Like many others, I turned away from wired headphones as my daily commute and office tool many moons ago.
These days, I usually wear a pair of Technics EAH-AZ80 wireless earbuds on the way to work or while shopping, before switching to a pair of wireless over-ear headphones, currently the Technics EAH-A800, at my desk. In both cases, I usually use my phone as the source and stream from Tidal.
And for the past few years, I’ve been using this combination of headphone form factors as a portable audio setup, with no issues. Finally, wireless audio is undeniably convenient, especially since most phones and tablets no longer have headphone jacks, so even if you want a wired connection, you’ll have to use it via USB-C or, *shudder* a Lightning cable.
For more serious listening at home, I also have a proper hi-fi system in my living room, at the moment consisting of an award-winning Technics SA-C600 system (I’m not a fanboy, I promise) with Q Acoustics 3030i combo speakers and a Rega Planar 1 turntable – don’t judge me for not having more expensive hardware, the stuff sounds great for the price and I live on a journalism grant.
Audio codecs and wireless technologies have also improved to the point where the sound isn’t so bad anymore, and newer versions of Bluetooth offer enough stability that outside of extremely high signal areas like St Pancreas Kings’ Cross station, I rarely experience dropouts, even when using the multipoint features.
Tidal’s ability to stream at CD quality also means that the audio is “good” and is a significant step up from the very lossy and sometimes unstable experience you had with wireless headphones and earbuds when they first came out nearly a decade ago.
So overall, you could say I’m pretty happy with portable audio.
But that all changed a few months ago during a casual conversation with our Editor-in-Chief Becky Roberts. It started when I saw her using a Chord Mojo 2 DAC in her office, which got me thinking back to my early years as a consumer technology journalist.
During those formative years, I tested every portable headphone DAC I could get my hands on—there were only a handful of them back then—to make the frequent long-haul flights and train rides I had to take for work more bearable. Yes, I know it’s a luxury problem, but in 2012, cell phones and laptops without one sounded much worse than they do today.
This was a major reason why the original AudioQuest DragonFly DAC was an essential travel companion for so long and was, in my opinion, a game changer for many music fans of the time. The petite device had a convenient USB port and was small enough to fit easily in a pocket.
That she went on to detail during the conversation about what a lifesaver the DAC has been for her on frequent flights, including long-haul flights between the UK and Australia, didn’t help matters. The end result was that I decided to take the plunge and try the Mojo 2 for myself – and boy am I glad I did.
Combined with a pair of wired Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 over-ears, which I cherish and refuse to part with (even though they’re looking pretty battered now and relatively unremarkable for their Mojo 2 companions), the setup offered a better listening experience in almost every way.
Whether Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller or Victor Wooten’s jazz/funk masterpiece thunderor the ambient beauty of God Speed You! Black Emperor’s The Dead Flag BluesWith the Mojo 2 in the mix, the sound felt clearer, livelier, and much more open.
The jump reminded me of my experience trying vinyl for the first time in my dad’s living room after previously being limited to cassettes. Across all genres, it was so fun and real that I couldn’t help but tap my foot to the beat. In one particularly embarrassing situation, my wife caught me imitating Flat Eric while listening to Daft Punk at my desk. She even has video evidence…
Has it replaced the Technics earbuds as my go-to companion on my morning commute or when I’m out shopping? No. I admit that convenience wins out for me here. But the Mojo 2 – which is just about the size of my palm, by the way – has now become a staple in my travel/commuter pack, which I use daily when I’m sitting at my desk or taking long journeys by train or plane. I can’t imagine that changing any time soon either, because when I tried to listen to a purely wireless setup at my desk again, the magic was lost and I longed to go back to it.
That’s why I’ve written this opinion piece, urging people like me who have sacrificed their cable and DAC in the name of convenience, as well as music fans looking to take their first steps towards proper hi-fi, to consider a wired headphone/DAC setup, no matter how “humble” it is – honestly, with the right hardware, it’s worth the extra space in your bag any day. If you’re in the latter camp and want more proof, our editor agreed when describing his first use of a DAC last year.
MORE:
These are the best wired headphones We tested
We evaluate the best DACs
Our selection of best phones for music
