Chord "Mojo"

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by Judeus, Oct 12, 2015.

  1. Gruss Gott

    Gruss Gott Almost "Made"

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    So after living with my P&W P7s for the last year and recently upgrading to a mojo - which really added to the SQ, I decided to buy some Aeon Flow closed. They didn't work out. Then I thought, go back to what I like and get the B&W P9s. They didn't work out. I was worried.

    So I just got the HD600s, I thought fuckit, FINE get the hypey old standby, it's cheap enough and I"ll just send it back like the others ...

    HOLY f**k! NO. JUST NO. These can't sound this f'ing awesome right out of the box plugged into the little Mojo. geezus. These sound other-worldly f'ing awesome.

    The dotard awakens.
     
  2. Colgin

    Colgin Friend

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    I had Mojo for a while and really liked it with my HD600 as well. My issue was with the crappy USB implementation. My USB Connection died after less than a month and I spoke to or read about a significant number of others with the same issue. So, I returned for a refund Rather than a new unit as I had very little confidence that I wouldn't have same issue with a replacement unit. I do miss the Mojo for the use case I had it for - driving HD600/650 with iPhone as a source. The thing I really liked about the Mojo was being able to dial in the volume just right. The GO V2+ I recently acquired used is almost unusable for same use case because I need to adjust volume off of the iPhone and it is invariably to soft or too loud. I just cannot get volume right due to steps on the iPhone.
     
  3. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    Dialing in the volume just right. Those button-thingies that look like marbles in a strange box actually work quite well. After a few minutes it felt intuitive. That price tag is a bit much unless you really need that portable power.
     
  4. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    Wait until you have a tube amplifier with a good tube...
     
  5. Gruss Gott

    Gruss Gott Almost "Made"

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    recommendations on both? :)
     
  6. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    On a low budget go Schiit Vali 2 with a Siemens E288. That little thing sounds like a big amplifier...
     
  7. Gruss Gott

    Gruss Gott Almost "Made"

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    Just out of curiosity, what if I had a ~$1500 budget ... or $2000?
     
  8. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    Ask someone else. I am into affordable solutions. When you have 1500 Dollars or more you can go for end-game solutions. You know who these guys are...
     
  9. Senorx12562

    Senorx12562 Case of the mondays

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    Yeah, for 1500 bucks i'm thinking maybe...2002 R1150R, 50k miles?
     
  10. Gruss Gott

    Gruss Gott Almost "Made"

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    Hey @aamefford , curious how your eitr / Modi Multibit / magni or Vali setup went, especially as compared to the mojo. Right now I'm using the Mojo as a dac to the Jot, but thinking i should do a tidal hifi exclusive mode > macbook pro > PYST USB > eitr > Modi Multibit > jot > HD600 or Th-x00. Based on your experiences curious to know your thoughts. Thanks!
     
  11. aamefford

    aamefford Nothing like chamberpot coffee

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    My experience, for my ears, the Eitr to Modi Multibit is much more accurate sounding as compared to the Mojo. I actually have the Modi Multibit in my speaker rig at the moment, and eitr/Bifrost Multibit/vali 2. I struggle to find appreciable difference between Bifrost Multibit and Modi Multibit.

    My main rig is the eitr/Bifrost Multibit/vali 2 or a significantly swankier amp. I use a Sys to switch between the two. The swanky amp and the vali 2 get roughly equal head time. The Vali 2 is cool.

    I’ve said before, the Mojo is pretty good at being a portable dac-amp. It’s less good at being a desktop, to my ears. Just a recommendation though - stick with what you have, and plan out your next steps. I swear I churned mid-if stuff for 10 years before I got to my current set up. I probably wasted a few grand side grading around.
     
  12. klyrish

    klyrish Facebook Friend

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    I really appreciate your continued support for the Mojo while keeping expectations realistic.

    I ordered one and it arrived on Sunday to replace my Schiit Fulla 2. I'm using my MBP to provide audio to the Mojo via the Behringer U-Control UCA202's S/PDIF-out. I attempted listening with my FLC 8S IEMs but was not impressed in the slightest (they sound incredible when paired with my LGV30 and the Quad-Dac it features, though). However, through my Edifier S1000DB speakers, I am really loving the Mojo. It sounds noticeably fuller and richer than the Fulla 2, but I'm concerned about the issues with the battery and receiving support. I'm using it via battery power all day and charge it back up in the evening.

    I was all about Schiit at first and was pretty much dead set on getting a Bifrost Multibit but after doing some additional reading, particularly this thread: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...d-review-of-schiit-bifrost-multibit-dac.2319/

    I balked and went with the Mojo based on reviews from numerous sources and oft-repeated finding that it makes music much more enjoyable to listen to without getting fatiguing. I'm definitely enjoying music more but am legitimately concerned about the aforementioned support issues with Chord as well as the fact that since I'm never going to use this portably, if I greatly overpaid.

    I'm once again considering Schiit since nothing else seems particularly interesting in this price range (I was considering the DacMagic Plus for a while but that's about it). I just don't know what to do at this point. I'm also shocked at how many people in this thread are promoting the Modi Multibit over the Bifrost Multibit. I figured the Bifrost Multibit would provide much better sound due to the internals but it doesn't appear to be the case based on numerous members here.

    I'm still well within the return window with Amazon to ditch the Mojo but I don't know if doing so will result in a better experience or if I'm going to get stuck with a stack of Schiit that doesn't sound much better.
     
  13. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    @klyrish

    Regarding the Bifrost Multibit (and ASR, I suppose), this may be of interest.
    https://superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/borked-measurements-multibit-schiit-dacs.5786/

    Also, used to have a Mojo but couldn't really find a usage for it. Sounded good paired with my DT880s at the time, definitely an enjoyable listen. Ended up sticking with the iFi Micro iDSD (older silver version), since it suited my fancy more than the Mojo; wider headstage, crisper imaging, and tonality that better complemented my cans.

    Currently rocking a Bifrost Multibit Gen5, and though you have to take this with a grain of salt considering I've yet to directly compare the two, I'd say that the Schiit DAC is well worth the asking price.
     
  14. klyrish

    klyrish Facebook Friend

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    Thanks for that link! I haven't read through the whole thread but the few pages I've skimmed have helped put things into perspective. I wish I'd lurked here a bit more and done more research on Amir before deciding to forego Schiit entirely.

    Time for more research and to decide between the Modi Multibit and Bifrost Multibit. I'd like to get one of them as well as a Vali 2 for pairing and comparison to the Mojo in my setup to see which I prefer.
     
  15. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    The Modi Multibit and Bifrost Multibit both use the same architecture, unless my memory fails me, save for the Bifrost Multibit having a nicer power supply built in. There are some who opine that the Modi Multibit sounds better, but general consensus appears to be that they're not too far apart in performance, and that any differences are extremely difficult to pin down.

    The only advantage the Bifrost appears to have is that USB Gen 5 effectively eliminates the need for an Eitr. It's also upgradeable, unlike the Modi. I'm holding out for an A2 upgrade someday, even though shipping will likely murder my budget.
     
  16. klyrish

    klyrish Facebook Friend

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    Huh...I knew they were very similar in terms of internals but if it's that close, maybe saving $350 isn't a bad idea. I was going to use the Behringer U-Control UCA202 to feed it via S/PDIF so I'm not concerned at all with USB Gen 5.

    Thanks for your helpful responses! I still really enjoy the sound from the Mojo but with only my phone and a Fulla 2 to compare it to, I fear I'm missing out on a lot (not to mention having a lot more money to spend on other things that actually would improve the audio quality more).
     
  17. rlow

    rlow A happy woofer

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    Bifrost Multibit is basically an upgradable Modi Multibit with an internal transformer (Or Modi Multibit is the non-upgradable Bifrost Multibit with a wall wart, depending how you look at it) so it's no surprise they sound almost the same.

    When you get a Modi Multibit, the manual says "Honey I shrunk the Bifrost Multibit" on the cover, so that gives you a clue how Schiit view it.

    If you want Gen 5 USB, get Bifrost Multibit. If you want other upgrade possibilities, get Bifrost Multibit. If don't like wallwarts or you want to hook up your $5K IEC power cord, get Bifrost Multibit. If you want a DAC that matches the size of a Jot or Lyr, etc, get Bifrost Multibit. Otherwise, get Modi Multibit.
     
  18. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    No problem at all! And yeah, having a USB>SPDIF of your own means you needn't spend money on an Eitr, so you get to put some cash towards saving for an Yggdrasil :p

    Random aside, how does the Schiit Fulla 2 compare to the Mojo, or to phrase it in a thread-appropriate way: how does the Mojo compare to the Schiit Fulla 2? I've been meaning to get a Fulla for a few months now just so I have something to lug to school/work and back, but other expenses (ahem) kinda pushed back those plans a bit.
     
  19. klyrish

    klyrish Facebook Friend

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    Hahaha thanks for the concise differentiation. More than doubling the cost for effectively the same DAC just to have upgraded features I don't need and the possibility of getting upgrades in the future (when/if they become available) doesn't seem like a wise use of money. The internal power supply would definitely be nice but it's not that huge of a deal.
     
  20. klyrish

    klyrish Facebook Friend

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    I find the sound of the Mojo to be far more organic and lifelike. I enjoyed the Fulla 2 when I had nothing else but it was frustrating how quickly it started clipping when the volume was turned up. The Edifiers have multiple inputs and I have my turntable going into into one set with the DAC feeding another so I try to keep the speaker volume at an acceptable level for the turntable and then adjust more finely via the DAC. At 70% on the Fulla 2, clipping was obscene.

    The sound was more sterile. Detail is present but it's not very musical. I'm definitely noticing more detail with the Mojo, especially when it comes to drums. As I listen almost exclusively to metal/hardcore, drums are an enormous part of the sound. Kick drums have a hearty weight to them and they're prominent and distinguishable even when things are loud and chaotic. Cymbals have a wonderful shimmer and sound like I'm in the studio next to the kit.

    Enter Shikari is one of my favorite bands and they use a lot of synths, all of which are far more pronounced and clear in the mix through the Mojo. I've noticed a number of times that there is FAR more going on with various synth lines in many songs than I ever noticed through the Fulla 2.

    The Fulla 2 is an excellent entry-level DAC, no doubt about it, and a huge step-up from the headphone jack on a MBP, but it definitely has limits. I think it was $108 (with shipping) very well spent but now that I've heard better, there's nowhere to go but up.

    I'm really curious to hear a Modi Multibit/Bifrost Multibit compared to the Mojo now. And since neither of those have a built in amp, I'd like to pair it with the Vali 2 to give me entry-level tube sound and allow the same setup I have currently with the speakers being set at a single volume for DAC/turntable and adjusted more finely via the amp. Plus, I'm considering a set of HD650s so those would likely pair very well with the Modi Multibit/Bifrost Multibit + Vali 2 stack. But also allegedly sound phenomenal through the Mojo.

    SO. MANY. DECISIONS.
     

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