I feel obliged to respond because this great product is not getting the recognition it deserves on Headfi, YouTube or anywhere else for that matter. I'm not affiliated with Shure and there is no financial incentive for me to write about its products. But I am a long time enthusiast of HiFi audio since the Mid-80s when I fell in love with the sound of ReVox speakers.
I will address the open questions in this, my first post on Head-Fi.:
1. Sha900 vs. Chord Mojo
2. How this product meets the musical requirements for 2016 and,
3. The justifiability of price.
First off, I'm very happy I made this purchase. In fact, I was happy to pay full price for this addition to my portable setup. Personally, I've learned from experience that stats on a datasheet or second hand impressions from critics don't necessarily live up to my own personal experience. So when I first learned about this amp, I looked online to see where I could try it out. Of all places, its available at InMotion stores in the airport. So on my back from a business trip, I thought o try it out.
First impression was wow, this thing is really gorgeous before it was even turned on. The design, materials, build quality, feel of volume dial and buttons are all beyond anything out there. Substantial presence and well machined parts. Once on, the sound quality blew me away. I went online to YouTube to listen to a track I was thoroughly familiar with that had the percussions, the mids and the sharp highs. The tonality was incredible. It honestly took my SE846's to a whole new level in terms of detail and precision. It sounds cliche to say, but in fact, the soundstage was wider and the instrument separation was even more clear. In other words, the differentiation of sounds was more pronounced overall. I did in fact identify new details in music I owned.
It was about 3 months following my initial purchase of the SE846's in a headphone shop well known in Singapore. While testing out a number of earphones to replace my Sennheiser's at that time, I was ultimately sold on the SE846's. During that process, I was shown the Chord Mojo. The proprietor of the shop sang its praises. My first impression was, this is hideous. I still can't get over the design. I listened through my iPhone 6 and wasn't impressed at all. I put it aside, because I simply didn't feel any real advantage to using this device alongside my phone and the idea of dropping an extra $600 just didn't make any sense financially or sonically. Now it could very well be that the iPhone is perhaps not the best device to pair the Chord Mojo with, but in my mind, portable DAC's are intended to work with the mobile devices people typically have available. So hopefully this settles that question. The Shure SHA900 is simply better to listen to in comparison with the Chord Mojo, IMHO. I still hadn't purchased the Shure, nor any other device yet. My hang up was the price.
While on another trip and passing through Hong Kong, I had the opportunity to try out another mode of portable audio - the AK 320 DAP. Paired with my SE846 and an Effect Audio hybrid cable, the sound was exquisite. The price for that unit was around $1800 USD. However, I didn't try this unit out on the same track as it was not loaded so I could not do a side by side comparison. Nevertheless, I thought back to the Shure SHA900 and realized that either way, to get the sound quality/experience I really wanted required an extra device and it was not likely to be cheap. Whether it was a DAC or a DAP, the form factor was the real consideration. I decided that the DAC form factor was more practical. Here's why:
1. My library of music was already on my phones, or could be with an SD card attached so I could load my CDs via FLAC or AAC format
2. While travelling, I could use the DAC with the audio on the plane and actually enhance the otherwise terrible audio available via default 3.5MM output ordinarily provided
3. I could also pair a DAC with a PC if the sound card wasn't up to m(I currently have the Surface mark (I currently have the Surface Notebook and the HP Spectre )
I decided on going with a DAC because it made the most sense. So I started looking for a lower price-point alternative to the Shure. I did my homework and decided based on the technology in terms of supporting 32Kb and 384Kb/s throughput capabilities and embedded support of DSD to get the most out of the available technology, the best option on the market was a Centrance DAC Portable. Upon receiving this from Amazon, I installed the Windows Drivers via the website and unfortunately, I could hardly tell a difference when paired with my PC via USB. Connecting it to my LG V20 hardly made a difference. I could not pair it with my iPhone since it simply did not work and the cabling was not a simple solution due to the output in mini-usb to thunderbolt via an adapter. After about 2 weeks, I returned the Centrance Disappointed. Worst of all, I had to hunt around town to try to find cables to pair it with my Phones.
My last objection was the idea that the Shure only supported 24Kb vs. the 32 available out there.
While doing some homework, I came to learn that the high quality FLAC files from CD's were hardly better than 16 Kb 192 bps. On further research, I came to learn that people could hardly tell between 24 and 32 and so, my questions on obsolescence have been put to rest. Theoretically, better sound is available in the higher bit depth and higher frequency sampling available with the Digital innovations. There are loads of studies out there, performed by more curious people that have conducted experiments online and have found that there are very few if any people who can. If you are one of those people, then by all means get yourself the most sophisticated technology available.
I love my Shure because it sounds amazing. I like the fact that the thoughtful people of Shure designed this device to be user friendly. The usability of the Shure and the simplicity of the device controls makes it easy to operate with a single hand. The digital color display shows you enough to operate the various settings and set your own. Connecting this to my PC, iPhone or LG V20 requires no drivers whatsoever, There are chords for USB, iPhone and mini-usb. Since my It also comes with a 3.5 MM bypass cable. Practically everything you need to make this work right out of the Box. For long haul trips, the battery will run for 12 hours. Shure has out done anything out in the market. It's too bad there is very little acknowledgement for the effort and outcome they have accomplished with this device.
I've never looked back.
