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The Chord Mojo is Clunky & Mandraulic

N

NaimClontarf

pfm Member
After a number of years of ownership I have come to the conclusion that the Chord Mojo is the worst piece of kit I have bought in 30 years of buying hifi kit.

It is completely unsuitable for deployment in a family hifi system with multiple users and with multiple digital inputs (CDP/CCA/PC)

!! Powering off
!! Setting line level
!! Selecting input

Its like something designed in an echo-chamber with little regard for end users!!
Am I alone in this view?
 
Richard (Lordsummit) has one and I struggle to see anything not to like. Seems like a great bit of kit to me. His context is between a Raspberry Pi streamer and a Quad 306 power amp, i.e. using it as a single-input DAC/preamp, and it is an elegant and great sounding solution.
 
I doubt you are on your own but equally I assume you are more than aware it wasn't designed for use in a static hifi system? Mobile Joy, the clue is in the name :)

As a battery powered yet relatively high powered FPGA device powering off makes sense.
I don't personally struggle to hold down the volume up/down marbles while powering it on to get line level output. I can appreciate some might.
I really don't get you point about selecting the input. Whatever is playing is what it auto selects no? Admittedly I only use it with a CDP to the coax input and CCA to the optical input, I don't use the USB input and as I understand it that takes priority.

Personally I love the flexibility of using it with my laptop as a DAC headphone amp while working, with my mobile as a DAC headphone amp while traveling (if I can remember what that is) and in my main rig for DAC duties. Obviously that bit frustrates you, I might suggest you consider a Qutest for a fixed DAC if you like the sound of the Mojo but if you hate the user interface I am not sure Qutest will get you far enough away from that.
 
Tony L said:
Richard (Lordsummit) has one and I struggle to see anything not to like. Seems like a great bit of kit to me. His context is between a Raspberry Pi streamer and a Quad 306 power amp, i.e. using it as a single-input DAC/preamp, and it is an elegant and great sounding solution.
Click to expand...
I’ve always been tempted by one for the office system, where it would sit between an iMac and a linn Majik I amp, or driving my B&O H6 headphones directly. It does look elegant to me and I’ve heard all good reports about the sound quality.
 
A Mojo is a portable, personal device, one user, most likely one input. Moaning that it's not much good in a family context is like moaning that a mobile phone is no good for watching movies with your kids. I've never had one, though I did have a Hugo. That was a great introduction to what Chord DACs can do - the mojo seems to be fantastic value.
 
NaimClontarf said:
It is completely unsuitable for deployment in a family hifi system with multiple users and with multiple digital inputs (CDP/CCA/PC)

!! Powering off
!! Setting line level
!! Selecting input

Its like something designed in an echo-chamber with little regard for end users!!
Am I alone in this view?
Click to expand...

for myself it is absolutely fine, but it took me a year to train my wife to select the right input on the Nac 72 and to switch the mojo on.

it sounds fantastic otherwise we would have bought something different.
 
The Mojo wasn't designed to be used in the context that you're having your gripes. That fact that you've been able to conceive of employing it in your family setup has to be a feather in the cap for the device. ;) I might buy one...
 
I would agree, Chord stuff in general looks like industrial design gone mad, but the mojo is the least offensive in those stakes, and actually so small as to be neat.
 
NaimClontarf said:
After a number of years of ownership I have come to the conclusion that the Chord Mojo is the worst piece of kit I have bought in 30 years of buying hifi kit.

It is completely unsuitable for deployment in a family hifi system with multiple users and with multiple digital inputs (CDP/CCA/PC)

!! Powering off
!! Setting line level
!! Selecting input

Its like something designed in an echo-chamber with little regard for end users!!
Am I alone in this view?
Click to expand...
When and if you’d get something else, what would you get?
 
L
lagavullin10y said:
When and if you’d get something else, what would you get?
Click to expand...
Dont want to give up on it .....I have a Schitt Modi USB on another system ..sounds fine and the Modi Uber has the same # of inputs ...could go there ...primary requirement is CoAxial for the CDP..might look for a CoAx only DAC if such exists!
 
The Arcam irDAC-II is a nice sounding DAC, very versatile and easy to use. 1x USB, 2x Optical and 2x Coax inputs as well as Bluetooth. 1x Fixed and 1x Variable analogue line out are provided so it can be used as a standalone DAC or as a combined DAC/preamp. The 3.5mm headphone output sounds excellent too BTW. Inputs and volume are changed by simple + and - push buttons on top the unit, and a remote control is included too which allows you to control everything without having to leave the sofa. What's not to like?

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nobeone said:
I doubt you are on your own but equally I assume you are more than aware it wasn't designed for use in a static hifi system? Mobile Joy, the clue is in the name :)

As a battery powered yet relatively high powered FPGA device powering off makes sense.
I don't personally struggle to hold down the volume up/down marbles while powering it on to get line level output. I can appreciate some might.
I really don't get you point about selecting the input. Whatever is playing is what it auto selects no? Admittedly I only use it with a CDP to the coax input and CCA to the optical input, I don't use the USB input and as I understand it that takes priority.

Personally I love the flexibility of using it with my laptop as a DAC headphone amp while working, with my mobile as a DAC headphone amp while traveling (if I can remember what that is) and in my main rig for DAC duties. Obviously that bit frustrates you, I might suggest you consider a Qutest for a fixed DAC if you like the sound of the Mojo but if you hate the user interface I am not sure Qutest will get you far enough away from that.
Click to expand...


nobeone said:
I doubt you are on your own but equally I assume you are more than aware it wasn't designed for use in a static hifi system? Mobile Joy, the clue is in the name :)

As a battery powered yet relatively high powered FPGA device powering off makes sense.
I don't personally struggle to hold down the volume up/down marbles while powering it on to get line level output. I can appreciate some might.
I really don't get you point about selecting the input. Whatever is playing is what it auto selects no? Admittedly I only use it with a CDP to the coax input and CCA to the optical input, I don't use the USB input and as I understand it that takes priority.

Personally I love the flexibility of using it with my laptop as a DAC headphone amp while working, with my mobile as a DAC headphone amp while traveling (if I can remember what that is) and in my main rig for DAC duties. Obviously that bit frustrates you, I might suggest you consider a Qutest for a fixed DAC if you like the sound of the Mojo but if you hate the user interface I am not sure Qutest will get you far enough away from that.
Click to expand...

To operate the CDP you have to put the PC to sleep....then it powers off (when it runs out of charge) etc. etc... ..

ownership is like secret society!!!
 
Last edited:
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