[LudoLVG]

Sorry, I am French and I don't understand what RF means. It is Interference??
I also hesitate between the chord Mojo and the ifi idsd black label.

 

[Roscoeiii]

RFI when paired with phones is a major limitation of the Mojo. Could never get rid of it without going into airplane mode.

But sonically I prefer the iDSD Black Label. More dynamics and oomph. More meat on the bones of notes while the Mojo has a leaner sound. This will be a matter of personal preference in terms of sound signature.

iDSD Micro BL also scores versatility points. Can accommodate a wide range of headphones with IEMatch built in and the 3 power levels. a
Bass and 3D switches are nice, well implemented ways to tweak the sound if desired for some headphones. Ability to use analog input to iDSD Micro BL is also nice. I use this when my phone's USB port is needed for charging it.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

The Mojo is a DAC/Amp and the amplifier section of the Mojo is specific to the unusually clean analog out of the FPGA DAC.
Analog in would mean you want to use Mojo as an amp only, but that defies the purpose and would likely not work very well.
A conventional DAC chip generates a lot of noise and the amp has to filter it. Mojo’s DAC is noise free and the amp doesn’t have or need those filters.
And the Mojo magic happens in the DAC section.

But sure, if you need an external amp then Mojo doesn’t do that and you need another unit.

Sure, if you need only an amp you wouldn't buy the Mojo anyway. But since both are DAC/amps the iDSD is more flexible. But:

Just to be clear, the OP was comparing the iFi xDSD to the Chord Mojo. The xDSD does not have analog input. The more expensive Micro iDSD on the other hand does have analog input.

DOH! Thanks for pointing this out. I totally missed I was talking about the wrong ifi model

So now I would recommend the Mojo

 

[Alcarinquei]

But sonically I prefer the iDSD Black Label. More dynamics and oomph. More meat on the bones of notes while the Mojo has a leaner sound. This will be a matter of personal preference in terms of sound signature.

Nice to hear someone with another point of view! I'd love to be able to try them too.

Did you try with a longer USB cable? I find that with a longer USB cable, even if the distance isn't that long from each other, the RFI disappear.


By the way, did any of you have the chord mojo case? I like to have cases in general but this one feels expensive for what it is.

 

[surfgeorge]

Nice to hear someone with another point of view! I'd love to be able to try them too.

Did you try with a longer USB cable? I find that with a longer USB cable, even if the distance isn't that long from each other, the RFI disappear.


By the way, did any of you have the chord mojo case? I like to have cases in general but this one feels expensive for what it is.

I also never noticed RFI until I directly stacked the Mojo with the HiBy R3...

And regarding the case, I designed one myself for 3D printing, but also considered making one from leather. The nice thing about the 3D printed one is it’s open design that shows the Mojo logo and keeps it cooler

 

[Alcarinquei]

And regarding the case, I designed one myself for 3D printing, but also considered making one from leather. The nice thing about the 3D printed one is it’s open design that shows the Mojo logo and keeps it cooler

Nice!

Do you have any pictures? Would you mind sharing the design for it?

 

[yanaginagi]

If you just want to pair a DAC with your PC or phone, I think the audioquest dragonfly red will be sufficient and much more convenient.

 

[surfgeorge]

Nice!

Do you have any pictures? Would you mind sharing the design for it?

I am currently on vacation, and only have a picture of the Mojo-Hiby case. The Mojo only needs a little more work to figure out a way to fix the 2 halves.

 

[Alcarinquei]

If you just want to pair a DAC with your PC or phone, I think the audioquest dragonfly red will be sufficient and much more convenient.

I already purchased the mojo. I am not disappointed so far. Other than it needs some time to get use to it. I also found the price of the mojo to be lower in Europe then US. I would be happy to try the dragonfly if I have the chance.Would be great to compare. Do you own the red?


@surfgeorge This little brick looks pretty nice and convenient. But I can't see the advantage of the hiby over a phone other than... your case!

I've also purchased the AKG 712, again, really worth it to buy european gear. It's perfect for piano and orchestra (so far). I've seen the nightOwl for 300€ which kinda look like an awesome deal but I wanted the open back.

 

[surfgeorge]

Good to hear that you like the Mojo, @yanaginagi !
I feel that especially with live music recordings it shines because of the reconstrucion of the timing and dynamics. With more heavily processed or computer generated music it’s more about tonal balance, and there I see that people may prefer a different tuning, depending on taste. But for life recordings I can’t imagine a better DAC.

The advantage of the HiBy over a phone is storage and form factor. I have a 256GB micro SD in the R3, much cheaper than a new iPhone with that amount of memory

The AKG 712 looks like an awesome headphone, I listened to one of it’s lower models and liked it a lot! And I feel some emotional bond as well since it’s originally from my country (Austrian)
If you are still interested in the Audioquest sound you could look for an original (wood design) open NightHawk, I got a demo unit for €200 and a new one was 220 at that time on Ebay. If you do I’d
Appreciate a feedback on how it compares to the 712!

Cheers!

 

[Currawong]

In case anyone is interested, I compared the xDSD to the Mojo and Q5.

 

[popof94]

I had a hugo2 but wanted something smaller to travel. so I bought a mojo. the association with an iphone was good but far enough from listening to the SP1000. moreover an iphone 32giga does not allow to carry a sufficient library. so I bought the poly specially created for the mojo. I believe that to get the best of the mojo it should be used with the poly. the set fits in the pocket and it doesnt sound very far from the SP1000.

 

[Alcarinquei]

I have a 256GB micro SD in the R3, much cheaper than a new iPhone with that amount of memory

Well, you know, most android phone have SD card slot. I am really happy with the HTC 10, they make good phones! Thanks for your offer but for now I am happy with what I have. Wanna spend money on other thing as well You should try the AKG, they sound great! They aren't probably so expensive in Austria. Great value!

@Currawong I have seen your review before buying (written and video), one of the best I found. Thank you! I liked how you presented the versatility of the ifi and yet, you still mentionned the Mojo sounded a little better, that made me hesitate big time. What I think I would really appreciate on the ifi is the connection, the USB of the Mojo seems very fragile.. What I'd love though is fast charging with usb-c, percentage for the battery (not this stupid colors) and be able to charge while listening without feeling like I am mistreating the machine.

@popof94 But why not use the sp 1000 then? Mojo+poly then you've got two things to charge. It seems to me that the price of the poly is also quite expensive for what it does, like the case.

 

[popof94]

Well, you know, most android phone have SD card slot. I am really happy with the HTC 10, they make good phones! Thanks for your offer but for now I am happy with what I have. Wanna spend money on other thing as well You should try the AKG, they sound great! They aren't probably so expensive in Austria. Great value!

@Currawong I have seen your review before buying (written and video), one of the best I found. Thank you! I liked how you presented the versatility of the ifi and yet, you still mentionned the Mojo sounded a little better, that made me hesitate big time. What I think I would really appreciate on the ifi is the connection, the USB of the Mojo seems very fragile.. What I'd love though is fast charging with usb-c, percentage for the battery (not this stupid colors) and be able to charge while listening without feeling like I am mistreating the machine.

@popof94 But why not use the sp 1000 then? Mojo+poly then you've got two things to charge. It seems to me that the price of the poly is also quite expensive for what it does, like the case.

Because the SP1000 only stream Tidal and I prefer Qobuz. Perhaps the new SP1000 software will included some android APK but for the moment I prefer to use the mojo+poly.

 

[deepwatrcreatur]

The xDSD is a great portable product but problematic as a desktop DAC. There is a slight whine that comes through the line output periodically. When I first heard it I thought it might be generated by a household appliance, but when I noticed it coming directly from my speakers I realized it was from my system. This has been noticed by one reviewer who explained that it happens when the DAC is not locked to an active source: