Chord has officially announced the Mojo 2, confirming the existence of the highly anticipated portable DAC sequel following a teaser image posted earlier this month.
The Chord Mojo 2 is the successor to the original Mojo, which won successive What Hi-Fi? Awards when it was released in 2015 before being discontinued late last year. The new sequel takes its place as the most affordable DAC in the company's arsenal.
So, what does it bring to the table? Quite a lot, actually – and that includes a "world's first" claim. Chord has developed what it's calling "a revolutionary lossless DSP, the first of its kind in the world". The ‘UHD DSP' (which has a 104-bit custom DSP core running at 705/768 kHz) not only promises improved sound quality but also opens the Mojo 2's doors to a greater number of customisation features.
There are now 18 steps of adjustment per frequency banding – lower bass, mid-bass, lower treble and high treble – as well as a four-level crossfeed setting. And the volume control range has also been expanded from +18 dB to -108 dB.
The new functions are accessible via an additional polycarbonate control sphere (remember those?), which also brings a mute function and a button lock to prevent accidental button-presses during travelling.
From a practical point of view, perhaps the headline improvement is the addition of a USB-C input, allowing for dongle-free connectivity to the likes of new Android phones and Apple MacBooks. This joins the original's optical, coaxial and Micro USB connections, which remain on the Mojo 2 to ensure compatibility with Chord's dedicated Poly portable streamer. The Mojo 2 also keeps its predecessor's twin 3.5mm headphone outputs, allowing up to two people to listen simultaneously.
One of the Mojo 2's key portability features was naturally a built-in battery (offering eight hours of battery life per charge), and here things have been improved to ensure faster, cooler and generally more efficient charging. As a result, capacity is supposedly up by 9 per cent and battery life is now "better than eight hours". Chord has also advanced its ‘Intelligent Desktop Mode’ technology with an isolated battery and PSU redesign, designed to protect the battery and prolong its life when the Mojo 2 is connected to a power supply for a long period of time.
Last but by no means least, Chord has also worked to raise the Mojo's performance by making improvements to the 4e Pulse Array DAC and eliminating the need for coupling capacitors. The Mojo 2 is now DC-coupled with a digital DC servo, too, which Chord says benefits from a technically more advanced filter.
The Chord Mojo 2 is available now, priced £449 ($725, AU$899). And if you're wondering whether it should be your next buy or upgrade, you don't have to wait too long to find out. Keep your eyes peeled on whathifi.com, folks...
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