So I bought the Mojo (store demo version) and a brand new iFi Black Label.
Quick question: On the Black Label is "Normal" or "Turbo" setting best for HD600's? I've read the more power, maybe the better sound, or is Normal and Turbo at the same volume output putting out exactly the same power? So there'd be no difference? Is there any point to use Turbo with the HD600's, is basically what I'm asking. At normal I find myself at about 1 o clock volume knob wise, and for Turbo at about 10 o clock.
My very very cursory listening experience thus far is...compared to my Iphone 7...this is my first time moving from Iphone and Headroom Airhead amp to more audiophile DAC/Amps, but I've definitely trained my ears over the years, with learning and critiquing mixes on my monitors and HD600's and can fairly easily tell a difference between an Mp3 and FLAC/Wav, Spotify and Tidal, etc. based off blind A/B testing.
I don't know how much the Mojo is burned in from being a store demo, at this point from me it's maybe 10 hours or so, but the Black Label I only listened to for maybe 5 hours so not much at all, as I just got it 3 days ago, so it's right out of the box nearly.
Preliminary thoughts through headphones:
Mojo going from the Iphone is of course louder and more full, certain say guitar notes have no distortion meaning more clarity and naturalness, and there's a touch more separation of instruments. I would say a higher resolution to the audio overall, but honestly not by too much to my ears... It seems maybe a touch less airy than the Iphone, probably due to more bass/mids. It's better, but to be honest I wasn't blown away. It came off to me much like my Iphone but just louder and more full, for the most part, subtle differences excluding those two things. Perhaps it needs more burn in to really show itself off...that being said...
Black Label going from the Mojo, after making sure every little EQ/mode switch was set properly, immediately noticed a bump in fidelity, with considerably more treble detail than the Mojo, such as in vocals, as well as a wider soundstage, more airiness, perhaps more depth (?) and more power in the low end. For the song Just by Radiohead. The drum kick fill at the beginning on both the Iphone and Mojo is sort of thin and underwhelming, on the Black Label it was thick commanding and very punchy, as in, I had never heard it like that in headphones, I always thought it was just mixed that thin. Just something I immediately noticed. It's hard to say if the Mojo is warmer or not, I need to do some real A/B'ing to really hone in, but haven't taken the time just yet. However, the Black Label was definitely the next level up I was wanting from my headphone listening, at least, after this cursory listening I've done thus far. To me a very noticeable and worthwhile change, fidelity and detail wise, and even with the low end. I'm still remembering what the vocals sounded like on I Am the Walrus (by that one band The Beatles, I think is how you spell it) and the fidelity and crispness and clarity of them, I could hear the exact vocal effect/EQ/distortion that was used, in a way I'd never heard it. I was hearing certain fluctuations and crystalline shimmers in a certain bass synth (Myxomatosis by Radiohead) that I had never heard or would have expected to be there. It's little things like that, that just kind of threw me for a loop, in a great way.
Have not tried the Black Label through my AdamA7x's yet (which are usually going through my Line 6 Guitarport), though the Mojo I did, and from what I can remember I couldn't tell much of a difference other than similar to the Iphone comparison I heard no distortion on certain guitar notes, and maybe a very very slight bump in resolution. But now I also am remembering I did *not* plug them in with the line out level setting on...after all that...jeeze. So that was coming out of the headphone setting, not sure what that might mean or be lacking.
All in all I'm very excited to get back to the Black Label and do some more critical listening, the Mojo seems like it's going to be sold. That's just initially how I'm feeling. Love to know you guy's thoughts and comparisons between the two.
Also probably planning on picking up a pair of HD800S' s in the coming months, unless yall have better recommendations to check out for the price range.
50 hours break in is about a good place to start making comparisons..100 is better. Weird changes can happen.