Chord Electronics
Chord Mojo 2
$650
Best Dac Amps · head-to-head
Chord Mojo 2 vs AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt is cheaper at $300. Every spec and price links to its source.
AudioQuest
AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt
$300Cheaper
Which is better: the Chord Mojo 2 or AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt?
The Chord Mojo 2 wins 1 of the 1 specs we compare head to head; the other wins 0. The AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt is the cheaper at $300. Get the Chord Mojo 2 for the stronger spec sheet, the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt to spend less.
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Key specs, head to head
The numbers that decide it, drawn to scale — longer bar wins, the accent bar is the stronger figure.
Full spec sheet
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | Chord Mojo 2 | AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $650 | $300 |
| Brand | Chord Electronics | AudioQuest |
| Released | — | — |
| Form factor | portable | dongle |
| Dac chip | FPGA | ES9038Q2M |
| Max pcm (kHz) | 768 | 96 |
| Max dsd | DSD256 | — |
| Max power mw | 600 | — |
| Snr (dB) | 123 | — |
| Thdn percent | 0.0003 | — |
| Balanced output | No | No |
| Headphone jacks | 3.5mm/4.4mm | 3.5mm |
| Digital inputs | USB-C/Micro-USB/optical/coaxial | USB-A |
| Weight grams | 185 | — |
Sources — Chord Mojo 2: chordelectronics.co.uk (verified 2026-07-11). AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt: audioquest.com (verified 2026-07-11).
What's the difference between the Chord Mojo 2 and AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt?
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (5 of 11). Matching specs are omitted.
- Form factor: Chord Mojo 2 portable vs AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt dongle
- Dac chip: Chord Mojo 2 FPGA vs AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt ES9038Q2M
- Max pcm (kHz): Chord Mojo 2 768 vs AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt 96
- Headphone jacks: Chord Mojo 2 3.5mm/4.4mm vs AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt 3.5mm
- Digital inputs: Chord Mojo 2 USB-C/Micro-USB/optical/coaxial vs AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt USB-A
What reviewers say
Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.
Chord Mojo 2
All three whitelisted reviewers (What Hi-Fi?, TechRadar, Digital Trends) rate the Mojo 2 a standout portable DAC/headphone amp with musical, highly detailed sound that transforms laptop and phone audio; none ran instrumented lab measurements, though Digital Trends hands-on verified the ~8-hour battery life over about a month. All three flag the convoluted colour-coded control interface that requires the manual, and two call it too bulky to be truly portable and criticise the dated Micro-USB charging. (3 sourced reviews, 1 lab-tested.)
Praised: Musical, highly detailed, reference-grade sound that transforms laptop/phone audio; Extensive inputs and can drive two pairs of headphones at once; Customizable lossless tone/EQ via the UHD DSP to tailor headphone sound.
Flagged: Convoluted, unintuitive colour-coded control interface that needs the manual; Too big and heavy to be a truly portable device; Dated Micro-USB charging port.
AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt
Two whitelisted testers, What Hi-Fi and TechHive, reviewed this exact DAC; both praise its clean, precise, detailed sound in a tiny plug-and-play package and rate it among the best small DACs, while flagging the premium price. Neither ran instrumented measurements, so all findings are subjective listening. No SoundGuys or PCMag review found. (2 sourced reviews.)
Praised: Clean, precise, highly detailed sound with improved clarity over built-in DACs; Compact, pocket-sized, plug-and-play with no external power needed; Greatly improved timing and dynamics.
Flagged: Premium price for a USB-stick-sized DAC; Included DragonTail adaptor fits loosely and pulls out of phones; Status light shows green for sub-44.1kHz files, so it doesn't distinguish MP3 from CD quality.