More thoughts on Mojo

Why does the Chord Mojo sound so damn good? Its developer, Rob Watts says it is about interpolation filters and transients … May be.  I do wonder however, if there is other processing going on that he is not admitting to.  I mean, a faithfully produced sound wave is a sound wave, is it not? Yet different DACs do sound different!

I have spent a little time analysing the sound from the Mojo and comparing it with the inbuilt  DAC in my Cambridge CXA60 amplifier using a CD source. Perhaps not a fair comparison, you may suggest in view of the price differential, but instructive none the less.

First there is the sound level out-put to consider. This is certainly higher than through the inbuilt DAC .  Perhaps this is to be expected since the Mojo is a headphone  amplifier as well as a DAC. So the first thing you have to do is volume match when doing an A/B comparison. A bit tricky when switching back and forth.

Once I have approximated the level, I still notice that the sound has more dynamism or punch, has broader sound stage, the positioning of voice and instruments more defined and the tonal qualities detailed and natural with a clean clear finish.  There is a sense that the voice or soloist jumps out at the listener, grabbing your attention. It is as if the music is saying “hey listen to me, don’t I sound good!?” And so you keep listening, even to what is previously familiar.

So what makes this happen? I can’t help but think there is more going on than simply more faithful reproduction of waveforms.  I wonder if other processing such as dynamic range enhancement and phase and frequency adjustments are being applied to the output. These were long ago applied by those seeking a more realistic experience from the old analogue audio equipment. We had “dbx” dynamic range enhancers, audio equalizers to compensate for deficiencies in speakers and room acoustics, and phase shifters to create a more 3D sound experience.  It only takes a small adjustment in decibels to change our perception of sound so minimal tweaking of the amp output signal could do wonders…

At the end of the day though, it probably does not matter as I love it and the accolades for the musical sound that Mojo produces roll in…. It truly is a wonder, but there is still part of me that wonders too.....

Some links to Chord interviews if you are interested...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10k_yMHCncY

http://www.the-ear.net/how-to/rob-watts-chord-mojo-tech

Got my (Chord) Mojo goin' and I'm gone baby, gone real bad.....

Well it's been a while with my CXA60 amp and the audiophile in me has been getting restless. I quickly decided the Schiit Bifrost 4490, which I had upgraded from the Uber was a better DAC than the Wolfson WM8740 that is built into the CXA60, but it is convenient to use the Wolfson with the TV and the Bifrost for music. Just for the convenience of switching with the remote. The Bifrost seems to have a bigger sound stage and a softer upper range.

But then I read John Darko's review of the Schiit Gungnir Multibit (http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2016/01/zesty-and-sweet-the-stunning-schiit-gungnir-multibit-dac/) and I began to think about spending over A$2000 on an upgrade.... How much do I value my marriage? But wait, the Chord Mojo (http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2016/02/chord-electronics-mojo-lost-found/) is a whole lot cheaper and he rates it up there with Gungnir.... (http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/the-darko-dac-index/) And so do many others! (http://chordelectronics.co.uk/mojo/#nav-reviews , http://www.stereophile.com/content/chord-electronics-mojo-da-headphone-amplifier#XrV15eiY4du1u5rG.97  and just google it!) And you can use it as a portable with up to 10 hours of playing time or you can use it as a desktop with your computer or with your lounge room system. One wonders about the long term reliability of the battery, but I had to audition a Mojo, which I did through headphones (NAD Viso HP50) at VAF in Adelaide and then I had to bring it home.

I have in the past sat around analysing DACs for their subtle and not so subtle differences. No such problem with the Mojo! The differences are are simply there.. right in you face in a dramatic and even astounding way. The dynamism, the imaging, the clarity and the detail bring the music to life. It's just brilliant sound. At first I wondered if it was all too much, but the clincher for me was that I would soon give up on comparisons and simply listen. Even to very familiar music, to the end. Spotting the difference between sources, CD, Sonos Connect or whatever is much more of a challenge than the difference between the Mojo and my other DACs. This is, in my opinion an improvement worth paying for. Now if I want to listen at home or at work with headphones, I can have a wonderful sound quality with me....  Maybe one day I will have the spare cash for a Gungnir, or a 2Qute but for now I don't feel deprived.... I've got my Mojo going!

Schiit Bifrost Uber Upgrade - First Impressions

Well I bit the bullet based on some favourable remarks about the new sound and encouraging descriptions of the installation process on Head-Fi and I went ahead and ordered the so-called Uber upgrade for my Schiit Bifrost DAC.

The Schiit web site describes the upgrade thus "This DAC/Analog upgrade card improves the sonic and measured performance of Bifrost, using a discrete, direct-coupled gain stage from Gungnir. This discrete stage is more sophisticated than the base Bifrost, with a more complex topology, and DC servo to eliminate capacitors in the signal path. The Bifrost Uber Analog card can be ordered with any new Bifrost at a cost of $70, or purchased as an upgrade for $100."

I was not altogether unhappy with the existing sound of the Bifrost and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Further, I had to consider the added cost of postage to Australia, which reduces somewhat the bargain nature of this upgrade. So it was with some uncertainty about the worth of it all, I followed the instructions here http://www.head-fi.org/t/661444/schiit-bifrost-uber-analog-upgrade/15 and regarding the screws, here http://www.head-fi.org/t/661444/schiit-bifrost-uber-analog-upgrade/60 to insert the new board which arrived promptly and in good order today.

Thanks to "toschek" and "sceleratus" descriptions, I managed to install the board easily within 20 minutes (including time to find the right screwdriver!). Yes, the little LED lights were tricky but they actually slid into the holes with a minimum of fuss once I held the boards at the right angle.

I know I should give the new board some time to "mature" but I could not help myself. The music came on. I can't do an A/B comparison but I think some differences were immediately noticeable. The sound was smoother and fuller. That was even without sitting down to contemplate. Once I did, I came to appreciate that an initial perception of  fullness was more about a better defined sound stage with instruments sounding balanced and "more in their places". There is also a greater sense of richness which may reflect a more detailed presentation but certainly a little less harshness in the upper registers..... Some have mentioned better bass extension but of that I am uncertain. I would rather say, "a little thicker", if that makes any sense. Overall the sound seems more coherent, detailed and smoother but still with the characteristic energy that I liked about the Bifrost before. A few more hours of run-in will be interesting.

I did a short comparison with the aging NAD CD541 player and the comparative lack of harshness in the Bifrost was very noticeable.

In short, I think it has been a worthwhile upgrade. Cost wise, I suppose you will have to weigh it up for yourself once you factor in oversease postage (if that applies), but if you were buying a new unit, the Uber would definitely be the way to go.

Equipment used - NAD c541 CD transport, coaxial connection to the NAD 355BEE Amplifier , Ascension floor standers by Adelaide Speakers.

Friday update: The update has had some days to settle in now and sounds very nice... was there a little harshness in some recordings before??? Can't find it now, or was it my imagination? The words coherent, stable soundstage, detailed, smooth still apply and also apply to the wi-fi streamed mp3/4 files coming through my Sonos network.... Still plan to review the Chameleon vs Bifrost comparison when I have time (See previous post for updates).... Sit back, enjoy the music!

Everything Matters and Nothing Matters Part 3

Recently I was sitting in Adelaide’s verdant Botanic Park on a fine Autumn afternoon enjoying another high energy, high volume performance by a Womad artist when I came to contemplate the qualities of the sound my ears were absorbing. Loud, dynamic, spacious, detailed and enveloping were just a few of the adjectives that fluttered past on the wings of music. Wow, imagine this in my lounge room! Well no, it would be a nightmare! Our household couldn’t function under these conditions. If I wasn’t confined to a sound proofed listening room, nobody could talk and the neighbours would be battering at our door.

Well I know people who have sound proofed music listening rooms, but the time in them can be a solitary affair.... And do they achieve the illusion of “being there” that so many audiophiles say they aspire to? Well I say, without meaning to be derogatory, “only in their imaginations”.

No matter how much money you spend while aspiring to the perfect sound system, what you achieve is only a pale replication of the original performance. You may come close to rendering the information stored in your chosen medium with some fidelity, but there are so many technical processes between the artificial environment of the recording studio or stage and your ears that one should never forget that the final result is nothing but a highly processed sonic illusion. One that the producer may not even mean to represent the original live performance and one you find pleasing, or you don’t.

Many people have a consensus about what they find pleasing in “Art” and there have been studies to measure the parameters that the human brain finds most aesthetically rewarding, but is clear to me that this is contextual. You know, loud noisy music for dance parties etc. In short, we need different music and different sound systems for different listening spaces. I will settle for a small scale system for the study and something more grand for the main listening space without embarrassment.

Even the revered DAC man, John Darko recently admitted in his review (http://www.digitalaudioreview.net.au/index.php/audio-reviews/digital-source-reviews/item/338-nad-wireless-usb-dac-1-pcm1781) of NADs Wireless USB DAC 1 (PCM1781) “I have a dirty secret: I'm not a 24/7 audiophile. In discovering new music, I fire up YouTube links, dig Soundcloud mixes and play emusic.com previews on the Air itself. The Air has no formal audio connection to the myriad gear that sits at the other end of the room so - with heavy heart - I confess to playing web-browser-constrained music via the Macbook's painfully puny in-built speakers. For shame. I am not alone. Many, many of my younger pals sit on the couch and listen to tunes - they listen via their laptop speakers too. They do so because of convenience. Fair enough. They hate wires because wires maketh life messy. Also fair enough. However - at the risk of echoing Neil Young - convenience is massively denting the quality of the music listening experiencing."


Which brings me back to my original question. When does this matter?

To be continued....

Everything Matters and Nothing Matters - Part 2

In my previous post, I talked about how I’m moving to a fully digital music supply and how I am wondering if the sound is going to satisfy me.

So, tonight I sat down with copies of two good recordings that I happen to own in both CD and Vinyl formats and which I have also ripped in iTunes. I fed the NAD c541 CD directly into the NAD 355BEE Amplifier and also used the digital output to feed it to the c355BEEvia the TeraDak Chameleon DAC. The networked source from iTunes was via an Airport Express to theTeraDak Chameleon. The Vinyl went to the Amplifier via an NAD PP3 phonostage. (I recently refurbished the tone-arm and cartridge but that is another story) Everything was auditioned with the Summoner 3 way Floor Standers from Adelaide Speakers which I have reviewed previously. The room is long, with carpet and soft furnishings and the sound is generally spacious, full and reasonably smooth.

I spent quite a bit of time switching back and forth with the music from the different sources as closely in sync as possible. I immediately noticed there were differences in levels which were going to complicate my judgements. This was difficult to adjust for, but was needed.

Apart from this, it was clear the vinyl soundstage was more centrally biased and of course, there was more background noise, tape and surface noise. By contrast the CD / PP3 was more open and less contaminated by noise. Perhaps there was a little more detail also, but again levels....  The dynamic range sounded greater too, but yes levels. Which did I prefer. Well, I think the CD was better.  My aging ears could not pick a lot of difference in the general feel of the music nor in the sound of individual instruments. What I did notice particularly was the spaciousness and lack of intrusive noise, hiss, clicks pops etc. This is what we wanted from CDs after all. That and lack of deterioration with repeated plays and portability.

What about the Chameleon DAC? Well its light years ahead of the dull  standard analog output for the Airport Express  and it is brighter and more open than its cheaper cousin, the 3.1D. I think it is slightly less bright than the NAD c541’s DAC but I can’t say it is better or worse. (More recently - 2013 -  I have done the comparison again and I think the Chameleon is a little more detailed and less harsh in the upper fequencies than the now aged c541. I suspect it is less fatiguing to listen too as a result. I would be interested to hear the newer NAD CD players because I know NAD claim improved sound qualities.) Even when feeding the Airport Express signal from the network, the sound is dam close to the CD. So close that although I know  there are differences, I would have to say, I don’t think any of this matters enough for me to worry. There must be more important things to spend my money on... like medical or dental work.......

So now I think I can sleep a little easier, knowing that I will enjoy whichever system I play my music on.  These were good recordings in their respective formats and I know that  CDs, Vinyl  and mp3/4s are not always so similar in quality....

How much should I worry? To be continued.

Everything Matters and Nothing Matters - Musings of an Audio Addict.

Here begins a series of  semi random thoughts about contemporary HiFi and an "old" person's reflection on what digital technology has brought to the (turn)table..... Now if this was a proper article it would be  well thought out and well constructed, but it is a blog, so it won't be that. More like scatter shot thoughts that may or may not come close to the mark.

Partly this is prompted by my recent acquisition of two TeraDak DACs (digital analogue converters) including one high-end Chameleon (http://www.digitalaudioreview.net.au/index.php/audio-reviews/digital-source-reviews/item/128-teradak-chameleon-16-x-tda1543-dac) to accompany my apple Airport Express home music network. The TeraDaks have proved something of a revelation in terms of improving the sound quality of the music we enjoy , but I am getting ahead of myself.

If you want to know a little more about my music listening, previous posts have outlined my equipment. I have been happy for a while. What has changed recently is that I have began running out of storage space for my CDs, the acquisition of an Ipod Touch and rumours of the impending demise of the compact disc. In short I have started acquiring digital music for more "serious" listening.

In the past, mp3s have been strictly for music-on-the-go, now they are becoming every-day. Ah, ha. So what does a closet HiFi addict ask? Do they sound good enough, of course? Ah, such a dangerous leading question! A potentially expensive question....

Quite some time ago I decided to quit worrying about my analog sound system and spend more time enjoying the music. Limited financial resources were part of the reason and besides, what I had sounded pretty damn good. Life was for the love of music rather than a search for some audio perfection. I still think that if you really want to enjoy music, it is a communal experience of communication and that experience is unique to each performance and should be had live. No performance will be exactly the same. No performance will be perfect. There will be that exhilaration of living on the edge with the performer which can give great rewards. Not to be had on the 30th play of a carefully manicured recording or even of a rough and energetic one! Long live live!

However, much music listening is inevitably done at home and the beginning of a new digital era opens old obsessions. Will I be happy enough with the new technology? I am well aware that many people prefer the sound of vinyl and old tube amps, for that  matter, to modern digital sound. Now that I am moving even further into the digital realm of networked home sound, will I be satisfied? What will I need to spend to make me happy? What is really important to achieving this goal?

In a recent article in Luminous Landscape, Mark Dubovoy recently espoused the importance of  every detail in the process of creating great photographic images (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/understanding-series/everything_matters__it_is_all_about_the_small_details.shtml) . He is also a HiFi nut and applies this to audio. He also espouses the superiorority of  the analog compared with the digital sound. So, how much do I agree and what are my personal  priorities? Ah I need some time to think..... to be continued.