[surfgeorge]

Thank-you. To be honest I have not been able to have a serious listen to the Nightowls, and it was very much on my radar - until I heard the Mr Speakers Aeon closed. I heard the prototypes of the Aeon, then heard the pre-production units, then ordered a pair.

Thanks @Rob Watts and @betula !
I ended up ordering both Nighthawks and Nightowls at a very good price.
Looking forward to your impressions of the AEONs closed and maybe some day in the future they could be an option.
For now I know I will be very happy with either the owls or the hawks paired with the Mojo

 

[almarti]

If I were you, I would hold on to your money. Unless you really want a headphone upgrade.

Also if you bought a 2Qute, you would need an amplifier that can handle 3V line-level in. That usually means a nice quality amplifier. E.g. The Marantz PM6006 only handles 2.5V in. ............ I do not know all the budget amplifiers. However you need to spend about £500-£600 to get an amplifier with enough tolerance to 3V line-level in. E.g the Rega Brio has 10V line-level in. .... I guess though that you are thinking of headphone amplifiers. Rather than hi-fi amplifiers with headphone sockets.

Personally I would always say, hold onto your money unless you are sure. I was looking for an amplifier and speaker pairing for ages. The main choice was Marantz PM6006, or Cambridge CXA60, and no idea which speaker. I haggled with myself for ages, maybe a year or more. Then suddenly the Rega Brio was out, and also the Dynaudio Emit M10. Both amp and speakers were sweeping the awards with every pro reviewer. I bought them and never looked back. (They even make my Meridian Explorer sound great.) .. I'd say hang on to your money until you are sure, or you can no longer cope with what you have.

I am rhinthin on buying the Regards Brio to replace my 20+yr/old Marantz PM17 KI Signature. Do you think Brio will pair with Chariot Constellation Lynx soeakers (100W at 4ohm). Thanks

 

[deafmutelame]

Might the Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio PCI-e sound exactly the same as a Chord Mojo?

http://support.creative.com/Products/ProductDetails.aspx?prodID=15855&prodName=Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio
http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/sound_blaster_x_fi_xtreme_audio_pcie,1.html



Hi all,

The Chord Mojo, being a DAC, might sound exactly the same as a $5 second hand Soundblaster X-Fi Xtreme.

In other words: DACs might be a scam. Yes, that's my hypothesis (I don't claim it to be a fact). At least the Asus Essence STX II soundcard *IS* a scam.


But please DO NOT believe me: it would be good to do some ABX tests. Test it for yourselves. I'm planning to get a Chord Mojo and ABX it against my Soundblaster soundcard.

You might want to check out these threads and see if you want to reconsider your purchase or if you want to spend a big amount of money in something that might not be worth more than $5.

• Beware: Red Pill ahead! - ABX test: Asus Essence STX II soundcard ( $220 new) vs. Creative Soundblaster X-Fi Xtreme (from $5 second hand): they sound *EXACTLY THE SAME*.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/bew...and-they-sound-exactly-the-same.879171/unread

• ABX test: Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Soundcard vs. Fiio X1 DAP. Indiscernible from each other.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/abx...-x1-dap-indiscernible-from-each-other.878783/

• What's Wrong with the Hi-Fi Scene?: A 700$ NAD Integrated Amp Is Indiscernible from a +20.000$ Mark Levinson Preamp & Dual Monaural Power Amplifier

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/wha...-preamp-dual-monaural-power-amplifier.877362/

 

[musickid]

Oh dear here we go...seriously a mojo does not sound the same as a 20 pound Chinese dac. I challenge you to do a blind test. Its hilarious.

 

[deafmutelame]

Oh dear here we go...seriously a mojo does not sound the same as a 20 pound Chinese dac. I challenge you to do a blind test. Its hilarious.

Hi musickid, thanks for your reply.

I will take your challenge.

Have you read the links? Have you seen that there's no difference between a STX II and the Soundblaster? Have you read that there's NO difference between $700 amp and a $20.000 amp?

Have you done an ABX test yourself with the Mojo?

I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings because I *AM* interested in knowing if this is the case for I *WANT* to purchase a Chord Mojo and stay happy with it, after all those rave reviews it has had.

Unless it is a scam.

Which I suspect (and only suspect) that it is.

 

[musickid]

I must have experimented with maybe 15 dacs/amps before the superiority of the chord sound struck me as being wonderful. Of course chord use an fpga approach which provides hundreds of times more powerful processing of audio vs normal dacs. And yes i heard the difference instantly. No bias here at all. Having played the violin for nearly 10 years and excelling in it i don't need to conduct tests as my ear is up there with the very best. I totally respect your opinions and tests but it is just not fair for newcomers reading here thinking of purchasing a mojo to read your findings as it will confuse them. I cannot comment on any gear you have tested. If it were a scam does that mean the hundreds of reviewers who tested mojo are all wrong? Simple logic would say no.

 

[deafmutelame]

I must have experimented with maybe 15 dacs/amps before the superiority of the chord sound struck me as being wonderful. Of course chord use an fpga approach which provides hundreds of times more powerful processing of audio vs normal dacs. And yes i heard the difference instantly. No bias here at all.

Let me ask you, any of those experiments was a real ABX test?

I like reading that you have experimented with 15 DACs before for it tells me that the superiority of the Mojo should be instantly recognizable.

I will take your challenge and I will get back once I have purchased one.

 

[miketlse]

Hi musickid, thanks for your reply.

I will take your challenge.

Have you read the links? Have you seen that there's no difference between a STX II and the Soundblaster? Have you read that there's NO difference between $700 amp and a $20.000 amp?

Have you done an ABX test yourself with the Mojo?

I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings because I *AM* interested in knowing if this is the case for I *WANT* to purchase a Chord Mojo and stay happy with it, after all those rave reviews it has had.

Unless it is a scam.

Which I suspect (and only suspect) that it is.

In the early days of this thread, there were many posters who said that they had believed the Mojo could not be better than other cheapo dacs.
They visited a dealer, and demoed the Mojo, and bought one on the spot.
So I encourage you to demo a Mojo, then report whether you still think the Mojo is a scam, on this thread.

 

[musickid]

I'm sure you will enjoy the experience. Remember snake oil present there doesn't mean the snake oil is present here.

 

[deafmutelame]

In the early days of this thread, there were many posters who said that they had believed the Mojo could not be better than other cheapo dacs.
They visited a dealer, and demoed the Mojo, and bought one on the spot.
So I encourage you to demo a Mojo, then report whether you still think the Mojo is a scam, on this thread.

I'm sure you will enjoy the experience. Remember snake oil present there doesn't mean the snake oil is present here.

Thanks guys, I will certainly get one for I *do want* to like it.

 

[musickid]

Don't try to like anything. You don't have to like anything. You must love music or you wouldn't be here. Try the mojo and compare it to as many dacs as you can and if the mojo hits that spot then all the better if not it does not matter too. The item will sell itself effortlessly if it is stellar irrespective of brand.

 

[betula]

Colourblind people will never enjoy colours. We live in a beautiful but sometimes cruel world.

 

[kingdixon]

Well, i think different ears and brains might not work the same, i rarely find A-B evident for me, but what always work for me is using the better gear for may be a week or two give my brain time to burn in using specific source and music, then when i go back to the older gear i find it pretty clear that i cant stand listening to it and that the other is superior .. so for me when my brain burn in with the better gear for some time then the difference becomes more evident and clear.

Some time A-Bing work for me but not all the time..

 

[krismusic]

Might the Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio PCI-e sound exactly the same as a Chord Mojo?

http://support.creative.com/Products/ProductDetails.aspx?prodID=15855&prodName=Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio
http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/sound_blaster_x_fi_xtreme_audio_pcie,1.html



Hi all,

The Chord Mojo, being a DAC, might sound exactly the same as a $5 second hand Soundblaster X-Fi Xtreme.

In other words: DACs might be a scam. Yes, that's my hypothesis (I don't claim it to be a fact). At least the Asus Essence STX II soundcard *IS* a scam.


But please DO NOT believe me: it would be good to do some ABX tests. Test it for yourselves. I'm planning to get a Chord Mojo and ABX it against my Soundblaster soundcard.

You might want to check out these threads and see if you want to reconsider your purchase or if you want to spend a big amount of money in something that might not be worth more than $5.

• Beware: Red Pill ahead! - ABX test: Asus Essence STX II soundcard ( $220 new) vs. Creative Soundblaster X-Fi Xtreme (from $5 second hand): they sound *EXACTLY THE SAME*.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/bew...and-they-sound-exactly-the-same.879171/unread

• ABX test: Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Soundcard vs. Fiio X1 DAP. Indiscernible from each other.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/abx...-x1-dap-indiscernible-from-each-other.878783/

• What's Wrong with the Hi-Fi Scene?: A 700$ NAD Integrated Amp Is Indiscernible from a +20.000$ Mark Levinson Preamp & Dual Monaural Power Amplifier

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/wha...-preamp-dual-monaural-power-amplifier.877362/

Brave post! I will be very interested to hear your findings. I have read before that all DAC's should technically sound the same. I love my Mojo but it ran out of battery yesterday and I had to listen to my iPhone.I was surprised how much I enjoyed listening to it...

 

[deafmutelame]

I have read before that all DAC's should technically sound the same.

And, quite likely, all amps that aim for transparency, as stated here:

• What's Wrong with the Hi-Fi Scene?: A 700$ NAD Integrated Amp Is Indiscernible from a +20.000$ Mark Levinson Preamp & Dual Monaural Power Amplifier

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/wha...-preamp-dual-monaural-power-amplifier.877362/


Unless a DAC aims for colouring the sound, instead of sounding transparent —the same that happens with Tubes vs. Transistors— which is what might be happening here, that the Chord Mojo might be colouring the sound instead of presenting it in a honest way.

For all I know, an Asus Essence STX II, a FiiO X1 and an AGPTek A02 DAP sound exactly the same as my Soundblaster X-Fi Xtreme.

But it's alright: I'll take the challenge in some weeks and come back with my findings.