Chord Mojo Review

April 5, 2016 2:24 pm

The Chord Mojo has been on my radar for a while now. Creeping audiophile forums, I heard mention of a DAC/amp combo so delicious, it’s name was only typed in hush tones of absolute reverence. Then I actually got a chance to test drive the Mojo, and it’s everything it’s cracked up to be.

Chord Mojo Review

The Chord Mojo is a little different from most of the other DAC/amp combos you’ll find on the market right now. For 30 years, an engineer by the name of Rob Watts developed this technology to his own exacting specs. It sounds smoother, with less noise, and can drive any pair of cans up to 800 ohms.

G’damn, son.

It has two output jacks, so you could drive 2 headphones up to 400 ohms each, if that’s your cup of tea. The Mojo will handle all sample rates from 44 kHz to the luscious DSD.

Inputs include micro USB, optical, and digital coax.

The Mojo runs on an internal battery that can last for 10-20 hours. It’s a little on the heavy side, but audiophiles everywhere will be more than happy to take this little gem on the go.

That being said, how does it sound? The Mojo sounds phenomenal when paired with anything from higher res FLAC to standard MP3s. As the source changes from one sample rate to another, the frosted white power button will glow different colors to reflect the new sample rate. There is zero noise and a smoothing effect that doesn’t seem to detract from detail or articulation.

A Micro USB to USB OTG cable is included with the chord, and I’ve demoed it on an iPhone with some pretty sick results. I’m currently waiting on an adapter that will let me use it with my Android phone.

That being said, regardless of the device, the simple fact that you can use the supplied OTG cable means you can easily bypass whatever onboard DAC you’re currently stuck with and enjoy your music at a higher level of quality.

Finally, there is the price of the Chord Mojo. At $599, this isn’t for the weekend audiophile. However, for someone looking for a dedicated mobile or home solution, the price is more than fair.