Chord Mojo(1) DAC-amp ☆★►FAQ in 3rd post!◄★☆
Jan 27, 2017 at 1:33 PM Post #29,716 of 42,759
   
Before CES I was considering a black Hugo, but the silver Hugo 2 looks nicer (at least to me). Unfortunately the pictures of the silver Hugo 2, indicate the text on the case is in a pale grey colour font - which is potentially difficult to read, when the light is dim. 

Is this site supporting plain unadultered merchandising nowadays?  I thought it was about sharing experiences, helping others, getting new ideas -- guess I'm just naive
 
Jan 27, 2017 at 1:34 PM Post #29,717 of 42,759
musickid, have you contacted the amp manufacturer to confirm if your amp will be fine with 3Vrms input?

That's step #1.
 
Jan 27, 2017 at 1:41 PM Post #29,718 of 42,759
i sent them an email but as they are in germany me in uk and previous attempts were fruitless. at the moment it is a sensitive little thing with a 2v in from modi multi i can feel the amp which fits in your hand is at the right limit of operation. i have read somewhere the extra 1v is to give preamp or speaker owners more room to breathe. i was going to buy the chord qute in early april just weeks from now. im afraid its back to the drawing table. charging for someone who has no portable needs is pointless. google earmaxpro by brocksieper have a look. i want the chord sound but im blocked from all angles for now. earmax will stay. what a journey.
 
Jan 27, 2017 at 2:06 PM Post #29,719 of 42,759
  charging for someone who has no portable needs is pointless.

 
You could always just leave the charge cable connected, which would be similar enough to having a normal DAC plugged into the wall. You're only going to use a DAC when it's connected to your system anyway, so I don't think this little issue is very relevant. To use it while charging, just connect cables to both micro USB inputs. (Unless you want to use the coaxial or optical inputs.)
 
 
Is there any harm in most of the time leaving the Mojo hooked up to computer and plugged in to the wall to keep a full charge?

No it's fine to leave it plugged in all the time but if your charging from an unplugged lap top you may drain the lap tops batteries. But if your using just the data USB connection ithe mojo takes no power from the connected device. John F.

 
Quote:
 
Mojo, like Hugo, has been designed so that you can have the charger plugged in constantly. So on a desktop charge and run it at the same time. Once its fully charged, the charger will just supply enough current to balance Mojo's current draw, so no net current from the battery.
 
Rob

 
Quote:
 
Just to clarify. Charging is automatic. If you are playing and charging at the same time, with a fully charged battery, the charger will supply enough current to balance the consumption used by Mojo, so no net current into the battery. If its fully charged and the unit is off, the charger will go off. The charger will re charge automatically when the battery voltage falls to 8.2v (off at 8.4v) so keeping the charger connected will ensure a full charge.
 
Rob 

 
Quote:
 
  I am also considering replacing my desktop DAC (which, by the way, cost far more than than the Mojo) with a second Mojo, so I might have something to sell too! One question that I think remains unanswered is, Is it alright to leave the Mojo on 24/7 plugged in with a 2A wall wart? Will that adversely affect the battery or anything else in the Mojo? Would keeping the Mojo on all the time avoid the issues with the battery charging circuitry?

It was designed to run this way. If you want to maximize battery life, then turn Mojo off when not using it, with the charger connected permanently and it will be fine as the charger will disconnect automatically, and re-charge automatically when the battery voltage drops.
 
Rob
 
As for the sound...you may be surprised how good the Mojo is. I've come across a few who even think it's better than the Yggdrasil! (But bear in mind that these are all just opinions in the end.)
 
Jan 27, 2017 at 2:10 PM Post #29,720 of 42,759
  i have a beautiful sounding german earmaxpro2 tube amp £700. it was described as an extraordinary sounding amp by one well known reviewer. i have no intention of substituting it. im using a modimultibit dac which although nice with an intona industrial my instinct is saying the 2qute will destroy it. my budget is 1000 so hugo is out and mojo is not a sizeable improvement over what i have. apart from that the hassles of charging. 2qute is perfect. i have even been able to get a very good deal from fanthorpes. to audition the 2qute i would have to shift my laptop,amp and headphones across town. relic an expert has stated why he didnt go 3v 2qute as it is too hot for most inputs. why design it with 3v out?

 
What does the «hassle of charging» consist of in your view? It just means leaving the Hugo plugged in for a while or even the whole time (approved by Rob Watts). I know, the Earmax Pro is a cute looking piece of gear that sounds nice – so it's possibly an affair of the heart. It's just that it sounds like a tube amp – warm, lush and forgiving –, whereas a Chord DAC would reveal what it's capable of with a piece of wire instead of a (coloring) amp at the headphone's end. So the EMP is simply an unnecessary add-on that looks good. The 2Cute wouldn't be able to drive headphones, as its ouput stage can't deliver enough current and has a too high impedance. That said, the EMP, as an OTL design, has an output impedance around 70 Ω, if I recall correctly, which is far from ideal for most headphones. Compare this to a Hugo or Mojo with output impedances of 0.15 Ω and the like! The ideal case – from a theoretical and puristic point of view – would be selling your EMP in favor of a Hugo or, even better, a Hugo².
 
Therefore some of us are trying to steer you away from the intended configuration in favor of ultimate sound quality. But if your sonic ideal is indeed connected with tube amps, there's of course nothing wrong to stick with your initial plan and get a 2Cute for feeding the EMP. I'm rather sure it will handle the 3 volts, otherwise there are simple fixes (as has been mentioned).
 
Jan 27, 2017 at 2:26 PM Post #29,722 of 42,759
thanks to jazz and all. the emp has a 600 ohm dt880 attached to it. with an output impedence of 70 ohms you can really see why these beyers sing with the otl design. the music just flows. i am really interested in chord dacs and it is the benefits of such which i am trying to extract. i even have the anker charger ready and yes this is not a problem.. with the 2 qute out for now and the mojo's performance on par with the modimultibit fed by an intona industrial this would leave the hugo's dac as the final avenue to explore. to my surprise fanthorpes of hull have offered me 200 trade in. they are also selling hugo ex demo for 1200. i might be able to swing that in april. would it be okay to use the hugo without galvanic isolation as a desktop dac till i sourced another intona if i traded it in for max performance? is it straightforward to set the output voltage to 2v on the hugo into earmaxpro?given the musicality of my tube amp with dt880 600ohm is it still the general consensus that the hugo as one unit would still sound better rather than using its dac into my setup. im just trying differing scenarios here i hope im not dominating the thread!!
 
Jan 27, 2017 at 2:31 PM Post #29,723 of 42,759
  thanks to jazz and all. the emp has a 600 ohm dt880 attached to it. with an output impedence of 70 ohms you can really see why these beyers sing with the otl design. the music just flows. i am really interested in chord dacs and it is the benefits of such which i am trying to extract. i even have the anker charger ready and yes this is not a problem.. with the 2 qute out for now and the mojo's performance on par with the modimultibit fed by an intona industrial this would leave the hugo's dac as the final avenue to explore. to my surprise fanthorpes of hull have offered me 200 trade in. they are also selling hugo ex demo for 1200. i might be able to swing that in april. would it be okay to use the hugo without galvanic isolation as a desktop dac till i sourced another intona if i traded it in for max performance? is it straightforward to set the output voltage to 2v on the hugo into earmaxpro?given the musicality of my tube amp with dt880 600ohm is it still the general consensus that the hugo as one unit would still sound better rather than using its dac into my setup. im just trying differing scenarios here i hope im not dominating the thread!!

 
I just got a nice Black Chord Hugo in 9/10 condition last night. Won it in an auction and paid just shy of 1k. Totally worth it!
 
If you keep checking everyday I am sure you will be able to find it around the 1,000 to 1,200 price range. 
 
Jan 27, 2017 at 2:34 PM Post #29,724 of 42,759
  thanks to jazz and all. the emp has a 600 ohm dt880 attached to it. with an output impedence of 70 ohms you can really see why these beyers sing with the otl design. the music just flows. i am really interested in chord dacs and it is the benefits of such which i am trying to extract. i even have the anker charger ready and yes this is not a problem.. with the 2 qute out for now and the mojo's performance on par with the modimultibit fed by an intona industrial this would leave the hugo's dac as the final avenue to explore. to my surprise fanthorpes of hull have offered me 200 trade in. they are also selling hugo ex demo for 1200. i might be able to swing that in april. would it be okay to use the hugo without galvanic isolation as a desktop dac till i sourced another intona if i traded it in for max performance? is it straightforward to set the output voltage to 2v on the hugo into earmaxpro?given the musicality of my tube amp with dt880 600ohm is it still the general consensus that the hugo as one unit would still sound better rather than using its dac into my setup. im just trying differing scenarios here i hope im not dominating the thread!!

 
I had that same DT 880. If you like its sound with tubes, you probably won't prefer it with solid state alone. "Better" sound is very subjective, after all.
 
I don't see any reason not to use the Hugo in a desktop system. I use the Mojo on mine.
 
For output voltage info, see this post: http://www.head-fi.org/t/702787/chord-hugo/7995#post_10847182
 
Jan 27, 2017 at 2:37 PM Post #29,725 of 42,759
  THANKS. that makes perfect sense now. any ideas for 1k dacs not needing charging to improve over modi multibit.

 
Don't get despondent yet.
 
AudioSanctuary have the Hugo2 advertised, but the page includes the option to indicate if one has a Hugo to part-exchange. https://www.audiosanctuary.co.uk/chord-hugo-2-portable-dac-headphone-amplifier.html
 
If that type of offer becomes common with dealers, then you might find dealers have a lot of part-exchanged Hugos in March/April.
I expect they will either sell them on Ebay, or to any potential customer who offers them a decent price.
 
A glut of part-exchanged Hugos, could mean that it is possible that you could pick up a Hugo, at a price that would not break your budget. 
 
Jan 27, 2017 at 2:37 PM Post #29,726 of 42,759
i sent them an email but as they are in germany me in uk and previous attempts were fruitless. at the moment it is a sensitive little thing with a 2v in from modi multi i can feel the amp which fits in your hand is at the right limit of operation. i have read somewhere the extra 1v is to give preamp or speaker owners more room to breathe. i was going to buy the chord qute in early april just weeks from now. im afraid its back to the drawing table. charging for someone who has no portable needs is pointless. google earmaxpro by brocksieper have a look. i want the chord sound but im blocked from all angles for now. earmax will stay. what a journey.


As mentioned, have you considered the in-line attenuators linked by TG04? Seems like a viable solution if you have your heart set on the 2Qute and Earmax Pro combination. At least it's a simple solution without much expense to reduce the output level of the 2Qute.

P.S. Note to JaZZ, the Mojo and Hugo have 0.075 Ohm output impedance. :wink:


thanks to jazz and all. the emp has a 600 ohm dt880 attached to it. with an output impedence of 70 ohms you can really see why these beyers sing with the otl design. the music just flows. i am really interested in chord dacs and it is the benefits of such which i am trying to extract. i even have the anker charger ready and yes this is not a problem.. with the 2 qute out for now and the mojo's performance on par with the modimultibit fed by an intona industrial this would leave the hugo's dac as the final avenue to explore. to my surprise fanthorpes of hull have offered me 200 trade in. they are also selling hugo ex demo for 1200. i might be able to swing that in april. would it be okay to use the hugo without galvanic isolation as a desktop dac till i sourced another intona if i traded it in for max performance? is it straightforward to set the output voltage to 2v on the hugo into earmaxpro?given the musicality of my tube amp with dt880 600ohm is it still the general consensus that the hugo as one unit would still sound better rather than using its dac into my setup. im just trying differing scenarios here i hope im not dominating the thread!!


Setting the output of the Mojo/Hugo/TT/DAVE is as simple as lowering the volume. Nothing is changed as far as bypassing an amp, because there is no seperate headphone amp to bypass in all Chord DACs. You may find the sound quite a bit different from your Earmax Pro, given it's nature as a tube amp. The only one who can determine if the Mojo/Hugo would sound better preference wise as a standalone device vs the EMP is you. You may not like the transparent sound of the Chord gear without the EMP in the mix for your tastes.
 
Jan 27, 2017 at 2:43 PM Post #29,727 of 42,759
  Is this site supporting plain unadultered merchandising nowadays?  I thought it was about sharing experiences, helping others, getting new ideas -- guess I'm just naive

 
Naive is not the word!
 
I was pointing out that the light grey font, against a silvery background, could be hard to read in dim light. Please elucidate which aspect of that is 'plain unadulterated merchandising'? 
confused.gif

 
Jan 27, 2017 at 2:48 PM Post #29,728 of 42,759
the light grey font, against a silvery background, could be hard to read in dim light.

 
Like I mentioned in my reply, as far as I can tell, it's the same material and color as the rest of the chassis.
 
Why do you need to read it in dim light anyway? I always have the lights on when playing music, and it's not like I'm going to forget which DAC I'm using.
 
Jan 27, 2017 at 2:51 PM Post #29,729 of 42,759
What about galvanic isolation. does the hugo benefit from an intona industrial. it has been said that that the mojo does greatly. also many thanks to all here the feedback is great. finally is there a truly noticeable difference between the hugo dac and the mojo dac sound as standalone and also into a a quality tube amp.
 
Jan 27, 2017 at 2:51 PM Post #29,730 of 42,759
P.S. Note to @JaZZ, the Mojo and Hugo have 0.075 Ohm output impedance.
wink.gif

 
Sorry, of course you couldn't have known that I already took account of the contact resistance between headphone jack and headphone plug.
wink.gif

 

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