Premium Build and Sound! - Chord Mojo 2 Review

[@ilsalmeron]

I actually wouldn’t mind the whole design bubble thingy, they could play around with the colors tho. I also think the dual 3.5 is nice since you can listen with someone else at the same time. But they need to get rid of the Micro-USB ports and need to add Bluetooth to it. Imo the Mojo is already to expensive and the need to also get the Poly if you want bluetooth is just way to much.

[@waynethang9034]

I would be sad if they added bluetooth.

[@fazzxides8429]

The absence of a separate volume control for each 3.5mm output almost negates the benefits of having dual headphone jacks from a practical point of view. If you’re using a more efficient headphone/IEM in the 2nd jack, volume will be too high. Great only if you happen to be using identical gear in both jacks and even then, the Mojo cannot accommodate for individual volume listening preferences. This is significantly limits the benefit of having a second identical jack imo.

[@ilsalmeron]

@@fazzxides8429 damn I didn’t now I thought you could adjust the volume. In this case it’s not really useful I agree

[@Goodmanperson55]

What makes most of Chord's DACs stupidly expensive is their preference for using cutsom-programmed FPGAs to do the conversion, instead of using an off-the-shelf part from ESS, AKM, Cirrus and the like. I don't think they can fit in a fully capable Bluetooth module (with fully licensed codecs from Qualcomm and Sony) in there without a significant price increase unless they wanna compromise with an off-the-shelf DAC chip.

[@kunalshrivastava6398]

The Mojo 2 is perfect for IEMs. I never knew an IEM could produce convincingly holographic sound until I paired a Dita Project M with the Mojo 2. The separation is nuts: I never enjoyed "sibilance" until I discovered this duo!

[@waynethang9034]

The only downside is there is a bit of waterfall hiss with very sensitive IEMs. Hopefully they can get around that with the Mojo 3 while still being at least as powerful. I had the idea to use the second 3.5mm for a ifi IEMatch+, but with the Fir RN6 for instance, it just makes them sound worse.

[@kunalshrivastava6398]

@@waynethang9034 I used a Thieaudio v16 on it with dead silent background and that's one of the most sensitive IEMs available. Maybe it's an issue with your unit? Chord DACs are supposed to be dead silent Edit: the hiss you're mentioning may be present in all DACs, but it doesn't get louder in volume.

[@waynethang9034]

The menu button can help you tell what volume level you're at. If it is unlit, you are in the lower half of the volume range. It lights up in the second half of the range.

[@jafizzle95]

I've owned the Mojo 2 for about a year now. For the first little while you'll have to refer to the manual for help with the controls but it very quickly becomes second nature. I both love and hate this thing and have intended to sell it off several times but it somehow embedded itself into my daily carry to work. Hard to beat the form-factor, build quality, and sound. Speaking of sound, it's great with one kinda large exception. I find that the top-end treble is waaay too smooth. If you have IEMs with extremely detailed top-end (IE600 for example), you'll find that the details are all but smoothed out of existence. You can add a tiny little bit of it back with a boost using the 20Khz EQ control, but the smoothing I think starts below that so you're still going to be missing some details. My favorite pairing is with the Arya Organic. I use a little bit of the built-in EQ: Green +2 and Cyan +4

[@ChefTom777]

The 4 colorful balls are unique & very attractive to my taste.. It is very easy to learn the functions & it is fun to play with the colors.. I just got this yesterday & I am already using it without the user manual after under an hour of watching youtube for tutorials..

[@roynusser5246]

Man, that was a good review. Short, sweet and informative. I also like the way you described it from a user perspective. Even though there has been a lot of praise about this DAC, I always found it be a strange product. You actually answered all of the questions I had about it. Now I can cross this off my list in the hunt for a DAC/AMP for a pair of Verum 2's.

[@aj8ky]

I just got mine too. Also brought to add to my Hifi setup and it’s connected to a WiiM WiFi streamer. I can’t wait to start using it.

[@heinzr9734]

I find the colours very intuitive. Very much like a rainbow, from infrared through the visible spectrum to ultraviolet, it seamlessly becomes shorter and shorter wavelength and thus more energetic... just like the colours of the Mojo2 in the settings. To put it simply, blue is louder than red.

[@ElvenSpellmaker]

I love my Mojo2, bin the Poly though as its Bluetooth is SBC _only_ . I instead pair mine with a 1mii B06HD+, which supports LDAC and has Coax output straight to the Coax In on the Mojo2, just find a single pole 3.5mm to coax cable and you're good to go. The EQ is divine too paired with the Sony MDR-Z1R. I'm very used to the bubbles now so it doesn't bother me. Fun story, I got stopped at Toulouse airport recently for a bag check and one of the security guards came over to me and started to chat with me saying he had the Mojo original and really liked it and noted how the 2 had 4 balls instead of 3 on the original. It was a nice conversation from one audiophile to another. (A little titbit on the digital out of the 1mii B06HD+ is that it outputs the digital in the same bit depth as the incoming bluetooth, which the Mojo decodes fine but the xDSD Gryphon can't take LDAC @ 96k only 80 something and it plays it back really choppy as a result.)

[@HiFiInsider]

i find that it sounds better with headphones than being used as a DAC to amp.

[@guystpierrecomposer]

If you’re looking to a bitfrost 2 or Gueshelli , the mojo 2 is a steal because you get the same type of finesse in the sound (or even more) AND a portable/desktop hi quality dac-amp device for 90% headphones… no need to add a fancy power supply either… the eq is not just ok, it is state of the art. I got used to the color code in 2 days…I recently compared it to a very decent ESS Dac in a 2500$ preamp (Primare SC15) and the mojo 2 is a far superior dac! I don’t get the thing about the poly… I use a usb out of my iPhone and it make a class leading dap in my opinion. (Bring 1 device instead of 2)

[@619RobdoG]

Best piece of gear I've purchased.

[@ExperimentNo626]

I'd like to know more about how this little device compares to bigger desktop amps in its price bracket - for example the xDuoo TA-22

[@ilyanikulin6543]

I have this amp for my Focal Clear MG, ZMF Verite Open, and HiFiMan Arya Stealth. I love this thing, sound quality is excellent - extremely detailed while remaining smooth on the high end. Strikes the perfect balance across all of those headphones which are fatiguing on "shrill" sounding amps (which I found the iFi Signature to be by comparison). EQ is very nice for adding a couple db of bass too - though I wish it was more customizable than 5 preset bands. Overall I love it and put it right up against my Denafrips Ares 12th DAC (which I find a little smoother but less engaging depending on the amp - all comes down to mood).

[@Radaos]

The Mojo 2 + Arya Stealth combo is hard to beat. I've heard far more expensive setups which are only marginally better, if at all.

[@khalbrando2990]

@@RadaosMy thoughts exactly. I have ended up selling a bunch of stuff that was good and all, but this combo of Arya Stealth + Mojo 2 is so good, well… Also, it’s fun to take it to the next level and connect it to something like a Topping A70Pro. Sublime. Chefs kiss, whatever you wanna call it😎

[@gavin8489]

Failed to mention the crossfeed Failed to mention that the EQ presets are shelves instead of traditional peaks Failed to talk about the intelligent desktop mode Failed to mention that it gets very hot Failed to call out the ancient micro-usb connectors Incredible.

[@Maver1ck911]

It does not get very hot 😂 I just finished using mine hooked up to a battery charging into purple for 2 hours straight listening/simultaneously charging with the miter leather case on it

[@Mikesell357]

For the 2 they added in a USB C port that, I could be wrong, does both data and charging The micro-USB ports were kept in the same location as the original Mojo, so that it could interface with the Poly

[@Maver1ck911]

@@Mikesell357 micro B is the charging port. Usbc does not charge.

[@andrewgiovannini6613]

It definitely does not get very hot. LOL. At best it can get slightly warm if you use it while charging. It's not a class A amp... everything else, definitely agree though.

[@Radaos]

I'm listening to this video through a Mojo 2, it's only slightly warm after hours of use. Other points fair.

[@clemsiemckenzie9799]

The XDuo Xd05 series can also do the mobile dac/amp thing with a similar backpack system... And I got mine for 200 bucks. Absolutely perfect for my use case.

[@GadZookz]

Exactly! Looking at coloured lights is fine for things like streaming codex but when you have to interact with the same buttons to play with sound settings it is hard remember what does what unless one uses it all the time. I love the sound quality but there are too many ways to do the wrong thing for a simple guy like me.

[@damiengrief]

I've always wanted one of these. Could just never justify the price - especially since I already have a couple DAPs that work pretty well already.

[@guybrushtwood]

Very accurate and very colourful are basically polar opposites, no?

[@gunzjones]

I had a mojo 1 and used it with my OG Andromeda for a year or so. The only issue was the heat that little metal box produces and the battery. It sounded great. Plus, two headphone outs.

[@scottpeterson2840]

What is that cool blue cable you connected to the mojo 2?

[@ykyielding9556]

Kondor Blue Right-Angle USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 Cable

[@ykyielding9556]

Screenshot unknown item. Go to Google. To the right of the search bar is the Google Lens icon. Click that and upload the photo. That's how I found the cable. It's really helpful to find stuff you see in KZbin videos etc.

[@jeroenofferman1974]

How does the poly make the mojo (I have mj1) sound better as some here claim?

[@Krishnakumar-wl7ih]

Can u please review Hugo 2 too ?

[@antonristo1096]

Wish you compared the sound quality of the Mojo 2 more to the XD05 Pro.

[@S.G54321]

From my experience. The XD-05 Pro is ahead. Especially with Sparkos SS3602 op amps. But yeah, a comparison would've been nice

[@mebaugh1]

Four color balls no doubt have a steep learning curve, but, once you learn it, it is amazing. His critique demonstrates limited knowledge of how it is designed. There is a strong following for Mojo2 for a reason

[@ANSWERTHECALLOFJESUSCHRIST]

My favorite things about the Mojo 2 are the natural-sounding crossfeed and EQ. One can really tame crazy-sounding headphones like the AKG K701 and beyerdynamic T90 without sounding tweaked. That alone took away the pain of spending so much on such a tiny thing, ha-ha. Also, the lights might seem gimmicky and unintuitive, but eventually they become a mental language after using the unit for a couple days. You'll just instantly know what they mean, which feels cool! 🤓 I have no complaints. I just plug it to my iPhone 14 Pro Max and get lost in the music without thinking about its quirks. Although I paid the full $775 two weeks before it went down to its current $650, it sounds so good, I didn't cry! 😝

[@alexishalen3312]

hi does this amps can work the the he1000v2 thanks a lot !

[@Rezzzn0r]

Mojo2 is fantastic. I love the possibility of quick twerking the sound without touching smartphone or PC. DSP from Chord is just unmatched.

[@tiloup102]

Hi @Joshua Valour, what dac do you recommend to me for 4.4 mm balanced câbles that is similar to the chord mojo 2?

[@O.G.LIL-MAN]

Josh, you finally get around to Mojo 2 after 2 years? This is one of these that shouldve been on your radar from JUMP.

[@Capitan_Cavernicola_1]

Great information about the product. I bought one recently. What cable are you using to connect the Chord Mojo 2 to your laptop?

[@coliv00]

Nice review.. Can you share the brand of the blue cable?

[@lowrider007007]

Why does no reviewer understand the benefits of the two headphone jacks!? Chord themselves have said they can be used as dual lineouts, this is incredibly useful in a desktop setup which was my use case for a good while, I would have one lineout going to my headphone amp, and one going to my stereo integrated amp, very useful feature.

[@utsavratti]

Did you test the crossfeed feature? What cable did you use for the Empyrean II?

[@calvinchann1996]

Chord Qutest next?

[@ksreamaersk]

If you use it purely as a DAC you can output it simultaneously to two amps: for example 1 for speakers and other for headphones or you can hook it to two different headphone amps (that's how I use it). I find it near perfect: the micro USB port and the occasional white noise burst bug are it's only faults.

[@black_n5492]

what cables do you use for that?

[@Galenthir]

I use it with a Jotunheim 2 as my main desktop DAC. Fantastic. I haven't felt the need to upgrade or even look towards anything else. I greatly dislike the micro-USB charging port, and at the time it released it really seemed like such an odd decision. I stick to my BTR7 for portable use, as it does get too warm to keep in your pocket while you're out and about.

[@TotoroJourney]

How you connect mojo to jotunheim 2 ?!

[@Galenthir]

@@TotoroJourney You can use it as a stand-alone DAC through the headphone output. PC S/PDIF or USB (I prefer TOSLINK to eliminate GPU noise from an unbalanced connection) > Mojo 2 3.5mm to RCA > Jotunheim 2 > Headphones/Speakers as pre-amp. My Jotunheim 2 doesn't have a DAC module because it's not worth it when you can get a Topping/SMSL DAC, or Schiit's own offerings for a balanced dac if you want/need one. I use the Mojo 2 and the SMSL M500 as my DAC for the Jotunheim 2. I switch between the 2 regularly, but I could do with just the Mojo 2 + Jotunheim and the Mojo 2 alone for IEMs.

[@TotoroJourney]

@@Galenthir Should i use just one of mojo headphone output 3.5mm port to connect cable to rca jotunheim or should i used both 3.5mm port ?!

[@Galenthir]

@@TotoroJourney Hello again. I'm not sure if my reply to this went through, but I saw your updated question. Use a Y splitter styled 3.5mm to RCA cable. Any cheap one will do. You only need to use one of the Mojo 2's headphone outputs into the Jotunheim 2's RCA inputs. I hope that clears things up, and don't worry. Experimenting with gear and asking around is how we learn. Once setup, increase your Mojo 2's volume to your desired levels. Be sure to lower your volume down to zero on your Jotunheim 2/connected amplifier first as you're testing things out. Don't want a nasty surprise that could hurt your ears. The balls on my Mojo 2 are coloured White (High gain setting)/Blue/Blue/x last colour is your sample rate.

[@TotoroJourney]

@ardhern1392 thats clear enough, another question, can i use xlr headphone output on jotunheim instead of 6,35mm or the both function nornally that way and if also for example i keep use ddhifi adapter dj44 4.4mm with my mojo and i want use it with jotun, is that possible to use Y splitter rca 4.4mm to rca cable instead?!

[@Capitan_Cavernicola_1]

Hi, Thanks for the advice-great video! Are you suggesting that the headphones like Audeze LCD-X, LCD-3, and LCD-2 might find the Mojo 2’s power output underwhelming, even when,intending at moderate volumes? On a related note, I suspect the dual headphone outputs of the Mojo2 are designed to allow permanent connection to an amplifier while still providing an output for headphones without needing to disconnect the amp.

[@michaelsegel8758]

One idea for the two 3.5mm output... one to a 3.5mm to RCA cable for your stereo. The other for your headphones, So you keep it inline but then use it for headphones when you want. I agree that 4.4mm would make sense, but for some reason... they haven't done any balanced outputs for any of their products.

[@seanb3303]

Better late than never. Now Denafrips Ares 2 review 😉

[@robsky588]

Can this mojo 2 work ok with focal bathys

[@pritambanerjee7172]

How is your experience with Mojo 2 and HD600? Do you suggest an additional amp to run it well or mojo 2 powers it good enough?

[@fazzxides8429]

Powers HD 650 which is also 300 ohm headphone plenty good enough

[@artist79]

i think mojo 3 might be on the way

[@ShaneCutting]

Great review! One complaint about the Mojo 2 though. Why oh why have they not moved on from Micro USB. It's a terrible connector! They already switched one to USB C. At this price, companies should not be using outdated connectors.

[@Radaos]

Compatibility with the Poly is the reason.

[@yfryt69]

Since first gen. Mojo - it is just TOP, and you can buy it used for 1/4th of retail. 😊

[@SpirallingOut]

I've been told that with how this thing works, a 4.4mm balanced output would make it sound worse. It was a while ago so I don't remember specifics. Mojo 3 needs a small LCD display for functions/levels, all USB-C ports for USB connections (move away from garbage Micro-USB already, for cry out loud!) and an easy Line Out mode please @ChordElectronicsLtd I'd like to pair it with a really nice dedicated Class A portable headphone amp for my planars.

[@wadez1000]

Best dac amp for under 1k imo.

[@alessandrodifrancesco8110]

but is it possible that whatever you review it's always great or fantastic?

[@Tealc2323]

Expensive AF! Abysmal battery life with planars! (4h tops) Heats up like crazy! Using it in the summer is an absolute pain! Micro-USB! WHAT?! Complex and unintuitive controls. The sound, on the other hand, is excellent-clean, accurate, and detailed. However, I find the soundstage to be a bit narrow for my preference.

[@donniedarko5529]

I use my mojo2 with an atom2 and it powers all my HP pretty well

[@pritambanerjee7172]

Hi, please tell me how you connect your mojo 2 with the atom amp. What line out voltage (what volume button color?) do you use? What cable? Does the DSP EQ in mojo 2 work while using it with the atom amp? Do you suggest a warm amp or a neutral amp with mojo2 + hd 600?

[@BamPlan]

I just want that usb cable tbh

[@cheesegraham2387]

Epic piece of kit

[@flyindo]

Is there a way to disable auto off?. It's very irritating that it turns off automatically after a period of no activity but does not come on when you want to play something again. You will have to turn it on by hand everytime it's turned off by itself.

[@explet1ve]

Thanks for the very informative video. Random question but any idea, based on the headphones you tested this with, if it can drive the Arya Stealths? (v1). Thanks!

[@michaeljbus]

Yes - I have this combo, no problem driving the Arya Stealth

[@explet1ve]

@@michaeljbus Thanks!!

[@fabianoberlim9636]

Now waiting the Topping DX9 review Since is the same price

[@rainong2029]

The things with Mojo is their sound is refine, it’s like a nicely polished ornament that set it apart. That’s what I like about it.

[@paulcathcart7896]

What do I need to attach the mojo 2 to, to run Audeze LCD 4? Please advise.

[@MT-fh9qy]

Great review. This is assessment is spot on. I've had the Mojo 2 for about a year. Sound quality is fantastic but the interface is appalling - there's no excuse in a "UX" age imo. I do find - with my Focal Clears - that some music is fantastic (Beatles for example) and some I prefer adding my tube hybrid to take the edge off. Cross feed function is v good. If I had my time again I think I'd buy - or perhaps go Geshelli.

[@gordonlesforis772]

Hi I have the mojo 2 what make is the blue cables you are using with it thanks

[@coliv00]

I also would like to know the brand of the blue cable.

[@FEARmeify]

what is "engaging" sound quality? Similarly, does "fulfilled" sound like? Those do not sound like they make much sense, tbh.

[@jay12345ist]

does the mojo 2 sound better than the headphone jack on the MacBook Pro?

[@priedits]

As someone who owns both (14 inch pro) mojo 2 is clearly better , but gap depends on what headphones you're using. When using mojo as a Dac only in a hifi system, there is quite a difference as well. Mojo 2 is punchier with more dense midrange and better instrument separation.

[@utsavratti]

If you’re looking to drive Empyrean II or DCA E3, save yourself mega bucks and get an iFi hip-dac 3. Got mine for $179 new and it drives both these headphones perfectly. Bonus: 4.4mm out.

[@looyoo0-u6i]

I’d say the duel output is good for when you’re using it as a dac so you can go out to 2 amps

[@looyoo0-u6i]

@@jirihorsky9600 oh how so ?

[@jirihorsky9600]

@@looyoo0-u6i Not quite sure. Maybe it has something to do with differing input impedences between my two amps. Or maybe due to how output stage of the Mojo is designed. At any rate, it makes the resulting sound much softer and less incisive, at least for me it did.

[@looyoo0-u6i]

@@jirihorsky9600 if that’s the case, I failed to see why they added 2 3.5mm jacks in the first place to be frank

[@jirihorsky9600]

@@looyoo0-u6i I think it is meant to be used with two identical headphones or two identical loads in general. That way it is supposed to work. I have used it with two different IEMs (Blessing 3 and Kato) and it sounded ok. Two amps did not, although it probably is depended on which two specific amps You intent to us. I also tried an amp and an IEM and it sounded like it was broken so I aborted the idea asap.

[@michaeljbus]

​@jirihorsky9600 that's interesting. I've done this with my TA-26S and Singxer SA-1 and haven't noticed a difference. Might depend on the volume / voltage you're at on the mojo 2

[@Feliciano12v]

What external DAC is comparable or superior to the one in the Mojo?

[@or1on89]

The Mojo2 is a custom design that competes with the top AKM and ESS chips. And I have to say that for some aspects easily beats them!

[@michaeljbus]

If you want a comprehensive answer have a look at iiWi Reviews and Wave Theory's reviews of the Mojo 2, they both talk through detailed comparisons between it and comparable DAC amps, including the next steps up

[@Black-squirrel-obsessions]

Amazing device, just got a second hand one for £300, for the sound, no brainer!

[@Maver1ck911]

There is a handy chart with dB/Voltage for every color. It takes 2 hours tops to learn how to use it. I got mine on release for 500 because the guy who spent 700 couldn'tt be bothered to learn the lights.

[@aurelian9817]

Do review the fiio k17, probably what this wanted to be.

[@RileytheBunny]

The margin on this stuff is astounding. It’s 2024 now, no reason to pay the insane pricing here.

[@alstonmaccow9386]

It’s worth every penny. I have one issue is the connection to charge it. They should updated it I think u just dont understand this product.

[@Diamond_Eyes_24]

I'm a DAC noob so someone please help me. I have low impedance headphones (50 ohms) so why do I need a headphone amp for my iPad when the volumes are just fine? Will connecting a Mojo2 in the chain, bypass the Amp already inside the iPad and music playback magically sound better?

[@hixyhicks]

I have just got myself a Hiby r4 ,it's end game for me it's fantastic ,better than my Astell&kern ak70 .Also, as a dac only from my pc it sounds wonderful.

[@fazzxides8429]

Super Review mentions that this DAP runs pretty hot?

[@justinwalsh5521]

This is not just an iem device it runs my hd600, my lcd2, my empy2, hd620s with no issue. Are they on high gain, yes. But they sound great. I won’t defend the ui for a new user but the manual is incredibly detailed on the colors, what they mean in a given menu or just volume etc. as for why not balanced, I genuinely think it’s not needed.

[@nexus438]

It's 2024. You shouldn't have to memorize 30 different color lights and what they mean. At this price point there should be an oled display.

[@dhiaoshaish]

no 4.4?? lol

[@Jahwobbly]

Brit-designed for people who live in civilized countries. In countries that have decent train systems, friends will listen to a pair of 3.5 headphones using this mobile device.

[@datdudeinred]

The biggest problem with it is the micro USB charging port. Especially considering they added 1 type c port they could have either just made that as charging port or add another extra & still keep the poly compatibility. Seriously nothing i own has a micro b usb anymore. & nothing this expensive should have either.

[@hamedshahr]

People say FiiO Q15 is similar to Mojo 2 at least technicality-wise. Review Q15 please.

[@Cirillion]

Hi. Dynamic-wise the Q15 slams harder and the soundstage width is similar. All other technicalities are better on the Mojo2.

[@bren.r]

Thought it might have been $200 but $650?!? Also micro USB in 2024? LOL and the USB-C port looks like it was an afterthought.

[@iuliani1663]

honestly this is why i kept away from the Mojo2 for so long even though I found the sound signate fairly good - those damn colored balls which drive me crazy.

[@nulladdict]

600 bucks for micro usb charging, no balanced output, and no wireless input

[@yongdol73]

Don’t buy it. No one is forcing you

[@joelshaw6963]

The reason they kept the Mojo 2 micro usb port is that it mates to the Poly. Note that you do not have to use it. They include a second USB-C port as well. That second USB-C port or the Micro USB port can be used for charging. I use the master usb-c port with a moon silver dragon for the input signal and the micro usb plugged in as a desktop set up. I am very pleased with it. I also picked up the Poly but have not used it at the moment. This is something I plan to use when I am portable with my Shure KSE 1500 (recommended with the custom ear molds for the best sound). The Poly has the advantage of also having an sd card slot for a ton of recorded music or you can use it to listen to Qobuz off line streamed from your iPhone without cables which is handy if you do not want to carry around a brick. I am currently using the mojo 2 as a dac for my Aune s17 class A amp driving Hifiman HE1000se headphones. If you can listen to this combo you will not be disappointed. I could go in to describe the sound but it will just be so much, blah, blah, blah when you could just hear it yourself at your local hifi dealer. Recommendable.

[@alistairescott]

give the original mojo a shot on the used market as a desktop dac, but using this thing on its own or with the poly makes no sense at this price point

[@PressGaneyLive]

The SINAD for the price of this product is abysmal. In 2024, companies like chord are going to have to reevaluate their business plan because companies like topping and smsl are just going to continue to kick their a** in price and performance.

[@MML66]

Why isn't there 4.4 in it? This will make many items not benefit from the energy. They decided to put two of 3.5 as if you would have four ears. Also, the design of the buttons is strange.

[@lummond]

Chord doesn't like balanced

[@odkKoma]

Balanced on headphones has zero sound improvements. There are several manufacturers that stand by this, incl. Chord, Benchmark, RME. But any technical engineer can confirm, balanced never made sense with headphones or IEMs. But now it seems many devices are designed for the purpose of using a 4.4mm, so many IEM default to 4.4. I would want 4.4 on my Mojo 2 only because my upgrade cables have 4.4. But there is an adapter for it, I think by DDhifi or something.

[@lummond]

@@odkKoma Not true, balanced can offer more current at a given voltage which can really help planars, plus more gain vs. single ended. It also doubles impedance. More power and higher impedance is very bad for balanced armature IEMs, though!

[@MML66]

@@odkKoma It does not change the sound as if it is magic, but there is a logical reason for the low energy or mw. There is nothing on the planet that gives the same energy as 4.4, so some elements that require nutrition may benefit, and you will benefit that you do not need to raise the volume greatly in order to get details, and the rest of the things are good. Also, if you have items with wires that have a special connection and you cannot switch from 4.4 or the wires that you like or are of better quality, if they are 4.4, you will not benefit. If you have 4.4 and 3.5, regardless of the sound, it will make your experience more diverse. Do not hesitate to choose 4.4 or 3.5.

[@odkKoma]

@@lummond That’s 3dB headroom for a money-hungry circuit. You could just get a more powerful amp with far better results than forcing balanced connectors on consumers.

[@stevenichols5708]

UI design is NOT Chord's strong point:) #colorblind "If Chord takes away the bubbles, I'll not buy another chord product." said NO Chord owner ever:)

[@duaplex1]

Finally, I was waiting for this day.

[@Slambear]

Let’s start the videos off with the price first

[@LuisElChicano]

I have mojo 2 awesome device

[@jirihorsky9600]

Listening to this via my Mojo 2.

[@martyn420]

Is the Mojo 2 recommended for the Sennheiser HD800S and HD820?

[@shawnswinney8539]

I use it with the HD820 and it works really well. I don't listen at super loud levels. I have never turned it all the way up so to me there is plenty of power. The EQ is great for adding bass. There is loads of detail and soundstage without being harsh. I have found that the Mojo handles treble better than other things I have tried. I had a long listening session with the HDV820 A/B comparing to the Mojo 2. I couldn't find much at all between them. Add to this the features and portability of the Mojo. Shame to lose balanced, but I could never tell the difference.

[@Masimo_Yovanni]

Get the DC Elite instead.

[@prasvt]

Eh. I'd never buy a DAC with a battery in it that is that expensive. But certainly they get good reviews.

[@bdsattern]

The Mojo 2 is kind of a legend but the form factor and aesthetics…hard pass. I went for the iFi Gyphon, which looks similar to a DAP and has more intuitive functionality.

[@serban2139]

Why is this so expensive? I'm wondering because I got a fiio e10k for 25£ and I can't seem to grasp the concept of this one being over 300£?

[@duckseatbread104]

Im skeptical. My mojo 1s battery fried within a year - the headphone jacks were also very fragile. Chord were also not very helpful in terms of hetting shot fixed first saying i had to wait and theud be in touch as theyre too busy to repairs inly for me to chase it down 6 months later and be told i had to go back to my retailer. Oh and i get it faliures happen but the mojo randomly brucked in a similar fashion in a similar time frame from another youtuber (dankpods) and they also reached out for help and got no response at all. So yeah im deffo not buying any of their products again - great design language but overpriced and seemingly prine to faliure with poor customer support. Also im gunna say it yeah their products are not worth it to begin with and no bespoke dac tech is going to make me think otherwise.

[@JoshuaValour]

Totally fair. I opened this one to see if the battery was replaceable but I didn’t actually yank the connector in case it WASN’T actually swappable. Did you try to replace yourself at all? Would love to know for sure if it worked.

[@ElvenSpellmaker]

My first Mojo2 had a problem with booting incorrectly and had a red light showing all the time sometimes after boot with no sound output. I took it to them at Canjam London 2023 and they were super unhelpful about it all and said I had to go back to the dealer who sold it to me (through Amazon). I contacted them and got another unit sent out and sent this first one back and it's been working fine since. (Although I've noticed that hard knocks to it like dropping it just causes the output to stop, no idea why.)

[@juanp756]

Had most of the issues you had, plus I never figured how to turn off the lights. It was annoying to be with those bright lights in a dark place, and since it overheated I couldn't put it in my pocket.

[@dontremembertech]

Unfortunettly Josh dosnt hear much and cant compare to other devices, otherwsie he would notice similar timbre to r2r. This is just infomercial channel with nicely done lightning and that's it.

[@sirrah9533]

You're coming off as a bit of a snobbish prig.

[@StartCodonUST]

I'm in the market for both a more permanent desktop DAC/DAC-amp and a portable DAC-amp that doesn't need a battery so I can be a little less hard on my iFi xCAN's battery which is doing a lot of work in portable and desktop applications. I honestly became more confused after watching this review until I later found Golden Sound's review. Compared to all the options for portable DAC-amps from the Chi-Fi world, the Mojo2 *seems* un-competitive and overly-niche for its price. The UI just seems too clunky compared to devices like the iFi xCAN and Gryphon, which have knobs instead of volume buttons and even a digital display for the Gryphon which undercuts the Mojo2 by $50. The iFi devices have Bluetooth, while the Mojo2 doesn't. Having built-in EQ adjustment is fine, but by no means competitive to newer devices that have full PEQ for far cheaper. And then the Micro-USB. Basically the only things I have with Micro-USB are lights for my bike. It's about as relevant as the 2.5 balanced output on my xCAN. I've been looking at the Fiio KA17 DAC-amp to take care of use cases where I want to use a wired digital input, since my iFi xCAN only has analog and Bluetooth, and it's remarkable that the KA17 *seems* on paper to surpass the >4x more expensive Mojo2 in terms of features and usability: it can pull power directly from a phone or computer rather than needing a battery, it has PEQ, is smaller, has a digital display, has balanced output (even though I don't care), and is less than a quarter of the price. What does the Mojo2 have going for it?? The Mojo2 seems like a difficult product to market, but Golden Sound's review convinced me that it is in fact not merely a bulkier, clunkier portable DAC-amp, and the Mojo2 + Poly is arguably a better home audio streaming solution than a DAP. The cross-feed feature and the overall DAC quality seems like the killer app for the Mojo2 as a standalone device. It would have been interesting to hear more about its potential in a stack with a separate amplifier. Hopefully Chord will come out with a much more user-friendly product in the near future that ditches Micro-USB, and it'd be great to have a more intuitive UI with a knob and a screen. If omitting Bluetooth really is able to meaningfully keep the price down to an attainable level, I guess that's fine, but man, it seems like giving market share away to the iFi Gryphon for free due to how much more competitive the Gryphon looks on paper.

[@Desmond987]

I want to like Mojo so much but damn their products look so god damn ugly I would never want that child's toy looking block on my desk.

[@ChefTom777]

For me it is unique & light years ahead in the design alone.. also light years ahead in sounde quality.. chord is one of the best looking & very unique..

[@user-cs3wo7nt8t]

guys i have moondrop dawn pro dac amp and i want to use it with my iphone if i connect it with usb c to lightning charging cable does it ruin the sound quality? and if this effect the sound quality what the best usb c to lightning cables for dac amp in amazon or aliexpress? Thank you

[@ashred9665]

Buyers beware of teh Chord mojo 2 white noise issue. It's a killjoy and deal breaker.

[@sushimshah2896]

What $1200 for the set, no thanks!!

[@davidfromamerica1871]

I will stick with my $5.00 Dollar General Store wired earphones.😎👍

[@fabianoberlim9636]

You can buy a Topping DX9 flagship model for the same price. Crazy

[@or1on89]

@@fabianoberlim9636 Their customers are people who easily spend 5000$ for a hi-fi DAC and 180$ for 1mt of speaker cable...it is priced for these people, so if you look for the value in it, you won't get any.

[@seanb3303]

@@fabianoberlim9636yeah you can go much cheaper if chinese chip dacs are your bag. They are a but disposable