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CHORD Mojo 2 Review (Portable DAC & HP Amp)

Rate this product:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 11 3.2%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 34 9.8%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther

    Votes: 145 41.9%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 156 45.1%

  • Total voters
    346

Ken Tajalli

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Really? Is there evidence of that? RF is inaudible, so unless you are talking high energy fields modulated with audio frequency signals, I'd be interested in how that is happening. Also in how it is polluting a gound plane, which by definition is low impedance and grounded.
Check headfi, "Watts up" thread.
Search on the issue and see what Rob Watts has said about the issue.
It is a known issue, it affects Hugo2 as well.
Yes, Really!
 

antcollinet

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Check headfi, "Watts up" thread.
Search on the issue and see what Rob Watts has said about the issue.
It is a known issue, it affects Hugo2 as well.
Yes, Really!
OK - that thread is nearly 246 pages long but I think I've found the reference on page 182.

As far as I can tell he is simply talking about ground loop noise - which can impact any system where two or more devices are grounded on either side of an unbalanced analogue interconnect.
 

Ken Tajalli

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OK - that thread is nearly 246 pages long but I think I've found the reference on page 182.

As far as I can tell he is simply talking about ground loop noise - which can impact any system where two or more devices are grounded on either side of an unbalanced analogue interconnect.
1670084666226.png


Chord DACs are single ended by nature. Portable DACs (Mojo Mojo2 Hugo2) do not have isolation on the USB input, so they can suffer from above.
Desktop DACs are immune.
 

antcollinet

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View attachment 247516

Chord DACs are single ended by nature. Portable DACs (Mojo Mojo2 Hugo2) do not have isolation on the USB input, so they can suffer from above.
Desktop DACs are immune.
Ah - some measurements and discussion of noise floor modulation here:
 

Ken Tajalli

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Ah - some measurements and discussion of noise floor modulation here:
That is a different topic, or scenario.
I know, at the mention of noise floor modulation and Rob Watts, hell can break loose on ASR! :)
The other issue is regarding a ground loop noise on Chord portable DACs.
The portable DACs do not have USB isolation, and being single ended, they do not do well with that noise.
Once a random RF noise gets into their ground plane, the analogue circuitry plays up, not a lot, but it does.
I have experienced it, with a PC and power amps. That's why if I use my Hugo2 as a desktop DAC, I use optical input.
I have since addressed the grounding issue. My desktop DAC (funnily enough) is a DX7 pro!
With or without a Topping HS01, there is no difference using USB or Toslink on either DACs.
The issue is a non-issue if the Chords are used as portable devices.
 

antcollinet

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That is a different topic, or scenario.
I know, at the mention of noise floor modulation and Rob Watts, hell can break loose on ASR! :)
Yeah - it doesn't look likely to be an audible issue. :p
 

Daveya.

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So are you happy with driving the noises directly by the Mojo 2? Or do you use an additional amp between Mojo 2 and the Noires?
The Noires directly from the Mojo2, they are fine, plenty of headroom
 

pouni

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The Noires directly from the Mojo2, they are fine, plenty of headroom
Thank you for the quick reply!

So I am very interested in buyingh tzhe Chord Mojo 2 along with a DCA Aeon 2 Noire or a Meze 109 Pro, do not know which one to choose. But one thing I do not understand is following: Does this really mean that there is no audible benefit in getting something like the Topping D90LE and a Topping A90 discrete to drive the Meze 109 Pro or the DCA Aeon 2 Noires? This would mean the Mojo 2 is a great value even if we ignore the Chord specialities and the portability of the Mojo 2.
 

Daveya.

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I had a Topping DX 3 and preferred the Mojo 2 with the Noires so sold the Topping, there is plenty of power from the Mojo 2.
 

lewdish

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Is there an audible difference between DX3 and Mojo 2?
I think theres an audible diff between DX3 and Mojo in terms of soundstage, I know its un-scientific, but thats just my subjective preference. I have DX3 Pro + for my desk setup and it feels a little more dead, and idk if its the higher distortion for other reasons, but the Mojo I think does sound a little better in some quirky aspects. I just wish they made a proper USB-C implementation
 

DantonIzzo

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I think theres an audible diff between DX3 and Mojo in terms of soundstage, I know its un-scientific, but thats just my subjective preference. I have DX3 Pro + for my desk setup and it feels a little more dead, and idk if its the higher distortion for other reasons, but the Mojo I think does sound a little better in some quirky aspects. I just wish they made a proper USB-C implementation
Interesting, as I really want to try it. I know people say they can hear differences between dacs, etc., but I just can't for the life of me. For example, I've listened to music directly from my laptop (Lenovo X1 Carbon), iPhone 6's 3.5mm jack, apple dongle, Topping DX3 Pro+, and FiiO KA3 (all of which I own), and I can't tell a difference. I primarily use the Focal Clear og and B2Dusk (I listen at moderate volume between 55db - 65db, sometimes I will turn it up to 75-80db for a song or two). It would be cool if there was a very audible difference, so that I can decide which I like better.... The only difference I think I heard one time was that the Topping DX3 Pro+ sounds more lean when compared to the balanced out on the KA3, which was a bit more warm. Couldn't replicate outside of that one time.
 

lewdish

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Interesting, as I really want to try it. I know people say they can hear differences between dacs, etc., but I just can't for the life of me. For example, I've listened to music directly from my laptop (Lenovo X1 Carbon), iPhone 6's 3.5mm jack, apple dongle, Topping DX3 Pro+, and FiiO KA3 (all of which I own), and I can't tell a difference. I primarily use the Focal Clear og and B2Dusk (I listen at moderate volume between 55db - 65db, sometimes I will turn it up to 75-80db for a song or two). It would be cool if there was a very audible difference, so that I can decide which I like better.... The only difference I think I heard one time was that the Topping DX3 Pro+ sounds more lean when compared to the balanced out on the KA3, which was a bit more warm. Couldn't replicate outside of that one time.
Another personal & unscientific take, but I own some solid state amps that measure incredibly poorly and I do think some of them sound warm and worse than the ones that are higher in sinad and distortion, in cases like those where its much more noticeable I've been able to make it out pretty consistently, but when it comes to DACs unless its just filled with design flaw and ticks/pops the differences are much less apparent. I do think Topping DACS while they measure much more flawlessly do seem to sound really lean compared to many other amps and dacs. I have yet to try any other brands that measure similarly to know if theres more to the high sinad game.
 

Jimster480

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Is there an audible difference between DX3 and Mojo 2?
No, if anything the MOJO would be inferior as it's a mobile product with a worse Amp. If both are feeding the same Amp then they shouldn't have any difference.
If you think one is different than the other you need to do some AB testing or better yet ABX.
What I do is a go to a part of a specific song where I think it sounds different and then I will a/b between the two to play over a 5-10 second part of the same song to hear a difference.
9/10 times I find it's my mind playing tricks on me.
 

DantonIzzo

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No, if anything the MOJO would be inferior as it's a mobile product with a worse Amp. If both are feeding the same Amp then they shouldn't have any difference.
If you think one is different than the other you need to do some AB testing or better yet ABX.
What I do is a go to a part of a specific song where I think it sounds different and then I will a/b between the two to play over a 5-10 second part of the same song to hear a difference.
9/10 times I find it's my mind playing tricks on me.
Thanks!
 

RoA

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Just bought the Mojo2 and have been using it the last few days with different Headphones as well as a stint as main DAC in my system/s.

Too early to say much about sound other than it seems superb but build quality is sublime and the 'Ball' implementation is both intuitive, very quickly and unusual ... which is a welcome change in a sea of chinese lookalikes which seem to eminate from Shenzen in sequences of a few weeks apart. Give me this over a convoluted, tiny display anytime, especially as the feature set of Chord is relatively simple.

Perhaps not for the colour blind.
 
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Jimster480

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Just bought the Mojo2 and have been using it the last few days with different Headphones as well as a stint as main DAC in my system/s.

Too early to say much about sound other than it seems superb but build quality is sublime and the 'Ball' implementation is both intuitive, very quickly and unusual ... which is a welcome change in a sea of chinese lookalikes which seem to eminate from Shenzen in sequences of a few weeks apart.
Cool
 
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