New Mojo Mystique X


Who has ordered the new Mystique X being released later this year? I was going to buy a used Mystique V3 but they are just impossible to find. Ben had a possible trade in unit for me but the owner decided not to go ahead.

The new models carry quite a price and to take advantage of the introductory discount it seems they have to be bought unheard, just going on previous models’ reputations. Could those who are buying the new model please share their reasons why.
lemonhaze

Mr Mojo, yes, that's the way to do it, now anybody looking at SE model can clearly see what the upgrade is. Way easier...

For future reference Branislav, if you want know the differences between different models, go to the bullet point features list at the bottom of each product page.

Easy peasy.

 - (That's my attempt at quote) Well, not quite. Again you get a long list of features, and you have find the differencies (like those kids games where you have to find deifferencies between 2 pictures), a lot of features are shared, some aren't. So going from B4B to PRO, on PRO bullet points, I'd highlight features and specify that these are upgrades over B4B. Not every customer is educated and super sofisticated, so easier it is, more orders will go in...

Even now, if someone was deciding between X SE and B4B for about the same, who knows how they would go about it...

@Branislav

That’s why I took your advice and added "SE Upgrade:" in bold letters in front of each feature that was improved over the entry-level X in the X SE.

 

And that’s why I added the "Optional:" in bold letters in front of features in the X and X SE which are optional.

 

Good suggestion for us to make it easier for people to see those differences at a glance Branislav. I plan on continuing with that format on future product pages.

 

As for your B4B vs X question, that’s a good one. .

 

I did clearly state in the product description even the entry-level X sounds better than the EVO Basic and that the that the X doesn’t sound quite as good as the EVO Pro.

 

But the B4B is one of those more complex "depends on" situations that I wasn’t sure how to express on our website.

 

The big "depends" is which Lundhal chokes are in the analog power supplies.

 

Of course the second factor is the S/PDIF upgrade, which doesn’t help the over 80% of our customers who only use the USB input, or those who purchase the entry-level X without the S/PDIF upgrade.

 

And a third factor has to do with which verion of the EVO B4B we were comparing to since there were originally different inputs, outputs, wiring, and shielding options.

 

The EVO B4B has the same Lundahl ferrous core chokes as the entry-level X, but the EVO B4B has all choke input power supplies for the three digital supplies as well as the two analog supplies. So the EVO B4B would sound better unless you were using the upgraded S/PDIF inputs, which are optional on the X version and standard on the X SE version, and then the entry-level X would sound better.

 

If you get the Amorphous core choke upgrade in your X or have an X SE and use the USB input it would also sound better than the EVO B4B and cost about $1K-$2K less. But the X realy isn’t upgradeable like the EVO B4B, and the EVO B4B has a much nicer chassis, so those are considerations that offset the value the X’s sonic performance.

 

The X SE comes with amorphous core chokes in the analog supplies, so it would sound better than an EVO B4B, unless you got the amorphous core choke upgrade option on the EVO B4B. Then we’re back to the are you using S/PDIF or USB input scenario.

 

Now let’s really mix things up: from 2019 to 2020 we made several different versions of the EVO B4B with different output stages, input stages, wiring, and shielding. I would say even the entry-level X would sound better than some of those EVO B4Bs because they didn’t have the same class A output stage. But if the EVO B4B had the class A output stage upgrade option then you’re back to what I wrote above.

 

See what I’m up against Branislav?

 

How would you suggest I explain such a complex set of scenarios on my website?

 

Sort of seems more like the kind of thing a person might ask on a forum and hope to get a response from people who owned the products or from the company.

 

But I am open to any suggestions any of you might have about how to explain complex scenarios like that on our website.

Mr Mojo, I’m actually honored you took my suggestions and openly expressed it, that gives me good feeling. 🙂 Simplicity does make a difference, you can always answer complex questions and dilemmas, but again, nothing like keeping it simple and user friendly without zillion of options. Here’s a quote from one of the Mojo threads here on AG.

 

stereo5
5,139 posts

Too many options to choose from for me. I wouldn’t buy because I would be afraid I picked the wrong options and would always be wondering if I picked the right ones. Looks like a winner though.

Reminds me of Gordon Ramsey episode about Indian restaurant where they had customers "make your own" curry with seemingly endless options. They blindedfolded the crew and even they couldn’t really tell one dish from another or what they are eating. Gordon put a stop to that, and they created FEW, DISTINCT dishes that best represent the cuisine and what the restaurant can offer, thus creating an identity for themselves...

@Branislav

 

I can't agree with you more.

 

That's why there are so few options for our new X series.

 

And that is why in 2021 we included the most popular options in our EVO and we cut the options literally in half.

 

At the same time, because we think differently here at Mojo Audio, we're not going to put out a line of a half a dozen DACs like our competitors, most of which are an attempt to meet a price point and feature package based on what the marketing department tells you will sell.

 

If you want a line of DACs inspired by a focus group and marketing projections there are lots of other companies to choose from.

 

On the other hand, if you want a higher performance DAC with fewer features. One which is engineered for optimal sound quality as opposed to marketability. And if you want to  buy from a company  who spends more on the parts inside than on the chassis and packaging outside. And spends more on R&D than on advertising. Then you may have to learn a few technical terms you never heard of before, and you may have to ask a few questions you never had to ask before.

 

At Mojo Audio our customers expect more from us, and in turn, we expect more from our customers.

@mitch2 While there may well be other DACs that listeners of electronica would like better, the B4B is far from "slow and syrupy" and it sounds very good in my system on all types of rock music, blues, and popular/vocals. 

I agree.

My new EVP B4B has about 25 hours since it was delivered last Wednesday afternoon and it is providing more detail than I ever heard before.

It is not muddy or syrupy and I can hear deeper into the mixes to better differentiate individual voices and instruments.The better detail is allowing me hear texture, decay, and ambience. 

I listen to classic rock, jazz, bluegrass, and classical and it is fine with all of it.

Thanks for listening,

Dsper