I’ve only had the Mojo for a couple of days so please take my observations with a pinch of salt; I often change my mind completely about audio gear after a few months or even a year of ownership.
[Edit: I've had Mojo for a couple of months and haven't changed my mind at all] Here are a few thoughts on the Mojo / Hugo:
Soundwise I concur with others in the thread - Mojo seems a little darker in signature than Hugo. It is definitely a ‘Hugo-like’ sound, as claimed by Chord. So far, I’ve listened solely with Noble’s K10 (custom), itself a warm-ish earphone. I think the prominent bass works in its favour when using public transport - bass can disappear in noisy environments.
It’s possible (again, suggested by others) that the Mojo’s treble is a little recessed compared with Hugo. This might explain the mids that people seem to be enjoying. (Reduced highs can lead to pleasing mids - think Shure SE530).
Mojo is a breeze to turn on and set up. With Hugo, I find myself searching for the on switch (usually the wrong end), applying cross-feed by accident, turning down the volume, clicking through the inputs, clicking through the inputs again having gone past my setting, then trying to plug my ‘phones into the wrong hole. Turn on the Mojo and you’re good to go. Buttons and usage wise Mojo easily wins, though I do prefer the volume wheel of the Hugo over the two button volume control of the Mojo.
Is the sound of Mojo a match for, or even better than, Hugo? Mmmm, I’m not sure about that. I must reiterate here that I’ve only had it for a few days, but I think there is something very, very special about Hugo. At times Hugo sounds entirely lifelike and real to my ears, in a way that no other DAC does. The rasp of a trombone, the squeak of a guitar string, the depth of an orchestra, the space between instruments. I can’t put my finger on what exactly, but Hugo has a special sprinkle of magic that I’m not sure Mojo has.
Yet. I repeat that I have only listened so far with the Noble K10, which is a very special IEM; differences might not be so obvious with other ear/headphones.
Sound from Mojo sounds a little more closed in, a smidgen more ‘intimate’. There is a good chance that those who find Hugo harsh or fatiguing will like Mojo’s presentation.
Over the last couple of years I’ve owned many DAPs, including AK120, AK120II, iBasso DX90, FiiO X5II. I also had the Oppo HA-2, which I suppose is a direct competitor. In my opinion Mojo sounds better than all of them. I suspect Mojo would pair well with a brighter-than-K10 IEM. Something like JH13 Pro.
I don’t see myself taking Mojo out with me. I’m not a fan of carrying around multiple devices, less so cables. I have an iPhone and dislike having to use the cumbersome and ugly CCK. Interference is, um, interfering. The advice from Chord is to use airplane mode, but for me this is only realistic on a aeroplane.
All the differences noted above may well be down to confirmation bias; I
expect Hugo to be better than Mojo, given the size and price difference. Regardless, I think Mojo is fantastic.
Would like: Mojo DAP. The same little box with a screen and SD slot would make a wonderful device.
Would really like: Hugo 2. This would sound exactly like the Hugo, but with the usability of Mojo. The smaller the better. Add a screen, playback controls and SD slot and THEN you have a game changer!
don't think it happens with my Focal Spirit Pros
