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CHORD Mojo 2 Review (Portable DAC & HP Amp)

Rate this product:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 11 3.2%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 34 9.8%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther

    Votes: 145 41.9%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 156 45.1%

  • Total voters
    346

Ken Tajalli

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Everyone believes this until... you do the test.
Even if I lie , to claim I had done it, I doubt majority would accept.
Headamp output impedance of the Topping is much higher than Hugo2 though.

The type of headphones (impedance) can be a factor.
I mentioned I did not check the headphone outputs.
RCA only.
 

Ken Tajalli

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No one is going to be offended, but why not try to actually perform a comparison that is more likely to mean something? Do you really feel that you are special enough to be immune to bias?
I am not immune, for sure.
Right after my initial post promising a future post with my observations , a member posted saying that it would be meaningless , only good for me!
Then a few other posts came, declaring an interest, so I did it.
That's not the same as actually doing it.

Claims abounding...zero evidence of anything.
If I had lied and said I did do it, what would be the chance of it being accepted?
there is bias everywhere .
At any rate, I have done it, some may like reading it, if you believe it is not worth anything on ASR, then you can remove it.
it is a bit off topic anyway, I would understand.
 

Ken Tajalli

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Of course. Who should accept a lie ?

Hugo2 running off battery? Or connected to it's charger?
Your only way of knowing it was a lie, is your bias.
Running off a charger.
I am damned to detect any changes between battery and powered operation, this I had tried.
If you are thinking of Hugo noise sensitivity, then remember this:
At all times, Hugo was connected by RCA to a mains operated powersmp and a mains operated PC.
Although I used USB isolator just for kicks! Hugo behaved the same under all conditions, so did Topping.
I use ferrite cores on my cables and RF filters on individual mains powered devices anyway.
 

pkane

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I am not immune, for sure.
Right after my initial post promising a future post with my observations , a member posted saying that it would be meaningless , only good for me!
Then a few other posts came, declaring an interest, so I did it.

If I had lied and said I did do it, what would be the chance of it being accepted?
there is bias everywhere .
At any rate, I have done it, some may like reading it, if you believe it is not worth anything on ASR, then you can remove it.
it is a bit off topic anyway, I would understand.

The test result is fairly predictable — you’re unlikely to hear the differences in a proper blind test between two well-designed DACs. The goal of the test is not to prove anything to others, but to prove it to yourself. Whether you lie about it or not is your business, but lying to yourself is just not healthy.
 

Music1969

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but to prove it to yourself.
This can save a lot of cash and cure upgrade-itis.

And allows funnelling more cash into things that make differences we can all measure at home with a miniDSP UMIK-1 - speakers and room correction.

Or into buying better measuring headphones that various people are measuring these days.
 

pkane

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This can save a lot of cash and cure upgrade-itis.

And allows funnelling more cash into things that make differences we can all measure at home with a miniDSP UMIK-1 - speakers and room correction.

Or into buying better measuring headphones that various people are measuring these days.

Exactly right — it helps one make more rational decisions and to put energy, time and money into things that actually make a significant difference.
 

Music1969

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Exactly right — it helps one make more rational decisions and to put energy, time and money into things that actually make a significant difference.

But Bob Whats needs his loyal fans to help fund his next holiday home purchase in Mallorca ! :D

Not having a go at you @KenTajalli , it's just an innocent joke
 

Ken Tajalli

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But Bob Whats needs his loyal fans to help fund his next holiday home purchase in Mallorca ! :D
Mallorca! ha, :)
Gives him the chance to take his power supplies onboard the flights there and back.
Well, he already has had my money, and I gave it willingly. At the time, I didn't know who he was.
Past all the jokes, the guy is a master engineer as well as other things, perhaps.
He has designed a completely new concept for DAC technology from ground up, and analogue circuitry to go with it.
With excellent lab measurements results done by his critical peers across anything he has designed.
His skills as a master digital and analogue engineer are beyond question.
The only gripe people have about him are his controversial claims and the price of Chord DACs, which incidentally has no control over, as he is just a consultant engineer for Chord.
Chord owners are other people, they decide on price and production, policies etc.
 

Ken Tajalli

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. . . . . The goal of the test is not to prove anything to others, but to prove it to yourself. Whether you lie about it or not is your business, but lying to yourself is just not healthy.
Agree totally with above in bold.
Regarding lying, did you miss the all important IF I HAD ?
Or was it just a cheap ploy to accuse me of something, I hadn't done?
 

pkane

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Agree totally with above in bold.
Regarding lying, did you miss the all important IF I HAD ?
Or was it just a cheap ploy to accuse me of something, I hadn't done?
Simply put, if you’re not doing your testing blind, you’re lying to yourself. Is that clearer?
 

Music1969

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Gives him the chance to take his power supplies onboard the flights there and back.
Hilarious.

Can you imagine sitting next to someone on a flight and they pull out a Dave and M-Scaler and a big AC battery pack, from their backpack.

All sorts of disco balls lighting up while you're trying to sleep !

All jokes aside, he'd have much better sound quality with a Macbook + Airpods Max doing some EQ...

Because the very good ANC with some EQ will trump his -300dB digital noise being drowned out by the plane engine noise...
 

Ken Tajalli

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Simply put, if you’re not doing your testing blind, you’re lying to yourself. Is that clearer?
That is merely your opinion, and I dispute that! but clear.
Longer term subjective evaluation of HIFI gear, is very useful.
Don't believe it, don't do it.
 

Ken Tajalli

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Hilarious.
Can you imagine sitting next to someone on a flight and they pull out a Dave and M-Scaler and a big AC battery pack, from their backpack.
All sorts of disco balls lighting up while you're trying to sleep !
I wouldn't know, only flew first class once, and got drunk!
But others have tolerated my Hugo2's disco-balls in the past on flights, even enquired in wonder " What is that thing??"
It does look peculiar!
 

Music1969

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I wouldn't know, only flew first class once, and got drunk!
But others have tolerated my Hugo2's disco-balls in the past on flights, even enquired in wonder " What is that thing??"
It does look peculiar!
Hehe I was only joking.

Unlike most people that complain about the disco balls, I know they can simply be dimmed
 

raif71

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That is merely your opinion, and I dispute that! but clear.
Longer term subjective evaluation of HIFI gear, is very useful.
Don't believe it, don't do it.
I'm kinda in this camp. I have done the volume matching tests and find that I can't really tell the difference between dacs but having several gears and listening for a time to them...I kinda tend to appreciate certain gears. After awhile of listening with volumes changing with different gears, you don't need volume matching...you just know how you like to hear the music and sound and for me I appreciate matching gears (dac and amps) that gives me the most headroom in terms of volume.
 

Ken Tajalli

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I'm kinda in this camp. I have done the volume matching tests and find that I can't really tell the difference between dacs but having several gears and listening for a time to them...I kinda tend to appreciate certain gears. After awhile of listening with volumes changing with different gears, you don't need volume matching...you just know how you like to hear the music and sound and for me I appreciate matching gears (dac and amps) that gives me the most headroom in terms of volume.
Well me too.
Some assume if you value subjective sound quality results, then by default you dismiss objective, scientific approaches, nothing of the kind.
No gear is perfect! It is a question of, if you can live with it long term, without the need to keep convincing oneself.
Both DX7 pro and Hugo2 are excellent, I doubt anybody denies that, as it got proven to me. Hugo2 has an edge!
I am praising both, frankly in desktop mode, considering price, DX7 pro wins.
I paid £280 for the Topping and less than £900 for Hugo2 in used condition.
So here is a question!
Paying full wack for a DX7 pro against a used Hugo2 (@1K), which one would be a wiser buy?
You see, that option exists! There are hardly any DX7 pro's being offered on used market (I had been looking for months), but because of a rumour, people are selling their Hugo2's thinking an upgrade will soon to be announced, partly due to Mojo2's recent release.
If one needs transportability, and that edge is audible to them, and they are ready to dish out the money, good luck.
There are enough people out there praising the sound of Chord DACs, and hardly anyone calling them subpar, so all this bickering is pointless.
 

Distordera

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I am interested in the Mojo 2 but I am concerned about the power output. I have the Audio Technica AP2000Ti and I am beginning to get interested in Dan Clark Aeon 2 (and later on the Stealth).
Is it possible to get descent output from these cans with the Mojo?
 

DavidEdwinAston

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If I may, on the subject of Chord "cheap" dacs. The Hugo, and now the Qutest sound "as good as I need ". I do hope that when the current one fails, I will use ASR nous and simply get the cheapest alternative.
 
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