Having difficulty with Chord Mojo 2

[satya]

I just got my new Chord Mojo 2 a few days ago (it is not used.) I am using it with a JDS Labs Atom Amp+ and Sennheiser HD600 headphones. It sounds really good sometimes, especially in games and video, but a lot of youtube tracks have unbelievably harsh treble: screeching, piercing, nails-on-a-chalkboard treble... I installed the latest Chord Electronics drivers for it (the January 2025 drivers) and I tested it on a phone... on the phone I think the sound quality was less but the treble was normal... I'm using a micro USB charger cable and a USB C cable for data (but it's not a data-only cable,) both connected to the back of my desktop. I tried using a different USB C cable for data but it had the same result... I don't know if the USB C cables I used are high enough quality, but since I don't have a car I have to wait till tomorrow to buy a new cable (I can get a ride tomorrow... I'm going to try a new USB C cable from Walmart...) It's the older version of the Mojo 2, the one with two 3.5mm outputs... I've tried using the headphones directly with the Mojo 2, but it sounded the same... ChatGPT says that this is not normal behavior for a Mojo 2... I can test it on a laptop tomorrow (I'm going to ask someone I know to bring one) to see if the issue also occurs on the laptop... I am using Windows 11 Home... the audio enhancements and spatial audio are turned off... My computer uses Realtek audio, I don't know if that's relevant... also a long time ago I tried out the Dragonfly Cobalt, and it sounded pretty much the same as my on-board audio, but the treble was not harsh like with the Mojo 2 (I returned it because it was not a significant change from my desktop's built-in audio...) Can you guys help? Oh and also: I tried playing around with the Mojo 2 EQ and Peace EQ, but I didn't like how it sounds, and it seems to require a different EQ setting for each song... and I have the Mojo 2 set on middle volume (volume lights are green...) Right now I have the mid and high treble on the Mojo's EQ set to minimum to take the edge off the treble, but there is a significant drop in sound quality, and the treble is still too much...

 

[Redacted]

Data-only USB cable? That's new to me...
As for audio quality, USB either works or does not work.
YouTube often has poor sound. Stick to testing with a local FLAC file(s).
Not sure what the RealTek audio had to do with anything if you use an external DAC.
I assume you are testing with Wasapi exclusive mode.
I'm struggling however, to unravel exactly what is happening in your setup!

 

[Mart68]

but a lot of youtube tracks have unbelievably harsh treble: screeching, piercing, nails-on-a-chalkboard treble.

Would you give a couple of specific examples so we can see if this is a problem with the Youtube recordings or some other issue?

 

[Redacted]

Would you give a couple of specific examples so we can see if this is a problem with the Youtube recordings or some other issue?

Yup. YouTube often has poor sound - I listen to tracks on there almost every day - but apart from live recording using phones, often with tons of distortion, I don't recall any recorded music I've played from there sounding like "screeching, piercing, nails-on-a-chalkboard treble". As I said, the OP should test with local files of known provenance, and us the same media player for each test in WASAPI exclusive mode, or else there are too many variables.

 

[Mart68]

but apart from live recording using phones, often with tons of distortion, I don't recall any recorded music I've played from there sounding like "screeching, piercing, nails-on-a-chalkboard treble

Yes, likewise. My set-up is hardly ideal - laptop connects to TV via HDMI and TV connects via optical cable to DAC (el cheapo Topping E30). Yet sound quality is more than acceptable.

 

[Redacted]

I'm not sure how Chords work - I think the DAC function is implemented in an FPGA, which adds lots of cost, but it could mean it is re-progammable or updateable. Is there a firmware update tool for Chord that covers this?

 

[satya]

Well, one example where the treble is really harsh is Enigma TNG God Complex

another one is Teminite Firepower

and Tristam Truth

I tried using foobar2000 with ASIO but it didnt improve things much... I don't know if there's a fimware update tool, the product page only has Mojo 2 drivers and the ASIO driver... This is what Chord Electronics tech support said: I am afraid that the limitation I have here is that I can't hear what you hear. Mojo2 generally either works or it doesn't; conditional sonic failure is exceptionally rare and, on the occasions it has happened has involved issues with analogue components in the output stage of older units. Additionally, YouTube gives no information on sample rate so the material that sounds bad could, very easily, be bad. It might be worth trying the trial of Qobuz or Tidal and seeing how the unit performs there.

 

[Galway]

The Chord Mojo 2 should be able to drive the HD600s, so I would start from there and not use the JDS Labs Atom Amp and unplug it while testing.
Connect the Mojo 2 to the PC via USB and make sure you set your audio output to the mojo as the main output device and ensure its set to the correct output desired sample rate (Control panel > sound > (mojo) > advanced > sample rate > (desired sample rate).

Ideally mojo should be stock with no filters/tweaks/EQ or whatever applied.
Can you confirm if the above has been tried, tested and report back any issues ?

 

[satya]

I had tried bypassing the amp before, but it didn't fix the issue. Sorry if I forgot to mention it. I tried it again just now... I think the treble is actually worse without the amp... there are no filters, tweaks or EQ applied...

 

[Mart68]

I tried all three of your examples and they sound fine to me, even cranked up silly loud.

Could be your headphones - or that the headphones are not a good match for the headphone amp in the Mojo? Can't think of anything else. Which isn't to say it isn't anything else. But the problem's not on the recordings.

 

[Redacted]

All three tracks sounded 'fine' to me for generic electronic music (Topping DX1, cheapo AA HiX-15 phones). And it's YT, so who knows the provenance. And I played all through each!

The treble is pronounced in the mix but not technically poor or 'harsh' as such. IMHO - poor engineering by deaf blokes (ear damage?) sure, but it's a style choice and not out of order. Used to be called 'frosty vocals' in the old days, on the God Complex track.

The main thing is your kit is fine. Your taste, however...

 

[satya]

I tried all three of your examples and they sound fine to me, even cranked up silly loud.

Could be your headphones - or that the headphones are not a good match for the headphone amp in the Mojo? Can't think of anything else. Which isn't to say it isn't anything else. But the problem's not on the recordings.

Do you also have a Mojo 2? Also: I tried connecting the charger cable to another charger (it was previously connected to same desktop as the data cable...) that seems to have reduced the treble harshness somewhat...

 

[Mart68]

Do you also have a Mojo 2? Also: I tried connecting the charger cable to another charger (it was previously connected to same desktop as the data cable...) that seems to have reduced the treble harshness somewhat...

No I used a Topping E30 but that's not relevant to your issue. Neither DAC has any intrinsic problem that would cause harshness.

 

[Redacted]

No I used a Topping E30 but that's not relevant to your issue. Neither DAC has any intrinsic problem that would cause harshness.

It's not impossible that the Chord needed more current than the PC alone could supply (hence struggled), compared with a Topping - the Chord uses an FPGA which may well use more power. I'd dump boutique DACs on eBay and get something cheap that works well enough - spend the profit on live bands and recordings

 

[Mart68]

It's not impossible that the Chord needed more current than the PC alone could supply (hence struggled), compared with a Topping - the Chord uses an FPGA which may well use more power. I'd dump boutique DACs on eBay and get something cheap that works well enough - spend the profit on live bands and recordings

That's possible, in any case I'm running the Topping off a mobile phone charger rather than powering it by USB.

 

[Brian Hall]

Well, one example where the treble is really harsh is Enigma TNG God Complex

another one is Teminite Firepower

and Tristam Truth

I tried using foobar2000 with ASIO but it didnt improve things much... I don't know if there's a fimware update tool, the product page only has Mojo 2 drivers and the ASIO driver... This is what Chord Electronics tech support said: I am afraid that the limitation I have here is that I can't hear what you hear. Mojo2 generally either works or it doesn't; conditional sonic failure is exceptionally rare and, on the occasions it has happened has involved issues with analogue components in the output stage of older units. Additionally, YouTube gives no information on sample rate so the material that sounds bad could, very easily, be bad. It might be worth trying the trial of Qobuz or Tidal and seeing how the unit performs there.

I don't use anything by Chord, but all 3 sounded ok here, with just a bit too much treble in the mix they used. I wouldn't call any of them harsh. This is not a youtube issue.

 

[satya]

OK, I think I know what the problem was... I never really gave the Mojo 2 a chance to shine on its own... the problem was the JDS Labs Atom Amp+... once I started getting audio directly from the Mojo 2 the harshness of the treble went away mostly, and sound quality improved on most tracks... at least it's good to have it on record that Mojo 2 and JDS Labs Atom Amp+ don't go well together... probably any amp would make the Mojo 2 sound worse... I'm sorry I wasted everybody's time... -_- (not that the amp is not good, it's a really good amp, it just doesn't pair well with the Mojo 2...)

 

[Redacted]

There must be a measurable technical reason for that. "Pairing" should not be "a thing" these days with line level stuff.

 

[satya]

It sounds hella awesome! ^_^ Way better than I imagined... I thought I was going to be disappointed, after my bad experience with the Dragonfly Cobalt, and for a while my experience seemed to prove it... :3 but now its kew...! ^_^ The only thing that sucks is now I don't have a volume knob, just buttons XD so if I have to lower the volume really fast it takes a bit... (actually I found out if I use replaygain on Foobar2000 it prevents sudden volume jumps...)