Chord Mojo

[barrows]

I picked one of these up recently and am very impressed with the sound quality into my Audeze EL-8 'phones... I have always wanted to own a Chord DAC and experience their approach to D/A conversion. The Mojo is making me really want to hear DAVE on a really good speaker system...

 

Anyone else have experience with the Mojo around here?

[Distinctive]

Here: http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f6-dac-digital-analog-conversion/chord-mojo-26148/

and here: http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f12-headphones-and-speakers/pryma-sonus-faber-carbon-marsala-stereo-headphone-review-26171/index2.html#post495475

[Emcee]

Has anyone tried connecting it to a preamp's RCA inputs?

 

Seems to me they have made it a little bit in order to accommodate a standard coax input and standard RCA outs instead of optical and TWO headphone outputs without jacking the price. I would have grabbed one in an instant.

[JHG]

I have had the Mojo for a couple of weeks and I love it. I am using OPPO PM-3 headphones and am very happy with the sound. In fact, I like it so much, I ordered an Audioquest 3.5mm to RCA interconnect. I can compare it to my Yggdrasil, as well as being able to use the Mojo for DSD as it has a fixed output setting available.

[Norton]

I have had the Mojo for a couple of weeks and I love it. I am using OPPO PM-3 headphones and am very happy with the sound. In fact, I like it so much, I ordered an Audioquest 3.5mm to RCA interconnect. I can compare it to my Yggdrasil, as well as being able to use the Mojo for DSD as it has a fixed output setting available.

 

In time, I would be really interested in hearing your verdict on using the Mojo as a main system DAC (I presume the 3.5 to RCA is to output to an amp?).

[ecwl]

I picked up a Mojo on my holiday travels. I got home and hooked it up with my Sennheiser HD650. And I ran a few songs on Tidal on my main stereo with the QBD76HDSD. I'd say Mojo with headphoneS seems fairly competitive with the QBD76HDSD with speakers. I'm too scared to hook up the Mojo to the amplifier as I may not want to know it is very competitive with QBD76HDSD. Heck, the specifications in the manuals for QBD76HD and Mojo are identical. One thing I did notice which I've also read somewhere when people were comparing Hugo vs Mojo was that with dynamic transients, Hugo was more dynamic than Mojo. That's what I noticed too with the stereo vs my headphones. I know I'm not really comparing apples to apples so not sure if my 2 cents matter.

[Jud]

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/chord-mojo-portable-dac-amp?referer=9QFFBA&mode=guest_open&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Audiophile%20A%20Product%20Announcement%202016-01-07&utm_term=Community%20-%20Audiophile%20-%20%5BA%5D

[Nikon Nutter]

I'll sit tight and wait for it to be discounted more. Interesting if cheaper. I'm demo'ing one at my dealer who has offered me a great demo price. I am tempted. Tempted much

[Bikutoru]

In time, I would be really interested in hearing your verdict on using the Mojo as a main system DAC (I presume the 3.5 to RCA is to output to an amp?).

 

Spent all day listening to my main system with Mojo.

 

I use Robot Check from Mojo to my amp.

Just feed Mojo power with one the them(Apple 5W USB Power Adapter - Apple)

and signal with optical from AppleTV, or any usb signal.

 

Some of the things, as always dependent how well recorded, are breathtaking.

 

These things are very subjective, everyone hears something else, but yesterday I was testing it with headphones(NAD HP50), listening to Melody Gardot through Audioquest Dragonfly and then Mojo while working.... What happened that while it was Mojo, and I wasn't listening carefully, made me stop a few times what I was doing and feel how deep it affected me. I switched back to Dragonfly and tried the same song, didn't even noticed when it ended, tried Mojo again and again the same effect, could feel her voice send shivers down my spine.

 

Usually, I'm trying to stay away from spending big bucks on such small improvements that lots of people here are after. This time, after reading http://www.head-fi.org/u/394072/rob-watts Rob Watts's approach and talking how our brain perceives music I was intrigued. I'm glad I decided to try - I have no regrets!

 

I'll keep Mojo close to my ears for days, month and hopefully years to come.

[JHG]

 

 

 

These things are very subjective, everyone hears something else, but yesterday I was testing it with headphones(NAD HP50), listening to Melody Gardot through Audioquest Dragonfly and then Mojo while working.... What happened that while it was Mojo, and I wasn't listening carefully, made me stop a few times what I was doing and feel how deep it affected me. I switched back to Dragonfly and tried the same song, didn't even noticed when it ended, tried Mojo again and again the same effect, could feel her voice send shivers down my spine.

 

 

I got the same shivers listening to Beethoven with my Oppo PM-3 headphones. The music just flows, surrounds you, and makes it one with you. Yes, just like the "force" in Star Wars. :-)

 

I have not listened to the Mojo in main system as yet.

[rtb]

I got mine a couple of days ago and have been listening via my iPad and iPhone through my Sure se535 with custom mouldings for my ears.

My first thoughts as I am still going through the burn in that everything is clear and separate with no muddling, sounds very musical and I find it is easy to forget it's their and just listen to the music. Well worth a try!

[Bikutoru]

Some interesting ideas:

behind Mojo design.

 

I totally agree with Rob's sentiment about the piano music recordings, they always sounded un-engaging to me too. Just one correction - even a good DAC is not enough, it still had to be recorded well. No amount of taps will extract proper transients if there are not there in the first place, but good recordings, of anything, on Mojo sound pristine to my ears.

 

How good? Have you have ever started listening to something and wanted to switch to something else? Before Mojo I'd switch almost immediately, but now find myself realising that my brain tells me to stay and listen because it is enjoying it. If recording is poor it doesn't mind switching immediately. I just go along now.

[esimms86]

Graham Nash Tries Out The Audeze EL-8 Headphones and Chord Mojo | Stereophile.com

[Bolts]

I've been using it in my main system while my Bricasti goes for holiday in the US (upgrade).

 

Optical from Aries and the sound is wonderful - this really doesn't have a right to sound this good. Hope the Bricasti upgrade is all its promised to be or I might be keeping this!

[ecwl]

Bolts, don't get too comfortable with the Mojo. Once you start focussing on the lower noise floor, deeper soundstage, 3-dimensionality of the instruments, the more natural sounding instruments and vocals, particularly the timbre of the instruments, the low-level details/soft passages and how they don't really change in timbre or detail whether there are simultaneous louder instruments/vocals or not, you may not be able to go back to the Bricasti... I got up this morning and wonder why I don't own two Mojos so that I don't have to take it back and forth between home and work. And every time I try to tell myself the Mojo is not really that much better than the iPhone/iPad DAC or my Benchmark DAC1 with a good USB-SPDIF adaptor, I would end up listening to the Mojo and got, WOW! Sure, there are a lot of excellent DACs out there. But Mojo really is something if optimally used as designed.

[Clemmaster]

Mojo doesn't hold a candle to the Bricasti...

It doesn't hold a candle to the 20 years old Theta Basic IIIa, either.

 

The Mojo is a good and convenient portable DAC/amp, but it's not a giant killer. It still sounds processed and "digital" next to the aforementioned DACs.

 

If you want a giant killer for your home, get a Schiit Bimby.

[Norton]

I've been using it in my main system while my Bricasti goes for holiday in the US (upgrade).

 

Optical from Aries and the sound is wonderful - this really doesn't have a right to sound this good. Hope the Bricasti upgrade is all its promised to be or I might be keeping this!

 

Thanks for the feedback. I was wondering if the Mojo might just be a massive bargain when used as a main system DAC (i.e. Hugo SQ for less than a third of the price). Can you say a little more about what you are using to connect the Mojo's output to your amplifier, whether using Mojo volume control, charging etc?

[ecwl]

Whenever I read comments on Mojo about it sounding digital or processed, I often wonder if it's a source issue. That said, Bricasti and Theta are very high-end DACs. I do find Mojo sounding digital and processed with my laptop because Mojo has no galvanic isolation and my laptop USB output is not the cleanest. In fact, I can hear subtle sonic differences whether I'm plugged into my iPad vs iPhone and whether the LTE/WiFi is on for the phone and whether the screen of the iOS device is on or off if I'm listening hard enough. Mojo is definitely optimized best for Toslink/optical but with a very good USB source, I gathered it has the potential to sound marginally better. IMHO YMMV

[Bolts]

Thanks for the feedback. I was wondering if the Mojo might just be a massive bargain when used as a main system DAC (i.e. Hugo SQ for less than a third of the price). Can you say a little more about what you are using to connect the Mojo's output to your amplifier, whether using Mojo volume control, charging etc?

 

OK so I have a cheap (Maplins) RCA to twin RCA from headphone out to my preamp and I'm connecting to my source (Aries) using a decent but not high end optical cable. I put the Mojo into line mode by holding down the two volume controls while switching on which gives a constant 3v output although if you have too much gain you can use the volume on the Mojo. Otherwise I use the volume control on my preamp. The only downside is the battery life although I believe you can plug it is and play simultaneously.

 

The manual tells you all this and the connectivity options http://www.chordelectronics.co.uk/mojo/manual/Mojo-User-Manual.pdf

 

The pre is connected to Geithain actives which are pretty high end in terms of active speakers so it's a quality system and the Mojo is the cheapest bit by some margin.

 

The sound in my system is definitely not digital or processed and I suspect the AR preamp has a lot to do with that: I haven't tried it direct into the active speakers.

 

I was being slightly tongue-in-cheek about not keeping the Bricasti, however I have also had the Hugo in this system and the Mojo definitely competes with it.

 

I would give it a try, there's not a lot to lose is there?

[Norton]

Thanks for the info. Presumably the adaptor you use is 3.5 Jack to twin RCA?

 

I had a Hugo in my system for a year and certainly didn't find the SQ limitations that others have criticised the Mojo for. I wouldn't have expected them to be that different SQ-wise.

 

As I understand it, the Hugo also lacks galvanic isolation and while I did find the SQ better on SPdif it was only a marginal improvement over USB. I'm surprised that people are finding the Mojo "processed", as I found the Hugo to be most natural sounding.

[Rexp]

Thanks for the info. Presumably the adaptor you use is 3.5 Jack to twin RCA?

 

I had a Hugo in my system for a year and certainly didn't find the SQ limitations that others have criticised the Mojo for. I wouldn't have expected them to be that different SQ-wise.

 

As I understand it, the Hugo also lacks galvanic isolation and while I did find the SQ better on SPdif it was only a marginal improvement over USB. I'm surprised that people are finding the Mojo "processed", as I found the Hugo to be most natural sounding.

I'm one of those that finds the Chord DAC's 'processed' sounding but I used a stock HP laptop, MPB and Sony Android phone as sources none of which, I've since learned, make a good match so I plan to re audition.

[Bolts]

Thanks for the info. Presumably the adaptor you use is 3.5 Jack to twin RCA?

 

I had a Hugo in my system for a year and certainly didn't find the SQ limitations that others have criticised the Mojo for. I wouldn't have expected them to be that different SQ-wise.

 

As I understand it, the Hugo also lacks galvanic isolation and while I did find the SQ better on SPdif it was only a marginal improvement over USB. I'm surprised that people are finding the Mojo "processed", as I found the Hugo to be most natural sounding.

 

Yes 3.5 is the one. I found the Hugo and Mojo similarly good in my main system, not at all digital.

[jacquesr]

Hi guys,

Just replaced my QB-9 DSD with a Mojo while waiting for Yggdrasil.

I am using a Regen, Siltech Anniversary between Mac Mini and Regen, and then stock cable between Regen and Mojo.

I have order a WoreWorld Starlight 7. If I did not know better, I would say the result is awesome. Will post more detailed impressions in a few days.

[ecwl]

Hi guys,

Just replaced my QB-9 DSD with a Mojo while waiting for Yggdrasil.

I am using a Regen, Siltech Anniversary between Mac Mini and Regen, and then stock cable between Regen and Mojo.

I have order a WoreWorld Starlight 7. If I did not know better, I would say the result is awesome. Will post more detailed impressions in a few days.

 

I didn't see a preamplifier listed in your profile. How were you controlling volume with the QB9 when you had it directly hooked up to the amp? Digital off the Mac? With the Mojo, you should turn off digital volume control and use the Mojo's volume control. You may be surprised by the difference. Obviously you'll have to turn the digital volume control back on with the Yggradasil.

[jacquesr]

@ecwl

Hi - My Nagra MPA has built in volume control. All analog. In the near future I will remove the "RMC" (that's the name of the module) and buy a separate pre-amp. I have been told my Nagra experts that my MPA will be twice as nice...

I would never use any digital volume control. Let me know if you need anything.

 

After two days with the Mojo, all that I can say is, if I didn't know better DACs, I would be psyched!