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

[BryceS]

Of course it’s best to you - your ears may be so wonkily grown that you hear things completely different from normal people so any “objective” measurements would be totally useless in your case.

That is certainly possible !

I do genuinely have trouble hearing sounds forward of me in the soundstage through headphones, even with specific video/sound tests to demonstrate it, the sound will start beside me, then move in and a little to the front but the sound that should be central and further forward again is simply central and no further forward. If anything even normal stereo music through decent headphones sounds very slightly rearward of dead in the middle of my head.

Perhaps I should take up speakers but the wife would not be so thrilled with that !

Maybe I just need to invest in better measuring gear that will make the sound stage a foot deeper ??

 

[AnalogEuphoria]

Exactly !

I really don’t get the guys that chase the best measuring gear, you listen music with it you don’t read the spec sheet. There is probably a legitimate reason for such gear if listening professionally to create music but that doesn’t mean it is “best” by default for enjoying music.

I have an original Mojo and love it, I haven’t even bothered to listen to a Mojo 2 since I simply don’t care if it is technically better. The descriptions of sound being cleaner, sharper, crisper and more finely detailed are not what I enjoy. Frankly I also won’t buy it on principle with the idiotic implementation of the USB-C plug combined with one rubber foot and sticking to Micro USB in 2022 to connect to an ageing and problematic streamer that only a small part of the Mojo 2 market is even interested in !

I like iFi GTO on my Gryphon and Diablo and, heaven forbid, I also like the sound of Tidal MQA.

I like my Schiit Multibit DAC and have a cheap PCM-56 based R2R DAC ordered from AliExpress, I’ve been told they sound fantastic despite that they are old technology now and undoubtedly measure very poorly.

I love the sound of my Woo Audio WA6 tube amp with a 60s rectifier and 70s drivers, I probably enjoy it (with HD600) more than anything else I have.

I like to listen to different headphones, ones that suit my taste of course, and enjoy their different sound signatures, I will EQ some on occasion but don’t see the value in EQing every set to try and make them all sound the same, you might as well own just one set and where is the fun in that ?

Reading ASR leaves me scratching my head, so many soaking up the technicalities and just loving chasing the “best” gear, they seemingly forget that the purpose of that gear is to enjoy music with.

Each to their own I guess.

Some of the best times I've enjoyed music has been on gear that ASR has later reported as "broken" that was the turning point for me when I realised measurements don't always matter for listening. You'll never replicate the sound of the studio, your mood on the day and your emotional connection to the material itself I believe contributes most to the enjoyment of music.

 

[theveterans]

Some of the best times I've enjoyed music has been on gear that ASR has later reported as "broken" that was the turning point for me when I realised measurements don't always matter for listening. You'll never replicate the sound of the studio, your mood on the day and your emotional connection to the material itself I believe contributes most to the enjoyment of music.

My opinion is that they're very narrowminded in their philosophy. I do see some people there agreeing that there are currently unquantifiable attributes to what makes a system sound great outside of known measurement metrics but deducing everything to THD+N is IMO narrowminded since there are audio gears that also appear SOTA on measurements yet sound surreal (Mola Mola Tambaqui, Chord DAVE). It's easy for any boutique manufacturers to make a cookie-cutter DAC or amp design by selecting op-amp chips that when nested with aggressive localized and global negative feedback yield vanishing low distortion figures, but the combination of those chips and the general design of the DAC or amp itself are known to sound audibly sterile and far from what an unamplified band singing in front you sounds and feels like.

Discrete analog stage itself doesn't mean automatically audibly superior but those manufacturers that uses those designs tend to factor listening by ear on their designs anyways. There are manufacturers that thrive on op-amp designs that carefully select components that truly sound spectacular since it's designed by listening trial and error (Burson Audio for example) since it's easier to pump huge amounts of power at any load with op-amp. With valve amps, it's pretty obvious that manufacturers design their amps by ear and carefully select components that makes their DAC or amps closer to the sensation of an unamplified live band singing in front of you.

 

[AnalogEuphoria]

Absolutely and I find chord DACs is one of the few that measures incredibly well but doesn’t sound flat and boring.

 

[elvispreasley]

Since I left most of my audio gears back home, which I left unexpectedly + the fact that the only things from my audio stash - I took with me, was Hiby R3 and AR E100, I decide to recreate the legendary combo of R3 + Mojo in custom made combined case - to make it my primary audio setup. I successfully complete this project about a week ago, replacing the dead battery in Mojo on a new one and all I can say: I'm happily surprised with the sound signature of this combo!
I really expected Mojo sounds detailed, dry, cold with some "digital taste". In fact the sound signature what it gives was warm, smooth, detailed, with great separation and zero distortion. Bass is deep and fundamental, mids are sweet and close, highs are a little rolled off, but fully presented and greatly audible.
Simply enjoying Mojo and very happy to listen its amazing performance in 2022)

 

[musicinmymind]

my mojo gen1, while charging gets really hot and shut off now won’t turn back on, is it battery dead or mother board issue?
I do charge from wall with same adapters over years, did try with correcting via laptop for charging and same issue.

Please suggest.

 

[BryceS]

my mojo gen1, while charging gets really hot and shut off now won’t turn back on, is it battery dead or mother board issue?
I do charge from wall with same adapters over years, did try with correcting via laptop for charging and same issue.

Please suggest.

First guess would be a dead battery. Pop it open and have a look, battery might be swollen.

I believe you can remove the battery and run it off a power adapter so even if the battery is dead it may/should still run off an adapter which would show that it isn't something more significant than the battery.

You can get replacement batteries from AliExpress, I got one to have waiting as a spare for my relatively new Mojo just in case.

 

[magicalmouse]

I removed the battery and experimented with usb power from a laptop initially but then bought an anker power pack which works beautifully and lasts for a very long time plus it can be used to recharge portable stuff eg daps, kindles etc.

d

 

[BryceS]

I removed the battery and experimented with usb power from a laptop initially but then bought an anker power pack which works beautifully and lasts for a very long time plus it can be used to recharge portable stuff eg daps, kindles etc.

d

Just today, after my post above, I received and tested a 20,000mAh Belkin power pack using it to run my iFi Diablo in desktop mode and it works great.

With the likes of a Mojo it should last for probably a week or more or could run the source device and the Mojo at the same time as it has two outlets.

It is pretty big but at the desk who cares.

 

[musicinmymind]

Thanks for suggestion, I will check now and update back.

 

[musicinmymind]

Update... did check removing the battery. It was not swollen or mojo powers on without battery. I live in Dubai, did check locally they quote USD 250. This is deal breaker for me, bit more and I can get an used mojo.

Almost 5 years back, I got AK100 II and mojo new and using it as pair. AK100 II still works like charm, but mojo broke down without any reason, I never drop it or over charged.

If only battery was only issue and costed me USD 250, I would be happy to pay, it was expected to wear off anyway. I am annoyed because it stopped working for reason not known.

Now I am considering selling Hugo 2 also and get an Topping or other dac without battery, it would good for long run.

 

[Kentajalli]

Update... did check removing the battery. It was not swollen or mojo powers on without battery. I live in Dubai, did check locally they quote USD 250. This is deal breaker for me, bit more and I can get an used mojo.

Almost 5 years back, I got AK100 II and mojo new and using it as pair. AK100 II still works like charm, but mojo broke down without any reason, I never drop it or over charged.

If only battery was only issue and costed me USD 250, I would be happy to pay, it was expected to wear off anyway. I am annoyed because it stopped working for reason not known.

Now I am considering selling Hugo 2 also and get an Topping or other dac without battery, it would good for long run.

There are batteries available on AliExpress for $20 ! That work well, I know, I got two of them.
You get 6+ hours of playback from a full charge on USB, more on other inputs.
In the UK, I got a battery from Chord Direct for £40.
Just because some unscrupulous dealer in your neck of the woods, is asking for blood money, that is not mojo's fault.
Just search the forum, under my name and battery for Mojo, you'll find the links.

Regarding Topping, I have a DX7 pro. It is excellent, and top of the line from Topping, it is excellent value. I did try it side by side against my Hugo2. In a nutshell, Hugo2 is better, in just about every aspect, but not by much! The main difference is that, Higo2 sounds more realistic, it is harsh when recording is harsh, it is soft when recording is soft - in contrast, the Topping has a polished sound, no matter what you throw at it, I call it glossed-over. Otherwise, it is an excellent DAC, much cheaper than Hugo2.
There is a DX7 pro+ coming out soon.
BTW, Hugo2 takes standard, widely available batteries.

 

[musicinmymind]

There are batteries available on AliExpress for $20 ! That work well, I know, I got two of them.
You get 6+ hours of playback from a full charge on USB, more on other inputs.
In the UK, I got a battery from Chord Direct for £40.
Just because some unscrupulous dealer in your neck of the woods, is asking for blood money, that is not mojo's fault.
Just search the forum, under my name and battery for Mojo, you'll find the links.
BTW, Hugo2 takes standard, widely available batteries.

As suggested in this thread, if battery was only issue, mojo should have powered up when disconnected.

 

[Kentajalli]

As suggested in this thread, if battery was only issue, mojo should have powered up when disconnected.

email Chord UK support.
If need be, you can ship it to them - they can repair it for reasonable price.
Again I know! once they replaced the input chip (the largest chip next to the FPGA), installed a new battery, return p&P, altogether cost me £100 or so.

 

[rkt31]

Exactly !

I really don’t get the guys that chase the best measuring gear, you listen music with it you don’t read the spec sheet. There is probably a legitimate reason for such gear if listening professionally to create music but that doesn’t mean it is “best” by default for enjoying music.

I have an original Mojo and love it, I haven’t even bothered to listen to a Mojo 2 since I simply don’t care if it is technically better. The descriptions of sound being cleaner, sharper, crisper and more finely detailed are not what I enjoy. Frankly I also won’t buy it on principle with the idiotic implementation of the USB-C plug combined with one rubber foot and sticking to Micro USB in 2022 to connect to an ageing and problematic streamer that only a small part of the Mojo 2 market is even interested in !

I like iFi GTO on my Gryphon and Diablo and, heaven forbid, I also like the sound of Tidal MQA.

I like my Schiit Multibit DAC and have a cheap PCM-56 based R2R DAC ordered from AliExpress, I’ve been told they sound fantastic despite that they are old technology now and undoubtedly measure very poorly.

I love the sound of my Woo Audio WA6 tube amp with a 60s rectifier and 70s drivers, I probably enjoy it (with HD600) more than anything else I have.

I like to listen to different headphones, ones that suit my taste of course, and enjoy their different sound signatures, I will EQ some on occasion but don’t see the value in EQing every set to try and make them all sound the same, you might as well own just one set and where is the fun in that ?

Reading ASR leaves me scratching my head, so many soaking up the technicalities and just loving chasing the “best” gear, they seemingly forget that the purpose of that gear is to enjoy music with.

Each to their own I guess.

Once I got mojo 2 with r70x I found nd everything very very crude be it mobile output or that 8x tda r2r dac or any other dac. The cleanliness mojo 2 provides is simply too much addictive. I can listen the mojo 2 and r70x combo forever.