[DjBobby]

Anyone compared d50 to the Chord Mojo?

D50 sounds noticeably harder and colder than Mojo. The violins on D50 compared to the Mojo have some processed, steely quality, the mids are recessed and the bass, although going deep down, is veiled.
The micro-detail resolution and the instrument separation of the D50 is excellent, no difference there to Mojo, but somehow the instruments on D50 are popping out of the background without being connected to each other. The Mojo gives you more ambiance presence around the instruments and deeper soundstage.
This comparison is only related to USB out of the D50 set on default filter 1. Didn't have time yet to test coax, optical and to play with the filters. Will do soon.

 

[BattousaiX26]

Thanks! I will wait for your impressions with the filter. I already got mojo but unfortunately, it is dead already only after a year. I was very disappointed because chord claim that it can be use for desktop setup which is not true because the battery life is not good. So I am interested in d50 which is not a battery powered DAC.

 

[carlmart]

Well, the unfair point I see in this comparison is the price, the Mojo costing about twice that of the D50.

Next thing is to try to compare three things: DAC chip, analog output stage chips, and (most important) power supply, both external and internal.

If you powered the D50 with cell supply, it would be quite likely sound different than powering from a linear one.

 

[BattousaiX26]

Well, the unfair point I see in this comparison is the price, the Mojo costing about twice that of the D50.

Next thing is to try to compare three things: DAC chip, analog output stage chips, and (most important) power supply, both external and internal.

If you powered the D50 with cell supply, it would be quite likely sound different than powering from a linear one.

I think the mojo is more expensive because it has amplifier and is portable. D50 on the other hand is just a dac and not for portable use.

 

[carlmart]

Thanks! I will wait for your impressions with the filter. I already got mojo but unfortunately, it is dead already only after a year. I was very disappointed because chord claim that it can be use for desktop setup which is not true because the battery life is not good. So I am interested in d50 which is not a battery powered DAC.

The Chord claim is BS, and it certainly works against them. On my comment above I didn't know the Chord was battery powered.

There's a battery symbol on the Chord's outside: what do you plug there? External battery? Can you plug an external supply?

 

[carlmart]

I think the mojo is more expensive because it has amplifier and is portable. D50 on the other hand is just a dac and not for portable use.

The D50 has two amplifiers: one for headphone and one for line out. You could also use an external 12v battery on the D50, and make it portable. Powering both units that way for the comparison would be interesting.

DJBobby, can you specify how did you power both units for the comparison?

 

[BattousaiX26]

The Chord claim is BS, and it certainly works against them. On my comment above I didn't know the Chord was battery powered.

There's a battery symbol on the Chord's outside: what do you plug there? External battery? Can you plug an external supply?

I just plugged it into the wall with usb cable and adapter. Unfortunately, the mojo wont open now even when plugged in.

 

[carlmart]

Two weeks from now I will be doing tests with my Topping D50, which gets to my home next week, though I won't be there.

Hopefully the external low noise linear supply I bought for it will also be available. If not I have a linear one I can use for the first tests.

From what I have read on the opamp Head-fi thread, the OPA1612 that the D50 uses needs some time on to lose an edge it has that seems to sound more metallic than other amps.

 

[BattousaiX26]

The D50 has two amplifiers: one for headphone and one for line out. You could also use an external 12v battery on the D50, and make it portable. Powering both units that way for the comparison would be interesting.

DJBobby, can you specify how did you power both units for the comparison?

I thought that it D50 is a DAC only and needs to be plug to an amplifier.

 

[carlmart]

There's not such a thing as a "DAC only".

A "digital analog converter" needs an analog amplifier, which can be used for line level and feed a power amplifier, or a headphone amp to feed amps.

Headphone amps need more current, and depending on the headphone you use (more current hungry) it may need an external headphone amplifier.

In that case you feed the line level output (RCA sockets usually) to the headphone amplifier. Headphone amps are usually more noisy than line level amps.

If you don't have a line level output on your DAC you can use the headphone socket. In those cases where the output is only one, usually 1/8" socket, there's a only a chip handling the output, and won't be noisy.

Headphone specific outputs usually have a different chip, designed for headphones, that can handle more current, or have additional transistors to handle higher current. This is usually more noisy.

 

[Marlowe]

The D50 has two amplifiers: one for headphone and one for line out. You could also use an external 12v battery on the D50, and make it portable. Powering both units that way for the comparison would be interesting.

Huh? The D50 has no headphone amp; it doesn't even have a headphone output. It can serve as a preamp controlling volume, but must be connected to a power amp or powered speakers.

 

[DjBobby]

Thanks! I will wait for your impressions with the filter. I already got mojo but unfortunately, it is dead already only after a year. I was very disappointed because chord claim that it can be use for desktop setup which is not true because the battery life is not good. So I am interested in d50 which is not a battery powered DAC.

I agree with you about the Mojo's battery reliability. My main concert with the Mojo is that the battery drains rapidly when not in use. Leaving it for few days unused and the battery gets depleted, something I don't get with my other battery powered devices. Regarding the sound, it clearly wins compared to the D50.

The D50 has two amplifiers: one for headphone and one for line out. You could also use an external 12v battery on the D50, and make it portable. Powering both units that way for the comparison would be interesting.

DJBobby, can you specify how did you power both units for the comparison?

I am using all my devices with aftermarket linear power supplies. Tried it with the SMSL P1 and the Breeze Audio massive lps.

As an update to the sound, I can confirm that the coax sounds somewhat better and fuller than the usb. Regarding the filters, tried hard but couldn't find big differences yet. Age related I doubt I can hear higher than 16khz, so any roll off close to the 20khz wouldn't be relevant anyway.

 

[carlmart]

Huh? The D50 has no headphone amp; it doesn't even have a headphone output. It can serve as a preamp controlling volume, but must be connected to a power amp or powered speakers.

You're right, of course. Sorry, I got confused with the Topping DX7s, which has both.

So, on the comparison test the Mojo was fed to the same power amp?

One thing I will try, when using USB files, is an USB cable with a cut-off power wire.

I am not sure how is it managed, inside the D50, when using an USB cable for the signal (also carrying 5v) and an external power supply.

 

[BattousaiX26]

Will I have problem with d50's highs if I am treble sensitive?

 

[BattousaiX26]

D50 sounds noticeably harder and colder than Mojo. The violins on D50 compared to the Mojo have some processed, steely quality, the mids are recessed and the bass, although going deep down, is veiled.
The micro-detail resolution and the instrument separation of the D50 is excellent, no difference there to Mojo, but somehow the instruments on D50 are popping out of the background without being connected to each other. The Mojo gives you more ambiance presence around the instruments and deeper soundstage.
This comparison is only related to USB out of the D50 set on default filter 1. Didn't have time yet to test coax, optical and to play with the filters. Will do soon.

In this description, it sounds like mojo is more of an "analog" sounding dac and d50 is more of "digital" sounding dac. I wish the filter of d50 can do the trick because I like it to be more analog sounding.