Hi all I am using Headphones.more and more and the Mojo seems to be a favourite headphone amp/DAC combo. Currently have an Ifi Nano iDSD BL and it’s fine but thinking I’ll get much more out of my Meze 99 Classics with something better. Looking at 2nd hand not new is it worth the upgrade, I’ll loose MQA but I can live without it.
I really like Chord and the Mojo, and use the Mojo on the go with my iPhone and a camera adaptor kit.
Pop into a certain High Street hi-fi store and give one an audition.
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The Chord Mojo is incredible. Stereophile gave it a “state of the art” endorsement FOR A FULL SIZED AUDIO COMPONENT. I also have an iFi DAC. Very good, but not even in the same league as Mojo. Mojo also has a very powerful (3/4W) headphone amp that kicks. And you can upgrade Mojo with Poly, a miniature DLNA server. I have my entire digital audio collection of over 1200 albums on an SD micro card in Poly.
I have looked hard at a Mojo a few times however I couldnt get past the the fact it runs on battery. I would be interested to hear how other users have got on with this aspect especially if they use it in a static setting. I wouldnt have used it portably, so I would have preferred a directly powered model.
My Ifi is battery only. You get used to it and put on charge over night.
It can also be USB powered no? (if wanted)
Oh yeah you have to connect it in a certain order for it to charge and power fro device but It sounds better via battery though. Mojo can play and charge to, they provide a cable to in their pack.
I found the xDSD to sound subjectively better to my ears/tastes, than the nano iDSD BL. And it had less operational quirks than my micro iDSD BL at the time… Worth a demo if you can.
I might do.
One question can Roon control the volume on the Mojo? I like the volume control on th Ifi but if I have the app open its nice to be able control it from that. Lazy I know but it’s less reach.
No I don’t think so. You control volume using the ‘marbles’.
I have a new Mojo and Classic 99’s.
My music has never sounded so good.
I highly recommend
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I found the Mojo to be inconvenient in a static setup near my integrated amp in my office setup:
The biggest hassle is having to charge and recharge it as it runs very HOT if you leave the charge cord plugged into the Mojo while playing music through it. Chord recommends against this so you have to position the Mojo in a convenient enough location to easily unplug and replug the micro-USB charge cable. And that also means recharging it everyday or so depending on your listening habits. Forget to recharge it? Too bad. And there have been reported cases of the Mojo battery going dead prematurely. Have they fixed that problem?
While the Mojo is a fine sounding DAC, there are comparably nice sounding units that won’t break the bank that are meant to be placed in your audio rack permanently.
Before switching back to my main DAC here’s how I had the Mojo set up:
- Battery charger with micro-USB cable/plug to tiny micro-USB charging port on DAC.
- A micro-USB port is also used on the DAC input. Bought a micro-USB to USB cable.
- 3.5mm audio output jack requiring a 3.5mm to RCA adapter cable.
- A place to put the small DAC where it won’t be yanked around by the cables.
- Must be placed conveniently so the battery charger cable can be easily unplugged.
- Find skinny flexible cables unless you want your Mojo yanked in various directions.
- A bit unsightly even with skinny cables coming out of each side of the DAC.
I’m back to using my Wyred4Sound or PS Audio DAC while the Mojo hasn’t been used in a couple months. I think it’s fine for travel but I stopped using it at home.
I use the Mojo in my portable setup and I find it excellent. For stationary use I have a Chord Hugo 2, which has several advantages over the Mojo for a stationary setup:
- RCA / Cinch audio connectors
- Remote control for inputs, volume, filters
- More powerful headphone amp, 1/2" headphone jack
- Charger can be left connected. The Hugo 2 will detect it constantly has a charger connected and revert to running directly off the charger and not sonstantly charging the battery
I find both devices really excellent for their usecases. I could well imagine the Hugo 2 in a portable setup as well.
It’s not in a rack and will be easy accessible as the Ifi is now, the smaller the better for me to take up less room I don’t want a large DAC as it needs to be discrete as possible and it will be used outside from time to time. The battery does not bother me too much. If I can remember to charge my phone then I can a DAC. Have to with the Ifi to get the best out of it anyway.
Amazingly I have just receive one on loan today to try out thanks to the amazing @Dick_Vliek who let me borrow his to see if I like it or not.
So looking forward to trying it out after its charged
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I may be wrong, but I read on the headfi forum, and they didn’t recommend to charge and recharge it, they said that the mojo can be plugged into power 24/7. No problems at all. The only problem I have with my Mojo, is the buzz that comes when its fully charge, but I read on the headfi forum that if you have a proper charging cable, the buzz will go away.
I love my Chord Mojo, and highly recommend it!
I think you might be wrong this article says the battery can swell if left powered all the time. he does say though that you can disconnect the battery if you open it up and then it will power with out charging. Obviously you dont do that whilst its warranty.
My apologies. I misspoke about charging the Mojo but based on personal experience mine got very HOT (can’t be good) if the unit was charging AND turned ON playing music. The official word from the Chord Mojo user’s manual:
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Interesting stuff about the battery. That would mean the only thing Hugo 2 does different is that it changes the colour of the marble once the it detects a full battery and connection to a charger.