Electronics Mojo, ultimate DAC/Headphone Amplifier, USB, Coaxial, and Optical, Black

I guess I'm somewhat of an "audiophile" in that I'm very picky about sound. I also work in the high-end musical instruments industry so I know very well what musicians seek in audio quality. That being said, there's definitely a point when there are diminishing returns when it comes to high-end musical instruments and audio gear as well. There are some people who are willing to pay double the price of something that's very good for marginal (3~5%) perceived improvement when it comes to sound. That's what high-end musical instruments and audio gear industries are like and there's just no end to how far some people will go to have something a little "better" than what they had before.I owned a pretty decent portable DAC/headphone amp that I was happy with since I travel to Asia a lot on business trips but wondered if there was anything out there that could get "desktop" or "tabletop" quality in a very small package. I had invested in a custom ear-mold IEM (Jerry Harvey Audio) and wanted a DAC/headphone amp that could get the best out of it without breaking the bank. While doing my due diligence, I found out about the Chord Electronics Mojo and was immediately intrigued.After reading various reviews I decided that I can't go wrong with this and my expectations were fairly high. Well, after several days with the Mojo and doing some A/B tests with my incumbent DAC/headphone amp, I have to say that it has exceeded those expectations and then some. What a beautiful sounding little unit! It left my previous unit in the dust and I really liked that one and used it happily for years. It is super compact so makes it ideal for long flights and 2~3 week business trips when you often crave great sound to soothe the frazzled mind and the soul while dealing with long lines at airports, constant flight delays and all the other foibles of business travel.So what makes the Mojo so special? More than anything else, it's the huge soundstage and the clarity without sounding harsh or sterile. Sonically, it's on the bright/brilliant side of the spectrum than mellow/warm but it's balanced from the very low to the very high and there's an inherent musicality to its sound that is hard to describe but is something you know when you hear it. I was able to hear minute details of instruments and of the overall mix that I simply could not hear before while providing a pleasing sound across the stereo field.The extremely broad soundstage is what clearly set the Mojo apart from the other DAC/headphone amps I've tried in the past. I only play Apple Lossless or high-resolution audio files like FLAC or DSD on my iPhone because I care very much about hearing the details of the hi-hat cymbals and feeling the thump of the kick drum as well as the orchestra from left to right as if I was sitting right at the center about 20~30 rows back in a concert hall.When plugged direct into the iPhone's headphone jack, it's as though the soundstage only covers from around 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock. My previous unit was more like 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock in soundstage coverage but the Mojo is more like 8 o'clock to 4 o'clock - a huge improvement where I felt like I'm starting to hear things below or even behind me. The soundstage of the Mojo is that wide. But it still sounds natural and organic, not some electronic gimmick that artificially expands the soundstage. The lows are big and punchy but tight and focused and not at all sounding tubby or boomy like some other units I've tried in the past. It's certainly not for the Beats crowd.Overall, I think it's in the mids and the highs that the Mojo shines sonically. It's about hearing the details of the string section in an orchestra or the pick attack of an electric guitar or drawing in of the air by the vocalist. The mids are rich but still crisp with excellent separation between various instruments in an ensemble and between the strings of an acoustic guitar. The highs are clear as a bell but still sweet sounding without any hint of harshness. I hate hearing the "ess" on the highs and the Mojo exhibits none of that. It's still silky when other units can make you cringe on the very highs.The build quality is excellent. It's compact and feels a bit dense but in a pleasing way. You can sense the quality just holding it in your hand. The odd yet cute power and volume control buttons are easy to get used to and soon become endearing to fiddle with. It's also a great feature to have two headphone outs to listen to music with someone else. I always wondered why more manufacturers don't do this. I doubt I would ever need to use the optical or coaxial inputs but I'm sure some others will appreciate them.The Mojo is simple and compact like so many other devices of this type but it stands - no - it *towers* above the rest. The build quality is superb but it's really the sound that sets the Mojo apart. Everything else is only skin deep. Ultimately, it has to deliver the sound and the Mojo sounds quite amazing. This is one of those products that not only wows you with quality but with its value. I talked about the "diminishing return" factor of high-end musical instruments and audiophile gear where you pay up through the nose to hear slightly sweeter highs or wee bit wider soundstage, etc. In comparison to such products (and I've heard and tried - although not owned - plenty with five figures being the norm for amps/speakers and four figures being the norm for DACs and even cables), the Mojo is literally a steal. It's one of those rare products that smash the diminishing return factor and something that all music lovers on the go (or even at home) should seriously consider owning.

This does what it should do with power and detail. I had no trouble driving HD 600 and T1 2nd cans, both needing a lot of power to drive correctly. I never tried to use two hard to drive cans at the same time but I do not see that being common.I'm using the cord when traveling. It will depend on where I'm going but I'll use either good headphones or high-end earbuds.My first test was a doctors appointment. Unlike many doctors you hear about we seldom have to wait more than a few minutes to see our doctor but it got a short test. I used a Samsung do drive the Mojo. I used Astell&Kern Rosie earbuds and my wife used DUNU DN 2002 earbuds. The sound is outstanding. Amazing music coming from such a small device. I was using Tidal in HiFi mode. So it passed with flying colors.I have tested the Mojo with sound files up to 24/196 at home and it is sweet. However I prefer my desk gear for home listening, so it was just a test. I don't have a data plan big enough to try without WiFi and playing big files. It is hard to enjoy that level of music on the road. Tidal is CD quality, which is more than enough on the road. (I lower the quality when I'm bike riding to save data. Wind noise will drown out any HiFI anyway.The Moto is rather spartan. Th instructions are on the box and the only cord is a USB micro for charging. You need your own OTG or anything else you might need. I'm tempted to lower a point except I have never seen a portable DAC supply an OTG cable so it would not be fair. You can pick them up for 5 to 9 dollars on Amazon. I needed one for USB C anyway.After charging it overnight it ran for a good four hours without a blink. I did not check the charge level. (you need the box) so I don't know how much more time I had. Generally, four hours is enough but glad it might go six or more.I've been trying not to buy this for years because of their lack of a balanced output. I finally gave up because I really needed a high-quality DAC that was not like carrying half a brick around. I could get 2.5mm to 3.5mm adaptor and that this is the best in the price range. I'm told that you cannot get better for less than double the money. I have a Sony PHA 3 in balance mode that I believe give it a run for the money but I have not done any close study. The Sony is over twice as big and uses pono output, which is hard to get with earbuds. So the Sony is for visiting a home, not anyplace I would not want to take expensive and bulky gear.I would recommend this to anyone on the road a lot. If you are on a budget and can only afford one big-ticket hi-fi item, I recommend the Cord Mojo. It can be used as a desktop DAC and plug into a HiFI system like it was born to be used there. Nothing fancy, just pure music with a build like a brick.I've used this for a few years and have a lot to compare it with. Some are better but only at twice the cost and size. Most of my items sit on a shelf to be charged once a month. I find I use my dx220 more as I can carry half a 512 mg of music with it.The Mojo is always the pick if I need to use it with two people. It is always best if you go light. With the cost down to 400 I cannot recomend this enough. The best sound, dual output, small and light. Really, there is nothing at this price point that can touch it.If you care about good music but are not ready to spend a grand, get this and two chicom earbuds. All you need after that is a phone. I got two outstanding earbuds just for the mojo, as you need a 3.5mm connection. All my others setups use 2.5mm. I also have two quality headsets for when we will not be in public. My wife refused to use them where people can see us.If you are in the military (Marines here) you need this. There are smaller but they will burn you power and don't sound as good.