Chord Mojo(1) DAC-amp ☆★►FAQ in 3rd post!◄★☆

[chillaxing]

  Before I did a full cycle at the beginning of my ownership I got around 5 hrs. Since I did a full cycle, I measured 8 hrs twice.

 
 
This unit is about a month old but i'll run another full cycle to make sure.

 

[Peter Hyatt]

  I think the reason why people cried snake oil on the Pono is Joe six pack knows who Neil Young is and may have heard about his device. Joe six pack is totally unaware that the Mojo exists. They aren't writing about it in monster truck magazine, or Rolling Stone for that matter. I don't have to hear a Pono to know it sounds great, knowing who designed it. I am certain of this though, everyone who listened to a Pono and could not hear a difference would say the same thing about the more expensive Mojo. But those who could appreciate the quality of the Pono would appreciate the quality of the Mojo.

Point taken.  
 
I was really referring to online magazine reviews for the most part.  There are lots of blogger opinions and I even thought I finally found one dissenter on Mojo but it was more a silly rant about colors.
 
It is just that in doing lots of online research, I had not seen any single product be so universally praised as Mojo.  This surprised me.  I did think there would be at least some magazine reviewer, perhaps hoping for some recognition, that would make the claim against it as some did with Pono.  
 
Another point of the Pono 'snake oil' reviewers:  none touched upon any learning curve for the listener, while talking about the blind testing.    

 

[Starcruncher]

 
I use a Lavricable ... which as far as I know uses an authentication chip pulled from an actual Apple CCK cable (as opposed to some third-party emulation of the authentication chip).
 
It's survived several iOS upgrades without issue (I'm on the latest non-beta release ... 9.3.1), including one that made major changes to CCK support.
 
There's the FiiO L19 as well ... which I think is officially certified, but I've never seen one to know.

 
Thanks mate. He makes good stuff. I have a USB and some cable from him. Looks like I'll have to send him a message soon.

 

[NaiveSound]

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=162042272520&alt=web


Comes with some cables

 

[Sound Eq]

i gotta give it to mojo again, sometimes from life and its daily troubles, there is nothing that can calm you down besides a great dac/amp and a great headphone or iem and listen to songs that can help you forget abit about life and its worries, enjoying now my mojo setup 
 
thanks Rob and chord for this amazing device

 

[catoval55]

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=162042272520&alt=web


Comes with some cables

93.3 % feedback rating is asking for trouble. 99.9% and higher is my standard when buying on ebay. to each his/her own.

 

[shultzee]

 

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=162042272520&alt=web


Comes with some cables

93.3 % feedback rating is asking for trouble. 99.9% and higher is my standard when buying on ebay. to each his/her own.

Agreed,   I wouldn't mess with a 93% seller.

 

[raelamb]

 
While a nice USB cable can't fix any issues introduced by the CCK, it will, at least, not make things worse!
 
Just make sure whatever you buy is very flexible!  I have a set of the AudioQuest Cinnamon USB cables and they're all way too stiff for use anywhere but on a desktop, and that's regardless of whether they have the woven or plastic jacketing.
 
Personally I prefer to use one of the cables that includes a "ripped from a CCK cable" chip.  It winds up being about the same cost as a CCK + good USB cable, is much neater and, if you order it a bit longer than the standard ones, you'll have no issues with stress on the Mojo's USB connector or the iPhone's lightning connector.

Damn...I must be the only one who has this problem. I have both the Filo and lavricable and I find both are extremely "wonky" in terms of negotiating the "handshake" with my ipod touch and have just gone back to using the CCK. I'm constantly having to shut down the Touch and reset it when using these 2 cables. I just gave up.

 

[NaiveSound]

Agreed,   I wouldn't mess with a 93% seller.

But what made a negative feedback on the seller?

 

[Peter Hyatt]

 
Agreed,   I wouldn't mess with a 93% seller.

Agreed.
 
Plus, why not just get it new for the same price?   

 

[brent75]

Damn you guys and this temptress of a thread. I'm seduced by it daily.
 
Here's my dilemma: I dropped $700 on the OPPO-PM3 and HA-2 (via Amazon) a month ago. My intent was to use that combo as "the one" for all my uses. That includes nightly walks of the dogs in the neighborhood with my iPhone 5s + Onkyo HF Player...occasional music sessions on the couch via my laptop...and every once in a while on airplanes. I thought it sounded good for sure, but didn't knock my socks off. I'm not sure what my "bar" was for having spent $700, but I felt overall it was kind of boring...I missed some low-end...and I didn't feel the "smile on my face" descriptor I've read so many times on this thread.
 
So I sent back the OPPOs within my 30-day window, and now I'm gonna have about $700 of Amazon credit to play with. Separate than the $700 credit I decided to order/audition the V-MODA Crossfade M-100s --- those may solve my need for a more exciting can while out on walks. They show up tomorrow. But I'm still gonna have $700 in credits to play with.
 
I now find myself debating the Mojo vs a DAP. (and then of course I'll need to look at an open-backed pair of headphones to complement whichever closed pair I end up with)
 
Mojo

1. Nearly unanimous positive reviews about how amazing it sounds
2. Vouched for by everyone on here
3. Can double up as a DAC/AMP when using laptop at home
4. Extra nice because I don't really want an amp at home that requires to be plugged in -- I literally just grab my laptop from upstairs and run it down when I listen to music
5. Theoretically should be all I need, so I can just focus on finding the right pair of headphones
6. Doesn't require me to learn and fiddle with a new OS (I've been using Apple products for 15+ years now)

 

DAP

1. Still an improvement over phone/laptop sound quality
2. Maybe enough of an improvement for me? (I wasn't bowled over by the HA-2 for $300...so my fear is I also wouldn't be bowled over by something twice as expensive)
3. Allows me to save on battery drain of phone by not using it as a player
4. Enormous upgrade in storage space -- I'm severely limited by 32GB iPhone storage
5. Could theoretically get a cheaper DAP (e.g. Cowon Plenue D for under $300) and then have $400ish left over for headphones

 
My Questions

1. Will Mojo make pretty much any headphone sound better? (e.g. let's say I like the V-Modas...will this improve even those?) Or is Mojo really only best suited for certain types of headphones?
2. Are there open-backed ones in the $300 - $500 range that really respond to Mojo? (e.g. Hifiman 400s, Fidelio X2, Sennheiser 600 or 650...)

 
What say you?

 

[warrior1975]

If you get the Mojo you will have a stack. Only real drawback for me. I love my mojo, but I have a DAP too. If I had to chose, it'd be Mojo. There is just something about it that I love.

 

[brent75]

If you get the Mojo you will have a stack. Only real drawback for me. I love my mojo, but I have a DAP too. If I had to chose, it'd be Mojo. There is just something about it that I love.

Yeah, forgot to mention that. I didn't necessarily hate the stack of iPhone/HA-2 I was forced to walk around with. But I had to always hold it vs putting it in my pocket. With the Mojo's funky shape, I'm not sure if it'll be even less "portable friendly" than the strapped stack I had (also factoring in the fact that you have to add the CCK).

 

[Xacxac]

$600 source paired with $100 head/ear phone = poor Mojo.

I'd say 400s, but then the budget would be $600+$300.
Or if Mojo shape isn't fine, I'd say Fiio X7. Search previous posts & X7 thread for sound differences between them.

My personal choice: keep the Oppo PM and get Mojo. Pair them with your iPhone. Done. I'd avoid open-back for flight listening session. I'd throw you from the plane if you sat beside me with open-back.

I agree with xRelicx opinion below. VModa is very colored for my taste.

 

[x RELIC x]

Damn you guys and this temptress of a thread. I'm seduced by it daily.

Here's my dilemma: I dropped $700 on the OPPO-PM3 and HA-2 (via Amazon) a month ago. My intent was to use that combo as "the one" for all my uses. That includes nightly walks of the dogs in the neighborhood with my iPhone 5s + Onkyo HF Player...occasional music sessions on the couch via my laptop...and every once in a while on airplanes. I thought it sounded good for sure, but didn't knock my socks off. I'm not sure what my "bar" was for having spent $700, but I felt overall it was kind of boring...I missed some low-end...and I didn't feel the "smile on my face" descriptor I've read so many times on this thread.

So I sent back the OPPOs within my 30-day window, and now I'm gonna have about $700 of Amazon credit to play with. Separate than the $700 credit I decided to order/audition the V-MODA Crossfade M-100s --- those may solve my need for a more exciting can while out on walks. They show up tomorrow. But I'm still gonna have $700 in credits to play with.

I now find myself debating the Mojo vs a DAP. (and then of course I'll need to look at an open-backed pair of headphones to complement whichever closed pair I end up with)

Mojo

• Nearly unanimous positive reviews about how amazing it sounds
• Vouched for by everyone on here
• Can double up as a DAC/AMP when using laptop at home
• Extra nice because I don't really want an amp at home that requires to be plugged in -- I literally just grab my laptop from upstairs and run it down when I listen to music
• Theoretically should be all I need, so I can just focus on finding the right pair of headphones
• Doesn't require me to learn and fiddle with a new OS (I've been using Apple products for 15+ years now)

DAP

• Still an improvement over phone/laptop sound quality
• Maybe enough of an improvement for me? (I wasn't bowled over by the HA-2 for $300...so my fear is I also wouldn't be bowled over by something twice as expensive)
• Allows me to save on battery drain of phone by not using it as a player
• Enormous upgrade in storage space -- I'm severely limited by 32GB iPhone storage
• Could theoretically get a cheaper DAP (e.g. Cowon Plenue D for under $300) and then have $400ish left over for headphones

My Questions

• Will Mojo make pretty much any headphone sound better? (e.g. let's say I like the V-Modas...will this improve even those?) Or is Mojo really only best suited for certain types of headphones?
• Are there open-backed ones in the $300 - $500 range that really respond to Mojo? (e.g. Hifiman 400s, Fidelio X2, Sennheiser 600 or 650...)

What say you?

My 2 cents...

The Mojo will sound better than 95% of the DAPs out there, and 100% within the same price range. In technical ability it will shatter them, but there is personal preferences at play here. The trouble is being able to demo something that 'clicks' with you. For example, many users like the FiiO X7 but I found it too 'holographic' too 'forced'. All the detail was brought out to the forefront and didn't sound as natural as the Mojo. The Mojo has a natural depth and soundstage while bringing out all the detail. Soft sounds sound soft and hard sounds sound hard, again, more natural. For my money I'd go for the Mojo.

Personally I find the V-Moda M-100 to be WAY too bass heavy with not much magic in the mid range and I find them very uncomfortable for any length of time (with the XL pads as well). Not recommended as they will pretty much colour everything. They can be a fun headphone, sure, but that's about it IMO. Others are welcome to disagree. I found the Mojo to make them slightly better, but not to any degree that I'd recommend them at this level.

I haven't heard many headphones in the $300-$500 range (I skipped to the $1K+ range) but from what I've read the PM-3 was already a good choice and the PM-2 would be a better choice. I feel that from what you describe that the HA-2 may have been the limiting factor for what you were looking for.

Edit: The Audeze Sine is getting some praise and it's within your price range. You should look in to them.