Review and Measurements of New JDS Labs Atom Headphone Amp

[bobbooo]

It doesn't matter. All models from etymotic are less tham 6% different. And they do all sound quite different. Not even mentioning these are very well behaved iems on the market.
What Olive proved was only merely: EQ can improve sound quality. It's you that stretched the conclusion to far, my friend.

What do you mean by "less than 6% different"? Are you talking about the average frequency response deviation? If so, you're conflating frequency response differences with what Dr Olive measured - the average difference in people's perceptual preference rating of headphones and their virtualized counterparts. Those two metrics are not necessarily in exact one to one correlation. For example, a 5% average difference in frequency response between a real and virtualized pair of headphones might actually only correlate to a 1% average difference in preference ratings between the two.

If you read the article I linked by Olive himself, you'll see I haven't stretched his conclusion at all, just restated it: they found an 85% agreement in preference ratings between real headphones and their virtualized (by EQ) equivalents.

 

[Quizel]

One thing I be curious about is what the real cost of making a more expensive driver is. As in, how much of that cost is just because people are willing to pay more for it. The basic supply creates the demand argument.

It might be hard to put a number on it because of maybe the difference in initial investment needed to get the manufacturing equipment. My pure guess based on little to no information says it can't possibly cost much more (after the equipment investment). Perhaps if there's a very stringent quality control scheme and they just throw out (instead of re-purpose) drivers that fail or can't be matched with another well enough I can see the cost going up.

 

[peanuts]

One thing I be curious about is what the real cost of making a more expensive driver is.

im guessing insignificant for headphones. its all dirt cheap stuff.
also the acoustic part of the set is often more important for sound. just look at grado, what an aweful design they are..while sennheiser did real research on hd800 to make them sound less like headphones.

 

[bobbooo]

im guessing insignificant for headphones. its all dirt cheap stuff.
also the acoustic part of the set is often more important for sound. just look at grado, what an aweful design they are..while sennheiser did real research on hd800 to make them sound less like headphones.

They often don't even bother making a new driver, but instead just charge almost twice the price for a slightly different tuning e.g. the Sennheiser HD 518 ($130 when new) vs the HD 598 ($250 new): https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hd-518-teardown-with-a-shocking-twist.609634/

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

Upon frequenting this darn ( )website went on and purchased the ASR special ( JDS Labs Atom + Khadas Tone Board) plus some Amazon 3 ft cable for a total of $210 shipping in the USA .... I have a slew of DAC and amplifier, the least expensive of those components, is $499 ...
I have already written about this but I would suggest anyone interested in correct audio reproduction to get this combo. I don't think you can do better at any price. Let me qualify this statement: One can scrutinize the measurements made by Amir and others and come up with a few amps with better SINAD or Dynamic Range or THD .. by a few db .. still the Atom sits at or near the top of anything reviewed here and it cost $100. To do better, you need to go the THX 488, MonoPrice, Sabaj or Benchmark and they cost from 4 to 25 times more ... for not (clearly accepted, a debate in itself) audible gains.., To call the Atom an end of game product is not far fetched...
And there is the Khadas Tone board .. at also 100 shipped via Amazon Prime for me ... You may need to put it in a box I bought one that fit it to an extent but was designed or a different Khadas Board. A bit of surgery/butchery and I have a DAC that is one of the best on the market ... at any price... End of game too.. Not balanced but so far I am not msssing anything and it is driving my headphones .. If I were to go to a classic shrine then I may consider something else for now ...
It drives even the HE6 to serious level, at any case louder than I should listen to ... .. Now my 2 favorite headphones are in this order : HiFiMan He-6 , He-560 driven by the ASR Special!

Now there are some problem with this combo. Subjectively. It sounds, at first. I insist, as if there is less bass... until you listen carefully and notice your jaws and your head vibrating ... on the cleanest , lower bass many are likely to have ever heard on headhones. I believe it comes from the fact that the perception of more bass comes from distortion in the the mid bass, for exemple playing something in the low bass , say 40 Hz results in a first harmonics at 80 Hz, second at 120, fourth at 160 Hz etc.. those are perceived as "bass" region. No such things with the Atom .. bass is bass, there is not sweetening , adulteration. What is in the signal is what is reproduced ... And it comes first with a bit of disorientation ... you get used to all the distortion and ... the absence of distortion n this region is a bit new, unsettling... then bliss ... That level, quality of bass are addictive...
You will tend to hear louder than you think you are so devoid of distortion the reproduction is .. One needs to be careful on the volume control...

All this for $200!!

Thanks ASR!! Thanks Amir!!

 

[Nango]

You will tend to hear louder than you think you are so devoid of distortion the reproduction is .. One needs to be careful on the volume control...

How true!!

 

[janiceps]

I am going to build a system based on the reviews of @amirm which consists of Topping D50S, JDS Labs Atom and Onkyo A-9110. The setup will be DAC --> Headphone AMP --> Stereo AMP. However, I am not sure if this is the viable path. Can preamp outputs of the Atom be used to feed a power amplifier which then feeds passive speakers, or just to feed powered speakers?

 

[FrantzM]

I am going to build a system based on the reviews of @amirm which consists of Topping D50S, JDS Labs Atom and Onkyo A-9110. The setup will be DAC --> Headphone AMP --> Stereo AMP. However, I am not sure if this is the viable path. Can preamp outputs of the Atom be used to feed a power amplifier which then feeds passive speakers, or just to feed powered speakers?

Yes.

 

[janiceps]

Yes.

Will there be any negligible loss or defect compared to power amplifier being fed directly from the dac?

 

[FrantzM]

I am going to build a system based on the reviews of @amirm which consists of Topping D50S, JDS Labs Atom and Onkyo A-9110. The setup will be DAC --> Headphone AMP --> Stereo AMP. However, I am not sure if this is the viable path. Can preamp outputs of the Atom be used to feed a power amplifier which then feeds passive speakers, or just to feed powered speakers?

Yes.

To qualify my short reply
It can be used as a preamp.

 

[Nango]

Will there be any negligible loss or defect compared to power amplifier being fed directly from the dac?

No, it is the same signal passed thru.

 

[FrantzM]

Will there be any negligible loss or defect compared to power amplifier being fed directly from the dac?

The Atom is as transparent as they come. It swings substantial voltage, thus can drive consumer amps to their maximum rated output. You get a volume knob and the convenience of being able to drive any non-ESL headphones including the reputed and really hard to drive HifiMan HE6.

 

[janiceps]

The Atom is as transparent as they come. It swings substantial voltage, thus can drive consumer amps to their maximum rated output. You get a volume knob and the convenience of being able to drive any non-ESL headphones including the reputed and really hard to drive HifiMan HE6.

What a great product for just $99. AKG K712 Pro will not be an issue then.

Do you recommend going this route or splitting at the outputs of the dac? Any benefits of parallel over chain setup?

 

[daftcombo]

Subjectively. It sounds, at first. I insist, as if there is less bass... until you listen carefully and notice your jaws and your head vibrating ... on the cleanest , lower bass many are likely to have ever heard on headhones. I believe it comes from the fact that the perception of more bass comes from distortion in the the mid bass, for exemple playing something in the low bass , say 40 Hz results in a first harmonics at 80 Hz, second at 120, fourth at 160 Hz etc.. those are perceived as "bass" region. No such things with the Atom .. bass is bass, there is not sweetening , adulteration.

From the THD vs frequency measurements I've seen here, all DACs and most headphones amp have low distortion in the bass area and sometimes higher distortion in high frequencies. But I haven't read that distortion was audible in the bass department. In general it is a lack of power which is responsible for floppy bass.

 

[FrantzM]

From the THD vs frequency measurements I've seen here, all DACs and most headphones amp have low distortion in the bass area and sometimes higher distortion in high frequencies. But I haven't read that distortion was audible in the bass department. In general it is a lack of power which is responsible for floppy bass.

Noted Could well be/

What a great product for just $99. AKG K712 Pro will not be an issue then.

Do you recommend going this route or splitting at the outputs of the dac? Any benefits of parallel over chain setup?

I would think the Line Out ( It has that) are independent from the headphones output. You don't need to do any "splitting". The Atom would care of that.

 

[iazriel]

Hi all. With your guidance I am happy a user of a JDS Atom along with a Topping D30 and a pair of DT 770 Pro 250 Ohm which I really really love soundwise. Now it's time to move to a second pair, open back this time. I am going for the DT 990 premium. Are there any audible difference compared to the pro? I read mixed reviews some say there is others say there isn't any. I am also curious if my amp can handle well the 600 Ohm version of the premium or should I stick to the 250 Ohm one? I read people claiming that the 250 version is OK but the 600 one is clearly better. Thanks in advance!

 

[daftcombo]

Hi all. With your guidance I am happy a user of a JDS Atom along with a Topping D30 and a pair of DT 770 Pro 250 Ohm which I really really love soundwise. Now it's time to move to a second pair, open back this time. I am going for the DT 990 premium. Are there any audible difference compared to the pro? I read mixed reviews some say there is others say there isn't any. I am also curious if my amp can handle well the 600 Ohm version of the premium or should I stick to the 250 Ohm one? I read people claiming that the 250 version is OK but the 600 one is clearly better. Thanks in advance!

Were did you read that?

 

[iazriel]

Youtube videos and random reviews of the 600 version where they say it sounds "clearer". Anyhow, I am going for the 250 Ohm version but I dunno if the Premium have any audible difference to the Pro version aparta from aesthetics and the fact that they are a newer (?) model.

 

[daftcombo]

Youtube videos and random reviews of the 600 version where they say it sounds "clearer". Anyhow, I am going for the 250 Ohm version but I dunno if the Premium have any audible difference to the Pro version aparta from aesthetics and the fact that they are a newer (?) model.

I suggest you wait a few more days for answers from headphones specialists here. Random youtube is the worst information source after sellers.

 

[iazriel]

I know, that's why I am here