Hmmm… Have been mulling over picking up an M2 (despite my shock at the imo awful, slap-dash final exterior design, which I noted in this thread back when the unit dropped) but the recent discussion here is giving me pause.
The M2 is a device that is still a bit hard to get, despite some large stock fulfillment in the last couple of days at a few places. Meaning that historically, at this point on HeadFi, this thread should be a lovefest of delirious, orgyastic heights right about now… but it appears to be a bit muted, honestly. And on that other headphone site, the M2 discussion is positively lukewarm.
Maybe I’m being cautious with my $775, but that money, while not dizzying, is a bit more than the <$500 “take the gamble and maybe flip it” investment I usually regard as safe in this hobby. I dunno. Maybe it’s a nose thing... I can’t help smelling that perhaps something is off. At this point in the M1’s release, these forums were hot and steamy with the Mojo lust… it could do no wrong (this was before the battery stuff, obviously). Things seem comparatively room-temp for the M2 at the same juncture.
I mean, people obviously like it, but most people like anything new and shiny they’ve just dropped close to a grand on. The amount of small complaints, fixes, etc troubles me a bit.
Does anybody know what I mean? How after a while on this forum, you kind of develop a “product thread sixth-sense”, and can begin to tell the stuff that is legit fantastic, and will have staying power as a favorite… and the stuff that gets love at first, until the shininess wears off and people start writing what they really feel in a year of so? I can’t tell if my spidey-sense is tingling here or not.
Anyway, maybe I’m rambling. Maybe nobody knows what I’m talking about. I sometimes don’t myself, ha ha. Half of me really wants to take the gamble and pick the M2 up. The other half wants to wait a year or so and see what the final consensus is. Again, based on the not-exactly-lukewarm-but-not-exactly-rabid response here (and a bit worse other places), I could see the Mojo 2 being looked at in wildly different ways in 12-24 months… From a legit improvement on the M1, to an HD660-esque “side-grade”, to worse.
Decisions… to do it or not… hmmmm…
Exactly my thoughts before I decided to jump on the recent in-stock situation and order one. I was wondering, why doesn’t this thread have more activity? Maybe my Spidey-Sense was on to something here too and this wasn‘t a great product. Well, after listening for a lot of hours over the last 3 days since I received it, I can honestly say, I’m not disappointed.
I don’t keep a sig current, but my current gear is: Sony headphones/IEMs (MDR-Z1R, IER-Z1R, IER-M9, MDR-1A [OG, which I like better than Mark2 version]); basic DAPs (Sony ZX507, FiiO M11+LTD); iPads and iPhones with DACs (Mojo 2, L&P W2 [OG], Paw S2); desktop setup: LUMIN U1 Mini > RME ADI-2 DAC (with a nice PEQ for the MDR-Z1R). Speaking of PEQ, I can’t listen to the MDR-Z1R without it; the IER-Z1R, on the other hand, need no PEQ. This is noteworthy in this thread since the IER-Z1R sound *awesome* on the Mojo 2 with no EQ, but I needed the DSP on the Mojo 2 to get the MDR-Z1R close to where I’m used to it sounding (compared to my PEQ settings in the RME ADI-2 DAC, and UAPP Toneboosters 10-band PEQ on my Android devices). I got it close (see below). Also, the MDR-1A (with a little EQ), and the IER-Z1R (with no EQ) sound sublime. I know, how could I still love such a flawed headphone like the MDR-1A? Well, I have 2 pairs, and love them; really an underrated headphone, IMO. But my main driver is the IER-Z1R, which has just perfect synergy with the Mojo 2.
For me, the Mojo 2 sounds very resolving and accurate, but it makes my kit sound different than with any other gear. For instance, my Sony headphones/IEMs, which usually have recessed mids and accentuated bass and treble (e.g., V-shaped) are behaving a little differently than I’m used to: the mids are less recessed, and the treble is a little too strong in some cases (easily handled with the Mojo 2 DSP), and the bass benefits from some boost.
Note: for me, Crossfeed (CF) is interesting with my kit; it doesn’t just mix left and right channels, it raises the mids and adds some bass; so, in some cases the EQ needs to be modded when the CF changes. I find CF-Red lifts the mids just the right amount for my Sony V-shaped kit for some songs with obvious recessed mids; so even if I say Crossfeed is OFF, I will switch it on if the vocals seem dull or pushed back. I find CF-Green doesn’t change the mids any more than CF1-Red but collapses the sound-stage and adds more bass, if fact, too much for my liking with the bass-heavy Sony kit I use, so I don’t use CF-Green. I will use CF-Blue sometimes for old wide stereo mixes or mono stuff though.
Here are some EQs I came up with that work well, and which are visualized using the Excel tool published here a few pages back, by
@jarnopp ,thanks for building that tool.
Since the DSP is not like PEQ, and this Excel tool is just an approximation, and also there is something going on with the mids and bass even without DSP, I find it’s more trial-and-error-and-listening than like creating a PEQ correction curve; so take it with a grain of salt.
…
EQ (for
MDR-Z1R):
+2, +1, -2, 0
Crossfeed-Red: MDR-Z1R has such great soundstage, but the Mojo 2 Crossfeed-Red setting just makes the MDR-Z1R sound correct to my ears with my EQ shown below. I don’t use CF-Green, and I’ll use CF-Blue only rarely with old wide stereo mixes or mono stuff.
If bass is too much for a song, reduce 20Hz to +1 temporarily; otherwise, the added bass balances the treble peak that I can’t dial out with this rudimentary DSP without burying the already recessed mids and lower treble.
This is the best I can make the MDR-Z1R sound on the Mojo2; it’s OK. In contrast, the 10-band (Oratory1990) PEQ on my Android DAPs with UAPP (via ToneBoosters add-on) is perfect (even better than my custom PEQ on the RME ADi-2 DAC for the MDR-Z1R). Plus the EQ (shown in next graph) for the MDR-1A make that much smaller/lighter/convenient headphone (MDR-1A) sound great, and a better choice for mobile use.
Also, the
IER-Z1R IEMs are perfect on the Mojo2 with
no EQ or Crossfeed (and my preferred pairing with the Mojo2), so I’m not sure how often I’ll use the MDR-Z1Rs on Mojo2.
So… IMO…*
my* best headphone/earphones for the mojo 2 are the IER-Z1R with no DSP…by far; they sound perfect on the mojo 2. If my ears need a break from having something jammed in them, I’ll use the MDR-Z1R, unless if I need something more portable, in which case I’ll use the MDR-1A.
…
EQ (for
MDR-1A) :
+1, -1, 0 , 0
No Crossfeed usually (it seems to muddy the presentation on the MDR-1A). But I did like some songs with Crossfeed-Red. And if you really love sub-bass, +2, -1, 0, 0, w/ Crossfeed-Red, is cool every now and then.
I know this looks like an EQ that barely modifies the sound, but that little dip removes an annoying bass resonance for me, and nothing else needs modification for me for the 1A to sound great with the Mojo 2.
…
TLDR: Although those DSP settings for the MDR-Z1R and MDR-1A helps them sound great on the Mojo 2, I’m mostly listening with IER-Z1R IEMs with *no EQ*, and it is the best they have ever sounded; but I like to use Crossfeed Red as necessary for the song if the mids seem too recessed; Crossfeed Blue only rarely, for old mixes with very wide left/right channel separation, or mono stuff.
Cheers,
Gus
(edited: changed DSP slightly after more time listening)
….
(edited to add
IER-M9 EQ):
+2, 0, 0, +1
No Crossfeed. Crossfeed Red or Green was a little muddy when I tried it, but lowering 20Hz to +1 would compensate if I wanted CF.
edited: to update my impressions of Crossfeed.
