Review and Measurements of New JDS Labs Atom Headphone Amp

[bornstron]

Hello AMP experts, I have a few questions.

1. When should I press the gain button? (brings more power, louder, I assume for higher impendance headphones (300ohm in my case), or not exactly?)
2. What is the better option:

a) Twisting the volume knob around 12 o'clock and pressing the gain button or;​

b) Not pressing the gain button at all but turning the volume all the way to the end to 5 o'clock?​

​

3. Should I leave windows volume at 90% or 80% or it doesn't matter at all?​

​

4. Do I need to know anything more ​

​

Thank you

 

[Veri]

Hello AMP experts, I have a few questions.

1. When should I press the gain button? (brings more power, louder, I assume for higher impendance headphones (300ohm in my case), or not exactly?)
2. What is the better option:

a) Twisting the volume knob around 12 o'clock and pressing the gain button or;​

b) Not pressing the gain button at all but turning the volume all the way to the end to 5 o'clock?​

​

3. Should I leave windows volume at 90% or 80% or it doesn't matter at all?​

​

4. Do I need to know anything more ​

​

Thank you

1/2: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...s/study-headphone-amp-gains-low-or-high.5495/

3: I leave Windows at either 82% (-3dB) or 100%. Personal preference?

 

[bornstron]

Veri, you're my attache
I'll have to buy a chocolate or something!
Thank you!

 

[VintageFlanker]

1/2: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...s/study-headphone-amp-gains-low-or-high.5495/

It is still a 101db SINAD with highest distortion at - 110db, which still very good. Is the difference audible at the same output level? I'm not sure.

 

[Veri]

It is still a 101db SINAD with highest distortion at - 110db, which still very good. Is the difference audible at the same output level? I'm not sure.

Considering the performance I agree it probably doesn't really matter. But as a general rule I think it is
use low gain as long as it loud enough, high gain if you need even louder. makes sense

 

[Get a hearing test]

High gain for quietly mastered classical stuff. Elevates the entire thing whereas if u just turn the knob on low gain its ear shattering before you start hearing the most silent parts. Atom is so clean you wont notice any distortion from it anyway. At the volumes i listen there is none. 6-9

 

[onslash]

High gain for quietly mastered classical stuff. Elevates the entire thing whereas if u just turn the knob on low gain its ear shattering before you start hearing the most silent parts. Atom is so clean you wont notice any distortion from it anyway.

Why would it make any difference ? Turning the knob on low gain vs high gain, if its outputting the same power it should make no difference other than you are going to have higher noise floor on high gain compared to low (assuming at low gain the amp isn't clipping).

 

[Grattle]

Why would it make any difference ? Turning the knob on low gain vs high gain, if its outputting the same power it should make no difference other than you are going to have higher noise floor on high gain compared to low (assuming at low gain the amp isn't clipping).

Possibly. The gain selection may influence feedback usage on many amps.

 

[JohnYang1997]

Possibly. The gain selection may influence feedback usage on many amps.

It may. But higher gain only make things worse. In this case gain stage and output stage are separated. So it doesn't really affect anything.

 

[Brianc]

Shout out to JDS Labs support. I bought the Atom in May and this week the power adapter failed. I used their contact form and got a response the same day, and a new adapter in two days. Impressive.

 

[Esp3n89]

Hey.
Anyone know the warranty rules for the Atom Amp?
I have it and am waiting for the postage service to get me my Khadas Tone board. I'm very happy with the sound of the Atom amp. But I'm wondering if I should install it in a aluminium case together with the Tone board.
Wouldnt require any board modifications but would ofc require me to remove it from its stock case and install it in a custom one.
The reason for it is 2 part. Would tidy up the system quite a bit. As well as atm there is a lot of electronic systems close to where its placed and perhaps a metal case would help with RF noise rejection.
Tnx in advance
Espen Behrens

 

[onslash]

It may. But higher gain only make things worse. In this case gain stage and output stage are separated. So it doesn't really affect anything.

Most of the time when people feel high gain sounds livelier is because they didn't volume match (therefore their volume is actually abit louder , when something is like 0.5 db louder people perceive it as " more dynamic , livelier". ). Once you actually volume match , just as u said high gain is not better , infact should be worse

 

[audiopile]

Frankly- it's pretty unreasonable to expect to be able to demount a electronic product out of it's case and then apply for some future warranty service ?? I also am very impressed with recent JDS Labs service experience -100% preventable/stupid on my part left batteries to rot in my 8 year old O2 (BTW -worked fine that way as long as plugged in). Very inexpensive and prompt replacement part -the exact part I wanted (one of the advantages if you're going to abuse a O2) -three days and it was in my PO box. To be honest -I was a little thrown by the plastic case on the Atom -bought one /used it several different locations in my racks and zero -no-none -nuthin-noise. I was encouraged to try a plastic case headphone amp because I had started using one of Bob Hagermans phono pre-amps -these also have clear plastic cases and are ( relatively- remember phono stage)dead silent. While designing boards to reject hum/RF is well beyond my pay grade - I've had friends that designed avionics that did that and more. In a long career dealing with both our local antenna farm and dozens of metal cased (some real pretty even) phono stages that hummed /buzzed/farted/belched n banged plus played everything from CB radio up n down the bands - metal cases likely aren't the fix ? Did I miss it (it's a LONG thread) -has anyone reported a hum/RF pick up problem actually traceable to a ATOM yet ? If not -that is REMARKABLE !

 

[escalibur]

How would you guys compare Atom to 789 in terms of (unbalanced) sound?

 

[flipflop]

How would you guys compare Atom to 789 in terms of (unbalanced) sound?

Compare? Level matched ABX DBT.
Describe? Identical.

 

[Esp3n89]

Frankly- it's pretty unreasonable to expect to be able to demount a electronic product out of it's case and then apply for some future warranty service ?? I also am very impressed with recent JDS Labs service experience -100% preventable/stupid on my part left batteries to rot in my 8 year old O2 (BTW -worked fine that way as long as plugged in). Very inexpensive and prompt replacement part -the exact part I wanted (one of the advantages if you're going to abuse a O2) -three days and it was in my PO box. To be honest -I was a little thrown by the plastic case on the Atom -bought one /used it several different locations in my racks and zero -no-none -nuthin-noise. I was encouraged to try a plastic case headphone amp because I had started using one of Bob Hagermans phono pre-amps -these also have clear plastic cases and are ( relatively- remember phono stage)dead silent. While designing boards to reject hum/RF is well beyond my pay grade - I've had friends that designed avionics that did that and more. In a long career dealing with both our local antenna farm and dozens of metal cased (some real pretty even) phono stages that hummed /buzzed/farted/belched n banged plus played everything from CB radio up n down the bands - metal cases likely aren't the fix ? Did I miss it (it's a LONG thread) -has anyone reported a hum/RF pick up problem actually traceable to a ATOM yet ? If not -that is REMARKABLE !

Well, frankly its not really. At least not in the pro audio world.
The same actually also goes in the professional audio world. It is expected that the equipment (mostly mixing consoles in my work) is modular and easy to pick apart for cleaning f.ex. the wear of the linear faders and buttons. Im also using a AD-/DD-/DAC from Digital Audio Denmark. This one is semi modular in its Pre-amp/Line in and analog out cards and actually is meant for us to be able to configure on our own how we need it.

Looking normal consumer level I can bring up PC parts. The whole build your own pc revolves around this... Also most manufacturers have no problem with a person unmounting the cooler to mount a third party one, be it air or water. Which is a more "dangerous" thing to do if you don't know what you do. But if you destroy the board in the process, the warranty is ofc void.

With me I get some buzz introduced with the Atom basically sitting just over one of my speakers. But even that was incredible low level so its a fantasic unit that JDS Labs has made.

 

[audiopile]

I wish modular construction were anywhere near common in consumer electronics - but it's rare. And I think it's a fair question to ask a designer : "Is this designed to be disassembled ? ". Most even semi-mass produced electronics today go thru automated testing - only if the flunk rate gets too high does anyone try to figure out (and maybe?) fix what's wrong. otherwise - scrap the duds and keep on makin 'em is very likely. There is ( really old consumer equipment I'm listening to right now that the designers would most probably be shocked still makes music - but pro gear has my respect because it's a tool -reliability and therefore serviceability are designed into it. Please don't take consumer grade gear apart for reasons of improving it's apparent bling factor or chasing problems that maybe aren't going to be fixed in a different box. And if you do-man up- problems are yours -not the OEM's.

 

[maxxevv]

The Atom can be disassembled quite easily with no issues. I have done that with mine to take physical measurements for my own hobbyist projects.

BUT ... I don't think its fair to expect warranty to cover such things should you break something or it breaks down somehow after that.

 

[Yviena]

Just wondering is there any reason the SNR is higher in high gain mode, i would have expected the opposite instead?

 

[JohnYang1997]

Just wondering is there any reason the SNR is higher in high gain mode, i would have expected the opposite instead?

Because that's max volume. The level is higher on high gain mode.