[Angular Mo]

@bikutoru,
Thank you for sharing your experience, I have a few airport expresses and the original Apple TV...... I just have not yet bothered to connect my Mojo to one of them.

I wonder if this toslink-via-AirPlay would be superior to USB, since Mr Watts has suggested optical is preferred....

I bought a portable SoundMate M1 AirPlay receiver which I hope to power with a battery.

 

[stevemiddie]

Guys let us stop polluting the Mojo thread with NaiveSound's quest for something he doesn't Know exists.

As I told him before, his disappointment is unrelated to the Mojo, no portable source will satisfy him with the 846.

The 846 is not the best if you want an airy, spacious and layered soundstage. The 846 is good for bass quality and engaging mids. If you want an airy spacious stage, check the Layla, Roxannes, or maybe the Tralucent iems, or maybe look at the 1964 Adel.

But please NaiveSound, stop polluting this thread already, it is hard enough following it as it is.

 
Agreed. Although I believe he already tried the Angie's (or the Roxanne's....I forget) and sent them back the same day.
 
@ NaiveSound..........go with headphones coz I doubt any IEM is gonna satisfy you. 

 

[christrz]

 
There are only two times where synergy really matters:
 
1. the source, DAC, or amp uses valves, and has high levels of distortion. (This goes for certain NOS DACs as well.)
2. you're not looking for the best possible sound, but for a certain sound.

If it's the first, it won't matter: Mojo is solid state. If the second, Mojo won't matter as it is 100% capable with every IEM on the planet, and in many metrics, is the best or 2nd best performing DAC/amp out there. So, for it to have or not have synergy with an earphone would mean that the product you're looking for has worse objective sound quality. In which case, I can suggest about a hundred DACs/amps with more or better synergy. Synergy with earphones depends on only three things: personal preferences (which have nothing at all to do with objective sound quality), sufficiently low enough output impedance, high current. It can fail the last two and still have synergy for you, but that synergy is predicated on BAD sound quality. 

Mojo plays perfectly well with TG334 and MH334. But it plays perfectly well with all earphones. Again, if you want worse SQ, just ask. The options are myriad.

I believe that SQ is contributed both by the objective quality of sound, and subjective qualities of the sound (the preference of the user, the tonal characteristics of the dac, the width/depth of the stage, etc). And in that sense, synergy is - in my opinion - a very important part in the deriving satisfaction and enjoyment from the equipment and music! To say that something has good sound quality, but subjectively sounds bad doesn't really hold meaning for me. The 'best possible sound' is a combination of objective and subjective excellence. 
 
Not trying to pick a fight here, but I would just like to point out that it cannot be said that just because the Mojo is objectively excellent, synergy does not matter in the quest for the best possible sound. 

 

[GreenBow]

 
Experiencing it every day after work and lots of hours on weekends!
 
All AirPlay does delivers your source file or streaming from a mac/iDevice to a AppleTV, AirportExpress, that in its turn sends optical to Mojo and Mojo to your amp.
If your source is good Mojo is just as good as your ears and brain.
In my case I noticed that all of a sudden I can listen to music that never sounded good on speakers, but only on headphones. Mojo does that!
I always enjoyed my system before Mojo, now it is just even more subtle. Another thing - that at night I can lower the volume to barely audible and still enjoy it, details are still there and presentation is impecable.
Some people try to find Mojo's faults, saying we, that say it is really good are crazy. No Mojo is not perfect in terms of your preference to inputs, outputs, size, power, etc. etc. Nothing is perfect, but it is close to perfection when it comes to making good digital source sound like life music for that I bow to its creators.

 
That is absolutely a quality of the Mojo for me over my previous DAC the Meridian Explorer. The ME was great and with the right music and recording could be so emotive. However there was sometimes the temptation to want to nudge up the volume.

 

[CareyPrice31]

Is RF noise normal for Chord Mojo when using with a phone?

 

[bikutoru]

..
I wonder if this toslink-via-AirPlay would be superior to USB, since Mr Watts has suggested optical is preferred....

 
If you can hear the difference between optical and USB or even care about it - I cannot really help here.
There a plenty of people here with that and other cable 'expertise'
 
I'm just too busy enjoying the Music 

 

 

[CareyPrice31]

The Chord Mojo picks up RFI noise from a phone even when a foot away.

Is this normal - isn't the Mojo supposed to be a mobile product made for phones?

I even tried using a ferrit lightning cable.

 

[Angular Mo]

@bikutoru,
SQ is not the only criterion, though the most important, but the convenience of an untethered iPhone is useful to me. I also prefer to avoid plugging into the Lightning connector as it causes stress on the device.

I can listen to music and do a bunch of other things too.

 

[bikutoru]

Is RF noise normal for Chord Mojo when using with a phone?

I do not believe RF noise can be considered normal with Mojo or anything else for that reason. For that I was called a troll! I still stand by my believe and just refuse to use anything with noise in the chain with any music playing at an acceptable loud volume set.
 
I'd rather accept it is defective then that this is normal.
Yes, all of my headphone equipment is noise free even with volume maxed out. My main system, if I max the volume and put my ear to my speakers, there is a trace of 'ambient' noise. Now a big BUT here - if I'd start any audio signal at that volume. Most likely it would blow out the speakers and most likely destroy something else in the house not just my eardrums.

 

[bikutoru]

@bikutoru,
Not just SQ, but the convenience of an untethered iPhone is useful to me. I also prefer to avoid plugging into the Lightning connector as it causes stress on the device.

exactly the reason I prefer optical whenever I can

 

[CareyPrice31]

I do not believe RF noise can be considered normal with Mojo or anything else for that reason. For that I was called a troll! I still stand by my believe and just refuse to use anything with noise in the chain with any music playing at an acceptable loud volume set.

I'd rather accept it is defective then that this is normal.
Yes, all of my headphone equipment is noise free even with volume maxed out. My main system, if I max the volume and put my ear to my speakers, there is a trace of 'ambient' noise. Now a big BUT here - if I'd start any audio signal at that volume. Most likely it would blow out the speakers and most likely destroy something else in the house not just my eardrums.

Read my post, don't just reply.

I'm referring to the RFI (radio frequency) noises an iPhone emits that the Mojo picks up. Chord acknowledges this to be an issue.

I don't have noise with other things. Just my iPhone because of its RFI.

 

[CareyPrice31]

 
I do not believe RF noise can be considered normal with Mojo or anything else for that reason. For that I was called a troll! I still stand by my believe and just refuse to use anything with noise in the chain with any music playing at an acceptable loud volume set.
 
I'd rather accept it is defective then that this is normal.
Yes, all of my headphone equipment is noise free even with volume maxed out. My main system, if I max the volume and put my ear to my speakers, there is a trace of 'ambient' noise. Now a big BUT here - if I'd start any audio signal at that volume. Most likely it would blow out the speakers and most likely destroy something else in the house not just my eardrums.

 
Also: have you even tried using an iPhone connected via CCK or shorter lightning before claiming that their is no RF noise?
 
Even Chord acknowledges this.

 

[CareyPrice31]

  To eliminate the RF and signal correlated noise on USB you need galvanic isolation. The downside to galvanic isolation is that it draws power from the source - which is not something we can do with a mobile product. All Chord desktop DAC's have USB galvanic isolation now.
 
That said, mobile sources are much lower noise - they have very efficient processors, unlike a PC, and there is no ground, so circulating currents are much less, so it is a much smaller problem with mobile. If you can do it, use the optical, as this usually sounds the best and is completely isolated. Optical has a undeservedly poor reputation, as it sounds much smoother and darker than other inputs, and this is just a feature of lower noise floor modulation - its smoother with better instrument separation and focus - but lack of glare is often confused with a lack of detail resolution. Listening tests must be done with a lot of care, as it is easy to draw the wrong conclusions!
 
Rob

Can you explain to me why the Chord Mojo has such big problems with RF noises when used with an iPhone?
 
Isn't this supposed to be a product made for "Mobile"?

 

[bavinck]

Oh man, there are some grumpy and abrasive people on this thread. Usually I find headfi friendly and happy, some of you guys are definitely not in that category.......

 

[shuto77]

Dude just remember not to get sucked in to hard. Chasing that last 5% is ridiculous. You can spend so much money on this hobby, but in the end its all about the music. Try to enjoy it and not over analyze. It will steal your soul. Seriously.

+1!!!

This is great advice.

Everyone needs to consider the laws of diminishing returns, and know something like the Mojo will bring you 80-90% there compared to a $10,000 system.

A few months ago, the Oppo HA-2 hit that price/performance sweet spot. Now I'm trying to figure out if paying double is going to get me an extra 10% there.

Most of you know this already, but I think it's always worth mentioning when someone has a categorically, undeniably, great setup, and is still unhappy.