Six DAC Comparison

@no_regrets 

So glad to hear your foray into upgraded digital has turned out so well, Don!

Saw your system pics on the other forum and aside from what are clearly undersized speakers ;o) your vinyl rig looks amazing.

Don has certainly described the Mojo X '24 experience far better than I could've, but so far -- and he's a good bit further along on burn-in than I am -- his words echo my own experience to the letter.

Congrats Don! That is a great dac and certainly sets up your total system up for sonic success!  Well done. 

So, first off, right out of the gate I would like to extend a sincere thank you to Mitch for undertaking this huge "six dac comparison"! What a huge undertaking this must have been, not just with the costs involved, but also the enormous amount of time and dedication that you put into listening, comparing and writing up these excellent reviews of each dac! You did an amazing job and I greatly appreciate it very much!

This has been such an amazing thread, I was hoping it might be okay if I could share some of my own personal experiences as of late?

So, after being devoted to vinyl for the last 50+ years, I have curated probably over 1,000 truly mint records (both in jazz and classical) that play without noise, pops or clicks. They have a full, rich, harmonically fleshed out sound with an excellent dynamic structure, but at the same time plays with a natural sense of ease and flow, without being etched or hard. Just truly wonderfully musical in every sense of the word.

However, I have come to know and understand that there is a great amount of music out there that is performed by some really talented musicians that I cannot obtain on vinyl and I don’t want to miss out on hearing it. So, my goal was to try and develop a digital side to my audio system what will engage my mind, my heart and my soul just as my vinyl does for me.

I figured the best way would be to invest in a separate dac and dedicated cd transport. Unfortunately though, I don’t have a huge budget for this endeavor. I’ve had many medical issues over the last several years which has cost me many thousands of dollars each and every year and sadly, I don’t really see that coming to an end anytime soon. So at the moment, I only had about $10,000 ( and preferably less ) that I felt comfortable spending toward this project as I feel vinyl will likely still be my primary and preferred source.

So, I ended up buying a brand new Mojo Mystique X-24AM dac from Benjamin. Oh btw, the 24 simply stands for the year 2024. The "AM" stands for Amorphous Cores by the Swiss Company Lundahl who makes audiophile transformers and chokes.

I had given some thought to other dacs as well, but I would have to buy most of them on the used market and then there would be no return options available. I’d have put them up for sale and wait for a buyer; and who knows what kind of loss I’d take.

I decided on the Mojo, because i have read that many people who appreciate vinyl playback seem to like what this dac does. That it plays music in a way that doesn’t sound hard or etched or thin or lean or "digital" in the bad sense of the word. I know that digital has the ability to sound really, really good. I just didn’t know if I could afford to pay for what is considered the really, really good sounding units.

This brand new Mojo was on sale with $1,000 off and it still cost me nearly $7700 including the shipping! Holy Crap; and I still had to buy a dedicated cd transport yet. Oh my Lord... what was I getting myself into, lol.

I’ve had the Mojo Dac running 24/7, with my cd player on repeat, since I’ve received it and now have over 500 hours on it. I am listening to it right now as I type this message and I am getting very excited as the sound has really opened up now and I am really liking what I’m hearing! (It actually really started to sing quite beautifully at around 150 hours - but amazingly, it continues to keep sounding better and better)

The sound is full; it’s rich; it’s organic; it’s dynamic; it’s got great tone; it’s got detail; it’s got bass; it’s got weight and density...I’m loving that when it plays the "note" that you hear the attack of the note, but it’s not hard or over emphasized. You hear the full harmonic structure of the note (the fullness of sound/ the meat on the bones); and you can hear the decay of the note (ie: ringing of the cymbals/ bells/ or the trailing off of a sustained piano note).

With the Mojo, it sounds dynamic without sounding hard. With the Mojo, it plays in a relaxed and natural way without becoming fatiguing, but yet at the same time it still plays with speed, with dynamic expression and with emotion!

So, I recently ended up taking a look at USa’mart one day and just moments prior to me bringing up the site, a seller posted a used black (which goes very nicely with the rest of my gear) Jay’s Audio CDT2-MK3 dedicated cd transport for sale in like new condition which included the Headquarter Qstab bone cd clamp at a price that was attractive to me, so I bought it!

I couldn’t believe the timing of it getting listed moments before I decided to look at the ad’s! It almost felt like it was meant to be! I paid more for the Mojo than I had originally planned on paying for a dac, but I can honestly say that I’m glad I gave it a try as the Mojo, in my humble opinion, is worth every penny I paid for it. It’s got great tone, body, weight, timing, and dynamics without being forced. There is no glare, hardness or digital nasties. My wife actually comes into my music room and comments on how great it sounds. She often looks to see if I have a vinyl record spinning!!! That’s a huge compliment to the Mojo and is exactly what I was hoping for.

Now with the Jay’s CD Transport, the sound has gotten even better in every respect. The Jay’s does indeed improve the sound very nicely.... so I’m very happy right now with the digital side of my system!

Thank you for allowing me to indulge you all, with my excitement.

Best wishes to you all,

Don

@bluethinker , while we haven't received the Mearason in the shop yet (we're still recovering from having five ( ! ) rooms at Capital Audio Fest), the Mojo X '24 is up at around 150 hours now, and is definitely a keeper. While I don't have anywhere near the "I've tried multiple DACs in my current system" experience as @mitch2 or many of the others posting to this thread, I'd like to think I have a pretty keen ear. I've also heard multiple MSBs and Mearasons at the shop -- often through much finer and far more expensive gear than my own. That said, I believe I'm very much in (or rapidly approaching) the sonic realm I've long dreamt of.  Granted, the YG Carmel 3s I picked up earlier this year are facilitating a fair bit of the overall SQ, but still. There's just so much freakin' air & space around the individual instruments and the notes they produce, yet the whole is as cohesive and engaging as can be.  Now all I have to do is win the lottery, pick up a 2nd gen Vinnie Rossi Brahma II integrated, and call it a day. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get the door -- I think that's Kate and her Fairlight coming up the walk.

I have a comment about and experience with a couple of DACs. I have been listening to a NAD 3050 integrated amp that is only a few months old. The amplifier itself is fabulous. The unit contains an internal DAC and it has been enjoyable to listen to the system. However, I decided to hook up a BluMe DAC to see if I could hear a difference with some songs of which I am very familiar. When I played the BluMe DAC, I was amazed at the difference! The instruments sounded much deeper and wider for the soundstage and you could focus on individual instruments with the BluMe DAC. Depth of the soundstage is something that I am striving for as it gives me the best listening experience. Further, some songs have two different base notes playing that are quite close in frequency. The deck supplied with the unit sounded garbled and the BluMe unit allowed me to hear the two separate notes with great distinction. I would have to say that the DAC inside the NAD unit is inferior to the BluMe unit. Due to the three dimensional holographic affect that I get with The BluMe unit, I no longer use the internal DAC inside the NAD 3050. I will be experimenting with other outboard DAC units To experience the differences.

@zmann007 - Let us know when the lotus flower unfolds! 

Thanks @bluethinker; I'll do so, for sure. And my workaround for the Rose is simply to use the RCA coax output (Rose) to it's mate on the Mojo, and run my transport through AES to the corresponding Mojo port. And yes @devinplombier, I meant to say devices running Linux in general. Benjamin also mentioned Lenovo, and as I have one of their tablets, that's what stuck.

All the while, the Mojo Mystique X '24 continues to burn in -- 10 to 12 hours a day -- and is sounding better and better. My understanding is that at around 240 hours, the lotus blossom unfolds, and Kate Bush appears with her Fairlight in my livingroom. Yet another in a series of aspirational states!

Benjamin notes that Apple products are plug & play via USB, as are Lenovo devices.

Linux devices. Lenovo is just a hardware brand.

@mitch2 - Thanks for your thoughtful reply. The audiophile bug or malady, depending on the day or if my wife is in included in the sample respondents, draws me in with the persistent quest for that elusive auditory nirvana state. 

The Lampizator’s seem to have a near cult life following, so thank you for the perspective. 

@zmann007 - Let me how things go with the comparison between the Merason and the Mojo Dac. And congrats on your purchase of the Mojo Dac! 
 

@zmann007 This reviewer discovered a solution to a USB3.0 connectivity issue with a USBe Perfect. I don’t know if it would apply to the HiFi Rose or not. Ask Walter @Underwood HiFi.   I don't have any USB connectivity issues but adding a USBe Perfect to my Auralic streamer offered a more refined SQ.

@bluethinker - Years ago, I owned a LampizatOr DAC 4 and thought it sounded pretty good except the deal-breaker, to me, was that the soundstage seemed overblown or larger than reality, sort of like an image imprint on Silly Putty that had been stretched out.  The larger than life soundstage seemed to be accompanied by a reduction in the visceral impact that I was used to with other DACs and with the CD player I had at the time. 

However, that was a long time ago and I would enjoy trying a Golden Atlantic, Big Seven, or even a Baltic, to hear how they have improved.  I probably never went back to LampizatOr mostly to avoid having tubes again, especially since I have been happy with the sound I am getting from an all solid-state system that I can leave powered up all the time to accommodate my sometimes sporadic listening habits.

While I’m very happy with my Merason Dac1 MKii for the moment, I’m intrigued by the Mojo dacs based on your review. 

@bluethinker, I'm very keen on doing a side-by-side comparo with the Mearason, and we should be getting one in the shop (Alma Music + Audio East, Sterling VA) in a few weeks. The MKii is the only other DAC I'd seriously considered, but went with the Mojo based on the content of this thread, extensive reading (thanks to the exhaustive reading list provided by @mitch2), and the fact that the Mojo X is currently on sale. From all I've read, they're first cousins, and both offer exceptional sound.

A quick update to my HiFi Rose 150B / Mojo X ’24 post, above. After much back and froth [sp. intentional] with Benjamin and a fair bit of additional research on my part, it appears that the Rose’s manual at 3.5 Connection Between USB 3.0 Audio Output and External DAC is, what’s the word I’m looking for here -- oh, yes: whacked. As far as I can determine, the two USB 3.0 ports on the right side of the 150B’s back panel (which the Rose O.M. describes as the connection point for an external DAC) are actually inputs for things like external hard drives, thumb drives, and the like. To connect a 150B to the Mojo, go with an AES or RCA coax, and you should be fine. Getting a Windows-based laptop to play nice with the Mojo via USB is another story (figuring out which of JL’s drivers you need, DLing/installing, and other assorted techcromancy is required; sadly, this was beyond the limited training I received at Starfleet Academy). That said, Benjamin notes that Apple products are plug & play via USB, as are Lenovo devices. They have the necessary drivers baked in, whereas it appears Mr. Gates is fine with MP3s and some stock earbuds he found at the back of his desk drawer. YRMV, but I thought this might save a few folks some gnashing of teeth & rending of garments.

@mitch2 - Thanks again for your thoughtful reviews. As mentioned earlier in the thread, I found myself looking forward to each installment!

While I’m very happy with my Merason Dac1 MKii for the moment, I’m intrigued by the Mojo dacs based on your review. 

Out of curiosity, have you had the opportunity to listen to any of the Lampizator Dacs as a point of reference? If so, any thoughts on how they compare to the Mojo and/or Merason dacs? 

@danager thanks. Yes, Windows reports I2SoverUSB. I know this since I had Lampizator sometime back and it uses the same JL Sounds USB receiver board in their DACs.

@debjit_g 

I'm currently using

I'm using the most current USB driver.  For Windows it doesn't show up as Mystique but works just fine.  I've also tried an older driver which sounded the same so I reverted back figuring they must have a newer version for a reason.

@danager thanks for the info. Are you using the Thesycon or the Xmos driver from the JL Sounds download link ? Do you remember ?

I agree 100% with Benjamin on the clocking part. The real myth is accuracy of the clock makes it sounds better not that an ocxo will sound better. Ted Smith of PS Audio has given similar explanation for audio, in the time domain small quanta accuracy is all that is needed rather than long term stability and yet we see OCXO clocks, which has the best long term stability, almost sounds better than a regular Femto/TCXO.

Moreover, it’s a given fact, and somewhat similar to I2S, that the proximity of the clock is important since it can significantly reduce emi and yet we see external master clock with 1M clock cable sounds better.

I have seen in some implementation with external master clock, a modestly priced 10Mhz OCXO did not improve the performance of the DAC until a very expensive one were used. This is very inline with what was described in the Mojo article regarding lower hash noise - the modestly price ocxo did not have a better hash noise than the internal clock itself and only when the expensive one was introduced did it improve the performance. I bet if we measured both these external clock in terms of accuracy in the time domain, we would be hard pressed to find any differences.

But having said all these, I am surprised that Mojo doesn’t employ an ocxo in their higher end dacs even when they believe it can improve the performance or maybe they did experiment and found no appreciable difference in how it sounds. Curious.

I2S or 110 ohm  they both are top for connection.

they are not a myth, if that were true then why do Top companies use them ?

it comes down to how comprehensive they are implementing the connection

plain and simple . For example if you use a xlr  that does not mean the circuit is true balanced input to output . That’s my only point , Esoteric for just 1 example makes very $$ expensive and comprehensive dacs ,transports with I2S as their top sounding input , 110 ohm xlr can be excellent also .for a truly Great I2S cable you don’t want a generic cable with video more issues.  Tubulus Dedicated just for Audio IMO makes the best per $$ in quality ,value cables .this I2S cable will compete with cables 3-4xthe cost ,this too applies to their USB which I have and next year a statement usb cable too will be coming out. read their formula, they give you the basics about their design ,very sound and make a lot of common sense but very labor intensive.,their  top Ximius -I2S  is Great I  just ordered one as well as their top Ethernet cables ,,they will totally change your opinion of what digital can sound like I highly recommend their top 2 cables ,which have much more in depth shielding and other methods. Unless you own them you  have no valid opinion.!!

Benjamin's take on clocking can be found in here - scroll down to Myth #1-Clocking.

Regarding I2S, it was primarily designed for internal use - short runs inside of equipment, which may be a reason there is still no universal standard.  When I owned Metrum equipment, I heard no improvement when using the I2S input to my Pavane or Adagio DACs.  In fact, with my system at the time, I liked the sound of the USB input a little better, but that required taking the Ambre streamer out of the mix so maybe it was apples and oranges.  With the Singxer SU-6 DDC, I do have the option of using I2S and adjusting as needed to match specific manufacturer's versions of I2S.  Unfortunately, I have not had an I2S capable DAC here since I acquired the Singxer.  I wish I had it at the same time I had the Tambaqui here because I heard from a dealer that the Tambaqui sounds best through the I2S input, at least in that dealer's opinion.

I find it extremely curious Mojo doesn't provide I2S input. On one hand I understand optimizing usb inputs as seems to be de facto output on most streamers. On the other, why do the extra conversion vs. native I2S path in dacs?

Recently I purchased Denafrips Gaia in order to compare I2S vs usb in various dacs. With my Laiv Harmony I2S via Gaia was far superior to usb. Now its fair to say, based on descriptors, usb implementation in Mystique superior to Harmony, so difficult to extrapolate here.

A fairer comparison of I2S vs usb will be with Musetec 006 which has more greatly optimized usb vs the Harmony, something along lines of Mojo. While I understand this is only a single aspect of usb implementation, both Harmony and Mojo use femto clock, Gaia has superior OXCO clock, I believe large part of improved sound quality I"m getting with Harmony slaved to Gaia clock is due to the improved clocking. Seems to me Mojo should at least offer I2S, easy to implement as its native path, doesn't need all the usb complexity. In any case, I'll be comparing better usb in Musetec vs I2S in coming weeks.

Keep in mind I have very similar usb implementation as @mitch2 as I also use full Sonore optical conversion, in other words OpticalRendu is the streamer with usb out, usb optimized in both our setups.

I believe Benjamin has spent quite a bit of effort on the quality of the USB input in his DACs and especially since his newer, Mystique Y DAC offers only a USB input.  In my case of owning five different Mystique DACs, I heard pretty much the same thing as what you stated, that there just isn't much difference between the inputs except that the "USB might be slightly darker".   However, I have never had to utilize different drivers since my servers and streamers have all been Linux based.

@debjit_g 

I'm using the most current USB driver.  For Windows it doesn't show up as Mystique but works just fine.  I've also tried an older driver which sounded the same so I reverted back figuring they must have a newer version for a reason.

Not a lot of differences between USB AES and SPIDF that I can tell.  USB might be slightly darker but I feel that could be more about the different sources PC vs PI2AES than the inputs 

@zmann007 - you are correct about the XMOS receiver chip, although JLsounds is apparently still involved wrt drivers for Windows.  I used to see JLsounds come up when I opened mysonicorbiter but since I now run the USB into a DDC and then use S/PDIF or AES/EBU into my DACs, I don't see that anymore.  If important to @debjit_g then I suggest he emails Benjamin with any questions.

This below is from the X owner's manual and seems consistent with other information on the website.

USB Input

Our USB input uses a high-performance XMOS receiver chip, is galvanically isolated, asynchronous, and has ultralow-noise femto clocking. To completely isolate the digital and analog power supplies on the Mystique X our USB input module has it’s own secondary on the power transformer, it’s own Silicon Carbide zero-recovery Schottky diode rectification, and uses two Belleson SPX ultralow-noise ultrahigh-dynamic discrete regulators, one for input and one for output.

Always power up the Mystique X before booting up your music server or streamer.  Unlike many DACs, the Mystique X uses no dirty USB buss power. For this reason the Mystique X must be powered on before booting any music server or streamer so that the XMOS USB receiver chip is powered on and can be recognized. Because of the 100% isolation and uncompromising performance of the power supplies and the ultralow-noise femto clocking used in our Mystique X, the USB input module performs better than most USB reclockers and regenerators. According to our customers, most of these “magic” USB boxes will degrade rather than improve performance.

Drivers for the USB input module are included in Apple OS X and Linux. If your server or streamer is Windows based the driver must be downloaded:

http://jlsounds.com/drivers.html

Our USB input module will show up in your player software as “Mystique.” In player software that works with video as well as audio there will be more than one option with the name “Mystique.” Select the option for “Front Speakers.” USB Lift We include a USB Lift on the rear of Mystique X which removes 100% of the parasitic power supply drain from the USB input module and removes all internal clocking noise from inside of the chassis. When facing the rear of the chassis, slide the switch to the right to lift USB. One reason many companies recommend single-ended RCA coaxial AES or balanced XLRAES digital inputs is that they isolate DACs from computer and clocking noise.

Anyone using the Mojo Mystique know what USB receiver it uses ?

According to Benjamin, "we are using one of the most common XMOS USB input receivers."

@debjit_g -Below is a quote from this review article.

“Along with all the premium parts mentioned above, the X SE employs JL Sounds’s USB–to–I2S input module. In macOS’s Audio MIDI Setup, it was nice to see the unit listed as “JLsounds Hi-Rez Audio 2.0”.”

@mitch2 phenomenal insight into these DACs. Appreciate your effort. 

Anyone using the Mojo Mystique know what USB receiver it uses ? I run an optimized Windows platform on my diy server and need Windows driver. Mojo mentions to download the driver from JL Sounds website but there are different versions of the driver available. Since Mojo mentions JL Sounds, it must be using the USB to I2S bridge internally which is an excellent USB receiver used in Lampizator DACs I used to own at some point.

Many DAC designers optimizes one input over the other - some sounds better over AES/SPDIF, while others take a great deal of effort and care in designing a better USB input with high speed isolators, separate low jitter clocks, etc.

I think I read somewhere before that Mojo prefers AES/SPDIF input over USB but it would be interesting to know from actual users how the USB in Mystique compares to AES/SPDIF.

Based on my careful reading of this extraordinary thread, I've reached out to Benjamin, and purchased a Mystique X '24. So hats off to @mitch2 for a really informative and thoughtful analysis of the top players in what can be considered the semi-affordable realm. Now the fun part: my CEC transport hooks up just fine via AES / EBU, but when attempting to override the internal DAC in my HiFi Rose 150B, the latter device refuses to recognize the new DAC. And yes, I've triple checked all the connections and selected USB out on the "in/out" selection panel; even swapped in a different cable to rule out a bad connection.

Has anyone successfully overcome the Rose 150B's apparent inability to "see" the Mystique via USB? Or is my only option to pick up an RCA coax and avoid the USB connection altogether? Please do not suggest selling the Rose and picking up another streamer, as I'm pretty tapped out by this and a couple of other chunky purchases this year, and I rather like the touchscreen ease of ops on the Rose. If this is an inappropriate hijack, mods should feel free to delete. Thanks!

@mitch2 

Thanks. Don't recall whether I mentioned on this thread that I was ready to buy a Mojo DAC 2-3 years back but Benjamin recommended that I upgrade transport first, so that's what I did. 

Hey soux you could not be more wrong ,I help people with msay things with products I don’t own or sell ,your ignorance is apparent , if you read. The 1000s of input regarding audio, I get emails and phone calls weekly .Having owned a Audio

store for over a decade and know modding well ,in 40 years in Audio

systems synergy is more important then monies. I not once ever stated Denafrips

was the best ,I it is a excellent product and great value ,is this wrong ?

I have told many on which products maybe a good fit for their Audio system 

even if they don’t spent a $ Dime , just loook at my feedbacks from buyers ,

have a good day !!

I sell my self Denafrips products ,I hear a lot of equipment to the many audio get togethers I have gone to over the past 2 years , in the $3k range the Pontus Gen 15 is not a  bias it is far better built then anything in the $3k price class but $1k less 

@audioman58  You have now become the new audiotroy with self-serving and completely shameless self promotion.  

Depending on your budget 

I sell my self Denafrips products ,I hear a lot of equipment to the many audio get togethers I have gone to over the past 2 years , in the $3k range the Pontus Gen 15 is not a  bias it is far better built then anything in the $3k price class but $1k less 

it’s the Ex Venus 12  ,   The T+Aw200 dac is very good with a lot of tuning possibilities , as good or better then the New Denafrips Terminator 15,

or Holo May KTE dac  the Mojo. Sounds good $7k on up has at least some inputs , I2S inputs should be standard ,many people have nice digital transports like Esoteric, Jays Audio which allows you to play SACDs k and many people use a DDC I2S is the best soundin digital input currently, even the LTA aero which I think sounds nice with the 2 tubes missed the mark , even they agree ,the next modification will have I2S .  DDC to clean the incoming signal from their computer or streamer  with absolutely make a improvement , look at the Chord Dave pretty $$ expensive to most then has a ad on reclocker  that is what makes it special combined together. That’s my opinion and many others , PS audio set the standard on the pin out that most cable makers are now using for I2S .

@stuartk 

See below from Mojo Audio's website.  You can/should read the whole policy here.

45-day no-risk audition:

Any product manufactured by and sold by Mojo Audio comes with a 45-day no-risk audition. It does not matter if the item is sold as new, used, demo, factory reconditioned, or prototype.

@mitch2 

OK. Thanks for your response. Not ready to buy yet, but from what I've read so far, the Mojo sound is one that definitely seems worth checking out. 

Why don’t many  these dacs put in inputs like I2S which are the current best when implemented correctly , even 75ohm inputs MIA , for many of us use DDC-Reclockers to further clean the incoming signal  far better then what comes out of a computer or streamer, using Oven clocks and massive filtering with  galvanic isolation which I2S is their favorite medium ,even Good Transports are now using I2S Aqua mojo, LSA Lampi. They leave it out which puts off lots of potential buyers.

@brbrock - I both stream and play local music files.  My digital front end is outlined on my virtual system page and essentially consists of playing either files recorded in FLAC and stored on a SSD inside of my sonicTransporter i9 (Gen 4) server, or music streamed from Tidal or Qobuz over Roon, with the i9 serving as Roon Core and a Sonore Signature Rendu SE Deluxe Optical as a streamer and Roon Ready player. 

Streamed music and and files played from my local library sound so close to each other that I have not spent time trying to discern whether I can actually and consistently hear a difference.   

Mojo Audio DACs are PCM based and as mentioned on their website, 

"Our Mystique X digital-to-analog converter converts PCM format files up to 24-bit 192KHz via Femto clocked USB, coaxial S/PDIF, or balanced AES."

@mitch2 Do you play (stream) your music from a hard drive or do you stream from the internet.  How does the Mojo DAC's sound streaming from internet from Tidal etc. compared to streaming from a hard drive?  

 I think I read earlier in the thread that Mojo Audio is coming out with some DAC's PCM based and I am curious if those are more geared towards streaming from the internet.  They also sound interesting in the fact that the power supply is  external and modular and you can easily upgrade.

@stuartk

"do the Mojo DACs require tube amplification to sound "natural?"

Not in my system, which is posted here on Audiogon. SMc Audio solid state preamp and two SMc Audio solid state monoblocks.

Another interesting article/post on that site is which provides one writer’s perspective on different categories of gear. If you look at the DAC list, you will find the Mystique EVO Pro 21 in the Holy Shit!! tier, but the X SE was apparently not listened to. It does provide a perspective on the Mojo Audio house sound, although IMO the X models move away from the "coloration" mentioned by the writer. However, OTOH, I believe what he calls "coloration" is a sonic attribute I find compelling on my EVO Pro Z, to the point where I seem to be unable to sell it an settle in with only the X SE NCZ.

@mitch2 

Checked out the link you provided for comparative reviews of Mojo line and noticed the reviewer, like Lavorgna, utilizes tubes in his system. I'm unfamiliar with the gear in question so it's not clear to me whether this is a SS amp + tubed pre or what but, this brings up a question: do the Mojo DACs require tube amplification to sound "natural"?  

    I am tempted to try out Linear Tube Audio Aero DAC  in my system since I have more than 50 different kinds of 6sn7 and variants.

Also I got favorable impression of Linear Tube Audio Aero DAC during Pacific Audiiofest 2024.

My current Dac is Chord Dave and Mscaler modified with thrree Farad LPS.

But I expect to audition Wadax Studio later this month at home.

I would like to make sure I have enough money for the above whose retail price is 41k$.

Thomas

@rfagon - I agree with your assessment of Michael Lavorgna’s reviews of those three highly regarded DACs. I was also interested in reading his perspectives as a single reviewer listening to all three DACs in a single system. His preferences lean towards the totaldac house sound, which he describes as musical, dimensional, natural, and “startlingly present,” instead of solely looking for the best measuring, highest resolution DAC.

Lavorgna uses the word “’crystalline’…to describe the sound of the KTE May DAC” and discusses how it is best paired with amplifiers that present a “softer and more dimensional sound”, and not with highly revealing/resolving amplifiers. As with the May, he advises against pairing the Tambaqui with highly resolving amplifiers such as Ayre’s EX-8 saying, “the Ayre / Mola Mola combination offered a bit too much of a good thing in terms of resolution and clarity where music could adopt a hardness that I found distracting.”

Livorgna says, “The Mola Mola Tambaqui and the Holo KTE May DAC are more closely related, nearly sounding like brothers.” In addition to being resolving and displaying crystalline clarity, the Tambaqui and Holo May brothers both exhibit excellent measurements, while the totaldac house sound that he likes so much comes from a DAC that apparently doesn’t measure well. The measurements of the totaldac d1-six reviewed by ASR were so bad that Amir Majidimehr said, “I don’t think we have ever seen anything as broken as this.”

This seems to bring us full circle to the adage that what measures well doesn’t necessarily sound good to everyone, and the converse about what measures poorly. IOW, regardless of how something measures, you need to listen for yourself. The Tambaqui certainly has its fans but, in a direct comparison, I preferred the sound of my Mojo Audio DACs over the Tambaqui. I respect the accuracy, power, resolution, and musicality of the Tambaqui but, to me, the Mojo DACs sound richer and more natural, which are traits I appreciate and enjoy. However, like the totaldac, the Mystique X SE also doesn’t measure that well, at least according to John Atkinson at Stereophile.

I have been enjoying the Merason DAC1 MkII here, which uses a hybrid chip, but I have no idea about how it measures since I haven’t seen a review of the Merason with measurements. However, as with Michael Lavorgna and his totaldacs, I keep coming back to the sound of my two Mojo Audio DACs as being more natural, even if they are perhaps not quite as refined sounding as the Merason or as well-measuring as the Tambaqui. Here is an interesting write-up about the different DAC levels in the Mojo Audio Mystique X line, as you progress from the Mystique X, to the X SE, and then to the X SE NCZ version that I currently have here.

@rfagon

Michael Lavorgna has reviewed Tambaqui, Holo KTE May and Totaldac. My impression was that he found his Totaldac DAC to sound more realistic than the other two; and that he preferred the Tambaqui to the Holo KTE May.

@audioman58 makes an excellent point. Lavorgna favors tube amplification, so it makes sense that he might also favor a more neutral sounding DAC.

@viber6

Thanks for the suggestions. FYI, I grew up in the lower Hudson valley but now reside in N. CA.

It’s all about taste , some like a rich tubyness ,

some like every razer sharp detail., a lot has to do with your other equipment  also.

Michael Lavorgna has reviewed Tambaqui, Holo KTE May and Totaldac.

My impression was that he found his Totaldac DAC to sound more realistic than the 

other two; and that he preferred the Tambaqui  to the Holo KTE May. 

I’ve owned the Holo for a couple of years and love it!

stuartk,

Good background.  I don't know where you live, but for decades in NY, radio station WQXR has had the classical countdown before New Years Day, starting about 1 week before, from about 8 AM to midnight.  It was the top 100, but then it became the top 105 when the NY Times owner dropped WQXR, and it went public on 105.9 FM.  You can now listen online.  No. 1 is always Beethoven's Ninth.  No 2 is either Beethoven's Fifth or Dvorak's New World Symphony.  This is an excellent way to re-introduce you to the great classics.  Lately, the list has included smaller scale chamber music.  Small scale chamber music is my favorite, because there is only 1 player on a part compared to orchestra where there are as many as 16 players on 1st violin, 14 players on 2nd violin.  I dislike the chorus effect of many players on a part, which creates sonic smear.  You can appreciate more nuances if there is only 1 player on a part.  Of course, there is less loudness, but in return you get more subtle varied dynamics and of course more overall detail.

Enjoy.

@viber6 

Thanks for your suggestions.

I grew up hearing Classical and Broadway. My parents were big Classical music fans, as are my brother and sister. 

stuartk,

Allow me to help you develop appreciation for classical music.  You have great potential to enter this fabulous world, since you already appreciate its abundance of melodic and harmonic content.  I'll cure you of boredom with a short 4 min example.  It is the solo piano piece, Rachmaninoff Prelude in G minor, performed by one of today's top pianists, Valentina Lisitsa.  Peter McGrath made a wonderful CD of her playing, titled "Virtuosa Valentina."

https://youtu.be/4QB7ugJnHgs?si=qWP6Dfx-c8DX9kSN

This popular piano showpiece has everything--gorgeous melody, harmony, exciting rhythm, subtle and large dynamic contrasts.  The rhythm is flexible and varied to suit the changing moods.  Listen particularly from 1:15 to 2:20 where she melts into a lovely melody as a respite from the strong rhythms that precede it.  Note her delicate touch combined with dynamic strength in the loud passages.  On youtube, listen to other performances of this piece.  There is room for many interpretations according to the style and personality of each performer.

For more common classical music, The familiar opening movement of Beethoven's 5th symphony illustrates the architectural complexity of the basic kernel of 4 notes everyone knows--dadada-dum.  It is repeated hundreds of times by various instruments in combination at all dynamic levels and in different keys.  There is an amusing recording by the famous musicologist dubbed PDQ Bach aka Peter Schikelle about this movement.  PDQ plays the role of an announcer at a football game to show how the ball is repeatedly tossed around and fumbled.  It is like a football game in 6 min.  Beethoven was history's greatest master of building towering musical structures out of the barest essentials of notes and rhythm.

It takes an education to fully appreciate anything in life.  Classical music was my first language through exposure from the radio.  I spoke my first words of English at age 3, but by then already knew lots of classical music.  I started playing the violin at age 9, and continue to improve over 60 years later.  Playing the violin in orchestras and chamber pieces has further increased my appreciation.  

Right now, I am bored with watching football, simply because I never took the time to learn and understand the game.  Everything is an acquired taste.  I hope you further discover classical music.

Michael Lavorgna just came out with his additional review of the Linear Tube Audio Aero DAC  - Part 2 Tube Rolling.

Fairly short and succent (generally a good thing), he tried five different tubes, in addition to the original tubes supplied by the manufacturer, and determined he liked three of the tube pairs better than the others, with his favorite being a pair of NOS Tung-Sol JAN-12SN7GT – Round Black Plate, Oval Mica tubes.  He found that the Tung-Sol tubes,

"offered a nicely balanced sound overall with an added touch of richness in tone and texture and more than a touch of extra air". 

Lavorgna contrasted his favorites with the original GE’s that came with the Aero, about which he said,

"getting back to the original GE’s that came with the Aero it became clear that they offer more apparent detail than the NOS tubes I preferred which emphasized that hardness I mentioned in my first review."

Interestingly, LTA offers two levels of Ray Tubes 6SN7s, Select and Reserve, for purchase separate from the DAC. 

Lavorgna ended with,

"Summing up, the tubes I preferred—

• Tung-Sol 12SN7GT,
• GE 12SX7GT(A),
• Ray Tubes Reserve 6SN7

—all brought out qualities that gave the LTA Aero DAC the kind of richness and rightness that suits my tastes to a T, bringing music to life in Barn and in me to a greater degree."

I find it nice that he took the additional time to share how changing tubes can change the sound of the LTA Aero DAC.  It gives the current and future owners of that DAC something to think about.