Chord Mojo DAC headphone amp

Chord Electronics Mojo (Mobile Joy) Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) and headphones amplifier is, as Peter Hyatt notes, a "game changer" in digital sound quality.

The Mojo DAC is small, smartphone-friendly, and powerful. Don't underestimate the reasonable price or small size of the Chord Mojo.

Mobile Joy

Chord Electronics’ Mojo (Mobile Joy) digital to analog converter (DAC) and headphones amplifier create a new approach to high-end digital audio sound via headphones and in-ear monitors (IEMs). Chord’s Mojo magical “converter box” external DAC is as mobile as Apple’s iPhones, iPads or any Android smartphone, PC or pad. Chord’s mighty Mojo crystal clear audio is warm and detailed with soundstage breadth, and intimacy believed lost as analog-to-digital converters (ADC) gave way to digital-to-analog conversion.

While converting analog recordings to digital audio was inevitable digital audio can be harsh, brittle and about as inviting as binary number zeros and ones. What does a zero-order-hold (ZOH) have to do with Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon anyway? The answer is nothing and everything.

The zero-order hold (ZOH) is a mathematical model of signal reconstruction performed by a conventional digital-to-analog converter (DAC) describing how a discrete-time signal is converted to a continuous-time signal by holding each sample value for one interval. Ref: Wikipedia

Go Wireless

Chord Poly Streaming Module

The Chord Poly is a Bluetooth wireless streaming module designed specifically for Mojo. Poly fits seamlessly onto the DAC to enable Bluetooth connectivity as well as 2.4gHz wifi connection. It features a Micro SD card slot for local storage and is Roon Ready and DNLA compatible.

Small Footprint = Portable

Despite the small footprint of Chord's Mojo, Chord's new DAC only needs a few hours to charge. And your Mojo can keep rising for 10 hours continuous listening! Even better, thanks to a separate Micro USB charging port, you can charge and play Mojo at the same time. External power banks can also be used to charge Mojo on the move so long as they have a 1 amp output.

Advanced Design

Designed and manufactured in England by Chord Electronics Mojo stands for 'Mobile Joy'. Chord says Mojo is a true reference-quality mobile DAC and high-level headphone amplifier and Mojo's sound rivals DACs at twenty times the price. (Moon-Audio.com founder Drew Baird Agrees)

Mojo's ultra-compact design is based on Chord's Hugo, but Mojo uses a new Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA board making Mojo the most advanced DAC on the planet!

Mojo Easy

Chord's new Mojo is easy to operate. Mojo forgoes the bewildering number of switches common to similar DACs, opting for a simpler interface.

Headphones

Mojo drives any headphone between 4 ohms and 800 ohms (so most headphones). Mojo can drive two pairs of headphones simultaneously. Mojo works with any music file from 44.1kHz up to 768kHz and DoP DSD files: DSD 64; DSD 128 and DSD 256.

Mojo Music Decoding

Mojo can play all of today’s music formats. Mojo delivers breath-taking realism from digital music files such as PCM, WAV, AAC, AIFF, MP3, and FLAC. Chord's Mojo works with smartphones and music players such as Astell & Kern's AK380. Mojo even covers specialist high-resolution formats such as DoP DSD files: DSD 64; DSD 128 and DSD 256. Mojo’s three high-resolution digital input options comprise optical (to 192kHz), plus Micro USB and RCA (mini-jack) which operate at up to an incredible 768kHz.

Fully Automatic

Input selection is automatic: if more than one input is active they are prioritized as USB first, coax second, optical third. File frequency is shown by an indicator color option on the power switch, from 44.1kHz (red), 48kHz (orange), through a rainbow of colors to bright white for DSD.

The highly accurate low-distortion digital volume is controlled via two color-illuminated buttons. Many low-cost apps now make high-resolution music files playable from all smartphones. Mojo has three different high-resolution digital inputs: optical to 192kHz, plus USB and RCA (mini-jack) which operate up to 768kHz.

Advanced Battery Technology

Mojo utilizes new advanced high-temperature battery technology. The benefits of advanced batteries include faster re-charging (up to 20 hours faster than competitive DAzCs). Mojo Charging is via a standard USB port. Mojo can play music while it charges.

Mojo's charging Micro USB port has a battery status and charging indicator light. Mojo's casework is machined from solid aircraft-grade aluminum and has a hard Matt black fine finish that does not finger-mark. All inputs are denoted with a fine laser ablated permanent white lettering.

Overview

• Mojo is designed and built for smartphones.
• Works with your iPhone (with Camera Connection Kit + Dragon USB Cable), Android or Windows phone.
• The size and design make it comfortable to carry.
• Mojo is compatible with your Mac, PC, or Linux computer.
• Includes three digital inputs - USB, Coaxial, and Optical.
• 4 hour charge time to provide up to 10 hours use.
• Pairs with headphones from 4Ω to 800Ω.
• With two 3.5mm analog outputs you and a friend can listen at the same time.
• Mojo plays all files from 32kHz to 768kHz and even DSD 512.
• Fully automatic and remembers the last used settings.
• The case is lovingly machined from a single block of aircraft-grade aluminum.
• Mojo is entirely designed and manufactured in Great Britain.

Awards

Press and Reviews

Chord Magazine

Guides & Advice
by Moon Audio

Moon Audio

by Drew
Oct. 2015

What Hi-Fi?

by Staff
Oct. 2018

HI-Fi+

by Alan Sircom
Oct. 2015

Headphone.Guru

by Dubstep Girl
Nov. 2015

HI-Fi+

by Chris Martens
Mar. 2016

Secrets of HiFi

by Chris Groppi
Dec. 2019