Mojo 2
What it is
Mojo 2 is the portable DAC and headphone amplifier that followed the original Mojo Head-Fi, Jan 2022. He dated the start of the design project to 2018 and said it went through five PCB versions, not coding versions Head-Fi, Jan 2022Darko.Audio 1:06Darko.Audio 1:25. His sound target was two-thirds of the way from Mojo to Hugo 2 HiFi Buys 2:29:40HiFi Buys 2:31:58ecoustics 1:20:45.
Design
Mojo 2 has the WTA1 filter only, with no WTA2 Head-Fi, Jan 2022. He gave the filter as 40,960 taps at CanJam NYC 2022 against 38,000 for the original Mojo, with other figures by date in the caveats Darko.Audio 9:24MFG Audio Reviews 27:42MFG Audio Reviews 28:30Part-Time Audiophile 33:10. In writing he gave four fifths of Hugo 2's tap length Head-Fi, Jan 2022, run on 40 DSP cores per channel Head-Fi, Feb 2022. It has a 4-element pulse array against Hugo 2's 10 Head-Fi, Feb 2022, and on 1 February 2022 he gave "The 4e noise shaper" as 250 dB against DAVE's 350, in a post that does not name the product Head-Fi, Feb 2022Head-Fi, Feb 2023. It uses 98% of the FPGA against 33% in Mojo Head-Fi, Apr 2022. DSD uses the original Mojo's DSD filter because the Hugo 2/TT2 filter would not fit Head-Fi, Feb 2022.
He called removing the coupling capacitor the big change, replaced by the digital DC servo used in Hugo 2 Head-Fi, Jan 2022Darko.Audio 34:59. He attributed Mojo's warmth to that capacitor and said the measured frequency response of Mojo and Mojo 2 is identical with EQ and crossfeed off; boosting the bass shelf a few dB gives "the same tonal impression of Mojo" Head-Fi, Feb 2022, though no setting precisely replicates a Mojo sound Head-Fi, Mar 2022. The analog stage is one amplifier with a single feedback path covering the discrete output stage Head-Fi, May 2022, and volume is digital Head-Fi, Dec 2022.
The "UHD DSP" is his own custom core Head-Fi, Jan 2022: 104-bit fixed point, noise shaped at every node, running at 705/768 kHz Head-Fi, Feb 2022Head-Fi, Sep 2023The Source AV 11:22. It handles EQ, crossfeed and volume; with EQ and crossfeed off, the volume control receives bit-perfect data from WTA1 Head-Fi, Feb 2022. The EQ has 20 Hz and 20 kHz peak filters (Q of 0.5), a bass shelf from 125 Hz down to DC and a treble shelf from 3 kHz; he gave up to 9 dB either way for the two peaks and the bass shelf, and no range for the treble shelf Darko.Audio 39:52Head-Fi, Feb 2022, with 1 dB steps Head-Fi, Apr 2022.
Inputs, outputs and power
On the 2022 Mojo 2 the brief was two USB-C ports, one for charging and one for data, but the USB-C charging connector clashed with the optical input, which he would not drop, so "we're just left with a one USB C" Darko.Audio 2:22Darko.Audio 3:07. His forum post the same day described the intent as both micro and USB-C charging ports, with the extra USB-C charging port impossible to fit Head-Fi, Jan 2022, and his posts mention "the charging port" Head-Fi, Jan 2022Head-Fi, Mar 2023. The coax input takes dual data from an M Scaler on its ring contact Head-Fi, Feb 2022Head-Fi, Jul 2023, and he kept two headphone sockets for reliability and sharing Head-Fi, May 2022. He said balanced outputs would degrade transparency with his architecture Head-Fi, Jan 2022, and a line-level output was dropped to keep controls simple Head-Fi, Jan 2024.
In desktop mode the fully charged battery is disconnected and topped up every 11 days, and it still works from the charger if the battery fails Head-Fi, Jan 2022Head-Fi, Feb 2022Head-Fi, Jun 2022.
Two versions: the 2022 original and the Mojo 2 4.4
Everything else describes the 2022 Mojo 2 unless stated. In 2023 he said a 4.4 mm connector was too expensive for it: "every extra cent counts with Mojo 2" (June) Head-Fi, Jun 2023 and "you couldn't afford to put a Pentaconn connector on the Mojo" (30 September 2023) The Source AV 38:59.
In a video published March 2026 (recording date not stated) he described what he called "Mojo 2 4.4" Audio Force 27:59. It adds a built-in Pentaconn 4.4 mm socket, which he says sounds better than an adapter Audio Force 32:24Audio Force 32:33Audio Force 21:35, and USB-C charging that can be turned off so a phone feeding it is not drained. He said isolating the two charging voltages was not trivial and the charging options needed an FPGA change Audio Force 33:05Audio Force 34:28Audio Force 22:22. Volume and EQ settings are remembered separately for the 4.4 mm and 3.5 mm sockets Audio Force 33:44. He said "all of the audio parts is identical to the original Mojo", most likely meaning the 2022 Mojo 2 Audio Force 34:28. The Soundnews interview (recorded autumn 2026, published October 2026), a published text, has him saying "When we put the 4.4 mm connector on Mojo 2" article, Oct 2026.
How he says to use it
Feed it bit-perfect data with no up-sampling (see How do I make sure my player sends bit-perfect data at the native…, Should I upsample in software (HQPlayer, PGGB or my player) before…) Head-Fi, Sep 2023Head-Fi, Nov 2024. Optical is his reference input, and USB from a battery-powered source such as a phone should sound the same (see Which input sounds best on a Chord DAC (optical, coax, USB or… for how his view changed) Head-Fi, Feb 2024. For USB noise and dropouts see My DAC drops out, clicks or loses lock. What should I check before… and Why does my DAC mute or click when the track or sample rate changes? Head-Fi, Feb 2022. For desktop use (see How does desktop mode work on Hugo 2 and Mojo 2, and will Mojo 2…, Can I use Hugo, Mojo or Mojo 2 while it is charging, and is it OK…), his test is to disconnect the charger and, if it matters, use a power bank unplugged from the mains Head-Fi, Jun 2022. For crossfeed and EQ see What does crossfeed do, which setting should I use, and why didn't… and How should I use Mojo 2's EQ, and is it really lossless? Head-Fi, Jan 2023. With +3 dB of EQ boost, go three volume steps down to guarantee no clipping (see What do the colored indicators mean (volume, sample rate,…) Head-Fi, Dec 2024.
Compared with other Chord models
In January 2022 he wrote that Hugo 2 is still superior Head-Fi, Jan 2022; in February he listed what it has and Mojo 2 lacks: WTA2, better noise shapers, 10 pulse array elements instead of 4, and a second-order analog noise shaper amplifier Head-Fi, Feb 2022; in 2024 he said Mojo 2 has almost identical output power to Hugo 2 Head-Fi, Nov 2024. Against Mojo he called the filter change evolutionary and the analog stage pretty much identical Darko.Audio 12:58Darko.Audio 13:48, while also writing that under the hood it is a massive change, with all the audio code replaced Head-Fi, Apr 2022.
Release and official documents
- Announced 3 February 2022. Source: Mojo 2 is here, Chord Electronics, 2022-02-03.
- Updated December 2025: one 3.5 mm socket replaced with a 4.4 mm output, with independent volume and DSP memory per output, at no change in price. Source: The Mojo 2 gets key updates, Chord Electronics, 2025-12-23.
From Chord Electronics. Links open Chord's own copies; reviews hosted on Chord's site are left out. Chord's Mojo 2 page.
Manuals and guides
Drivers (Windows)
Other
Key figures
His own figures, dated. Where he gave different figures at different times, each appears.
Show all 35 figures
| Figure | Value | When | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| WTA1 filter taps (as stated) | 40 thousand taps; forty DSP cores per channel | 2022-01 | Darko.Audio 9:24 |
| WTA1 filter taps (as stated) | 40,960 taps (original Mojo 38,000) | 2022 (CanJam NYC; video published 2022-03) | MFG Audio Reviews 28:30MFG Audio Reviews 27:42 |
| WTA1 filter taps (as stated) | over 40,000 taps, 40 DSP cores per channel | 2022-04 | Audio Force 10:44 |
| WTA1 filter taps (as stated) | I think it's 44 thousand taps | 2026-10 (published; recording date not stated) | Part-Time Audiophile 33:10 |
| Tap length relative to Hugo 2 | four fifths of Hugo 2, no WTA2 | 2022-01 | Head-Fi, Jan 2022 |
| DSP cores for WTA1 | 40 per channel (80 in total) at half Hugo 2's clock speed | 2022-02 | Head-Fi, Feb 2022 |
| Pulse array elements and noise shaper | 4 elements; "The 4e noise shaper is 250 dB 20 to 20 kHz (Dave is 350)" in a Watts Up post of 1 February 2022 that does not name Mojo 2 (its date and -301 dB test context point to Mojo 2, which Head-Fi, Feb 2023 calls a 4e pulse array) | 2022-02 | Head-Fi, Feb 2022Head-Fi, Feb 2023 |
| FPGA use | 98% (Mojo 33%); FPGA is the 15T | 2022-04 | Head-Fi, Apr 2022Head-Fi, Feb 2022 |
| UHD DSP core | 104-bit fixed point, noise shaped at every node, 705/768 kHz | 2022-02 | Head-Fi, Feb 2022Head-Fi, Jan 2022Head-Fi, Sep 2023 |
| Transparency test for the DSP | designed to pass: -301 dB signal within +/-0.001 dB and +/-0.001 degrees (requirement stated 2022-02) | 2023-09 | Head-Fi, Sep 2023Head-Fi, Feb 2022 |
| EQ ranges | 20 Hz and 20 kHz peaks (Q 0.5), bass shelf 125 Hz to DC, treble shelf from 3 kHz; +/-9 dB stated for the 20 Hz peak, 20 kHz peak and bass shelf (no treble-shelf range given); 1 dB steps | 2022-01 to 2022-02 | Darko.Audio 39:52MFG Audio Reviews 40:04Head-Fi, Feb 2022 |
| Volume range | 128 steps of 1 dB each; -108 dB to +18 dB | 2022-12 | Head-Fi, Dec 2022Head-Fi, Apr 2022MFG Audio Reviews 39:06 |
| Dynamic range | 125 dB (SINAD referenced to 1% THD, full output, A-weighted); 118 dB A-weighted at 2.5 V | 2022-02 | Head-Fi, Feb 2022 |
| Crosstalk | -118 dB at 1 kHz | 2022-01 | Head-Fi, Jan 2022 |
| Noise floor | minus 177 dB, no noise floor modulation | 2022 (CanJam NYC; video published 2022-03) | MFG Audio Reviews 45:02 |
| Test-floor limit of the DSP check | noise floor -320 dB at 6 kHz | 2022-02 | Head-Fi, Feb 2022 |
| Maximum output voltage | 5.2 V RMS (7.35 V peak) | 2023-06 | Head-Fi, Jun 2023 |
| Output voltage setting | both volume LEDs indigo gives 2 V | 2022-05 | Head-Fi, May 2022 |
| Input voltage noise of the amplifier stage | 2.2 nV/rtHz (0.33 uV input noise) | 2023-06 | Head-Fi, Jun 2023 |
| Calculated headphone SPL | 99.5 dB HD800; 98.3 dB Stealth (98.3 dB at 0 dBFS, same as original Mojo, 2023-03); 99.3 dB HEKV2 | 2022-02 | Head-Fi, Feb 2022Head-Fi, Feb 2022Head-Fi, Mar 2023 |
| Battery life | 9 h 11 min on USB with loud full-size headphones; nearly 10 h on optical; 8 h 45 min with IEMs on USB | 2022-02 | Head-Fi, Feb 2022 |
| Battery capacity versus Mojo | 9% more | 2022-02 | Head-Fi, Feb 2022 |
| Shelf life | 7 months from full charge to flat | 2022-03 | Head-Fi, Mar 2022 |
| Desktop-mode battery top-up | trickle charge every 11 days | 2022-06 | Head-Fi, Jun 2022Head-Fi, Feb 2024 |
| Auto power-off | 10 minutes with no SPDIF lock and no USB VBUS | 2022-02 | Head-Fi, Feb 2022Head-Fi, Jan 2022 |
| Charging input | any USB port capable of 0.5 A; 2 A charger for quick, full charge; VBUS 5 V +/-0.25 V at the port | 2022-02 | Head-Fi, Feb 2022Head-Fi, Mar 2023 |
| DC servo settling at power-on | 16-second rainbow start-up mode; the servo takes around 15 seconds to trim DC from several volts to uV levels | 2023-06 | Head-Fi, Jun 2023 |
| Power budget for the FPGA | 200 mW saved to fund 200 mW more in the FPGA (2022-01); about 300 mW saved, FPGA up 250 mW (CanJam NYC 2022); 300 or 400 mW saved (2022-04) | 2022-01 | Darko.Audio 38:02MFG Audio Reviews 25:11Audio Force 4:16 |
| Case heat dissipation | around 2.5 W with the case at 38 C | 2023-09 | The Source AV 45:19 |
| Project start and PCB versions | started 2018; five PCB versions | 2022-01 | Head-Fi, Jan 2022Darko.Audio 1:06Darko.Audio 1:25 |
| WTA stages | WTA1 only; 'all of the DACs, apart from Mojo 2' add a 16FS to 256FS WTA stage (interview published 2026-10, recording date not stated) | 2022-01 | Head-Fi, Jan 2022HiFi Buys 1:15:13 |
| Connectors (2022 Mojo 2) | one USB-C port (data), a separate charging port, optical, coax (dual data on the ring), two headphone sockets | 2022-01 | Darko.Audio 2:22Darko.Audio 3:07Head-Fi, Jan 2022Head-Fi, Jan 2022Head-Fi, Feb 2022Head-Fi, May 2022 |
| Design brief (2022 Mojo 2) | must be compatible with Poly; two USB-C ports planned, one for charging and one for data | 2022-01 | Darko.Audio 2:22 |
| Changes in the Mojo 2 4.4 | built-in Pentaconn 4.4 mm socket; switchable USB-C charging; separate volume and EQ memory for 4.4 mm and 3.5 mm; audio parts unchanged | published 2026-03 (recording date not stated) | Audio Force 33:05Audio Force 33:44Audio Force 34:28article, Oct 2026 |
| Loudness he gave | 99.5 dB SPL on an HD800; 98.3 dB on a Stealth (in 2023 he gave the Stealth figure as calculated at 0 dBFS) | 2022-02 | Head-Fi, Feb 2022Head-Fi, Mar 2023 |
Quotes
“The big change here is the removal of the coupling capacitor - this gave Mojo it's distinctive warmth.”2022-01-31 Head-Fi, Jan 2022
“It is remarkable that it's only down to a single capacitor in the signal path modifying the tonal balance and degrading the bass.”2022-03-10 Head-Fi, Mar 2022
“So running it for months in desktop mode will ensure the battery is ready to go fully charged.”2022-02-04 Head-Fi, Feb 2022
“I strongly recommend that Mojo 2 is fed bit perfect signals - do not use up-sampling”2023-09-14 Head-Fi, Sep 2023
Caveats and open points
- Tap figures differ by date and every number comes from a talk: 40 thousand (January 2022), 40,960 (CanJam NYC 2022), over 40,000 (April 2022) and, with 'I think', 44 thousand (podcast published October 2026, recording date not stated) Darko.Audio 9:24MFG Audio Reviews 28:30Audio Force 10:44Part-Time Audiophile 33:10. No forum post found gives a number beyond 'four fifths of Hugo 2' Head-Fi, Jan 2022. The original Mojo is given as 38 thousand and 38,000.
- The power saved to fund the larger FPGA load is given three ways in transcripts: 200 mW (January 2022), about 300 mW saved with the FPGA up 250 mW (CanJam NYC 2022), and 300 or 400 mW (April 2022). The original Mojo case limit is given as 1.7 W (2020) and about 1.8 W (2022); the 2.5 W at 38 C figure (September 2023) is for Mojo 2. All are transcript figures.
- He dated the project start to 2018 in January 2022 (forum and podcast) Head-Fi, Jan 2022Darko.Audio 1:06, said in the same podcast that the span counts from the first PCBs and that he began thinking about Mojo 2 as soon as Mojo was finished Darko.Audio 50:47, and said in September 2022 that it began five years earlier The Source AV 33:15.
- Clipping: in February 2022 he wrote that Mojo 2 can clip when the volume is set to white Head-Fi, Feb 2022; in March 2024 that it cannot clip unless the volume is at white Head-Fi, Mar 2024; in December 2024 that both indicators must be white, and that +3 dB of EQ boost means going three steps down Head-Fi, Dec 2024. All three place clipping at white or beyond.
- A bare 'Mojo' in the 2022 CanJam NYC seminar transcript means Mojo 2 in places; the sales figure of well over one hundred thousand (interview published October 2026; its transcript places the recording before May 2026; recording date not stated) combines Mojo and Mojo 2 HiFi Buys 2:27:55.
- Battery life figures are his own test results under stated conditions; he described battery life as complex, like MPG Head-Fi, Feb 2022.
- The USB noise advice is relayed from Chord; he said he did not write the USB firmware Head-Fi, Feb 2022.
- He designed the UHD DSP to pass his -301 dB test, but noted the test's -320 dB noise floor at 6 kHz means he cannot prove accuracy to +/-0.001 dB or degree Head-Fi, Feb 2022.
- Two versions: the 2022 Mojo 2 and the Mojo 2 4.4 (his name for it of a video published March 2026, recording date not stated). The interviewer called it a 'Mojo 2 4.4 upgrade version'. His 'identical to the original Mojo' most likely means the 2022 Mojo 2, but the transcript does not say so. The 2022 charging arrangement rests on two statements (two USB-C ports planned, 'a one USB C' left; micro and USB-C charging planned, the USB-C charging port impossible to fit); Chord's manual names it: charging is through a Micro-USB port, with separate USB-C and Micro-USB inputs for audio. Asked in that video whether owners of the old Mojo 1 or Mojo 2 should upgrade to the 4.4, he answered "Absolutely, it's it's such a big change" and "In innate sound quality" Audio Force 36:29Audio Force 36:32; read literally this sits oddly beside 'audio parts identical', and it most likely refers to Mojo 1 owners, but the transcript does not settle it.
- The 125 dB dynamic range and -118 dB crosstalk figures are also in his forum posts Head-Fi, Feb 2022Head-Fi, Jan 2022; the -177 dB noise floor and the -108 to +18 dB volume range come from a seminar.
Indicator colors
What each light means on the Mojo 2, from Chord's manual: Indicator colors: Mojo 2.
Questions about this product
Owning and setting up
- How should I use Mojo 2's EQ, and is it really lossless?
- How do Mojo 2 and Hugo 2, or TT2 and DAVE, compare?
- Does an M Scaler help Mojo, Mojo 2 or a non-Chord DAC?
- How does desktop mode work on Hugo 2 and Mojo 2, and will Mojo 2 drain on the shelf?
- What do the colored indicators mean (volume, sample rate, charging), and is a volume color the same level across Chord DACs?
- What does the M Scaler actually do, and is it worth adding to my DAC?
- How loud is safe, and does hearing loss make high-end gear pointless?
- How many taps and pulse array elements does each Chord DAC have?
- Is Chord's digital volume control transparent, and does it lose resolution at low volume?
- Should I use balanced or single-ended headphone drive, and why are Chord headphone outputs single-ended?
- What does crossfeed do, which setting should I use, and why didn't the original Mojo have it?
- Why does my Hugo 2 switch itself off, and how does standby work on the battery-powered DACs?
- Can I use Hugo, Mojo or Mojo 2 while it is charging, and is it OK to leave it plugged in all the time?
- Do I need the Chord driver on Windows, should I use ASIO or WASAPI, and will my DAC work with Mac, Linux, Android or an iPhone?
- Do lossy or streamed files sound worse than local files on a Chord DAC?
- Has Rob published his own recordings, and how were they made?
- How do I make sure my player sends bit-perfect data at the native sample rate?
- Is Chord working on a DAVE 2, Hugo 3, Mojo 3 or TT3, and when might the Ultima DAC arrive?
- Is my Chord DAC powerful enough for my headphones?
- My DAC drops out, clicks or loses lock. What should I check before returning it?
- Should I add an external headphone amp to a Chord DAC?
- Should I put ferrites on my BNC or USB cables, and which kind?
- Should I send DSD as DoP or native?
- Should I use a pre-amp (tube or solid state), or run the Chord DAC straight into a power amp?
- What DSD rates does each input on a Chord DAC accept?
- Which Chord DACs accept 705.6/768 kHz from an M Scaler, and how do I connect Hugo 2 or Qutest to get the full 1M taps?
- Which headphones, speakers and sources does Rob use himself, and which pair well with Chord DACs?
- Which kind of source does Rob recommend feeding a Chord DAC?
- Why does Rob use a digital DC servo instead of coupling capacitors, and is there anything worth modding?
- Why does my DAC mute or click when the track or sample rate changes?
- Why won't Rob comment on other brands' products?
- Will existing Chord products get firmware or code updates, and can DAVE be upgraded?
In depth
- What is noise floor modulation, how does Rob measure it, and why does he say it is audible below what can be measured?
- Which input sounds best on a Chord DAC (optical, coax, USB or BNC), and why does Rob prefer optical when it is said to have more jitter?
- Does hi-res audio sound better than CD, and should I buy the 96k or the 44.1k release?
- How do Chord DACs handle DSD, and does Rob consider DSD better or worse than PCM?
- Should audio processing dither or noise-shape, and is 64-bit floating point transparent?
- What does Rob mean by depth, and what in a DAC improves or collapses it?
- Which filter setting should I use on Hugo 2, TT2 or Qutest, and what does the HF filter do?
- Which kinds of error does Rob consider audible, and which does he consider benign?
- Why does Rob design to -301 dB, how can that be verified, and how does small-signal accuracy relate to depth?
- Do Chord DACs decode MQA, and what does Rob think of it?
- Do measurements tell you how good a DAC sounds, and is Rob an objectivist or a subjectivist?
- Does source jitter matter with a Chord DAC, and would a reclocker, external clock or USB-to-SPDIF converter help?
- How are Chord's filter stages split across 16FS, 256FS and 2048FS, and what does each stage do?
- How can upscaling to 705.6/768 kHz improve sound if the recording has nothing above 22 kHz?
- How does a pulse array DAC work, how does it differ from R2R and delta-sigma, and why is it insensitive to jitter?
- How were Chord's current DACs and the M Scaler developed, and how long did each take?
- If the data reaching the DAC is bit perfect, can the source (laptop, phone, streamer, CD transport or network gear) still change the sound?
- Is battery power better than mains, and can I power the M Scaler or Qutest from a power bank?
- Is the filter algorithm more important than the tap count, and would more than a million taps keep improving the sound?
- Should I replace the supplied power supply with a linear or aftermarket one, and will that affect my warranty?
- Should I upsample in software (HQPlayer, PGGB or my player) before a Chord DAC, and can it match an M Scaler?
- What do noise shaper order and speed buy, and why does DAVE's 350 dB noise shaper matter?
- What is the WTA filter, how was it tuned, and how does it differ from a conventional windowed sinc filter?
- Which Chord inputs are galvanically isolated, and which setups short the isolation out?
- Why does Chord use FPGAs and discrete conversion instead of DAC chips or a custom ASIC?