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

[Music Alchemist]

Can I use the Chord Mojo just as a DAC, and connect it to an Arcam rhead amp? And how would I do this if possible?

 
Yes. Just turn on the Mojo while holding both volume buttons at the same time to set the volume to line level, then connect a cable (it can be an adapter too) from the headphone output of the Mojo to your amp. It needs to be 1/8" on one end and whichever connection you need for your amp on the other. You can also change the volume on the Mojo to whatever you want after that if need be.

 

[ReneTS]

   
Yes. Just turn on the Mojo while holding both volume buttons at the same time to set the volume to line level, then connect a cable (it can be an adapter too) from the headphone output of the Mojo to your amp. It needs to be 1/8" on one end and whichever connection you need for your amp on the other. You can also change the volume on the Mojo to whatever you want after that if need be.

Sounds good Thank you very much for the help.

 

[Chikolad]

The reduced width to the soundstage does get mentioned by users. Rob Watts explains it using a visual analogy - previously your dac/amps were providing you with an image that was slightly out of focus. If you look at objects, but let them become out of focus they become blurred and appear to become wider. Once you regain focus, the width is reduced, but you can perceive the distance/depth better. In audio terms, the Mojo brings the soundstage into focus, and reduces its width, but increases the depth to the soundstage, enabling you to better locate the musicians on the stage.

 
I think that's part of the reason. Using my LCD-3F and comparing between the Mojo and Geek Pulse (vanilla), the Pulse has the wider soundstage but indeed the Mojo feels more cohesive and solid.
But I also think it's a matter of presentation. I think the Mojo has a more intimate presentation that brings you closer to the stage.
Having said all that, I'm listening to the LCDs straight out of the Mojo's headphone jack and the Pulse is feeding a Burson Soloist, so it's not apples to apples and it just might be (and I'm quite certain) that the Mojo doesn't drive the LCDs well enough.
The only 3.5mm to 2RCA cable I currently have is one from Radioshack and connecting the Mojo to the Soloist with it didn't sound good at all.
I got a more decent one (QED) en route my way and then I will be able to compare DAC to DAC properly.

 

[maxh22]

many thanks max. between intona and high quality optical cable which would you go for with an imac 512gb ssd 27 inch? cheers mk

I tested sources a few weeks ago and found that Mojo sounds better with cleaner optical sources. The optical port from my gaming computer sounds half decent (Poor but somewhat listable) with my lifeatec glass cable, it sounds pretty good but still a bit hazy when I installed an Asus Xonar sound card ($20) and sounded the best (Excellent) from the Oppo Blueray player. I don't know how good the iMac will sound but it's worth buying an optical cable and trying it out.

Intona => Oppo toslink out, so in the end I would still recommend you purchase the Intona since I know you've been on the fence for some time now

Just a note; when I had the Hugo, I found it to be less source dependent than Mojo with regards to the optical input.

 

[Deftone]

Spent some time with the mojo today. By itself and connected to my iPhone it was ok. Clean for sure and great black background but it didn't drive my eikons very well. The soundstage was much smaller than usual and bass wasn't as prominent by a large margin. This is all In comparison to my darkvoice and my peachtree DACIT. I connected iPhone, mojo to darkvoice and had similar soundstage issues So I decided to try and connect directly to my laptop and after downloading the driver I was up and running, I didn't see any point in not connecting my darkvoice since it's my desktop amp and if I've got my laptop out then might as well use it. Connecting to the laptop brought the soundstage I'm use to back but a tad smaller. The added cleanliness and black background was there and I think it digs deeper than my dac it. After listening to my normal list of review music I had some concerns. the very familiar list of vocal and instrumental music I was listening to just wasn't as euphoric as I was use to. The highs of the winy violin were too bright and forward and lacked the sweetness and sometimes caressing nature I love to engulf myself in. Similar things were happening with the vocals. I decided to do some back and forth between dacs and after a while I was able to better understand what was going on. While my DACIT probably isn't as technically good in the distortion and noise floor area, It seemed to be more forward but softer in the attack and maybe a little slower on the decay. This makes it seem more like the type of music I'm listening to is singing to me which I adore. Also the soundstage and body all together was bigger and better than the mojo. I like to look at both sides of the story however and definitely give the mojo the win when it comes to visualizing and sense of more real vocals. I mainly bought the mojo so I could be more portable with my eikons and maybe take them upstairs to bed with me if I wanted to but it didn't quite drive them good enough by itself and rather irritated me a bit. granted there were a couple of times I preferred the mojo presentation with my desktop rig but there were too many times I wasn't enjoying the songs I listen to most. i believe the mojo by itself would work AMAZIMG with easier to drive cans that were made to be more portable. I decided to try on my wife's p7 and it really brought them to life. My two amps give them way more everything than they need and causes them to go places they weren't meant to go and they get very fatiguing when I do so. With the mojo, they meld very well. I've tried it with the mrspeakers aeon and while it drove them well I think the Aeon can scale up more than what the mojo can give. However the AEON with the Hugo2 was probably my most favorite thing to listen to at canjam this year. Soooooop good. I'd like to hear some good iems, lower impedance beyers, some grados and b&w p9 with the mojo. But for now, I think the mojo is going back so I can save for a hugo2.

 
sounds like you have 'off the shelf dac chip syndrome'
 
nah im just joking, its good to read views from the other side of the fence. mojo wont be for everyone, for example i noticed some users dont like the speed of mojo but for me its more amazing and also some dont like the tighter leaner bass they want fatter heavier bass.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  mojo wont be for everyone, for example i noticed some users dont like the speed of mojo but for me its more amazing and also some dont like the tighter leaner bass they want fatter heavier bass.

 
It also confuses me when people say the Mojo sounds too slow.

 

[Deftone]

  apart from the positive benefits of the intona when using it with a mojo/hugo does it in any way change the sound signature or add anything artificial to the final sound. hugo/mojo are very finely tuned and so i once read the intona can add a veil to the sound even though the isolation benefits are great. cheers mk
 
another thing that just came to mind, if your using an intona would the fact that the mojo or hugo is plugged in and charging effectively cancel the beneficial effects of the intona. this because the plugged in charger comes after the intona? same goes for using optical in this way?

 
I dont want this to go OT and end up in sound science 
 
I have noticed people really like the intona but the measurements are very poor for its price, i think the noise floor is almost identical to the standard motherboard usb output? id have to hear one for myself of course.
 
Here are the measurements i found so i think if the mojo was to benifit from a USB cleaning device at that price wouldnt it be better to use the iUSB3?
 
PC Motherboard USB output
 

Intona
 

iFi iUSB 3.0 Micro
 

If the ifi didnt reclock id really think about adding one to my set up because of the impressive noise floor.

 

[Deftone]

   
It also confuses me when people say the Mojo sounds too slow.

 
i havent noticed that lol but definitely conflicting views, maybe its the headphones that are slow?

 

[Music Alchemist]

  i havent noticed that lol but definitely conflicting views, maybe its the headphones that are slow?

 
I meant compared to other DACs/amps with the same headphones. But these are just others' comments, not mine. I love the transients (etc.) on the Mojo.

 

[WayTooCrazy]

   
I meant compared to other DACs/amps with the same headphones. But these are just others' comments, not mine. I love the transients (etc.) on the Mojo.

Maybe it is a synergy thing with the headphones they have?

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Maybe it is a synergy thing with the headphones they have?

 
I can attest to that, because I bought a Schiit Fulla again to use with the same headphone. (Yamaha HPH-MT220) Although it's more exciting in some ways than the Mojo (at least with that headphone), it hurts my ears too much, and the overall sound quality is not so good in comparison. There's always a compromise, I guess. That's the only headphone I (sometimes) prefer with the Fulla instead of the Mojo.

 

[DoctaCosmos]

I respect what the mojo does and before I bought it I was enamored with what it brought to the table as I know too well that headphone listening can be fatiguing and that getting timing right was a large piece of the puzzle. I had to adjust to the sound as at first. it didn't seem as detailed but that wasn't the case. Sometimes I was hearing more. Its WHERE the details were placed that I had to adjust to. There really is more depth and the details are where they naturally should be if you were in a live situation. It makes it much more cinematic visually, but it's those little details in the back that a lot of the resonances and harmonics that I like to bath myself in lie. When I was listening to the Hugo2 however, They didn't seem to be as hard to find and in fact seemed to be more up front. It makes sense too. Being that the mojo doesn't falsely present details do to perfect timing how could you make the sound better? personally, I'd relax the large dynamics so that the image appeared to be set back a little further thus also making it seem larger. with this seemingly larger canvas, the smaller dynamics and details would be more prominent and seem like a better sound. That's what I heard with the Hugo2 Hugo tt and Dave.

 

[Deftone]

   
I meant compared to other DACs/amps with the same headphones. But these are just others' comments, not mine. I love the transients (etc.) on the Mojo.

 
I see what you mean, i have had my mojo since release week so im fully brain burned in by now and i find it hard to adjust to another sound. the best way i can describe listening to other gear iv tested during this time is flat and dull. It will be very interesting to see what happens when compare mojo and hugo 2 head to head.

 

[Deftone]

I respect what the mojo does and before I bought it I was enamored with what it brought to the table as I know too well that headphone listening can be fatiguing and that getting timing right was a large piece of the puzzle. I had to adjust to the sound as at first. it didn't seem as detailed but that wasn't the case. Sometimes I was hearing more. Its WHERE the details were placed that I had to adjust to. There really is more depth and the details are where they naturally should be if you were in a live situation. It makes it much more cinematic visually, but it's those little details in the back that a lot of the resonances and harmonics that I like to bath myself in lie. When I was listening to the Hugo2 however, They didn't seem to be as hard to find and in fact seemed to be more up front. It makes sense too. Being that the mojo doesn't falsely present details do to perfect timing how could you make the sound better? personally, I'd relax the large dynamics so that the image appeared to be set back a little further thus also making it seem larger. with this seemingly larger canvas, the smaller dynamics and details would be more prominent and seem like a better sound. That's what I heard with the Hugo2 Hugo tt and Dave.

 
I think you would really like the iDSD black label, it has this slow reverb effect on all instruments it makes them sound like they linger for a lot longer and it has "detail" there too. its not slow but definitely euphoric sounding. 

 

[DoctaCosmos]

What about Hugo2. Have you heard it?