Chord Mojo(1) DAC-amp ☆★►FAQ in 3rd post!◄★☆
Jan 10, 2019 at 12:08 AM Post #37,981 of 42,759
To me the Mojo is too thick and muted in the treble with higher end headphones but sound really good with cheaper headphones, as it was designed to (i didnt know this until a long time after i had one though) Hugo 2 is far more balanced and transparent without being harsh or too bright but its a massive jump in price to get there from Mojo. I recommend Hugo 1 for people with £400+ headphones/IEMS and Hugo 2 if money is no problem for you.
That is indeed true, but I wouldn't call it too thick. Balanced is ADI-2 DAC, Hugo 2 is just sharp to me. Literally sold it and preferred Mojo even though it cannot compete in technicality. I guess my headphones aren't expensive enough to appreciate the difference though *shrug*.

Or maybe I just have different preferences than you or people who don't like Mojo. Thankfully we both have options to choose from instead of wanting everything to be homogeneous in this highly subjective hobby.
 
Jan 10, 2019 at 6:47 AM Post #37,982 of 42,759
Hi there
how does the Mojo perform as a DAC connected to a desktop amp?

I am looking at planars, and would use the Mojo to take it around the house, but I am guessing for the best sound at my desk I would need a proper desktop amp.
Am I better off buying an all in one dac/amp box for my desk in addition to the Mojo (lets say budget $800). Or will a $500 desktop amp like the Gilmore Lite or Burson fun work just fine?
thankyou
 
Jan 10, 2019 at 7:08 AM Post #37,983 of 42,759
Hi andrewdvd,

Im using as desktop dac with Naim nait 5i amp. And it is wonderfull.
From my experience you need at least 1000 Eur to get same level quality from other desktop dacs.

Just grab same level desktop amplifier. Usually but not always price range says it. I wuld say yu need 900-1300 price range proper desktop amplifier.

this is what i use:
XzHWwbF.jpg
 
Jan 10, 2019 at 7:24 AM Post #37,984 of 42,759
Hi there
how does the Mojo perform as a DAC connected to a desktop amp?

I am looking at planars, and would use the Mojo to take it around the house, but I am guessing for the best sound at my desk I would need a proper desktop amp.
Am I better off buying an all in one dac/amp box for my desk in addition to the Mojo (lets say budget $800). Or will a $500 desktop amp like the Gilmore Lite or Burson fun work just fine?
thankyou

First of all, you should know the Mojo isn't really a DAC/amp combo like other gear. It's a DAC that has a very simple but very capable analogue output stage that measures very well. Think of the Mojo's headphone out more like the line-out from other DACs and you'll get an idea of the way it's designed. Just giving you a heads up if you weren't aware of how it's designed differently. If you would like to know more the third post of this thread has a lot of information from the Mojo's designer.

What planar headphones are you looking at? I've used the Mojo with the LCD-2.2, LCD_XC, ETHER Flow (open and closed), and all of them sound great from the Mojo to my ears. Plenty of power and plenty of detail and nuance. You don't always need a desktop amp, and the Mojo measures extremely well and is actually quite powerful for such a little device. That said, headphones like LCD-4, Abyss headphones, and Susvara would benefit from a desktop amp the most, electrically speaking.

Another thing that would be helpful for recommendations is what do you consider the 'best sound'. Just because an extra amp is more money doesn't mean it's technically better. Do you like a warmer sound than Mojo? Brighter? I've paired the Cavalli Liquid Carbon with the Mojo and even the $4K Liquid Gold and they both add a sweet tone to the Mojo due to their tuning but I don't feel I'm missing anything else in comparison (besides the amps tuning) when I'm listening straight from the Mojo. I've also used the Oppo HA-1 with the Mojo which has brighter tilt to its sound signature.

It all depends on what you're looking for and the headphones you pair with your audio gear. The entire chain is important for preferences and synergy.
 
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Jan 10, 2019 at 8:26 AM Post #37,985 of 42,759
Haven't posted in here around a year or so at a guess... haven't used the mojo in the same time roughly. In that time I've bought the hiby R6 as my otg DAP. Laying here on my bed after my nightshift, playing fleetwood mac.

Stopping certain passages, playing and comparing both, then re-playing and re-comparing etc lol. I think the small differences to my ears are that the music with mojo sounds a bit more intimate, realistic if you like.

For this kind of singer songwriter music, it suits it so well. The hiby R6 sounds fantastic too, slightly different though, alot more similar than different sounding to my ears. For chilling on my bed though, mojo is my choice.

Portable is a totally diff outcome though for use. If im on a walk, it's the R6 all day. The tiny little nuances between the sounds, you will not distinguish due to external factors. The fact you have no stacking and cables etc is a major, major deciding factor for me.

I think to truly appreciate what mojo gives you, you need to be able to relax, close your eyes and concentrate on exactly what you are hearing. You start to pick up on what it gives you.

Im curious if Tidal HI-FI offers a difference in sound quality that is audible compared to 320kbp.

Both mojo & Hiby R6 with my B&W P7 wireless sounds real nice for the average audio enthusiast.

What's the best openback HP you've all heard with mojo? I ask because I have the IMR R1 Zenith IEM's coming next week and if they are good enough, I may replace my P7W's with openback's and use those IEM's as my all rounders.

I would NOT call Mojo thick.(Edit, forgot the not, which was key.) I think it offers transparency and detail more than you should even expect. If you like Massdrop and depending on your budget and taste, you can’t go wrong with the HD6xx for all around use or the Focal Elex for more detail and impact. IMO both are a bargain, especially the Senns.
 
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Jan 10, 2019 at 1:23 PM Post #37,986 of 42,759
I would NOT call Mojo thick.(Edit, forgot the not, which was key.) I think it offers transparency and detail more than you should even expect. If you like Massdrop and depending on your budget and taste, you can’t go wrong with the HD6xx for all around use or the Focal Elex for more detail and impact. IMO both are a bargain, especially the Senns.
thanks for the suggestions mate, will look into them. Ummmm, I didn't claim mojo was thick? Unless I have misunderstood your post?
 
Jan 10, 2019 at 1:35 PM Post #37,987 of 42,759
Probably this was answered many times, but this thread is huge: i understand it is possible to connect smartphones with usb-c socket to mojo and use it as a dac.
But do you know, will it work with UAPP? Will the bitrate be in any way affected? Any other possible limitations?

Yes it will work and the DAC will playback at BitPerfect 'if' set up in the settings. The one thing I have found, others may correct me if wrong but Tidal will only play up to 96 kHz unless you have a device that is capable of full unfolding


Actually, with the right settings I believe the V20 is able to do the full unfold of MQA tracks played from Tidal via UAPP.

That would be fantastic, I have tried with my iFI iDSD which is meant to be MQA capable but without much luck as we speak


Has anyone else had problems with the micro-USB sockets breaking on their Chord Mojo? I've used my mojo around a dozen times in total, stacked with my phone with a 90 degree angle OTG cable, and the micro-USB connector outer sleeve has now broken away - it is apparently just soldered to the circuit board and doesn't have any torsion relief or stabilisation with the outer frame from the looks of things, just the solder to resist any strain from the cable...

Due to the pressure with short OTG USB cable my micro USB gave up but after 2+ years of use, repaired by Chord for a reasonable fee
 
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Jan 10, 2019 at 2:39 PM Post #37,988 of 42,759
Hi there
how does the Mojo perform as a DAC connected to a desktop amp?

I am looking at planars, and would use the Mojo to take it around the house, but I am guessing for the best sound at my desk I would need a proper desktop amp.
Am I better off buying an all in one dac/amp box for my desk in addition to the Mojo (lets say budget $800). Or will a $500 desktop amp like the Gilmore Lite or Burson fun work just fine?
thankyou

If you are keen on getting an amp I recommend the Liquid Spark, it makes the Mojo sound similar to the TT and adds a nice sweet tone without really giving up much at all.

It’s really there just to add spice because for the majority of headphones an additional amp isn’t really needed. But since Mojo has a very precise and centered presentation the liquid spark adds additional body, warmth, and depth if you are looking for that.
 
Jan 10, 2019 at 4:40 PM Post #37,991 of 42,759
If you are keen on getting an amp I recommend the Liquid Spark, it makes the Mojo sound similar to the TT and adds a nice sweet tone without really giving up much at all.

It’s really there just to add spice because for the majority of headphones an additional amp isn’t really needed. But since Mojo has a very precise and centered presentation the liquid spark adds additional body, warmth, and depth if you are looking for that.
Hi, what powerful portable amp with the same traits would you recomend for Mojo? I have very bright old 300 and 600 Ohm vintage Sennheiser headphones that do not sound well with equally bright output of Mojo. I need to pair my Mojo with a darker and fuller sounding portable amp that would give additional body and bass to the sound. Any idea what to choose?
 
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Jan 10, 2019 at 4:54 PM Post #37,992 of 42,759
Hi, what powerful portable amp with the same traits would you recomend for Mojo? I have very bright old 300 and 600 Ohm vintage Sennheiser headphones that do not sound well with equally bright output of Mojo. I need to pair my Mojo with a darker and fuller sounding portable amp that would give additional body and bass to the sound. Any idea what to choose?

I can't really think of another portable amp except maybe the Wa8 Eclipse but that's more transportable than portable. ALO CDM is another option but both are more than twice the price of Mojo. The liquid spark should sound and pair well with the headphones you listed above.
 
Jan 10, 2019 at 5:00 PM Post #37,993 of 42,759
I can't really think of another portable amp except maybe the Wa8 Eclipse but that's more transportable than portable. ALO CDM is another option but both are more than twice the price of Mojo. The liquid spark should sound and pair well with the headphones you listed above.
Can liquid spark be driven from a powerbank via usbor is it solely a desktop solution?
 
Jan 10, 2019 at 5:24 PM Post #37,994 of 42,759
Hi, what powerful portable amp with the same traits would you recomend for Mojo? I have very bright old 300 and 600 Ohm vintage Sennheiser headphones that do not sound well with equally bright output of Mojo. I need to pair my Mojo with a darker and fuller sounding portable amp that would give additional body and bass to the sound. Any idea what to choose?

I can't really think of another portable amp except maybe the Wa8 Eclipse but that's more transportable than portable. ALO CDM is another option but both are more than twice the price of Mojo. The liquid spark should sound and pair well with the headphones you listed above.

Good suggestions with the CDM and WA8, but both are less powerful than the Mojo (the OP requested a powerful solution :)). There's also the Vorzuge Vorzamp II that has had good feedback, and from what I've read it's a warm sounding amp.

If it were me I'd buy new headphones more in line with my preference rather than trying to balance the sound with upstream gear.
 
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Jan 10, 2019 at 5:31 PM Post #37,995 of 42,759
Good suggestions with the CDM and WA8, but both are less powerful than the Mojo (the OP requested a powerful solution :)). There's also the Vorzuge Vorzamp II that has had good feedback, and from what I've read it's a warm sounding amp.

If it were me I'd buy new headphones more in line with my preference rather than trying to balance the sound with upstream gear.
I love those headphones on my desktop darker sounding rig, so no can do, but thanks for suggestion... :wink: I fuess I ‘ll try try transportable solution suggested by max - liquid spark.
 

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