[TheR0v3r]

My first years in head-fi was with Chord DAC’s: Mojo OG, Qutest, Hugo 2 and Hugo TT (my favorite!). Then I bought the M Scaler, started auditioning the TT2 and DAVE. Always ended up using optical as my preferred connection. Anyway a long story short, now that I’m back in the Chord fold using the Mojo 2 I’m of course using optical. It was meant to be a travelling companion but it’s actually amazing as a desktop DAC. IMHO.

Now I tried using it with USB and somehow it ends up being a sum of good parts, but part of that magic is gone. This could very well be my past experiences ”telling me” not to like Chord and USB… Try optical if you haven’t already.

 

[Meridian7]

My first years in head-fi was with Chord DAC’s: Mojo OG, Qutest, Hugo 2 and Hugo TT (my favorite!). Then I bought the M Scaler, started auditioning the TT2 and DAVE. Always ended up using optical as my preferred connection. Anyway a long story short, now that I’m back in the Chord fold using the Mojo 2 I’m of course using optical. It was meant to be a travelling companion but it’s actually amazing as a desktop DAC. IMHO.

Now I tried using it with USB and somehow it ends up being a sum of good parts, but part of that magic is gone. This could very well be my past experiences ”telling me” not to like Chord and USB… Try optical if you haven’t already.

You could try these, to reform usb to optical, it's a good piece to have. For PC, laptop and cellphone -->optical --> mojo
And compare that with strict usb.

https://doukaudio.com/products/douk...al-converter-xmos-xu208-digital-interface-dsd

 

[Hypops]

My first years in head-fi was with Chord DAC’s: Mojo OG, Qutest, Hugo 2 and Hugo TT (my favorite!). Then I bought the M Scaler, started auditioning the TT2 and DAVE. Always ended up using optical as my preferred connection. Anyway a long story short, now that I’m back in the Chord fold using the Mojo 2 I’m of course using optical. It was meant to be a travelling companion but it’s actually amazing as a desktop DAC. IMHO.

Now I tried using it with USB and somehow it ends up being a sum of good parts, but part of that magic is gone. This could very well be my past experiences ”telling me” not to like Chord and USB… Try optical if you haven’t already.

Tough to know what accounts for the difference, whether it's something in the Mojo 2's USB implementation or something to do with external sources. I've swapped cables around quite a bit and tried a few different sources and types of sources. I've actually landed on using USB, but with an Intona USB isolator between my PC and the Mojo 2. I also have both the isolator and the Mojo 2 on linear power supplies, and I'm using an AudioQuest USB cable between the isolator and the Mojo 2. I use optical from my laptop by way of an audio interface. In that comparison (using Tidal from each source), the USB connection wins hands down.

But it's impossible for me to know what actually accounts for the difference. Could be any number (or combination) of things. No way for me to do a like-for-like comparison without something like a DDC with optical and USB outputs. But for me, USB is the clear choice.

 

[TheR0v3r]

Tough to know what accounts for the difference, whether it's something in the Mojo 2's USB implementation or something to do with external sources. I've swapped cables around quite a bit and tried a few different sources and types of sources. I've actually landed on using USB, but with an Intona USB isolator between my PC and the Mojo 2. I also have both the isolator and the Mojo 2 on linear power supplies, and I'm using an AudioQuest USB cable between the isolator and the Mojo 2. I use optical from my laptop by way of an audio interface. In that comparison (using Tidal from each source), the USB connection wins hands down.

But it's impossible for me to know what actually accounts for the difference. Could be any number (or combination) of things. No way for me to do a like-for-like comparison without something like a DDC with optical and USB outputs. But for me, USB is the clear choice.

Agreed, well put. This may very well be a case of me hearing things based on beliefs and past experiences.

Or maybe my optical is equal to your USB?

 

[TheR0v3r]

You could try these, to reform usb to optical, it's a good piece to have. For PC, laptop and cellphone -->optical --> mojo
And compare that with strict usb.

https://doukaudio.com/products/douk...al-converter-xmos-xu208-digital-interface-dsd

Thanks for the great pointer!

Actually I’m using a streamer, not a PC, which has several outputs including USB. As I wrote in a previous reply this may very well be a case of me believing that optical just is better based on past experience.

 

[lolhero]

I have one question, I seen lot's of reviewers used Elysian Annihilator 2023 with Mojo2. However the Anni 23 cable that comes with has 4.4 balanced plug only. Is there any good adapters, or what would be the best to plug 4.4 balanced to the Mojo2? I know people probably sport amps before Mojo2, but if I would want to only use the Mojo2?

 

[Hypops]

Thanks for the great pointer!

Actually I’m using a streamer, not a PC, which has several outputs including USB. As I wrote in a previous reply this may very well be a case of me believing that optical just is better based on past experience.

I'm one of those weirdos who thinks that if you "believe" something sounds better, it is better. I mean, why listen to something that someone else or some measurement device says is supposed to sound better when you believe something else sounds better? Trust your gut and your ears.

 

[realpapertiger]

I am streaming from PC. Recently added a DDC to switch from USB to Coaxial, a different degree of sound. Everything is better. I don't know what's happening just guess it's about USB noise, both from PC and M2's USB processor?
People are saying coax/optical are designed for audio, USB is designed for computer.
BTW I am using a pretty decent USB cable (AQ coffee) plus a jitterbug.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Tough to know what accounts for the difference, whether it's something in the Mojo 2's USB implementation or something to do with external sources. I've swapped cables around quite a bit and tried a few different sources and types of sources. I've actually landed on using USB, but with an Intona USB isolator between my PC and the Mojo 2. I also have both the isolator and the Mojo 2 on linear power supplies, and I'm using an AudioQuest USB cable between the isolator and the Mojo 2. I use optical from my laptop by way of an audio interface. In that comparison (using Tidal from each source), the USB connection wins hands down.

But it's impossible for me to know what actually accounts for the difference. Could be any number (or combination) of things. No way for me to do a like-for-like comparison without something like a DDC with optical and USB outputs. But for me, USB is the clear choice.

The difference should lie in the fact that the USB interface of the Mojo 2 (and the Hugo 2) does not have galvanic isolation and connected to a source connected to the electrical network with relative ground, they tend to receive noise from the source, Mojo 2 and Hugo 2 do not have galvanic isolation because they were developed to be used with battery sources (less subject to noise).
This is why M2 and H2 offer the best via Toslink when connected to a desktop source.
But if you put a galvanic isolator like the INTONA before that, the USB's capabilities return and exceed those of the Toslink input.

 

[lolhero]

My first years in head-fi was with Chord DAC’s: Mojo OG, Qutest, Hugo 2 and Hugo TT (my favorite!). Then I bought the M Scaler, started auditioning the TT2 and DAVE. Always ended up using optical as my preferred connection. Anyway a long story short, now that I’m back in the Chord fold using the Mojo 2 I’m of course using optical. It was meant to be a travelling companion but it’s actually amazing as a desktop DAC. IMHO.

Now I tried using it with USB and somehow it ends up being a sum of good parts, but part of that magic is gone. This could very well be my past experiences ”telling me” not to like Chord and USB… Try optical if you haven’t already.

I am not that experienced in optical connections, but how exactly do you use it as desktop DAC with optical connection, what other piece of equipment you have between Mojo and PC?

 

[taipan254]

The difference should lie in the fact that the USB interface of the Mojo 2 (and the Hugo 2) does not have galvanic isolation and connected to a source connected to the electrical network with relative ground, they tend to receive noise from the source, Mojo 2 and Hugo 2 do not have galvanic isolation because they were developed to be used with battery sources (less subject to noise).
This is why M2 and H2 offer the best via Toslink when connected to a desktop source.
But if you put a galvanic isolator like the INTONA before that, the USB's capabilities return and exceed those of the Toslink input.

Agreed on the first point.

Rob Watts told me that, via a mobile phone, optical and usb are identical. I tried this as well after that conversation at Canjam. I can’t tell the difference either. The phone is a low voltage low noise device compared to a full pc.

When I look plug mojo 2 into different computers and steamers via usb or even via the SRC DX I can definitely hear upstream noise. This has to do I believe with galvanic isolation, source noise, and RFI and EMI.

I can’t confirm the second claim as I don’t have an intona.

I think the best way to get the most out of Mojo 2 is by feeding it from a low noise, battery powered source.

 

[taipan254]

I am not that experienced in optical connections, but how exactly do you use it as desktop DAC with optical connection, what other piece of equipment you have between Mojo and PC?

A usb to optical converter like the one mentioned a few posts back.

 

[TheR0v3r]

I am not that experienced in optical connections, but how exactly do you use it as desktop DAC with optical connection, what other piece of equipment you have between Mojo and PC?

Just using a streamer with TosLink instead of a computer.

 

[Hypops]

I am streaming from PC. Recently added a DDC to switch from USB to Coaxial, a different degree of sound. Everything is better. I don't know what's happening just guess it's about USB noise, both from PC and M2's USB processor?

The difference is probably down to isolation. The DDC presumably includes some form of isolation and/or reclocking. GoldenSound's measurements of the Mojo 2 show the noise difference between direct USB to PC and USB via an Intona isolator, if you're curious.

People are saying coax/optical are designed for audio, USB is designed for computer.
BTW I am using a pretty decent USB cable (AQ coffee) plus a jitterbug.

Ha. People say lots of things about audio. You could just as easily argue that electricity itself wasn't designed for audio. It may be technically true, but it's a nonsensical claim. Hi-fi is such a niche hobby that almost nothing used in audio components was actually "designed for audio" (caps, resistors, op amps, vacuum tubes, etc, etc).

With isolation, USB is just as good for audio as anything else. I'm pretty sure the AQ Jitterbug doesn't have galvanic isolation. It's just an RF filter IIRC, which isn't going to do much in most applications.

 

[realpapertiger]

The difference is probably down to isolation. The DDC presumably includes some form of isolation and/or reclocking. GoldenSound's measurements of the Mojo 2 show the noise difference between direct USB to PC and USB via an Intona isolator, if you're curious.


Ha. People say lots of things about audio. You could just as easily argue that electricity itself wasn't designed for audio. It may be technically true, but it's a nonsensical claim. Hi-fi is such a niche hobby that almost nothing used in audio components was actually "designed for audio" (caps, resistors, op amps, vacuum tubes, etc, etc).

With isolation, USB is just as good for audio as anything else. I'm pretty sure the AQ Jitterbug doesn't have galvanic isolation. It's just an RF filter IIRC, which isn't going to do much in most applications.

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.