For more of my thoughts about the Mojo 2 see my website review here www.pursuitperfectsystem.com/chord-electronics-mojo-2-review/ ALSO I made a mistake with the number of Taps in the original MOJO - to be honest that has no influence on the review as I looked at it after all my listening testing - at the end of the day its an important number but its just a number, I wanted to be less about the technical and more about the practical. Sorry for the mistake though of course.
I've owned a MOJO for 4 years now (my previous DAC/headphone amp [was/is] an OPPO HA-2) because most of my music library consists of mediocre or thin recordings I appreciate the warmth and full sound of the original MOJO. I know one thing though, I'll never buy another DAC with a Sabre chip.
You are the only reviewer who has pointed out that the bass increases with the Mojo 2 cross feed. I found the same issue, which is not happening on the Hugo 2 that I owned for a while.
I got a great deal with richer sounds (£360 mojo 2 open box) compared with £220 for a cobalt , so an extra £140 gets me a British made solid piece of kit that is amazing as obviously I can use it with my system or upstairs with my headphones, or £220 for a glorified usb stick from the septics that I understand comes apart at the top when the glue gives way. Chord are the kings when it comes to 0’s & 1’s, great channel, and you must be doing something right if mr Darko is commenting on your room 😂
I was thinking the same thing-- a Mojo sized M-scaler yesterday!! I am with you. Those prices for the upper echelon products is too stout right now. Affordability goes along way for future purchases.
I am finding it so much more musical than the Mojo 1 and very smooth but with less emphasis on warmth in the sound. This is by no means a cold and clinical sound and once you are used to it, it just sounds 'right'. I use the 2 to directly drive B&W M1s on the desktop (no additional amp) which was how I used the 1. It took a while to get used to the sound which is really quite different from the 1. The sound is considerably better than the 1 and I would recommend people to upgrade. It has the kind of magic I used to enjoy with Vinyl but with astonishing levels of detail mixed in. Obviously it will depend how good the input to the device is I use mine from a Mac Mini with Curious cables and an Uptone Regen with balanced power supply (which doubles the cost...) The great thing is how brilliant it sounds with 'ordinary' sources such as Spotify. I think the next generation of Chord DACS will be truly spectacular if this is anything to go by.
The Mojo 1 had a fixed line output but it was just the volume set at 3v, they removed it in the Mojo 2 to remove the possibility of accidentally enabling it while wearing headphones, I spoke to Chord recently and they said you can you just manually set the volume on the Mojo 2 to the 3v level equivalent to the original Mojo line out, it's the same thing, if anyone is interested you achieve this by doing the following, "Start your Mojo 2 in the ‘upper’ volume range. This is identified by a illuminated mode light on the left, but the volume + and - lights are extinguished. Now you will need to press the volume + button EXACTLY 41 times. The result is showing in two BLUE volume buttons." In fact Chord told me that by doing this you can actually use both jack's as line outs, in my case, one going to my headphone amp, and one to my integrated stereo amp, this is a very handy feature unique to the Mojo.
Do I “think” we’ll see a mojo sized m scaler from Chord within the near future? No. Do I hope we see it, absolutely. I would love to have one that snaps in between the Mojo 2 and Poly (although it’ll make that device stack a bit of a brick and a lot more noticeable) I would love to see Chord release one and will definitely buy it if they do. Great review Terry, thanks
@@Joe-ux2vy thanks! Is it for the sound quality or a funcionality thing? I'm between getting the mojo 2 for 500 USD or the Hugo 2 for 1.500. Is it whort the the money difference? How do you compare both of them in terms of sound? Have you use them only as headphone amp or as a dac in a two channnel system too? Thanks in advance
Thank you for the informative review and sharing a lot of its new features. It was great seeing your face during the listening experience constantly suprised and to see you not being able to hold back a reaction.
Nice review Terry. For entry level portable or home headphone dac ifi is hard to beat for their price. Chord Dave with M Scaler is a world beater for sure. I could not keep my eyes if the Kinki Studios EX M1 integrated you had in the background. Talk about affordable world beater, that is one for sure. I look forward to your review. Congrats on your listening space. It must be painful to have lost the dedicated Home Cinema. Thanks always
I had the mojo and switched to iFI Griffin DSD for several reasons. it has a balanced output beside 3.5 and has a screen that gives you helpful info and more options ... to connect to speakers, etc. Definitely sounded better than the old mojo.
Such a great/comprehensive review...and thank you for clearing the concept of lossless dsp. No one has quite broken it down like you have. Curious...and pardon my ignorance, but I wonder how many other dacs close to this price range that claim a true lossless dsp? I think the the RME-adi-2 actually boasts such a thing, but this little guy is far cheaper!
Nice video Terry this thing sounds like an absolute bargain considering the improvements and upgrades in sound quality and the extra features. And I think a small type m-scaler would be a marketing Bonanza for Chord electronics, they'd almost be mad not to do it. 🎧😁👍
Created some pictures of that that hopefully will inspire Chord but seems quite impossible to squeeze into that format 😂 czcams.com/video/tPK56HQKwMg/video.html
I take it the MOJO 2 still has the rolled off top end of the MOJO. This is my main gripe with the MOJO and has me wanting to hear the Hugo 2. I have to say I was expecting the price to be £500 or more so I might be tempted. Great review by the way thanks.
Excellent review. I have a Mojo 2 on order. I also have an M- Scaler, which I use with my Hugo TT2. I cannot imagine I will ever wish to use the Mojo 2 with the M- Scaler, but who knows? Incidentally, I also own a pair of Dan Clark headphones although mine are the Aeon 2 Noires, which need a lot of driving but I really like them.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I still have a very full head of almost white hair as I am pretty ancient, but still active and not too deaf as yet to enjoy my music. I will not comment on my own rather ample belly!
I own the original chord mojo…. Got very interested in buying the chord mojo 2 until watch reviews…. 2 things are deal killer to me first who in the world would use MICRO usb in 2022 ? I do use micro on my original mojo but wouldn’t consider charging anything via micro usb… but the real deal breaker … why two 3.5 mm instead of a fully balanced 4.4 mm and a single 3.5 mm ??? 2022 my dac/amp must have a 4.4 mm output… no..no.. thanks but no.. what are they thinking ??? Outdated from the get going…
@@harackmw At the price that they are asking and considering their failure rates of Chord 1 units, bad batteries circuit boards etc. Not worth the asking price IMO. They clearly want to make enough friction on these units to push people to purchase their higher end desktop units.
@@ForeverYoung007 Yeah, the unit feels like a throwback and if getting me to spend money was their angle they are mistaken. But I am sure a lot of fanboys who don't mind the vintage features will vote with their wallets.
There’s clearly a USBC port for connectivity. The micro usb is to keep compatibility with the poly. Nice to not force everyone to buy a new device tbf. 4.4mm balanced missing is sad though.
just ordered one of these, been using a soundblaster gc7 for desktop use and then decided to buy some audio 64 U12t in ears so wanted something that will be an upgrade in sound for desktop with some kind of ability for on the go and here we are. how do they perform with IEM's, whats the soundfloor like, hiss etc? nice video and presentation, easy voice to listen to, gave a sub, cheers.
During the UHD DSP headphone EQing you were doing the opposite of what you are saying. Like instead of increasing the DB by 1 you were lowering it in the video. Otherwise one of the best mojo2 review.
Love my Mojo / Poly and will probably upgrade. Still waiting for Chord to make a dedicated Mojo / Poly mains powered system which can read music from a large SSD.
Love the new room set-up and your reviews, but the second camera angle is annoying and not required. Better when you are talking straight to the camera.
I like the difference in composition, if you watch a Netflix documentary they change interview composition a lot because it changes the mood of the narrative. There are other video editing reasons for doing too. I haven't quite nailed it yet but I will
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I think the difference is in Netflix the interviewee is a subject and they are answering questions from an unseen interviewer, not the viewer, they are talking to them. In your case, you are talking to us, not some other off camera person. It's a small difference, but for sure, definitely try different things out. As much as I like Randy (cheapaudioman) can't say I like his laugh tracks he does occasionally, don't do that! But great work Terry.
Something really strange happened to me a couple of days ago.... I was in my local DMV, which had a TV running local adverts and community news & events. Then suddenly and ad for Chord Mojo 2 popped up. That was an extremely weird place to run that ad. it was in a small town in Texas. I was probably the only person in the whole county that has even heard of Chord.... Are they tracking my phone location and targeting me? Seems very strange to me.....
I like Chord as a brand, but I'm concerned by reports that some people find some of their offerings "bright" and "harsh," and I'm having a hard time seeing the value proposition, particularly after seeing what's inside the cases.
Something only sounds bright if there is too much treble and not enough bass well you have total control over that so it's more of a moot point with the mojo 2 than a lot of other products. If something sounds harsh that can be distortion and I found the mojo 2 to sound extremely clean much more so than you would expect going into some good dan clark headphones. Worth considering all this.
Their DACS sound harsh of you have a substandard source particularly on USB. In my experience with MOJO 1 it was always smooth on the optical input but did not give the magic that the USB input is capable of. That said the USB can sound harsh. I have spent as much on USB cables and conditioners on my MAC Mini as I did on the MOJO, but I have to say the sound is amazing, vocals in particular are ridiculously lifelike. Optical gives me a wonderful full bodied musical sound like my old Turntable but by going all in on USB I get something with way more details and realism.
what a nice review.... I have always wondered, how different will a mojo 2 be compared to what you will hear in a qutests or hugo? and you have answered me, it is very close to the qutest at half price 11:34
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One of the drawbacks of the orignial Mojo was the inability to connect to iPhone without the added Poly. Have they changed that? For example can you input soundvia bluetooth? Can you use a Lightning to USB-C cable?
Thanks I think so, I started the review using the DCA Ether and they have a very bold warm and quite on you sound for the bass typical big planar sound so after that most dynamic driver headphones sound very lack lustre. The Aeon are not lacklustre but they are a more off you sound so I likely raised the bass a bit :)
Good review - thank you. I'd be interested in using this as a stand alone DAC for my main room system or even my desktop. I assume that the headphone jacks would provide the analogue and obviously with a splitter. My concern would be the quality of the cable wherein the splitting occurs. Any comments on a quality cable to do the splitting would be appreciated.
@@deadline7610 The EQ function should take place in the digital realm and therefore not affect the analogue signal as it is well before conversion. However, I'd check with Chord - they have good customer service in my experience.
@@deadline7610 i think this is necessarily so: the only output is the analog (as can be expected for a dac), and direct out w/o volume control or w/o eq does not exist Terry said in the video.
I think you will notice the difference more the better the headphones but it depends on the headphones and how effective the DSP tweaks and crossfeed will be for you - sorry I cant really give you an exact answer
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Grado 325x, but I appreciate probably not good enough. Source is just my PC but hi-res through Foobar 2000. Shows the turquoise light, 176.4, kHz from the manual. Shame really, but disappointed. You were right about DSP and crossfeed. For me only the two middle DSP settings make a difference and I hear nothing significant from any of the crossfeed settings. To be honest I regret getting the Grado. Wish I’d gone for something like the Sundara, though again perhaps not good enough for the Mojo.
I thought you had the Crossfeed option on the Hugo TT2 you also own, have you played around with the three options? I always go back to turning it off when testing it.
Yeah its on the TT2 and the Hugo 2 as fat as I know but I have never used it before being a purist snob and all that, but after trying it I liked it but I think the ability to tune the sound to balance some bits that don't quite work might be the differnce for using it longer term. End of the day headphones cant be designed to listen like that so it's messing with them so things like bass being a little thick is one of those things that would quickly turn you off even if the rest was good but if you can tune it to not be like it thats a big improvement. Its definitely different thats for sure it's a bit for fun and faux dimensional
Hi. Potential issue I have noticed with Mojo 2 is that when mojo is connected to power source the electric current leaks into a chasis. It feels like slight tingling under fingers when you touch the mojo. I've tried many chargers and it is always the same. Does yours doing something similar or perhaps I have a faulty unit? Many thanks.
So I did return it and got a new unit. The problem is gone. But it has been replaced by another equaly bad. Mojo 2 is picking up mobile phone signal noise when I am on the go. It's the second unit I've tested and I am still getting the noise in my IEMS because cellular signal is interfering with Mojo 2 internals. Do you have similar problem or I have a faulty unit again?
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I am not even connecting mojo 2 to the phone. It happens as soon as mojo 2 is close proximity of the phone. As for the IEMS cable, I am using exactly the same cable and IAMs as with the first unit that did not seem to have this issue. Would you mind checking if your unit is doing similar noise?
Being a bit fresh and new to all of this. I am rather confused with DSP aspect? Is this almost like a built in equaliser? If so what are the benefits to this as opposed to software EQ?
Yes dsp is an equaliser, there are technical benefits to Chords implementation I didnt cover in the video but you can look it up. The benefit of hardware dsp is it doesn't matter what the source is the sound is always dsp the same. Software eq has the benefit of being graphical and potentially more complex and flexible compared to the fixed four frequencies you can adjust in the mojo 2 but if its happening in your computer as the music source and your listening from your phone as the source you obviously won't get the effect.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Yes i understood that, I was hoping to get a review of it though listened to on an actula Hi fi high end system to see how it holds up there... Im not interested in using it for headphones :) at the moment im using an arcam IR DAC 2
@@info4jon oh I see you mean a sound demo, if it doesn't say sound demo in the video title there won't be one. CZcams changes its music copyright policy a lot and that could end up blocking a video like this so I only ever do sound demo videos as separate videos
Oi! How do punk rock sound on them things? I like me some classics, Sham 69 like, "C'mon c'mon urry up Harry c'mon, we're goin down the pub!" I lookin to get some new headphone kit like, to play me musics. Ta.
Pretty sure they are only available through select dealers rather than on Amazon so there should be local dealers to you whom you can but one from. Sorry I cant help you more
I am sorry I don't have a Hugo 2 I would have likely done that comparison and spoke about it in the video if I did, because it would have been good to see how much the eq adds and how the crossfeed compares
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Absolutely; along with the overall soundstage presence. Thanks for your review, and getting back to me. Happy Listening - Cheers
With iPadOS and the newer iPad with usb-c, you do not need the camera adapter. Perhaps older iPad with the newer iPadOS you may be ok too, but I havent tried it. With iPhone you still need one.
This will get clobbered by iterations from Fiio , Ibasso , Cayin etc. I’m sorry to say. We are spoiled for choice , a comparo with what’s on the mkt is more realistic than just Mojo 2 V Mojo 1.
Not at all. Even IFI is better than those Chinese rubbish. If you own good headphones you’ll listen to the difference. Mojo is better than IFI to my ears.
No USB C charging and only 2 3.5mm outputs is a massive no no 2022. A 2.5 or 4.4 is giving the customer options. I wanted but will miss out again for 7 years, why use Scart on a 4K tv 🤷♂️
For more of my thoughts about the Mojo 2 see my website review here www.pursuitperfectsystem.com/chord-electronics-mojo-2-review/
ALSO I made a mistake with the number of Taps in the original MOJO - to be honest that has no influence on the review as I looked at it after all my listening testing - at the end of the day its an important number but its just a number, I wanted to be less about the technical and more about the practical. Sorry for the mistake though of course.
@PPP does it charge and play from the USB 3 ?
@@word2RG it charges independent to the music data stream
New room looking good, Tezza!
Thanks John
OMG! John’s in the House!!
I've owned a MOJO for 4 years now (my previous DAC/headphone amp [was/is] an OPPO HA-2) because most of my music library consists of mediocre or thin recordings I appreciate the warmth and full sound of the original MOJO. I know one thing though, I'll never buy another DAC with a Sabre chip.
Got my mojo 2, loving it!
Audio quality on my iems and headphones is brilliant. And love the build quality and design.
You are the only reviewer who has pointed out that the bass increases with the Mojo 2 cross feed. I found the same issue, which is not happening on the Hugo 2 that I owned for a while.
@ 09:19 it's all about the bass
about the bass no Treble 🤣🤣
Great review though.
Great when someone gets the jokes 🤣
I got a great deal with richer sounds (£360 mojo 2 open box) compared with £220 for a cobalt , so an extra £140 gets me a British made solid piece of kit that is amazing as obviously I can use it with my system or upstairs with my headphones, or £220 for a glorified usb stick from the septics that I understand comes apart at the top when the glue gives way. Chord are the kings when it comes to 0’s & 1’s, great channel, and you must be doing something right if mr Darko is commenting on your room 😂
Great Review. Can't wait to receive my Mojo 2 and Mezze Liric headphones. I have never heard the group Bold so thanks for turning me onto them
I was thinking the same thing-- a Mojo sized M-scaler yesterday!! I am with you. Those prices for the upper echelon products is too stout right now. Affordability goes along way for future purchases.
I am finding it so much more musical than the Mojo 1 and very smooth but with less emphasis on warmth in the sound. This is by no means a cold and clinical sound and once you are used to it, it just sounds 'right'. I use the 2 to directly drive B&W M1s on the desktop (no additional amp) which was how I used the 1.
It took a while to get used to the sound which is really quite different from the 1. The sound is considerably better than the 1 and I would recommend people to upgrade. It has the kind of magic I used to enjoy with Vinyl but with astonishing levels of detail mixed in. Obviously it will depend how good the input to the device is I use mine from a Mac Mini with Curious cables and an Uptone Regen with balanced power supply (which doubles the cost...) The great thing is how brilliant it sounds with 'ordinary' sources such as Spotify.
I think the next generation of Chord DACS will be truly spectacular if this is anything to go by.
That is what I said here in this review and knew people would feel the same once they had a chance to compare beyond the numbers on paper alone
A brilliant piece of video analysis, Terry. Nice one.
Thanks Dan
The Mojo 1 had a fixed line output but it was just the volume set at 3v, they removed it in the Mojo 2 to remove the possibility of accidentally enabling it while wearing headphones, I spoke to Chord recently and they said you can you just manually set the volume on the Mojo 2 to the 3v level equivalent to the original Mojo line out, it's the same thing, if anyone is interested you achieve this by doing the following,
"Start your Mojo 2 in the ‘upper’ volume range. This is identified by a illuminated mode light on the left, but the volume + and - lights are extinguished.
Now you will need to press the volume + button EXACTLY 41 times. The result is showing in two BLUE volume buttons."
In fact Chord told me that by doing this you can actually use both jack's as line outs, in my case, one going to my headphone amp, and one to my integrated stereo amp, this is a very handy feature unique to the Mojo.
Do I “think” we’ll see a mojo sized m scaler from Chord within the near future? No. Do I hope we see it, absolutely. I would love to have one that snaps in between the Mojo 2 and Poly (although it’ll make that device stack a bit of a brick and a lot more noticeable) I would love to see Chord release one and will definitely buy it if they do.
Great review Terry, thanks
I didnt mean near future I meant in thr future :) sorry
@@PursuitPerfectSystem No I got that, but I want one now lol
I'll be on the lookout for the original Mojo on the used market now. Snag one used for $200 and you've got a bargain
Great in-depth review Terry. Very tempted to go back to Mojo. Been running a Hugo2Go set up but very intrigued to try this new DSP implentation.
Did you?
@@funcionyforma certainly did though I still find myself reaching for the Hugo2 most of the time.
@@Joe-ux2vy thanks! Is it for the sound quality or a funcionality thing?
I'm between getting the mojo 2 for 500 USD or the Hugo 2 for 1.500. Is it whort the the money difference?
How do you compare both of them in terms of sound? Have you use them only as headphone amp or as a dac in a two channnel system too? Thanks in advance
Thank you for the informative review and sharing a lot of its new features. It was great seeing your face during the listening experience constantly suprised and to see you not being able to hold back a reaction.
By far one of the best if not the best Review / presentation of Mojo 2.; comprehensive yet concise. Thank you :D
Nice review Terry. For entry level portable or home headphone dac ifi is hard to beat for their price. Chord Dave with M Scaler is a world beater for sure.
I could not keep my eyes if the Kinki Studios EX M1 integrated you had in the background. Talk about affordable world beater, that is one for sure. I look forward to your review. Congrats on your listening space. It must be painful to have lost the dedicated Home Cinema. Thanks always
I had the mojo and switched to iFI Griffin DSD for several reasons. it has a balanced output beside 3.5 and has a screen that gives you helpful info and more options ... to connect to speakers, etc. Definitely sounded better than the old mojo.
Haha I am ifi xdsd use . Love it more then mojo 2
@@Stephenwongdirectimaging sold my ifi I dsd signature and gryphon when I received my mojo 2. Never looked back.
Great review Terry. I own the mojo 1 and will buy this for sure. Needs to wait until after I buy a new preamp though.
Wow! You don't mess about Terry. I only just saw this had been released.
Yeah got mine in December sorry maybe I should have mentioned that :)
@@PursuitPerfectSystem nothing to be sorry for! Glad my favourite CZcamsr is well connected.
@@bigblueocean thanks man getting there slowly :)
Such a great/comprehensive review...and thank you for clearing the concept of lossless dsp. No one has quite broken it down like you have. Curious...and pardon my ignorance, but I wonder how many other dacs close to this price range that claim a true lossless dsp? I think the the RME-adi-2 actually boasts such a thing, but this little guy is far cheaper!
Is that a Mojo in my pocket or am I pleased to see you? Always excited for new video Tel!
Nice video Terry this thing sounds like an absolute bargain considering the improvements and upgrades in sound quality and the extra features.
And I think a small type m-scaler would be a marketing Bonanza for Chord electronics, they'd almost be mad not to do it.
🎧😁👍
Created some pictures of that that hopefully will inspire Chord but seems quite impossible to squeeze into that format 😂
czcams.com/video/tPK56HQKwMg/video.html
I take it the MOJO 2 still has the rolled off top end of the MOJO. This is my main gripe with the MOJO and has me wanting to hear the Hugo 2. I have to say I was expecting the price to be £500 or more so I might be tempted. Great review by the way thanks.
You have total control over how much top end you want that is what the dsp is for you can have +9db at 20hz if you want
I meant 20khz not hz sorry
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Don't apologise I should have watched the whole video first!
how do you compare it to hip dac 2 ?
That Soichi Terada tune is very listenable ;) awesome track - cheers!
Excellent review. I have a Mojo 2 on order. I also have an M- Scaler, which I use with my Hugo TT2. I cannot imagine I will ever wish to use the Mojo 2 with the M- Scaler, but who knows? Incidentally, I also own a pair of Dan Clark headphones although mine are the Aeon 2 Noires, which need a lot of driving but I really like them.
Are you also devilishly handsome bald with a dad bod belly. Could we be doubles ... ??
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I still have a very full head of almost white hair as I am pretty ancient, but still active and not too deaf as yet to enjoy my music. I will not comment on my own rather ample belly!
I own the original chord mojo…. Got very interested in buying the chord mojo 2 until watch reviews…. 2 things are deal killer to me first who in the world would use MICRO usb in 2022 ? I do use micro on my original mojo but wouldn’t consider charging anything via micro usb… but the real deal breaker … why two 3.5 mm instead of a fully balanced 4.4 mm and a single 3.5 mm ??? 2022 my dac/amp must have a 4.4 mm output… no..no.. thanks but no.. what are they thinking ??? Outdated from the get going…
Yea, no 4.4 seems like a deal breaker.
@@harackmw At the price that they are asking and considering their failure rates of Chord 1 units, bad batteries circuit boards etc. Not worth the asking price IMO. They clearly want to make enough friction on these units to push people to purchase their higher end desktop units.
@@ForeverYoung007 Yeah, the unit feels like a throwback and if getting me to spend money was their angle they are mistaken. But I am sure a lot of fanboys who don't mind the vintage features will vote with their wallets.
Have a listen, you wont care about those trivial gripes! It is quite considerably better than the 1.
There’s clearly a USBC port for connectivity. The micro usb is to keep compatibility with the poly. Nice to not force everyone to buy a new device tbf.
4.4mm balanced missing is sad though.
Hi. Would you recommend using the Chord mojo 2 as a desktop dac for a Marantz pm 6006 amp and Dali oberon 3? I don't know what to buy. Thank you.
Interesting upgrades ,Well explained Terry !
Brilliant review. Especially as I had one for Christmas!
looking to upgrade from fiio btr 7 to chord mojo 2
Thank you ❗️✌️Is it true it takes around 30min for the Mojo 2 to warm up and sound good ❓ 😅
Rocking the DCA Aeon 2 glitter cherry look 🙌🏻🙌🏻
just ordered one of these, been using a soundblaster gc7 for desktop use and then decided to buy some audio 64 U12t in ears so wanted something that will be an upgrade in sound for desktop with some kind of ability for on the go and here we are.
how do they perform with IEM's, whats the soundfloor like, hiss etc? nice video and presentation, easy voice to listen to, gave a sub, cheers.
I didnt notice any hiss but I don't really do iems they don't really like my ears too golden for them. Sorry thanks for the sub appreciate it
During the UHD DSP headphone EQing you were doing the opposite of what you are saying. Like instead of increasing the DB by 1 you were lowering it in the video.
Otherwise one of the best mojo2 review.
Love my Mojo / Poly and will probably upgrade. Still waiting for Chord to make a dedicated Mojo / Poly mains powered system which can read music from a large SSD.
Love the new room set-up and your reviews, but the second camera angle is annoying and not required. Better when you are talking straight to the camera.
I like the difference in composition, if you watch a Netflix documentary they change interview composition a lot because it changes the mood of the narrative. There are other video editing reasons for doing too. I haven't quite nailed it yet but I will
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I think the difference is in Netflix the interviewee is a subject and they are answering questions from an unseen interviewer, not the viewer, they are talking to them. In your case, you are talking to us, not some other off camera person. It's a small difference, but for sure, definitely try different things out. As much as I like Randy (cheapaudioman) can't say I like his laugh tracks he does occasionally, don't do that! But great work Terry.
Yes Yes I think there will be a more Affordable M Scaler Certainly hope so ,the audiophile community should give Chord a serious suggestion
Something really strange happened to me a couple of days ago.... I was in my local DMV, which had a TV running local adverts and community news & events. Then suddenly and ad for Chord Mojo 2 popped up. That was an extremely weird place to run that ad. it was in a small town in Texas. I was probably the only person in the whole county that has even heard of Chord.... Are they tracking my phone location and targeting me? Seems very strange to me.....
That is a crazy story, it must have been tracking you and targeting the ad that is crazy
Thanks for a interesting review sounds like a a really great product. Funds are a bit stretched at the moment but if my numbers come up who knows
I love your dignified geeza accent 👌🧐🤜🤛
I loved your comment made me belly laugh !! cheers
I like Chord as a brand, but I'm concerned by reports that some people find some of their offerings "bright" and "harsh," and I'm having a hard time seeing the value proposition, particularly after seeing what's inside the cases.
Something only sounds bright if there is too much treble and not enough bass well you have total control over that so it's more of a moot point with the mojo 2 than a lot of other products.
If something sounds harsh that can be distortion and I found the mojo 2 to sound extremely clean much more so than you would expect going into some good dan clark headphones.
Worth considering all this.
Their DACS sound harsh of you have a substandard source particularly on USB. In my experience with MOJO 1 it was always smooth on the optical input but did not give the magic that the USB input is capable of. That said the USB can sound harsh. I have spent as much on USB cables and conditioners on my MAC Mini as I did on the MOJO, but I have to say the sound is amazing, vocals in particular are ridiculously lifelike. Optical gives me a wonderful full bodied musical sound like my old Turntable but by going all in on USB I get something with way more details and realism.
🤗 THANKS TERRY …AWESOME REVIEW OF THIS KIT…BUT not in the budget 😞😉😍😍😍
what a nice review.... I have always wondered, how different will a mojo 2 be compared to what you will hear in a qutests or hugo? and you have answered me, it is very close to the qutest at half price 11:34
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I believe that Rob Watts himself does not go anywhere without his M Scaler and he needs it connected to his Chord Mojo,now the Chord Mojo 2
Have you seen the price of that M Scaler?
How is mojo 2 for movies and gaming via optical ?
One of the drawbacks of the orignial Mojo was the inability to connect to iPhone without the added Poly. Have they changed that? For example can you input soundvia bluetooth? Can you use a Lightning to USB-C cable?
Those TADs are end-game for me!
Great video Terry, did you change any settings when listening to the Aeon 2 closed.
Thanks in advance Anthony.
Thanks I think so, I started the review using the DCA Ether and they have a very bold warm and quite on you sound for the bass typical big planar sound so after that most dynamic driver headphones sound very lack lustre. The Aeon are not lacklustre but they are a more off you sound so I likely raised the bass a bit :)
Good review - thank you. I'd be interested in using this as a stand alone
DAC for my main room system or even my desktop. I assume that the
headphone jacks would provide the analogue and obviously with a splitter.
My concern would be the quality of the cable wherein the splitting occurs.
Any comments on a quality cable to do the splitting would be appreciated.
You can get a physical splitter, an adaptor not a cable made by Audioquest that is ideal
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Good to know.
Will one still have the eq function if you send the output to another amp. ?
Thanks
@@PursuitPerfectSystem ❤I'll check it out now
@@deadline7610 The EQ function should take place in the digital realm
and therefore not affect the analogue signal as it is well before
conversion. However, I'd check with Chord - they have good customer
service in my experience.
@@deadline7610 i think this is necessarily so: the only output is the analog (as can be expected for a dac), and direct out w/o volume control or w/o eq does not exist Terry said in the video.
Given the performance of the Mojo 2, I wonder whether the Qutest is still worth it at 3x the price...
It will be and for other reasons too
Is it worth it for a stereo application? Keeping it pluged in while in use?
Terry - is the MOJO 2 DAC in a 2 channel line out scenario comparable or better than the DAC in the Audiolab 6000A?
Way better
hello，I am still wondering how long will it take for charging to full battery？thansk a lot
Great review!!
Can you comment on comparison of the mojo 2 to the Woo Audio Topaz? I use Focal Clear headphones
Thanks for the review. Do you think that the Mojo2 audio quality is comparable to the RME ADI2 DAC FS unit (functionality aside)?
Thanks again.
same question here
Hi Terry, great insight as always. In terms of overall sound quality, is this a significant improvement over the Zen DAC with £300 headphones. Thanks.
I think you will notice the difference more the better the headphones but it depends on the headphones and how effective the DSP tweaks and crossfeed will be for you - sorry I cant really give you an exact answer
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Completely understand, your feedback is much appreciated.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Bought one. Waste of money for me. No better than my Zen DAC V2.
@@doifeellucky what headphones and what source are you using??
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Grado 325x, but I appreciate probably not good enough. Source is just my PC but hi-res through Foobar 2000. Shows the turquoise light, 176.4, kHz from the manual. Shame really, but disappointed. You were right about DSP and crossfeed. For me only the two middle DSP settings make a difference and I hear nothing significant from any of the crossfeed settings. To be honest I regret getting the Grado. Wish I’d gone for something like the Sundara, though again perhaps not good enough for the Mojo.
Has the around the same taps as the QUTEST, so it should be comparable to the QUTEST?
I thought you had the Crossfeed option on the Hugo TT2 you also own, have you played around with the three options? I always go back to turning it off when testing it.
Yeah its on the TT2 and the Hugo 2 as fat as I know but I have never used it before being a purist snob and all that, but after trying it I liked it but I think the ability to tune the sound to balance some bits that don't quite work might be the differnce for using it longer term. End of the day headphones cant be designed to listen like that so it's messing with them so things like bass being a little thick is one of those things that would quickly turn you off even if the rest was good but if you can tune it to not be like it thats a big improvement. Its definitely different thats for sure it's a bit for fun and faux dimensional
Wondering how it stacks up against the Qutest? Thanks!
I wish the poly wasn't so expensive 🥲
Thanks for the great review! Did you try using other USB cables with Mojo 2 and source? If so, any effect on SQ?
the legend
Hi. Potential issue I have noticed with Mojo 2 is that when mojo is connected to power source the electric current leaks into a chasis. It feels like slight tingling under fingers when you touch the mojo. I've tried many chargers and it is always the same. Does yours doing something similar or perhaps I have a faulty unit? Many thanks.
That doesn't sound right you should get that checked
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Thanks. I will get in touch with the shop I got it from.
So I did return it and got a new unit. The problem is gone. But it has been replaced by another equaly bad. Mojo 2 is picking up mobile phone signal noise when I am on the go. It's the second unit I've tested and I am still getting the noise in my IEMS because cellular signal is interfering with Mojo 2 internals.
Do you have similar problem or I have a faulty unit again?
@@pistopit7142 that must be related to the cable you are using or something like that
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I am not even connecting mojo 2 to the phone. It happens as soon as mojo 2 is close proximity of the phone. As for the IEMS cable, I am using exactly the same cable and IAMs as with the first unit that did not seem to have this issue. Would you mind checking if your unit is doing similar noise?
Being a bit fresh and new to all of this. I am rather confused with DSP aspect? Is this almost like a built in equaliser? If so what are the benefits to this as opposed to software EQ?
Yes dsp is an equaliser, there are technical benefits to Chords implementation I didnt cover in the video but you can look it up.
The benefit of hardware dsp is it doesn't matter what the source is the sound is always dsp the same.
Software eq has the benefit of being graphical and potentially more complex and flexible compared to the fixed four frequencies you can adjust in the mojo 2 but if its happening in your computer as the music source and your listening from your phone as the source you obviously won't get the effect.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem very much appreciate the detailed answer. Subscribed👍
I've been considering the McIntosh MHA50 for some time. How does the Mojo 2 compares sound wise? Thanks.
You cannot compare the two mha50 is a power amp, it doesn’t have a build in dac so it doesn’t decode digital music, it only amplifies analog signals
Wil i be able to use this as DAC input for Integrated Amp?..as Mojo 2 s output is just 600 mW at 30 ohms load
If you look in the manual you will see how to activate line level mode that fixes the output at 3v I think so you will be good
Dear Terry, Thanks for the swift reply, i will check the manual!!
Nobody I know uses Poly. Give us fast charging and dump the micro USB, really that ship sailed years ago.
Soichi terada fan ?
Good review
I was hoping to have a review as part of the hifi system, not only headphones
Did you watch to the end?
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Hi, yes I did, am I missing something?
@@info4jon if your using the same inputs outputs and controls it will sound the same as a dac amplifier for headphones as a dac for a hifi system
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Yes i understood that, I was hoping to get a review of it though listened to on an actula Hi fi high end system to see how it holds up there... Im not interested in using it for headphones :) at the moment im using an arcam IR DAC 2
@@info4jon oh I see you mean a sound demo, if it doesn't say sound demo in the video title there won't be one. CZcams changes its music copyright policy a lot and that could end up blocking a video like this so I only ever do sound demo videos as separate videos
Oi! How do punk rock sound on them things? I like me some classics, Sham 69 like, "C'mon c'mon urry up Harry c'mon, we're goin down the pub!" I lookin to get some new headphone kit like, to play me musics. Ta.
You sure you've got your tap count comparison right Terry? Mr Darko says there are only a couple of thousand extra?!!
Its very possible I did get that wrong, John is always good for factual accuracy.
Nice... do you have any purchase link? I can't find any page to buy it
Pretty sure they are only available through select dealers rather than on Amazon so there should be local dealers to you whom you can but one from. Sorry I cant help you more
@@PursuitPerfectSystem that means it will be more expensive 😔 thanks for the response
@@sicness0 there is a fixed retail price everywhere
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I already found a place here in Chile. They will start selling it by the end of the month. Thanks
@pursuit perfect system. Could you compare the Mojo 2 to the Hugo 2 please?
I am sorry I don't have a Hugo 2 I would have likely done that comparison and spoke about it in the video if I did, because it would have been good to see how much the eq adds and how the crossfeed compares
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Absolutely; along with the overall soundstage presence. Thanks for your review, and getting back to me. Happy Listening - Cheers
Great review. Can you charge the MOJO 2 whilst using it? This was always an issue with the mk1 right? thanks
Yes you can without any issues this time they say
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Oooo spicy. Thank you! That's a bit of a game changer for me.
@@jackamouk wait until you listen to it too 😀
How does it pair with the Arya stealth?
Sorry I didn’t test that combo
@@PursuitPerfectSystem no worries
Hi vs Hugo 2 ??
Omg how did you connect it? Is it just usb c to usb c no camera adapter?
Yes from my IPAD Pro and phone straight USB C but I dont use an IPhone I use a Samsung S21
With iPadOS and the newer iPad with usb-c, you do not need the camera adapter. Perhaps older iPad with the newer iPadOS you may be ok too, but I havent tried it. With iPhone you still need one.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem thanks! Does it need the original apple or otg cable or can you use any high end usb cable?
I carry my Denafrips terminator with me wherever I go! 😎
Your the person Bob I was referring to who has the "are you pleased to see me" bulge going on
@@PursuitPerfectSystem DEFINITELY! 🍆 😂
Is it me or is the positioning USB-C input look to be some sort of afterthought?
Nevertheless, I am going to have to try this before committing to it.
Its to allow connection to the existing Chord Poly
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Discovered that after posting. Thanks!
Love Chord electronics but why no usb c??
There is USB C?
Chord released a Mojo 1.5. Nothing more. Lots of missed opportunities here.
maybe hugo 3 next year
I think the electronics in Mojo 2 need to plays for a least 200-300h to open up.
Yeah sure it might get better over time, I didn't put that many hours on it being honest but enough to hear what its like
And I bought the VMV D1se DAC only a few months ago.... Dammit !
Enjoy it don't stress abour it get the mojo 2 as well :) later on if you feel the need
@@PursuitPerfectSystem haha that's fair!! Expensive hobby this 🤣
@@2HatHudders every hobby is expensive I used to do a lot of fishing and spend a fortune on bait and just chuck it all in the water
@@PursuitPerfectSystem haha, well i hope you at least caught some fish. I see what you mean.
Golden sound has high praise for the VMV, so don't worry about it.
A "Quantum" Leap? That's a pretty small distance :|
This has gone up in price by 25%.
My energy bills gone up 50% so will have chords
I have the centrance hifi-m8 v2 worth an upgrade?
This will get clobbered by iterations from Fiio , Ibasso , Cayin etc. I’m sorry to say. We are spoiled for choice , a comparo with what’s on the mkt is more realistic than just Mojo 2 V Mojo 1.
Not at all. Even IFI is better than those Chinese rubbish. If you own good headphones you’ll listen to the difference. Mojo is better than IFI to my ears.
I would love one of these but it's a bit usless for someone who is colourblind.
👍🤝
I guess it’s time to ditch my Hugo2Go
No USB C charging and only 2 3.5mm outputs is a massive no no 2022.
A 2.5 or 4.4 is giving the customer options.
I wanted but will miss out again for 7 years, why use Scart on a 4K tv 🤷♂️
Are you referring to the lack of balanced?
@@colinpratt2839 no but headphone options without adapters, I have an RME with no balanced, balanced isn’t a necessity
Why aren't you looking at the camera ?
I was testing a more Netflix style of presenting using multiple camera angles
Wow ..IFI Go Blue and put money into better IEM’s 🥳