This article first appeared in The Sound Advocate, a HiFi publication that offers “Sound component reviews and commentary For The Discerning Listener!”

_{Prices listed are in US$.}

Mojo Audio has released their new Mystique Y digital-to-analog converter. We were lucky to receive a sample of its NC (Nano Crystal) version ($6999) sent here for us to investigate and review!

The Mystique Y NC uses the same ultra-purest, non-oversampling, direct-coupled, R-2R topology that has made Mojo Audio’s DACs a favorite of so many music lovers.

Specializing in digital-to-analog conversion, Mojo Audio and its designer Ben Zwickel are driven by their love of music rather than fashionable marketing trends. Their pragmatic minimalistic approach has won them numerous awards from prestigious audio publications including “Best Product of the Year” for 2022  in The Sound Advocate.

The new addition of the Y model to Mojo Audio’s lineup is nearly identical in circuit, components, and power supplies to their award-winning Mystique X but engineered to sell for half the price in its Fe version ($3999).

The Y is available in three versions, each of which uses different chokes in the analog power supplies: ferrous core, amorphous core, or Nano Crystal core. As with every Mojo Audio product, the Mystique Y is hand-built in the USA from the finest parts available.

The ‘Y NC’ vs. the ‘X’: Technical Differences

Here are some of the technical differences between my reference Mystique X and the new Mystique Y models. The Mystique Y has only one input—USB type B—while the Mystique X has three inputs: USB type B, balanced XLR AES, and coaxial RCA AES. The lack of a digital input for CD playback is reflected in its cost, as the designer noted that most, if not all, of the company’s listeners are streaming their music.

“Since over 80% of our customers exclusively use computer audio, we developed a version of our Mystique DAC optimized for USB. Nearly identical to our award-winning Mystique X in circuit, power supplies, parts, and chassis, the Mystique Y delivers all the Mojo at half the price.”

“Because the Mystique Y has only one USB input we were able to greatly simplify the digital circuitry. No need for an input selector, demultiplexer, or S/PDIF receiver. The AD1865 R-2R DAC chip is directly fed by the USB input module.”

However, designer Ben Zwickel has stated that if there is a demand for a digital input in the very near future, he will add it to the Mystique Y. One thing I like a lot: the Y has a brighter pilot light (in blue) on the upper front panel as compared to the very subdued light on the Mystique X model.

In any event, both DACs are incredibly similar in design and parts and, in some circumstances, can sound nearly identical while exhibiting some very subtle differences.

Because of its AD1865 DAC chip, the Mystique Y can sound a “tad” livelier, and a tiny bit more transparent, with a touch more dynamism in its overall character than the Mystique X. In contrast, because of the AD1862 DAC chip in the Mystique X, the X has slightly more liquidity, texture, and harmonic content. This can be summarized as a sound that is a bit denser, and slightly more texture-filled with playback content that exhibits a bit more concert hall realism.

To be blunt, the sonic differences are rather hair-splitting and most people would need to play the two DACs side-by-side in a reference system to hear these differences. The two DACs have been compared below and we will start by offering a list of technical differences between the Mystique Y and X DACs, as featured here:

Mystique ‘Y NC’ Sound Qualities

No need to beat around the bush here with the Mojo Mystique Y NC. The sound quality was truly superlative. I did all my auditioning with my Innuos Statement streamer using the USB connection to the Mystique Y.

Other notable references were the Pass Labs 12 preamplifier, XA 30.8 power amp as well as the superb new GanFET power amp monoblocks by ArgentPur, (recently released and will be reviewed here shortly). Speakers were the Q Acoustic Concept 500s and cables by Audience frontRow and ArgentPur 12 cables.

The essence of the Mystique Y DAC is its intrinsic naturalness, which in itself is quite seductive. The DAC was rich and detailed in the midrange while also being a touch lightweight in its spatial characteristics, and very neutral as far as its tonality, depth, ambiance, and soundscape properties. These aspects were never shown to be lacking in almost any of the program material the DAC was presented with (see bottom). The DAC delivered a feeling of etherealness and spaciousness, as well as being supremely open-sounding.

The sound emanating was far away from the speaker’s boundaries, as should be expected, and was done in a lovely and magical way. The tonality of musical instruments was first rate and never would you detect any deviance from its profoundly balanced and evenness presented within and beyond the soundstage.

All instrumental recordings, both classical and popular, had a freedom from coloration as well as a smooth and relaxed sound quality that filled the front and sides of the listening room with wonderful orchestral decay and detectably perfect ambiance. A hallmark of the Mystique Y was a vibrant yet restrained presentation, albeit with great dynamics and detail when the program source demanded such.

Streaming various sources through the Mystique Y was a pleasure, to say the least. It is a DAC that will perform exceptionally well with any genre of musical sources and if you have a great, top-notch system combination, it will bring to life your most musically embellished recordings to a phenomenal realism. 

While it was less organic-sounding than the Mystique X (in the latter’s basic configuration), the Y’s detailed and vigorously beautiful sound could equal the Mystique X in many situations.

Mystique ‘Y NC’ DAC vs. Mystique ‘X’ Sound

Let us now explore the subjective and specific differences in sound representation between these two DACs. As mentioned above, initially the Mystique Y will give the listener a feeling that the soundstage has been torn away from the loudspeaker enclosures, which it does exceptionally well. It displays an airy openness that not many DACs in any price range can produce.

The DAC draws you into the musical performance and makes you less aware of any equipment in your upstream setup. In this respect, the results are inimitable in every way.

When switching back a few times to the basic model Mystique X, there will come a time in the listening sessions when you may notice a slight but definite difference in the sound of these two units. While the Mystique Y appears to be a touch more expansive in the soundstage, further listening shows this to be a bit misleading.

Initially, the Mystique X does sound a touch more enclosed within the speakers’ soundstage but after further experimentation, it appears that this is a bit aurally deceiving. After careful and detailed listening comparisons, my subjective feelings changed to a certain degree.

I believe the Mystique X contains an aura of coherent and natural “musical” integrity as it relates to a sense of having an inherently more ‘grounded’ and subtly liquid sound quality that reaches a bit more into a recording studio ambiance and a concert hall’s natural acoustic.

To explain this in better terms, the Mystique X brings forth the reproduced cues of the original acoustic that an individual track or performance was born into, whether in studio or a live concert hall. It portrays a deeper view and possibly a bit more natural warmth to a recording while also keeping the sound imminently open, with no restrictions on its depth perspective.

By comparison, the Mystique Y has the openness and neutral tonal attributes of the X with a slightly overall lighter yet still expressive tonality. It delivers a “quicker” sound quality with a beautiful sense of detail and spatiality. The Y DAC delivers a speck more airiness in its reproduction, but lacks some of the impact and solidity of the X’s sound. Where it does outperform the latter is in its superb rendition of minute musical and instrumental information that may invoke supreme bliss in many audiophiles. Bass impact is also well rendered.

The subjective perception of these small differences will be determined by the listener’s hearing and aural sensibilities. As such, each individual will form their own reasons for preferring one model over the other. 

Conclusion

The Mystique Y (starting at $3999.00) and Mystique X (starting at $6999.00) are theoretically the same, but still slightly different in sound quality. The Mystique X does have multiple inputs and the use of a 20-bit DAC chip as compared to the Mystique Y’s 18-bit chip one. The X DAC is still my DAC of choice, but both incarnations of the Mystique Y DAC are exceptionally great performers and as such, deserve an outstanding rating!

Reference Components used for evaluation: Loudspeakers: ~ Q Acoustics Concept 500 loudspeaker 
Digital: Mojo Audio ‘Mystique’ X DAC ~ Innuos Statement server/streamer ~ Audio Note (UK) CD3.1x/2 player/DAC  
Analog: Audio Technica LP-7/ZYX Bloom 3 MC cartridge 
Amplification: Pass Labs XP-12 preamp, Pass Labs XA30.8 power amp ArgentPur monoblock amplifiers 
Cables/ Conditioners: Inakustik AC-3500p power station and AC-2404 reference Air power cord ~ ArgentPur 12 loudspeaker cables ~ Audience frontRow speaker cables/interconnects ~ Clarus Crimson 75-ohm digital S/PDIF ~ Audio Art Power1 e AC power cord.

Mystique Y NC with nanocrystal core chokes: $6999
Mystique Y Fe with ferrous core chokes (entry-level): $3999
Mystique X has entry-level ferrous core chokes and upgrades for $6999. MY CURRENT FAVORITE!

Info@mojo-audio.com
949.Get.Mojo (949.438.6656)
Mojo Audio Inc
2616 Muriel St NE, Unit A
Albuquerque, NM, 87112, USA

For more, visit The Sound Advocate, a HiFi publication that offers “Sound component reviews and commentary For The Discerning Listener!”