Chord Mojo 2 DAC / Portable Amp

I find the menu navigation frustrating, which makes it difficult to recommend the device to non-audiophiles; I also strongly dislike micro USB inputs. Yet the sound presentation is excellent, and at under $1000 it would be my top choice. In games, the audio feels closer; while it lacks accuracy or spaciousness, the result is quite pleasant and offers a profile I did not expect to enjoy so much. For music, the sound is not what I would call reference quality, but I enjoy it similarly and believe it complements higher-end DACs. I expect I will always want a Chord DAC nearby to help fine-tune my preferences or EQ with other systems.

It performed up to its reputation!

I previously used the iFi hip-dac 3 and spent a long time deciding what my next portable DAC/amp should be. After much consideration, I finally chose the Chord Mojo 2. The improvement was immediately noticeable. Music sounded more natural and cohesive. I could clearly hear better treble resolution, and the bass became tighter and faster, although I wouldn't say the improvement is large enough to fully justify its price, which is more than three times that of the hip-dac 3. I use both the Shure SE846 and the Sennheiser IE900 as my IEMs, and both benefited from the Mojo 2's higher resolution. With the SE846, I sometimes felt that the frequency response lacked continuity with certain tracks when using the hip-dac 3. I never experienced that with the Mojo 2. The Mojo 2's EQ is another major advantage. It helped compensate for one of the SE846's weaknesses—its upper-treble roll-off. By boosting the highest frequencies by about +5 to +6 dB, I found that this issue was significantly improved. I'm still not completely accustomed to the color-based controls, but they're perfectly usable once you get the hang of them. Overall, I'm very satisfied with both the sound quality and the features. The build quality is also excellent. I would definitely recommend this DAC/amp.

Almost perfect

Love the Mojo 2 as both a desktop DAC and for portable use. I mainly use in desktop mode but like the flexibility to take with me if needed. Sound quality for me is neutral with no coloration across the board, that is unless you use the excellently integrated DAP and crossfeed functionality. I personally raise the sub-bass shelf a tad and use the 2nd level of crossfeed with my Focal Clears. Powerful enough on its own, but can be connected to an amp if needed. Only downfall is the use of usb-b, not fatal but annoying.