Does an M Scaler help Mojo, Mojo 2 or a non-Chord DAC?

Short version

Mojo 2 takes the full dual-BNC feed, and Watts reports better sound with an M scaler or Quartet. The original Mojo takes half the full rate on coax; the one statement clearly about that pairing says he had not heard it. For non-Chord DACs he says the real benefit needs 768 kHz Head-Fi, Jul 2023Head-Fi, Sep 2023Head-Fi, Jan 2020Head-Fi, Aug 2018ecoustics 25:10.

Mojo 2

Connection. In February 2022 he wrote: "Note the ring signal is only for dual data mode (M scaler) it is not another SPDIF coax input." Head-Fi, Feb 2022 In July 2023 he wrote that Mojo 2 and Hugo 2 both accept the dual data connection Head-Fi, Jul 2023. In May 2024, of Quartet, he said: "You can use it with a Mojo 2. You can use it with any Chord DAC because they all accept the dual BNC." ConvinceMeAudio 11:42

Intent. In 2022 interviews he said his Mojo 2 listening tests used an M Scaler, and that he did not expect many people to pair them Darko.Audio 5:16Audio Force 16:50.

Sound. In September 2023 he wrote that you "will get better sound quality if you use an M scaler on Mojo 2". In the same post, on other upsampling: "do not use up-sampling as these interpolation filters do not reconstruct timing of transients as well as my WTA interpolation filters do" Head-Fi, Sep 2023.

Quartet. In a podcast recorded in October 2025 and published in March 2026 he said he had listened to "a Mojo" through Quartet and that it "transforms a mojo as as much as it does a Dave". He went on: "I'm not recommending that that you buy a quartet and a Mojo 2", and "You can you can immediately hear the difference on a on a Mojo 2" ecoustics 1:25:47ecoustics 1:26:03ecoustics 1:26:11. In a Soundnews conversation published in October 2026 (the article gives no recording date; his remarks, such as Munich 2024 being "just over two years ago", point to autumn 2026 article, Oct 2026), he said his Mojo 2 4.4 mm listening tests used Quartet, and: "You’d never buy a Quartet and use it with a Mojo 2; that’s for the fun of it." article, Oct 2026

Original Mojo

In July 2018 he wrote that Mojo can take the M scaler's 384 kHz output but "does not have dual coaxial inputs to do the full 768 kHz" Head-Fi, Jul 2018.

In August 2018 he could not answer with certainty: Mojo "would get a big uplift by using 0.5M taps", but "it's not the same as the full 1M possible", and he had not listened to Mojo with the M scaler. He added: "You may be better off upgrading Mojo rather than getting an M scaler" Head-Fi, Aug 2018. A day earlier he advised: "listen to the M scaler first with your Mojo and compare it with a Hugo 2" Head-Fi, Aug 2018. In January 2020 he confirmed 768k on USB and 384k (0.5M taps) on coax Head-Fi, Jan 2020.

Non-Chord DACs

2017. Of the M scaler then in Blu Mk2, he said Dave gets the most benefit and "I am unsure how much of an improvement one will hear when using other DAC's - clearly you will hear an improvement". The next day he wrote: "I am absolutely convinced that an M scaler on another DAC, would just sound like an ordinary improvement in tap length" Head-Fi, Jan 2017Head-Fi, Jan 2017.

Hugo M Scaler. In July 2018 he wrote "As to a NOS DAC, then sure it would benefit", though not as much as with his DACs, and "it will be interesting to see how the M scaler works with other DAC's" Head-Fi, Jul 2018. In an interview published August 2022 (recording date not stated; check the recording for figures) he said "my intent was just with Chord DACs", that you need 768 kHz for the big benefits, and "no one else runs at 768 kHz" AVstore 25:51AVstore 26:46.

Later. In April 2024 he said Quartet "will work with all current DACs", in a post that names only Dave Head-Fi, Apr 2024. In June 2024 he said Quartet supports dual AES, "so a third party could create a dual BNC to USB converter" Head-Fi, Jun 2024. In the ecoustics podcast (recorded October 2025, published March 2026) he said the Hugo M Scaler's 192 kHz outputs "will feed any DAC. But you only get the real benefit when you run it seven six eight" ecoustics 25:10.

Will you hear it?

In December 2020 he wrote that you may find "a small improvement" or that it is transformational, "so only you can tell" Head-Fi, Dec 2020. In an interview published in October 2026 he said of some systems: "If they're using Class D power amplifiers, forget it." HiFi Buys 2:24:19

What he has not said

The archive holds no report from him of hearing an M scaler or Quartet with a named non-Chord DAC; his statements on other brands are expectations or design intent Head-Fi, Jan 2017Head-Fi, Jul 2018AVstore 25:51. The "a Mojo" remark in the ecoustics podcast does not say which model ecoustics 1:25:47.

Quotes

“…you will get better sound quality if you use an M scaler on Mojo 2, as the longer tap lengths on the M scaler further improves transient timing reconstruction accuracy.”2023-09-14 Head-Fi, Sep 2023

“You may be better off upgrading Mojo rather than getting an M scaler; that's why an audition is important.”2018-08-05 Head-Fi, Aug 2018

“I am unsure how much of an improvement one will hear when using other DAC's - clearly you will hear an improvement…”2017-01-08 Head-Fi, Jan 2017

“You’d never buy a Quartet and use it with a Mojo 2; that’s for the fun of it. It wouldn’t be a sensible pairing. But yes, it works.”2026-10-17 article, Oct 2026

Dated positions

Caveats and open points

• He gives no listening result for any named non-Chord DAC; statements about other brands are expectations or design intent.
• The January 2017 statements concern the M scaler in Blu Mk2, before the Hugo M Scaler shipped, and compare Dave with other DACs generally.
• His 'all current DACs' statements of July 2023 and April 2024 are made in a Chord context and name no non-Chord brand; in May 2024 he said Quartet works with any Chord DAC.
• The 'a Mojo' remark in the ecoustics podcast (recorded 2025-10-28 per the publisher's page, published March 2026) does not say which Mojo; the lines after it concern Mojo 2.
• The Soundnews conversation was published on 17 October 2026 and gives no recording date. Its author's April visit to the Chord factory was a listening session. Watts speaks of Munich 2024 as 'just over two years ago' and of CanJam LA in the past tense, which points to autumn 2026, possibly around the AVstore Romanian Quartet launch; he answered four questions afterward in writing article, Oct 2026article, Oct 2026article, Oct 2026article, Oct 2026.
• The only statement clearly about original Mojo with an M scaler (August 2018) says he had not heard it.

Topics: Pairing a scaler with a DAC