deal. I'm surprised most record companies are good with this, and wonder if they'll be rethinking their initial reckless abandon at some point.

 

-Chris

 

 

 

 

[AudioDoctor]

In my opinion all of the same also applies to the MOG Desktop app for Mac.

 

[crisnee]

"In my opinion all of the same also applies to the MOG Desktop app for Mac."

 

Good to know.

 

I was wondering about that. I know Paul has Mac(s) and Win pc(s), but he didn't specify as to which he used for MOG, so I couldn't comment specifically.

 

-Chris

 

[AudioDoctor]

is the fact that with the desktop app (for Mac at least, no idea about windows) is that it allows you to choose which output you would like to use, in my case I can send it straight to the DAC via USB from the app itself.

 

[crisnee]

"it allows you to choose which output you would like to use, in my case I can send it straight to the DAC via USB from the app itself."

 

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by that. But if you mean what I think you mean, MOG or any software player sends its output to Windows and then can be routed anywhere depending on what you choose via Win's sound panel.

 

-Chris

 

 

[AudioDoctor]

in the lower right corner there is a button that allows you to choose which output MOG routes its music through. I happen to have just finished skype-ing a friend overseas, so I have my Skype headset plugged in via USB, but it works just as well for the Wavelength Cosecant, and I am sure when I get the Peachtree Grand Pre it will work with that as well.

 

 

[ccclapp]

My win PC does not have this in mog. Only AirPlay choice. Too bad, being able to choose something other than default sound device would be nice.

 

[crisnee]

Caleb,

 

You can change the default to anything you want at any time. Just go to the sound panel and change it. And you can make it even easier than that if you think about it.

 

-Chris

 

 

 

[ccclapp]

"You can change the default to anything you want at any time."...

 

...yes, but I often prefer NOT to have my high-end sound device be the same as the default device. From the screenshot above, it seems the Mac player allows routing to whichever sound device one prefers to use.

 

On an interesting related note: I see in windows, one can have more than one instance of MOR player running. Combining this and the concept above would allow for multi-zone playback via separate channels of a m-ch sound device/DAC or over separate sound devices...

 

 

 

 

 

[crisnee]

Caleb what I'm saying is that you can set up Windows to change your sound device every time you choose a player. Default is just a choice, it doesn't mean anything. Whether you do it through the player or the sound panel makes no difference, except perhaps as to convenience. Basically when there's a choice inside the player, it goes to the panel and chooses an option.

 

But as I said you can even change the convenience factor. It's all really quite simple, I have 3 sound devices and change them all the time.

 

-Chris

 

[ccclapp]

What you say is true, however there are still reasons one may not want to use the default for MOG or any music, (especially if doing multi-zone)e.g:

 

--computer sounds ONLY go to default device. If one wants computer sounds to be routed "somewhere" (not turned off), that somewhere will have to be where MOG also plays

 

--Windows Media sounds ONLY go to default device. If one wants WM CATV card output to go somewhere, that somewhere has to be where MOG plays (Many HDCP protected signals can only play through Windows Media Center, eg CATV tuner over HDMI)

 

--JRMC Loopback feature can only "listen" to default sound device If I use that in one zone, MOG must go there too.

 

--CA configuration guides, eg Chris's JRMC guide usually include advice not to route music to default device

 

"Basically when there's a choice inside the player, it goes to the panel and chooses an option."...

 

...That's the issue, the MOG player does not offer this

 

Chris: I am not saying this is a deal breaker, only that the added flexibility seeming to exist on the MAC version is not without merit.

 

Anyway, I'm taking us OT at this point and I do not dispute the points you made

 

[crisnee]

"Chris: I am not saying this is a deal breaker, only that the added flexibility seeming to exist on the MAC version is not without merit."

 

I agree.

 

Let's put it this way, since there is a simple work around, if that were a deal breaker you probably didn't like MOG much anyway.

 

-Chris

 

 

 

 

[Paul R]

 

I think I was listening through through the browsers on a Mac and PC, but it was somewhat unpleasant.

 

I will try the MOG apps on a Mac, Windows, and Logitech Touch machine over the weekend. I look forward to it with great anticipation after your review.

 

Oh, and thank you for pointing out the SQ on the Jill Scott album was a tad lacking!

 

-Paul

 

[crisnee]

"Oh, and thank you for pointing out the SQ on the Jill Scott album was a tad lacking!"

 

Are you being facetious? Doesn't seem like you would be, but what do I know. After all you hear differences between cables and computer hdds, when I can barely make out which is which by the packaging material. And no I'm not being funny.

 

Decipher that young fella!

 

-Chris

 

 

[Paul R]

 

I just realized I had forgotten to say thank you, no facetious intent at all.

 

And I am probably older than you are. (grin)