Chord Mojo issue solutions thread.

[GreenBow]

Please post difinitive solutions here.

I think it could be useful to have a Mojo fixing issue thread. The Official (Updated First Post) Mojo Thread goes at such pace. The thread grows amazingly in length and finding posts on specific issues can be a challenge. Maybe it's best to leave the Official Mojo Thread to people pairing, cabling, and dicussing. I don't know but, if so then the opportunity is here.

I have read the Mojo official Thread with great interest. I own a Mojo, and bought it about three weeks ago. However as yet I never got around to opening it. I was just wanting to get all my issues laid aside before diving in. My mind is mostly at rest after much reading.

Anyway I will list what I found in the Official Mojo thread and hope solutions and issues get posted here. However who knows, and maybe no-one will use this thread.

1. Some users reported the first half second of tracks are missed when selecting a track using Foobar with computers. (Or at the start of playing music; but no problem when one track follows on to another.) This was reported on page 315 of the Mojo thread.
A. The solution was to use JRiver as posted by @psikey JRiver allows the user to insert a small amount of silence before playing newly manual selected tracks. Thus eliminating the Mojo from cutting off the first half second of music. Any media player that allows this user control will suffice.

2. Some people reported interference when using phones. I believe it was with the coaxial connection.
A. I think I understood that putting the phone in airplane mode cured it. Apparently it is not a fault of the Mojo but interference on the cable connecting the phone to the Mojo.

3. Battery life of file transport devices using USB I believe is largely diminished. I was thinking of using the Sony NWZ-A15, but apparently that only manages about seven hours battery. (Report of eight hours with the Sony ZX100.) This is startling because the A15 is notorious for having a superb battery life. I think phones suffer shorter battery time too. I really don't want to have to buy an A&K to pair with it. I think phone is the solution for me because i can get a good camera with it.

4 At the moment the mojo does not pair with Windows phones and it's the Windows software that is the reason. Win 8.x doesn't support the necessary OTG which the mojo uses. Post 2194 and 2125 (In the Official Mojo Thread) are reflecting the Windows problem. @jamestux is I think using Win 10 beta and says the mojo still refuses to acknowledge the phone exists.

Win 10 for phones comes out in Dec and it is stated it will support OTG that shuold make the Mojo work.

5 Some of the early models of the mojo reported problems. Some made a noise while charging: hissing, humming, or vibrating. There were two solutions. Either return the unit. Or send it to Chord. Apparently the cause was a regulator. Chord are reported to fix and return the Mojo with lightning speed if you send the unit to them. I think some of the units hissed and they are fixable too.

-----

Just for advice I will add Mr Rob Watts of Chord Electronics, brilliant explanation of the charging curcuit. Just for those of us that are thinking of using the Mojo as a desktop DAC. It is pefectly feasable to use the Mojo in desktop mode. I was asking because I saw someone question the charging curcuit on Amazon, and I asked in the Official Mojo Thread.

This is the reply, "Just to clarify. Charging is automatic. If you are playing and charging at the same time, with a fully charged battery, the charger will supply enough current to balance the consumption used by Mojo, so no net current into the battery. If its fully charged and the unit is off, the charger will go off. The charger will re charge automatically when the battery voltage falls to 8.2v (off at 8.4v) so keeping the charger connected will ensure a full charge."

---

Anyway I hope this thread helps at least one person, and then it has done its job.

 

[sheffsteel]

I bought the Chord Mojo 2 weeks ago.

Tried charging it up and nothing happened, it didn't appear to be charging.
So I tried a different socket and this time it did charge. Not sure why.

Anyhow after a few hours of charging I listened to the sound and was impressed, a definite improvement.
However when ever I picked the Mojo up to change the volume settings the track on the IPhone or IPad would stop playing. I assumed it might be a fault within the Apple apps or the camera connection adapter, however Spotify did the same. It would play for a while then when I picked up the Mojo it was pause the track, so would need to press play again. This meant that the Mojo would only work if left untouched and not moved meaning it can't be used as a mobile device.

I suspected there might be something wrong with the Mojo, however the problem seemed to be the charging cable. Whenever I picked up the Mojo the charging cable would lose its connection and auto pause the track.

So I did a Google search for the solution to this worrying fault.
Someone said they had the same fault and returned the Mojo for a replacement which worked perfectly.
However someone else said the issue was a faulty charging cable and simply changing the cable should suffice.

Fortunately I bought the Mojo from a hi-if dealer close by in Sheffield, UK.
I demonstrated the fault and they were perplexed and hadn't experience this so I suggested a simple cable change. They give me the USB charging cable they used to demo the Mojo stating the shop model cable works fine. I'm pleased to report that my Mojo now works perfectly.

It seems the mini USB fitting was a fraction too small meaning the fitting would easily temporarily lose its connection. When they swapped the small back charging cable it keeps it connection permanently and works perfectly.

Thought I'd mention this as regards this fault there is no need to swap the Mojo unit or return it through the post if you've ordered from the Internet. All you need is to change the black charging cable to one that fits properly. I was pleased that I bought from a physical shop/ dealer as it was quick and easy to sort this out.

 

[baglunch]

Samsung Note 4 : eBay OTG USB cable : Mojo : JH Angie IEMs = occasional loud digital buzzing noise and clicking
 
PC : included Mojo USB cable : Mojo : JH Angies = no problems
 
With my Mojo connected to my Note 4 via a USB OTG cable I bought off eBay, I hear a digital-sounding, loudish buzzing, and occasional clicking.  This is not present when connecting the Mojo to the computer via the USB cable that comes with the Mojo.  Current theory is the OTG cable, which is being replaced.  Will report back.

 

[Currawong]

I think it might be worth adding a troubleshooting section to the Mojo wiki based on the discussion here. 
 
One thought though: 
 

 the mojo still refuses to acknowledge the phone exists

 
It's the other way around. Computer software (which includes smart phone software) has to recognise the Mojo. The Mojo's power button will light up when the computer recognises it and connects it as a DAC.

 

[GreenBow]

I just saw a fix for Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 with Mojo.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/784602/chord-mojo-the-official-thread-read-the-first-post-for-updated-info/6030#post_12119030

 

[GreenBow]

Some people have reported that there is an issue of hiss with either the optical or coaxial input. I can not remember if there was a solution for it. Anyone else's recall on this would be appreciated.

 

[x RELIC x]

Some people have reported that there is an issue of hiss with either the optical or coaxial input. I can not remember if there was a solution for it. Anyone else's recall on this would be appreciated.

I reported the hiss first. It's like a waterfall 'SSSHHHH'. The unit I'm sending around Canada on the tour had a fault and it would hiss audibly loud with no input plugged in as well as with coaxial. USB would sometimes continue to hiss but pressing either volume button just once would make the hiss go away using the USB input. Optical didn't hiss at all.

I sent the unit to Chord and they fixed it promptly. Chord returned the same unit back (serial # 00000002) so I know it was the same unit. The tour Mojo was manufactured a while before the official release and there have been only a few other units with the exact same issue. I'll also say that the 'SSSHHHH' was far less obvious with my full sized headphones, but it was there.

Edit: If any Mojo demonstrates this issue the only fix is to return the unit to Chord, or exchange for a different one from your retailer.

 

[GreenBow]

I am trying to work out how many amps I need in a charger.
 
I see that two statistics mentioned (from Chord):
1. A 1A charger for general charging is fine
2. That the Mojo uses about 1.7 watts when running.
 
Therefor I am guessing that the Mojo needs about 2W to use the Mojo and charge it at the same time. However that would mean only 0.4A, whereas Chord recommend 1A i think.
 
I intend using the Mojo in desktop mode most of all. Now and again I would expend the charge in the battery. Therefor I need enough wattage to make sure I can use it after, without waiting for it to charge.
 
I understand the brillaint explanation of the Mojo charging curcuit given to us by Mr Rob Watts. He says:
"Just to clarify. Charging is automatic. If you are playing and charging at the same time, with a fully charged battery, the charger will supply enough current to balance the consumption used by Mojo, so no net current into the battery. If its fully charged and the unit is off, the charger will go off. The charger will re charge automatically when the battery voltage falls to 8.2v (off at 8.4v) so keeping the charger connected will ensure a full charge."
 
It means a charger for desktop would have to have more current than the Mojo uses just to play music. In desktop mode, it would need to cover when the charge in the battery drops over time as it would.
 
I think 2A would be perfect. Does anyone have anything to add please?

 

[GreenBow]

I just read of a potential issue with the Mojo, but don't as yet know what happens. It occurs when playing a file of one quality. Then the source machine e.g PC, makes a sound of of a different sampling frequency.
 
It's here in the only four star review of the Mojo on Amazon. This is what it says. (Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B016MXEY5U/ref=acr_search_hist_4?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addFourStar&showViewpoints=0)
 
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 starsThis is a great product, and it is really good at handling ...
ByR. Greenhalghon 29 November 2015
Verified Purchase
This is a great product, and it is really good at handling the different sound qualities. However, I have an issue when it is plugged in via USB and when listening to DSD-quality music, and when a message from someone on Steam arrives. Windows, or the Chord Mojo driver, seems to have a problem handling the two sound qualities while the music is playing.

If my issue was fixed, this would undoubtedly garner a 5 star response.

 

[Framgeld]

Hi all,
 
I am the person who left the 4 star review on Amazon.
 
Basically, I was listening to some DSD music on JRiver Media Center 21, on Windows 8.1, while I had the Steam game client open in the background. All was going well, but I received a message from someone, and the audio in JRiver stopped playing, and the noise of the Steam message notification played in a broken-up manner.
 
I had to exit both Steam and JRiver in order to get the sound to play again.
 
I loaded them both back up, started listening again, got a few messages on Steam, and everything appeared to be OK. Then it happened again.
 
As I am an avid gamer, Steam needs to be open... and so I cannot listen to my HQ music while I am playing a game.
 
The other issue I have (which may be a Steam issue), is that when I play my game through the Mojo, I am not able to stream my game broadcasts because although the Steam client says "capture sound from all sound cards", it does not pick up the sound from the Mojo. At this point, the Mojo sound is configured and playing with the standard 16-bit 44.1KHz sound.
 
Until I can get these to work, my Mojo is pretty much gathering dust... I so want to use my Mojo while I am gaming, with my games.
 
Any advice is welcome.
 
Thanks.

 

[Carl6868]

  I just read of a potential issue with the Mojo, but don't as yet know what happens. It occurs when playing a file of one quality. Then the source machine e.g PC, makes a sound of of a different sampling frequency.
 
It's here in the only four star review of the Mojo on Amazon. This is what it says. (Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B016MXEY5U/ref=acr_search_hist_4?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addFourStar&showViewpoints=0)
 
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 starsThis is a great product, and it is really good at handling ...
ByR. Greenhalghon 29 November 2015
Verified Purchase
This is a great product, and it is really good at handling the different sound qualities. However, I have an issue when it is plugged in via USB and when listening to DSD-quality music, and when a message from someone on Steam arrives. Windows, or the Chord Mojo driver, seems to have a problem handling the two sound qualities while the music is playing.

If my issue was fixed, this would undoubtedly garner a 5 star response.
 
Have you actually used your mojo yet ?

 

[GreenBow]

@Framgeld I wish I could offer advice. However you made me wonder whether this issue is common to all PC external DACs. (Like my Meridian Explorer for instance.)
 
I do not own any HD-audio, however I would like to. Since I play music and game at the same time it would mean I would be restricted to SD-audio. That is not an issue in itself so much. However as you have said there are other issues like Steam streaming broadcasts.
 
I imagine your PC has a HD-audio chip. My motherboard has this: Realtek® ALC887 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC. How does your PC work through it's own sound-card? Normally I presume.
 
People from Chord are active in the Chord mojo Official Thread. This is the current page. http://www.head-fi.org/t/784602/chord-mojo-the-official-thread-read-the-first-post-for-updated-info/6135#post_12127113
 
I have mentioned this thread in the Chord Mojo Official Thread so I hope they will see this.
 
By the way it was me that left a comment on your Amazon review and mentioned coming here. I didn't know if you knew Head-Fi so I went ahead and explained it here for everyone else. I own a Mojo but as of yet I do have not opened it. It was not for any specific reason, but I out of habit I loked at threads on stuff I bought. When I read the odd issue, (of which most are easily overcome) I just paused. That's why I started this thread so that people can find the answers they want all in one place. The Chord Mojo Official Thread gets so many new posts, it can chore to read it all.

 

[Framgeld]

  @Framgeld I wish I could offer advice. However you made me wonder whether this issue is common to all PC external DACs. (Like my Meridian Explorer for instance.)
 
I do not own any HD-audio, however I would like to. Since I play music and game at the same time it would mean I would be rescticted to SD-audio. That is not an issue in itself so much. However as you have said there are other issues like Steam streaming broadcasts.
 
I imagine your PC has a HD-audio chip. My motherboard has this: Realtek® ALC887 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC. How does your PC work through it's own sound-card? Normally I presume.
 
People from Chord are active in the Chord mojo Official Thread. This is the current page. http://www.head-fi.org/t/784602/chord-mojo-the-official-thread-read-the-first-post-for-updated-info/6135#post_12127113
 
I have mentioned this thread in the Chord Mojo Official Thread so I hope they will see this.
 
By the way it was me that left a comment on your Amazon review and mentioned coming here. I didn't know if you knew Head-Fi so I went ahead and explained it here for everyone else. I won a Mojo but as of yet I do have not opened it. It was not for any specific reason, but I out of habit I loked at threads on stuff I bought. When I read the odd issue, (of which most are easily overcome) I just paused. That's why I started this thread so that people can find the answers they want all in one place. The Chord Mojo Official Thread gets so many new posts, it can chore to read it all.

 
Hi @GreenBow. I hope it isn't common to all PC external DACs, as that would mean it will never work.
 
I haven't tried gaming with SD audio, while listening to DSD audio. My trial version of JRiver expired, and it was the only one that I could get the DSD audio to actually play as DSD audio for the Mojo. I went thought the instructions to get foobar2000 to play it, but it just kept showing the bright red colour on the mojo. JRiver turned it blue (IIRC).
 
My motherboard has a Realtek chip also. It shows as "Realtek High Definition Audio" in Device Manager, so I am not sure exactly which chip it is that I am using. Broadcasting on Steam works fine using this card. I even tried making the Mojo the default, but to no avail.
 
I will take a look at the page you suggested and see if I can get any feedback from Chord. I am almost positive that this is a driver issue, or a conflict issue.
 
You WON a Mojo? Wow! Nice!!!! And yes... if there are too many issues in a single thread, it is difficult to see what is actually taking place.

 

[GreenBow]

   
Hi @GreenBow. I hope it isn't common to all PC external DACs, as that would mean it will never work.
 
I haven't tried gaming with SD audio, while listening to DSD audio. My trial version of JRiver expired, and it was the only one that I could get the DSD audio to actually play as DSD audio for the Mojo. I went thought the instructions to get foobar2000 to play it, but it just kept showing the bright red colour on the mojo. JRiver turned it blue (IIRC).
 
My motherboard has a Realtek chip also. It shows as "Realtek High Definition Audio" in Device Manager, so I am not sure exactly which chip it is that I am using. Broadcasting on Steam works fine using this card. I even tried making the Mojo the default, but to no avail.
 
I will take a look at the page you suggested and see if I can get any feedback from Chord. I am almost positive that this is a driver issue, or a conflict issue.
 
You WON a Mojo? Wow! Nice!!!! And yes... if there are too many issues in a single thread, it is difficult to see what is actually taking place.

My apologies. I didn't win a Mojo, I meant I 'own' a Mojo. I bought a Mojo, but didn't open it yet.

My Meridian Explorer DAC denotes what the sampling frequency of the audio data stream going into it is. I presume they can only handle one sampling frequency, but that is purely speculative. I could be completely wrong.
 
You'll be able to identify your motherboard DAC chip if you can identify your motherboard. Look on the manufacturers website, or the manufacturer of your PC. I guess the PC will be able to work with audio from your Steam broadcast because it's built in. Whereas an external DAC will not be able to send audio back up the USB cable. All audio comes out of the DAC at the other end.
 
Shame your JRiver has expired. I read and mentioned in the first post here, that JRiver fixes an issue.

 

[Framgeld]

  My apologies. I didn't win a Mojo, I meant I 'own' a Mojo. I bought a Mojo, but didn't open it yet.

My Meridian Explorer DAC denotes what the sampling frequency of the audio data stream going into it is. I presume they can only handle one sampling frequency, but that is purely speculative. I could be completely wrong.
 
You'll be able to identify your motherboard DAC chip if you can identify your motherboard. Look on the manufacturers website, or the manufacturer of your PC. I guess the PC will be able to work with audio from your Steam broadcast because it's built in. Whereas an external DAC will not be able to send audio back up the USB cable. All audio comes out of the DAC at the other end.
 
Shame your JRiver has expired. I read and mentioned in the first post here, that JRiver fixes an issue.

 
Ah! I see! I hope that when you open it, that you are pleased with it.
 
Sound cards can work in a shared mode or an exclusive mode. Not sure when these circumstances come about though. I would have expected the drivers (or Windows itself) to handle the different qualities if they work in shared mode.
 
I own a laptop (purchased this year). The MSI doesn't publish the motherboard that they have put into it. I think though, that it is just a "Realtek HD Audio", or something that unexciting.
 
What you say regarding the Steam broadcast not working makes a lot of sense.
 
I will happily buy JRiver if I can get the issue sorted out. However, since I am in Steam constantly, owning JRiver would be kind of pointless to me if I cannot get this issue resolved.