Chord Electronics
Chord Mojo 2
$650
Best Dac Amps · head-to-head
Chord Mojo 2 vs JDS Labs Element IV
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. JDS Labs Element IV is cheaper at $549. Every spec and price links to its source.
JDS Labs
JDS Labs Element IV
$549Cheaper
Which is better: the Chord Mojo 2 or JDS Labs Element IV?
The Chord Mojo 2 wins 1 of the 1 specs we compare head to head; the other wins 0. The JDS Labs Element IV is the cheaper at $549. Get the Chord Mojo 2 for the stronger spec sheet, the JDS Labs Element IV to spend less.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices verified at capture; live price may differ.
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 | JDS Labs Element IV |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $650 | $549 |
| Brand | Chord Electronics | JDS Labs |
| Released | — | — |
| 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 |
Sources — Chord Mojo 2: chordelectronics.co.uk (verified 2026-07-11). JDS Labs Element IV: jdslabs.com (verified 2026-07-11).
What's the difference between the Chord Mojo 2 and JDS Labs Element IV?
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (10 of 11). Matching specs are omitted.
- 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
- Digital inputs: Chord Mojo 2 USB-C/Micro-USB/optical/coaxial vs JDS Labs Element IV USB-C/optical
- Weight grams: Chord Mojo 2 185 vs JDS Labs Element IV 570
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.
JDS Labs Element IV
No sourced tester review yet.