There seems to be less bass on the NCs, but just a hair or so. It still very much has the mojo bass presence where bass guitars have the same presence and respect as everything else. They are not hidden or on the back.
All im going to say @Camus you better not have dented my full bass like you did the faceplate. 
Oh shit it is a dent now instead of a scratch 
I was lucky enough to be exposed to the Mojo Audio house sound about a year ago when @Souldriver (SD) was kind enough to send his upgraded Mojo X++ for a demo. Thank you kindly SD for this opportunity 
I wonât re-hash my thoughts not that version of the Mojo X line, here is the link if interested;
Since that demo I kept hearing about some limited edition Z-Chip (only a few chips left, and recall a few being told they got the last set months apart 
)upgraded Lundahl chokes using nanocrystal cores. I was curious, but not curious enough to ask a friend to let try their newly upgraded DAC. Low and behold the generous SD let me borrow another one of his Mojo Audios DACs to try audition in my set up, I would have been a fool to decline the offer!
A lot has changed since the last time I had a Mojo Audio DAC in my house, listening to 2-channel more than headphones, upgraded power component, swapped quality DAC for another quality DAC, added a beast of a 300B headphone/integrated amp, and got to try lots of nice gear from tube amps, pre-amps, and speakers. Some things have not changed such as my beloved DNA Stratus and double-fisted Focal Utopia.
Once the Mojo X SE-ZNC arrived I patiently waited 24 hours for it to be warmed up before sitting down for a listen. Off the bat it was obvious this was not the same DAC from last year, it had treble energy! Yet to my disappointment the bass seemed to be non-existent, was this a trade off for more treble? I was told that the DAC needed a few more days of warm up, so I selected shuffle in my Roon library and let the sucker play non-stop for the next 3 days.
When I revisited my listening sessions, bass became present yet it was not that Mojo Audio bass I had heard before. I am purposely focusing on this, as that bottom end was one of the things I did appreciate about the X++, sure audio memory is short lived and such however when you hear something you like it is damn hard to forget it. I was perplexed as others who have this same DAC or had heard it indicated the bass should be obviously present. Before I go further, when I indicate I thought it was bass light this is in comparison to my own DACs ( totaldac d1-core, Sonic Frontiers Processor 3, and lesser extent Sonic Frontiers SFD-2 mk2).
Of course I may have caused the bass to be lessoned due to The Illuminati, Lizard People, or simply living in The Swamp 
The bass is present in the Mojo X SE-ZNC, it is more proportional to the rest of the frequency and the increased treble air presented me a picture of lacking bass. So with that caveat, my impressions are based on how this DAC compares to the above listed.
So how about some meaningful information besides my inner dialogue being presented?
I vehemently believe the combo of Z-chip and Lundahl NC chokes is a worthy upgrade for those ordering a new Mojo X or currently own one.
Some of the traits I tend to appreciate and focus on are presentation, resolution, tonal density, and harmonic richness. This DAC nailed the resolution and presentation, however it lacked tonal density and harmonic richness.
With the improved resolution and presentation, one of the faults I had with the Mojo X++ was around spacial depth and height, unfortunately on the SE-ZNC this was still lacking despite being an improvement.
The staging is wide as is expected from Mojo Audio, and as others have described it as an oval this still holds true except the horizontal oval is inching towards a circle yet not quite there.
Tonal Density/Harmonic Richness: With improved resolution many DACs I have experienced tend to sacrifice tonal weight and this portrays the music as sounding thin, while the Mojo is not as light/thin as say my previous Chord TT2/HMS stack there was a stark contrast when compared to the X++, totaldac, and Sonic Frontiers P3. Whereas the latter presented more full weighted presence and dynamics, the former was slight which ran counter to the original iteration often described as having âmeat on the boneâ.
I am sure many are wondering how I rated its presentation and resolution as aligned with my preferences yet knock traits related to those factors? Nothing is perfect, there are trade offs to reach the ideal.
There is a delicate balance to overcome this, and unfortunately the X SE-ZNC tilted toward raw boned rather than svelte.
The increased resolution could also play into as a lesser amount of harmonic richness, whereas I see this as translating into a less visceral experience, which leaves me less engaged and focused or getting lost in the music.
Do I see myself wanting to own this DAC?
No, I am blessed to have a few DACs which satisfy my needs and there is simply no place for the Mojo. If I was moving up from a delta sigma, other R2R (chip or resistor) DAC such as Holo Spring/May, Schiit Yggy, or hell even a higher end Chord DAC I would absolutely consider the Mojo SE-ZNC with a caveat; I would buy it used, as the new price from Mojo Audio presents to me as inflated. Granted the prices on Benâs website fluctuate at his whim so this belief is subject to change on any given week or month 
At the end of the day that does not matter, as each of us have our own sense of value and donât expect others to share this sentiment.
If one considered the Mojo X++ as a teenager in college, the X SE-ZNC is that person working towards their graduate degree or starting their first job, focused, determined, and ruthless to get ahead in the world.
The graphic is a very good way to visualize a lot of information we sometimes use too many words to describe.
I do believe the changes are mostly from the transformers than from the Z chip. Looking forward to receiving it as I now have a decent HP rig so the DAC can show its best performance.
This is how the EVO Pro with the amorphous chokes presents in my 2-CH.
Thanks for the interesting comparison review. You seem to be hearing a greater difference between iterations than I do. I had the regular X SE (long gone now), but still have both the X SE-ZNC and the EVO Pro-Z here for direct comparison. My initial thoughts on the X SE compared directly to the EVO Pro-Z (and indirectly to the v3 and B4B-21 I previously owned) were that the X SE went further down resolution road and lost some (maybe too much) of the Mojo magic that I found to be present in each of Benjaminâs previous iterations through the Pro-Z. With the previous models, my observations were that they all had the same basic âhouse-soundâ but that each somehow improved on the previous, without changing the basic sonic signature. I thought the X SE, while similar, turned too far away from that rich, house sound that culminated with the EVO Pro-Z, being the best of the bunch, so I sold the X SE.
My main take-aways from my more recent X SE-ZNC vs. EVO Pro-Z comparison were:
While we seem to be mostly hearing the same things from these DACs, I wonder to what level system synergy and personal preference affects how each of us describes what we hear. My main speakers roll off at around 40 Hz and then two pretty high quality subwoofers played in stereo extend the bass response between about 45Hz to 20Hz. Therefore, I have the ability to adjust the very low bass response by adjusting those subs. Even though my comparisons were done without changing subwoofer settings, my set up with the two subs could very well change what I am hearing in the bass, compared to someone listening to a system without subs.
Thank you Mitch for sharing your impressions , you have far greater knowledge and experience with the Mojo DACs than I ever will.
In terms of my set up, I also run dual subwoofers and have my crossover set a bit higher around 50Hz. I will reiterate my commentary about the bass was not meant to detract, I tried to emphasize the comparison to my two main DACs. I did play with the subwoofer settings to eliminate how my subs are tuned, yet that made only exaggerated their response in my home and sounded off.
There is bass in the Mojo SE-ZNC, it was not my intention to infer it was a negative aspect. Only to relay my surprise as I was expecting more, for some listeners that could very well be the right kind of balance they enjoy.
Out of curiosity, what is your set up? I tried the Audiogon link you posted, unfortunately it led me to an error message from Audiogon.
Aâgon can be fussy about system links.
If you go to the mini-review I linked earlier (and below) and then click on my Aâgon name at the bottom of the review, mitch2, and then âdetailsâ it should bring up a link to my system, which is called âSounds Goodâ.
Mojo Audio X SE-ZNC and EVO Pro-Z mini review
Thank you Mitch, impressive system you have curated!
Thanks for the comment. Just realized pics are not entirely up to date as the X SE-ZNC is not shown (I am running all three DACs currently, the two Mojos from S/PDIF outputs of the Singxer and the DAC-2 from the optical output), and removed some digital clutter such as the Metrum Ambre and converters in the system room. The rest is current.
^ So here is an old post that I commented on the Mojo Audio Mystique Evo B4B21 paired with the EMM Labs NS1. Itâs weird that I have to either downsample or upsample depending depending on the cable. Idk why that was an issue, but I just wrote it off as its not compatible which is weird because the NS1 worked flawlessly with the Mojo Audio Mystique Evo Basic (The Evo Basic I had was a very early iteration very close to the V3 version). The NS1 worked weirdly with my current Evo B4B21, so I was always planning to switch streamers. The problem was the NS1 still sounded really good compared to PC when I got it to work, so I never felt too motivated to do it.
Fast forward I got an Antipodes S series set (S30, S20, and S60) thanks to Souldriver, I can confirm that the Antipodes streamer works great with my Mojo Audio Mystique Evo B4B21 on the AES port with no issues. I donât have to upsample or downsample. It just works and music sounds great! Looking forward in playing with the settings some more to see if I like LMS or stick with Roon.
Currently using my TS Tiny Radials setup, so I canât wait to hear what these bad boys sound like on my headphone and main speaker setup! But the best part is no red light on the Mystique Evo B4B21!
It is one of the great mysteries of life, you canât blame the streamer or the DAC but the Mojo is happy now, thatâs all that matter.
Not to hijack this thread but have any of you who have heard the Mojo DACs also heard this newâish DAC from Linear Tube Audio, the LTA Aero? If yes, have any of you been able to compare directly with one of the Mojo DACs?
The LTA Aero uses an AD1865 DAC chip (vs. AD1862s in the Mojo DACs) and a David Berning style Class-A ZOTL Output Stage. It is getting very good reviews from several such as Steve Guttenberg, and Terry London at Stereo Times, plus there is a thread on Aâgon, and one on Head-Fi that has a nice picture of the inside.
It seems to be currently in the flavor du jour honeymoon phase that some gear goes through but the accolades seem to be more real than not, based on the specific listening observations posted by the reviewers.
With the AD chip, dedicated power supplies for each section, and regulated, multi-stage choke filtration, there appear to be some similarities with the Mojo DACs but of course the tubes and ZOTL output stage are differences. I would think the two DAC chips that Benjamin uses in my EVO ProZ and X SE NCZ would offer a significant benefit over just using one, but he only uses one chip in the Mystique Y.
Any of you hear this DAC? I am considering purchasing one based on the strength of the reviews and the 14-day trial period offered.
Would love to hear first hand from someone. Itâs hard to compare DACs because thereâs a large subjective aspect to preferences but honestly I wouldnât expect them to sound much alike.
Power is everything and comparing these is driving to a solution from two completely different starting points. Iâll also say that I keep my Mojo on 24/7 for optimum performance and I can be doing some deep listening to music in a half hour or so, thatâs not something that would be an option with a tube DAC.
As you know, not all tube DACs will power the tubes 100% of the time.
For example the Sonic Frontiers DACs I own have a standby mode where the unit is still powered on, yet the tubes are provided just enough power to keep the filament minimally active.
Then there are the tube DACs which can be powered on and off with no need for a warm up period of days/weeks
Is there guidance indicating the Aero must be kept on 24/7? Or perhaps it has a similar standby function?
ÂŻ_(ă)_/ÂŻ
Power Consumption: 32W (Standby: 7W)
This is the only indication that theyâre keeping something warmed up during standby. So possibly.
The manual says this:
Your Aero is designed to be powered on indefinitely without harm.
The front panel power button powers down the DAC but the
power supply remains on in a nearly idle state. We recommend
using the front power button for normal on/off duties. To turn your
Aero completely off, adjust the power switch on the IEC inlet.
So it looks like you can put it into idle state to save on tube wear and tear. And the LTA circuit also maximizes tube life anyway.
The manual states that the power supply remains in a low power state if you use the front panel switch.
I doubt they leave the tube heaters on, and realistically thatâs the thing thatâs going to take time to come up to temperature, though they could with that sort of power draw, itâd be about 2W/tube.
There is a certain convenience to SS devices you just leave on, I do that with my TotalDAC, but Iâve also left the Lampizator on for days, and I observe very little if any difference after about 20 minutes.
Having said that my entire system has sounded off for the last few days, and today it sounds great, and there is literally no difference to my power on procedure over those days, so I trust my observations from day to day about as far as I can throw them.
Thanks for the insight from the manual, so with this method there is no downside this tube DAC being in standby mode when not in use.
âŠand youâve got to trust your ears more than the power or the procedure. Sometimes the magic just doesnât show up in the way you expect.
The reality is that sometimes weâre ready to listen and experience, and other times, weâre not.