Great review, best I have seen. I held off and held off on buying a Mojo1 or even Hugo2 in the hope that a Mojo2 would be coming. I'm not sure my 60yr+ ears are worth investing in a Hugo2. Happy I waited, though I do wish they had just dropped the Poly and gone with all USB-C. They are A$899 and available now. I pre-ordered mine from Minidisc last week and they thought they would have stock in early March but yesterday I got the courier tracking details for the Mojo2 and case on their way. A nice surprise & looking forward to hearing a Chord DAC for the 1st time. Thanks.
That's so cool that it's coming so much earlier! So glad you liked the review and I hope you love the Mojo 2! I do somewhat agree about the Poly. It would have been nice to see the Mojo 2 integrate the Poly functionality or have Poly 2 arrive at the same time, even if it only changed the connectors.
@@PassionforSound It's here already - another nice surprise, expected it to take longer to get to Perth. I've seen lots of videos of people holding them but it's smaller than I expected - tiny & so Qute. I thought I had more time to decide what to listen to first so it's got to be Close to the Edge then A Moon Shaped Pool. Going in ...
@mcdirt how did the albums sound to you on your new Mojo2?! Great choices too btw for music to start with. I always do the same thing in anticipation of new gear of any sort and plan out what I wanna listen to first etc! I get so easily hyped up thinking about which music I’ll enjoy first thru the new gear etc and it’s not so much the excitement of getting new gear as it is the excitement of getting to experience just how much I enjoy rediscovering music I already know and love on equipment that’s fresh and different to me. Especially when the new equipment presents things in a really neat and unique manner and highlights certain details of my catalogue in ways that I hadn’t quite caught on previous sources/chains. Always exciting catching many of those new micro details I haven’t previously caught before. Happy listening!
@@davidcoons89 Hi - I absolutely love it. The sound is amazing & I feel I can pick out & follow any instrument in the mix. I love the form-factor and even the buttons - I like that I can see the what's going on with the Mojo sitting on my desk out of arms reach. Using colours gives so much info that would alternatively need a screen + complicated menu system. The output amp is powerful + can drive all the Headphones + IEMs I have easily - don't need my headphone amp anymore. What I do need is another Mojo2 for my big speaker system!
About the eq, at first I didn't get the chosen frequencies but now that I see that the 125hz is a shelf for example then I can now see the purpose of the 20hz boost. It's nice to be able to combine it with the shelf to shape the curve more towards the lower frequencies or upper bass depending upon the combination applied.
Thanks for the detailed review! Brilliant as always. By far the best review so far on YT. Agree with all your points. The eq and crossfeed really makes this bit of kit special. Personally I found the mojo2 a fraction smoother than my original mojo on stock settings but didn’t do a massive load of a/b testing. Tested with senn ie900 and hd800s. Hd800s and original mojo = bad parring but with mojo 2 and eq I found a great sound with tweaking. That’s what makes this device so special. Wish my TT2/m scaler had that feature! I also read the 37k taps on the original mojo only ran at half speed so the real tap length was about 18.5k. Great review. I am deffo keeping my mojo 2 and selling the original :)
Thanks Max! That's really interesting about the original Mojo taps. The EQ is definitely a killer option for some cans/IEMs, but I definitely like it running neutral with the IE900s. Bring on the TT3 with EQ!
Absolutely! I love the original Mojo and its ability to sound great with everything. The Mojo 2 can be a little less forgiving... until you apply the EQ and crossfeed so yes, its a nice upgrade
@@PassionforSound It does sound tremendous and overall a good product worth buying.... One small downside that so far nobody seems to mention..... Build Quality. The spheres wrattle quite a bit and it gives an impression of a clunky product. I asked Chord (Colin Pratt) why and he told me the spheres need to grow and shrink "a fraction of a mm" because of temp changes where used, but yet I measured a 1.5mm gap up and down which is what causes the wrattle (4 spheres too). It's a shame they didn't get that right, then it would be the perfect product albeit pricey (which is fair enough as an audiophile DAC/headphone amp)
Keep in mind that the balls need to move freely and easily as well as have space for expansion so the gap is about both staying free to move and providing leeway
Passion for Sound if they had used grommets which plenty of products do for outdoor use, so they give with expansion and contraction then not an issue , but the issue is they move up and down because tolerances are not fine enough and probably because circuit board is lower down. If chord say they are designed to move fractions of a mm but I measured 1.5mm then they are being disingenuous there and the product hasn’t been designed to cope with the wrattle and always will wrattle. With four balls it makes it worse.
I've had many Chord products now and have also chatted at length with Rob Watts. These guys don't cut corners. There will be reasons for their decisions that we don't know (i.e. a reason they didn't use grommets) Whether it's the right decision isn't for me to say and I'm not hear to defend them, but I guarantee they had a solid rationale for the design and it won't involve cutting corners
I've tried the Hugo 2 since the review was done and the Hugo 2 is still comfortably better which means the Qutest is too because it shares the same DAC as the Hugo 2
I really appreciate the comparisons you do between different products of the same price category. Especially since I own and use a Bifrost 2 on a daily basis. I've held an interest in chord's product's for quite some time now with the mojo in particular as I've been in search for portable gear that can somewhat match my desktop setup without breaking the bank.
I directly compared modi multibit and mojo 2. I had very similar impressions. Both devices played very, very similar, the Modi had a problem in the treble, in that it is worse than the Bitfrost. But in terms of naturalness, dynamics, space both modi and mojo2 played at a very high level.
I haven't tried the Modi MB yet, but your description makes sense because each step up the Schiit Multibit range brings better refinement and resolution while maintaining all the other great characteristics
Fabulous review! Very detailed and clear explanations. You saved me over $700. I was considering a purchase, but your review helped clarify that decision. I use a Bifrost 2 on my home stereo and it does sound great. The Mojo 2 is a good value and would be a good choice to use on the go, or connected to my car stereo.
I agree. I'm very satisfied with my Bifrost 2. I do wonder though if that cross-feed can reproduce the forward depth information better. I'm on the look out for that illusive holographic sound at below 1k USD for a DAC
Glad I could help! As for the crossfeed ability, it definitely does throw a more forward, very slightly less wide stage. For headphone listening, I do find it produces an excellent sense of holographics a in the staging
Got a chord mojo 2 and love it. After using mojo for 3 months I feel like this is all a person will need. Seems like most headphone companies are focusing on making headphones that are efficient and easy to drive on portable devices. Meze 109 pro, he1000 stealth, Arya Organic, Beyerdynamic t1 3rd, and hd800s can all easily be driven properly on the mojo 2. I wouldn’t be surprised if hifiman releases a new susvara, it will probably easily be driven off something like a mojo.
Glad you're enjoying the Mojo 2 and I agree about most of the new headphones being easy to drive. I think there'll always be some tricky ones on the market, even with new models, but the Mojo 2 will take care of 95% of what's out there. 🙂
Thank you for the review. All you said is excellent in my opinion. I placed the order about 9.2 seconds after watching your video 😃. Mojo 2 arrived today. It has exceeded my expectations in every regard. Crossfeed is a terrific feature. Considerable time spent this afternoon assessing the DSP but I am back to flat. I do know that previous headphones I have owned would have benefited greatly from these DSP adjustments. The current ones just get all emotional with the Mojo 2 and it’s crossfeed enabled to maximum. Thank you again!
What headphones are you using? I’ve got Grado 325x and am not at all impressed by the mojo 2. Sounds no different to my Zen DAC V2 using Tidal masters (trial), local hires files on my pc or Spotify. In fact connected to my old pixel via usb c I get a faint clicking sound every 5 or so seconds. I’ll probably be taking it back on that basis as the noise makes it unusable for me. I’m rather disappointed as I was hoping this would be a noticeable upgrade over the Zen.
Solid review. Very useful/sensible descriptions and comparisons. Had a Mojo in the main system - loved it. Went to a 2Qute - more detail and space (and less warmth) but in no way fatiguing. Went to a Qutest - even more detail and space but yet somehow still not fatiguing. That's in comparison to most other DACs where increasing high end detail just seems etched. Clever stuff.
ive been using the mojo 2 for just a day now, mainly with 64 audio u12t in ears... its a great bit of kit but my only other amps/dacs i have are the ifi zen dac 2 and the soundblaster gc7... the mojo walks all over them but ofcourse is much more expensive. im a big pc gamer and when not gaming ofcourse ill listen to music so actually the soundblaster was far more useful for me than the zen dac 2 because it offered more flexibility to EQ the sound... the mojo 2 steps up and does that and more, it doesn't just EQ it refines the frequencies around that area nicely making it a much more seamless adjustment to the sound which is nice, i have some DT1990 pro headphones aswell that scream out for some treble smoothing and yeh the mojo sorts it out, im only a day in with it but i feel its already going to be the mainstay on my desk with the bonus of taking it out and about aswell, love it. thanks for the video.
Amazing Review! I'll need to listen to it again without distractions. I need another mobile DAC / AMP. Right now I'm using the original apogee groove. I was going to get the updated anniversary version. The original sounds good. For desk top I use an RME ADI 2/4 the updated version DAC / AMP. It sounds very good but there are so many features I've just scratched the surface. I use LCD-5, Focal Stellia and Clear MG Pros, Arya Stealth, DT 1990 and 1770's. I hope to upgrade phones to Emperian II, MM-500, and Arya organics. Would the Mojo 2 be a great and accurate DAC with plenty of power. I am a musician and want the closest to an accurate sound so I can hear all the details I'm doing. It would take a bit of saving and selling but I could possible go all the way up to the Hugo 2 if there is a noticeable difference with the selection of phones I use. I would more than like use the MM-500 and Arya organics the most. Is the Mojo 2 already better than the Grooves and REM ADI 2/4?
The Mojo 2 is a stunningly good DAC and headphone amp. It should drive all of your planned headphones without a problem too. Hugo 2 is still better if you can save up for it, but both will be a step up from the ADI-2 IMO.
I think Chord should also release a pure desktop version that is mains powered only with full sized inputs & outputs, leaving the shackles of the poly/USB micro behind. Surely all the hard work done with developing the DSP, improving the software on the FPGA etc can be leveraged to create a sister product that better meets the needs of the many users not interested in portability?
@@leoyu1070 The 2 products are at completely different price points. Customers don't pay 3x more for the Qutest just because it's not designed for portable use, they do so because of its superior performance. Many people already use the mojo in their home systems, I just think there's a market of people who can't stretch to the Qutest but are put off the Mojo because of it having a battery and small inputs etc. For not a great deal of investment Chord could cater to that market by using the tech developed for the Mojo in a non portable form factor.
Great review. I love my original Mojo which I use primarily as a desktop dac feeding a Schiit Magni. I will probably get a Mojo 2 so that I can EQ my Grado PS500e to tame the top end. What I really want Chord to do is to produce a Mojo TT but that would probably impact on their Hugo TT sales.
Cut out the magni and invest in an Audioquest carbon usb cable for your mojo. The mojo has enough power to drive the headphones on its own and will provide a cleaner listening experience. The carbon usb cable will give you a really precise/clear/smooth sound.
Review is under editing here it’s freaking awesome, TTeetu has landed on the desk as well 🐅 Good work getting the review completed so soon, I had only 72 hours with it and put 16 hours in LOL
@@PassionforSound Price to performance ratio the Mojo is a killer unfortunate about the micro USB, and lack of Bluetooth, otherwise sonically superb. But, Tt2 I might honestly swap the OOR - hypsos dac3 both 6K systems both superb subjectively TT2 sings to me. Can’t keep it, can’t keep that OOR, and then the mono block benchmark AHB2 and may KTELOL The purge will come in time I’m sure Hope you’re doing well bud, we should get around to that podcast thing soon too
We should for sure! The last 6 months have been nuts and I have another month or two of crazy ahead I think, but hopefully we can set something up. I'll be keen to hear what stays and what goes in the purge!
@@PassionforSound I know what you mean mate, February March and April is absolutely nuts here! to there are so many things. Elite lirik fostex 909 Verite lcd5 Plus all the equipment I mentioned previously that needs to be reviewed not to mention five other lower tier headphones LOL and that’s just a start Utopia final audio and the LCD5 should be added on to the pile in the next week or so it’s absolutely mental mate But we will have a catch up definitely when things are a little bit calmer Stay safe mate, and mind them kangaroos 🐅
Thank you for a great review, I have one arriving today but haven't decided whether I will be keeping it yet. I appreciate your informative and most importantly, honest reviews which have definitely had some influence in buying/not buying a product.
I can't compare directly against an iFi product - only from memory, but the boost from the Mojo 2 strikes me as tighter and cleaner. I used to enjoy my original iDSD with the bass boost, but it wasn't as tight or as widely adjustable as the Mojo 2.
Thank you for the most informative review about the sound and the possibilities. And for the great TIP! Just remember the order of the menu button functions: one press =, two press= etcetera instead of focusing on the colors. I got it the first time, very helpful !!! Chord should add this in their manual as an alternative way of memorizing.
@@PassionforSound That is great! I think I now understand why your TIP can be easier for some people. Chord is: one press = color = function. You take the short cut: one press = function. It is easier to memorize an 1 to 1 relationship instead of 1 = x = y.
Chord could offer a revision of their firmware with the lock as the first option to improve a portable users experience. It's always a good idea to give your customers options for different use cases, when you can. Other companies, let's take iFi as an example, offer different versions of their firmware releases with different options/filtering priorities like enabling GTO while sacrificing DSD 256-512, or vice versa. A user interface change seems trivial, in comparison.
Hi Lachlan, Love your reviews and it was lovely to meet you at the StereoNET show! I ended up purchasing the mojo2 thanks to your recommendation, and since I have been curious (given it is compatible with the MScaler) whether you’ve tested the mojo2 with the MScaler?, and whether this makes any difference to the sound at all? Though it’s probably an odd partnership given the cost difference of the 2 devices, I thought this might also make for an interesting video if the difference in sound quality is quite evident.
Great call on the Mojo 2! Glad I could help. As for the M-Scaler, it will definitely improve the sound of the Mojo 2, but within limits. I.e. it won't turn the Mojo 2 into a TT2, but you can expect improved refinement of the sound, better soundstage size and imaging accuracy.
PayPal staring at me like 👀 (edit) Great review, answered pretty much all my questions and really appreciate the comparison to the Bifrost as it helped me make my decision. The Mojo 2 pretty much fits all my use cases and I can't wait to fiddle with the EQ.
Excited to try this! Just purchased the Mojo 2 with the Thieaudio Oracle 2 iem’s! Excited to see how they sound together. Also have a pair of Audeze MM 500’s but use that with my Hifiman ef400 setup on my desktop.
You have the best reviews dude. There's a podcast between Rob Watts and john darko in which he explains the troubles he went through for designing this and stuff. Its so interesting.
Glad you like the reviews! I agree about the podcast - it was very interesting. You might also enjoy the interview I did with Rob Watts a couple of years ago if you haven't already seen it. It was very enlightening to me.
@@PassionforSound i have watched yours of course and it was amazing too but i dont understand why he's so against R2Rs and I don't have enough knowledge to bash him out but, someone said that some ears actually might prefer distortion to a level that r2rs have because in something like a bartok which is an overkill for distortion fix, its so soulless based on what I've heard but Rob is all for removing distortion 😁anyways yes your interview with him was great tbh.
I can't answer that one either beyond the suggestion that distortion might be preferable to some, but also agreeing with you that there are designs like the Chord DACs that have very low distortion and still sound great
Thanks for the response. Fortunately I can find one to try in Dubai so will test it out. I don’t know why I think I should be looking at a desktop amp/ dac to get to the next level. BTW really enjoying your reviews keep up the good work. Thanks
Lovely review! The comparisons are super useful (especially since I have a BF2 and have heard a Mojo). I've tried to mess with EQ in Roon and sure maybe made something easier to listen to, or evened out the bass roll off a bit but like you I've always felt I've lost something while using it (to where no matter how much I try, I end up preferring it off). If their UHD EQ claims are true that's pretty attractive, I wonder how long until some of the rest of their line up gets that included.
Great review - thanks - I am getting back into the hobby and just picked up an Ananda Stealth Magnet headphone and a Mojo 2 - waiting for delivery. For now I intend to use as a source an iPhone 13 Pro Max with Apple Music. Can you recommend a reasonably priced headphone cable to replace the stock Hifiman cable that might help improve the sound?
Nice choices for your setup! My recommended cable for the Ananda would be the Apos Flow if you're in North America or check out the Gladiator Cables Cesar range.
The day I got my first carbon steel deBuyer pan I became a real chef over night. Suddenly I could get a proper steak no non-stick pan ever got me. Maybe I should have a look at the new Mojo 2 - I may not become Mozart but maybe it can make my cans sing 😄
I think you’ll find that the Mojo had twice the number of taps as the Hugo, but they were running at half speed, so the Equivalent of 26K rather than the 38K you mention
My Mojo 1’s battery has gone the way of the Dodo. Definitely looking at getting the 2 as a quick pc dac and portable option. It saves running my dac and Burson GT just to listen to little music /TV or TH-cam. They are bit overkill! While i appreciate it wanting to add a screen etc and i did like the buttons of 1st one (the fidget in my likes the rolling balls), the mojo 2’s increase in options is making them a bit convoluted. Your criticisms of the menu button and lock option is valid. Given the multi-function of them I cannot fathom why a quick double press of the menu or power button puts it in lock mode wasn’t implemented. Also, the EQ, isn’t Schiits tone control box “lossless”? But no matter the slight criticisms, I haven’t used the Mojo for a good while and had forgotten how good it was. Not that the mojo 2 is less than £400 is definitely going to eat the top of the list of next purchases
Mojo 2 will be a great replacement for the OG because it's even better still! As for the Schiit EQ, one of the challenges it faces is that I think an analog EQ still skews the phase (timing) of the signal so it might not have the mathematical rounding errors of digital EQ, but I'm pretty sure it still causes timing problems.
I think you should have used "Balls to the Wall" by Accept and "Big Balls" by AC/DC as test tracks to complement the title of the video hahaha. Had the original Mojo back in 2016 but sold it in less than a year. Sounded great but was not a fan of things like the battery life, unit being too hot less than 30 minutes in use, etc. While I am satisfied with my current portable/transportable in the ifi iDSD Signature, may consider getting the Mojo 2 sometime down the road. Honest, great and detailed review as expected. Big thanks!
This was such a good review Lachlan!!! I've now watched it twice and subscribed to your channel. Can't wait to demo one of these and see if it can pinch hit for an R2R Dac thats getting monopolized by my loudspeaker system. My Headphone rig is in a different room and desperately misses me. 😅
A good sound is a good sound, regardless of the headphones used and I don't have any closed cans as revealing as the Arya's. That said, I did use IEMs quite a bit when first listening to the Mojo 2 (before my direct comparison) and it was great with both the IE900 and KSE 1200.
Great review! As the mojo 2 can now perform as a desktop DAC if left connected to the charger, how does it compare to the Qutest in terms of sound quality? Is the Qutest worth the much higher price now?
Qutest is still significantly better. I've been able to compare the Mojo 2 and Hugo 2 (after producing this review) and the Hugo 2 which uses the same DAC as the Qutest is still comfortably better in its sense of space and refinement.
I haven't compared them directly, but it will be a very close call. I like the Mojo 2 and Bifrost 2 OG about the same, so it's possible the BF2/64 will have pulled ahead now.
Thanks for this review! I must admin I'm not a fan of Chord's past products and don't really appreciate their house sound. But I would like to give this product a go. I also am a bit put off by their design aesthetics as it looks like a Simon toy from the 1980's. I was looking at an ifi hip dac 2, ifi go blu, and quidelix 5k as portable options to bring into work/office.
The design aesthetic will always be quite personal, but I'm pretty confident it will perform significantly better than any of the other options you're considering. (No doubt it costs a fair bit more too)
Another fantastic review. Thank you! If one doesn’t want all the bells & whistles of the Mojo 2 (various inputs, menu features, dsp, etc.), but only the sound of it, what do you recommend for a Sennheiser IE800 with an iPhone? (Even better would be a unit that powers from the phone). Would absolutely appreciate your expert opinion. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Nothing else (that I've heard) will match the Mojo 2 for sound and that's really what you're paying for. As for devices that approximate the Mojo 2, the xDuoo Poke II is coming up for review pretty soon and it's quite nice if you also want the power output. The best sounding device that's not Mojo 2 would be the EarMen Colibri. I've got a review of that one on the channel too
I haven't tried the iFi options, but knowing that they use a more traditional chip-based DAC, the Mojo 2's FPGA with Rob Watts' filtering and decoding approach should comfortably outperform them
Hi Lachlan, I have owned the Chord Mojo 2 for a year now and I am very impressed with the audio performance of the device, especially after I bought the Matrix Audio X-SPDIF3. The performance of the Mojo 2 improved shockingly with the X-SPDIF3 on the coax output. I am now thinking about upgradeing from Mojo 2 and I am thinking about Hugo 2 or Qutest. I am closer to choosing Qutest over Hugo 2. Or do you think it is not worth upgradeing from Mojo 2 Because I love the bass, impact, speed, and dynamics of Mojo 2’s sound, specifically in fast electronic music. What do you think? Do you have any suggestions?
The Qutest and Hugo 2 are both great choices. Ultimately, which to buy comes down to the way you'll use it. Qutest and Hugo 2 share the same DAC, but the Hugo 2 has the headphone outputs if that's of interest, and the Qutest offers galvanic isolation on the USB input, although you probably don't need that if you're using the SPDIF converter. I'm other words, choose based on features and price because both sound fantastic.
Sell a kidney or another mortgage and splurge all over and buy the freaking iBassoDX320, trust me ;) Best high-end portable DAP on the market and DAC solution.
I didn't take note of that - sorry. I just based it on matching the output volume where I set the volume on the amp using the Bifrost 2 and then adjusted the Mojo 2 until they were matched. Glad you liked the video!
Hello! I am trying to decide between Mojo 2 and Rme ADI -2. Which one should I choose for my Sennheiser 800s. I am going to use the dac/amp for gaming. Precision imaging and low delay is most important for me. Which one should I go for?
I haven't compared them side-by-side, but I'd go for the Mojo 2 I think due to its better ability to create depth in the soundstage so you'll get some sense of distance as well as direction.
Thank you for the great review! Mojo 2 seems like an overall really interesting product with a few quirks. However, I keep thinking it has a major flaw. That is, since they market it as a possibility for a desktop use, how come it has two headphone outs instead of one headphone out an one dedicated line out? With a desktop device I am looking for something I could have permanently plugged into mains but also to desktop speakers, occasionally switching to headphones. Now, naturally, my headphones have different tonality than my speakers. So, how would I use the EQ and crossfeed? Going through the trouble of tweaking it to my headphones only to reset it to factory setting to plug in my speakers? And then setting it up for headphones from scratch again? I understand it neither has separate outs for powered speakers and headphones, nor possibility of two different EQ settings for headphones/speakers nor an easy way to switch EQ and crossfeed on/off... or am I missing something?
That's all correct, Lukas. I think the issue is that you're asking too much for the price and size. We almost always need to make tradeoffs in this hobby when balancing size, price, performance and features - something always has to give. In this case, the Mojo 2 is really a portable device that happens to have been optimised for those wanting a permanently connected solution. I don't think Chord are suggesting this is a fully-featured desktop DAC, just that if you want to leave it hooked-up permanently for a compact solution in an office for example then it won't hurt the battery. They're really only talking about desktop mode from a power management perspective I think.
@@PassionforSound Thanks for the reply Lachlan. I get what you are saying but I still think it would not require a lot of additional cost to trade one of the headphone outputs for a line out. Or to introduce EQ on/off switch. But I could be missing something, of course. The more I contemplate this device, the more of a head-scratcher it is for me. It almost seems as if the DAC engineering team with their cutting edge conversion and EQ technologies were miles ahead of the user-interface department, if you know what I mean :)
It's all about the additional circuitry, interface design and programming required I think. Plus, there's probably not that much demand for it when the Mojo 2 is predominantly a portable device that happens to now behave well when left plugged in for extended periods. The interface is a very personal thing. I love it, but I also understand why others don't.
@@PassionforSound Yeah, you are probably right. There is one last thing I would like to ask, though. If you watch review by ConvinceMeAudio at 28:40 he mentions a significant problem. According to his experience Mojo 2 needs approx 30 min to fully boot up. Needless to say, this is a big drawback. But it could also be his unit happened to be faulty. Did you have any such experience with your Mojo 2? BTW, thank you for the open and respectful discussion. If only the rest of the internet were like this... Anyhow, you earned yourself another Patreon subscriber ;)
Thanks for joining the Patreon family, Lukas! As for CMA's comments about the warm up, I have no idea what's going on there. Other than possibly an initial burn-in phase when these types of devices are brand new, there's nothing in the circuit that needs to warm up to sound "right". I'd put a large amount of money on this being a placebo effect. All electronic components have a degree of variance depending on temperature, but I've still never heard a device (even R2R DACs) alter significantly after about 5 minutes, let alone the journey of sound he's describing.
Hi Lachlan, First of all: Thanks for helping out on my latest audio quest: getting some good IEM’s and a DAC/Amp. Your reviews have really helped with deciding to buy the Sennheiser IE 900 as well as the Questyle M15. But as always, you can scratch all you want, upgrade itches don’t seem to go away. So I decided to buy the Mojo 2/Poly and I love (almost) every bit of it. Especially the DSP functions since I do like to EQ a fair bit. But the thing I don’t like: there is a Hugo 2(Go) out there! And considering I’m in the market for a transportable DAC/amp with streaming capabilities with the best SQ, it’s hard to ignore. So, assuming you have heard the Hugo 2, do you reckon the Hugo 2 is a real step up from the Mojo 2, keeping in mind I do need to EQ and only use IEM’s? Or should I focus on a different product? Or just stick to the Mojo 2? Love to read your opinion! Ps. Has anyone ever mentioned you are the Bob Ross of Audio reviewers? You paint great pictures in +/- 30 mins with the same soothing voices. Ok, maybe the hair is bit different.
Haha. I like that one! Time to get a curly wig 😁 As for your question though, the Hugo 2 is still a surprisingly significant upgrade over the Mojo 2 if you can live without the EQ. It's tonality is basically identical, but the resolution is a decent step up and staging size too. Hope it fixes the itch for you 🙂
@@IM-nt6ql Without getting into very specific details soundwise; I returned the Mojo 2/Poly simply because I did not experience it as a clear upgrade over the M15. Each time I A/B tested the two I was surprised how well the M15 kept up with the Mojo 2/Poly. I was pretty convinced I could not tell them apart if I blind tested them and therefore could not justify paying €1200 instead of €250 for the M15. And yes, the equalizer is great, but there are other options to apply EQ as well (UAPP, Poweramp equalizer or Roon for instance). I did end up buying the Hugo 2/2 GO by the way. As Lachlan suggested, I too think that combo is a more significant step up (which it should be, of course, considering it's price).
@@peteraandenboom4506 That's Stunning to hear!! Thanks for the reply. Some reviewers had preferred the m15 to mid level daps and even desktop setups so that's what got me extremely curious and interested in it. Definitely going down the m15 route as i save up for something like the rme adi-2 fs and call it a day.
My pleasure. I'm not exactly sure and had to send back the demo Mojo 2 so I can't test, but I'd say lift the 125Hz shelf a little and maybe drop the 3kHz shelf a touch too, but I'd start with the 125Hz
Hi Lachlan really thorough and useful review; I've been using the mojo 2 for awhile with Focal Utopias; connecting to my iPhone with Apple's camera adapter and the micro usb port; do you think one could purchase a USBC audio cable to use that USBC port and bypass the camera adapter? Like connect straight to the lightning port? thx
Hi Cassie, glad you liked the review! I'm not an Apple user so I don't know how that would work. If you can normally go from the Lightning to a USB-C connected DAC then it might work, but I can't test for you - sorry!
The Mojo 2 performs on par with the Bifrost 2 and the BF2 is clearly better than the EF400 so I'd take Mojo 2 over the EF400 if you are happy with the less desktop friendly form-factor (i.e. small, light, micro-USB powered, etc.)
Thank you for the great and factual presentation of the new Chord Mojo 2, I have a question, can You recommend a good usb-c cable to connect to the PC?
My pleasure! The best USB-C cable I've tried is a Cosemi optical USB cable, but they've been out of stock for a while. I don't have much experience beyond that because not many companies are making quality USB-C cables for audio
Wow. No Bluetooth inclusion on the Mojo2. I currently have the Chord Hugo2 for for non demanding headphones and a Mojo for IEMs. They are expensive but the treble is detailed and not harsh which is the sound signature that I prefer. The absence of Bluetooth on the MOJO1 is a major bummer and is now mostly used as my DAC for the Living room TV. IMO the colors for functions are perfect for me . I intuitively know what volume and function I am on on both the Mojo and Hugo2. Thank You for letting us know about the non-smoothing nature of the Mojo2. One the main benefits of the original Mojo is its ability to smooth over harshness on budget IEMs and Pop recordings but I would imagine the EQ would make up for it. On a unrelated note, the Hugo2s handling of very rare DSD files is simply amazing on the Green setting on the Hugo2, I thought DSD was a scam until the Hugo2. Spacious Airy and Punchy at least on "Michael Jackson's Thriller album.
I agree that DSD sounds great when it's a native recording. There are a few DACs that perform better when sent a DSD stream (upsampled from PCM) because for whatever reason the chip isn't doing that process as well (all delta-sigma chips are essentially converting to DSD internally), but I generally stick to native sample rates. As for the Mojo vs Mojo 2, I completely agree that the Mojo's smoothing nature is very beneficial at times, but yes, the EQ allows the same benefits by choice on the Mojo 2. Finally, my guess is that they couldn't squeeze BT into the Mojo 2 and/or that it wasn't added due to the fact that Poly uses already have BT receiving capability (no sending though)
Really surprised the very excellent eq on the Mojo 2 is absent on the Hugo 2 and im also suprised the Hugo 2 has a marginal number of taps compared to the Mojo 2 as the sound very similar hugo 2 should have a tap increase and eq... both sound amazing with the mojo 2 being the best "package" even though the hugo 2 does sound better
The Mojo 2 is significantly newer than the Hugo 2 so there'll be a Hugo 3 at some point that will combine all of the features and improvements of the Mojo 2 with greater performance still.
Wow excellent job, very interesting yet objective review. Lachlan, you mention that you use nice interconnect cables RCA to 3.5mm. Which one do you use for Mojo 2 and Soloist 3XP. Big fan of your work, actually got my Soloist 3XP + SuperCharger by watching your videos.
Glad I could help with your purchases so far! I actually didn't have great interconnects with the Mojo - I think my point was that I had great interconnects for the Bifrost 2, but not the Mojo 2. I was using an AudioQuest Forest (I think) 3.5mm to RCA which is good enough, but not amazing
Excellent review. I am thinking of buying Mojo 2 just for its EQ. I have been using EQ for a long time. I have been messing with a lot of EQs (Neutron, UAPP on my FiiO M11 Pro, APO on my PC), the problem with these software EQs is that you lose dynamics and slam. When you enable/boost 20hz or 125hz, is there any volume drop or dynamics lost or any distortion?
The only thing I can think of is using the 3kHz shelf to boost and then cut the 20kHz peak to leave the boost only in that crossover zone between mids and treble (3-5kHz). It's probably an imperfect solution and I can't test because I had to send the demo unit back and am waiting on stock so I can buy one.
Great review, thank you. May I ask question? I want to use mojo 2 as dac for desktop pc. So, can I connect with 3,5 mm cable to my active 2.1 speaker system?
Absolutely that's possible. Just get a 3.5mm to RCA cable or you can get a simple adapter to take the 3.5mm connection and allow connection of a regular RCA to RCA cable.
I don't think I had them at the same time, but the Mojo 2 is significantly better from a technical point of view (detail retrieval, imaging accuracy, etc.). I marginally prefer the EarMen Colibri over the RU6 and I vastly prefer the Mojo 2 over the Colibri
That is quite amazing that this is close to my next go to DAC the Bifrost 2, I spend a lot of time listening around my house nomadically, I have the xduoo 05 Bal with Burston op amps swapped in and was thinking this or Gryphon, think it’s going to be this.
@@PassionforSound for my desk I am thinking of pairing with a Jot 2 but as both are a little warm wasent sure but I guess I can use the DSP settings to balanced that out
I don't find the Bifrost 2 warm - it just doesn't shove all the details forward like many of the DS DACs that people consider to be reference. I think the Bifrost 2 and Jotunheim 2 is one of the very best bang-for'buck stacks in the game.
Thanks for this awesome, in-depth review. I'm looking for a DAC for my Oppo PM-2/PM-3, which are a tad on the warm side of things with a roll off in the treble and was wondering if the Mojo 2 would be a good match. I've been trying to decide between the Mojo 2 and the iFi Micro iDSD Signature. If you could offer your insight and maybe a suggestion for these headphones, I would appreciate it tremendously. Thanks!
Glad you liked the review! The Mojo 2 will be a better choice than the iDSD IMO, partly because it will sound better due to the more advanced DAC processing. Also because the EQ gives you control over multiple frequency bands to help "fix" any issues you have with the Oppo cans.
The USB-C port looks like a DIY mod with the plastic bit. I think they should've got ridden of microusb. Now Poly 2 should also use this ancient connector to be compatible with Mojo2, so will the Mojo 3 and Poly 3 and so on.
It does make you wonder about the future for Poly 2 - I agree. That said, the USB-C socket is much better engineered than it might look. It's quite clever how they've integrated the rubberised pad to replace the 4th foot and use that otherwise wasted space.
Thanks for your review. Regarding just SQ, which one is better in your opinion, Chord Mojo 2 or EarMen Angel, both primarily for IEM use, e.g. Sennheiser IE600 (if you have heard the Angel already ;))?
I haven't tried the Angel as yet. It's going to be pretty much impossible to beat the Mojo 2 while using a generic DAC chip like an ESS or AKM though so I'd put my money on the Mojo 2 every time
@@PassionforSound Dear Lachlan, thanks a lot for your opinion. My background is that I need a setup for business travel and generally more portable. At the moment I listen with IE600 (flat) and LCD-XC (eq) on RME-DAC2, which I like very much. Focus is jazz and classical music. I don't want to have any limitation in SQ, if different I prefer better :), hence the idea to buy a high quality device. I guess I'll have a listen to the Mojo 2 then. Cheers!
@@PassionforSound Oh man, how did you know that. I was in the Rabbit Hole for days now and then had to order some devices. Had the Colibri, and I liked it after a long listening session. The next day came the Mojo 2. Honestly, after 30s I knew this was something else. Listened to music deep into the night, could not disengage. Without thinking more deeply, I would say the Mojo 2 is exceptional at, timbre, spatiality between individual voices/instruments, decay of instruments, spatial resolution (stage), bass precision and in that with the Mojo 2 little things like secondary voices, strumming of strings, inhalation of singers, etc are much more noticeable without being obtrusive (You notice it as part of a natural process of making music). It gives the impression the voices/instruments are part of a whole (coherence). I hear things in the music that weren't there before (I'm not mental yet). Music sounds just natural. Listened briefly to the ifi xDSD Gryphon, but it didn't come close to the Mojo. Better than Colibri, but also a bit harsher. The Topping G5 I have not even unpacked (then it can be resold shrink-wrapped).... I haven't been so impressed with any audio part in a long time (Genelec 8260 with room correction, was the last time. I still have them and will not give them away).
I have the first mojo however my carry bag for my phone and other devices pinched my mojo on/off button to where it burnt out and the flexi bubble for on/off operations split to pieces. Do you know where I can replace that copper looking on/off part or at least an on/off switch replacement part? You are a great reviewer. Thanks much :)
Sorry to hear that! I'm afraid that one is beyond me - sorry. Best to contact Chord or the local distributor if you can find them. Glad you like the reviews!
I made a very simpel cpu with a Xilinx Artix 7 FPGA, it was a lot of work for just that. I can't imagine how much work it is to turn it in to a dac and processor for it.
Hey Lachian, was watching your great dongle fondle 2 featuring the Questlye m15 a bit ago. Been looking for something portable and I think I've decided on that as my next purchase. Seen some reviewers claiming sound quality wise its comparable to some mid level daps and even desktop setups. How does it compare to the Mojo 2 on the sound quality front. I'm not really concerned about crossfeed or EQ at the moment.
People claiming that dongles are matching desktop setups have generally not done proper comparisons because I've never yet found that to be true. The M15 is an excellent dongle and is 100% my favourite without going to a battery powered device like the EarMen Colibri or Chord Mojo 2. Both of those will still outperform the M15, but the M15 is so compact and sounds brilliant so it's still my go-to for portable use over and above the Mojo 2 which I tend to use only at home. I hope that helps to clarify for you
I really like Chord DACs. I own the Mojo and have the Mojo 2 on pre-order, but why does no one call them out on some of their obvious BS. Their reason for removing the line level setting is obvious BS. The last time I used my Mojo I had it on line level, I just fired up and it came on to the last low level headphone setting that I had used. I would have a literally had to hold down all three of the Mojo’s buttons to accidentally turn it on in line level mode. I’m mad that they made the decision to remove this feature (purposely or not) as I find it incredibly useful. And who wouldn’t use this on a product whose #1 new feature is an enhanced desktop power mode? I really think the reviewers are glazing over this sorry. They’ve manufactured a reason to account for this obvious oversight.
I do think it's handy to have the line level feature, but I personally don't think it's that big of a deal that it warrants extended discussion by reviewers. I'm guessing there's a reason it's gone, but I agree that the original Mojo worked well so I'm not sure that the explanation provided makes sense.
I haven't tried that combo - the loaner Mojo 2 had to go back and they're waiting on stock for me to buy one. I think the combo will be great though given how good the Verum 1 sounds with the TT2
Great review! it’s definitely a Dac I’m considering as I like the fact it’s an on the go solution and a desktop Dac in one. If using as a desktop Dac connected to an amp via RCA, what do you have to do with the volume as it’s not particularly clear in the manual I’ve seen and it doesn’t seem to have a dedicated line out mode like the original. Thanks, sorry if that’s a dumb question
Not a dumb question at all. Chord have published the colour setting that results in a 2V (or near enough) output if you want to align with that, but you can also just set your amp to a good level of volume (say 40-50%) and then adjust the Mojo 2 until it's at a good listening level. You'll then have room to turn your amp up or down as needed.
@@PassionforSound Thanks very much for the reply, I’m thinking of using it just as a Dac going into a tube amp so wondered if it would cause distortion issues. Thanks
Hi, after seeing your review I bought mojo 2. Now I need one good headphone to pair with mojo 2. Will BD 770 pro and 880 pro go well with it or should I look for something else? My budget is around 200-300 USD. Could you please help me with choosing a good headphone with right ohms. Sound quality is my first priority. Thanks in advance.
Hope you love the Mojo 2. I'd recommend taking a look at this list for my recommended headphones, but a few standouts are the DT 900 Pro X, the Verum 1 (slightly over budget), HD6XX and Sivga Phoenix. tinyurl.com/PfSRecommends
My Mojo 2 and poly arrive tomorrow and I would like to ask can I use the Poly blue tooth to access music already installed on my iPhone 13 mini without any app etc. I can listen to music with my Apple AirPods Pro 2 with blue tooth and the 13 mini blue tooth with no app. Cheers bud...subbed. 😃
Absolutely... once it's setup. IIRC you'll need to use the GoFigure app to get the Poly configured, but, after that, you can just connect to the Poly like any other BT device.
Sounds like the Chord Mojo 2 is very good, even though I would still take a dedicated desk DAC/Amp like the Fiio K9 Pro as I don't need such a high level unit for mobile use, I live in South Africa and just carry a device of that price on public transport when I happen to to it there. Thank you Lachlan
@@PassionforSound What would you recommend as a dedicated desktop setup in the same price range ? with hifiman edition X headphones. Been thinking about dx5 but you said its no match to mojo2, are there setups in this price range that beat mojo2 if it doesnt have to be portable? thanks!
Fantastic, detailed review! How would it compare re sound quality to the ifi gryphon which is a little dearer than the mojo 2 in nz? The gryphon has bluetooth but sound quality through anandas is a higher priority for me.
@@PassionforSound Thanks for your reply Lachlan. Well I bought the chord mojo 2 a few weeks ago, and have been blown away by its sound! Its turned my humble Drop HD58X headphones into sounding $2000 worth! It just makes everything sound so natural, relaxed and detailed at the same time. A truly magical little box.
Is it possible to use the Mojo 2 just as a headphone amp and bypass the DAC? I already have a Meridian 218 streamer so it would be interesting to compare both DACs
That's an interesting question. I'm not a huge fan of the attack from the ADI-2 (too much), but there's a chance it will be more resolving of details than the Mojo 2. I'd have to try them side-by-side
Hello everybody, i bought a mojo 2 and absolutely love it! But now, my headphones needs to be replaced. Where do I start my search? It is for listening at home, classic and old rock, would like details, sound stage and depth, budget around 400-500 USD
I'd buy this every time because the DAC will be miles ahead of the iFi, but you need to prioritise what's most important for your needs. (The Chord Poly provides streaming and Bluetooth capabilities, but it's an extra module)
As always, a very informative video. Quick question for everyone - if i'm just using my Android phone (using USB Audio Player PRO for bit perfect playback) and connecting via a half decent Audioquest usb c cable to the Mojo 2, would there be any need for any of these 'jitter reducing' devices to be added between the phone and Mojo 2, given that mobile phones are electrically noisy, or is the Mojo 2 doing a good enough job of reducing the noise from the phone ??
You can, but you will pass through 2 preamps, the one in the mojo2 and the one in your amp. Mojo1 had line out option. I am curious because I would have expected a mention in this review, especially from a desktop use point of view
Mojo 1 didn't bypass the preamp in LO mode, it just set the output voltage to 3V. One of the nice things about the Mojo 2 design is that the output stage is very direct so it's not like running through a more traditional HP amp stage before getting to your external amp and adjusting the voltage (via the volume) is completely lossless so there really are no disadvantages I can see. As for the E50 - it's great for the price, but it's not in the same league as the Mojo 2 / Bifrost 2. It won't produce the same sense of space or the level of refinement and detail that the Mojo 2 can deliver.
Great review, best I have seen. I held off and held off on buying a Mojo1 or even Hugo2 in the hope that a Mojo2 would be coming. I'm not sure my 60yr+ ears are worth investing in a Hugo2. Happy I waited, though I do wish they had just dropped the Poly and gone with all USB-C. They are A$899 and available now. I pre-ordered mine from Minidisc last week and they thought they would have stock in early March but yesterday I got the courier tracking details for the Mojo2 and case on their way. A nice surprise & looking forward to hearing a Chord DAC for the 1st time. Thanks.
That's so cool that it's coming so much earlier! So glad you liked the review and I hope you love the Mojo 2!
I do somewhat agree about the Poly. It would have been nice to see the Mojo 2 integrate the Poly functionality or have Poly 2 arrive at the same time, even if it only changed the connectors.
@@PassionforSound It's here already - another nice surprise, expected it to take longer to get to Perth. I've seen lots of videos of people holding them but it's smaller than I expected - tiny & so Qute. I thought I had more time to decide what to listen to first so it's got to be Close to the Edge then A Moon Shaped Pool. Going in ...
Hope you love it! I'm sure you will 🙂
@mcdirt how did the albums sound to you on your new Mojo2?! Great choices too btw for music to start with. I always do the same thing in anticipation of new gear of any sort and plan out what I wanna listen to first etc! I get so easily hyped up thinking about which music I’ll enjoy first thru the new gear etc and it’s not so much the excitement of getting new gear as it is the excitement of getting to experience just how much I enjoy rediscovering music I already know and love on equipment that’s fresh and different to me. Especially when the new equipment presents things in a really neat and unique manner and highlights certain details of my catalogue in ways that I hadn’t quite caught on previous sources/chains. Always exciting catching many of those new micro details I haven’t previously caught before. Happy listening!
@@davidcoons89 Hi - I absolutely love it. The sound is amazing & I feel I can pick out & follow any instrument in the mix. I love the form-factor and even the buttons - I like that I can see the what's going on with the Mojo sitting on my desk out of arms reach. Using colours gives so much info that would alternatively need a screen + complicated menu system. The output amp is powerful + can drive all the Headphones + IEMs I have easily - don't need my headphone amp anymore. What I do need is another Mojo2 for my big speaker system!
About the eq, at first I didn't get the chosen frequencies but now that I see that the 125hz is a shelf for example then I can now see the purpose of the 20hz boost. It's nice to be able to combine it with the shelf to shape the curve more towards the lower frequencies or upper bass depending upon the combination applied.
That's a very good point. I was thinking about that after I published the review
Thanks for the detailed review! Brilliant as always.
By far the best review so far on YT.
Agree with all your points. The eq and crossfeed really makes this bit of kit special.
Personally I found the mojo2 a fraction smoother than my original mojo on stock settings but didn’t do a massive load of a/b testing.
Tested with senn ie900 and hd800s.
Hd800s and original mojo = bad parring but with mojo 2 and eq I found a great sound with tweaking. That’s what makes this device so special.
Wish my TT2/m scaler had that feature!
I also read the 37k taps on the original mojo only ran at half speed so the real tap length was about 18.5k.
Great review. I am deffo keeping my mojo 2 and selling the original :)
Thanks Max! That's really interesting about the original Mojo taps.
The EQ is definitely a killer option for some cans/IEMs, but I definitely like it running neutral with the IE900s. Bring on the TT3 with EQ!
EQ should’ve be needed for a device this price.
The Mojo 2 doesn't need the EQ, MS, it's there for people who want to tweak the sound of their headphones
Great to see Chord improving upon the already best portable amp/dac on the market imo.
Absolutely! I love the original Mojo and its ability to sound great with everything. The Mojo 2 can be a little less forgiving... until you apply the EQ and crossfeed so yes, its a nice upgrade
@@PassionforSound It does sound tremendous and overall a good product worth buying.... One small downside that so far nobody seems to mention..... Build Quality. The spheres wrattle quite a bit and it gives an impression of a clunky product. I asked Chord (Colin Pratt) why and he told me the spheres need to grow and shrink "a fraction of a mm" because of temp changes where used, but yet I measured a 1.5mm gap up and down which is what causes the wrattle (4 spheres too). It's a shame they didn't get that right, then it would be the perfect product albeit pricey (which is fair enough as an audiophile DAC/headphone amp)
Keep in mind that the balls need to move freely and easily as well as have space for expansion so the gap is about both staying free to move and providing leeway
Passion for Sound if they had used grommets which plenty of products do for outdoor use, so they give with expansion and contraction then not an issue , but the issue is they move up and down because tolerances are not fine enough and probably because circuit board is lower down. If chord say they are designed to move fractions of a mm but I measured 1.5mm then they are being disingenuous there and the product hasn’t been designed to cope with the wrattle and always will wrattle. With four balls it makes it worse.
I've had many Chord products now and have also chatted at length with Rob Watts. These guys don't cut corners. There will be reasons for their decisions that we don't know (i.e. a reason they didn't use grommets) Whether it's the right decision isn't for me to say and I'm not hear to defend them, but I guarantee they had a solid rationale for the design and it won't involve cutting corners
Insane review! Your work and engagement is much appreciated!
So glad you liked it!
@@PassionforSound How would you compare the new Mojo2 to the Qutest?
I've tried the Hugo 2 since the review was done and the Hugo 2 is still comfortably better which means the Qutest is too because it shares the same DAC as the Hugo 2
@@PassionforSound Thank you for your response! This helps me a lot!
I really appreciate the comparisons you do between different products of the same price category. Especially since I own and use a Bifrost 2 on a daily basis. I've held an interest in chord's product's for quite some time now with the mojo in particular as I've been in search for portable gear that can somewhat match my desktop setup without breaking the bank.
Great review. Thank you for explaining some fairly heavy audio engineering concepts in such a lucid, friendly fashion.
So glad you found it helpful!
I directly compared modi multibit and mojo 2. I had very similar impressions. Both devices played very, very similar, the Modi had a problem in the treble, in that it is worse than the Bitfrost. But in terms of naturalness, dynamics, space both modi and mojo2 played at a very high level.
I haven't tried the Modi MB yet, but your description makes sense because each step up the Schiit Multibit range brings better refinement and resolution while maintaining all the other great characteristics
Except one is a bit more portable than the other. And btw Modius is a huge upgrade from Modi.
The level of detail in your reviews is great. Thanks for the excellent videos and the general granularity is appreciated
So glad it's helpful!
Fabulous review! Very detailed and clear explanations. You saved me over $700. I was considering a purchase, but your review helped clarify that decision. I use a Bifrost 2 on my home stereo and it does sound great. The Mojo 2 is a good value and would be a good choice to use on the go, or connected to my car stereo.
I agree. I'm very satisfied with my Bifrost 2. I do wonder though if that cross-feed can reproduce the forward depth information better. I'm on the look out for that illusive holographic sound at below 1k USD for a DAC
Glad I could help!
As for the crossfeed ability, it definitely does throw a more forward, very slightly less wide stage. For headphone listening, I do find it produces an excellent sense of holographics a in the staging
I have Mojo and Mojo 2. Your comments on the differences between the two are spot on.
Thanks for sharing your experiences and confirming my impressions for others who might be looking for second opinions! Hope you're loving your Mojo 2!
Got a chord mojo 2 and love it. After using mojo for 3 months I feel like this is all a person will need. Seems like most headphone companies are focusing on making headphones that are efficient and easy to drive on portable devices. Meze 109 pro, he1000 stealth, Arya Organic, Beyerdynamic t1 3rd, and hd800s can all easily be driven properly on the mojo 2.
I wouldn’t be surprised if hifiman releases a new susvara, it will probably easily be driven off something like a mojo.
Glad you're enjoying the Mojo 2 and I agree about most of the new headphones being easy to drive. I think there'll always be some tricky ones on the market, even with new models, but the Mojo 2 will take care of 95% of what's out there. 🙂
Agree on this. I bought it initially as a portable solution but now use it mainly as my desktop dac.
the only review of mojo2 on TH-cam.. thank you
My pleasure. I tried to get it out fast to help people thinking about early purchases/pre-orders
Thank you for the review. All you said is excellent in my opinion. I placed the order about 9.2 seconds after watching your video 😃. Mojo 2 arrived today. It has exceeded my expectations in every regard. Crossfeed is a terrific feature. Considerable time spent this afternoon assessing the DSP but I am back to flat. I do know that previous headphones I have owned would have benefited greatly from these DSP adjustments. The current ones just get all emotional with the Mojo 2 and it’s crossfeed enabled to maximum. Thank you again!
So glad that I steered you in the right direction and that you're loving your Mojo 2!!
What headphones are you using? I’ve got Grado 325x and am not at all impressed by the mojo 2. Sounds no different to my Zen DAC V2 using Tidal masters (trial), local hires files on my pc or Spotify. In fact connected to my old pixel via usb c I get a faint clicking sound every 5 or so seconds. I’ll probably be taking it back on that basis as the noise makes it unusable for me. I’m rather disappointed as I was hoping this would be a noticeable upgrade over the Zen.
Solid review. Very useful/sensible descriptions and comparisons. Had a Mojo in the main system - loved it. Went to a 2Qute - more detail and space (and less warmth) but in no way fatiguing. Went to a Qutest - even more detail and space but yet somehow still not fatiguing. That's in comparison to most other DACs where increasing high end detail just seems etched. Clever stuff.
Really well described, Rob! Glad you've enjoyed the journey and that you liked the review. Thanks for commenting!
ive been using the mojo 2 for just a day now, mainly with 64 audio u12t in ears... its a great bit of kit but my only other amps/dacs i have are the ifi zen dac 2 and the soundblaster gc7... the mojo walks all over them but ofcourse is much more expensive. im a big pc gamer and when not gaming ofcourse ill listen to music so actually the soundblaster was far more useful for me than the zen dac 2 because it offered more flexibility to EQ the sound... the mojo 2 steps up and does that and more, it doesn't just EQ it refines the frequencies around that area nicely making it a much more seamless adjustment to the sound which is nice, i have some DT1990 pro headphones aswell that scream out for some treble smoothing and yeh the mojo sorts it out, im only a day in with it but i feel its already going to be the mainstay on my desk with the bonus of taking it out and about aswell, love it. thanks for the video.
That's great to hear that you're enjoying the Mojo 2 so much. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
@@PassionforSound thankyou sir
Amazing Review! I'll need to listen to it again without distractions. I need another mobile DAC / AMP. Right now I'm using the original apogee groove. I was going to get the updated anniversary version. The original sounds good. For desk top I use an RME ADI 2/4 the updated version DAC / AMP. It sounds very good but there are so many features I've just scratched the surface. I use LCD-5, Focal Stellia and Clear MG Pros, Arya Stealth, DT 1990 and 1770's. I hope to upgrade phones to Emperian II, MM-500, and Arya organics. Would the Mojo 2 be a great and accurate DAC with plenty of power. I am a musician and want the closest to an accurate sound so I can hear all the details I'm doing. It would take a bit of saving and selling but I could possible go all the way up to the Hugo 2 if there is a noticeable difference with the selection of phones I use. I would more than like use the MM-500 and Arya organics the most. Is the Mojo 2 already better than the Grooves and REM ADI 2/4?
The Mojo 2 is a stunningly good DAC and headphone amp. It should drive all of your planned headphones without a problem too.
Hugo 2 is still better if you can save up for it, but both will be a step up from the ADI-2 IMO.
@@PassionforSound Thank You! I appreciate your feedback. It's very helpful.
I think Chord should also release a pure desktop version that is mains powered only with full sized inputs & outputs, leaving the shackles of the poly/USB micro behind. Surely all the hard work done with developing the DSP, improving the software on the FPGA etc can be leveraged to create a sister product that better meets the needs of the many users not interested in portability?
That would be kind of cool. Like a baby Qutest.
@@PassionforSound They won't do that, other wise no one will buy Qutest
If the sound quality is as different as Mojo 2 and Hugo 2 there's still be a market
@@leoyu1070 The 2 products are at completely different price points. Customers don't pay 3x more for the Qutest just because it's not designed for portable use, they do so because of its superior performance. Many people already use the mojo in their home systems, I just think there's a market of people who can't stretch to the Qutest but are put off the Mojo because of it having a battery and small inputs etc. For not a great deal of investment Chord could cater to that market by using the tech developed for the Mojo in a non portable form factor.
@@malcatron pretty damn sure Chord will not do that lol
Great review. I love my original Mojo which I use primarily as a desktop dac feeding a Schiit Magni. I will probably get a Mojo 2 so that I can EQ my Grado PS500e to tame the top end. What I really want Chord to do is to produce a Mojo TT but that would probably impact on their Hugo TT sales.
I think you missed the Chord Qutest.
Glad you liked the review! I agree with Christian that the Qutest is pretty much what you're looking for I think
Cut out the magni and invest in an Audioquest carbon usb cable for your mojo. The mojo has enough power to drive the headphones on its own and will provide a cleaner listening experience. The carbon usb cable will give you a really precise/clear/smooth sound.
Review is under editing here
it’s freaking awesome,
TTeetu has landed on the desk as well 🐅
Good work getting the review completed so soon, I had only 72 hours with it and put 16 hours in LOL
It's like that, isn't it!? Hope you enjoy them both!
@@PassionforSound Price to performance ratio the Mojo is a killer unfortunate about the micro USB, and lack of Bluetooth, otherwise sonically superb.
But, Tt2 I might honestly swap the OOR - hypsos dac3 both 6K systems both superb subjectively TT2 sings to me.
Can’t keep it, can’t keep that OOR, and then the mono block benchmark AHB2 and may KTELOL
The purge will come in time I’m sure
Hope you’re doing well bud, we should get around to that podcast thing soon too
We should for sure! The last 6 months have been nuts and I have another month or two of crazy ahead I think, but hopefully we can set something up.
I'll be keen to hear what stays and what goes in the purge!
@@PassionforSound I know what you mean mate, February March and April is absolutely nuts here! to there are so many things.
Elite lirik fostex 909 Verite lcd5 Plus all the equipment I mentioned previously that needs to be reviewed not to mention five other lower tier headphones LOL and that’s just a start
Utopia final audio and the LCD5 should be added on to the pile in the next week or so it’s absolutely mental mate
But we will have a catch up definitely when things are a little bit calmer
Stay safe mate, and mind them kangaroos 🐅
Thank you for a great review, I have one arriving today but haven't decided whether I will be keeping it yet. I appreciate your informative and most importantly, honest reviews which have definitely had some influence in buying/not buying a product.
Well, I opened it,...and I am glad I did, it sounds sublime.
Awesome! So glad you like it and so glad I've been able to provide some assistance
Great review once again!! I was wondering if you could comment on the bass boost performance of the Mojo 2 vs. the offerings from iFi.
I can't compare directly against an iFi product - only from memory, but the boost from the Mojo 2 strikes me as tighter and cleaner. I used to enjoy my original iDSD with the bass boost, but it wasn't as tight or as widely adjustable as the Mojo 2.
Thank you for the most informative review about the sound and the possibilities. And for the great TIP! Just remember the order of the menu button functions: one press =, two press= etcetera instead of focusing on the colors. I got it the first time, very helpful !!! Chord should add this in their manual as an alternative way of memorizing.
So glad I could help! You've made my day by letting me know 🙂🙂🙂
@@PassionforSound That is great! I think I now understand why your TIP can be easier for some people. Chord is: one press = color = function. You take the short cut: one press = function. It is easier to memorize an 1 to 1 relationship instead of 1 = x = y.
Chord could offer a revision of their firmware with the lock as the first option to improve a portable users experience. It's always a good idea to give your customers options for different use cases, when you can. Other companies, let's take iFi as an example, offer different versions of their firmware releases with different options/filtering priorities like enabling GTO while sacrificing DSD 256-512, or vice versa. A user interface change seems trivial, in comparison.
Interesting point! I'd be surprised to see Chord do that, but it would be a cool bit of flexibility!
Thank you for asking, i'm perfectly satisfied with just two.
😂
Top class review thank you so much.really enjoy all your reviews.
So glad you enjoy them!
I’ve been waiting for this! Thanks
My pleasure! Hope it's helpful! Can you confirm for me that you saw it via the Patreon page? I never know which TH-cam handle relates to which patron
@@PassionforSound Yes, I clicked the TH-cam patreon link in the email that’s directly below your thumbnail.
Great! I had an unlisted video leak once to the public due to my own error so I was just checking I hadn't done something similar
Hi Lachlan,
Love your reviews and it was lovely to meet you at the StereoNET show!
I ended up purchasing the mojo2 thanks to your recommendation, and since I have been curious (given it is compatible with the MScaler) whether you’ve tested the mojo2 with the MScaler?, and whether this makes any difference to the sound at all?
Though it’s probably an odd partnership given the cost difference of the 2 devices, I thought this might also make for an interesting video if the difference in sound quality is quite evident.
Great call on the Mojo 2! Glad I could help.
As for the M-Scaler, it will definitely improve the sound of the Mojo 2, but within limits. I.e. it won't turn the Mojo 2 into a TT2, but you can expect improved refinement of the sound, better soundstage size and imaging accuracy.
PayPal staring at me like 👀
(edit) Great review, answered pretty much all my questions and really appreciate the comparison to the Bifrost as it helped me make my decision. The Mojo 2 pretty much fits all my use cases and I can't wait to fiddle with the EQ.
Awesome! Glad it was helpful and informative for you. 🙂🙂 Enjoy your Mojo 2!
Thanks, Lachlan. I always enjoy your insights.
Glad I could provide helpful content 🙂🙂
Excited to try this! Just purchased the Mojo 2 with the Thieaudio Oracle 2 iem’s! Excited to see how they sound together. Also have a pair of Audeze MM 500’s but use that with my Hifiman ef400 setup on my desktop.
You're in for a treat I think. I haven't tried the Oracle 2, but I'm yet to find anything that doesn't sound great with Mojo 2. Enjoy!
Love the quality of Chesky recordings.
Always great recordings. I just wish more of them captured music that I really like 🙂
Rob is a magician. I have found the EQ implementation is clever and it works well with my LCD-2 fazor. It brings goose bumps out of my skin.
I'm with you. It's a brilliant system that can transform headphones/earphones without hassle or fuss
Hi. Another great review!
Would this run a set of LCD-3s?
Thanks:)
Glad you liked it. Yes, the LCD-3 only needs about 8mW to reach 110dB so you'll have no troubles at all
Excellent presentation and vocal delivery
Glad you liked it 🙂
Love the headline of the review 😸 really great review aswell
Glad you liked the review. You can thank patron, SnowRang3r for the tagline 😉
You have the best reviews dude. There's a podcast between Rob Watts and john darko in which he explains the troubles he went through for designing this and stuff. Its so interesting.
Glad you like the reviews! I agree about the podcast - it was very interesting. You might also enjoy the interview I did with Rob Watts a couple of years ago if you haven't already seen it. It was very enlightening to me.
@@PassionforSound i have watched yours of course and it was amazing too but i dont understand why he's so against R2Rs and I don't have enough knowledge to bash him out but, someone said that some ears actually might prefer distortion to a level that r2rs have because in something like a bartok which is an overkill for distortion fix, its so soulless based on what I've heard but Rob is all for removing distortion 😁anyways yes your interview with him was great tbh.
I can't answer that one either beyond the suggestion that distortion might be preferable to some, but also agreeing with you that there are designs like the Chord DACs that have very low distortion and still sound great
So it's been a year now. If you are IEM focused and own the Mojo 1 and you're looking for that next level what would you suggest?
Still Mojo 2 all the way. I've tried DAPs and dongles, but still nothing gets close to the Mojo 2 at the price and size.
Thanks for the response. Fortunately I can find one to try in Dubai so will test it out. I don’t know why I think I should be looking at a desktop amp/ dac to get to the next level. BTW really enjoying your reviews keep up the good work. Thanks
Lovely review! The comparisons are super useful (especially since I have a BF2 and have heard a Mojo).
I've tried to mess with EQ in Roon and sure maybe made something easier to listen to, or evened out the bass roll off a bit but like you I've always felt I've lost something while using it (to where no matter how much I try, I end up preferring it off). If their UHD EQ claims are true that's pretty attractive, I wonder how long until some of the rest of their line up gets that included.
Glad you liked it!
I'm itching to see the EQ arrive elsewhere too. I'm also scared at the prospect of having to upgrade my TT2 😱
Great review - thanks - I am getting back into the hobby and just picked up an Ananda Stealth Magnet headphone and a Mojo 2 - waiting for delivery. For now I intend to use as a source an iPhone 13 Pro Max with Apple Music. Can you recommend a reasonably priced headphone cable to replace the stock Hifiman cable that might help improve the sound?
Nice choices for your setup! My recommended cable for the Ananda would be the Apos Flow if you're in North America or check out the Gladiator Cables Cesar range.
The day I got my first carbon steel deBuyer pan I became a real chef over night. Suddenly I could get a proper steak no non-stick pan ever got me. Maybe I should have a look at the new Mojo 2 - I may not become Mozart but maybe it can make my cans sing 😄
Haha. Maybe you're onto something there 😉
Sir your English speaking is very very good because we understand detail about your review thank you sir
I'm so glad to read that! I try to make things simple and clear for those who don't speak English natively. 🙂
I think you’ll find that the Mojo had twice the number of taps as the Hugo, but they were running at half speed, so the Equivalent of 26K rather than the 38K you mention
My Mojo 1’s battery has gone the way of the Dodo.
Definitely looking at getting the 2 as a quick pc dac and portable option. It saves running my dac and Burson GT just to listen to little music /TV or TH-cam. They are bit overkill!
While i appreciate it wanting to add a screen etc and i did like the buttons of 1st one (the fidget in my likes the rolling balls), the mojo 2’s increase in options is making them a bit convoluted.
Your criticisms of the menu button and lock option is valid. Given the multi-function of them I cannot fathom why a quick double press of the menu or power button puts it in lock mode wasn’t implemented.
Also, the EQ, isn’t Schiits tone control box “lossless”?
But no matter the slight criticisms, I haven’t used the Mojo for a good while and had forgotten how good it was. Not that the mojo 2 is less than £400 is definitely going to eat the top of the list of next purchases
Mojo 2 will be a great replacement for the OG because it's even better still!
As for the Schiit EQ, one of the challenges it faces is that I think an analog EQ still skews the phase (timing) of the signal so it might not have the mathematical rounding errors of digital EQ, but I'm pretty sure it still causes timing problems.
Awesome review and big up your TH-cam channel
Thank you! Glad you liked the review!
I think you should have used "Balls to the Wall" by Accept and "Big Balls" by AC/DC as test tracks to complement the title of the video hahaha. Had the original Mojo back in 2016 but sold it in less than a year. Sounded great but was not a fan of things like the battery life, unit being too hot less than 30 minutes in use, etc. While I am satisfied with my current portable/transportable in the ifi iDSD Signature, may consider getting the Mojo 2 sometime down the road. Honest, great and detailed review as expected. Big thanks!
Nice track suggestions! 😂
Glad you liked the review 🙂🙂
Thank you, love my original mojo in my hifi, hoping it will last a long time
Still a wonderful product - enjoy!
This was such a good review Lachlan!!! I've now watched it twice and subscribed to your channel. Can't wait to demo one of these and see if it can pinch hit for an R2R Dac thats getting monopolized by my loudspeaker system. My Headphone rig is in a different room and desperately misses me. 😅
Glad you liked the review and I hope you enjoy the Mojo 2!
Love the b roll! Super fun and slick production! If those balls are anything like the volume on my TT2 they are awful for finger marks
Glad you liked the B-roll. And yes, the balls are still prone to marks from fingers 🙂
Love your analogy. Well done!
Great review. Would have liked to see you use closed cans, as this is mostly to be used as a portable device.
A good sound is a good sound, regardless of the headphones used and I don't have any closed cans as revealing as the Arya's. That said, I did use IEMs quite a bit when first listening to the Mojo 2 (before my direct comparison) and it was great with both the IE900 and KSE 1200.
Great review! As the mojo 2 can now perform as a desktop DAC if left connected to the charger, how does it compare to the Qutest in terms of sound quality? Is the Qutest worth the much higher price now?
Qutest is still significantly better. I've been able to compare the Mojo 2 and Hugo 2 (after producing this review) and the Hugo 2 which uses the same DAC as the Qutest is still comfortably better in its sense of space and refinement.
Great review =, thanks! I was wondering how the new Bifrost 2/64 sounds vs the mojo 2.
I haven't compared them directly, but it will be a very close call. I like the Mojo 2 and Bifrost 2 OG about the same, so it's possible the BF2/64 will have pulled ahead now.
Thanks for this review! I must admin I'm not a fan of Chord's past products and don't really appreciate their house sound. But I would like to give this product a go. I also am a bit put off by their design aesthetics as it looks like a Simon toy from the 1980's. I was looking at an ifi hip dac 2, ifi go blu, and quidelix 5k as portable options to bring into work/office.
The design aesthetic will always be quite personal, but I'm pretty confident it will perform significantly better than any of the other options you're considering. (No doubt it costs a fair bit more too)
Another fantastic review. Thank you! If one doesn’t want all the bells & whistles of the Mojo 2 (various inputs, menu features, dsp, etc.), but only the sound of it, what do you recommend for a Sennheiser IE800 with an iPhone? (Even better would be a unit that powers from the phone). Would absolutely appreciate your expert opinion. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Nothing else (that I've heard) will match the Mojo 2 for sound and that's really what you're paying for. As for devices that approximate the Mojo 2, the xDuoo Poke II is coming up for review pretty soon and it's quite nice if you also want the power output. The best sounding device that's not Mojo 2 would be the EarMen Colibri. I've got a review of that one on the channel too
@@PassionforSound thank you!
Much appreciated! I'm deciding from the ifi Signature, the Gryphon, and the Mojo 2.Any suggestions are appreciated, Lachlan.
I haven't tried the iFi options, but knowing that they use a more traditional chip-based DAC, the Mojo 2's FPGA with Rob Watts' filtering and decoding approach should comfortably outperform them
Hi Lachlan, I have owned the Chord Mojo 2 for a year now and I am very impressed with the audio performance of the device, especially after I bought the Matrix Audio X-SPDIF3. The performance of the Mojo 2 improved shockingly with the X-SPDIF3 on the coax output.
I am now thinking about upgradeing from Mojo 2 and I am thinking about Hugo 2 or Qutest. I am closer to choosing Qutest over Hugo 2.
Or do you think it is not worth upgradeing from Mojo 2 Because I love the bass, impact, speed, and dynamics of Mojo 2’s sound, specifically in fast electronic music.
What do you think? Do you have any suggestions?
The Qutest and Hugo 2 are both great choices. Ultimately, which to buy comes down to the way you'll use it. Qutest and Hugo 2 share the same DAC, but the Hugo 2 has the headphone outputs if that's of interest, and the Qutest offers galvanic isolation on the USB input, although you probably don't need that if you're using the SPDIF converter.
I'm other words, choose based on features and price because both sound fantastic.
Sell a kidney or another mortgage and splurge all over and buy the freaking iBassoDX320, trust me ;) Best high-end portable DAP on the market and DAC solution.
Great video, what volume setting did you use on the Mojo to compare to the other Dac?
I didn't take note of that - sorry. I just based it on matching the output volume where I set the volume on the amp using the Bifrost 2 and then adjusted the Mojo 2 until they were matched.
Glad you liked the video!
I love the way you test the mojo 2 and the coherency of your arguments. Any chance you will test a Mark Levinson 5909 headphone?
Glad you liked it! I'd be glad to review the 5909, but I don't currently have any contacts to get a pair from. I'll have to see what I can do...
Hello! I am trying to decide between Mojo 2 and Rme ADI -2. Which one should I choose for my Sennheiser 800s. I am going to use the dac/amp for gaming. Precision imaging and low delay is most important for me. Which one should I go for?
I haven't compared them side-by-side, but I'd go for the Mojo 2 I think due to its better ability to create depth in the soundstage so you'll get some sense of distance as well as direction.
Thank you for the great review!
Mojo 2 seems like an overall really interesting product with a few quirks.
However, I keep thinking it has a major flaw.
That is, since they market it as a possibility for a desktop use, how come it has two headphone outs instead of one headphone out an one dedicated line out?
With a desktop device I am looking for something I could have permanently plugged into mains but also to desktop speakers, occasionally switching to headphones.
Now, naturally, my headphones have different tonality than my speakers. So, how would I use the EQ and crossfeed? Going through the trouble of tweaking it to my headphones only to reset it to factory setting to plug in my speakers? And then setting it up for headphones from scratch again?
I understand it neither has separate outs for powered speakers and headphones, nor possibility of two different EQ settings for headphones/speakers nor an easy way to switch EQ and crossfeed on/off... or am I missing something?
That's all correct, Lukas. I think the issue is that you're asking too much for the price and size. We almost always need to make tradeoffs in this hobby when balancing size, price, performance and features - something always has to give.
In this case, the Mojo 2 is really a portable device that happens to have been optimised for those wanting a permanently connected solution. I don't think Chord are suggesting this is a fully-featured desktop DAC, just that if you want to leave it hooked-up permanently for a compact solution in an office for example then it won't hurt the battery. They're really only talking about desktop mode from a power management perspective I think.
@@PassionforSound Thanks for the reply Lachlan.
I get what you are saying but I still think it would not require a lot of additional cost to trade one of the headphone outputs for a line out.
Or to introduce EQ on/off switch.
But I could be missing something, of course.
The more I contemplate this device, the more of a head-scratcher it is for me.
It almost seems as if the DAC engineering team with their cutting edge conversion and EQ technologies were miles ahead of the user-interface department, if you know what I mean :)
It's all about the additional circuitry, interface design and programming required I think. Plus, there's probably not that much demand for it when the Mojo 2 is predominantly a portable device that happens to now behave well when left plugged in for extended periods.
The interface is a very personal thing. I love it, but I also understand why others don't.
@@PassionforSound Yeah, you are probably right.
There is one last thing I would like to ask, though.
If you watch review by ConvinceMeAudio at 28:40 he mentions a significant problem. According to his experience Mojo 2 needs approx 30 min to fully boot up.
Needless to say, this is a big drawback. But it could also be his unit happened to be faulty.
Did you have any such experience with your Mojo 2?
BTW, thank you for the open and respectful discussion.
If only the rest of the internet were like this...
Anyhow, you earned yourself another Patreon subscriber ;)
Thanks for joining the Patreon family, Lukas!
As for CMA's comments about the warm up, I have no idea what's going on there. Other than possibly an initial burn-in phase when these types of devices are brand new, there's nothing in the circuit that needs to warm up to sound "right". I'd put a large amount of money on this being a placebo effect. All electronic components have a degree of variance depending on temperature, but I've still never heard a device (even R2R DACs) alter significantly after about 5 minutes, let alone the journey of sound he's describing.
Hi Lachlan,
First of all: Thanks for helping out on my latest audio quest: getting some good IEM’s and a DAC/Amp. Your reviews have really helped with deciding to buy the Sennheiser IE 900 as well as the Questyle M15.
But as always, you can scratch all you want, upgrade itches don’t seem to go away. So I decided to buy the Mojo 2/Poly and I love (almost) every bit of it. Especially the DSP functions since I do like to EQ a fair bit. But the thing I don’t like: there is a Hugo 2(Go) out there! And considering I’m in the market for a transportable DAC/amp with streaming capabilities with the best SQ, it’s hard to ignore.
So, assuming you have heard the Hugo 2, do you reckon the Hugo 2 is a real step up from the Mojo 2, keeping in mind I do need to EQ and only use IEM’s? Or should I focus on a different product? Or just stick to the Mojo 2? Love to read your opinion!
Ps. Has anyone ever mentioned you are the Bob Ross of Audio reviewers? You paint great pictures in +/- 30 mins with the same soothing voices.
Ok, maybe the hair is bit different.
Haha. I like that one! Time to get a curly wig 😁
As for your question though, the Hugo 2 is still a surprisingly significant upgrade over the Mojo 2 if you can live without the EQ. It's tonality is basically identical, but the resolution is a decent step up and staging size too. Hope it fixes the itch for you 🙂
Hello Peter, sound quality wise how does the Questlye M15 compare to the Mojo 2. Looking at that as my next portable purchase
@@IM-nt6ql Without getting into very specific details soundwise; I returned the Mojo 2/Poly simply because I did not experience it as a clear upgrade over the M15. Each time I A/B tested the two I was surprised how well the M15 kept up with the Mojo 2/Poly. I was pretty convinced I could not tell them apart if I blind tested them and therefore could not justify paying €1200 instead of €250 for the M15.
And yes, the equalizer is great, but there are other options to apply EQ as well (UAPP, Poweramp equalizer or Roon for instance).
I did end up buying the Hugo 2/2 GO by the way. As Lachlan suggested, I too think that combo is a more significant step up (which it should be, of course, considering it's price).
@@peteraandenboom4506 That's Stunning to hear!! Thanks for the reply. Some reviewers had preferred the m15 to mid level daps and even desktop setups so that's what got me extremely curious and interested in it. Definitely going down the m15 route as i save up for something like the rme adi-2 fs and call it a day.
I think that's a great choice (the M15). Enjoy!
Nice review mate!! How would the mojo 2 compare to a dap though,something like the shanling m6 you reviewed and higher? Thanks.
I chose the Mojo and Poly over an AK240SS and an iBasso DX300 (although that was a close call) so I think it smashes something like the M6.
I enjoy your reviews far more that Chord tech because I am a fan of blind AB tests.
But I'm glad Chord is going to add Type C connector in 2022.
I agree that it's a welcome addition!
Will they launch a new device?
Not for a long time yet
hi, thx for the great review 😎 what eq settings do you suggest on the Mojo 2 to get the sound signature of the OG Mojo?
My pleasure. I'm not exactly sure and had to send back the demo Mojo 2 so I can't test, but I'd say lift the 125Hz shelf a little and maybe drop the 3kHz shelf a touch too, but I'd start with the 125Hz
Hi Lachlan really thorough and useful review; I've been using the mojo 2 for awhile with Focal Utopias; connecting to my iPhone with Apple's camera adapter and the micro usb port; do you think one could purchase a USBC audio cable to use that USBC port and bypass the camera adapter? Like connect straight to the lightning port? thx
Hi Cassie, glad you liked the review! I'm not an Apple user so I don't know how that would work. If you can normally go from the Lightning to a USB-C connected DAC then it might work, but I can't test for you - sorry!
Do you need amp for chord mojo 2 for some planar headphone? If need what is your recomendation
No, the Mojo 2 has plenty of power for any headphones short of Susvara or Abyss 1266
Thanks for the detailed review. Can you please share your thoughts on Mojo 2 vs Hifiman EF400 for Hifiman Arya interms of sound quality?
The Mojo 2 performs on par with the Bifrost 2 and the BF2 is clearly better than the EF400 so I'd take Mojo 2 over the EF400 if you are happy with the less desktop friendly form-factor (i.e. small, light, micro-USB powered, etc.)
@@PassionforSound Thank you. Yes I'm pretty happy with the trans"portable" solution.
Thank you for the great and factual presentation of the new Chord Mojo 2, I have a question, can You recommend a good usb-c cable to connect to the PC?
My pleasure! The best USB-C cable I've tried is a Cosemi optical USB cable, but they've been out of stock for a while.
I don't have much experience beyond that because not many companies are making quality USB-C cables for audio
Wow. No Bluetooth inclusion on the Mojo2. I currently have the Chord Hugo2 for for non demanding headphones and a Mojo for IEMs. They are expensive but the treble is detailed and not harsh which is the sound signature that I prefer. The absence of Bluetooth on the MOJO1 is a major bummer and is now mostly used as my DAC for the Living room TV. IMO the colors for functions are perfect for me . I intuitively know what volume and function I am on on both the Mojo and Hugo2. Thank You for letting us know about the non-smoothing nature of the Mojo2. One the main benefits of the original Mojo is its ability to smooth over harshness on budget IEMs and Pop recordings but I would imagine the EQ would make up for it. On a unrelated note, the Hugo2s handling of very rare DSD files is simply amazing on the Green setting on the Hugo2, I thought DSD was a scam until the Hugo2. Spacious Airy and Punchy at least on "Michael Jackson's Thriller album.
DSD natively recorded isn't a scam. Upsampled mp3 or FLAC to DSD is a huge waste of resources.
I agree that DSD sounds great when it's a native recording. There are a few DACs that perform better when sent a DSD stream (upsampled from PCM) because for whatever reason the chip isn't doing that process as well (all delta-sigma chips are essentially converting to DSD internally), but I generally stick to native sample rates.
As for the Mojo vs Mojo 2, I completely agree that the Mojo's smoothing nature is very beneficial at times, but yes, the EQ allows the same benefits by choice on the Mojo 2.
Finally, my guess is that they couldn't squeeze BT into the Mojo 2 and/or that it wasn't added due to the fact that Poly uses already have BT receiving capability (no sending though)
Really surprised the very excellent eq on the Mojo 2 is absent on the Hugo 2 and im also suprised the Hugo 2 has a marginal number of taps compared to the Mojo 2 as the sound very similar hugo 2 should have a tap increase and eq... both sound amazing with the mojo 2 being the best "package" even though the hugo 2 does sound better
The Mojo 2 is significantly newer than the Hugo 2 so there'll be a Hugo 3 at some point that will combine all of the features and improvements of the Mojo 2 with greater performance still.
Wow excellent job, very interesting yet objective review.
Lachlan, you mention that you use nice interconnect cables RCA to 3.5mm. Which one do you use for Mojo 2 and Soloist 3XP.
Big fan of your work, actually got my Soloist 3XP + SuperCharger by watching your videos.
Glad I could help with your purchases so far! I actually didn't have great interconnects with the Mojo - I think my point was that I had great interconnects for the Bifrost 2, but not the Mojo 2. I was using an AudioQuest Forest (I think) 3.5mm to RCA which is good enough, but not amazing
Excellent review.
I am thinking of buying Mojo 2 just for its EQ. I have been using EQ for a long time. I have been messing with a lot of EQs (Neutron, UAPP on my FiiO M11 Pro, APO on my PC), the problem with these software EQs is that you lose dynamics and slam.
When you enable/boost 20hz or 125hz, is there any volume drop or dynamics lost or any distortion?
No volume drop or distortion (unless you're asking too much of the amp driving your headphones/speakers)
Thanks for confirming
Hoped after 7 years it would be on the level of hugo 2 on sound quality since we prob get a Hugo 3 next year
Yeah, still not Hugo 2 level, but incredibly good for the size and price 🙂
@@PassionforSound yeah its still good but I guess I thought the tech would have come longer after 7 years.
Audio advancements are all very incremental these days in my experience. Not like some other tech
@@PassionforSound is there any settings for the eq to adjust upper mids energy
The only thing I can think of is using the 3kHz shelf to boost and then cut the 20kHz peak to leave the boost only in that crossover zone between mids and treble (3-5kHz). It's probably an imperfect solution and I can't test because I had to send the demo unit back and am waiting on stock so I can buy one.
Great review, thank you. May I ask question?
I want to use mojo 2 as dac for desktop pc. So, can I connect with 3,5 mm cable to my active 2.1 speaker system?
Absolutely that's possible. Just get a 3.5mm to RCA cable or you can get a simple adapter to take the 3.5mm connection and allow connection of a regular RCA to RCA cable.
Anytime I hear the word mojo I immediately think of Austin Powers lol
Did you compare mojo with Cayin RU 6? Which is one have better sound and technicality?
I don't think I had them at the same time, but the Mojo 2 is significantly better from a technical point of view (detail retrieval, imaging accuracy, etc.). I marginally prefer the EarMen Colibri over the RU6 and I vastly prefer the Mojo 2 over the Colibri
@@PassionforSound thanks bro....
That is quite amazing that this is close to my next go to DAC the Bifrost 2, I spend a lot of time listening around my house nomadically, I have the xduoo 05 Bal with Burston op amps swapped in and was thinking this or Gryphon, think it’s going to be this.
This will be a huge upgrade for you! You'll be amazed I think
@@PassionforSound for my desk I am thinking of pairing with a Jot 2 but as both are a little warm wasent sure but I guess I can use the DSP settings to balanced that out
I don't find the Bifrost 2 warm - it just doesn't shove all the details forward like many of the DS DACs that people consider to be reference. I think the Bifrost 2 and Jotunheim 2 is one of the very best bang-for'buck stacks in the game.
@@PassionforSound agreed and I will use mojo for a while then get the bifrost2, I made my mind up on it finally after the review you shared
That's great news. You've got two excellent devices in mind there. Enjoy!
Thanks for this awesome, in-depth review. I'm looking for a DAC for my Oppo PM-2/PM-3, which are a tad on the warm side of things with a roll off in the treble and was wondering if the Mojo 2 would be a good match. I've been trying to decide between the Mojo 2 and the iFi Micro iDSD Signature. If you could offer your insight and maybe a suggestion for these headphones, I would appreciate it tremendously. Thanks!
Glad you liked the review! The Mojo 2 will be a better choice than the iDSD IMO, partly because it will sound better due to the more advanced DAC processing. Also because the EQ gives you control over multiple frequency bands to help "fix" any issues you have with the Oppo cans.
@@PassionforSound Awesome. Thanks for taking the time to reply. I'll be pre-ordering it shortly.
My pleasure. Enjoy!
The USB-C port looks like a DIY mod with the plastic bit. I think they should've got ridden of microusb. Now Poly 2 should also use this ancient connector to be compatible with Mojo2, so will the Mojo 3 and Poly 3 and so on.
It does make you wonder about the future for Poly 2 - I agree. That said, the USB-C socket is much better engineered than it might look. It's quite clever how they've integrated the rubberised pad to replace the 4th foot and use that otherwise wasted space.
Thanks for your review. Regarding just SQ, which one is better in your opinion, Chord Mojo 2 or EarMen Angel, both primarily for IEM use, e.g. Sennheiser IE600 (if you have heard the Angel already ;))?
I haven't tried the Angel as yet. It's going to be pretty much impossible to beat the Mojo 2 while using a generic DAC chip like an ESS or AKM though so I'd put my money on the Mojo 2 every time
@@PassionforSound Dear Lachlan, thanks a lot for your opinion. My background is that I need a setup for business travel and generally more portable. At the moment I listen with IE600 (flat) and LCD-XC (eq) on RME-DAC2, which I like very much. Focus is jazz and classical music. I don't want to have any limitation in SQ, if different I prefer better :), hence the idea to buy a high quality device. I guess I'll have a listen to the Mojo 2 then. Cheers!
I think the Mojo 2 will suit you very well. You might just find yourself preferring it over the ADI-2... 🙂
@@PassionforSound Oh man, how did you know that. I was in the Rabbit Hole for days now and then had to order some devices. Had the Colibri, and I liked it after a long listening session. The next day came the Mojo 2. Honestly, after 30s I knew this was something else. Listened to music deep into the night, could not disengage. Without thinking more deeply, I would say the Mojo 2 is exceptional at, timbre, spatiality between individual voices/instruments, decay of instruments, spatial resolution (stage), bass precision and in that with the Mojo 2 little things like secondary voices, strumming of strings, inhalation of singers, etc are much more noticeable without being obtrusive (You notice it as part of a natural process of making music). It gives the impression the voices/instruments are part of a whole (coherence). I hear things in the music that weren't there before (I'm not mental yet). Music sounds just natural.
Listened briefly to the ifi xDSD Gryphon, but it didn't come close to the Mojo. Better than Colibri, but also a bit harsher. The Topping G5 I have not even unpacked (then it can be resold shrink-wrapped)....
I haven't been so impressed with any audio part in a long time (Genelec 8260 with room correction, was the last time. I still have them and will not give them away).
So glad you're enjoying your Mojo 2 and thanks for sharing your experiences with those other devices!
I have the first mojo however my carry bag for my phone and other devices pinched my mojo on/off button to where it burnt out and the flexi bubble for on/off operations split to pieces. Do you know where I can replace that copper looking on/off part or at least an on/off switch replacement part? You are a great reviewer. Thanks much :)
Sorry to hear that! I'm afraid that one is beyond me - sorry. Best to contact Chord or the local distributor if you can find them. Glad you like the reviews!
I made a very simpel cpu with a Xilinx Artix 7 FPGA, it was a lot of work for just that. I can't imagine how much work it is to turn it in to a dac and processor for it.
Thanks for sharing that experience. I think a lot of people underestimate what's gone into the Chord DACs (and any others using custom programming)
Hey Lachian, was watching your great dongle fondle 2 featuring the Questlye m15 a bit ago.
Been looking for something portable and I think I've decided on that as my next purchase. Seen some reviewers claiming sound quality wise its comparable to some mid level daps and even desktop setups. How does it compare to the Mojo 2 on the sound quality front. I'm not really concerned about crossfeed or EQ at the moment.
People claiming that dongles are matching desktop setups have generally not done proper comparisons because I've never yet found that to be true. The M15 is an excellent dongle and is 100% my favourite without going to a battery powered device like the EarMen Colibri or Chord Mojo 2. Both of those will still outperform the M15, but the M15 is so compact and sounds brilliant so it's still my go-to for portable use over and above the Mojo 2 which I tend to use only at home.
I hope that helps to clarify for you
It does, thanks!
I really like Chord DACs. I own the Mojo and have the Mojo 2 on pre-order, but why does no one call them out on some of their obvious BS.
Their reason for removing the line level setting is obvious BS. The last time I used my Mojo I had it on line level, I just fired up and it came on to the last low level headphone setting that I had used. I would have a literally had to hold down all three of the Mojo’s buttons to accidentally turn it on in line level mode. I’m mad that they made the decision to remove this feature (purposely or not) as I find it incredibly useful. And who wouldn’t use this on a product whose #1 new feature is an enhanced desktop power mode? I really think the reviewers are glazing over this sorry.
They’ve manufactured a reason to account for this obvious oversight.
I do think it's handy to have the line level feature, but I personally don't think it's that big of a deal that it warrants extended discussion by reviewers. I'm guessing there's a reason it's gone, but I agree that the original Mojo worked well so I'm not sure that the explanation provided makes sense.
Hi, have you tried the mojo 2 with the verum one ? How is the pairing? Great review, by the way!
I haven't tried that combo - the loaner Mojo 2 had to go back and they're waiting on stock for me to buy one. I think the combo will be great though given how good the Verum 1 sounds with the TT2
Great review! it’s definitely a Dac I’m considering as I like the fact it’s an on the go solution and a desktop Dac in one. If using as a desktop Dac connected to an amp via RCA, what do you have to do with the volume as it’s not particularly clear in the manual I’ve seen and it doesn’t seem to have a dedicated line out mode like the original. Thanks, sorry if that’s a dumb question
Not a dumb question at all. Chord have published the colour setting that results in a 2V (or near enough) output if you want to align with that, but you can also just set your amp to a good level of volume (say 40-50%) and then adjust the Mojo 2 until it's at a good listening level. You'll then have room to turn your amp up or down as needed.
@@PassionforSound Thanks very much for the reply, I’m thinking of using it just as a Dac going into a tube amp so wondered if it would cause distortion issues. Thanks
If you use the approach I described above, you'll be fine 🙂
@@PassionforSound 😃 thanks
Great review! Thanks a lot!
Hi, after seeing your review I bought mojo 2. Now I need one good headphone to pair with mojo 2. Will BD 770 pro and 880 pro go well with it or should I look for something else? My budget is around 200-300 USD. Could you please help me with choosing a good headphone with right ohms. Sound quality is my first priority. Thanks in advance.
Hope you love the Mojo 2. I'd recommend taking a look at this list for my recommended headphones, but a few standouts are the DT 900 Pro X, the Verum 1 (slightly over budget), HD6XX and Sivga Phoenix.
tinyurl.com/PfSRecommends
@@PassionforSound thank you so much. I will definitely check those headphones. Thanks again for your quick response. I really appreciate.
My Mojo 2 and poly arrive tomorrow and I would like to ask can I use the Poly blue tooth to access music already installed on my iPhone 13 mini without any app etc. I can listen to music with my Apple AirPods Pro 2 with blue tooth and the 13 mini blue tooth with no app. Cheers bud...subbed. 😃
Absolutely... once it's setup. IIRC you'll need to use the GoFigure app to get the Poly configured, but, after that, you can just connect to the Poly like any other BT device.
Sounds like the Chord Mojo 2 is very good, even though I would still take a dedicated desk DAC/Amp like the Fiio K9 Pro as I don't need such a high level unit for mobile use, I live in South Africa and just carry a device of that price on public transport when I happen to to it there. Thank you Lachlan
I can completely understand that thinking. It wouldn't be my first choice for a dedicated desktop device either
@@PassionforSound What would you recommend as a dedicated desktop setup in the same price range ? with hifiman edition X headphones. Been thinking about dx5 but you said its no match to mojo2, are there setups in this price range that beat mojo2 if it doesnt have to be portable? thanks!
Fantastic, detailed review! How would it compare re sound quality to the ifi gryphon which is a little dearer than the mojo 2 in nz? The gryphon has bluetooth but sound quality through anandas is a higher priority for me.
The Mojo 2 should be clearly better than the Gryphon, but having not tried it, I can't say that for sure. Sorry
@@PassionforSound Thanks for your reply Lachlan. Well I bought the chord mojo 2 a few weeks ago, and have been blown away by its sound! Its turned my humble Drop HD58X headphones into sounding $2000 worth! It just makes everything sound so natural, relaxed and detailed at the same time. A truly magical little box.
That's great news! So glad you're enjoying the Mojo 2
Is it possible to use the Mojo 2 just as a headphone amp and bypass the DAC? I already have a Meridian 218 streamer so it would be interesting to compare both DACs
No. The Mojo 2 sort of uses the DAC output to drive the headphones so it's not a traditional headphone amp sitting alongside a DAC.
Excellent review 👍
Thanks Mauricio! Glad you liked it
Great review Lachlan. I was considering the iBasso DX300 dap recently but the Mojo2 may be an option instead of that dap. Thanks again.
I owned the DX300 and it's great, but I ended up selling it and keeping the Mojo/Poly based solely on sound quality. The Mojo 2 is even better!
@@PassionforSound Thanks Lachlan. Do you consider the Mojo2 audio quality to be comparable to the RME ADI2 DAC FS unit? Many thanks again.
That's an interesting question. I'm not a huge fan of the attack from the ADI-2 (too much), but there's a chance it will be more resolving of details than the Mojo 2. I'd have to try them side-by-side
Hello everybody, i bought a mojo 2 and absolutely love it! But now, my headphones needs to be replaced. Where do I start my search? It is for listening at home, classic and old rock, would like details, sound stage and depth, budget around 400-500 USD
Check out my upcoming HiFiMan Edition XS review - it covers a few headphones by comparison and will likely be a good start.
P.S. that review comes out this weekend
Would u guys buy this for the chord sound, or the ifi xDSD Gryphon for the arguably better features (eg. connectivity)?
I'd buy this every time because the DAC will be miles ahead of the iFi, but you need to prioritise what's most important for your needs. (The Chord Poly provides streaming and Bluetooth capabilities, but it's an extra module)
HI! I need help choosing the charger for the mojo 2, which one do you use? I have an anker 20w and 3A... is it ok?
Any 5V charger will work fine with the Mojo 2. Having a higher amp rating (i.e. 3A vs 1A) is no problems so long as the voltage is always 5V
@@PassionforSound thanks!
As always, a very informative video. Quick question for everyone - if i'm just using my Android phone (using USB Audio Player PRO for bit perfect playback) and connecting via a half decent Audioquest usb c cable to the Mojo 2, would there be any need for any of these 'jitter reducing' devices to be added between the phone and Mojo 2, given that mobile phones are electrically noisy, or is the Mojo 2 doing a good enough job of reducing the noise from the phone ??
I experienced no sense of reduced quality using the Mojo 2 from my Android phone (also with UAPP) so I probably wouldn't bother with a filter device
What do you think about the fact that mojo 2 no longer has line out option? Secondly how does it compare to topping e50? Thank you, great review
So you can't hook it up to an external amp?
You can, but you will pass through 2 preamps, the one in the mojo2 and the one in your amp. Mojo1 had line out option. I am curious because I would have expected a mention in this review, especially from a desktop use point of view
Mojo 1 didn't bypass the preamp in LO mode, it just set the output voltage to 3V.
One of the nice things about the Mojo 2 design is that the output stage is very direct so it's not like running through a more traditional HP amp stage before getting to your external amp and adjusting the voltage (via the volume) is completely lossless so there really are no disadvantages I can see.
As for the E50 - it's great for the price, but it's not in the same league as the Mojo 2 / Bifrost 2. It won't produce the same sense of space or the level of refinement and detail that the Mojo 2 can deliver.