Review and Measurements of New JDS Labs Atom Headphone Amp

[amirm]

. As far as sound quality goes is there a huge or very noticeable difference if i switch from Atom to let say a ~1000$ amp? ( small example : audiogd nfb )

You will take a bit step backward with audiogd. It will have more distortion and will sound brighter/more distorted in highs (slightly).

There is nothing regardless of price that currently outperforms the JDS Labs Atom. The Massdrop THX AAA 789 does more power with balance input and output but otherwise, the Atom has no competition. These two amplifiers have left the rest the industry in the dust.

 

[nyxnyxnyx]

You will take a bit step backward with audiogd. It will have more distortion and will sound brighter/more distorted in highs (slightly).

There is nothing regardless of price that currently outperforms the JDS Labs Atom. The Massdrop THX AAA 789 does more power with balance input and output but otherwise, the Atom has no competition. These two amplifiers have left the rest the industry in the dust.

So what i am understanding is both THX and Atom are the price breakers in this industry? I can't imagine much bigger companies and brands finding themselves unable to make such identical products , well maybe they wouldn't make such a good product this cheap . By now i think i am pretty sure my mixed feelings were created by my imagination . I clearly imagined something different , like a tube "gain" kinda thing.

Thank you for your replies , if Atom is one of the best SS amp in term of clean power and transparency atm then i won't have to waste my time searching for another ss amp .

 

[amirm]

That's exactly right. You search for an amp is over. Now focus on some good music, or other headphones.

 

[andreasmaaan]

Btw , i am bugged with a question : Is there a point in buying very expensive amplifiers ( maybe from 1000$ and above ) if you only aim for sound quality? Because measurement-wise Atom is already so good and according to many people it is doing a good job of what an amp should be doing , and it is only 100$ .

My view is that if fidelity is the goal, not too much needs to be spent. If colouring the sound is the goal, the amount of money the particular DAC or headphone amp costs then becomes indeterminate, as it depends on what the price of the particular unit the listener prefers happens to be. Also: psychology is relevant (for all of us).

 

[JohsonChou]

My monoprice cable I bought on the JDS website is a bit loose too. It won’t come out on its own unless I start moving the unit.

Yeah i think it is mostly the cable's problem, my monoprice cable is loose (on Atom and my DAC) but the Amazon Bascis Cable is pretty tight.

 

[JohsonChou]

So what i am understanding is both THX and Atom are the price breakers in this industry? I can't imagine much bigger companies and brands finding themselves unable to make such identical products , well maybe they wouldn't make such a good product this cheap . By now i think i am pretty sure my mixed feelings were created by my imagination . I clearly imagined something different , like a tube "gain" kinda thing.

Thank you for your replies , if Atom is one of the best SS amp in term of clean power and transparency atm then i won't have to waste my time searching for another ss amp .

I went from
O2 -> Schitt Mjolnir 2 -> THX 789 -> Atom
ODAC -> DacMagic Plus -> Khadas Tone Board
Never really noticed any difference between any of these, even under A/B testing. My take is that since I can't tell the difference between 256Kbps AAC vs Lossless, I probably can't tell the difference between a bit of THD difference or noise difference. As long as your Source + AMP is not horrible, you are probably okay.

Spend money on headphones, pretty much every headphone is distinctly different. Try lots of headphones and get the one you like, it is much better value than spending money on expensive amp.

 

[mgh24]

One of these things is not like the otheeerr!!!

https://imgur.com/a/InaI82H

What is the one on the right?

 

[landco]

Tell me please, is it possible to connect the Sony PHA-1a (portable amplifier with a DAC) to the Atom using Sony's headphone output? Will it be right?

 

[Swtoby]

What is the one on the right?

https://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/products/HP-A4BL.shtml

 

[solderdude]

Tell me please, is it possible to connect the Sony PHA-1a (portable amplifier with a DAC) to the Atom using Sony's headphone output? Will it be right?

Will work, requires a TRS to RCA cord or 3.5mm TRS to 3.5mm TRS cord.

 

[landco]

Will work, requires a TRS to RCA cord or 3.5mm TRS to 3.5mm TRS cord.

The question is not about this, but about whether the signal goes out distorted or suitable for amplification.

 

[frogmeat69]

@nyxnyxnyx, it's most likely you are not a fan of the DT990 sound, which was, to me , very bright with a sharpness in the treble which made my ears hurt. The T90 was even worse, but it seems most Beyerdynamic headphones are quite bright. The Amiron Home is more laid back but still very much a Beyer, and I like them a lot, but are pricey unless you find some on sale. I say get your Senns back and see where those take you before dropping anymore cash, you just might love them.

 

[solderdude]

The question is not about this, but about whether the signal goes out distorted or suitable for amplification.

Yes, will work problem free. Maybe the volpot of the Sony may not be fully clockwise.

 

[landco]

my DT990 sounds

Beyerdynamic headphones are inferior in sound quality to similar dynamic headphones from Audio-Technica in your price range. For example, the ATH-A700X Art series is better than those Baers I heard - 250, 660, 770, 880 and I think the 990s

The sound is more expressive, more even, without sibilants and deaf mids and at the same time with an elegant bass component

 

[nyxnyxnyx]

Beyerdynamic headphones are inferior in sound quality to similar dynamic headphones from Audio-Technica in your price range. For example, the ATH-A700X Art series is better than those Baers I heard - 250, 660, 770, 880 and I think the 990s

The sound is more expressive, more even, without sibilants and deaf mids and at the same time with an elegant bass component

I don't know if it Beyer is actually inferior or it is just our personal preferences , but i liked it and i have heard that Beyer T1 or Amiron is pretty okay , i'm still going to take a look at Ath cans whenever to have the chance though .

Also i want to ask you guys a question , there has been a common "realization" in my country that if you use a good and expensive headphones like Utopia or HD800 and the likes of them you will always have to buy a mid-to-high end amp/dac system because the cheap ones cannot drive them beautifully . Like if you get a 1000$ headphone you would need to spend at least 500$ or more on the system .

Is it a myth or actually true? People in my local group aren't exactly fond of technical aspects or measurement as far as i know , because usually when there is a discussion of an amplifier they don't really bring out the measurements , unlike you guys here!

 

[solderdude]

Preferences and comfort will determine which headphone suits you best.
The Beyers all have a treble peak (which can be EQ'ed) right up to the expensive models.

I would not call the DT1990 an inferior headphone for instance.

The HD800 (and say the DT1990 as well) are very 'revealing' of upstream gear. Utopia as well and so are other expensive headphones.
Some will hear it, to some its a waste of money.

Connecting those types of headphones (or any other headphone with a low dB/V efficiency rating) will benefit from an amplifier that can supply enough output voltage.
Note that the dB/mW efficiency rating is very difficult to interpret.
Also note that we hear in Phons and not in dB SPL. This makes a huge difference. dBA SPL is closer to Phon but still differs.
Also don't think you don't need to reach 120dB. We listen to music which is dynamic and high peaks may exist while listening to average music levels.
This is because the recorded music signal is an addition of all sounds and when 3 loud 'sounds' happen to be in phase the resultant 'peak' may be quite high and needs to be reproduced properly. These 3 sounds may be on very different frequencies so don't 'add up' in the total SPL as much as one would think but when 'clipped' (not enough output voltage) may not sound 'correct'.
It NEVER hurts to have some headroom. It can hurt to use a 3W rated amp on a low power (20mW, 50mW or 100mW) headphone. While it will play very loud at low powers already (these usually have a high dB/V rating) it is really easy to blow them up. (have done it myself)

So what these better headphone need is enough voltage which NOT all amplifiers supply but many do.
The Atom will supply enough voltage for most of these headphones and will drive them well.
BUT ... owning such expensive gear and connecting it to a cheap looking plastic box won't leave you with a quality feel.
In the end you don't NEED expensive gear to drive these headphones 'properly' but it needs to be able to drive them and have functionality you need.

What the HD800 needs is EQ. So does the DT1990 and Audeze's (they even have their own app for this). The Utopia has some weirdness to the upper treble which some don't like. Hard to EQ out.

Short answer: No need for 'expensive' but thet do need enough output voltage and for some should 'match' the headphones in 'quality feel, looks and functionality'. For enjoyment it does not need to be expensive.

 

[landco]

or HD800

Haha Ken Rockwell wrote in his review that the HD800 is the same ATH-A700x, only the price is much higher)))

 

[soundwave76]

^^ Totally agree, HD800 needs to be EQ'd and then it's a totally different hp. RME ADI-2 did the job beautifully when I had them.

 

[Veri]

Haha Ken Rockwell wrote in his review that the HD800 is the same ATH-A700x, only the price is much higher)))

That seems a little unreasonable ..

A lot of R&D went into making the HD800 sound so wide with noticeable pinna activation and impressively low THD.

 

[yummy]

how good is the 50mv snr?