[AussieMick]

Does anyone else hear the imaging and staging collapse when they use silver usb cables to feed music to the Mojo 2 from PC or Android phones?

I've tried two Moon Audio Silver Dragon USB cables and both clears up the sound significantly but takes away depth perception and separation between instruments and vocals.

Same goes for the DDHiFi TC05 but to a slightly lesser degree. The TC07s wields same results as the TC05.

Now, the sound seems to gain better depth perception and separation to the much cheaper priced iFi 90 Degree OTG USB C to USB C and Fiio CL06

And when I use my standard phone charging USB cable, results are similar to the iFi and Fiio cables but not quite there.

I mostly use Qobuz from both my PC and Android phone through USB Audio Player Pro, and while on PC I use a DXIO Pro3Zi via USB C to convert to optical and I still get the same results when interchange between these cables. But sound does sound better from my PC than from my phone though but the difference in sound in cables is still obvious.


Can anyone chime in on their experience and what may be going on here?? Cheaper cables outclassing pricier cables???

Unrelated but I only have white noise issues when I max out the bit rate on Window 10 on my Surface Pro 7+ regardless what cables I use, but not my PC or Phone. Other than that, white noise never been an issue.

Interesting. You’ve said that the silver cables clear up the sound significantly, but also that you think the cheaper cable is outperforming the pricier stuff.
A noisier cable can blur the edges of images (adding an halo effect) and render them as bigger sounding. When you take away the noise (and the halo) you can get better definition and resolution (cleaner) and the images will all appear to be smaller (because you’ve taken away the “extra” created by the noise).
Some people find that the smaller, better defined images are also a product of a larger stage - the bigger the stage gets, the smaller the things within it appear - sort of like zooming out.
Like zooming out on your phone’s camera, the total image stays the same size - your headphones are still producing the same sized image - but the stuff inside appears smaller AND closer together.
Of course, which one you prefer is up to you. The one that makes you feel most connected to your music. I wouldn’t take time worrying about which is “more correct”.

 

[Jerome Howard]

Is there a firmware update for Mojo 2? Is there webpage where to get it?

 

[AussieMick]

Is there a firmware update for Mojo 2? Is there webpage where to get it?

I may have missed something, but Chord don’t usually do firmware updates for DACs. Once they’re done they are really done.
There was a recent update for the streamers though.

 

[Jerome Howard]

I got my Mojo 2 this morning and have been listening a lot. Quite impressive with my Grado RS2X. I love the crossfeed and the instruments being brought forward a bit.

I did not play with the EQ until about an hour ago. I gave the mid base a boost, the 3kHz a boost, and the 125Hz just a little nudge.

HOLY CRAP!! Absolutely fantastic. This little black box is really impressive. The EQ allowed me to add delicious bass, and bring cymbals up into a better place in the mix.
Voices are seriously good. I can hear breaths that weren't there before.

I also own a Gryphon, and while it sounds great, it can't touch what I'm getting from the Mojo 2.

I was hesitant to spend the money, but I am really glad I did.

 

[Hypops]

I got my Mojo 2 this morning and have been listening a lot. Quite impressive with my Grado RS2X. I love the crossfeed and the instruments being brought forward a bit.

I did not play with the EQ until about an hour ago. I gave the mid base a boost, the 3kHz a boost, and the 125Hz just a little nudge.

HOLY CRAP!! Absolutely fantastic. This little black box is really impressive. The EQ allowed me to add delicious bass, and bring cymbals up into a better place in the mix.
Voices are seriously good. I can hear breaths that weren't there before.

I also own a Gryphon, and while it sounds great, it can't touch what I'm getting from the Mojo 2.

I was hesitant to spend the money, but I am really glad I did.

Awesome. Jives with my experience too.

The more time I spend with the EQ, the more I see what its true genius is: it's a way to customize your v-curve preferences. The EQ on Mojo 2 is a lot like those old "loudness" knobs on vintage amps (to boost the highs and lows), but on the Mojo 2 you get a lot more customization options with how you adjust that curve to your liking. But like a loudness knob, it mostly leaves the mids alone (unless you really crank the two shelves).

I gotta say too that the EQ options initially seemed totally bizarre and arbitrary. But the more I've used the Mojo 2 with different headphones and with different gear, I realize the reason for it: it's essentially a 4-band loudness knob.

 

[MarkParity]

Does anyone else hear the imaging and staging collapse when they use silver usb cables to feed music to the Mojo 2 from PC or Android phones?

I've tried two Moon Audio Silver Dragon USB cables and both clears up the sound significantly but takes away depth perception and separation between instruments and vocals.

Same goes for the DDHiFi TC05 but to a slightly lesser degree. The TC07s wields same results as the TC05.

Now, the sound seems to gain better depth perception and separation to the much cheaper priced iFi 90 Degree OTG USB C to USB C and Fiio CL06

And when I use my standard phone charging USB cable, results are similar to the iFi and Fiio cables but not quite there.

I mostly use Qobuz from both my PC and Android phone through USB Audio Player Pro, and while on PC I use a DXIO Pro3Zi via USB C to convert to optical and I still get the same results when interchange between these cables. But sound does sound better from my PC than from my phone though but the difference in sound in cables is still obvious.


Can anyone chime in on their experience and what may be going on here?? Cheaper cables outclassing pricier cables???

Unrelated but I only have white noise issues when I max out the bit rate on Window 10 on my Surface Pro 7+ regardless what cables I use, but not my PC or Phone. Other than that, white noise never been an issue.

Don't ask me, digital cables make no difference for me, as long as they are wired correctly and are of the correct impedence.

You will need to get someone else to swap them blind for you and see if you still hear and difference, if you do then you are unlucky or lucky, depending on your outlook on this subject.

I consider myself lucky as not hearing a difference means I don't have to spend thosands on stuff like cables and plug fuses.

 

[Hypops]

Does anyone else hear the imaging and staging collapse when they use silver usb cables to feed music to the Mojo 2 from PC or Android phones?

I've tried two Moon Audio Silver Dragon USB cables and both clears up the sound significantly but takes away depth perception and separation between instruments and vocals.

Same goes for the DDHiFi TC05 but to a slightly lesser degree. The TC07s wields same results as the TC05.

Now, the sound seems to gain better depth perception and separation to the much cheaper priced iFi 90 Degree OTG USB C to USB C and Fiio CL06

And when I use my standard phone charging USB cable, results are similar to the iFi and Fiio cables but not quite there.

I mostly use Qobuz from both my PC and Android phone through USB Audio Player Pro, and while on PC I use a DXIO Pro3Zi via USB C to convert to optical and I still get the same results when interchange between these cables. But sound does sound better from my PC than from my phone though but the difference in sound in cables is still obvious.


Can anyone chime in on their experience and what may be going on here?? Cheaper cables outclassing pricier cables???

Unrelated but I only have white noise issues when I max out the bit rate on Window 10 on my Surface Pro 7+ regardless what cables I use, but not my PC or Phone. Other than that, white noise never been an issue.

Haven't tried those cables myself, but I stay away from silver cables for audio applications. Too many experiences (mine and other people's) hearing silver cables just mess with too much. Like with everything else in audio, pricier does not necessarily mean better. Sounds like you've already answered your own question by listening for yourself.

 

[MgMGM]

Does anyone else hear the imaging and staging collapse when they use silver usb cables to feed music to the Mojo 2 from PC or Android phones?

I've tried two Moon Audio Silver Dragon USB cables and both clears up the sound significantly but takes away depth perception and separation between instruments and vocals.

Same goes for the DDHiFi TC05 but to a slightly lesser degree. The TC07s wields same results as the TC05.

Now, the sound seems to gain better depth perception and separation to the much cheaper priced iFi 90 Degree OTG USB C to USB C and Fiio CL06

And when I use my standard phone charging USB cable, results are similar to the iFi and Fiio cables but not quite there.

I mostly use Qobuz from both my PC and Android phone through USB Audio Player Pro, and while on PC I use a DXIO Pro3Zi via USB C to convert to optical and I still get the same results when interchange between these cables. But sound does sound better from my PC than from my phone though but the difference in sound in cables is still obvious.


Can anyone chime in on their experience and what may be going on here?? Cheaper cables outclassing pricier cables???

Unrelated but I only have white noise issues when I max out the bit rate on Window 10 on my Surface Pro 7+ regardless what cables I use, but not my PC or Phone. Other than that, white noise never been an issue.

Come on mate, chill out and try not to stress about it.!.

 

[miketlse]

Can anyone chime in on their experience and what may be going on here?? Cheaper cables outclassing pricier cables???

Dealers love owners to fall into the trap of believing that the rule of thumb that paying more automatically ensures better quality.

I think years ago in the Mojo thread, Rob Watts posted that he had measured a range of USB cables, and the physical properties of some of the expensive ones did not meet the USB standard.
Of course that has not stopped owners innocently buying expensive cables, and being puzzled that they don't always live up to expectations.

 

[Menkau-ra]

If somebody is looking for a perfect matching TOTL headphone for Mojo2/Poly consider Atrium Closed!
AC is a super warm headphone that is not for everyone's taste. But Mojo2/Poly makes AC sound more neutral, less warm. I think this combo has perfect synergy.

 

[Jerome Howard]

I hooked the Mojo 2 up to my Sony MX5's just a little while ago. The amount of clean bass is off the chain. While I'm not what you would call a bass head, if I was, this combo would really hit the mark. The MX5 also benefits from the crossfeed. But wow. I'm talking SERIOUS bass. Most I've experienced in a headphone. I'm not a big
Billie Eilish fanboy, but I use some of her songs when critiquing the bottom and the middle of headphones and DACs

Highs are decent, but not great. Mids are pretty good with the Sony's.

I'll be doing most of my listening with My Grado RS-2X. The details and spaciousness. couple with great lows, mids, and highs, is very pleasurable. I listened until the wee
hours last night. No fatigue or discomfort.

Did I mention how GOOD the EQ is?

 

[Jerome Howard]

I was browsing the topic and found references to the white noise issue. So just for fun, I ran more than a half dozen different USB-C to USB-C cables between my iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Mojo 2. I had two that immediately brought the white noise issue. They are both Belkin cables. One 3 feet, the other 6 feet. My CableMatters cables work fine, as do some flimsy generics I had in my drawer.

Has anyone identified exactly what goes on that causes the white noise?

 

[miketlse]

I was browsing the topic and found references to the white noise issue. So just for fun, I ran more than a half dozen different USB-C to USB-C cables between my iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Mojo 2. I had two that immediately brought the white noise issue. They are both Belkin cables. One 3 feet, the other 6 feet. My CableMatters cables work fine, as do some flimsy generics I had in my drawer.

Has anyone identified exactly what goes on that causes the white noise?

There are many posts about the subject.
This is an issue with two parts, what causes the symptoms, and what are the root causes.

For the first part Rob Watts has posted about a change in the music format (eg 16/44.1) requires the DAC FPGA to need to flush the previous data from memory, and repopulate with the new data set. The white noise is created during this interim period when data in memory is a mix of new and old.

The second part is the root causes that result in the change in music format? there are several of these which the owners post about, including:

• plugs flexing in sockets causing a temporary break in the electrical connection (so the input to the Mojo goes from 16/44.1 to 0/0 to 16/44.1)
• similarly a usb cable with a break or poor solder joint, which can open up if the cable is flexed
• intended changes at the music source, when a track changes from 16/44.1 to a new track at something else
• A rare example occurs sometimes with iPhone firmware updates, where in an effort to maximise battery life, the new firmware will reduce the power/voltage available for usb output (whilst a phone call/alert is received/processed), and sometimes this is enough to cause the electrical handshake between the iPhone and Mojo to be temporarily broken, and so the input to the Mojo goes from 16/44.1 to 0/0 to 16/44.1
• a similar rare example gets posted by enthusiasts who try and optimise their PCs/Music servers, and fine tune which of the computer cores have priority under various scenarios. Sometimes this can result in one of the cores temporarily pausing usb music output, and again the input to the Mojo goes from 16/44.1 to 0/0 to 16/44.1
• etc

Unfortunately some owners struggle with the concept that their are multiple root causes, which can all result in a change of music format (and white noise) at the FPGA.
They prefer to state that the root cause they post about, is the only correct root cause, and I think that this can confuse some newbies.

 

[Jerome Howard]

So if I am understanding this correctly, a reboot of the Mojo 2 will make it go away, unless it a cable issue?

 

[gylyf]

There are many posts about the subject.
This is an issue with two parts, what causes the symptoms, and what are the root causes.

For the first part Rob Watts has posted about a change in the music format (eg 16/44.1) requires the DAC FPGA to need to flush the previous data from memory, and repopulate with the new data set. The white noise is created during this interim period when data in memory is a mix of new and old.

The second part is the root causes that result in the change in music format? there are several of these which the owners post about, including:

• plugs flexing in sockets causing a temporary break in the electrical connection (so the input to the Mojo goes from 16/44.1 to 0/0 to 16/44.1)
• similarly a usb cable with a break or poor solder joint, which can open up if the cable is flexed
• intended changes at the music source, when a track changes from 16/44.1 to a new track at something else
• A rare example occurs sometimes with iPhone firmware updates, where in an effort to maximise battery life, the new firmware will reduce the power/voltage available for usb output (whilst a phone call/alert is received/processed), and sometimes this is enough to cause the electrical handshake between the iPhone and Mojo to be temporarily broken, and so the input to the Mojo goes from 16/44.1 to 0/0 to 16/44.1
• a similar rare example gets posted by enthusiasts who try and optimise their PCs/Music servers, and fine tune which of the computer cores have priority under various scenarios. Sometimes this can result in one of the cores temporarily pausing usb music output, and again the input to the Mojo goes from 16/44.1 to 0/0 to 16/44.1
• etc

Unfortunately some owners struggle with the concept that their are multiple root causes, which can all result in a change of music format (and white noise) at the FPGA.
They prefer to state that the root cause they post about, is the only correct root cause, and I think that this can confuse some newbies.

Thank you - this is by far the most helpful and informative post I’ve read on the white noise issue.