Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2015 14:09:43 GMT
New DAC/AMP from Chord. £399. Chord MojoSpecs look good but why does all their kit have to look so darn ugly?? Sadly it looks like a cheap Chinese switch box. This seems a bit ambitious though: "you can use any pair of headphones with Mojo, from 4Ω to 800Ω"  |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2015 5:22:57 GMT
Yup, looks like a cheap toy. Not for me.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2015 9:04:11 GMT
Mick, I'm sure the quality of their products is first class. Any 'complaints' I have are purely to do with the aesthetics....not enough to stop me from wanting one for sure  I suspect it might look less toy-like in the flesh as I believe the chassis is actually aluminium (or another metal) so pics may not do it justice. Does the Micro iDSD look like the most obvious competitor to the Mojo? If so I'm assuming this will be equally adept at home or on the go and does have the benefit of still being usable whilst it charges which I think the iDSD lacks? |
|
juke
very active
Posts: 396 
|
Post by juke on Oct 15, 2015 22:30:49 GMT
When I was auditioning my Proac Response D Forty speakers the shop's owner used a Chord CD player and amp. I have never heard better sound.
The bad news was each item cost around £11,000!
They were also in the Chord 'sci-fi look' cases but seeing them in real life the ooze of quality was amazing.
Syd
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2015 12:29:32 GMT
I like good sounding kit. I like good looking kit. But if push comes to shove I'll take SQ every day.
So......I have a Mojo arriving on Monday. Temporarily using the funds I've been saving up towards a AQ Nighthawk but hoping that the Mojo will be sufficiently good to allow me to sell my current desktop set up (Musical Fidelity V90-DAC & ifi iCAN)....until the Micro iDSD came on the market I wouldn't have dreamed of using portable kit as my main rig but the iDSD has made me re-consider that stance. Who knows maybe this little box will be up to the job.
Biggest things that concern me at the moment are I'm buying blind and heard some folk suggest the Mojo / Hugo are a bit bright sounding, which is not something I like at all esp. when paired with the Pandora. The other is just how practical a portable rig is for desktop use as regularly having to swap cables and charge the battery may become a chore. On the upside I can easily move it to the living room for some late night Netflix viewing on the Xbox.
Normally I'd probably not gamble on something like this without auditioning first but that's impossible to do where I am. Early impressions are almost universally favourable which gives me some confidence (my hype detector is on though) and I figure I can recoup most of what I paid if I decide it's not for me.
Away for a few days from Tues but will try and add some impressions when time allows. Only have fairly low impedance headphones to hand so won't really able to give the amp section much of a work out but from what I've read more demanding 'phones such as the HD800 and HE-1000 are not a problem for it.
|
|
Rabbit
Administrator
Posts: 7,091
|
Post by Rabbit on Oct 17, 2015 12:32:04 GMT
I bet it sounds good, Mark. I've used their CD player and it sounds awesome. Their gear is good!!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2015 12:42:07 GMT
I'm hoping so, Ian.
For such a little box it promises a lot. And so far it seems to be delivering.
Chord certainly have a great reputation but I haven't heard any of their gear before so just hoping the 'house sound' (if there is one) is to my liking. Either way I'll have fun pottering around with it.
|
|
Rabbit
Administrator
Posts: 7,091
|
Post by Rabbit on Oct 18, 2015 15:25:27 GMT
Me too. I'd like to know what you make of it!!
|
|
oldson
extremely active
Posts: 1,678
|
Post by oldson on Oct 18, 2015 16:41:56 GMT
Hi Mark, I will try to get my hands on one in the next week or two as i am quiet interested to see how it compares with the micro iDSD SQ wise.. for myself...as price wise... they are very evenly matched. Beauty is of course in the "eye of the beholder" and for me would be of no real significance if the performance and build quality is to there usual standard. To be honest with you i had a Chord Hugo Mobile Amp-Dac for a weeks audition a few months back which developed a fault. To cut a long story short, within two days a Chord technician was sent out to my supplier to evaluate the problem with this unit, replaced it with another... of which i know to date is still working perfectly. Three weeks ago i tried the Hugo TT, which was simply astounding especially driving my TH900`s. If i had the funds available i would purchase one tomorrow...Its that good. The whole unit oozes quality both in SQ and build... which of course is reflected in its price point. So on that basis, i would expect the Mojo to perform well, and from my own experience from there customer care department...A very good company indeed. Mick. that will be interesting to see how you compare it to the ifi, Mick. my money is on the ifi, as i imagine it would offer more bang per buck. i have always fancied chord gear just based on what i have read and looks, never heard any of it. maybe one day i will try a 2qute dac. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2015 8:13:37 GMT
My Mojo arrived yesterday. Only had a few hours listening but really rather impressed so far. This post will be a work in progress as I'm about to head off for a few days but taking the Mojo with me (paired with my Xperia Z2) so will be adding to this post as time allows. Apologies for any typos or formatting errors as I'll be using my tablet 'til I get back.
Hope to add some pics at some point too.
Is it a toy Jim?
The Mojo ships in a diminutive little white box with the wording 'Chord Mojo' applied a number of times in some kind of clear gloss. Instructions are printed on the bottom and an indicator of the bit-rates supported (and how the associated LED colour) is printed on the side.
Opening the box up you get a glimpse of the Mojo through an oval shaped cut out in the protective foam. Pulling out the foam you find Mojo in a clear bag and underneath is more foam with an incredibly short micro USB-USB lead...and well that's it.
I knew the Mojo going to be small but it's not until you have it sitting in the palm of your hand that you really appreciate just how small. Your second reaction is 'this thing costs £400?? Really??'. Then you notice just how much heft it has and how solid it feels in it's aluminium clad body. The cost thing is understandable given the size (more on that later though) but in the flesh the notion that Mojo is a toy-like is quickly dispelled. This is a well built piece of kit.
The only thing that some might consider a bit cheap feeling are the buttons but I like them. They're clear plastic orbs that are illuminated by coloured LEDs. More on them later.
4 little rubber bumpers are stuck on each corner of the underside of the unit so no worries about it marking up when placed on a desktop.
Charging
Chord state on the box that you need to allow at least 10 hours before 1st use. However, Rob from Chord has posted on HF that this guidance really only applies to units that may have been in storage for some time and whose battery may have drained. For current units the charging LED will likely go out sooner (circa 4 hours with mine).
One minor gripe I have here is that the charging LED sits underneath the USB charging port which means you need to pick up the Mojo every now and then to check if the light has gone out or not.
It's very slightly shorter than a credit card and a touch 'plumper'. It feels very solid indeed with it's aluminium clad body and has a good amount of heft to it. The buttons are a bit odd as they're clear plastic orbs (with LEDs behind) that seem to rotate if you drag your finger over them.
Input wise you have a mini co-ax, USB (which I'm using for now) and optical (full size) along with a USB input for charging. At the other end you have two headphone outs for sharing your music with a friend or A/B headphones if you are that way inclined. I'd have preferred a dedicated line out myself but each to their own.
Why the light show?
Is it any good?
More to follow but my fears on it being a bit sterile, bright or brash have thus far been allayed.
Mobile use and the Android can of worms
More to follow......
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2015 20:25:12 GMT
Hi Mick, Yes, it's very well built indeed. Will update my impressions post over the next few days but have enjoyed using the Mojo quite a lot whilst away. Paired with my Xperia Z2 (for some reason it insists on outputting all audio @ 192 KHz) and Denon MM400 headphones. Sat up listening into the wee hours one night and fell asleep which is always a good sign  I did feel like the MM400 was perhaps holding the Mojo back a touch so was keen to see how my Pandora would do as that's a more resolving headphone. My suspicions were right and I'd confidently say that the Mojo + Pandora pairing is excellent. To my ears it's a smooth, quite full sounding DAC/amp with a nice hint of musicality and a good sense of timing. It certainly isn't cold or sterile and in comparison to some solid state amps I've heard it feels quite analogue in nature for want of a better word and I also feel it brings out the character of my headphones more than some amps do. Plenty of detail present, good dynamics but it can also do restraint when a track calls for it. Whilst engaging I don't think many folk will find it fatiguing to listen to unless their headphones are. Listening has primarily been done using Tidal streaming and ripped tracks (all CD quality FLAC files). Not had a chance to try any hi-res material yet but CD quality is generally good enough for me....after that I think any improvements I sense are placebo. All my current headphones & IEMs are dead easy to drive. The amount of volume adjustment Mojo gives me is highly impressive but I do get the feeling there is plenty of more power on tap if it's needed (take with an appropriately large pinch of salt). so keep I do have a pair of AKG K712 arriving next week and whilst the K7xx variants look quite easy to drive on paper I personally feel they need quite a lot of juice to sound their best so will be interesting to see how Mojo fares. So far I'm very happy with the Mojo but will keep the thread updated and add impressions once the honeymoon period wears off and I get more of a 'warts & all' view  |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2015 23:50:15 GMT
Well the honeymoon is well and truly over. The Mojo and I parted company today but this was owing to some technical issues rather than any qualms with the units SQ. I was occasionally experiencing some intermittent static noises with mine irrespective of source or cables used (optical or usb) and some noise was audible from the unit itself at close range (a high pitched chirruping sound). The latter is a known issue (the former may be connected for all I know) with some of the earliest units but the offending component has since been replaced during production so new units should be fine.
Despite its departure I still intend to finish my review when time permits. Issues aside I was very impressed with the Mojo with both my K712 and Denon MM400 although after some extended listening I have to say I was less keen on the pairing with the Pandora. To my ears the Mojo has some warmth to the sound and the mid-bass feels to my ears like it's a little bit elevated and with the Pandora I sometimes felt like the mid-bass was just a bit punchier and more prominent than I personally would've liked. The warmth (not excessively I should add!) and fullness I hear with the Mojo doesn't in anyway get in the way of detail retrieval though and the Mojo will quite happily point out any flaws in your recordings...but it does so in a benevolent way so they still remain perfectly enjoyable.
The K712 is the most 'demanding' headphone I currently own and the Mojo handled it with ease. I suspect there is plenty more headroom there if needed though.
For sure it has its +'s and -'s but it's impressive just how much performance Chord have managed to squeeze into such a little box. In direct comparison to some 'affordable' desktop set ups such as my iCAN & V90-DAC I really think the Mojo stacks up well.
|
|
oldson
extremely active
Posts: 1,678
|
Post by oldson on Dec 11, 2015 18:59:43 GMT
Well the honeymoon is well and truly over. The Mojo and I parted company today but this was owing to some technical issues rather than any qualms with the units SQ. I was occasionally experiencing some intermittent static noises with mine irrespective of source or cables used (optical or usb) and some noise was audible from the unit itself at close range (a high pitched chirruping sound). The latter is a known issue (the former may be connected for all I know) with some of the earliest units but the offending component has since been replaced during production so new units should be fine. Despite its departure I still intend to finish my review when time permits. Issues aside I was very impressed with the Mojo with both my K712 and Denon MM400 although after some extended listening I have to say I was less keen on the pairing with the Pandora. To my ears the Mojo has some warmth to the sound and the mid-bass feels to my ears like it's a little bit elevated and with the Pandora I sometimes felt like the mid-bass was just a bit punchier and more prominent than I personally would've liked. The warmth (not excessively I should add!) and fullness I hear with the Mojo doesn't in anyway get in the way of detail retrieval though and the Mojo will quite happily point out any flaws in your recordings...but it does so in a benevolent way so they still remain perfectly enjoyable. The K712 is the most 'demanding' headphone I currently own and the Mojo handled it with ease. I suspect there is plenty more headroom there if needed though. For sure it has its +'s and -'s but it's impressive just how much performance Chord have managed to squeeze into such a little box. In direct comparison to some 'affordable' desktop set ups such as my iCAN & V90-DAC I really think the Mojo stacks up well. seen a lot of these lately on the used market. maybe because of the issues you had? |
|
|
|
Post by Random Passerby on Dec 11, 2015 19:41:54 GMT
Hello heliharris,
I came across this thread while looking up impressions on the Chord Mojo and am curious how it fares against iFi's Micro iDSD. I recently purchased a Micro iDSD on the used market and have been very happy with it, but a friend's been bugging me to get a Mojo, saying that it was a vast improvement over the iFi. I got my unit at a great price thanks to its being in less than perfect condition (quite a few battle scars, but otherwise works well) so I can probably sell it without taking any losses to help fund a Chord purchase. Is the difference between them that pronounced? Looking forward to hearing your feedback; jellofund's impressions jive with everything I've read about it so far, but it'd be great to hear a direct A/B!
By the by, I'm sorry to hear that your Mojo's been giving you grief jellofund. This is maybe the third report of Mojo QC issues I've come across. Hopefully the unit I purchase (if I push through getting one) won't have any problems.
Cheers!
K.
|
|
oldson
extremely active
Posts: 1,678
|
Post by oldson on Dec 11, 2015 19:48:24 GMT
Hello heliharris, I came across this thread while looking up impressions on the Chord Mojo and am curious how it fares against iFi's Micro iDSD. I recently purchased a Micro iDSD on the used market and have been very happy with it, but a friend's been bugging me to get a Mojo, saying that it was a vast improvement over the iFi. I got my unit at a great price thanks to its being in less than perfect condition (quite a few battle scars, but otherwise works well) so I can probably sell it without taking any losses to help fund a Chord purchase. Is the difference between them that pronounced? Looking forward to hearing your feedback; jellofund's impressions jive with everything I've read about it so far, but it'd be great to hear a direct A/B! By the by, I'm sorry to hear that your Mojo's been giving you grief jellofund. This is maybe the third report of Mojo QC issues I've come across. Hopefully the unit I purchase ( if I push through getting one) won't have any problems. Cheers! K. i think you misunderstood! i dont think Mick has a mojo |
|
