[Whazzzup]

 

   
the Chord Line will never disappoint

 
 

   
I'm a little bit disappointed by the Mojo

 

you get what you pay for. Jazz bought dave, hope that doesnt push anyone over the edge.

 

[JaZZ]

 

   
the Chord Line will never disappoint

 
 

   
I'm a little bit disappointed by the Mojo

 

In all fairness it should be noted that this is from someone coming from the Hugo.

 

[Whazzzup]

 

 

   
the Chord Line will never disappoint

 
 

   
I'm a little bit disappointed by the Mojo

 

In all fairness it should be noted that this is from someone coming from the Hugo.

Obviously jazz

 

[zekioflo]

   
I agree. I must concede I'm a little bit disappointed by the Mojo, which I expected to provide Hugo sound in a compact, more portable package. But it fails to do so to my ears. Yes, there's detail and accuracy, but also a lack of air, flow and space which make the Hugo so special. I've tried a lot to make it sound more similar (since I equalize all my headphones anyway), and while I could get the tonal balance fairly close – by reducing low frequencies and increasing high frequencies by ~0.2 dB each –, I couldn't stop the hinted breathiness and lack of sparkle. Not to speak of the reduced wearing comfort on the go. If it sounded like Hugo, maybe I would accept the hassle now and then, but as it is, I prefer the sound directly from my FiiO players (X3 II, X5 II) which I consider about perfect for walking and jogging, especially with SE846 and FiiO EX-1 (the latter needs quite a radical EQ curve to sound listenable – despite seemingly flat frequency response –, but with appropriate EQ curve it shines!).
 
On the other hand, with full-size headphones the Mojo may have some strenghts. The HD 800 sounds as good as with the Hugo with the Mojo – maybe a case of special synergy.

Thank you for this.
 
It is normal for me that it not sound like Hugo. On my mind Hugo is a DAC not even an DAC/AMP. 
 
Synergy is normal. You seem liked the HD800 with Hugo. For me it was an horrible crap. Too much treeble on HD800, plus the one on Hugo, I wanted to cut my ears when I heard that...
But Hugo with another warm AMP + HD800 was really better.
The best association I had was with LCD2 Fazor, cause it give to this headphone some treeble and less bass. That was what I want for this headphone!
 
To conclude all is a question of what we want to heard in our ears, what is our favourite sound!
 
Mojo will be for my UM Maverick. I will compare it to my AK120II and will keep one. We will see what I choose!

 

[JaZZ]

The AK120II does have an equalizer built in, no? So why not use that for taming the treble instead of an external amp!? Which will degrade the purity of the Hugo's output signal. Of course the Hugo is a DAC + an amp, just like the Mojo. They just have different tonal balances. I always wonder why people are so inept and exclusively rely on the factory presets of their gear, ending up with searching for synergies – a crude concept considering today's digital equalizers.

 

[phonomat]

I did not want to make this about me, but I'm a Hugo owner myself and, well, I am disappointed by it.

Or perhaps I should say the way it sounds through the Fostex TH900 and, to a lesser degree, the Pioneer SE-Master1 has failed to meet my expectations. Frankly, I have experienced much the same as @zekioflo above me has (although I probably wouldn't talk about "horrible crap"

). Does this lead me to the assumption that either Hugo or the Fostex or the Pioneer will always disappoint? Sure as heck not.
 
I just think that from time to time it can't hurt to remind ourselves that all our opinions are subjective and that we're not doing people who are new here and looking for desperately needed orientation a favour when we are bombarding them with gross hyperbole, be it of a positive or negative nature. That's all. A little IMO, YMMV etc. goes a long way.
 
Everyone is of course responsible for their own buying decisions, but we all know how confusing and frustrating it can be to find the special sound signature you're looking for, and how hard it often is to listen to equipment before buying, which is why others' opinions are of high value. I know it sounds silly, but personally, I think that in that way we all have the responsibility to be careful what we post and be sensible about it. I know how I felt as a noob (which I still am in many respects) and I know what prompted me to make decisions that I ultimately regretted, because frankly, I don't make tons of money, and to spend literally thousands of bucks on something that ultimately sounds meh tlo me sucks big time. (Okay, maybe this IS more about me than I realized.

) Again, as everyone else I too am making my own decisions, and I'm certainly not blaming anyone for them. If there is one thing I learned and consider the only sound advice (pun intended) there is, it would be: Never buy blind! Yeah, most of us know that by now, but not everyone out there does.
 
Anyway, sorry for sounding so preachy, but it's Sunday after all ...
 
It was not my intention to offend anyone with my opinion, and I will now carefully step down from my soapbox and bid you all a good day. My sole point has been proven (matter of pure logic, really), and the fight I never wanted to pick is over, as far as I'm concerned.

 

[zekioflo]

  The AK120II does have an equalizer built in, no? So why not use that for taming the treble instead of an external amp!? Which will degrade the purity of the Hugo's output signal. Of course the Hugo is a DAC + an amp, just like the Mojo. They just have different tonal balances. I always wonder why people are so inept and exclusively rely on the factory presets of their gear, ending up with searching for synergies – a crude concept considering today's digital equalizers.

I want to use Mojo with an smartphone, and Hugo with a Squeezebox Server.
So I will not use the equalizer.
 
Thank you for the link of Rob, quite interresting.
But to be honest I used Hugo with a Stax System so it was impossible for me to not add an AMP. And now I am on speakers so...
And I like the detail of the Hugo, with an AMP we keep that? For me distortion is not a problem, I even love that and that is why, I will probably add a tube amp to my next 2qute!

 

[JaZZ]

You were mentioning the awful sound with Hugo and HD 800. So the immediate (logical!) reaction was to add distortion (?). How do you know that gives you better results than proper equalizing if you're only familiar with the former method? Of yourse one never knows (before one tries).

 

[zekioflo]

  You were mentioning the awful sound with Hugo and HD 800. So the immediate (logical!) reaction was to add distortion (?). How do you know that gives you better results than proper equalizing if you're only familiar with the former method? Of yourse one never knows (before one tries).

I did not try that is right.
But i even not try HD800 with an amp at home, I have tried it later on a meeting. I have just said, with Hugo (without anithing else, no arangement, nothing) and HD800, I dislike this sound and it does not sound great at all FOR ME! That wall all Jazz.
 
After for the technical part, I do not know a lot of things to tune my sound expect adding other components. But just cause I do not search at all.
 
I had few R2R DAC (more expensive) and I have always regreted my Hugo!
The Hugo is for sure a good product for me, and I certainly do not search all improvement possible.

 

[FortisFlyer75]

Walked through the door, and walked right back out again...

 

[Whazzzup]

Head down, TT in hand, usb cable dragging on the floor, got caught in the door, cant leave

 

[zachawry]

I can imagine how other DACs might sound "better" than the Hugo. I don't know, haven't tried. 
 
But for me, the Hugo just sounds "right." It's hard to explain, though I bet others know what I mean. It's not really a question of inferior/superior, or better/worse.
 
The Hugo just sounds...right. I want to say natural, but I realize none of this stuff has anything to do with natural.

 

[Rearwing]

What I find incredible about the Hugo is also its 'rightness', I bought it for a specific purpose (being transportable), but I now find I use it for so much more. I find it pairs well with my Grado Hi F1's as well as my HD600's and sounds sublime with my modded T50RP Mk 3's and my HE500's. I change the headphones depending upon the genre of music, my mood and the style of listening.
 
I find it to be neutral sounding with all my music, but particularly sympathetic to acoustic music, especially music that has 'holes' in it where the silence between notes is as important as the notes played, Sandy Denny sounds as if she is in the room with me when she sings 'Who knows where the time goes', Nick Drake is also immediate and close by, as is anything from Billy Bragg's album 'Tooth and Nail'.
 
Is it the best piece of equipment ever? I doubt it, but, does it do what I want it to do? Yes, by the bucket load! If Chord offered me a TT to audition, I would do so, or not; but only after much soul searching, because I don't have the funds to buy it and I don't need it to allow me to enjoy the music I love.
 
I want to listen to music, not to my equipment. The fragile difference between music that transcends time and music that is only of the moment is too delicate to waste on the race to update; musical nirvana is the product of the soul and should be appreciated as such, without the emphasis on the tool, however brilliant the technology.
 
I'll get my coat........

 

[Whazzzup]

"Is it the best piece of equipment ever? I doubt it, but, does it do what I want it to do? Yes, by the bucket load! If Chord offered me a TT to audition, I would do so, or not; but only after much soul searching, because I don't have the funds to buy it and I don't need it to allow me to enjoy the music I love"

Don't listen to it. You are in a good place you don't need that kind of torment :atsmile:

 

[Rearwing]

"Is it the best piece of equipment ever? I doubt it, but, does it do what I want it to do? Yes, by the bucket load! If Chord offered me a TT to audition, I would do so, or not; but only after much soul searching, because I don't have the funds to buy it and I don't need it to allow me to enjoy the music I love"

Don't listen to it. You are in a good place you don't need that kind of torment

Thanks Whazzup, much appreciated.