Which route to take - change streamer/dac or dac/amp!

[Bernard23]

I have a JDS Element 2 which has a "great" amp section and "OK" DAC IIRC from the original ASR reviews, and just added a Wiim Pro which is fine for streaming but has a crap DAC. However, the JDS only has a USB-B input dso the're not compatible. I have two choices:

Swap out the Wiim Pro for a better streamer DAC like the pro plus and use the amp in the JDS, or

Swap the JDS for a newer shinier dac/amp like the Fosi ZH3

I intuitively think that the second option is probably the more cost effective and future proofed, plus I like the Wiim app interface / DSP (though is the DSP in the pro executed as well as the other Wiim devices?) in which case what are my shortlist options in addition to the Fosi?

 

[gwing]

The Pro might have a "crap" DAC but it is sufficiently near perfect to the limit of audibility that you may well not get any benefit at all from upgrading it. See if you can borrow a posh DAC from a friend and try a genuine blind listening test to see if the upgrade is worth it to you.

Remember that, almost always, you get a bigger benefit in sound quality by upgrading speakers than the electronics and if you are happy with your existing amp and you can't hear a difference from a better DAC then I'd leave that other stuff alone.

 

[Bernard23]

The Pro might have a "crap" DAC but it is sufficiently near perfect to the limit of audibility that you may well not get any benefit at all from upgrading it. See if you can borrow a posh DAC from a friend and try a genuine blind listening test to see if the upgrade is worth it to you.

Remember that, almost always, you get a bigger benefit in sound quality by upgrading speakers than the electronics and if you are happy with your existing amp and you can't hear a difference from a better DAC then I'd leave that other stuff alone.

This is for a desktop headphone rig, but I've also acquired new headphones.
As it happens I bought the Fosi because with the Wiim it's more portable as in not tethered to a desktop PC, plus it has multiple inputs meaning more future proofing over the JDS.
Otherwise you're probably right I probably wouldn't be able to consistently distinguish it from something that measures better.

Backto the point I was really making, which wasn't that I thought the Pro was not good enough, but that the measurement report suggested that it wasn't good enough. It raises as always what are the thresholds in the measurements we take (assuming sufficient accuracy and consistency in the measurement system used). In practical terms, few of us are going to buy multiple items from a range of model price points and measured ability and conduct blind listening tests to decide which box we'd like to keep, surely that is cundamentallywhy forums like ASR exist, to provide some form of consistent reference to help guide potential buyers into making the right choice without having to randomly listen to as many devices as possible hoping you discover the right one for you.

 

[Pareto Pragmatic]

Third choice, adapters/converters.

Personally I would likely buy the Fosi and sell the JDS. SMSL might be another option, they tend to measure well. Topping has options too. Both have options in the same price range as Fosi.

 

[Bernard23]

Third choice, adapters/converters.

Personally I would likely buy the Fosi and sell the JDS. SMSL might be another option, they tend to measure well. Topping has options too. Both have options in the same price range as Fosi.

Why sell my JDS? It powers my active speakers attached to my pc.

The Fosi is cheap and works perfectly well. I'm happy