But for those who are after a primarily portable or desktop DAC solution in this price region (and cannot triple their budget to Chord Hugo 2 territory), we believe the decision to Mojo 2 or not to Mojo 2 is far easier. While from a performance point of view the Mojo 2 can just as confidently raise a hi-fi system’s game too, some of those looking for a boost might reasonably prefer a dedicated system alternative with more suitable connections, such as the Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M (below). And while those familiar with Chord’s most affordable product will see from this review’s accompanying images that the aesthetic hasn’t exactly been overhauled for the sequel, significant progress has been made elsewhere to protect its position as the pinnacle of portable DACs. The fittingly named Mojo 2 is the long-anticipated, re-engineered replacement to the 2015-released original, which burst onto the scene as a real benchmark-setting game-changer in the then-fledgling world of portable DACs/headphone amps. If you've just forked out many hundreds of pounds for some decent wired over-ears, you may not be that keen on parting with even more cash to make some noticeable, but possibly incremental, audio gains. Your headphones need to be of a pretty decent standard before you get the benefits of a dedicated amp – we would say the £330/$295/AU$419 Grado SR325x are decent starting benchmarks – so you might not want to bother if you're currently rocking a pair of £50/$50/AU$100 headphones.Ĭonversely, you may decide that your headphones are performing well enough as it is, and that you like the sound just fine without needing any extra oomph or refinement. Then, of course, there's the matter of price, and the quality of the equipment you're going to be plugging your new gadget into in the first place. In short, you'll need to decide whether you'll be listening to your headphones on the move or solely at home before committing to a purchase. Bigger models, whether they're are battery- or mains-powered, command that you clear your desk or make some room on your hi-fi rack (like you'd need to for the new and rather large Yamaha HA-L7A). Some of the headphone amplifiers below will happily slip into a jeans pocket and, with the right cables and perhaps even an adaptor, can be paired with a phone. Size and portability are also key considerations. This means many headphone amplifiers are also DACs (and can be called such, or, commonly, 'DAC/headphone amplifier'), although be aware that you can get DACs without headphone sockets, such as the Chord Qutest, which only improve sound between sources and speaker-fronted systems. These days, though, analogue-only headphone amplifiers like the Chord Anni and SPL Phonitor xe are a rare breed, as the majority of headphone amps also boast built-in DACs (digital-to-analogue converters) that feed digital inputs for broader compatibility – ideal if, say, you are listening to music stored on a computer. So what should you look for in a headphone amplifier? Analogue inputs are the most common and mean you can plug in any source that has analogue outputs (which is most of them).
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