[BA_D_R]

No. The AK380 feeds into the Mojo (or the Hugo I also have) via optical, so is using the Mojo/Hugo as the DAC. At least that is how I understand it works.

It should be the same, because AKG380 work like streaming the data to mojo, no EQ will be working, if the EQ is working then you can be right.

 

[BA_D_R]

 
Theoretically it doesn't matter. But according to my experience Mojo sounds different with different sources. I can't explain why.
Let's say if an average £150-250 DAP sound quality is "4", Mojo can be "7-10" depending on the source you use.

That's strange lol,, ok,, is foobar2000 (WASAPI event) a good source?

 

[betula]

  That's strange lol,, ok,, is foobar200 (WASAPI event) a good source?

To me Foobar with ASIO is a definite improvement over basic Foobar.

 

[fjrabon]

 
Theoretically it doesn't matter. But according to my experience Mojo sounds different with different sources. I can't explain why.
Let's say if an average £150-250 DAP sound quality is "4", Mojo can be "7-10" depending on the source you use.

Couple of things could be going on here: EQ or other DSP being the most obvious.  I have no experience with the AK, so I can't say if it does any EQ or other DSP.
 
 Outside of that, with sources, it is possible that they are introducing noise/interference into the system.  This can happen in the digital stage, though it's less common.  It's the reason why USB cables come with ferrite beads, and I have seen them make a real, actual, measurable difference.  In an alternative headphone forum to this, with the m9XX, the reviewer was originally sent some lower quality cables without ferrite beads, and then some higher quality cables with ferrite beads, and there was a measurable (though according to the reviewer not audible) lowering of a few noise/interference spikes.  
 
Anybody who has ever had a noisy USB port can also tell you how that even in the digital stage, things can get screwed up.  
 
That being said, this isn't an issue with the vast majority of decent players/computers.  Like it has to be a very big hiccup to make a difference in the digital domain.  Even moderate quality USB cables send a perfect digital signal.  It has to be a pretty bad cable to not send a perfect digital signal.

 

[BA_D_R]

 
To me Foobar with ASIO is a definite improvement over basic Foobar.

Yes sure it is, because it will give the data aka the music file directly to the device (dac)

 

[wym2]

  just a quick question that I didn't know where to ask it...
does the source matter?? isn't the source just giving a digital data to mojo, thus whatever the source is (pc, iphone, galaxy, ak240) it won't matter? also the usb cable won't matter if cost 1$ or 9999$ ?

 
Many using a MBP as the source will hear a difference if they insert a program like audirvana in the chain.
 
MBP → (audirvana) → SDragon → Mojo →AQ Big Sur trs →LC

 

[betula]

 
Couple of things could be going on here: EQ or other DSP being the most obvious.  I have no experience with the AK, so I can't say if it does any EQ or other DSP.
 
 Outside of that, with sources, it is possible that they are introducing noise/interference into the system.  This can happen in the digital stage, though it's less common.  It's the reason why USB cables come with ferrite beads, and I have seen them make a real, actual, measurable difference.  In an alternative headphone forum to this, with the m9XX, the reviewer was originally sent some lower quality cables without ferrite beads, and then some higher quality cables with ferrite beads, and there was a measurable (though according to the reviewer not audible) lowering of a few noise/interference spikes.  
 
Anybody who has ever had a noisy USB port can also tell you how that even in the digital stage, things can get screwed up.  
 
That being said, this isn't an issue with the vast majority of decent players/computers.  Like it has to be a very big hiccup to make a difference in the digital domain.  Even moderate quality USB cables send a perfect digital signal.  It has to be a pretty bad cable to not send a perfect digital signal.

All I know is DX80 via coax to Mojo sounded very clear, transparent, but too sharp to me, especially in treble.
USB (cheap cable) from Dell E7440 or Android phone is pretty similar. Sound is much smoother compared to DX80 coax. Bass quantity is more, however less refined. Much easier to listen to. I preferred this over DX80 coax.
 USB Cinnamon cable with Foobar ASIO driver sounds much more cleaner, more dynamic, more spacious, more detailed than any of the previous. While keeping the smoothness of the sound. These are obvious differences to me.

 

[BA_D_R]

 
Couple of things could be going on here: EQ or other DSP being the most obvious.  I have no experience with the AK, so I can't say if it does any EQ or other DSP.
 
 Outside of that, with sources, it is possible that they are introducing noise/interference into the system.  This can happen in the digital stage, though it's less common.  It's the reason why USB cables come with ferrite beads, and I have seen them make a real, actual, measurable difference.  In an alternative headphone forum to this, with the m9XX, the reviewer was originally sent some lower quality cables without ferrite beads, and then some higher quality cables with ferrite beads, and there was a measurable (though according to the reviewer not audible) lowering of a few noise/interference spikes.  
 
Anybody who has ever had a noisy USB port can also tell you how that even in the digital stage, things can get screwed up.  
 
That being said, this isn't an issue with the vast majority of decent players/computers.  Like it has to be a very big hiccup to make a difference in the digital domain.  Even moderate quality USB cables send a perfect digital signal.  It has to be a pretty bad cable to not send a perfect digital signal.

 Any distortion or error at the digital transfer (from the source to the dac) won't matter as long as the dac is playing without any clippings (there are error detection and correction) , the data streaming isn't a real-time thing, every dac got a cache memory that will be used to store some of the data, also if any distorted digital frame came tho the dac, the dac will ask the source to send it again etc....
 
The distortion at the digital transfer should be addressed only if there are clippings or even stop working.

 

[ksb643]

I've spent the last 30 minutes catching up on this thread, listening as I read. Hadn't had much time for listening this week, a rough week at work and all. Decided to listen to David Gilmour's latest Rattle That Lock. A mixed bag, some great tunes and some just ok. "Beauty" started and WOW!! Stopped browsing the internet and just closed my eyes and listened. What a wondrful sound!!
 
JRiver 21- Moon Audo Silver Dragon USB - Mojo - HE560

 

[BA_D_R]

   
Many using a MBP as the source will hear a difference if they insert a program like audirvana in the chain.
 
MBP → (audirvana) → SDragon → Mojo →AQ Big Sur trs →LC

I'm sorry, what is MBP?

 

[ksb643]

MacBook Pro

 

[sandalaudio]

Regarding the different computer (USB source) affecting the sound of Mojo, 
 
February issue of Hi-Fi News had a review of Aurender N10 (a super expensive dedicated Hi-Fi PC) where they connected Mojo, Oppo HA-2 and Audioquest Dragonfly to it, and measured substantial improvement in the S/N and jitter spectra when using the Aurender versus a conventional desktop PC.
They also saw similar improvements when using Melco N1A NAS a few issues back.
 
On the Mojo, it was like A-wtd S/N ratio of 114.1dB vs. 103.8dB on a normal PC (also 48kHz jitter of 8psec vs 75psec)
 
I'm not saying that everyone should go out and buy those expensive Hi-Fi dedicated clean computer, but it does seem to make a noticeable difference. 
 
The difference is more obvious for little USB bus-powered DACs, which relies heavily on the dirty 5V power supply coming in from the computer. A lot of people think the USB cable just carries data, but it's mostly the noisy spikes in the 5V power that spills out and contaminates the rest of the circuit. For example, as soon as I start sending music data via USB to my Mojo, the USB 5V power line gets around 300mV spikes on it. Mojo or any good DAC is supposed to filter that out, but it's better to have no spikes than more spikes.

 

[ElMariachi]

Mojo/Sysconcepts/RWAK100 stack with noble savants in travel case with noble savants

What travel case are you using?

 

[wym2]

  MacBook Pro

 
Like he said.  

 

[BA_D_R]

   
Many using a MBP as the source will hear a difference if they insert a program like audirvana in the chain.
 
MBP → (audirvana) → SDragon → Mojo →AQ Big Sur trs →LC

So here everything are fixed, just the audirvana app was the change,,,  if the MBP with and without audirvana is sending the data using ASIO then its something at the audirvana, maybe the EQ.