[Currawong]

With weeks of listening, though, don't you also run the risk of mistaking the sound "clicking" with "brain burn-in"?

Edit to add: Also, totally true. Musical genres will affect the headphones and amp pairings. Spot on.

It's definitely a kind of brain burn-in. Rob Watts' theory is that we're used to listening to music out of digital gear with screwed-up timing, so it has to get used to reproduction with proper timing again. I do find most other DACs sound rather artificial now.

Many thing it's a bit over priced, but that is neither here nor there.

On the contrary, many people who are not Redditors or close friends with competing manufacturers think it is worth more. I have taken it into Hi-Fi retailers who have never seen it before, hooked it up to their high-end systems and asked how much they think it costs. None gave below 4 figures.

Audio-gd did update the NFB-11 recently, so I've had it in mind to compare how it would go.

 

[squee116]

It's definitely a kind of brain burn-in. Rob Watts' theory is that we're used to listening to music out of digital gear with screwed-up timing, so it has to get used to reproduction with proper timing again. I do find most other DACs sound rather artificial now.



On the contrary, many people who are not Redditors or close friends with competing manufacturers think it is worth more. I have taken it into Hi-Fi retailers who have never seen it before, hooked it up to their high-end systems and asked how much they think it costs. None gave below 4 figures.

Audio-gd did update the NFB-11 recently, so I've had it in mind to compare how it would go.

I would think the best way to compare sounds would be side-to-side, using first impressions. If you don't like the sound at first, your brain is just getting to used to something sounding bad, and turning it into a new norm. I listened to the Mojo, and Hugo, and found them pleasant, but not world-shattering, and certainly didn't prohibit me from enjoying gear I already enjoyed. That said, my ears are not yours.

I'm not certain why one person's anecdotal experiences would cancel out another person's anecdotal experiences... If some people say the Mojo is overpriced, I'd take them at their word that they don't see or experience the same level of value or performance/dollar spent that others do. In fact, impugning the other parties seems wholly unnecessary.

 

[Currawong]

I would think the best way to compare sounds would be side-to-side, using first impressions. If you don't like the sound at first, your brain is just getting to used to something sounding bad, and turning it into a new norm. I listened to the Mojo, and Hugo, and found them pleasant, but not world-shattering, and certainly didn't prohibit me from enjoying gear I already enjoyed. That said, my ears are not yours.

I'm not certain why one person's anecdotal experiences would cancel out another person's anecdotal experiences... If some people say the Mojo is overpriced, I'd take them at their word that they don't see or experience the same level of value or performance/dollar spent that others do. In fact, impugning the other parties seems wholly unnecessary.

No, a person's own experience and resulting opinion doesn't cancel out another's. Unfortunately there are people out there whose goal is to wreck the reputation of companies that compete with the one run by their friends. But with regular people, I find it more interesting to understand where someone's opinion comes from, so if someone validly says "I don't see value in buying X" when that product is something I like, it's interesting to know what they didn't like about it. As someone who reviews products, it's important to know when someone wont like something, as much as when they will like it.

 

[Renato Fury]

I've been watching some videos and comments about JDS Labs Element and everyone praised it, regardless of whether it's used with the Hifiman HE-560, someone else has used it with some other headset that requires emplification to make sure it's a Guaranteed purchase ? Because I can not make the mistake of buying a product from another country and then I regret it.

 

[Music Alchemist]

I've been watching some videos and comments about JDS Labs Element and everyone praised it, regardless of whether it's used with the Hifiman HE-560, someone else has used it with some other headset that requires emplification to make sure it's a Guaranteed purchase ? Because I can not make the mistake of buying a product from another country and then I regret it.

If you're worried about whether it can drive certain headphones, it outputs over a watt at 32 ohms, with peak power of 1.5 watts. That's enough to make nearly any headphone deafeningly loud. You have nothing to worry about.

 

[Benleetv]

If you're interested in or at least not against chinese options then the xduoo ta-10 is a pretty great amp/dac that is a tube hybrid for about $300 new. Has about the same quality dac as about $100 stand alone dacs, but the amp is great and tube rolling (swapping out tubes) can actually get more bang out of it, so that extra $100 you have can get another tube or 2 to experiment with them and see what you like.

 

[Benleetv]

Also the xduoo ta-10 does 2 watts a channel through the xlr balanced output i believe.

 

[surfgeorge]

Another happy Mojo owner here.
The Mojo just makes music so addictive.
And when I connected it to my Stereo system it was so much better than my $4000 DAC from 2003 that I quickly bought a used Chord 2Qute to replace that DAC.

I can say the Mojo has excellent detail, smoothness, soundstage depth (on my Stereo I can now hear a church or concert hall...) dynamics etc.
It does sound natural, and lets me enjoy music for a long time, while with my other sources I just lose interest after some time.

For me it's a perfect mobile companion, especially paired with the HiBy R3:

 

[TenaciousSofa]

Anyone wanna help a brother out with a $400 dac/amp (i know repetitive) but for studio monitoring, or some sort of music production?

thanks

 

[blackdragon87]

iFi Micro iDSD BL Black Label . can find one used in your price range

 

[surfgeorge]

Anyone wanna help a brother out with a $400 dac/amp (i know repetitive) but for studio monitoring, or some sort of music production?

thanks

Chord Mojo.
Referring to this review https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2019/04/the-majestic-one-chord-mojo-dacamp.html it is used a lot in production.
To me, it sounds different, in a good way. It feels like it's more faithfully reproducing the original music than other DACs I have heard.

It's above your budget new, but you should be able to find a used one for 400. Just pay attention to the battery condition, ask the seller for information about how long it runs on a full charge, and if he ever used the Mojo as a desktop unit, keeping it connected to the charger while listening. The battery does not like that, it get's a bit too hot.

 

[Tsukuyomi]

Schiit or jds labs at that price tbh.