[Monsterzero]

I have not tried a Mojo and VC together, but I did at one time, pre-VC, own the Mojo.

I think the Mojo is a very nice little piece of kit, however to my ears its quite warm sounding, not as warm as say, a AGD R2R-11, for example, but warm nonetheless. Also the bass seems to have rounded edges, as opposed to faster, sharper, more immediate beginning/ end, if that makes any sense.

 

[doboo57]

Holy Cow. I love my Bottlehead Crack and I was thinking about getting a WA8 as a portable tube amp. How do you like it with the VC? If you say it's off the chart, I am going to find one to test out. I was considering the Cayin C9, but it's a hybrid and I prefer a pure tube amp. Someone warned me that it is old technology though. That concerned me a bit.

Anyway, I listen to a lot of Jazz music. Let me do some critical listening for you. What type of Jazz do you like? The Mojo and VC are not an obvious pairing. I probably wouldn't have even tried it if someone didn't ask me about it. It surprised me. I am still listening and it sounds great with Pop music. I think this would outperform any of the mid tier DAPs. The problem I had earlier with Jazz was tonal balance didn't quite work with the auteur pads. It really screwed up the imaging for the Jazz music I listen to. I'll pad roll to my leather Universe pads. They are my darkest pads. Not sure what is going to happen with the Warm Mojo. I am expected bass cannons.

The WA8 is an awesome little DAC/Amp combo (more transportable than portable IMO), but for certain genres it pairs better with my Utopia to my ears. The WA8 is quite dynamic and with the VC, it can be a bit too much of a good thing, especially for some bassier genres. But for timbre, tone, top-end sparkle and soundstage, it's wonderful and very enjoyable and euphonic with the VC, especially with softer genres.

Btw, I'm not an expert, but from what I understand, I don't think it's a pure OTL Tube Amp, it's much more of an vacuum-tube hybrid... But anyway I hope you'll get the chance to demo it. It really worth a try!

For your information, the Jazz artists I currently listen are: Miles Davis, Art Pepper, Diana Krall, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Tingvall Trio, GoGo Penguin, Sophie Milman, Patricia Barber, Jack Sheldon, Archie Shepp Quartet, Blue Mitchell, Cannonball Adderley (and many more)

 

[doboo57]

I have not tried a Mojo and VC together, but I did at one time, pre-VC, own the Mojo.

I think the Mojo is a very nice little piece of kit, however to my ears its quite warm sounding, not as warm as say, a AGD R2R-11, for example, but warm nonetheless. Also the bass seems to have rounded edges, as opposed to faster, sharper, more immediate beginning/ end, if that makes any sense.

From your memory, do you think it could be too warm / too sloppy in the bass for the VC?

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Hummm, quite interesting...

I know the Mojo exists for many years now, but I've never had the chance to give it a listen... There is a lot of reviews of it, but not that much with the VC.

Since my main setup's source is the Woo WA8, I really like the tubey/euphonic kind of sound (which the Mojo seems to have a bit). From your short description, I think I could love it a lot!

I listen to many genres, but mainly Jazz and vocal-oriented. I was a bit skeptical to match a warmish headphone with a warmish source, but your comments are quite interesting... And I have no doubt that the Mojo could be a great match with my Utopia too.

So, since I'm using the Universe Lambskin pads, do you think it could be a good pairing for Jazz and vocal-oriented genres with the Mojo?

Okay. I pad rolled to the Universe sheepskin with the Mojo/Poly. This still sounds great. The change is vocals are more forward and less relaxed. A lot more presence like a live concert. The bass is deep and clean, but not over done. I actually like this presentation a lot. Tonal balance is still there. It's not too dark at all for this genre. Very enjoyable for Pop music. Wanted to stay with this genre for now since I was already listening to it and easier to compare.

Switching to Jazz. I am listening to Richie Cole "This could be the start of something big" It sounds decent, but I prefer a more transparent presentation. It's warm instead of transparent. Clarity is there, but there is a lot going on. Nothing muddy. You can hear the bass guitar driving and the imaging is fine with clear separation of Richie Cole from the piano accompaniment and drums.

Now listening to "Bossa Nova Eyes" Great imaging, separation and clarity. Definitely elevated, but not muddy bass. This chart opens with 4 bars of piano, then the bass comes in and at that point you have the bass isolated so you can tell the quality of the timbre. This nails it for me. Many sources don't hit this right. Still a bit too dark for me. Richie tone is a bit dark. I prefer a brighter presentation.

Technically, it's there, but I don't like the tonal balance for Jazz. Too dark. I don't think the Universe Leather pads are the best for Jazz. Need something that shifts the tonal balance to neutral.

 

[doboo57]

Okay. I pad rolled to the Universe sheepskin with the Mojo/Poly. This still sounds great. The change is vocals are more forward and less relaxed. A lot more presence like a live concert. The bass is deep and clean, but not over done. I actually like this presentation a lot. Tonal balance is still there. It's not too dark at all for this genre. Very enjoyable for Pop music. Wanted to stay with this genre for now since I was already listening to it and easier to compare.

Switching to Jazz. I am listening to Richie Cole "This could be the start of something big" It sounds decent, but I prefer a more transparent presentation. It's warm instead of transparent. Clarity is there, but there is a lot going on. Nothing muddy. You can hear the bass guitar driving and the imaging is fine with clear separation of Richie Cole from the piano accompaniment and drums.

Now listening to "Bossa Nova Eyes" Great imaging, separation and clarity. Definitely elevated, but not muddy bass. This chart opens with 4 bars of piano, then the bass comes in and at that point you have the bass isolated so you can tell the quality of the timbre. This nails it for me. Many sources don't hit this right. Still a bit too dark for me. Richie tone is a bit dark. I prefer a brighter presentation.

Technically, it's there, but I don't like the tonal balance for Jazz. Too dark. I don't think the Universe Leather pads are the best for Jazz. Need something that shifts the tonal balance to neutral.

Yeah, I understand that need for some more neutrality (that's why I own the Utopia as a complement for my VC...).
Hey, thanks a lot! It definitely help me.
Can't wait for your Mojo / Lotoo Paw S1 quick comparison...

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

The WA8 is an awesome little DAC/Amp combo (more transportable than portable IMO), but for certain genres it pairs better with my Utopia to my ears. The WA8 is quite dynamic and with the VC, it can be a bit too much of a good thing, especially for some bassier genres. But for timbre, tone, top-end sparkle and soundstage, it's wonderful and very enjoyable and euphonic with the VC, especially with softer genres.

Btw, I'm not an expert, but from what I understand, I don't think it's a pure OTL Tube Amp, it's much more of an vacuum-tube hybrid... But anyway I hope you'll get the chance to demo it. It really worth a try!

For your information, the Jazz artists I currently listen are: Miles Davis, Art Pepper, Diana Krall, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Tingvall Trio, GoGo Penguin, Sophie Milman, Patricia Barber, Jack Sheldon, Archie Shepp Quartet, Blue Mitchell, Cannonball Adderley (and many more)

Great. I am going to have a listen to that WA8 if I can find one somewhere. Maybe they will have one at the Chicago CanJam.

I see what type of Jazz you like. I just cycled through a bunch of Jazz charts by Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Chick Corea. It's listenable, but it isn't great. What you want are HD800S and a Hugo 2 for that genre of music. I just put that combo on and it is night and day quality wise. The sound stage is too small, the imaging is weird again and the sound seems a bit compressed and forward. The clarity and separation are there, but it's not a perfect match for the Jazz you like. It's really weird because it is a spot on match for modern pop music. I would recommend giving it a listen first.

 

[doboo57]

Great. I am going to have a listen to that WA8 if I can find one somewhere. Maybe they will have one at the Chicago CanJam.

I see what type of Jazz you like. I just cycled through a bunch of Jazz charts by Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Chick Corea. It's listenable, but it isn't great. What you want are HD800S and a Hugo 2 for that genre of music. I just put that combo on and it is night and day quality wise. The sound stage is too small, the imaging is weird again and the sound seems a bit compressed and forward. The clarity and separation are there, but it's not a perfect match for the Jazz you like. It's really weird because it is a spot on match for modern pop music. I would recommend giving it a listen first.

Yeah, I might be better with a more neutral source for those genres (like the JDS Element 2)...
For Rock, it could be a more pleasant pairing though (like Radiohead, Dire Straits, etc.)
Thanks a lot again Man!

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Yeah, I understand that need for some more neutrality (that's why I own the Utopia as a complement for my VC...).
Hey, thanks a lot! It definitely help me.
Can't wait for your Mojo / Lotoo Paw S1 quick comparison...

Okay. I listened to one track and I stopped. Don't use the Lotoo PAW S1 with the VC. It's tremendously underpowered and it has terrible resolution and clarity. It sounds totally veiled in sound.

I am listening to John Coltrane "Blue Train."

I switched to the Mojo and it is night and day difference.

Going from Lotoo PAW S1 to Chord mojo is like going form High School football to College Football. Then, going from Chord Mojo to Chord Hugo 2 is like going from college football to Pro Football.

Whereas the Lotoo PAW S1 is unlistenable, the Chord Mojo is worth listening to although I would always choose the HD800S and Chord Hugo 2 for this genre.

I hope that helps.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Yeah, I might be better with a more neutral source for those genres (like the JDS Element 2)...
For Rock, it could be a more pleasant pairing though (like Radiohead, Dire Straits, etc.)
Thanks a lot again Man!

Yes. I think you got it right now.

 

[Galapac]

Ok guys and gals that have tried the Pilot and/or Co-Pilot. Which is a better choice for the VC? I don’t have an issue with the weight but have read that the pads give some clearance with the rods which for me are at the bottom but feel they could be tighter than they already are. I’m leaning towards the Pilot as it appears less bulky but would like to hear others thoughts.

 

[Monsterzero]

From your memory, do you think it could be too warm / too sloppy in the bass for the VC?

I dont think the Mojo sounded sloppy in the least. Its just that one of the many pros of the VC is the speed and attack, and I think that having rounded edges might detract from one of the many fantastic aspects of the VC.

The warmth on the other hand would be entirely up to personal preferences. IMHO a Mojo would sound good with headphones with brighter/leaner sound signature than the VC. I could howver be entirely wrong as ive never actually heard the combo.

Personally, I'd put more stock into what others who actually have the Mojo and VC together currently say, over my speculations.

 

[Klmahnn]

The Diablo offering from iFi looks really interesting. Not cheap, but a very convenient package and early adopters seem to be loving it! Its sound signature seems like it could be a good match for the VC.

 

[tkam]

Ok guys and gals that have tried the Pilot and/or Co-Pilot. Which is a better choice for the VC? I don’t have an issue with the weight but have read that the pads give some clearance with the rods which for me are at the bottom but feel they could be tighter than they already are. I’m leaning towards the Pilot as it appears less bulky but would like to hear others thoughts.

I don't think I saw you mention which strap you have? If you have the leather, I'd recommend giving the suede strap a try it has quite a bit more padding and might let you skip the need for the pilot or co-pilot.

 

[Galapac]

I don't think I saw you mention which strap you have? If you have the leather, I'd recommend giving the suede strap a try it has quite a bit more padding and might let you skip the need for the pilot or co-pilot.

Yeah, I have the leather strap.

 

[MatW]

Ok guys and gals that have tried the Pilot and/or Co-Pilot. Which is a better choice for the VC? I don’t have an issue with the weight but have read that the pads give some clearance with the rods which for me are at the bottom but feel they could be tighter than they already are. I’m leaning towards the Pilot as it appears less bulky but would like to hear others thoughts.

I think the pilot pad works better, because it has more padding. I tried it briefly and it was quite comfortable but in the end I prefer it without the pad. I think it would be a good solution for you, because I had to adjust the rods by two clicks or so.