JCALLY JM20 MAX Headphone Dongle Review

[mc.god]

@mc.god, dark132, boswell ... Which version of Windows do you use?

I tested the bravo hd driver on windows 10.

 

[Matt_Holland]

Yes, it's all correct, it applies to hardware peq capable devices that can store an eq profile in their dsp, like the JM20 PRO, and not to the Max version reviewed here, just as he said in the very first sentence.

Helps to read the first sentence properly doesn’t it!
Many thanks.

 

[jcarys]

I received mine yesterday direct from Crinacle's website for $30. I appreciate his reviews and products so wanted to buy it directly from him. I barely beat the de minimis exception change in the US, so there was no unexpected customs charge. It was 10 days from order to delivery.

At first listen this makes an obvious improvement in both sound and volume over the Sony NWA106 dap, but it was pretty close to the LG V30. I'm getting a bit of hiss using Truthear IEMs with the Sony, so that may be the source noise that Amir called out in his review. No hiss or anything else negative when I switched over to the HD600s or using it with the LG. I was demoing with the BIS 2021 recording of Bruckner's 3rd symphony. Both the Sony and the LG via the Jcally sounded congested when I got to the third movement with big crescendos. Moving over to the desktop setup with Topping E50 and L50 fixed that issue.

Outside of the bit of hiss the only negative I see is the power drain. Again, the LG was OK, but the Sony DAP dropped like a rock. I expect I would drain the battery entirely in a 2 hours. More testing and listening to do, but again it's remarkable how good this is for the price.

 

[boswell]

@mc.god, dark132, boswell ... Which version of Windows do you use?

I use 11, but from the web

 

[ErinPraline]

Well it died already. At least it was only 30 bucks

Edit: it works again? Maybe some android thing happened because it was plugged in but audio was coming out of my phone speakers. Now it works fine again. Technology confuses me sometimes

 

[mc.god]

Well it died already. At least it was only 30 bucks

Edit: it works again? Maybe some android thing happened because it was plugged in but audio was coming out of my phone speakers. Now it works fine again. Technology confuses me sometimes

We already have one sudden failure, this would be the second one, hopefully it was just a communication issue with the phone, but I remain curious about reliability of such a powerful op-amp cramped into this super small dongle. I remember some failures reported about the almost identical Fiio KA11 (Crinacle also reported this in a video), so finger crossed.

 

[Somafunk]

It’d be interesting to test with a very efficient headphone that doesn’t draw much power vs an inefficient headphone that requires lots of power, I imagine the inefficient headphone will cause the dongle to heat up much more and this may reduce its lifespan.

 

[JRowland]

I run mine from an iPhone into an AVR. It only gets warm and I don’t notice any battery drain on my phone after several hours of use.

 

[klirren_65]

Connected with Linux
no signal ca. 35° C
signal ca. 40° C with 150 Ω Sennheiser

 

[ErinPraline]

We already have one sudden failure, this would be the second one, hopefully it was just a communication issue with the phone, but I remain curious about reliability of such a powerful op-amp cramped into this super small dongle. I remember some failures reported about the almost identical Fiio KA11 (Crinacle also reported this in a video), so finger crossed.

yeah it appeared to be a software issue in the end lol

 

[mc.god]

I run mine from an iPhone into an AVR. It only gets warm and I don’t notice any battery drain on my phone after several hours of use.

An AVR is a high impedance line level load where very little current will be requested to the dongle, so low drain and low temps are not surprising. For this purpose the vanilla JM20 (not op-amp) would have been already perfect, even better the JM20 Pro that would have given you PEQ ability with full 2V output. Any particular reason you opted for the MAX version?

 

[JRowland]

An AVR is a high impedance line level load where very little current will be requested to the dongle, so low drain and low temps are not surprising. For this purpose the vanilla JM20 (not op-amp) would have been already perfect, even better the JM20 Pro that would have given you PEQ ability with full 2V output. Any particular reason you opted for the MAX version?

No, I did very little homework at all. For the price it was an impulse purchase after reading the first review. MAX caught my attention. I’ve been using an Apple 1v dongle since you had to have a dongle. I’ve never liked the really low odd chance that my AVR input would get switched while I was at or above the 0 on the volume. I don’t do that a lot but I do and my cats don’t touch the remote often I can’t do that above zero or even zero now with this dongle anyway. I’m new to all this science but I think that way and appreciate the data, Amir and Erin’s reviews make sense to me. I’m learning as I go here, most is over my head but I glean nuggets. I wanted to use my AVR as a pre-amp only so I learned a little about level matching along the way and thought to apply that. I never thought to really look at anything else other than the Apple ones I have a bunch of. I don’t have internet, cellular but no other. DSP is on my list of things to learn more about as I’m a slave to the AVR’s choice and having it on the dongle didn’t interest me at the time I ordered as I have bigger fish to fry so to speak. I did order a different one as well for my garage system, the black pearl. Another impulse buy but I figured it might be simpler to learn to configure and load eq settings with it just to get a feel maybe. I want a boost out there because of a scratchy volume knob. I should have read more about iOS not being kosher for the peq, that’s all I own but I don’t really like computers. I muddle through but it’s not pleasurable in any way to me. My work computer runs Microsoft so I might try that or not and just be happy with the boost. If it works.

They recently ran cable so I’ve upgraded my system and I’m trying for hi-fidelity since I can. I’ve been a budget or mid-fi person my whole life, I love music and listen to it a lot but the source or gear was never the main thing. I chased the physical media until I got an iPhone forced on me through a job. I embraced iTunes right away and ripped my collection lossless over time. Now I can use their library as well and pretty soon I can maybe cut this damn cord and stream good quality. For now I’m just playing around with making my corded phone experiences going forward similar to most other devices I use as inputs for very little risk.

 

[johny_2000]

AliExpress (and probably all other Chinese online stores) are no longer the way to buy.
I've put together a screenshot of the checkout page: product price $25.68, tariff $43.66 (170%).

 

[Somafunk]

AliExpress (and probably all other Chinese online stores) are no longer the way to buy.
I've put together a screenshot of the checkout page: product price $25.68, tariff $43.66 (170%).

 

[Svensson]

AliExpress (and probably all other Chinese online stores) are no longer the way to buy.
I've put together a screenshot of the checkout page: product price $25.68, tariff $43.66 (170%).

View attachment 448553

I do feel for our US cousins and the personal impact that the tariffs are having. Everywhere outside of the US, we receive products at the advertised prices. Both of mine arrived quickly and for £21 each.

 

[Audionaut]

The dongle has arrived, but I have the uneasy feeling that it doesn't use all the USB audio functions, which may be due to the smartphone.
In any case, Amazon Music only outputs SD and not Ultra HD, as with the WiiM Ultra, for example.
In addition, there is sometimes an unpleasant, irregular crackling sound, like a speck of dust on a vinyl record
Everything is enabled for USB audio in the developer options.
Does anyone have any ideas or an additional app?

 

[Matt_Holland]

In any case, Amazon Music only outputs SD and not Ultra HD, as with the WiiM Ultra, for example.

This is strange. Especially the comment about the Wiim Ultra, although I realise it’s off topic. If you set the Ultra up as an Alexa device you should be able to stream Amazon Music in the highest resolution.

 

[Audionaut]

Especially the comment about the Wiim Ultra

This is probably due to my imperfect English.
In simple words: WiiM Ultra works fine and outputs UHD when UHD source is present.
Pixel 7 Pro does not work or works with errors and crackling.
My wife's Xiaomi 13T Pro works fine (just tested) and sounds great.

 

[Matt_Holland]

This is probably due to my imperfect English.
In simple words: WiiM Ultra works fine and outputs UHD when UHD source is present.
Pixel 7 Pro does not work or works with errors and crackling.
My wife's Xiaomi 13T Pro works fine (just tested) and sounds great.

View attachment 448612

Thanks for explaining

 

[klirren_65]

AliExpress (and probably all other Chinese online stores) are no longer the way to buy.
I've put together a screenshot of the checkout page: product price $25.68, tariff $43.66 (170%).

Maybe you are lucky not to buy. Starting Linux with hibernate or standby at first I have to plug out and plug in JM20max to listen sound. Knitted with hot needle?

The FOSI Audio DS2 works without this trouble.