Mojo Audio Mystique EVO

I have 150+ hours on my B4B now, upgrades included the class A output and SPDIF analog section upgrade (both standard on B4B21).  I'm comparing it to a Luxman D08u, streaming through a Lumin U1.  The Luxman is a very smooth and 'analogue' CD player (and DAC) but also great detail with refined highs.  Out of the box they were pretty close, which surprised me, having tried the Mystique V2x last year, which was muddy initially and took a week or so break-in for the treble detail to catch up to the Luxman.  After 150 hours now the Mojo has more saturated colors than the Luxman and a bit more 3D soundstage.  More musical and dynamic overall, and I'd say the sound is sweeter than the Lux.  I see what some have said about being able to turn it up, it is smooth but not lacking in detail at the same time.  I'm looking forward to what further break-in may bring.  System is Luxman separates and Harbeth 40.2 with Nordost cabling.

Input source (’streamer’) quality really matters - no skimping here. I believe Ben has said somewhere in these forums to get the best out of the Mystique you have to have a comparable quality streamer otherwise you may be wasting your money. I found between my Lumin U1 and Luxman CD player the CD player through spdif coax was best, at least for 16/44.1 obviously. For kicks I tried an Oppo as a transport and it was terrible - so bad that you could barely tell the Oppo from the Mojo playing the same CD; thin and harsh sounding. I pulled out my cheap Roon laptop server from the closet and plugged it in directly to the Mystique via USB and it was so much better than the Oppo. And then the Lumin of course was that much better via any connection. I think something like the Aurender N series or above with their attention to spdif quality is in order -especially if using spdif connections.

Branislav, that's what I meant when I said I plugged in my cheap laptop that I normally use as a Roon core/server hidden away in a closet.  It sounded better than the Oppo. 

My EVO has about 500 hours now and I'm really enjoying it.  I'm very impressed with its overall balance and coherency.  I can't find anything wrong with its sound at this point (some DACs are too bright, hard, or muffled; or have a strange tonality to them, lack of bass, etc., etc.).  I've been listening to some older CDs of un-amplified classical music that I like the music on but otherwise in the past have been somewhat 'blah' - with the EVO I feel like I am hearing the music more 'live', as in at the recording session.  The venue of the recording, space and timing is better represented.  I would call this DAC detailed - normally when I think detail (especially with digital) I think about hearing details I have not heard before (like someone breathing or a chair creaking in the background) or perhaps some higher level treble information that offers more of the recording.  While some of that is there too, I think the Mojo is resolving in that I am hearing beautiful tone and instrument timbre presented in a natural way (as part of the larger recording) that just sounds real, organic and very musical. But it's not coloration, it's detail in the recording.  Excellent !

@grannyring have you played enough with the different chokes to have an idea of the difference in sound?  I read somewhere the Lundahl amorphous core might present a little more detail but the regular ones are rounder sounding.  Also is the choke upgrade in the digital path a worthy upgrade?