JDS Labs Atom DAC Review

[Robbo99999]

A bit of imaging at very high frequencies. Likely inaudible. The audible difference of filters should come from phase of bass frequency. Still very small.

Thanks for the reply, how do you mean exactly? I don't really know what you mean by "imaging"? And do you mean the filter in this review would create those things you mentioned as opposed to what happening if you had a sharp cut of filter at 22kHz (which would supposedly be ideal for 44.1kHz playback material)?

(I've got the Topping E30 DAC which uses the same filter, and to me I think it's the best DAC I've owned, so I know we're talking very very small differences if at all and mostly theoretical, so I'm not casting doubt on the quality of the DAC in this review.)

 

[Jimbob54]

Haha, thanks for helping out! I just wanted to know what are the drawbacks with the missing toslink and coaxial inputs especially since there have been several comments asking why those aren't included. I'll be connecting it to my PC so I think i am not missing much!

I'd go with that then

 

[Zerohour]

ooh, finally a nice stacking combo for the amp

I can't wait to see all the impressions come out from dudes with "golden ears" saying that the DAC sounds "dead" and "has no dynamics"

 

[Veri]

Thanks for the reply, how do you mean exactly? I don't really know what you mean by "imaging"? And do you mean the filter in this review would create those things you mentioned as opposed to what happening if you had a sharp cut of filter at 22kHz (which would supposedly be ideal for 44.1kHz playback material)?

As mentioned it's not a huge problem. But if you want to read about aliasing and imaging Amir posted a little article here (written by DonH50)
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/digital-audio-aliasing.1920/
The reconstruction filter is there to prevent ultrasonic high frequency noise. We can't hear these images though since they are too far away from the audible band, but they must be dealt with to prevent high-frequency noise from blasting through the rest of the system, which in audio means saving our tweeters/speakers. In the case of NOS (no oversampling or digital filter whatsoever), full-scale aliasing could become quite problematic...

Having a slower than ideal filter is still "fine" though.

 

[Robbo99999]

As mentioned it's not a huge problem. But if you want to read about aliasing and imaging Amir posted a little article here (written by DonH50)
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/digital-audio-aliasing.1920/
The reconstruction filter is there to prevent ultrasonic high frequency noise. We can't hear these images though since they are too far away from the audible band, but they must be dealt with to prevent high-frequency noise from blasting through the rest of the system, which in audio means saving our tweeters/speakers. In the case of NOS (no oversampling or digital filter whatsoever), full-scale aliasing could become quite problematic...

Having a slower than ideal filter is still "fine" though.

And some other articles related to that it seems in other threads in the Audio Reference Library:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?forums/audio-reference-library.30/
Posting that because didn't really know it was there, and contains other useful stuff, and not an abundance of posts in some of those....so I think people don't know about it.

 

[dmac6419]

Top tier DAC performance, inexpensive, great match with Atom, simple as it gets. Bang for buck!

Better than humpy Khadas tone board plus it has a case. Looks like an E30 clone on multi tone (great implementation of 4490 vs 4493)

And no ridiculous "sound color" modes like S.M.S.L. offers. How embarrassing to advertise that on any DAC!

Solid offering! Go JDS Labs!

Why you mad at SMSL? is it because you couldn't afford on just curious.

 

[matt3421]

Is Atom dac better than OL DAC?

amir measured it and one channel was 92 sinad

 

[TheSacredSoul]

With my order the adapter, USB cable and rocker switch were all INCLUDED WITH "ATOM DAC":
View attachment 68357

Yea I was charged for the last 2 items. But no worries. I wrote in and they said they made a mistake initially and didn't change the amount to $0 in the backend for the initial orders. But they immediately refunded the $8 bucks. Amazing CS as usual.

 

[dwkdnvr]

Boy, how much better would this be if Atom and Atom DAC came out as a stack in 2018. A lot has happened since I must say..

Yeah, it's amazing how quickly we adapt to a 'new normal'. the Tone Board review was Oct 2018, and at that point minds were blown as to how something so cheap could be so good. 18 months later, apparently a comparable performing dac with a nice case and PS for less money is overpriced and uninteresting to many people. That there is even room to debate the value proposition of a $99 DAC with top-grade performance is remarkable.

 

[Xulonn]

I kind of agree. The audio world has changed quite dramatically since I got into this hobby in 2014. My first DAC was the Modi 1. All you need to do is compare it to the Modius - it tells the whole story of how drastically things have improved.

Welcome to the ever evolving world of audio technology - which can bring a lifetime of enjoyment - and occasional frustration.

And I, an old guy who has been into audio since 1958, laugh heartily at your comment about dramatic changes. In 1958, I was a junior in high school when my father bought me a used Bell 2300 monaural integrated amplifier like the one below. It was also the year that stereo 2-channel audio entered the consumer market, but stereo was pretty much a "high-end" option for those who had the space for two speakers, and could afford to double their audio budget for that second channel - and the stereo vinyl LP's that were just entering the market. Back then, most of the good stuff in audio was made in the US or UK, with some from other European countries.

Technology - including audio - has indeed changed - and very rapidly over the past few years as high-speed internet connects us around the world. Hardware and software solutions and components for audiophiles, driving everything from tiny earbuds to monster loudspeakers continue to evolve - and I cannot begin to imagine what that world will look like when you reach my age.

I like the looks and performance of the JDS Labs products - and the fact that they are a small American manufacturer carrying on an old tradition with modern products. But they cater to a market segment that leave me out - headphones - I only own a Plantronics headset with mic for phone calls - and seldom use even those anymore. My entry-level Motorola Android smartphone does everything I want. It even uses its WiFi/internet link to forward my Jacksonville, Florida telephone number ring right here at my rental house in the mountains of Western Panama - for a subscription cost of less than $3 per month. I laugh when salespeople call my Florida telephone number to offer car warranty extensions - and quickly say goodby when they find out they are talking to an American expat living in Panama who drives a 1999 diesel Mitsubishi Montero SUV.

Today, my sole A/V source is an Intel NUC Linux-based PC and a Synology NAS unit - designed in the US and manufactured in China. My DAC+AV processor is an IOTAVX AVP, and my new budget 3.0 channel speakers are from the Wharfedale D300 series. My AVP and speakers are both designed in the UK and manufactured in China. My old Classé (Canada) vintage stereo power amplifier will soon be replaced by three channels of Danish ICEpower amplification assembled by me into Ghent Chinese cases. That will give me a 100wpc@8Ω solution for $500 that is the audio quality equivalent of $3-5K worth of Bel Canto or Jeff Rowland amplification from a few years ago. Some of their "budget" models used older versions of the same ICEpower 200/300ASC series modules that I will be using!

 

[jseaber]

I think the big transformer eats up a lot of the cost. But you get stellar support included in the price, too it's not a bad deal!

My only nitpick is ak4490 instead of the better ak4493 but seeing performance, not really an issue. Lack of optical will hopefully be fixed in an optional version just like they did for OL Dac.

I do like the fact that they are using a Type B USB plug and the measurements are very solid.

I am 99% sure that there will be a version of this with an additional input (probably optical) released eventually. Priced just slightly higher, like the OL Dac with optical was. There is space for an additional connector at the back, more then enough space on the PCB, and why else would they have that selector ring on the front?

Thanks, everyone. It's refreshing to read feedback free of nonsense.

Initial demand for Atom DAC is strong and inline with our forecasting. I've had the same concerns about TOSLINK and market direction peering into the future.

TOSLINK contributed to the long release cycle (and COVID disruptions consumed another 6 months). I ditched the idea of copying and pasting an S/PDIF controller from our other designs and found a better way, in theory. I wanted to hold out for TOSLINK in this release, but with 80%+ of JDS Labs customers only using USB input, we chose to release a bit late, rather than extraordinarily late.

 

[wemist01]

Looking past SINAD, these measurements are clearly better than the SMSL Sanskrit 10th MK II DAC.

 

[Labjr]

I wouldn't be tempted to get this over anything near it's price range.

 

[CtheArgie]

Doesn’t this have better performance than the $6k PS Audio “Perfect (sic) Wave”?

 

[gvl]

Doesn’t this have better performance than the $6k PS Audio “Perfect (sic) Wave”?

Most DACs do.

 

[gvl]

Business idea for JDS Labs - sell an optional weigh down kit for the Atom series, a 5mm metal plate that attaches to the inside of the top cover. These things are way too light.

 

[AlexScan]

I put a picture of the PCB:

Xmos+AK4490+JRC2068

 

[Sonny1]

Very cool! I need to order one of these. Great company, I’ve owned a few things from them over the years including the ODAC. Great to see them progressing and still offering excellent performing and engineered products for a value price. And they are made in the US which is getting rare these days.

 

[MC_RME]

As @Tks already mentioned, RME uses AKM DACs which for some Velvet Sound reason, use the same filter set for both 44 and 48kHz material, which is not optimal for the former.

Let me say it as I understood this statement: the AKM chips do not scale the filter cut-off frequency with sample rate. That is wrong. Measuring at 44.1 and 48 kHz gives two different results, in both frequency response as well as the above noise based out-of-band measurement.

 

[gvl]

Huh?