[iDesign]

White Noise:
I don't have any issues if I am using optical in but I am really frustrated with the white noise when using USB with my FiiO M11 Pro or PC. It's really annoying, it's random and only occurs when changing tracks.

Is this issue only with certain units? If that is the case, I will try to replace it with another unit.

Incredible, another report. Chord has a real problem and it’s one of the many reasons I have always said they should support firmware updates/upgrades for all of their DACs.

 

[pete321]

Received Mojo 2 yesterday, it's really fun playing with the buttons and all.

White Noise:
I don't have any issues if I am using optical in but I am really frustrated with the white noise when using USB with my FiiO M11 Pro or PC. It's really annoying, it's random and only occurs when changing tracks.

Is this issue only with certain units? If that is the case, I will try to replace it with another unit.

try every cable you have lying around first before replacement (cans off your head), I found a usb 2 cable that fixed it for me (harder to find these days), maybe audiophile cables like audioquest are usb 2 spec, they should be I think.

Usb 3 and c cables are related to this issue I think, especially while competing with the mains if you're desktop mode or charging, they have properties that cause the white noise which I think is serious enough to damage the mojo itself, headphones or your hearing.

I'm not an expert but all I can give is my experience that a really old cable fixed my issue from unusable white noise within seconds of a track playing to working fine. Of course there are many variables so I can't guarantee anything, using male female otg adapters have also been suggested, I bought an Anker one but haven't tested because I don't want to bother but they're cheap option to try.

 

[iDesign]

try every cable you have lying around first before replacement (cans off your head), I found a usb 2 cable that fixed it for me (harder to find these days), maybe audiophile cables like audioquest are usb 2 spec, they should be I think.

Usb 3 and c cables are related to this issue I think, especially while competing with the mains if you're desktop mode or charging, they have properties that cause the white noise which I think is serious enough to damage the mojo itself, headphones or your hearing.

I'm not an expert but all I can give is my experience that a really old cable fixed my issue from unusable white noise within seconds of a track playing to working fine. Of course there are many variables so I can't guarantee anything, using male female otg adapters have also been suggested, I bought an Anker one but haven't tested because I don't want to bother but they're cheap option to try.

It has absolutely nothing to do with the cable. It happens with all Chord DACs because they share the same USB firmware.

 

[pete321]

It has absolutely nothing to do with the cable. It happens with all Chord DACs because they share the same USB firmware.

I get that it's a problem with all chord firmwares, but that doesn't mean there aren't solutions people can try, I fixed my macbook playback by using a different cable usb data input, literally the only change I made, so, I think people should try any solution they can rather than wait for chord to issue fixes as they seem to want to pretend this issue doesn't exist.

 

[iDesign]

The only cable that will solve the issue for now is an optical cable.

 

[pete321]

The only cable that will solve the issue for now is an optical cable.

optical worked for me as well, just didn't like it, but yeah, I think it's safe.

 

[vlach]

optical worked for me as well, just didn't like it, but yeah, I think it's safe.

Out of curiosity, why didn't you like the optical cable?

 

[realmassy]

FWIW I’ve been using my Mojo 2 for a month or so (and it’s my first Chord product) and I had no white noise issue whatsoever, either connected to an iPad pro or a Macbook pro Intel or a Mac mini M1, via generic USB C cable. I mostly use Qobuz or Roon

 

[pete321]

Out of curiosity, why didn't you like the optical cable?

Because to get optical out of my macbook I had to use this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QFYNB7Y?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details which takes up one of my 2 thunderbolt ports, the sound was pretty much the same because I used a cheap 10 dollar cable, and I don't want to start buying glass cables and all that I just wanted to see if I could notice a difference, my ears are pretty lousy anyway I probably couldn't appreciate it even if I bought the best glass cable, finally my preferred desktop mode charge cable is L shaped and blocks the optical jack on the mojo so I'd have to buy another one.

 

[dsrk]

It has absolutely nothing to do with the cable. It happens with all Chord DACs because they share the same USB firmware.

You are right.
It's not the cable, I have just tried every cable that is in my house including the cable that came with Mojo 2.

They all have white noise. So I can't use USB anymore, I have to order a coaxial cable for FiiO M11 Pro now. Jeez...this sucks man.

 

[Nick24JJ]

You are right.
It's not the cable, I have just tried every cable that is in my house including the cable that came with Mojo 2.

They all have white noise. So I can't use USB anymore, I have to order a coaxial cable for FiiO M11 Pro now. Jeez...this sucks man.

I am sorry this happens to you, as well
Have you reported this to Chord support?
Please, email them with as much details as you can and repost here their response. It is important that they know and that we know what they say about this.

Since I've muted Windows Sounds on my Windows 11 Pro laptop, I haven't experienced the dreadful white nose again. But I haven't used my Mojo 2 much. Today and tomorrow I am going to leave it playing on its own the entire day.

One last thing, for what it's worth. I've received my ddHiFi DJ35A adapter and I am expecting one more + one of these. All of my IEM cables are 2.5mm so I need it. What I've observed is that if I will gently rotate it, while playing a song, I am getting a soft "chk-chk" noise, not loud but it can be heard. This doesn't have to do with the Mojo, I'm getting the same on my Qudelix-5K and even when plugging it on my phone. I wasn't expecting this, and I do not get this noise when connecting (and gently rotating) my 2.5mm cables directly. No worries, the music plays fine. Does anyone have any similar experience with such adapters?

 

[daniel2022]

Thanks you all for the help. I submitted a video to Chord Electronics.

Chord support was great and very quick in answering my question. The representative confirm it is a normal sound and is no issue. Very happy with how quick they answer my question and review the video.

By the way, any of you have experienced, that the sound is better after the Mojo 2 is on and plays for a while? Or is simply some kind of bias I have?

 

[scarfacegt]

Just a quick question.If you should forgett that the mojo 2 are using micro usb for charging,and puts a usb c wall charger in it.Will it be broken then?

 

[dsrk]

I am sorry this happens to you, as well
Have you reported this to Chord support?
Please, email them with as much details as you can and repost here their response. It is important that they know and that we know what they say about this.

Since I've muted Windows Sounds on my Windows 11 Pro laptop, I haven't experienced the dreadful white nose again. But I haven't used my Mojo 2 much. Today and tomorrow I am going to leave it playing on its own the entire day.

One last thing, for what it's worth. I've received my ddHiFi DJ35A adapter and I am expecting one more + one of these. All of my IEM cables are 2.5mm so I need it. What I've observed is that if I will gently rotate it, while playing a song, I am getting a soft "chk-chk" noise, not loud but it can be heard. This doesn't have to do with the Mojo, I'm getting the same on my Qudelix-5K and even when plugging it on my phone. I wasn't expecting this, and I do not get this noise when connecting (and gently rotating) my 2.5mm cables directly. No worries, the music plays fine. Does anyone have any similar experience with such adapters?

No, I haven't thought about it as of now. I am not going to use USB much anyways, I thought of using the USB just for my FiiO M11 Pro but I am going to get coaxial cable for it.

I will take some time but will definitely report this to Chord. I will post their response here.

My daily portable setup is this (Cowon PM2 optical out to Mojo 2 optical in). The short optical cable I bought doesn't work so I sent it for replacement. Until then I have to live with the 1 meter long cable.

 

[miketlse]

Just a quick question.If you should forgett that the mojo 2 are using micro usb for charging,and puts a usb c wall charger in it.Will it be broken then?

Not if it is wired internally similarly to the Mojo1. For that, two of the pins carry the data signal, and from the other 2 pins the 5V VBUS pin is just used to switch the USB port electronics on (and is not connected to the battery charging/power circuitry). Rob has described it in some of his other M1 posts.