# iFi Zen DAC 3 vs Chord Mojo 2: specs and price compared

A sourced, side-by-side comparison of the iFi Zen DAC 3 (iFi Audio) and Chord Mojo 2 (Chord Electronics) among dac amps. iFi Zen DAC 3 is the cheaper of the two at $229.

## Side by side

| Spec | iFi Zen DAC 3 | Chord Mojo 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| US price | $229 | $650 |
| Brand | iFi Audio | Chord Electronics |
| Form factor | desktop | portable |
| Dac chip | Burr-Brown True Native | FPGA |
| Max pcm (kHz) | 768 | 768 |
| Max dsd | DSD512 | DSD256 |
| Max power mw | 300 | 600 |
| Snr (dB) | 113 | 123 |
| Thdn percent | 0.005 | 0.0003 |
| Balanced output | Yes | No |
| Headphone jacks | 6.35mm/4.4mm | 3.5mm/4.4mm |
| Digital inputs | USB-C | USB-C/Micro-USB/optical/coaxial |
| Weight grams | 456 | 185 |

## Key differences

- Form factor: iFi Zen DAC 3 desktop vs Chord Mojo 2 portable
- Dac chip: iFi Zen DAC 3 Burr-Brown True Native vs Chord Mojo 2 FPGA
- Max dsd: iFi Zen DAC 3 DSD512 vs Chord Mojo 2 DSD256
- Max power mw: iFi Zen DAC 3 300 vs Chord Mojo 2 600
- Snr (dB): iFi Zen DAC 3 113 vs Chord Mojo 2 123
- Thdn percent: iFi Zen DAC 3 0.005 vs Chord Mojo 2 0.0003
- Balanced output: iFi Zen DAC 3 Yes vs Chord Mojo 2 No
- Headphone jacks: iFi Zen DAC 3 6.35mm/4.4mm vs Chord Mojo 2 3.5mm/4.4mm

## What reviewers say

**iFi Zen DAC 3** — Two whitelisted testers (TechRadar, What Hi-Fi) reviewed the exact iFi Zen DAC 3. Both praise its refined, detailed and spacious sound, flexible connectivity and the USB-B to USB-C upgrade. TechRadar is enthusiastic and rates it near-flawless value; What Hi-Fi is noticeably cooler, finding the sound smooth but lacking verve and punch and not a clear step up over the V2. Neither outlet published lab measurements. (2 sourced reviews.)

**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

- iFi Zen DAC 3: https://ifi-audio.com/products/zen-dac-3/ (ifi-audio.com, verified 2026-07-11)
- Chord Mojo 2: https://chordelectronics.co.uk/product/mojo-2/ (chordelectronics.co.uk, verified 2026-07-11)

Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/dac-amps/ifi-zen-dac-3-vs-chord-mojo-2/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, iFi Zen DAC 3 ($229) vs Chord Mojo 2 ($650) — sourced spec-by-spec comparison at https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/dac-amps/ifi-zen-dac-3-vs-chord-mojo-2/
License: CC BY 4.0.