Chord Mojo £399
Not only does this excellent little device give your music that zest and inherent get-up-and-go that its name implies, it also brings ‘Mobile Joy’ – which is what its name actually stands for. It is the perfect portable DAC solution for those who crave Chord’s Hugo 2 but stutter at its hefty price.
Three ball-like buttons take care of power on/off and the volume level. The power button lights up in different colours depending on the sampling rate of the input signal (red for 44.1khz, green for 96khz, white for DSD). The lighting behind the volume buttons also changes according to level.
The Mojo features micro-usb, optical and coaxial inputs, the last in the form of a 3.5mm jack rather than the usual RCA or BNC; and there’s a second USB port for charging. Outputs are a pair of 3.5mm jacks. You can also add the Poly, Chord’s dedicated streaming module.
Chord refuses to use off-the-shelf DAC chips inside its converters, instead using powerful programmable processors loaded with proprietary, built-from-theground-up software to do the job. It’s largely why the company has enjoyed the success it has.
This is a fabulous performer. Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions on DSD is gripping from the unmistakable opening bars of Too High right through to the end of the album. There’s ample detail, and the kind of insight that nothing we’ve heard at this price can better.
But what impresses us most is the Mojo’s ability to organise all that information into a cohesive and musical whole. It can convey power and scale when the music requires, but also has the finesse to make the most of the subtler passages too.
We’re also impressed with the Mojo’s refinement. Its transparency means poor recordings (and sources) will be easy to spot, but this DAC won’t go out of its way to be nasty. It’s business as usual in the £300-£500 sector – the Mojo remains the one to beat at this price.