MOJO AUDIO MYSTIQUE X SE NCZ
Mojo Audio Mystique X SE Reviews:
Stereophile – by Herb Reichert, April 2023
Stereophile – follow up by John Atkinson, May 2023
The Audio Beatnik – by Ken Redmond, November 2022
Enjoy the Music – by Dr. Matthew Clott, December 2022
Audiophilia – by Karl Sigman, September 2022
Audiokey Reviews – by Oliver Masciarotte, May 2023
The Sound Advocate – (Mystique X) by Howard Milstein, October 2022
Steve Hoffman Forums – by Mfisher 702 (and other posters), March 2024
Steve Hoffman Forums – by Steve Hoffman (and other posters), May 2024
Mojo Audio Mystique X SE NCZ
The Mojo Audio Mystique X SE NCZ, is their flagship X SE DAC that has been upgraded with nanocrystalline (NC) chokes, and “Z” designated DAC chips. I believe this is the best DAC Mojo Audio offers at this time. The current top DAC is called the Mystique X ’24, which I believe is the same DAC available with either ferrous (FE), amorphous (AM), or nanocrystalline (NC) choke choices. The main difference between the X ’24 and the DAC I have here is that the AD1862NZ chips are no longer available.
If you have read my write-up on the Mojo Audio Mystique EVO Pro DAC earlier in this thread (9-14-24 @ 1:12pm), then you know how much I have enjoyed listening to the five different Mojo Audio DACs I have owned. The Mojo Audio Mystique EVO Pro DAC has been my reference in my main system for a couple of years now, and I even chose to keep that DAC over Mojo Audio’s Mystique X SE DAC, when I originally owned both of them.
Creation of the Mojo Audio Mystique X line was a necessity brought on by the events of 2020/21 that resulted in supply chain disruptions, and shortages of parts and materials. Prior to that, Mojo Audio’s Mystique EVO Pro was their former flagship DAC, and the highest version of their Mystique EVO line of DACs. Mojo Audio originally had plans to further upgrade the EVO line, and possibly offer an even higher-level version of the EVO using BB PCM63 DAC chips. Difficulties procuring key parts, including the specially coated aluminum chassis used on the EVO series, caused Mojo Audio to cease production of the EVO line (although it is fully supported) and travel a different path.
The goal, in the words of Mojo Audio’s owner and designer, Benjamin Zwickel (Benjamin), was to create a “a lower cost alternative with similar performance” to the EVO line. This would be accomplished by using more readily available parts, different design choices, and less labor-intensive manufacturing processes. The new DAC design would be housed in an extruded chassis that requires less aluminum than the EVO chassis, utilize PCB mounted connectors, use a lower number of Belleson regulators, and ideally the product would have been robotically assembled instead of 100% hand built.
Improvements incorporated into the X DAC line included the inclusion of a USB input cut-off switch, the use of better parts in key areas such as ultra-fast, ultra-low noise zero-recovery SiC (Silicon Carbide) Schottky rectification diodes, and new anti-resonant treatments. If you want specific details about the development of the X line of DACs, search the Audiogon forums for posts by Mojo Audio’s owner and designer, Benjamin Zwickel (aka. Fuzzbutt17 on Audiogon).
The end result was that Mojo Audio released a new line of DACs in 2022 designated Mystique X (for extruded chassis). Somewhat surprisingly, the initial feedback by most listeners was that the new Mystique X line sounded better than the former top dog, Mystique EVO Pro. Benjamin shared the following observations about comparisons to the EVO Pro:
“Even though the Mystique X uses the identical circuit and nearly identical parts to our Mystique EVO, due to the new chassis typology, shielding, and anti-resonance, the Mystique X has a notably lower noise floor than any DAC we’ve ever offered. As you lower noise floor you not only reveal low-level details which were formerly masked by noise, you expand dynamic range. The Mystique X has insane micro-dynamics.”
And,
“To my ear they [Mystique EVOs] sound a bit slower, softer, and a bit vague when compared to our Mystique X.”
Benjamin’s post in this thread on 09-15-24 provides more detail.
The Mystique X SE is the upscale version of the Mystique X. The DAC that is the subject of this write-up includes nano-crystalline (NC) chokes and special AD1862N-Z chips, which were reportedly produced back in the day for higher level Dennon CD players, but are unfortunately no longer to Mojo Audio. The Mystique X SE NCZ DAC had an original retail price of $12,499. The current Mystique X ‘24 is available with NC chokes (but not Z-chips) at a retail list price of $9,999.
Ok, so how does it sound? There is something I like about the Mojo Audio DACs that I don’t quite hear from other DACs that I have owned or tried in my system which, including those listed here, include Metrum Acoustics’ Pavane and Adagio, Aqua Acoustic’s La Scala Mk II, and Ayre’s QB-9 DSD. Benjamin would probably say this is related to how Mojo Audio’s R-2R DACs display the true time, tune, tone, and timbre of the original musical performance.
Without going too deep into detail, on song after song of my test tracks the Mystique X SE NCZ did indeed display something special in the way it reproduced dynamics and harmonics that give music energy. Both female and male vocals were rich, full, and resonant. The instruments playing sounded as intended, with no absence of body or detail. The relative amplitude of each instrument was consistent with the performance, which helps lock in the staging, and the ability to instantly go from soft to loud made music exciting to listen to regardless of the playback level. As I said of the LTA Aero, “that… [ability to sound exciting at any volume level] is not an easy trick to pull off but it does enhance the engagement level of listening to recorded music in your home”.
I decided to play some of my test tracks at a relatively high volume, centered around 80dB +/- on my Decibel X app. On "Birds", by Dominique Fils-Aime’, the bass was subterranean, without any blurring of detail, and without affecting the mid or high frequencies. The Mystique X SE NCZ has the ability to enhance the dimensionality of players and singers, sort of like the LTA Aero did when it was here, but without sounding forced in any way, and with a greater level of refinement. This level of energy deviates a bit from the comparatively more relaxed sound I have become used to from the EVO Pro but doesn’t take away from the realistic sound of each instrument playing on "The Girl from Ipanema" and especially the dynamic sounds from Getz’ saxophone, which sounded so very real, and Astrud Gilberto’s innocent, breathy sounding vocals (amazingly, this was her first professional session in a studio – here is an interesting but sort of sad read).
Susan Tedeschi has incredible vocal control and does an amazing job of using tone, pitch, and amplitude to display passion and emotion. Through the X SE NCZ her vocals on "Angel from Montgomery" were on full display, as well as Jason Crosby’s fiddle and the rest of her band that night in Austin, Texas.
I neglected to adjust the volume control as the test tracks were playing and ended up listening to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" at 90+dB! No breakup, no fuzziness, scratchiness, or other nasties whatsoever. The X SE NCZ simply delivered what was on the recording with everything in its place, it was just louder. Same with Gov’t Mule’s Thorazine Shuffle. The Mystique X SE NCZ simply plays music, whatever genre you choose to play at whatever volume you choose to listen at.
The last ground I will cover in this write-up is the most difficult - how does the Mystique X SE NCZ compare to my Mystique EVO Pro? When I first owned the Mystique X SE (non-NCZ) I enjoyed both that DAC and the EVO Pro but ultimately chose to keep the EVO Pro and sell the X SE. After purchasing the Mystique X SE NCZ earlier this year, I posted a mini-review and comparison between that and my EVO Pro on Audiogon (mitch2, June 29). After re-reading that post, I could not find anything significant that I would change. To summarize, IMO:
- The Mystique EVO Pro Z has a sweeter, fuller sound compared to the Mystique X SE NC Z, which I found more incisive, impactful, and a touch more detailed.
- I perceived the Mystique X SE NC Z as being more dimensional (articulate positioning of musicians) while the Mystique EVO Pro Z was more homogeneous (musicians in the mix).
- The Mystique EVO Pro Z seemed to have slightly more fluid and sweeter high frequencies while the Mystique X SE NC Z seemed more precise and energetic (although neither are what I would consider edgy).
- Both have relatively powerful bass with the Mystique EVO Pro Z sounding big/full in the bass frequencies, while the bass from the Mystique X SE NC Z seems a bit more impactful and defined.
- Based on my time with the non-NCZ version of the X SE, I believe there are benefits to the NC chokes and Z chips as I recall a slightly dryer presentation from the non-NCZ version, that I do not perceive with the X SE NCZ or with the EVO Pro.
In summary, the reviewers universally love this DAC, and I suspect most audiophiles would find the Mystique X SE NCZ to be a good blend of drive, dimension, tone, smoothness and richness. I find the Mystique EVO Pro Z to deliver all of that while trading off a bit of drive, incisiveness, and pinpoint dimensioning for a richer tone and a bit sweeter, maybe more forgiving, presentation. These differences are not monumental and my observations above do not seem to be wholely inconsistent with Benjamin’s statement that the Mystique EVOs “sound a bit slower, softer, and a bit vague when compared to our Mystique X.”
I appreciated the comparison by Dr. Matthew Clott who has also reviewed both the Mystique EVO Pro* and the Mystique X SE, for Enjoy the Music, and who said:
“The Mojo Mystique Evo (Pro)* is not the most resolving, not the most dynamic, certainly not the most recognized, not the warmest, and not the most expensive. What it is, is one of the most musical, engaging, flexible, bulletproof DAC’s I’ve heard at any price....There’s virtually nothing to dislike, and a whole lot to fall in love with.”
And,
“The X evolution has improved upon the level of resolution, low-frequency harmonic coherency, reduced noise floor, and turned up the level of emotional involvement another notch.”
* Dr. Clott originally wrote his Enjoy the Music review of the older Mystique EVO DAC believing it was the Mystique EVO B4B but later found out the DAC he reviewed was actually an EVO Pro.
Karl Sigman also reviewed both the Mystique EVO Pro and Mystique X SE (non-NCZ) for Audiophilia, and said:
“With a significantly smaller size and weight, and a significant increase in sound quality that reveals hidden gems even in 16/44.1 files, while retaining the unique and special sound quality of Mojo Audio’s Mystique DACS, the Mojo Audio Mystique X SE is a gem itself; it is addictive. A must-hear DAC.”
So, which of the two do I like best? Based on my extended head-to-head comparison between my Mystique EVO Pro and Mystique X SE NCZ, I cannot deny the X SE NCZ is the more impactful sounding DAC. It displays all the positive traits of the EVO Pro, while also exhibiting a bit more of that realistic “you are there” impression. As I have said previously, they are both clearly cut from the same cloth, as you would expect with two DACs that use very similar design choices and parts, and they both sound great. I could easily live with either but if I had to choose only one DAC for my main system it would be the Mystique X SE NCZ.