[Jstn01]

I guess so. And I place more value that I thought I would on not having to stack. That said, before going to the SP1000, I tested my AK70 with a Hugo2 and whilst it was better that the Mojo, I found the sound quality of the SP1000 to be better than the Hugo2 and the Mojo. So, to my ears, quite a big sound upgrade.

All that said, to my ears, I can't think of a better combo for the price than AK70/Mojo. And there's something very old-school audiophile about the combo in the Dignis Case. It's portable, but chunky in a good way. And you could probably use it to defend yourself if things ever got lively at Flinders Street Station...

My other question is the mojo and ak70 significantly better than just the ak70 by itself?

 

[LWR999]

My other question is the mojo and ak70 significantly better than just the ak70 by itself?

I think so. People say the Mojo has a slight warmth and brings a musicality and depth to listening, more emotion - I agree. For home listening sessions, I wouldn't ever listen to the AK70 without the Mojo. When I've been on the move and travelling light, I've used the AK70 with a balanced cable on my SE846s - while not as good as the Mojo combo, it's great for a portable unit.

That said, the AK70 couldn't drive my full size headphones properly (HD800S, Ether Flow C, Ether, Focal Elear) without the Mojo.

My desktop rig at home is a HugoTT. I can't say I noticed any quality downside with the AK70/Mojo vs the HugoTT (to my ears)

 

[sine_wave]

For the price I'd go with the OPPO. Chord is a great company but its 2x the price, and I'm not sure there is really an audible difference between the two.

 

[S-O8]

I have an HA-2 .. not the SE but tried a Mojo and loved it ... so now have it - as well as keeping the HA-2. I do have an issue with it though - I prefer the volume buttons to be both the same colour. I think I need counselling lol ... I think it probably says a lot about me ... oops.

 

[torifile]

For the price I'd go with the OPPO. Chord is a great company but its 2x the price, and I'm not sure there is really an audible difference between the two.

Except that for iPhone X users, the Oppo cuts out frequently and randomly. It’s unusable.

 

[johnnyliu02]

Nice review! Any chance you've compared these two with other portable and desktop dac/amp combos yet?

Wondering how something like a Schiit Jotunheim measures up to the Mojo. Obviously a lot more powerful and can drive more demanding headphones, but for something like the HD6xx will there be an appreciable difference in sound quality at normal listening volume?

 

[alphanumerix1]

Pulling the trigger on the ha1se from everything ive read it's a great pair up with the pm3 which isn' totally suprising ;P

 

[abm0]

I don't hear the sabre glare. Perhaps, my ears are broken...

No, you're fine. There is no "Sabre glare", it's an audiophile urban legend. If there's any coloration to the sound of any of these two devices, it's from their headphone amplifiers, not from their DACs. (And its existence should be judged using correctly performing headphones, not a model already known to have its own "glare".)

LE:
LOL, just noticed someone else called the Mojo's treble unbearable on this same thread. And this is why reports of frequency response problems on DACs should be treated with utmost suspicion.

 

[swesko]

Owning both I can confirm that the mojo is a better device if you like warm signature as it has a better bass slab while the treble is clear enough but not too bright. The oppo on the other hand is bright for my taste as the bass seems lighter and the emphasis on the treble can make the sound bright or too revealing

 

[KC-130]

I currently have an Audeze Deckard as my home headphone amp. I'd like to try a different Dac. Can I get a clear-cut answer as to if I can use the Mojo for the Dac section and the amp section from my Deckard? Kind of get conflicting reports on line-out ability of the Mojo, and wanted some clarification.

I just happened to be reading this 5-month old thread and noticed you asked a question that wasn't answered within the thread.
You've likely already found your answer but I'll write a quick response here anyway.

You can certainly use the Mojo as a DAC with the Deckard as an Amp by connecting the mojo to the Deckard with a 3.5mm->RCA connector.
To set the Mojo in Line-Out mode just press and hold both Volume buttons and then press the Power button.
The Power will flash a bit and then both Volume buttons will settle to the same color (violet) which indicates the Mojo is in Line-Out mode (3V).
Now power on your Deckard and use it to adjust the volume to your headphones.

fwiw: I've encountered a couple of amps where the Line-Out mode of the Mojo was a bit too harsh; so I powered the Mojo on in standard mode and adjusted the Mojo volume to a lower setting. That isn't a preferred configuration but works nonetheless.

 

[chris10]

Good write up. However, in terms of sound quality I personally think they're a world apart and disagree that 90% should take the Oppo.

I bought both and found the HA-2SE to be good, but nothing particularly inspiring. I could take it or leave it. Plugging headphones directly in to the computer with a top-end motherboard or plugging in to the Oppo... meh, I really wasn't bothered either way and I'd struggle to call it blind and tell you whether the Oppo DAC was there or not. Even on a mobile device it was a hard call if I'm honest.

The Mojo on the other hand blew me away for the price point. The difference is astounding and I could absolutely tell you, blind, whether the Mojo was there or not and whether it was the Mojo or the HA-2SE.

It could be the specific pairing of Shure-SE846 IEMs and the Mojo... but given the price difference of £140/$180 (+60% vs the Oppo)... :O no competition. Mojo all the way.

 

[fnsnyc]

I am not sure about the AK70, but with the AK120 it is a must have!
So much better!

 

[damart81]

Except that for iPhone X users, the Oppo cuts out frequently and randomly. It’s unusable.

Interesting, was looking at both, but will probably lean towards the Mojo.

 

[BusyPooping]

Interesting, was looking at both, but will probably lean towards the Mojo.

I’ve used both on an iPhone 7 Plus for the oppo and iPhone X for the mojo. I preferred the mojo.

 

[MalinYamato]

Thanks for taking the time to review.

For such a subjective decision, your conclusion is a little too definitive for my taste.

The idea that Head-Fi has 90% of its members willing to settle on quality in order to save $300 did make me laugh out loud.

I have both the HA-2 and the Mojo. In my collection of SE846, HD800S, Focal Elear, ETHER and ETHER C Flow, the Mojo is a clear winner over the HA-2 in terms of sound quality.

As for the cabling, I don't want a manufacturer to focus on supplying every cabling option at lowest cost. I want them to build a great DAC, with style, quality and usability with the right range of inputs for me to find my own optimum cabling solution. I'd prefer the everything-in-one-box solution to is left to the non-enthusiast market.

Try the second Edition of Oppo HA with an improved dac and base bost.