Chord Mojo 2 review vs iFi xDSD Gryphon & Xduoo XD-05 Bal
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- Опубликовано: 30 июл 2024
- #chordmojo2 #gryphon #xduoo
Welcome to my review of the Chord Mojo 2 and comparison against the iFi xDSD Gryphon and Xduoo XD-05 Bal (with upgraded op amps, Burson V5i-D)
Time index
00:00 Intro
01:27 In the box
02:18 Buttons, Controls, Menu How To
08:25 Physical comparison vs Xduoo + Controls
10:39 Physical comparison vs Gryphon + Controls
12:34 Sound Quality
iFi website - ifi-audio.com/products/xdsd-g...
Xduoo website - xduoo.net/product/xd05-bal/
Chord website - chordelectronics.co.uk/mojo-2 
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Thanks for such a great review Gavin. I am just waiting on my Mojo being delivered. I hope to experience this magic you are talking about.
On your recommendation Gavin, I picked up the IFI gryphon. This sounds crazy good, thanks bro. Your recommendation was spot on.
Hi Sergio. Glad to hear it and thanks for your feedback. Enjoy your new Gryphon 👍
Nice video. I love the painting in the background!
Thanks Cam. I really like the tree painting too :)
Thanks for the review, comparisons are very useful.
Appreciate your feedback 👍
Brilliant review. I own the mojo v1 and will be buying the new mojo 2!
Thanks Tony. Appreciate your feedback 👍
After reading numerous reviews about mojo 2, I was still hesitant about making a decision. However, the way you elaborated on the sound quality and features of mojo 2 convinced me to finally hit that buy button. Your review was incredibly helpful, and I can't thank you enough for providing such valuable insights!
Hi, do you like your mojo 2? I'd like to buy it and use it with HD 600
@@florianinside5666 Hi. I bought mojo2 with HD 600 as well. And I was not impressed. I used HD600 with macbook 2019 and hardly could hear any difference with the Mojo2. Even though to send Mojo2 back. The only thing what was stopping me, the sound quality in the car with mojo2. It feels like all audio system was upgraded and you don't wanna switch the music off :) So I left mojo2. And it took me some time to FEEL the difference. Not the music without Mojo2 is "dry", not "bright" enough. From the beginning I was expecting another space effects, but that "brightness" only like 10-20% difference. Now I can clearly hear that, and I very enjoyed it! Cheers!
Hi,
I bought my mojo2 with HD600 as well. From the beginning I was disappointed in mojo2, as I hardly could hear difference in HD600 between mojo2 and Macbook 2019. The only thing stopped me from sending it back is sound in my car with the Mojo2 :) And I'm very happy that I left it. It took me some time to feel the difference. Now without Mojo2 the sound is "dry", not "bright" enough. The difference with the "normal" sound is like 10-15%, but it's a cherry on a cake :)
Can’t wait , i always consider you a a fair reviewer
Cheers Pasha. I spent a lot of hours making this video .
Nice review! I had the original Mojo, and I also felt it had some great characteristics. Unfortunately, my beef with them is how they abandoned me when their unit died just out of warranty. If you search, there are many who have been burned by this unreliability. The emails were not terribly nice with them, and so I walked away. I wonder if it was overheating as the original ran VERY hot. Meanwhile, I have the older iFi xDSD. That was my next purchase. It had Bluetooth so I didn’t need a jury-rigged mess of wires to my iPhone. But the point is…all these years later it still works! Good on them! Also, per your review, I like that the Gryphon has a screen. And that it has more features, and has balanced output. Finally, when I was using the Mojo, I never really got the hang of the balls and colors. Cute, but a terrible UI. Good UI design means i don’t need to memorize much if anything. That plus the sham of having a big box to connect to add BT (at quite a cost!) is just crazy. I would stick with the Gryphon. For all the rest of you, I hope I am wrong regarding the reliability and overheating. I hope they have fixed those issues.
Hi Stephen, thanks for your comment. It’s good to hear about your positive experience with iFi products. The Gryphon is a great fully featured device , I think it’s great we have so much choice too. You can’t beat the flexibility of Bluetooth sometimes too!
The Xduoo is slow. The Gryphon is much much faster.
The Gryphon doesn’t. Maybe iFi add the feature in a software update?
Not really tbh
Love the car analogy...Thank you off the topic I would love to see your comparison of 7hz Timeless and Let shuoer S12...✌️ ❤️ 😁
Thanks for your feedback and suggestion :)
Very good review, very easy to understand comparison. Helpful and comprehensive. Thank you for your hard work
Thanks Amon for your feedback. Appreciated 👍
Thank you for comparing both Chord Mojo 2 and Ifi gryphon. I couldn’t decide which to get as both are amazing kits. The review is very helpful. I’m leaning more towards the mojo 2 but I may need to learn how to use different colour orb combinations. In Hong Kong, Mojo 2 cost around 534 pounds after converting the currency from HK dollars and the gryphon is roughly 486 pounds. So in HK, gryphon is just slightly cheaper.
No problem Ian. Both are excellent devices. Glad the review helped you.
Hi Gavin, your reviews just so unbiasly great and I thank you for that.
Btw, seeking for your opinion, I've a Samsung S22 Ultra, Sony MDR-Z7M2 headphonesb with Kimble Kable SE cable. Currently am run with Chord Mojo 1 which soundstage not wide enough and bass is clear but a bit on the light side. If I am going to upgrade among,
Chord Mojo 2, iFi Gryphon, Xduoo XD05 Bal, Questyle M15, Xduoo Link2 Bal.
Which one will be my best upgrade from Mojo 1? I mostly listening to lossless Jazz Folk Blues which emphasis on female vocal like Ella Fitzgerald, Sara K, Rebecca Pidgeon, Lori Lieberman, Mary Black, then Slow & Hard Rock and Power Ballads from Pearl Jam, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Gun N Roses, Bad Company, Deep Purple, Rainbow and many more. Also occasionally Jazz, Fusion Jazz music and Pop & Hip Hop songs. Sorry if my writing a bit lengthy but just wanted to let you have a better idea of my music preferences. Would be much appreciate for your advice.
I would go with the Gryphon based on your music genre. More intimate and you've got the bass control as well.
Got a mojo 2 arriving today, looks great, will be using 64 audio u12t in ears mostly.
Hope you enjoy it 👍
@@GavinsGadgets thanks, and thanks for the video, will drop a sub
Much appreciated 👍
Good one Gavin. I really like my Mojo 2 - I suppose it comes down to whether you use harder to drive headphones on the move to which these DACs relate, which with the predominance of easy to drive headphones and especially IEMs on the move, makes the mojo2 the killer product. BW Simon
Thanks Simon 👍
Thanks for the review. One point to make regarding the micro USB charging, the decision was to alienate existing Poly owners and provide USB-C charging or keep compatibility with the Poly. I prefer USB-C too but I have the cables required to charge so personally see no issue.
Thanks for your feedback 👍
Thank you for sharing 🙏
You're welcome 👍
Fantastic review Gavin. My biggest issue is I don't have a lot of time to sit at a desk or wherever with a nice stack all plumbed in, I do have a stack and every day I sit down to work and go right let's listen to some music, 12 hours of Zoom, WhatsApp, Signal etc later I have hardly listened to a thing properly and I really don't want to sit there any longer. So I have the Deva Pro for round the house true nomadic, I have the xduoo for sitting in say my living room or out the back garden (not so much at moment of course) and I can have good quality audio via LDAC or wired but it's not as good as my stack plus I do have and intend to have some inconvenient to drive planars (not Susvara level of why did u do that hifiman). So I love xbass, space, presence but I also can use parametric eq's, on device tuning at sub, mid to upper bass and trebble below airzone so configurable is amazing, want to go further I can switch to Roon if I decide to and go even further. No brainer for me Mojo 2 and xduoo bal which I already have will cover all I need 95% of the time. That’s me though, isn’t it amazing we have so much choice these days and reviewers who don’t try to shilling it every second of their time (Gavin), for someone else they may want to go a completely alternate route, and they can.
Appreciate your feedback Adrian! I agree, the choice we have today is fantastic. I love the ability to listen to my music in whichever room I want too!
Hi Gavin, thanks for your review. I always love to see many more coming. BTW I am a bit curious to know about BAL in team of sound between default opamps 1612 and the new upgraded V5I-D. Thanks in advance
Watch this video I did. It covers that off ruclips.net/video/uqGGzXTEsPQ/видео.html
@@GavinsGadgets thanks heaps..
Hi Gavin. Thank you very much for this video. I’m coming at this video from the Mojo 2 Headfi discussion. Needless to say I’m not surprised to hear that Mojo 2 is best in terms of sound - I’ve been blown away by it. I liked M1 but didn’t love it and knew an upgrade (from my wallet) was pending at some point. Like yourself I really was not expecting this to be as good as it is. Think about it though - the product which has been (roughly) at the top of the sonics tree has now been blown away at almost no increase in cost? This to me sounds like a £1000+ device. Thanks again
Hi Alan, appreciate your feedback. I also didn't love the original Mojo either. But the Mojo 2 is a different story for me as well. Enjoy listening to your Mojo 2!
Great review thanks. How would you compare Mojo 2 with some of Chords other offerings like the Hugo 2, TT, Cutest. Thanks.
Thanks. The Mojo 2 offers better value for money, but Chord's more expensive gear does sound even better.
Hello Gavin, love your channel! I subscribed. You just gave me the best explanation and examples of the functions of the mojo and I saw a lot of you tubes video's on that subject! I want the mojo for the sound and have to put up with the balls...Mojo 2 has eliminated the line level because some people forgot the setting and blew their ears off with an headphone. Can you advise me about what to do with the volume when I use the mojo 2 in desktop mode? As high as possible or as low as possible? I use a decent 120 watt rotel pre and power amp.
Just find your preferred level. Not the highest or lowest. Appreciate the feedback too 👍
Hi Gavin, great insight as always. I’ve got a Zen DAC V2 with some Grado 325x. Would the Mojo 2 be a significant upgrade or do you really need more premium headphones to get the best from it? I’d also be interested in using it with my desktop amp instead of the Zen. Is that really viable using 3.5 to RCA? I’ve read the battery shouldn’t suffer being plugged in to the mains. Thanks.
My first option would be to get the iPowerX with the zen DAC v2, if you haven't got that already. Even though the battery isn't used on the Mojo 2 once it's fully charged it and switched to intelligent desktop mode, it's not a desktop amp. Yes it's possible to use it as a desktop as per your thoughts.
@@GavinsGadgets Thanks for the feedback.
Thanks for the review. What are your thoughts on the audio quality of the Mojo2 v RME ADI2 DAC FS unit? Thanks again.
Thanks for your feedback Keith, appreciated. I haven’t heard that device yet so difficult to comment on
Well,sat down with this tonight, plugged it into a pair of HD560s.Honestly,I’m staggered at what this can do, absolutely stunning the way it portrays a musical performance.
Hi John, glad you're enjoying it too!
Hi John, which is “this” the Mojo, Gryphon or xduoo?
@@adrianmorrish8494 it’s the Mojo
Loved the review! I recently picked up the Gryphon and I love it! But about 5 days later, the Mojo 2 came out…lol. I saw in another comment you made that the Gryphon sounded about 85% close to the Mojo 2. Do you think that the lossless DSP features of the Mojo 2 have that extra 15% edge over the Gryphon? Or just that the Mojo 2 is sonically superior to the Gryphon on all fronts?
Thanks John for your feedback, appreciated 👍 That’s always the way when you buy something! The 15% difference is just sound quality difference . The lossless dsp makes no difference, other than some eq personalisation.
Ah I see. Very nice! I just may sell the Gryphon and get the Mojo 2 instead. Not necessarily worried about missing the amp and I/O features of the Gryphon since I already have the xCAN for that! :)
The xCan is a superb device 👍
Have been using the Mojo 2 as the desktop amp on my computer for the past 7 months. Sound quality wise, Its best investment on any dac I have made within that price range. Rob Watts was not selling snake oil. That said like every device it has pro and cons. The "Balls" UI takes time to get used to. But once you get accustomed, muscle memory helps. Still a better UI is warranted even if we have a menu ball now 🙂. The desktop charging shenanigans have been solved. It has a desktop charging mode where it wont overcharge i.e. cycle charge the battery when it is always connected to an external power source. It still runs hot given it is a very small form factor and the DSP has to sink all its thermal output to the outer case. I have seen that it runs less hot when being used as a portable on battery.
I do use the onboard GQ to match with my different headphones. There is 9db range across the four channels, 2 shelves and cutoff. Though I dont get the excitement about crossfeeds. Perhaps it may be apparent with LCR trickery with some recordings.
Thanks for the feedback 👍
Hi :). are you shure about that voltage numbers? (8-14 Volts), I am pretty shure that 05 Bal can output only 2V of power to the headphones...
The numbers were provided by the manufacturer.
Wow the price in UK is interesting because here in Vietnam the Mojo 2 costs more than the gryphon. Luckily I don't have to worry about that because I can't afford either lol. Thanks for the informative review, mate :)
👍👍
Thanks Gavin, interesting update!
After demoing this do you think Chord may have fixed the issue the V1 model (apparently) had with it running rather too hot to be carried in a pocket?
Thanks Neil for your feedback. I've not had any issues with heat and I've been using it a lot.
Neil. Fake news.....😣
when I tape the Mojo 2 to the back of my iPhone, I can hear noise when the iPhone's processor is doing work, like opening an app, downloading a song, etc. It seems like Mojo's shielding is quite weak.
Its likely the RF interference on the 2G network. Not much you can do about that.
Can you compare the sound quality of the XD-05 bal with XD 05 plus?
Thanks for this wonderful comparison mate! I appreciate the time and effort gone into this.
I reckon that ifi can used as a dac only through line out. If used just as a DAC, how would you rate it? Does it come close to desktop dacs around that price?
Thank you
The DAC is excellent. It's part of what gives its sound signature. Obviously it's not as good as a standalone £600 DAC as all the other components within the Gryphon contribute to its overall cost. Eg MQA licensing. The Bluetooth components etc. The DAC is a main part though but it's tricky to put a price on it as such because the amplification is also key to how the Gryphon performs.
@@GavinsGadgets I get what you are saying....thank you very much. I just wanted to use it as a dac only for xduoo MT 604. I want to check out how tubes sound.
You could spend less and get a decent result. Eg iFi ZEN DAC v2
@@GavinsGadgets thanks for the suggestion mate!....but I need something portable as well, to drive both iems, headphones and earbuds like ve zen(300 ohms).
Well the Gryphon is great, or the Mojo 2.
Hi i have the Creative Sound Blaster X4 im wondering if yo can help im for PC only what one would say is best ? Can you do smack down with the Creative Sound Blaster X4 as well? Out of these three which one works best for PC?
Thanks for your suggestions.
Hi. Great review. Any idea on how the Mojo 2 will play with the Focal Elegia?
Very well I’d imagine. It powers my hd 600 & Arya headphones
Hi, can you give me a rating! I have fiio fh9 +Qudelix-5k, ifi gryphon costs €600 it is a significant improvement in sound compared to the qudelix 5k, btr7, ifi go blu... Or is it just a minimal improvement? From a €600 DAC my expectations of improvement are at least 70%!
Hello! And between the iFi Micro iDSD Signature and the Mojo two, which one do you prefer in terms of sound quality?
Too close to call
I have a chord dave, ifi go bar from home, and I plug my HD800 into both. Guess what? The sound with Go bar is amazing. So I am quite confused if I should go for a mojo2 or a gryphon if I like the go bar so much. OMG the staging speration and imaging of go bar is so great!
Hi Gavin, your reviews just so unbiasly great and I thank you for that.
Btw, seeking for your opinion, I've a Samsung S22 Ultra, Sony MDR-Z7M2 headphonesb with Kimble Kable SE cable. Currently am run with Chord Mojo 1 which soundstage not wide enough and bass is clear but a bit on the light side. If I am going to upgrade among,
Chord Mojo 2, iFi Gryphon, Xduoo XD05 Bal, Questyle M15, Xduoo Link2 Bal.
Which one will be my best upgrade from Mojo 1? I mostly listening to lossless Jazz Folk Blues which emphasis on female vocal like Ella Fitzgerald, Sara K, Rebecca Pidgeon, Lori Lieberman, Mary Black, then Slow & Hard Rock and Power Ballads from Pearl Jam, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Gun N Roses, Bad Company, Deep Purple, Rainbow and many more. Also occasionally Jazz, Fusion Jazz music and Pop & Hip Hop songs. Sorry if my writing a bit lengthy but just wanted to let you have a better idea of my music preferences. Would be much appreciate for your advice.
I think your question got duplicated. Already answered. Thanks for your feedback too 👍
@@GavinsGadgets Oh sorry Gavin, just realized I've posted twice. Justsaw your advice on the other post, thank you so much.
Mojo 2 looks very colourful cute small . Whole reason of portable . You should review schit hel also
Unfortunately Schit is readily available in the UK, however I'll see what I can do.
@@GavinsGadgets I was attracted to hel design it’s a powerful
Amplifier they say
If you want to use your 4.4 cables with Mojo 2, there is a DD hifi 3.5 male to 4.4 female adapter and they are now preparing whole unit for the market which you click on Mojo and you have 4.4✌️ 😊
Thanks for the comparison Gavin. Received my Mojo 2 today but I had been thinking i should’ve bought the gryphon because I use a balanced 4.4mm cable with my hd660s and Sundara headphones. But if you think the mojo sounds better then I’ll just stick with that …. although the extra features on the gryphon are very temping!
Thanks for your feedback. I have a similar issue. I have a drawer of balanced cables 😃 but if you can live without the extra featutee found on the Gryphon, you will be fine 😃
@@GavinsGadgets haven't watched yet, out all afternoon, I have all my cables made ending in 4.4 and I have several adapter cables of good quality which I but from a couple of manufacturers on Ali express, one of those is a balanced 4.4 to SE 3.3 Cable, job done.
when an amp is made only SE you don't loose out on any of the circuit as you do with some entry and midfi dual amps
That's handy.
what extra features if you don't mind me asking do you think are better on Gryphon, the true desktop mode and far more granular 0% (claimed) DSP aka equal to analogue on ifi, 100 voumume stops with inherent gain inbuilt, so apart from bluetooth which features would you rate. This is a serious question as I have xduoo bal and am trying to decide between Gryphon and Mojo, to add to xduoo as it's not going anywhere with its current boost for planars.
Hey Gavin, thanks for the very detailed review! I'm in the process of looking for a DAC for my Oppo PM-2 and PM-3. Given that they lean a little more on the warmer side with a drop off in the treble region, how do you think the Mojo 2 would sound with them? I would appreciate your insight on the matter very much. Thanks!
Thanks for your feedback. Appreciated. The Mojo 2 would be a good fit for the oppo pm2 / pm3.
@@GavinsGadgets Awesome. Thanks for the reply!
Hi Gavin, I am considering iFi Diablo, iFi Signature, Chord Mojo 2. Which is the best fit for Hifiman Arya in your opinion? Thanks
Personally either the Mojo 2 or Diablo. The Diablo being the better option of the two
@@GavinsGadgets Thanks Gavin - do I need a IE Match using Diablo with Arya? Is the power too overwhelming for Arya?
The Diablo will be fine.
@@GavinsGadgets I’ve got the diablo in the used market for 570 USD and its only 6months old from the original DOP, thank you for this recommendation.
Thanks for the great review/comparison, Gavin!
Does the Mojo 2's DSP allow you to tweak the bass to a degree that closely resembles the bass boost on the Gryphon?
Would you say that one is better than the other (Mojo 2 vs Gryphon) as far as bass boost goes?
Appreciate your feedback! The Mojo's DSP is more discreet, yet can be quite affective. Chord have produced some charts showing how adjusting the different parameters impacts the other parts of the EQ curve. It's in the manual too. So once you have played around with the Mojo's DSP a bit, it is better than the Gryphon. However, the Gryphon is just one press of a button, with some options at the back to adjust how the xBass cuts in.
@@GavinsGadgets
Thanks Gavin.
Hi Gavin! The DSP settings of the Mojo in terms of bass versus the Gryphon would help me a lot in choosing one of the two to purchase. I use the in ears Shure 846, on the Ibasso 160 the treble bothers me immensely, and the lack of bass, don't really have adjustment options with the Ibasso. I still have a DAC dongle, the Luxury & Precision W2. There I have a special bass filter. Even if this strongly dampens the high frequency range, and it sounds exaggerated or unnatural for others, it is far better for me. I have the fear that the bass boost in the Gryphon is not enough for me. The Mojo has but in this regard the better setting options or?
Hi Marco. Have a look at the Mojo 2 manual available on Chord Electronics.website as it goes into a lot of details re the DSP with graphs. I would say it possible to use the DSP on the Mojo 2 to refine both the bass and treble without impacting sound quality. The Mojo 2 might have the edge on amount of quality bass as a consequence.
A few friends and reviewers have complained about at least 30 minutes warm up time till Mojo 2 sounds it’s best. Can you tell us your experience, did you notice this?
Hi Rod. The Mojo sounds great as soon as you turn it on. I do listen for longer than 30 mins most days and have never thought , wow that sounds better now after 30 mins. It just might be the other people have relaxed more into its musicality and rhythm.
Wotcha Gavin. I’ve just bought a Mojo 2 and rather than pay a lot for a Poly, I’m thinking about an ifi Go Blu when I’m out and about. Is that a false economy?
Not at all. When you’re out and about, having a very compact Bluetooth DAC makes a lot of sense. The Poly + Mojo will sound better, but the size is quite large
@@GavinsGadgets it’s the price: the Go Blu is less than half the cost of the Poly. Also the Mojo with the Poly doesn’t look that portable either. That said, I’m very happy with the Mojo 2.
Totally agree
I have the centrance hifi-m8 v2 worth an upgrade?
I haven't heard that one yet but I have read that it sounds quite good. If you like it with your headphones, keep what you have.
For sundara is better mojo 2 o gryphone ? I love vocal and midlle high
I dont like invasive bass .. thx
They are both good. I’d go for the gryphon based on your preferences.
@@GavinsGadgets thx Mate
If i want use whit zmf aeolus ? Is possible drive this headphones whit 300 ohm of impedence ?
I’m not familiar with these headphones.
Hi Gavin how does the chord compare to LG 60 quad dac? Thanks Tudor
Different league Tudor
@@GavinsGadgets thanks
Nicely Done.
2 Take aways.
6/7 year old gear is ancient :)
Not such a good price if in the US vs UK.
Thanks for your feedback. Appreciated. 👍 Yeah the US price is high.
In your BAL vs Gryphon video you said that they are very close in sound with Gryphon having a slight edge, is that the same with Mojo 2 & Gryphon? or is there a bigger gap here? For IEM use which do you recommend between Gryphon & BAL?
The Gryphon is close to the Mojo 2. Probably 85% close. For IEMs the Gryphon. There's just too much power in the BAL.
@@GavinsGadgets Sorry, my bad. I meant Gryphon vs Mojo 2 for IEMs. You clearly said BAL is for Headphones.
No worries. Either will be great. If only on wired the Mojo 2 does have the edge. But if you need the Bluetooth & MQA etc , the Gryphon would be a better option.
@@GavinsGadgets Thanks, very informative video. I think I'll get the Gryphon for now, where I'm from, Mojo 2 has 2 month Pre-Order wait time.
Thanks for your feedback too. Appreciated 👍 That’s a very long wait. I hope you really enjoy the Gryphon 😀
Hi gavin , thanks for this but what would you pick for hifiman arya stealth ? Gryphon or mojo 2?
Either TBH. Depends if you want the extra features of the Gryphon eg bluetooth or prefer the warmer sound of the Gryphon.
@@GavinsGadgets thanks also i heard on soundnews review on mojo 2 , this is what he said "However, it needs to be said that once you are approaching its upper power levels, it will start clipping, heavily distorting its bass output and massively shrinking the stage size. I’ve got clipping with LCD-4 and Susvara and Arya Stealth wasn’t as airy sounding as I like to, but the rest of the planar-mafia gang were far away from reaching its max volume setting." Is there really clipping?
Ifi gryphon and moio 2 are similarly priced here in our country. Im torn between the two.
Mojo is slightly more nuanced in music quality but lacks all the extras options.
That person must be partially death as I have never use that kind of volume on the mojo 2. Yes the Gryphon goes louder but nobody should use that type of listening level IMO
Hey, does the gryphon sound 3x better than BTR5 2021?
Price multiples never match sound quality multiples in audio.
What equipment do you use for precise volume matching?
Thanks for your question. Not sure of the relevance. A product either sounds better or it doesn't.
@@GavinsGadgets it's scientifically recognised that if two devices were identical the louder one sounds better. That's why volume matching is very important.
Obviously it’s important. And obviously the volumes were the same. I’m not sure what your actual question is or where you need some assistance. Are you looking at either of the DACs ? What are you currently using out of interest ?
Hi Gavin. What is the best combo for mojo 2? if you refer to what the ifi zen signature combo has done. and which is better between the mojo 2 combo vs the ifi zen signature combo? thanks
Depends on how you intend to use with your other gear. One is more portable solution
@@GavinsGadgets Yeah.. it's like i want to get the best out of mojo 2 when it's paired with hd800s or arya v3 stealth. I only thought of listening to it at my desk and nothing else (i hope) :)
I would go with the ifi signature if using at the desk
@@GavinsGadgets Why? What about the difference in sound quality?
The Mojo is better as a portable. The ifi has a decent power supply which helps with those harder to drive headphones
Hi Gavin, at 19:00 you mentioned Gryphon is more expensive than Mojo2, how much each price of Gryphon and Mojo2
In the UK, the mojo 2 is £470 vs gryphon at £599. However, I am aware after making this video , pricing in the USA is different as it is also in other parts of the world, so do check where you live for the pricing.
@@GavinsGadgets thanks for ur reply - in Indonesia Mojo 2 price is higher ☹️
That's a shame
People say the Bluetooth to the Gryphon will degrade quality, but will the Poly also degrade quality?
Bluetooth is bluetooth regardless of device.
@@GavinsGadgets the poly can act as a lossless “network streamer”, with Roon for instance.
In this instance / scenario that’s a good option.
can i use it with my hd800s？ what is the voice like？
Yes you could. Voice is excellent
@@GavinsGadgets thanks so much
Does the Gryphon adequately power the Dan Clark Audio Stealth?
I've not tried them, but the gryphon does have a turbo mode for difficult headphones
@@GavinsGadgets I wasn't aware of that. How does it work?
When you turn the volume, and it appears to be at max, you keep turning and turbo mode appears on its screen. You can now increase the volume a lot more.
@@GavinsGadgets ok. I was unaware of that.
OK do you have my house bugged, how the heck did you know after getting my xduoo 05 bal I was trying to decide between mojo 2 and Gryphon as an additional purchase, respect.
My mind reading skills are phenomenal 😂😀
@@GavinsGadgets I knew u were going to say that 😳
I have. compare Ifi Xdsd and mojo 2. I favourite to ifi in sound and better feature balance output can drive more power headset , it using type C connect my phone
Thanks for your feedback 👍
Hi Gavin. I’ve been sceptical about chord mojo many years, but after trying some portable amps and give up on them. I bought mojo 2 and poly. What can I say, I was a fool… yes it’s expensive, but it’s really worth it. EQ implementations doesn’t degrade sound quality, for example all these bass boosters destroy sound quality. And AirPlay is fantastic, I hate BT it sounds really bad. It’s best portable device and no fatigue of listening for hours. Amazing device! I have different headphones and I like to tweak with mojo EQ to fix them if something is not right and also if I want to listen at lower volume. Highly recommended!
👍👍👍
Thank you for the review, I was really curious in seeing those two side-by-side (Mojo 2 vs Gryphon) and your comments confirmed my suspicions.
The Gryphon is a beautiful peace of Hardware but it seems somehow surrounded by a lot of Snake Oil: MQA is (in my opinion) a fraud, and what’s the point of having a DAC/AMP with BT, given that the BT itself will degrade the audio quality to varying degrees.
Thanks Alexandre for your feedback, appreciated. The Gryphon is an excellent piece of kit. Whilst you won't want bluetooth, I know of many that do require it and love the flexibility. MQA, agree with you, it's a shame so many products pay the licensing to include it, but that's what some people want.
Nice video, maybe you would consider rearranging the lighting to behind the cam. Dynamic range of your cam does not abode well with those lights behind. Super vids nonetheless.Congrats.
Thank you 👍 and for your feedback 😀
Gavin did you have chance to try the DAC output on the mojo 2 compared to Gryphon, I have read a couple of reviews saying apart from limited connectivity the mojo 2 is a excellent desktop class DAC, SE of course
Of course. That was my last video comparison.
@@GavinsGadgets I’ll have to rewatch I missed/have forgotten that part rats.
Gavin which video is this comparison in, I can’t find it. It’s the DAC portion of the mojo compared to the Gryphon I am wondering about not it’s amp component, as a certain Australian reviewer compared it quite favourably for quality to the bifrost II
TBC the mojo 2 that is although obviously more limited in I/O
@@adrianmorrish8494 I know the other video you are referring too, but I stand by my thoughts.
Apparently Chord decided to keep the micro USB connection so that their older streamer add on, the 'Poly', can be used with the Mojo 2 .
Yeah that is right. Why didn't they bother to update that as well. Sigh.
Dethonray honey h1 review please 🙏
I'll see if I can get one.
@@GavinsGadgets definitely should
18:20 "if you use lots of iems it isn't device for you" Why xd05 isn't good for lots of iems?
Because IEMs can have high sensitivity and the Xduoo has too much power quite quickly so may be too loud for some IEMs
Mojo 2 are going for $775 now I guess I’m going with the gryphon
Sadly more expensive where you are
how do you compare mojo 2 with hip dac 2 in every sound aspects ?
Hi Pasha. The Mojo 2 sounds better, but the Mojo 2 is over twice as expensive as the hip DAC.
@@GavinsGadgets i got hip dac 2 for 189$ after watching your review of it and i love it , i was looking for upgrade but mojo 2 is about 4 times more expensive than hip dac 2 in here , i want to know how big is this improvement in sound aspects 🙏🏻
That's a shame its so expensive where you are. Its £469 here in the UK, the hipdac 2 is £189. The Mojo 2 does sound better, but not 4 x better. Maybe 30% better. If you are happy with the hip dac I would keep it for a while longer.
What about the radsone es100 mk2 vs hip dac2 vs mojo the sound different?
Just saw a bunch of reviews on Amazon saying they were horrified at the Gryphon sound quality, flat, low volume, no soundstage etc fyi
That’s nothing like how it sounds. Also backed up by the endless feedback from many others who own it.
You know what I want - a chord mojo 2 with 1 usbc port, 4.4 port and no battery, a chord mojo dongle if you like.
If only it was made !
@@GavinsGadgets have you tried Tone 2 Pro?
Not yet
Micro USB is there so it’s still compatible with the POLY they didn’t want to make a new one and force current users to buy another version. Bit of give and take.
Obviously, but they could have updated both. Soon usb c will be mandatory in Europe, so Chord’s decision might be short lived.
Given the Gryphon and Mojo2 are nearly double the price of the XDuoo (at least here in Japan), is this even a fair comparison?
Will be interested to see.
Hi Robert. That's unfortunate with the pricing where you are. In the UK, the Xduoo is £350 + £80 for the op amp upgrade, Mojo 2 is £469 and the Gryphon is £599. You'll see I am considerate to the price and other aspects when you watch the review. It will be live later today, 3pm UK time. Hope you enjoy it, and happy to answer any questions afterwards.
@@GavinsGadgets also xduoo are amazing for producing Incredible price to performance mid and entry level equipment, and even high end with some of their tube offerings
Totally agree 👍
@@GavinsGadgetsin us ifi is 628$ with tax xduoo 450$ and mojo is around 760 $ wirh tax
Thanks for the info. Quite different pricing on the UK.
Chord is amazing, premium price, such small package, cheap plastic housing, micro USB, small battery, no bluetooth, no screen, but yet deliver the best sounding and able to drive. The engineer really work on it over time
Thanks for your feedback Ivan 👍
the mojo's housing is all metal and is actually used as a heatsink via the battery. just looks like plastic due to the matte paint
The housing is military grade aluminium for airplanes!
housing is not cheap plastic but aircraft grade aluminum
I was wondering what this thing was. I see this all the time on amazon. I thought it was something for a guitar.
👍
😣
everything Chord seems extermely overpriced.. e.g. the "poly" streaming attachment for this is $1000 CDN.. lmao
Thanks for your feedback. It seems overseas pricing in some parts of the world are costly. UK pricing is fine.
I’m not sure if I would ever want the Mojo as it’s not Bluetooth and adding the poly makes way more expensive than the others
Hi Alston, that's the great thing, we have so much choice nowadays. I am certain quite a few people would want the flexibility and option of having Bluetooth too.
If you are using lossy bluetooth then it doesn't really matter which DAC you use...buy the cheapest! 😀
I find it completly unexceptable that a device costing so much money doesnt have bluetooth. Firm pass for me.
@@steven2809 doesn’t the poly stream over WiFi? Which would be like streaming lossless on your phone?
@@dougleydorite Yes but if you check the original comment he said he wanted bluetooth and so he would not consider the Mojo.... 😕
What headphone has you tested that can be driven by Mojo 2?
I mentioned the tougher ones that I used in my video.
@@GavinsGadgets thanks. I noticed about the HD 600 and Arya. Supposedly it could drive my Ananda. Appreciate it friend
Ananda should be fine. 👍
@@muhamadsyazwan5170halo bro, mau tanya adi gimana Ananda di mix dgn Mojo 2 ini? Apakah worth it?
@@wahyurifo5450 yesss.. especially you are aiming for that bass
I'd be pissed if they dropped the micro usb and my Poly wasn't compatible!
I can imagine considering the cost of the Poly.
gryphon is $600 and mojo 2 is $725 here in the states.
Someone else mentioned that too. Also is another part of the world the pricing is different again. Makes the Gryphon a very competitive product for you in the States!
Good. Makes up for Amazon pricing and Schiit.......🙂
An update. The Mojo 2 is now $845 vs. $600 for the Gryphon in the USA. I like the portability of the Mojo 2 but the price differential makes it less attractive. For now I'll stick with my old Oppo HA-2.
Crazy price difference.
Just wait till your Chord Mojo breaks. They have some of the worse quality control and customer care and for the price you pay you shouldn't have to deal with it.
Thanks for your feedback. My experience is the complete opposite. Great customer service.
@@GavinsGadgets Maybe they are scared of you coz you have a youtube channel ;)
Not sure of the joke on this one. If I have issues with something or a service I won’t hold back.
I too was burned by MoJo. My Mojo also stopped producing sound litterally 2 weeks after warranty ended and they denied the repairs.
To be fair my Astel & Karn Khan alpha battery would not hold a charge 1.5 years after warrenty ended and they still replaced the battery for free minus shipping.
Minor suggestion - use (brand) names instead of pronouns? Sometimes I like to listen without watching.
To be clear, I like this video a lot :)
Hi Vlad. Thanks for your feedback 👍 Glad you liked my video a lot 😀
The mojo 2 is now more expensive then both of them.
Varies depending on country
👁️👁️
3pm tomorrow, Sunday UK time it’s available. Not long 😀
Bought one. Waste of money for me. No better than my Zen DAC V2.
The Zen DAC is a great product.
Which shitty product did you purchase mate?
Gavin I really hope u don’t mind, this isn’t to promote the reviewer it’s the fact this is the guy who designed the guts of the mojo 2, Hugo etc, it’s fascinating “ ruclips.net/video/dzmMSks9Uaw/видео.html”
I was going to buy one I am now buying 2 😁
FYI all URLs get blocked by RUclips automatically. I only have just seen this comment and got it unblocked.
@@GavinsGadgets thanks Gavin, live and learn, did u take a look/listen, their design philosophy is fascinating but as many will know despite all the incredible design concepts at the end of the day we are talking small percentage points difference from the other devices esp Gryphon. I am loving my upgraded xduoo, I think I prefer the more clinical sound so going for mojo 2, if I need more power and Bluetooth then I have the xduoo
@@adrianmorrish8494 at least now you have a great setup and choices!
Gryphon is pronounced like Griffin...
Indeed it is Jeremy
Balanced is bigger BS than some cables, balanced is snake oil, headphones can't be balanced, developers instead of wasting resources should implement 6.3 or 3.5 in stellar spec. Sennheiser HD 800 didn't come with balanced... no headphones came, now to get full power of some dac/amps you have to get separate cables for your headphones, just because some kids think balanced is cool...
Thanks for your reply
I hate the cheap look of the Mojo
you know what's bullsh!t? mojo 2 is $200 more for USA customers.
A few mentioned the US pricing. Sadly, that the cost of exporting it. Real shame as that's a huge differential to UK pricing.
Usually it’s the other way! About time the Brits got something cheaper than those over the pond.
Can't disagree with this 😃😃
@@LT15313 Exactly! 🙂
@@LT15313 not to mention things like a certain headphone made in France we can’t even buy in the UK from Drop, when I asked our esteemed French cousins why not they sent my inquiry to the UK distributor 😤
Cayin ru6 review please 🙏
Noted :)
@@GavinsGadgets it’s an r2r dongle dac !! Think you will love it 😊