It will sound at least as good because it measures better, yeah.
Maybe not better because with yours, our hearing ability limit is perhaps already reached.
I am simply worried that with a budget of 400usd i can get something thats sounds better than the JDS labs atom
Basically, i have a Asus XOnar essence stx soundcard and a Technics A900s amp. The Technics is much more reavling than the Asus, i can hear tones in music i can't hear with the Asus. The soundstage is also larger and a greater separation.
I had 3 people blind test it and they confirmed this, my mother, my mothers boyfriend and my aunt. They barely know what an amp is, let alone a soundcard. They were astonished by the difference in detail.
Recently i had to swap back to my soundcard, because the amp keeps switching channels but it was for sure a downgrade.
The reason i am simply not buying right away the JDS Labs Atom, which would be the easiest solution, is simply because my budget is 400usd and for that money i can get an amp that retails for 1000usd 2nd hand.
I know that price doesn't mean necessarely better, but my thinking is if there was such a big difference between the Asus and the Technics couldn't there be a similar difference between an entry level amp and a high end one?
Becuase 100usd is hella cheap for an amp made in the USA.