Chord Electronics
Chord Mojo 2
$650
Best Dac Amps · head-to-head
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Topping DX5 II is cheaper at $299. Every spec and price links to its source.
Chord Electronics
$650
Topping
$299Cheaper
On the specs we track, they're closely matched. The Topping DX5 II is the cheaper at $299.
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✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | | |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $650 | $299 |
| Brand | Chord Electronics | Topping |
| Released | — | — |
| Form factor | portable | desktop |
| Dac chip | FPGA | ES9039Q2M |
| Max pcm (kHz) | 768 | 768 |
| Max dsd | DSD256 | DSD512 |
| Max power mw | 600 | 6400 |
| Snr (dB) | 123 | 133 |
| Thdn percent | 0.0003 | 0.00006 |
| Balanced output | No | Yes |
| Headphone jacks | 3.5mm/4.4mm | 6.35mm/4.4mm/4-pin XLR |
| Digital inputs | USB-C/Micro-USB/optical/coaxial | USB/optical/coaxial/Bluetooth |
| Weight grams | 185 | — |
Sources — Chord Mojo 2: chordelectronics.co.uk (verified 2026-07-11). Topping DX5 II: topping.store (verified 2026-07-11).
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (9 of 11). Matching specs are omitted.
Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.
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.
Only one whitelisted tester, TechRadar, published a hands-on review of the exact Topping DX5 II. TechRadar rates it a near-excellent budget DAC/amp (verdict 'generally excellent'), praising its poised, detailed and dynamic sound, exemplary build and comprehensive specification at $299, while flagging a tendency toward top-end brightness. (1 sourced review, 1 lab-tested.)
Praised: Poised, spacious, detailed and dynamic sound with strong low-frequency control; Exemplary build and finish quality across black, silver and white options; Comprehensive specification and flexibility (DAC, preamp and headphone amp) at an aggressive $299 price.
Flagged: Treble can tend toward brightness/edginess, making it picky about partnering equipment; Supplied remote control handset feels less tactile and interesting than the unit itself.