Michael “Mojo” McKerlie
Michael "Mojo" McKerlie — Co-Founder & Lead Reviewer, Sonic Compass
The Listener's Guide
Michael McKerlie is fascinated by how people experience the things they love — and how hard it can be to put that experience into words. Some would say he puts the effable in the ineffable.
Whether it's a pair of headphones or a glass of wine, Mojo is drawn to the same question: what makes this resonate with you, specifically? That curiosity led him to build Sonic Compass — a platform that starts with the listener, not the spec sheet.
His role isn't to tell you what's "best." It's to help you discover what sounds right to you. Through the Listening Style Assessment, honest equipment reviews, and a community built around shared experience, Mojo helps people articulate preferences they've always felt but never had the language for.
What He Brings:
- A willingness to explore and to learn — always a student, never the expert with all the answers.
- A genuine fascination with how people learn to love things — how a sound, a flavour, or a moment becomes something you seek out again and again.
- A parallel obsession with wine — because tasting notes and listening notes aren't as different as people think. Both require you to slow down, pay attention, and trust your own palate.
- Listens across genres: rock, metal, jazz, electronic, classical, and everything in between.
- Values emotional engagement matched by the prowess of the machines — the feeling matters, but so does the engineering that delivers it.
His Philosophy:
There is no "best" headphone — only the best headphone for you. Mojo built Sonic Compass because he was tired of reviews that talk about equipment without talking about the person using it. A place where your ears, your music, and your listening style determine the recommendation — not marketing budgets or affiliate commissions.
He wanted reviews from people who actually use gear — not from people paid to sell it. And he wanted a community where helping someone find their sound is the whole point.
Reference Rig
Clearaudio Innovation Wood, Gryphon Diablo Amp, Wilson Audio Sophia Speakers