[maxh22]

 

 

 
How do you like the synergy? Did you return the HD 800?

 

[twiceboss]

Heyyyyy, how's that sz2000 paired with mojo sound????

 

[Music Alchemist]

  How do you like the synergy? Did you return the HD 800?

 
I like its synergy with my desk. haha. Haven't even listened to it yet. I'll probably post my impressions in the Elear thread and link to it here.
 
Yep.
 

Heyyyyy, how's that sz2000 paired with mojo sound????

 
With the right EQ settings, it's amazing with electronic music, especially rap. I've managed to get a cross between a basshead and audiophile sound. Haven't tweaked the EQ settings to sound as good with other types of music, though. (Without EQ, I don't think it's noteworthy at all.) I also put pads from the JVC HA-MR77X on it to get the best bass impact.

 

[twiceboss]

I have th600 for my bass heavy musics and hd800 for critical listening.

Yet still wondering should i try another cans more haha

 

[NaiveSound]

I love mojo. I like it synergy with Empire ears Zeus.

But the more I listen the more I am Curious about balanced out. I wish I could try it! Can someone do me a favor and just talk me out of it?

 

[x RELIC x]

I love mojo. I like it synergy with Empire ears Zeus.

But the more I listen the more I am Curious about balanced out. I wish I could try it! Can someone do me a favor and just talk me out of it?

Lol, just read the third post section on why Chord doesn't implement a balanced output. Also, many TOTL amps that are SE sound better than a lot of balanced amps. The ALO Studio Six comes to mind, as well as the Cavalli Liquid Crimson. Both are SE and both are top performers. The Cayin DAPs don't have a well implemented balanced output and sound worse than their SE output.

TL;DR balanced can solve issues over SE in certain designs, which sounds better on the same device vs the SE output, but if the issues aren't there then SE can sound better than balanced. In essence, any improvement one may hear in a balanced design or a SE design is due to design of the amp.

 

[Mediahound]

I love mojo. I like it synergy with Empire ears Zeus.

But the more I listen the more I am Curious about balanced out. I wish I could try it! Can someone do me a favor and just talk me out of it?

 
 

Lol, just read the third post section on why Chord doesn't implement a balanced output. Also, many TOTL amps that are SE sound better than a lot of balanced amps. The ALO Studio Six comes to mind, as well as the Cavalli Liquid Crimson. Both are SE and both are top performers. The Cayin DAPs don't have a well implemented balanced output and sound worse than their SE output.

TL;DR balanced can solve issues over SE in certain designs, which sounds better on the same device vs the SE output, but if the issues aren't there then SE can sound better than balanced. In essence, any improvement one may hear in a balanced design or a SE design is due to design of the amp.

 
Basically, because this:
 

The primary reason many Dacs have a balanced internal topology is try to overcome switching noise that has been induced into the Dac chips substrate. Balanced circuitry though causes other distortions that should be avoided. Chord Dacs have no substrate switching noise because the switching elements are seperated from the FPGA and more importantly from the analogue circuitry. So because we don't use standard Dac chips that can suffer from these problems. Therefore we do not have no need to used a balanced internal topology so we don't! 

 

 

[x RELIC x]

Basically, because this:

Well, yes, but there's a bit more to it than that, which is why I directed him to read all the info in the third post. :wink_face:

 

[NaiveSound]

Well, yes, but there's a bit more to it than that, which is why I directed him to read all the info in the third post. :wink_face:

And I've read and I understand, but I get pms from time to time and on other posts of people saying that they had mojos and then opted for a balanced out situation. All I got is curiosity, I'm super happy with mojo, just wondering if I'm missing out on something. Others swear by balanced.

Can someone explain how it sounds? Does it sound a different way or does it just work a different way?

 

[earfonia]

I can lend you my Anker Powerline+!
I got some ferrite cores too!

Cool thanks! Probably I should make some comparisons of USB cable one day, measure the EMI rejection level of different cable

We can meet at Zep one day

 

[x RELIC x]

And I've read and I understand, but I get pms from time to time and on other posts of people saying that they had mojos and then opted for a balanced out situation. All I got is curiosity, I'm super happy with mojo, just wondering if I'm missing out on something. Others swear by balanced.

Can someone explain how it sounds? Does it sound a different way or does it just work a different way?

As I've tried to explain it all depends on the amp design and the implementation. Some people want a wider sound stage and some balanced amps give that. Some want more bass and warmth and there are different amps that provide that, in both SE or balanced. Some balanced amps are tilted bright which is what some prefer. What I'm trying to say is that the differences aren't so much balanced vs SE, but more down to how the amp is designed and how each amp matches to individual preferences.

There is a common perception that a balanced output has better dynamics and speration, yet when I've compared a balanced output to the SE output of the same gear when volume matched (this is the key) there was basically no differences heard between the two outputs. A difference of as little as 1dB louder can be perceived as better, that's the way we are wired, we like louder. If a balanced output or a SE output is competently designed then you should hear little, if any, difference between them when volume matched.

There is no magic bullet that says balanced brings X while single ended brings Y when comparing different gear. Within the same gear a balanced output may sound better than the SE output because the amp has a better balanced topology than SE, but that doesn't mean that particular amp will sound better to you than another amp. If a balanced amp speaks more to someone's preference that doesn't mean that all balanced amps are better than SE amps. It just means that person likes that particular amp.

I'm sure there are many who don't like the Mojo compared to other options, and that's fine, but it isn't as easy as saying it's because of a balanced topology.

 

[idabgamgsx9754]

And I've read and I understand, but I get pms from time to time and on other posts of people saying that they had mojos and then opted for a balanced out situation. All I got is curiosity, I'm super happy with mojo, just wondering if I'm missing out on something. Others swear by balanced.

Can someone explain how it sounds? Does it sound a different way or does it just work a different way?

 
Having switched back and forth between SE and Balanced on the same amp, the balanced is several dB louder at the same setting.  I can't say there's much more difference than that.  The Mojo design doesn't lack loud and my ears and the specs confirm the sound is very very clean.  So if it's clean and capable of being very loud there's no real need.  

 

[Music Alchemist]

Tonight I switched back to the onboard DAC of my Alienware M11x R2 laptop and tested things for awhile.
 
(Amp: FiiO E11 Kilimanjaro. Headphones: Focal Elear, Koss KTXPRO1, JVC HA-SZ2000.)
 
Oh dear god...it sounds like utter trash in comparison.
 
Using the Mojo as DAC for the FiiO is better, but still a little crappy. Driving my headphones directly from the Mojo is far superior.
 
The Mojo really is worlds better. I can't go back to being without Chord. I just can't. Even more curious about the Hugo 2 now...

 

[Arpiben]

Cool thanks! Probably I should make some comparisons of USB cable one day, measure the EMI rejection level of different cable

We can meet at Zep one day

If I may suggest,one day you could also show how EMI/RFI is acting with DUT casing or analog cable (+) headphone (+) headfier ....

 

[earfonia]

 
What's different this time, is that the noise is not present in the Mojo when you unplug the cable. Before it appeared that the short USB cable on the Mojo was making noise.
 
It does make me think this is what folk who use Jitterbug are doing. Some praise the Jitterbug and if I am not mistaken Rob Watts likes it too.
 
Thank you for making and uploading these videos. They are eye-opening. I hope you can do more stuff and show, if there's anything left to do.    

 
Unfortunately AQ Jitterbug doesn't help. USB Ground Input and Ground Output of Jitterbug is connected, so no improvement in EMI rejection on my test. I borrowed it from a friend, tried it with various DACs, couldn't hear any difference. I also did a few measurement, SNR, THD, no different with and without Jitterbug. So far I don't have any luck with it. Not sure how it functions.
 

 
 
I found a shielded micro USB B cable, if not mistaken the cable was from my Samsung phone. Compared with other micro USB B cable from Aukey charger that is not shielded, I didn't hear any differences. Both picked up the EMI noise and I heard that irritating EMI noise. I'm quite puzzled now, how this EMI noise creeps into the analog output. But so far only ground isolation that is proven to isolate the EMI noise. I will share more if I do more testing. Now have to spend time to review 5 items.... 

 have to skip all these USB EMI things...