[salla45]

  I'm running Adam A5's off Mojo as a desktop setup. 
 
Sounds really musical to me! I've had the Adam's for 6 years and still going strong. 
 
I've not done in-depth analysis/comparisons with my other DAC's but I'm now only using the Mojo to feed them running Spotify (with Equalify Pro so I can send ASIO/Wasapi signal direct to Mojo) and it does the job for me. 
 
I can't recommend Adam A5 speakers enough (and the A7X are even more amazing). They're analytical, yes, but they also really pull you into the music. They still leave me in awe even after 6 years. The transparency, airiness, accuracy is just amazing.
 
I wouldn't recommend them for non-nearfield listening though as you lose a lot of the magic if the positioning is not optimal. For a lounge type setup I would go for something less directional.

thanks for this. The nearfield/midfield "sweet-spot" issue is certainly something to consider with the Adams. I'm still prevaricating over getting the A7X's

 

[salla45]

I just bought a Riva Turbo X portable speaker and am currently using it with best performance with my Mojo. It's really superb in terms of sound quality. So much so that I'm instantly wanting a 2nd unit to rig up a proper stereo setup; it's that good. As a completely portable setup I doubt you could get much better than this. 
 
It offers clean sound, with tuneful bass, very decent layering and instrument separation, great midrange and non-fatiguing treble. This thing even can do differentiate instrumental timbre, for goodness' sake!!
 
Battery life is also exceptional. I really put it to the test today with a long family barbecue session from around 0430pm to around 0930pm, thus 5 hours of playing at nearly max level or max even for perhaps an hour of that, pushing it to the limit. At the end I checked the battery with the cellphone app and was really astonished to see 77% battery left. I was fully expecting perhaps 30% or so.
 
All in all a remarkable product and if you are looking for the best truly portable speaker + Mojo rig then this would have to be on your shortlist.
 
I am going to definitely get the 2nd one mentioned about to get true stereo and use it as my primary office rig which I can easily unplug and take away for portable duties!!
 
I have a pair of A2 audioengines which I just was not using because I couldn't get with their overblown midbass, despite great overall sound and imaging, but I have just not stopped listening to the single Riva since I got it a few days ago and it's just getting better as it burns in. It had a bit of a plummy midbass also, which worried me to begin with, but this has all but disappeared now as the drivers loosen up. For the most part, especially with good material, the little gem disappears from view as the micro soundstage takes over.
 
Great stuff!

 

[equedadoii]

  I just bought a Riva Turbo X portable speaker and am currently using it with best performance with my Mojo. It's really superb in terms of sound quality. So much so that I'm instantly wanting a 2nd unit to rig up a proper stereo setup; it's that good. As a completely portable setup I doubt you could get much better than this. 
 
It offers clean sound, with tuneful bass, very decent layering and instrument separation, great midrange and non-fatiguing treble. This thing even can do differentiate instrumental timbre, for goodness' sake!!
 
Battery life is also exceptional. I really put it to the test today with a long family barbecue session from around 0430pm to around 0930pm, thus 5 hours of playing at nearly max level or max even for perhaps an hour of that, pushing it to the limit. At the end I checked the battery with the cellphone app and was really astonished to see 77% battery left. I was fully expecting perhaps 30% or so.
 
All in all a remarkable product and if you are looking for the best truly portable speaker + Mojo rig then this would have to be on your shortlist.
 
I am going to definitely get the 2nd one mentioned about to get true stereo and use it as my primary office rig which I can easily unplug and take away for portable duties!!
 
I have a pair of A2 audioengines which I just was not using because I couldn't get with their overblown midbass, despite great overall sound and imaging, but I have just not stopped listening to the single Riva since I got it a few days ago and it's just getting better as it burns in. It had a bit of a plummy midbass also, which worried me to begin with, but this has all but disappeared now as the drivers loosen up. For the most part, especially with good material, the little gem disappears from view as the micro soundstage takes over.
 
Great stuff!

awesome stuff salla.
the riva turbo x sounds great with the mojo, but portability/wireless isn't a huge concern for me, so i feel pretty confident on sound quality and smallish design as my priorities.
 
there was a post a page back about the genelec 8010a, and so far, it's looking like the favorite to pair with my mojo.
 
i'd like to go cheaper if it's possible (8010a is $600ish), but it's tough to pass up the 8010a between its reported integration with mojo and its dimensions compared to say, the adam's.
 
but if there are options i'm failing to consider, please feel free to suggest!

 

[salla45]

 
awesome stuff salla.
the riva turbo x sounds great with the mojo, but portability/wireless isn't a huge concern for me, so i feel pretty confident on sound quality and smallish design as my priorities.
 
there was a post a page back about the genelec 8010a, and so far, it's looking like the favorite to pair with my mojo.
 
i'd like to go cheaper if it's possible (8010a is $600ish), but it's tough to pass up the 8010a between its reported integration with mojo and its dimensions compared to say, the adam's.
 
but if there are options i'm failing to consider, please feel free to suggest!

I know what you mean, I would have loved to have been able to invest a lot more in a killer powered system, but budget constraints gave me a few 100$ to play with and the need to get a new gadget was just too strong - I have 2 good pairs of powered monitors already; Kef X300A and Audio Engine A5's and a 3rd pair is a real luxury!
 
Having said that, I am going to try and audition a few monitors soon; adam a7x or a5x included and also the Genelecs. I am faintly worried about general use of the adams with their highly directional, but superb tweeters.
 
Still enjoying the Rivas though; its really cool to have such audio quality on the go. It's not like they compete with the Kefs or A5's but they do offer a "micro-hifi" sound which is entirely enjoyable. Its a fun speaker; even acceptable as a primary system at a pinch. It's the first portable speaker I've had which gets the musical juices flowing , so to speak! (rather than being so compromised that you're always listening to the deficiencies rather than the music)

 

[Fiberoptix]

I own both Adam A5's and 8010 and have tried both with the Mojo. Some observations...
 
Genelec's do indeed provided a great active desktop setup. They are small, tough as nails (a lot heavier than you'd expect!), can pump out some serious volume (without distortion) for their size. However, compared to the A5's they lack transparency and soundstage depth. The 8010 sound great but they feel very much like you are 'listening to the speaker' whereas with the A5 positioned correctly you can get lost in the music as the speaker box disappears. A5 tuning is also more natural to my ears and the Genelec tweeters can be quite unnatural at times.
 
I think it's more about weighing up the pro's/cons. Genelecs are really small and great if you have limited space. The depth of the speaker (dimension) is really shallow and the power socket plugs in vertically which saves even more space. Do note that they are XLR in only though!

 

[salla45]

  I own both Adam A5's and 8010 and have tried both with the Mojo. Some observations...
 
Genelec's do indeed provided a great active desktop setup. They are small, tough as nails (a lot heavier than you'd expect!), can pump out some serious volume (without distortion) for their size. However, compared to the A5's they lack transparency and soundstage depth. The 8010 sound great but they feel very much like you are 'listening to the speaker' whereas with the A5 positioned correctly you can get lost in the music as the speaker box disappears. A5 tuning is also more natural to my ears and the Genelec tweeters can be quite unnatural at times.
 
I think it's more about weighing up the pro's/cons. Genelecs are really small and great if you have limited space. The depth of the speaker (dimension) is really shallow and the power socket plugs in vertically which saves even more space. Do note that they are XLR in only though!

damn, you're making me think again about the Adams, lol. I love all this sort of thing : "you can get lost in the music as the speaker box disappears." - that's my ideal sound! I get that with the Kef's to a great extent, but am so p****d with kef for not allowing a simple bypass of the internal dacs. If that we the case, I'd be looking no further.

 

[equedadoii]

  I own both Adam A5's and 8010 and have tried both with the Mojo. Some observations...
 
Genelec's do indeed provided a great active desktop setup. They are small, tough as nails (a lot heavier than you'd expect!), can pump out some serious volume (without distortion) for their size. However, compared to the A5's they lack transparency and soundstage depth. The 8010 sound great but they feel very much like you are 'listening to the speaker' whereas with the A5 positioned correctly you can get lost in the music as the speaker box disappears. A5 tuning is also more natural to my ears and the Genelec tweeters can be quite unnatural at times.
 
I think it's more about weighing up the pro's/cons. Genelecs are really small and great if you have limited space. The depth of the speaker (dimension) is really shallow and the power socket plugs in vertically which saves even more space. Do note that they are XLR in only though!

if you're convinced the adam a5s are worth prioritizing over the 8010s' design,
then i may go that way.
 
i wish there were more opinions out there comparing the two re: mojo.

 

[Fiberoptix]

I'd pick the A5's (I have never used the newer A5x so not sure if this is different) over the Genelec's any day for a desktop setup. The A5 is very dependant on correct nearfield positioning to get the best though otherwise, as a room speaker they lose their magic. Also the A5 is very precisely tuned and will not reach low sub bass. It does exactly what it says on the tin and provides accuracy at the frequency specified. The Genelec is a bit more boomy in the low end so gives the impression of more bass.

 

[salla45]

Today I spent money I jolly well shouldn't have spent on a pair of Adam A5X's. I auditioned the A3X against the A5X and A7X and even had a quick listen to the A8X.
 
Got them home and wired them into my desktop rig using Mojo via an RCA adapter and the supplied unbalanced cables which came with the speakers.
 
I must say I am suitably impressed! 
 
First impressions are of a well layered, defined and very rich soundstage.
 
I was worried, from reading reviews, that these would be bass light - certainly not! The opposite in fact; very impressive and noticeable. Textured and powerful. Not at all what I was expecting. 
 
They are certainly a notch better than the KEF X300A, after initial listening. More "out of the box", certainly and with better bass control, and seemingly more deeper bass. I will try them on stands in the living room next.
 
Treble is lovely. Not overblown in any way, understated almost; very pure and natural.
 
Dynamics and transients are very good. I expect these to improve as they break-in.
 
So far so (very) good.
 
For the price I paid (ie around 780chf) for the pair, this is a bargain.

 

[salla45]

The A5X's with Mojo are REALLY singing. The whole soundstage of information, but  especially the bass, is absurdly clean and defined and easy to follow. I'm quite shocked how these are coming alive as I listen to more and more tracks. I am getting as much instrument separation if not more as with my Beyerdynamic T1's. This is seriously impressive stuff. Just listened to the stalwart Sultans of Swing as if hearing it completely fresh. Now listening to it a 2nd time... that bass... man!! it's something else. So tuneful and precise. 
 
I'm a happy camper! No need to look further. Tonight's going to be a late one!!

 

[equedadoii]

awesome stuff salla,
 
you have me convinced more and more.
i may have to pick up a pair of a5xs next time sales come around. if i can wait that long!

 

[salla45]

  awesome stuff salla,
 
you have me convinced more and more.
i may have to pick up a pair of a5xs next time sales come around. if i can wait that long!

They are entirely addictive. It's like the sound of a very good pair of cans transposed to the desktop.
 
The Mojo has that slightly surreal sense of layering; subtle phase shifts, these are all laid bare with the A5X's. I tried A5X, A3X and A7X before buying. Glad I did. I'd sort of set my heart on the A3X because of budget contraints. The 3X was noticeable more mid-bass heavy over the 5X's; they'd been pumped up by ADAM, clearly. Last thing I want is a hyped bass. The 7's just didn't seem to offer any clear lead over the 5's and i just felt the 5's would work in my small office. It's only about 7ft wide. Bass is entirely full. I certainly don't need a sub in this environment.
 
You know when something's just "right". The soundstage is just spread out in front of me, completely defined. Really not much sense of speaker involvement. And that's on the desktop; I will get them out in the living room later.
 
As a Mojo based rig, they are really superb. 

 

[salla45]

I tried the A5X's on stands in the living room yesterday and I can safely say I prefer them as an intimate desktop system; they wow much more on the desktop. Instrument lines are easier to follow, bass is more defined, it seems. I am using the ISO ACOUSTIC stands, it should be said, on the desktop. There is a slight midbass resonance on the desktop, but to be expected and it is slight, much less noticeable on these than any other rig ive used thus far; in this regard going from most uncoloured sound to worst A7X>KEF X300A>AUDIOENGINE A5>AUDIOENGINE A2. 
 
I definitely prefer the A5X's to the KEFs. The tone is very similar but the separation and depth of image, stereo precision, is def better on the A5X's. Also there's an increase in dynamism with the A5X's which is great for rock; raw sounds raw! And of course that treble on the A5X's is so cool. Never OTT, but just so natural sounding, cymbals and such are just so real sounding and push through the mix; the superior timbre and dynamics, PRAT of the Mojo really work well with A5X.

 

[salla45]

posted a review of the A5X's here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/adam-audio-a5x-powered-studio-monitor-5-5-inch-100-watts/reviews/16430

 

[NikonGuy]

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