[jamato8]

   
Are you saying the AK100II sounds better with the Mojo than the AK100 mkII as pure transports, or just better when used directly as DAPs?
 
Used as a pure transport I can't see why they sound any different given that unless they're fiddling with the bits, the only thing that would differentiate them would be either the quality of their optical outputs (and if those weren't working correctly, I'd expect the Mojo not to lock onto the signal) or the accuracy of their clocks - which might affect other DACs but my understanding from what Rob Watts has said was that the Mojo was essentially immune to source-jitter (internal buffering and re-clocking).
 
Sounds signatures are, of course, a personal thing ... but for me I find the AK100II, AK120II and AK240 used as DAPs to be behind the original AK120 in terms of reproduction.  I just don't get on with them at all.  But again, that's a personal thing.

Don't want to take this off of the Mojo. No, I was responding that the AK100II as a dap sounds better than the AK100, to my ears. As a source they should be about the same but I haven't really compared them. 

 

[imattersuk]

   
Are you saying the AK100II sounds better with the Mojo than the AK100 mkII as pure transports, or just better when used directly as DAPs?
 
Used as a pure transport I can't see why they sound any different given that unless they're fiddling with the bits, the only thing that would differentiate them would be either the quality of their optical outputs (and if those weren't working correctly, I'd expect the Mojo not to lock onto the signal) or the accuracy of their clocks - which might affect other DACs but my understanding from what Rob Watts has said was that the Mojo was essentially immune to source-jitter (internal buffering and re-clocking).
 
Sounds signatures are, of course, a personal thing ... but for me I find the AK100II, AK120II and AK240 used as DAPs to be behind the original AK120 in terms of reproduction.  I just don't get on with them at all.  But again, that's a personal thing.

On the subject of jitter i'm currently reviewing a high quality USB cable that claims to reduce jitter and I can state categorically that it's a big improvement on the stock cable that Chord supply. I'm stunned actually as I was always in the digital is digital camp, will post up a link when i've finished writing the review.

 

[NZtechfreak]

  On the subject of jitter i'm currently reviewing a high quality USB cable that claims to reduce jitter and I can state categorically that it's a big improvement on the stock cable that Chord supply. I'm stunned actually as I was always in the digital is digital camp, will post up a link when i've finished writing the review.

 
Blind and volume-matched tests required
 
According to Chord jitter should not be an issue here. Other possible explanations?

 

[imattersuk]

   
Blind and volume-matched tests required
 
According to Chord jitter should not be an issue here. Other possible explanations?

Totally blind plus further testing on someone with zero interest in hifi who has raging tinnitus who identified the improvement too.
 
I quote "it's obvious that one is much clearer I can hear a lot more detail."

 

[NZtechfreak]

  Totally blind plus further testing on someone with zero interest in hifi who has raging tinnitus who identified the improvement too.
 
I quote "it's obvious that one is much clearer I can hear a lot more detail."

 
Interest piqued. 

 

[cvbcbcmv]

deleted

 

[GreenBow]

  On the subject of jitter i'm currently reviewing a high quality USB cable that claims to reduce jitter and I can state categorically that it's a big improvement on the stock cable that Chord supply. I'm stunned actually as I was always in the digital is digital camp, will post up a link when i've finished writing the review.

Can you tell what cable please? I bought a USB-audio quality cable to use with Meridian Explorer. I A-B tested it with a standard £1 cable and really struggled to hear any change. It doesn't mean that I am a sceptic or in the camp of opposition. It means that maybe my headphones and the ME didn't have enough quality to discern any change. It left me sceptical as to whether it was worth buying an audio quality USB cable with the Mojo.

 

[x RELIC x]

Hey guys sorry about this, but I just have a few stupid questions before I buy a mojo. First, what exactly do I need to buy to use 1. my iPhone as a source, and 2. My ak100ii as a digital source. I assume I need a camera connection kit, but when I looked on moon audio I got confused as to what they meant by an additional cable and then termination. Second, does this has a normal line out for plugging it into a larger amp? I'm sure it'll be great for my ue18's, but I assume with my LCD-3's they'll need a bit more umph, which I can supply with my mjolnir, but I just want to be sure I could use the mojo as a dac. 

Yea, you need the camera connection kit. The other part is just USB A to USB micro.

You need a quality optical cable for maximum sampling rate throughput with optical. Sysconcepts and Moon Audio sell great solutions.

There is no seperate line out as there is no seperate 'amp section'. You don't need it as the output from the Mojo is direct from the analogue stage of the DAC. Line level output on the Mojo is simply a shortcut to setting 3V output. From there you can adjust the volume if you want and it will still be line level output.

The LCD-3 will be driven fine power wise. The Mojo outputs 5V from its headphone jack. I drove the LCD-2 with ample power to spare direct from the Mojo and it sounded great.

 

[imattersuk]

 
Can you tell what cable please? I bought a USB-audio quality cable to use with Meridian Explorer. I A-B tested it with a standard £1 cable and really struggled to hear any change. It doesn't mean that I am a sceptic or in the camp of opposition. It means that maybe my headphones and the ME didn't have enough quality to discern any change.

I aim to publish the review on Wednesday, time permitting, can't reveal more until then sorry.

 

[Torq]

  Hey guys sorry about this, but I just have a few stupid questions before I buy a mojo. First, what exactly do I need to buy to use 1. my iPhone as a source, I assume I need a camera connection kit, but when I looked on moon audio I got confused as to what they meant by an additional cable and then termination. 2. My ak100ii as a digital source.  Second, does this have a normal line out for plugging it into a larger amp? I'm sure it'll be great for my ue18's, but I assume with my LCD-3's they'll need a bit more umph, which I can supply with my mjolnir, but I just want to be sure I could use the mojo as a dac. 

 
To use it with the iPhone, all you will need is the Camera Connection Kit and the micro-USB cable that Chord supply in the box with the Mojo.
 
To feed it from your AK100ii, you'll need an optical cable with mini-Toslink at one end and a Toslink connector at the other.  Ideally go for a multi-stranded cable from either Sys Concepts or Moon-Audio.
 
You can use the headphone outputs to connect to your bigger amplifier.  The "line-out" mode fixes the Mojo's output at 3V.  But there's no seperate, fixed-level, output.
 
The Mojo will work fine with your Mjolnir, but I've not found any issues with driving my LCD-2.2c with the Mojo directly - it can certainly push it way beyond what I can stand volume wise.

 

[cvbcbcmv]

deleted

 

[Torq]

  On the subject of jitter i'm currently reviewing a high quality USB cable that claims to reduce jitter and I can state categorically that it's a big improvement on the stock cable that Chord supply. I'm stunned actually as I was always in the digital is digital camp, will post up a link when i've finished writing the review.

 
Interested to hear more.
 
If the cable is reducing jitter then there are really only three possibilities that I can think of (engineering/scientist hat on) off the top of my head:
 
1. It's some kind of active cable that has buffering and re-clocking built-in (e.g. like an in-line Regen/Wyrd/JitterBug).
2. It's using an ultra-precisely time-aligned (i.e. identical length) conductor configuration.
3. It uses some special termination that reduces/eliminates signal reflections from the physical cable/connector interfaces (the effect that TDR relies on).
 
And, or course, combinations of one or more of those approaches.
 
With the Mojo, since it's supposed to be buffered and re-clocked internally it's hard to imagine any of those making any difference at all.
 
That's not to say that it doesn't!  Just that I, personally, can't imagine a way in which it can.
 
Looking forward to the review.

 

[Skyyyeman]

Thanks guys! That's all I needed to know! Can't wait!

 


Just to clarify, though everyone is calling it the camera connection kit, or CCK, the correct name is the Lightning to USB Camera Adapter. There is in fact another item called the Apple Camera Connection Kit which is completely different and not usable in this application.

 

[shigzeo]

 

Thanks guys! That's all I needed to know! Can't wait!

 


Just to clarify, though everyone is calling it the camera connection kit, or CCK, the correct name is the Lightning to USB Camera Adapter. There is in fact another item called the Apple Camera Connection Kit which is completely different and not usable in this application.

Oh, you're right. Back in the day, I think the accessory with USB adapter was called the camera connection kit. But that was 2010. My apologies.

 

[AndrewH13]

There is no seperate line out as there is no seperate 'amp section'. You don't need it as the output from the Mojo is direct from the analogue stage of the DAC.

The LCD-3 will be driven fine power wise. The Mojo outputs 5V from its headphone jack

Just a thought. Why do other DAC/headphone amps have amp sections when Hugo/Mojo get by without one, and many including Chord say it is more transparent? Have Chord got the patent for ampless amps