The Skinny

When the first-generation Mojo (mobile

Joy) arrived on the market, the dongle really didn’t exist yet and most people were either using a DAC/Amplifier or a

DAP. It was not uncommon to see stacks of devices where one provided the source and another the DAC/Amplifier functionality.

The Chord Mojo provided wireless phone users an option that was as good or better than most DAPs on the market. Fast forward a few years, and the Mojo is still usable, but the market has shifted considerably.

For starters, the Micro-USB ports on the Mojo now date it because most devices now use USB Type-C ports. The Dongle DAC market has shifted expectations of what a portable device should be as well; most consumers now expect a smaller and lighter device.

I was very excited when Chord announced the new Mojo 2 because its predecessor was so good, but I was left scratching my head when I saw the first images.

The Mojo 2 is very similar to the firstgeneration Mojo, with the exception of a 4-button control system (3 on the original) and a USB Type-C input. It is the same size and shape, and I wouldn’t say that the weight has changed all that much. With the exception of the aforementioned USB Type-C input, the connections are the same.

The fourth button adds a new tone control to the existing power/input switch, and the volume adjustment buttons. The outputs are still dual 3.5mm ports on the end opposite the inputs; Chord is not a proponent of balanced audio, so I didn’t expect to see them bow to industry pressure and include a 4.4mm port.

Those who have invested in the Chord Poly that extends the function of the Mojo into a streamer will appreciate the fact that port placements are the same as the earlier model, which means that Poly users are not left out in the rain twiddling their thumbs.

Internally, a new generation of FPGA offers more substantial changes. Chord calls it the UHD DSP or Ultra-high Definition Digital Signal processor, and while most of the market debates 16-bit/24-bit DACs, the Mojo 2 uses a 104-bit/768kHz FPGA central core.