# Chord Mojo 2 vs JDS Labs Element IV: specs and price compared

A sourced, side-by-side comparison of the Chord Mojo 2 (Chord Electronics) and JDS Labs Element IV (JDS Labs) among dac amps. JDS Labs Element IV is the cheaper of the two at $549.

## Side by side

| Spec | Chord Mojo 2 | JDS Labs Element IV |
| --- | --- | --- |
| US price | $650 | $549 |
| Brand | Chord Electronics | JDS Labs |
| Form factor | portable | desktop |
| Dac chip | FPGA | ES9018K2M |
| Max pcm (kHz) | 768 | 384 |
| Max dsd | DSD256 | DSD128 |
| Max power mw | 600 | 3200 |
| Snr (dB) | 123 | 120 |
| Thdn percent | 0.0003 | 0.00025 |
| Balanced output | No | No |
| Headphone jacks | 3.5mm/4.4mm | 6.35mm |
| Digital inputs | USB-C/Micro-USB/optical/coaxial | USB-C/optical |
| Weight grams | 185 | 570 |

## Key differences

- Form factor: Chord Mojo 2 portable vs JDS Labs Element IV desktop
- Dac chip: Chord Mojo 2 FPGA vs JDS Labs Element IV ES9018K2M
- Max pcm (kHz): Chord Mojo 2 768 vs JDS Labs Element IV 384
- Max dsd: Chord Mojo 2 DSD256 vs JDS Labs Element IV DSD128
- Max power mw: Chord Mojo 2 600 vs JDS Labs Element IV 3200
- Snr (dB): Chord Mojo 2 123 vs JDS Labs Element IV 120
- Thdn percent: Chord Mojo 2 0.0003 vs JDS Labs Element IV 0.00025
- Headphone jacks: Chord Mojo 2 3.5mm/4.4mm vs JDS Labs Element IV 6.35mm

## What reviewers say

**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.)

## Sources

- Chord Mojo 2: https://chordelectronics.co.uk/product/mojo-2/ (chordelectronics.co.uk, verified 2026-07-11)
- JDS Labs Element IV: https://jdslabs.com/product/element-iv/ (jdslabs.com, verified 2026-07-11)

Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/dac-amps/chord-mojo-2-vs-jds-labs-element-iv/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, Chord Mojo 2 ($650) vs JDS Labs Element IV ($549) — sourced spec-by-spec comparison at https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/dac-amps/chord-mojo-2-vs-jds-labs-element-iv/
License: CC BY 4.0.