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Yamaha MOX6
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« Bad Sound Quality through Main Outputs »

Published on 02/10/20 at 00:02
Value For Money : Poor
Audience: Anyone
I believe that this review also applies to the newer Yamaha MOXF6.

I bought the MOX6 many years ago, way back in 2013, just before stores had stock of the MOXF6 which was to replace the MOX6.

When I first had a play with it, the sound quality was so bad I put it back in its box and just left it in storage to collect dust. I couldn't believe Yamaha did what they did. I was a fan of the Yamaha DJX and I couldn't believe Yamaha made the sounds this bad.

Now in 2020, I thought that it was time to sell my MOX6 but I noticed that some people were talking online about bad A/D and D/A converters which might be the cause of the bad sound quality.

I managed to get the schematic of the MOX6 and I noticed that Yamaha are using a Cirrus Logic WM8740 DAC chip. This chip is used in high quality DAC gear so I don't think it's the chip.

I attach two sound files.

The first sound file "Song 1 Through Main Outs" is Song 1: Club WorX played through the main outputs of the MOX6.

The second sound file "Song 1 Through USB Port" is Song 1: Club WorX played through the USB port of a computer running Logic Pro using the Yamaha Steinberg USB drivers. A cable connects the USB port on the MOX6 to the USB port on the computer. No processing or effects whatsoever was added to the song in Logic Pro. The song was played through the USB port into Logic Pro using the driver and straight out again through the headphone port of a Mac Laptop.

Notice that the second sound file sounds a lot better than the first one. The sound in the second file did not go through the DAC and associated output circuitry of the MOX6. From the schematic, the sound in the second file only had to pass through a USB Audio chip which was connected directly to the output of the WAV sound library stored in the MOX6.

So I think that the sound in the second file would be what you would hear on the Motif XS, though I cannot confirm this because I don't have one.

The sound in the first file had to pass through the WM8740 DAC chip and associated output circuitry, but not the USB Audio chip.

It is clear that if you just plug in speakers or headphones into the MOX6, what you will hear is absolute crap. But it might pass in a lively disco party.

If you want to hear quality sounds, you have to use a computer and use USB Audio drivers to listen to it. I believe for the MOXF6, you can use an iPad or iPhone with the Camera Connection Kit but I don't think you can with the MOX6.

What is Yamaha trying to do? Are they trying to make you think that the MOX6 is crap so you have to buy a Motif to get the quality sounds?

I'm keeping my MOX6 now.

Audio examples

Song 1 Through Main Outs
00:0002:09
  • Song 1 Through Main Outs02:09
  • Song 1 Through USB Port02:09