Intro >
For all head-fi users and visitors, it'd be a surprise for me if they haven't come across the Mojo ever, in the last six months or so. The amount of threads and discussion on this one device has been huge.
For the uninitiated though, the Mojo is a portable DAC/amp by Chord Electronics that takes digital audio input from your smartphone, computer or DAP (Digital Audio Player) and outputs a superior quality audio signal to two 3.5mm headphone jacks. The digital inputs are USB and Coaxial, and there's a line level output option set by jointly holding down both volume buttons when powering on the device. The technical specifications are available on many a website, including Chord's own, and I shall avoid describing them again here.
But do read through all the research and development involved in the custom DAC implementation based on FPGA programming done by its creators, as it’s a very interesting and informative discussion in itself.
Yours truly was provided with the Mojo by my good friend @raghavsomani of Headphone Zone (India) for a couple of weeks; I duly picked it up from their office in Mumbai, and spent the two weeks of my holiday at my hometown in Kerala in blissful happiness.
So big thanks to them for giving me the opportunity to listen to this wonderful piece of gear in exchange for my honest opinion and thoughts.
Build/ Size >
This is a diminutive little device, all 'aircraft grade' aluminum, and is truly bulletproof, in my humble opinion. Not that I've tested it, but I certainly feel so, and invite you to take out that shotgun, and fire one into the Mojo. Okay, please don't. It still might survive unscathed though.
Above: The Mojo hooked to my FiiO X3 1st gen using the L16 interconnect via coaxial. Listening done mainly with Fidelio X2.
Moving on, it fits very comfortably when held in one hand, and is a welcome departure from the usual rectangular brick shape for dacs that has become now commonplace, barring the Sony PHA series, and maybe a couple others. The 'Made in England' label is an added reassurance of the build quality.
The most striking feature, apart from the glowing orbs of course, is that it has all subtly rounded corners, and the matte finish adds to a surface that is very touch friendly in my opinion. I wish Chord included some sort of a case in the box, but there are a few available for purchase separately.
As far as looks go, it's a no-holds-barred approach that Chord have adapted, sticking to their tradition, and I personally find it attractive. YMMV though.
Sound >
Now for the all important aspect, that outweighs all other features as far as I'm concerned. Put simply, it sounds, wait for it, just brilliant.
What makes it brilliant for me are a combination of many different aspects of the sound that when compared to other devices in its class, it just edges ahead in my opinion.
The Mojo has a slightly warm sound signature, meaning that the mid range frequencies and sounds get that slight preference, if one may call it that, ahead of the lower and treble frequencies. But this isn't to say the bass or treble regions are recessed by any means. On the contrary, the bass and treble sounds have class leading extension and definition, to my ears. And for me the winning feature in favor of the Mojo is, in one word, natural.
My continual quest for the best sound possible at the best price has begun to define itself more clearly after using the Mojo. I've realised that rather than looking for the most detailed, most resolving, and most 'fun' sounding devices or combinations, my ideal target sound is making me look for the most 'natural' and 'realistic' sounding device or setup. This is my goal. But this statement has an inherent and fundamental problem; what exactly is the natural sound of an instrument? How 'real' can one get in terms of an instrument or voice? The word 'timbre' is used to describe the tone of an instrument as heard, compared to when its played live in front (or side, depending on recording of course) of the listener.
Earlier when I had the FiiO X7 for review I had thought that its timbre was the most realistic I had heard up till then. Added to this its slightly enhanced treble made acoustic guitars among others sound as natural as I'd heard. But there was that slight enhancement in the treble that still retained the X7's 'digital' roots, if one may call it that.
Recently I purchased the iBasso D14 'Bushmaster' dac-amp, and have been running it through coaxial out of my FiiO X3 1st gen. I'm thoroughly satisfied with its sound; detailed, uncolored, fairly neutral IMO. But having the Mojo made me realize that the D14, in spite of being very detailed, clear, and uncolored, was still not as natural sounding. Though there was no flaw or lack of detail in the D14 that I could pick, it just wasn't that 'involving' as the Mojo. The D14 though, at its current price of 199$ US, is a brilliant performer by itself, and its no surprise that its preferred by many over the sound of the DX90 DAP.
The iBasso D14 'Bushmaster' is no slouch
The Mojo, on the other hand, retails for a higher price of 600$ US, and is almost on par pricewise with the FiiO X7. Comparing these two, I believe the Mojo has better matchability with a higher number of headphones and IEMs with varying sound signatures, whereas the X7 would suit listeners who prefer their sound to be slightly enhanced in the treble, or those looking to balance out overly warm headphones.
But to my preferences, the Mojo is the winner, because every little detail seems effortlessly retrieved, instruments and vocals sound more 'real', and it has gotten me that bit closer to, what is to my ears, that ideal sound reproduction.
Value/ Conclusion >
At its price, I feel that currently it is the best value for a portable source device in terms of sound quality alone. And to get an even better sense of realism than that offered by the Mojo, I would think one's wallet would have to start getting unreal, real soon.
Thanks for reading, folks.
Cheers & happy listening.
For all head-fi users and visitors, it'd be a surprise for me if they haven't come across the Mojo ever, in the last six months or so. The amount of threads and discussion on this one device has been huge.
For the uninitiated though, the Mojo is a portable DAC/amp by Chord Electronics that takes digital audio input from your smartphone, computer or DAP (Digital Audio Player) and outputs a superior quality audio signal to two 3.5mm headphone jacks. The digital inputs are USB and Coaxial, and there's a line level output option set by jointly holding down both volume buttons when powering on the device. The technical specifications are available on many a website, including Chord's own, and I shall avoid describing them again here.
But do read through all the research and development involved in the custom DAC implementation based on FPGA programming done by its creators, as it’s a very interesting and informative discussion in itself.
Yours truly was provided with the Mojo by my good friend @raghavsomani of Headphone Zone (India) for a couple of weeks; I duly picked it up from their office in Mumbai, and spent the two weeks of my holiday at my hometown in Kerala in blissful happiness.
So big thanks to them for giving me the opportunity to listen to this wonderful piece of gear in exchange for my honest opinion and thoughts.
Build/ Size >
This is a diminutive little device, all 'aircraft grade' aluminum, and is truly bulletproof, in my humble opinion. Not that I've tested it, but I certainly feel so, and invite you to take out that shotgun, and fire one into the Mojo. Okay, please don't. It still might survive unscathed though.
Above: The Mojo hooked to my FiiO X3 1st gen using the L16 interconnect via coaxial. Listening done mainly with Fidelio X2.
Moving on, it fits very comfortably when held in one hand, and is a welcome departure from the usual rectangular brick shape for dacs that has become now commonplace, barring the Sony PHA series, and maybe a couple others. The 'Made in England' label is an added reassurance of the build quality.
The most striking feature, apart from the glowing orbs of course, is that it has all subtly rounded corners, and the matte finish adds to a surface that is very touch friendly in my opinion. I wish Chord included some sort of a case in the box, but there are a few available for purchase separately.
As far as looks go, it's a no-holds-barred approach that Chord have adapted, sticking to their tradition, and I personally find it attractive. YMMV though.
Sound >
Now for the all important aspect, that outweighs all other features as far as I'm concerned. Put simply, it sounds, wait for it, just brilliant.
What makes it brilliant for me are a combination of many different aspects of the sound that when compared to other devices in its class, it just edges ahead in my opinion.
The Mojo has a slightly warm sound signature, meaning that the mid range frequencies and sounds get that slight preference, if one may call it that, ahead of the lower and treble frequencies. But this isn't to say the bass or treble regions are recessed by any means. On the contrary, the bass and treble sounds have class leading extension and definition, to my ears. And for me the winning feature in favor of the Mojo is, in one word, natural.
My continual quest for the best sound possible at the best price has begun to define itself more clearly after using the Mojo. I've realised that rather than looking for the most detailed, most resolving, and most 'fun' sounding devices or combinations, my ideal target sound is making me look for the most 'natural' and 'realistic' sounding device or setup. This is my goal. But this statement has an inherent and fundamental problem; what exactly is the natural sound of an instrument? How 'real' can one get in terms of an instrument or voice? The word 'timbre' is used to describe the tone of an instrument as heard, compared to when its played live in front (or side, depending on recording of course) of the listener.
Earlier when I had the FiiO X7 for review I had thought that its timbre was the most realistic I had heard up till then. Added to this its slightly enhanced treble made acoustic guitars among others sound as natural as I'd heard. But there was that slight enhancement in the treble that still retained the X7's 'digital' roots, if one may call it that.
Recently I purchased the iBasso D14 'Bushmaster' dac-amp, and have been running it through coaxial out of my FiiO X3 1st gen. I'm thoroughly satisfied with its sound; detailed, uncolored, fairly neutral IMO. But having the Mojo made me realize that the D14, in spite of being very detailed, clear, and uncolored, was still not as natural sounding. Though there was no flaw or lack of detail in the D14 that I could pick, it just wasn't that 'involving' as the Mojo. The D14 though, at its current price of 199$ US, is a brilliant performer by itself, and its no surprise that its preferred by many over the sound of the DX90 DAP.
The iBasso D14 'Bushmaster' is no slouch
The Mojo, on the other hand, retails for a higher price of 600$ US, and is almost on par pricewise with the FiiO X7. Comparing these two, I believe the Mojo has better matchability with a higher number of headphones and IEMs with varying sound signatures, whereas the X7 would suit listeners who prefer their sound to be slightly enhanced in the treble, or those looking to balance out overly warm headphones.
But to my preferences, the Mojo is the winner, because every little detail seems effortlessly retrieved, instruments and vocals sound more 'real', and it has gotten me that bit closer to, what is to my ears, that ideal sound reproduction.
Value/ Conclusion >
At its price, I feel that currently it is the best value for a portable source device in terms of sound quality alone. And to get an even better sense of realism than that offered by the Mojo, I would think one's wallet would have to start getting unreal, real soon.
Thanks for reading, folks.
Cheers & happy listening.
