[dsrk]

Hi
I am using a topping A30 Pro connected to mojo 2 via 3.5mm to analogue.
The question was also whether the mojo 2 would drive them on its own.
I was also wondering whether a more expensive amp would make any difference; some recommended the Bryson bha 1

Mojo 2 drives LCD2C well enough but with A30 Pro or EF400 there is effortlessness, dynamics and smoothness. For a portable source Mojo 2 is not bad at all.

A30 Pro is good enough, it powers my HD6XX and LCD2C with ease. You can hardly find any difference between A30 Pro and BHA-1 if your source is Mojo 2.
Mojo 2 is an excellent device but if you are investing that much on an AMP, you can hear improvements with much better source like Hugo 2 or any other DAC with balanced output.

If you are not going to upgrade your source, then I would stick with Mojo 2 and A30 Pro.

 

[syazwaned]

Mojo 2 drives LCD2C well enough but with A30 Pro or EF400 there is effortlessness, dynamics and smoothness. For a portable source Mojo 2 is not bad at all.

A30 Pro is good enough, it powers my HD6XX and LCD2C with ease. You can hardly find any difference between A30 Pro and BHA-1 if your source is Mojo 2.
Mojo 2 is an excellent device but if you are investing that much on an AMP, you can hear improvements with much better source like Hugo 2 or any other DAC with balanced output.

If you are not going to upgrade your source, then I would stick with Mojo 2 and A30 Pro.

For desktop and headphone usage, would you recommend Ef400 over chord mojo? I already have Questyle M15 for portability usage, been thinking to add one desktop setup.

 

[ChrisGB]

Sadly, I will be returning my Chord Mojo 2 DAC tomorrow due to multiple reports of white noise which is a shame as I was looking forward to hearing hi-res music via Apple Music on my iPhone. It's simply a risk I'm not prepared to take.

I had the white noise issue only when using the Mojo 2 with my Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S. I think it was a case of the CPU not being quite able to keep up with feeding / controlling the audio driver. I never had any problem using it with my workstation or phone or with a DAP. The white noise will only be heading damage loud if you have very high sensitivity headphones or IEMs.

 

[dsrk]

For desktop and headphone usage, would you recommend Ef400 over chord mojo? I already have Questyle M15 for portability usage, been thinking to add one desktop setup.

EF400 is a nice sounding DAC/AMP, sound is very dynamic and smooth even at lower volume it keeps the dynamics. It has enough power in SE for my headphones (HD6XX and LCD2c) but I have yet to test its balanced power as I have been waiting for my balanced cables to arrive.

It's short on features, only USB in (no optical, coaxial, bluetooth and analog in).

If you have harder to drive headphones, then Yes. Else, Mojo 2 is more than enough.

 

[David67]

I had the white noise issue only when using the Mojo 2 with my Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S. I think it was a case of the CPU not being quite able to keep up with feeding / controlling the audio driver. I never had any problem using it with my workstation or phone or with a DAP. The white noise will only be heading damage loud if you have very high sensitivity headphones or IEMs.

Only use headphones but have yet to decide which to buy having owned wireless previously. Obviously, it all depends on whether or not I keep the DAC.

 

[paulrbarnard]

I had the white noise issue only when using the Mojo 2 with my Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S. I think it was a case of the CPU not being quite able to keep up with feeding / controlling the audio driver. I never had any problem using it with my workstation or phone or with a DAP. The white noise will only be heading damage loud if you have very high sensitivity headphones or IEMs.

One occurrence here too. In the first couple of days of use. Mine instance was down to a badly inserted microUSB cable in to the Mojo2. I was using the iPhone camera connector with a short USB to micro USB cable. I took care inserting the cable after that and subsequently moved to a lightning to USB-C cable and have never had a reoccurrence.
I was wearing Shure 846 IEM which are in the very sensitive category. The noise was certainly loud enough to cause me to rip the IEM from my ears but I would have needed to leave them in for a while for damage to set in I think.

 

[Edyeded86]

One occurrence here too. In the first couple of days of use. Mine instance was down to a badly inserted microUSB cable in to the Mojo2. I was using the iPhone camera connector with a short USB to micro USB cable. I took care inserting the cable after that and subsequently moved to a lightning to USB-C cable and have never had a reoccurrence.
I was wearing Shure 846 IEM which are in the very sensitive category. The noise was certainly loud enough to cause me to rip the IEM from my ears but I would have needed to leave them in for a while for damage to set in I think.

What lightening to usb c cable are you using? Do you notice a difference in sound quality when comparing lightening to usbc to canasta adapter to micro usb?

 

[Nick24JJ]

Sadly, I will be returning my Chord Mojo 2 DAC tomorrow due to multiple reports of white noise which is a shame as I was looking forward to hearing hi-res music via Apple Music on my iPhone. It's simply a risk I'm not prepared to take.

I think that your thought to return the Mojo 2 is at least justified. You could contact Chord Support, provide them your current and, eventually, future setup and ask for advice/guidance on how to avoid this horrible white noise. Chances are that you will receive a typical response, like the Mojo 2 does not have any issue or it will function perfectly etc but if you push them a bit, they might provide some decent advice. Try to ask the reason why can this occur in the first place.

My personal and subjective opinion is that every Mojo 2 owner is prone to this white noise defect, especially if the Mojo 2 is used as a mobile device.

 

[paulrbarnard]

What lightening to usb c cable are you using? Do you notice a difference in sound quality when comparing lightening to usbc to canasta adapter to micro usb?

I use the DDHIFI sort cable with right angle connections. It has worked
flawlessly.

My iPhoneX (that’s an old phone for picture purposes) has been updated to iOS 15.5 since using it and no issues.

I have to say I hear no difference between the camera connector and the DDHIFI cable but that might be simply my ears. The big differences come from the source. I find QoBuz to be a great source of files but a poor streamer. I use Roon when at home and that is a better listen, still sourcing files from QoBuz. I use Vox when travelling for local iPhone files. Vox gives me the best sound quality but not the Roon radio and playlists which I enjoy. I also use Vox for upsampling my old iTunes AAC library when travelling if I don’t have cheap network access.

At home I switch to airplane mode to avoid the GSM chirping as I live in a very poor mobile coverage area. No need to do that if you have 4G coverage.

 

[syazwaned]

EF400 is a nice sounding DAC/AMP, sound is very dynamic and smooth even at lower volume it keeps the dynamics. It has enough power in SE for my headphones (HD6XX and LCD2c) but I have yet to test its balanced power as I have been waiting for my balanced cables to arrive.

It's short on features, only USB in (no optical, coaxial, bluetooth and analog in).

If you have harder to drive headphones, then Yes. Else, Mojo 2 is more than enough.

thank you friend. For the limited USB in, I might have to invest on Ifi Zen Stream to transport music from my source to ef400 wirelessly

 

[BryceS]

I don't have a Mojo 2 but have an original Mojo and like it a great deal.

I use the Mojo exclusively with a Fiio M11 Plus DAP and have never had white noise issues using Apple Music, Qobuz or Tidal.

I had bad white noise issues that happened after only minutes of listening every time without fail when running a Schiit Modi 3 with Unison USB off the Fiio DAP. I tried about 5 cables and all did the same thing. Using an iPhone or an iPad as the source no issue at all. With a Schiit Modi Multibit that doesn't have Unison USB I have no issue with any source.

My point is, I have read all sorts of ideas about what causes the Mojo and Mojo 2 white noise from specific cables to specific sources and even bumping the connection slightly. I wonder if Chord's USB implementation isn't simply rather more fussy than some and it doesn't respond well to certain devices USB management.

 

[headmanPL]

I've been running Mojo 2 since it became available. I use it both for desktop and mobile. I've not had the white noise issue once. Though I don't doubt those who have written here. I think as long as you look after your cable and make sure it's seated correctly at both ends, you should be ok. At the very least it's too good a device to send back without at least trying it first

 

[beardyweirdy]

I did get a bit of RFI initially; I was using a short USB C to lightening cable (came with the Cayin R2R dongle) It happened when the mojo 2 and iPhone 8 were very close.
I called the vendor and I could tell by the tone in his voice that he didn't believe me; 'Hmmm....we 've never had a problem....well, we will see if we can replicate this blah blah...blah...wont be the Mojo 2 etc etc'

I ended up keeping it, as it sounds good and it may wall be the cable; just can't be arsed buying another cable as I've only heard it several times.

 

[dsrk]

I've been running Mojo 2 since it became available. I use it both for desktop and mobile. I've not had the white noise issue once. Though I don't doubt those who have written here. I think as long as you look after your cable and make sure it's seated correctly at both ends, you should be ok. At the very least it's too good a device to send back without at least trying it first

I agree that it's too good of a device to be sent back. The white noise issue is typical but it has nothing to do with the cables.

 

[Edyeded86]

I use the DDHIFI sort cable with right angle connections. It has worked
flawlessly.

My iPhoneX (that’s an old phone for picture purposes) has been updated to iOS 15.5 since using it and no issues.

I have to say I hear no difference between the camera connector and the DDHIFI cable but that might be simply my ears. The big differences come from the source. I find QoBuz to be a great source of files but a poor streamer. I use Roon when at home and that is a better listen, still sourcing files from QoBuz. I use Vox when travelling for local iPhone files. Vox gives me the best sound quality but not the Roon radio and playlists which I enjoy. I also use Vox for upsampling my old iTunes AAC library when travelling if I don’t have cheap network access.

At home I switch to airplane mode to avoid the GSM chirping as I live in a very poor mobile coverage area. No need to do that if you have 4G coverage.

Have you had a chance to compare Apple Music Lossless with the DDHIFI cable? You could be right that it is effected by streaming, but I never find there's a problem with streaming when using camera adapter?