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JDS Labs Element IV DAC & HP Amp with EQ Review

Rate this DAC & HP Amp

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 3 1.3%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 14 6.1%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 62 27.1%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 150 65.5%

  • Total voters
    229
Not sure I follow your reference to the Modius, as it lacks EQ?

But as to the D50III, one obvious benefit to this Element IV is a great headphone amp.
Oops - meant Midgard - damn nordic naming conventions - almost as bad as Linn's use of mutated Celtic names for their products
 
I'm glad that more DACs with PEQ are coming on the market, even if the particular device isn't available from European dealers.
Could be related to European regulations/certification requirements. For example, standby power consumption must be <0.5W in 2025. Those wall warts probably won't pass.
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Well, longevity isn't the main issue here. An internal PS would last just ast long typically. Wall warts are simply the bane of power outlets and at a $500.00 price point, I would expect a little more.

Just take a look at the Cambridge Audio MXN-10 streamer. It is selling for $399 and comes with a nice internal power supply. Note, despite the small size of this unit, there's still plenty of empty space.
If you read the blog post on JDS website it explains most of it not all of the design decisions and trades offs they made, including the transformer wall wart. Cambridge products are made in China. This is a US based company that uses US suppliers and has excellent customer service.
People are upset that you have to have Internet to use the CORE software, but I am guessing 90% of JDS customers are using a streaming service for music, so as Joey once said...it's a moo point.
I don't know why more people don't talk about the encoder volume control that offers perfect channel matching down to zero volume. If you do any low volume late night listening in bed next to your significant other this is a great benefit over a traditional potentiometer.
There is more and I'm kind of addressing multiple posts, but $500 is a great deal for all this is and for who is making it and where.
 
If you read the blog post on JDS website it explains most of it not all of the design decisions and trades offs they made, including the transformer wall wart. Cambridge products are made in China. This is a US based company that uses US suppliers and has excellent customer service.
People are upset that you have to have Internet to use the CORE software, but I am guessing 90% of JDS customers are using a streaming service for music, so as Joey once said...it's a moo point.
I don't know why more people don't talk about the encoder volume control that offers perfect channel matching down to zero volume. If you do any low volume late night listening in bed next to your significant other this is a great benefit over a traditional potentiometer.
There is more and I'm kind of addressing multiple posts, but $500 is a great deal for all this is and for who is making it and where.
I'm sure JDS is a great company, but that's not really pertinent to my issue with the product. It's about using a cheap, outlet hogging, wall wart on a $500.00 piece of gear. I guess I'm expecting a little bit more for my hard-earned money.

BTW The wall wart used by JDS is "Made in China".
 
Man, this seems like the closest solution to replacing my Lokius/E50/THX 789 and consolidating desktop space but it's a connection too short (why only 1 optical?) and the lack of EQ for the non-USB is a bummer. I have a CD transport on the brain to go with Wiim Pro Plus streamer and maybe running it to the Pro Plus optical in and then running the one optical out to the JDS would be an option, but that would basically just be buying the form factor. I assume they know their market though.
 
I'm sure JDS is a great company, but that's not really pertinent to my issue with the product. It's about using a cheap, outlet hogging, wall wart on a $500.00 piece of gear. I guess I'm expecting a little bit more for my hard-earned money.

BTW The wall wart used by JDS is "Made in China".
For a product living on my desk, I'd much rather the footprint be the size that it is and sacrifice an extra outlet than have a significantly larger device just to save another plug. I don't think it should be held to the standard of a full-size receiver unit in this regard.
 
... Still, for 500$ JDS Labs could offer slightly larger „premium“ model with internal linear power supply ....
To be fair, the wall 'adapter' here outputs AC, unlike most wallwort powered electronics that take DC. So the conversion from AC to DC is done inside the Element and I may be wrong but the components for the AC to DC appear to be a linear type setup and not a smps. This would seem to be a win/win as this way the dropping transformer isn't near any of the sensitive electronics and yet the power is still converted and filtered internally.
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There is no excuse anymore to use clunky old boomer-grade wall wart technology when USB-C PD provides a standardized connector and tons of different existing options
 
I'm sure JDS is a great company, but that's not really pertinent to my issue with the product. It's about using a cheap, outlet hogging, wall wart on a $500.00 piece of gear. I guess I'm expecting a little bit more for my hard-earned money.

BTW The wall wart used by JDS is "Made in China".
So if the cheap transformer that's inside the wall wart, was inside the unit this would make it better? The only part of the power supply that isn't inside the unit is the AC transformer. It's really an easy fix with the use of an extension cord. I'm sure there are other parts that are used to make the unit that have to be sourced from China besides the AC transformer. You keep talking about the "wall wart" like its a DC power supply. I just don't want people to be confused and think JDS is using a cheap power supply. AC to DC is happening inside the unit. I don't think you can even find a Chi-fi unit that doesn't everything this does for $500 in this type of form factor. Please read the blog post.
 
Man, this seems like the closest solution to replacing my Lokius/E50/THX 789 and consolidating desktop space but it's a connection too short (why only 1 optical?) and the lack of EQ for the non-USB is a bummer. I have a CD transport on the brain to go with Wiim Pro Plus streamer and maybe running it to the Pro Plus optical in and then running the one optical out to the JDS would be an option, but that would basically just be buying the form factor. I assume they know their market though.
I have never tried it but they make optical splitters and they are pretty cheap.
 
There is no excuse anymore to use clunky old boomer-grade wall wart technology when USB-C PD provides a standardized connector and tons of different existing options
And then you now need a 20V USB-C power supply which is several times more expensive, raising MSRP, creating potential issues when people use any-old-one they have laying around and things don't work right, etc. I didn't realize I was in the minority of people who aren't interacting with the power adapter on a regular basis
 
Winner, winner, chicken dinner. I vote "great." The only thing one could ask for is balanced out, which would add to cost. Fine dac, great amp with gobs of power. App for PEQ. What's not to like?
 
So you don't have to unplug you amp/powered speakers when you want to listen to your headphones. Same reason a preamp has buttons to select different sources.

I would love to have that button on my JDS Atom 2 amp. I want to leave my headphones always plugged in and just push a button to change output - instead I have to unplug the headphones to activate preamp out. Both the Amp 2 and DAC 2 have selector buttons for inputs, but not output. Oh well.
 
Would be good to see this confirmed by JDS. Or perhaps you're already using Core and have done this yourself?

Correct, the Device Settings page reads current settings from Element IV and then loads the page. You'll see a spinning progress wheel for a fraction of a second for this reason.

The default knob button behavior toggles output (Headphone or RCA Output):

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As good as this looks, the price is a bit steep for me. I understand the added value of PEQ, but on second thought don't think adding it here is useful in many scenario's. This is a desktop device foremost. If the PC is your source, PEQ is free and no issue. If your phone is the source, idem. If you use a streamer, cd player or analogue input this can become useful. The cheapest streamer, the Wiim, however, already has some PEQ.
 
And then you now need a 20V USB-C power supply which is several times more expensive, raising MSRP, creating potential issues when people use any-old-one they have laying around and things don't work right, etc. I didn't realize I was in the minority of people who aren't interacting with the power adapter on a regular basis
I don't even remember what the external power unit looks like, but I don't recall it being an outlet hog. It easily disappeared in my cable organizer box and hasn't been seen since. The external power supply my 32-inch LG desktop monitor uses... *that* is a sizeable unit... :-D
 
I don't even remember what the external power unit looks like, but I don't recall it being an outlet hog. It easily disappeared in my cable organizer box and hasn't been seen since. The external power supply my 32-inch LG desktop monitor uses... *that* is a sizeable unit... :-D
I guess if the only thing people have to complain about is how it plugs into the wall, its a win for JDS .
 
My RME also has an external power supply, somewhere, hidden behind my monitor, on the desktop, plugged in since the day I bought it. Hardly an issue...
The Element's disadvantage here is that you cannot carry it around without the AC adapter. OTOH, if I need to move my RME to another location, I don't need to bring the power brick with me or to extract it from the cable management pouch of my desk. I just take a small USB-PD adapter with 12 V output capability and a USB-C to 2.1/5.5 12 V PD marker cable.
 
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