Short answer
Both are portable amplifiers, $650 against $829.
On raw power they are level: each reaches 100 dB on 566 of the 567 non-electrostatic models here.
| Specification | Chord Mojo 2 | Shanling H7 |
|---|---|---|
| Power into 32Ω | 564 mW | 450 mW |
| Power into 150Ω | 145 mW | 96 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | 90 mW | 48 mW |
| Power into 600Ω | 45 mW | 24 mW |
| Output impedance | 0.06 Ω | 1.0 Ω |
| Output noise | 2.7 µV | 1.5 µV |
| Price | $650 | $829 |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 566 | 566 |
| Balanced | Chord Mojo 2 | Shanling H7 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | no separate rating | 4.4mm (a 6.35mm jack is also fitted; Shanling does not say which of the two single-ended jacks its single-ended figures apply to) |
| Power into 32Ω | — | 1.3 W |
| Power into 300Ω | — | 139 mW derived |
| Output impedance | — | 1.0 Ω |
| Output noise | — | 1.5 µV |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | — | 567 |
Only the Shanling H7 has a separate balanced rating from its maker; through it, it reaches 100 dB on 567 of the 567 models here. The Chord Mojo 2 may still have a balanced socket — its spec sheet simply gives no figure for one, so there is nothing to put beside it. Derived figures are worked out from the loads the maker did publish.
| Load | Chord Mojo 2 | Shanling H7 |
|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | Derived | Published |
| 150 Ω | Derived | Derived |
| 300 Ω | Published | Derived |
| 600 Ω | Derived | Derived |
Both makers publish a power rating. Chord Mojo 2 publishes at 300 Ω; Shanling H7 at 32 Ω. The other rows are worked out from those.
So the two columns are not equally firm row by row: at 300 Ω only the Chord Mojo 2 figure is the maker’s own and at 32 Ω only the Shanling H7 figure is the maker’s own. On those rows the derived number is the one to doubt first.
On power they are interchangeable across this whole database: there is no headphone here that one reaches 100 dB on and the other does not.
15 headphones are left alone by the Chord Mojo 2 under the one-eighth rule but coloured by the Shanling H7 (64 Audio Nio, 64 Audio Volur, Campfire Audio Andromeda 2023, 12 more).
11 headphones stay below the audible-hiss threshold on the Shanling H7 but cross it on the Chord Mojo 2 (64 Audio Fourte, Campfire Audio Andromeda 10, Campfire Audio Andromeda 2023, 8 more).
566 of the 567 models here reach 100 dB on both.
Headroom is at a 100 dB SPL peak.
The widest gap on the list is the Audio-Technica ATH-R70X: Chord Mojo 2 has +16 dB of headroom there against +13 dB. 3 dB is about 1.9 times the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.
Hiss below about 20 dB SPL is inaudible in a quiet room.
| Headphone | Impedance | Needs | Chord Mojo 2 headroom | Shanling H7 headroom | Chord Mojo 2 hiss | Shanling H7 hiss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 0.04 mW | +37 dB | +35 dB | 23 dB | 18 dB |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 4.0 mW | +17 dB | +15 dB | 3 dB | -2 dB |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 0.79 mW | +25 dB | +24 dB | 1 dB | -4 dB |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 0.63 mW | +22 dB | +20 dB | -3 dB | -8 dB |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 7.9 mW | +18 dB | +16 dB | -4 dB | -9 dB |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 1.6 mW | +16 dB | +13 dB | -10 dB | -15 dB |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 6.6 mW | +11 dB | +9 dB | -14 dB | -19 dB |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 50 mW | +8 dB | +7 dB | -16 dB | -21 dB |
The Shanling H7 costs $179 more than the Chord Mojo 2. Out of the 567 models here, that difference buys 11 more models kept below the audible-hiss threshold.
It does not run one way only: the cheaper Chord Mojo 2 leaves 15 models alone under the one-eighth rule that the Shanling H7 does not, which is the part worth checking against your own headphones before paying the difference.
Only published figures count here; blank axes are counted separately.
Each in full: Chord Mojo 2 and Shanling H7.