[Hypops]

I think I've read that review before. However the charts don't tell you what the real difference sounds like. Because I use speakers not headphones, so that the noise issue could be 'amplified' by the amplifier.
I've read this blog: https://audiowise-canada.myshopify.com/blogs/news/mojo2-my-new-favourite-dac
In the blog the author says: 'Avoid USB input to reduce clock and gate switching noise from the USB receiver chip.'
Honestly I don't know what he is talking about. But he encouraged me to try a DDC from Amazon (which is returnable!) and ends up with good results. I've never tried a USB isolator but I believe it will help too. Howver the DDC's could be more costly, consider the cost of a DDC, a good power cable and a coax cable.

Yeah, cost was actually the reason I went with an isolator instead of a DDC. I really only needed the isolation functionality and an isolator was about half the price of a decent DDC (at the time, I had been deciding between the Intona Isolator and the Denafrips Iris DDC).

 

[taipan254]

Honestly I don't know what he is talking about. But he encouraged me to try a DDC from Amazon (which is returnable!) and ends up with good results. I've never tried a USB isolator but I believe it will help too. Howver the DDC's could be more costly, consider the cost of a DDC, a good power cable and a coax cable.

Which DDC did Dan recommend?

Once your system is quiet enough, you'll be surprised at the differences you hear when you change upstream components. Or if you upsample!

I buy into Dan / Audiowise's hypotheses regarding Mojo2. So much so I've bought stuff from him! =)

 

[Jerome Howard]

Mojo 2 and HiFiMan Ananda. A match made in heaven.

 

[realpapertiger]

Which DDC did Dan recommend?

Once your system is quiet enough, you'll be surprised at the differences you hear when you change upstream components. Or if you upsample!

I buy into Dan / Audiowise's hypotheses regarding Mojo2. So much so I've bought stuff from him! =)

I was not sure about the idea at the moment, so did some research and bought a Gustard U18 from Amazon, and have been very satisfied.
Agree with your point, that a quiet system allows you hear differences easily.

 

[BJPromo]

Anyone feeding USB from Laptop/PC to Mojo/Mojo2 should look into something like Douk Audio u2 and use optical input on Mojo. I totally forgot what this DAC is capable of and found myself mainly listening through Shanling m6 pro DAP, till Douk cheap converter arrived. Staging goes up a notch, while my DAP in comparison has no depth. I'm mainly experienced with Chord DAC's and even Qutest suffers from Macbooks USB input.

Might be a bit too big of a stack for portable use, but well worth for my case

Thanks Hakuna, am trying this and have the Douk U2 arriving this week.

What optical cable are you using there? I read Rob Watts saying that he used a cheap Kabel Direkt one for testing, but I can't seem to find a good deal with them where I live.

 

[hakunamakaka]

Thanks Hakuna, am trying this and have the Douk U2 arriving this week.

What optical cable are you using there? I read Rob Watts saying that he used a cheap Kabel Direkt one for testing, but I can't seem to find a good deal with them where I live.

I don't think Optical cable makes a different, just buy a generic one from your local store. Mojo2 handles noisy sources better than M1 in my experience, but if source is bad both of them benefits from optical input.

 

[taipan254]

I don't think Optical cable makes a different, just buy a generic one from your local store. Mojo2 handles noisy sources better than M1 in my experience, but if source is bad both of them benefits from optical input.

I have a preference for glass optical versus plastic. A glass optical cable I bought sounded better to my ears than a plastic one made by audioquest.

 

[BJPromo]

Thank you both for replying. Will get a basic one from a local store and ship in a nicer glass one so that I can test for myself.

 

[lhnam]

The mojo 2 dsp is brilliant. Set 3k down 2db and 20k up 2 db. This has made my Odin and EVO fatigue free. Thank you @Rob Watts !

Hi, i have mojo 2. I am planning to buy EE Odin, please share the sound of odin after using mojo 2 eq, thank you

 

[TheR0v3r]

Good things come in small packages
The Chord Mojo 2 is a really, really good DAC. Full stop.

Initially bought for travelling, the Mojo 2 is instead doing duty as desktop DAC. And I’m dumbfounded by the quality of this thing. It’s technical strengths are very well balanced, the EQ is excellent and tonality great. Not in million years would I guess that this is the sound of a €500 DAC!

There is one ”issue” and that is actually transparency. It’s remarkably transparent BUT this means that you’ll hear the quality of your source. I’ve played around with different sources (computer, streamers etc) and the source is on full display - if it doesn’t sound good don’t blame the DAC! Without having tried the combo I’d hazard a guess that Poly + Mojo 2 is a fantastic combo.

Having owned the Hugo TT, Mojo OG, Qutest, Hugo 2, M Scaler and spent alot of time with both TT2 and DAVE I’m sitting here thinking that maybe the Mojo 2 is @Rob Watts greatest achievement. It’s not that it’s better than all the others it’s rather about being able to create a product of this quality at this price that’s also made in the UK.

 

[Hypops]

Initially bought for travelling, the Mojo 2 is instead doing duty as desktop DAC.

This was my experience as well. Bought it originally for traveling and for working in cafes, but unexpectedly ended up using it primarily at my desktop as a full-time DAC. Totally surprised.

 

[Rayon]

I use the Intona 7055-C regularly both in my listening setup and when doing measurements.

Btw have you tried 7055-C with and without linear power supply? As Mojo 2 is not powered through the usb ports that are used for data, I guess it shouldn't matter, but I haven't digged deeper into this topic so this is just an educated guess.

The chain I'm planning to use: Laptop (streaming endpoint for PGGB'd music) -> 7055-C (without external power supply unless that is justified) -> Battery powered Mojo 2.

Another use case for intona is to try it with May, but it's the same thing. Not powered by that usb connection.

 

[Rayon]

Thanks Hakuna, am trying this and have the Douk U2 arriving this week.

What optical cable are you using there? I read Rob Watts saying that he used a cheap Kabel Direkt one for testing, but I can't seem to find a good deal with them where I live.

I have Douk U2 and Kabel Direct. Works well, but as I'm using PGGB, it's not an option due to sample rate / bitrate limitations. It's a really nice reference for what a quiet (no noise from USB) source sounds like with Mojo 2. Silence is blacker than black. That also made me realize how noisy Poly is. I have Intona 7055-C incoming and praying headphone gods that I will get the 98% of the silence of optical and data rates of USB (some internal noise may still be generated within Mojo 2 due to operating with USB).

Something I also noticed: be prepared for perceived smaller soundstage. With optical everything sounded more "in my head" in comparison. However, I have a feeling that I just interpret some high-frequency noise as something that happens at a distance and when that is cut out, space just feels smaller. In terms of purity of sound, optical won hands down.

 

[User9876]

Good things come in small packages
The Chord Mojo 2 is a really, really good DAC. Full stop.

Initially bought for travelling, the Mojo 2 is instead doing duty as desktop DAC. And I’m dumbfounded by the quality of this thing. It’s technical strengths are very well balanced, the EQ is excellent and tonality great. Not in million years would I guess that this is the sound of a €500 DAC!

There is one ”issue” and that is actually transparency. It’s remarkably transparent BUT this means that you’ll hear the quality of your source. I’ve played around with different sources (computer, streamers etc) and the source is on full display - if it doesn’t sound good don’t blame the DAC! Without having tried the combo I’d hazard a guess that Poly + Mojo 2 is a fantastic combo.

Having owned the Hugo TT, Mojo OG, Qutest, Hugo 2, M Scaler and spent alot of time with both TT2 and DAVE I’m sitting here thinking that maybe the Mojo 2 is @Rob Watts greatest achievement. It’s not that it’s better than all the others it’s rather about being able to create a product of this quality at this price that’s also made in the UK.

Agreed, if Chord removed the micro USB and added a 4.4mm output they would really clean-up the market with the Mojo *

* Mojo owner's are OK with Micro USB and no Balanced 4.4mm these changes are just for the uneducated.

 

[Jerome Howard]

I got some of these little plugs. They come with cables that are magnetic and the jump right onto the plug. No more messing with the stupid micro USB.