[Mython]

Mython, your level of audio knowledge and understanding is different gravy to me. My views are pretty much this... take a random guy in his late 20's off the street and give him gear to A/B for an opinion. I can do that, but with a higher degree of listening for the small nuances compared to average joe. I can relay a bit more accurately what I hear, compared to average people who are not into audio, purely because I've got into the hobby and had help.

Crosstalk etc is above my understanding unfortunately right now and its effects. Just not seasoned enough...

Chalk me upto advanced layman level haha

 
I know just enough to make me dangerous - any more would be irresponsible!

 

[Mython]

Could it be? Could it really be??
 
Is this how Adam (and therefore, Mankind) was bestowed with his 'God-given' Mojo?

 

 

[Nirvana1000]

In my opinion, no. Some people like to use portable amps with bass boost etc, but I think Mojo is just fine as is.

+1

 

[nmatheis]

Chord Mojo is the official nmatheis Find Of The Year for 2016 in the Portable DAC/AMP category!




My transport of choice so far is the ultra-portable Shanling M1, which was my Find Of The Year entry-level DAP.

 

[karmazynowy]

  Quick questions for the Mojo owners, as I'm considering buying:
 
1) Do any of you feel the Mojo is more than just a DAC for your mobile setup and use it for your hi-fi setup?
 
2) Is the size/bulk problematic? I'm comparing it to the Oppo HA-2SE, which is my other option. 
 
I've listened to both the Mojo and Oppo through a tube amp with Senn HD800s and am trying to make a decision. Any thoughts/suggestions are most appreciated. 

 
I use mojo everywhere except portable. It feeds my main stereo system in livingroom , stax system at desk and occasionally at work I use it with my closed back headphones. I think its very good at this, but you have to think about battery and remember to charge it (everyday in my case).

 

[miketlse]

  Quick questions for the Mojo owners, as I'm considering buying:
 
1) Do any of you feel the Mojo is more than just a DAC for your mobile setup and use it for your hi-fi setup? Yes, I use it mainly in desktop mode, to feed either headphones or my amplifier/speakers.
 
2) Is the size/bulk problematic? I'm comparing it to the Oppo HA-2SE, which is my other option. In an ideal world, I would like the Mojo in the Oppo sized case for mobile use, but the Mojo case is ok for desktop use.
 
I've listened to both the Mojo and Oppo through a tube amp with Senn HD800s and am trying to make a decision. Any thoughts/suggestions are most appreciated. The Mojo can drive the HD800s on its own, so why are you adding a tube amp into the chain?

 

[JaZZ]

  One thing that few Head-fiers seem to consider, when discussing different subjective soundstage widths of amps, is crosstalk. It may be Mojos substantial (relative) lack of crosstalk that may contribute to it's intimate presentation - Rob's design is quite unusual in the directness and purity of the signal path from digital through to analogue headphone output.
...
In any case, there seems to be an assumption, in the Head-fi community, that unless an amp has a specific 'cross-feed' function specified on the box, and user-switchable, then very little cross-germination between channels may be occurring, or contributing to the overall subjective soundscape. I suspect this may be a significant oversight.
 
It's just one more facet to consider, when adding devices to a playback chain.

 
I just added –60 dB of crosstalk to a Wave track. It had absolutely no audible tonal effect to my ears – maybe a tiny bit of air and width was lacking, but it could have been imagined. In any event neither the characteristic nor the intensity of the sonic impact from an amplifier.
 
I recall Rob Watts stating that crosstalk be negligible as long as it's frequency-neutral. Also, turntable pick-ups produce crosstalk a few magnitudes higher than the crosstalk occuring in typical contemporary amplifiers: around -35 dB at low frequencies and down to -15 dB at high frequencies.
 
So I think the sonic characteristics shown by amplifiers are mainly caused by harmonic distortion – but there may be other causes as well.
 

Crosstalk etc is above my understanding unfortunately right now and its effects. Just not seasoned enough...

 
Crosstalk is sound leaking from one channel to the other (= imperfect channel separation). Crossfeed is a tool for preventing one-sided low-frequency tones (roughly spoken) which are contained in most recordings made for speakers. Heard through headphones, they may cause irritation because in real life bass tones just in one ear aren't possible. So crossfeed creates crosstalk exclusively at low frequencies up to mono.

 

[miketlse]

Chord Mojo is the official @nmatheis Find Of The Year for 2016 in the Portable DAC/AMP category!




My transport of choice so far is the ultra-portable Shanling M1, which was my Find Of The Year entry-level DAP.

I only differ with you, by adding my Find Of The Year for IEMs, which are the AK 8TIe Mk2, which have great synergy with the Mojo.

 

[nmatheis]

I only differ with you, by adding my Find Of The Year for IEMs, which are the AK 8TIe Mk2, which have great synergy with the Mojo.

Oh nice. I'm still pondering which IEMs I'll crown. I've tried many, so I'm thinking I'll break that out over low, mid, and upper tier IEM...

 

[jwbrent]

Oh nice. I'm still pondering which IEMs I'll crown. I've tried many, so I'm thinking I'll break that out over low, mid, and upper tier IEM...

I just purchased the brand new JVC HA-FW01 woodies and they sound excellent with the Mojo.

 

[skhan007]

I've listened to both the Mojo and Oppo through a tube amp with Senn HD800s and am trying to make a decision. Any thoughts/suggestions are most appreciated. The Mojo can drive the HD800s on its own, so why are you adding a tube amp into the chain?

You know, that is a great question. I don't know! I was at a hi-fi shop meet and that seemed to be the "right" thing to do. I can totally see using the Mojo on its own for mobile use, but I suppose for home listening, I would not necessarily require a tube amp. Guess I never really thought about it. I'm new here and just acclimating to things, so as I'm getting ready to purchase my HD800's (hopefully in the next couple of days), I just was thinking a "proper" home set up would require me to have digital source (iPhone/iPod/Mac)-->DAC---> Amp---> Cans. So you're suggesting perhaps I don't need an amp? That would certainly save me some coin!!

 

[miketlse]

  You know, that is a great question. I don't know! I was at a hi-fi shop meet and that seemed to be the "right" thing to do. I can totally see using the Mojo on its own for mobile use, but I suppose for home listening, I would not necessarily require a tube amp. Guess I never really thought about it. I'm new here and just acclimating to things, so as I'm getting ready to purchase my HD800's (hopefully in the next couple of days), I just was thinking a "proper" home set up would require me to have digital source (iPhone/iPod/Mac)-->DAC---> Amp---> Cans. So you're suggesting perhaps I don't need an amp? That would certainly save me some coin!!

 
The Mojo headphone output is effectively taken straight from the DAC output, there is no amplifier section in between, in order to ensure low impedance (and so no damping of music transients) plus great transparency. lf you add any amplifier in between the Mojo and your headphones, you compromise the impedance and damping, so it is best to avoid adding an amplifier for easy to drive headphones. There are a few headphones which are more difficult to drive, which can benefit from an amplifier. Those lucky owners of electrostatic headphones have no option, they do need the amplifier developed specially to partner their headphones.
 
There are many Mojo owners who happily drive HD800's without a separate amplifier, example http://www.head-fi.org/t/784602/chord-mojo-dac-amp-faq-in-3rd-post/28005#post_13128067 
It is also true that some owners do prefer an amp, for example http://www.head-fi.org/t/784602/chord-mojo-dac-amp-faq-in-3rd-post/28005#post_13128416
 
You already have tried the Mojo and HD800s together, and enjoyed the result. In the short-term you can easily live with that pairing - and after a few months you can make an informed decision as to whether you are still happy, or want to investigate adding an amp into the chain. This would also allow you to hold on to some of your money for a few months longer.

 

[skhan007]

   
The Mojo headphone output is effectively taken straight from the DAC output, there is no amplifier section in between, in order to ensure low impedance (and so no damping of music transients) plus great transparency. lf you add any amplifier in between the Mojo and your headphones, you compromise the impedance and damping, so it is best to avoid adding an amplifier for easy to drive headphones. There are a few headphones which are more difficult to drive, which can benefit from an amplifier. Those lucky owners of electrostatic headphones have no option, they do need the amplifier developed specially to partner their headphones.
 
There are many Mojo owners who happily drive HD800's without a separate amplifier, example http://www.head-fi.org/t/784602/chord-mojo-dac-amp-faq-in-3rd-post/28005#post_13128067 
It is also true that some owners do prefer an amp, for example http://www.head-fi.org/t/784602/chord-mojo-dac-amp-faq-in-3rd-post/28005#post_13128416
 
You already have tried the Mojo and HD800s together, and enjoyed the result. In the short-term you can easily live with that pairing - and after a few months you can make an informed decision as to whether you are still happy, or want to investigate adding an amp into the chain. This would also allow you to hold on to some of your money for a few months longer.

Brilliant suggestions and thank you for the insight! Much appreciated. 

 

[miketlse]

Oh nice. I'm still pondering which IEMs I'll crown. I've tried many, so I'm thinking I'll break that out over low, mid, and upper tier IEM...

Doing it that way, will help it to be useful/interesting for the largest number of members.

 

[boris65]

i have hd800s and use them with mojo fiio e12 around a half year very very happy