Like many, I was enticed away from cabled headphones as my daily commute and office workhorse many moons ago.
These days I tend to rock a pair of Technics EAH-AZ80 wireless earbuds when commuting, or walking to the shops, before switching to a pair of over-ear wireless headphones, currently the Technics EAH-A800, when sitting at a desk. In both instances I usually use my phone as a source and stream from Tidal.
And for the past few years I’ve used this combination of headphone form factors as my portable audio set-up with zero issues. After all, wireless audio is undeniably convenient, especially as most phones and tablets don’t have headphone inputs anymore, so even if you wanted a cabled connection it would be via USB-C or, *shudder* a Lightning cable.
For more serious home listening I also have a proper hi-fi set-up in my lounge, at the moment featuring an Award-winning Technics SA-C600 (I’m not a fanboy, I promise) system with Q Acoustics 3030i standmount speakers and a Rega Planar 1 turntable – don’t judge me for not having more expensive hardware, this stuff sounds great for the price and I’m living off a journalist’s stipend.
Audio codecs and wireless technology have also improved to the point the sound isn't terrible. Recent Bluetooth versions offer enough stability that, outside of incredibly busy signal areas, such as Kings’ Cross St. Pancreas station, I hardly ever experience dropouts even when taking advantage of their multi-point powers.
Tidal’s ability to stream at CD quality also means the audio is “good” and a significant step up from the very lossy and sometimes unstable experience you got with wireless headphones and earbuds when they first became a 'thing' nearly a decade ago.
So all in all, you could describe me as pretty satisfied when it comes to portable audio.
But all that changed a couple of months ago during a casual conversation I had with our managing editor, Becky Roberts. It started when I spotted her using a Chord Mojo 2 DAC in her office set-up, which made me fondly reminisce about my early years as a consumer tech journalist.
During these formative years I used to rush to review any portable headphone DAC I could – there were only a few handfuls of them around at the time – to help make the frequent long-haul flights and train journeys I had to take for work more bearable. Yes, I’m aware this is a first-world problem, but back in 2012 mobile phones and laptops sounded a lot worse than they do today without one.
This was a key reason why the original AudioQuest DragonFly DAC was a staple travel companion for so long and in my mind a game-changer for many music fans of that era. The dinky unit had a convenient USB connector and was so small you could easily fit it in your pocket.
This wasn't helped by the fact that during the conversation she detailed what a lifesaver the DAC has been for her during frequent flights, which include long hauls between the UK and Australia. The end result was that I decided to take the plunge and try using the Mojo 2 myself – and boy am I glad I did.
Pairing the unit with a very well-loved pair of Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 wired over-ears that I refuse to give up (despite them now looking fairly haggard and being relatively modest as Mojo 2 companions go), the set-up offered a better listening experience in nearly every way.
Whether it was Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten’s jazz/funk masterpiece Thunder, or the ambient beauty of God Speed You! Black Emperor’s The Dead Flag Blues, with the Mojo 2 in the mix, the sound on offer felt crisper, livelier and oh so much more open.
The jump reminded me of my experience trying vinyl in my dad’s lounge for the first time after previously being limited to tape. Across every genre it injected such a sense of fun and realism that I couldn't help but tap my foot along with the beat. In one particularly embarrassing situation, my wife caught me impersonating Flat Eric while listening to Daft Punk at my desk. She even has video proof…
Has it replaced the Technics earbuds as my driver during the morning commute or walk to the shops? No. I will concede that convenience wins here for me. But the Mojo 2 – which, by the way, is merely palm-sized – has now become a staple fixture in my travel/commute backpack that I use daily while sitting at my desk, or while travelling an extended distance on a train or plane. I can't see this changing anytime soon either, as when I tried to go back to listening to a purely wireless set-up at my desk, the magic was lost, and I felt myself yearning to go back.
Which is why I’ve penned this opinion piece urging people like me, who sacrificed their cable and DAC in the name of convenience, as well as music fans looking to take their first step into proper hi-fi, to consider a wired headphones/DAC set-up, no matter how 'modest' – honestly with the right hardware it is worth the extra bag space each day. If you're in the latter camp and want further proof, our staff writer agreed when he detailed his first time using a DAC last year.
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Our picks of the best phones for music
