JDS Labs Atom 2 DAC & Amp Stack Review & Comparison

[@Zoltan31]

Just for your reference (1:10) the Atom Dac 2 uses an ESS ES9018K2M with a custom transimpedance output stage.

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thanks!

[@ChicagoRob2]

The DAC 2’s three-per-channel OPA1692 opamps are one of the reasons it sounds so good.

[@erictracy1630]

I have their Element III MK2 dac/amp all-in-one, and I am in love with it, especially with the added functionality to EQ a range of low and high bands. It has plenty enough power to drive 99% of my headphones/IEMs. Also, their customer service is some of the best in the industry.

[@AndyAudioVault]

I can imagine that is one sweet machine

[@radiofreealbemuth]

Wow, I'm surprised this has a wider soundstage than all your other DAC/AMPs. I'm a newbie, and DAC/AMPs are very confusing to me, especially the back, because there are so many ports and cables that aren't on dongles, so I appreciate that you take the time to explain everything.

[@AndyAudioVault]

No worries, it was a pleasure. Thanks!

[@WKPersona]

JDS has always released amazing products. The Atom 2 line up is a huge step up.

[@007prana]

easy cheat sheet of the ports u need on most single ended dac/amp stacks: 1. power - usually plugs to wall 2. data - usually USB, goes to PC/phone 3. RCA - the white/red cables, for left and right sound channels, connects the DAC to the Amp.

[@radiofreealbemuth]

@007prana ah, ive always wondered why there are multiple red and white ports in the back, instead of just a singular plug to avoid mismatching the colors. Do you know what the RCA out on the amplifier is for?

[@007prana]

@@radiofreealbemuth im not sure, but my guess is to connect to a speaker amp and use the headphone amp as a preamp

[@belselkel]

Great review, great video. Good to see you reviewing desk top gear Andy

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thank you, I really want to expand my coverage. Hope to do more of this

[@dilankalpa]

Hi Andy, How does this stack compare to Fiio Q15 Desktop Mode ?

[@AndyAudioVault]

Atom 2 stack sounds more open and wider, more air and decays extension, but Q15 has slight edge on sound texture richness and also a bit more analog (AKM trait). Both super excellent in their own right

[@dilankalpa]

@@AndyAudioVault Appreciate your reply 🙂

[@FrantaPo-bc5mu]

@@AndyAudioVaultNow replace the Atom DAC with the Q15 ! 😁

[@jonathan.singer]

Great to see you starting to look at desktop DAC/amps. Thanks for being so thorough and detailed in your review! You mentioned that this stack has the most open soundstage out of the ones you've tried. Just wondering; does that include height or just width/depth? I've only used dongles so far, but I'm looking to increase the soundstage of my IEMs for PC games. The height of the soundstage in particular, for that purpose, is lacking with all the dongles I've tried so far, making it difficult to determine if sounds are coming from above or below me.

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thanks. In the case of Atom 2, it pertains to width and expanse, wide open. The height remained normal. If you looking for more holographic with height, I would say BURSON Audio Playmate 2 does it better, I am not sure which dongles you use, but if this is important to you, perhaps you should consider Shanling UA4, iBasso DC06Pro or FiiO KA17, I think they are more suited for the purpose of your usage

[@jonathan.singer]

@@AndyAudioVault Thank you for taking the time! I'll definitely look into those suggestions. I've been using a Questyle M12i and Moondrop Dawn Pro. I've found the M12i and Dawn Pro to be fairly similar in terms of soundstage, though I much prefer the overall presentation of the M12i's sound.

[@TC-bz8sm]

Awesome and helpful advice !! What’d you choose a dongle that preforms close to the Atom stack , with the same timber or organic sound sand open / wide soundstage ? Will be interesting to hear your take !

[@AndyAudioVault]

None of my existing dongles can match JDS Labs Atom 2 DAC/Amp with soundstage. The closest one would be the likes of iBasso DC04Pro or FiiO BTR15 or EPZ TP50 all of them already wide open sounding with good analog balance

[@chrisasmith75]

Just ordered this to replace my Fiio k7! It was between this and the fiio k9 akm. It comes on Wednesday and I'm pumped to test it against my k7!

[@Raynoxfps]

Any updates ? How do u like it and how does it compare to the k9 akm ? (Maybe for Gaming)

[@chrisasmith75]

@Raynoxfps Never tried the K9. The Atom Stack 2 is definitely much cleaner sounding than the k7 with much more detail but it's more fatigueing.

[@Raynoxfps]

@@chrisasmith75 thank you for your fast answer

[@Raynoxfps]

@ maybe fatiguing because of your headphones ? I didnt read anything about it beeing fatiguing

[@chrisasmith75]

​@Raynoxfps The K7 is warmer but dulled in the details. So my Focal Clear was definitely clearer, but brighter. If anything I think the k7 is just warm but dry and the Atom 2 is neutral? The Atom 2 is really good an upgrade over the k7. I've been using the Focal Hadenys through them now and they're a match made in heaven.

[@Thunderstyle7]

I run the Topping D10s with an Atom Amp+ powering my HD6xx. The female vocals finally managed to sound good on this setup and I feel that's one of the most difficult things to get right on a budget. At least for my sensitive ears. For my Atom Amp+ and HD6xx I must run high gain for the headphone to truly match my listening preference. This is after many volume match tests. They just seem to want that extra power... Also did you try to mix and match the DACs and AMPs you brought out in your review? I've been thinking of replacing the D10s with the Atom Dac 2, but I wonder if there's any point. Thank you for the great video.

[@AndyAudioVault]

I haven't tried mix and match my DAC/Amps much. Your setup with D10S as the DAC and Atom Amp+ is already a very potent combo. As always it's the amp that will determine the final output and I personally wouldn't pair something like D10S with Topping own A50s as they would sound lifeless and sterile

[@_ludba]

Thank you for the review, well done!

[@AndyAudioVault]

My pleasure!

[@GLENNMPHOTOGRAPHY]

I'm curios, is the soundstage from DAC or AMP ? Or from the combination of both? Can I have somehow similar results if I get JDS Labs DAC and partner it with cheaper Aiyima or Fosi amp? Very nice review by the way! As always, Thank you for giving us ideas on what to get for this hobby.

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thanks man. The final chain of the stack will always determine the output. In this case it is largely amplified by Atom 2 Amp. A DAC can only emit sound with the help of an amp, because Atom 2 DAC is a pure DAC without any amp module. On integrated systems, same rule apply, DAC -> Integrated Amp, the amp stage determines the soundstage and pretty much all aspect of analog output (DAC is digital stage)

[@GLENNMPHOTOGRAPHY]

@@AndyAudioVault Thank you. I'm learning a lot. Now I know what to get next time. Btw, Is this JDS for sale? hahaha.

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@GLENNMPHOTOGRAPHY NOT for sale, lol. It is my reference stack now 😁

[@Nordi1_0745]

Thank you Andy for your review! Can Atom 2 be compared somehow to dongles such as TP50? Especially when using Over ear cans such as HD600 or more power hungry like K701? or TP50 and FC6 will do the job with almost the same authority? Thanks!

[@AndyAudioVault]

Yes, if you check my TP50 review, I did mentioned how close TP50 is to the stack of Atom 2 when driving HD600, TP50 is like 85-90% near to Atom 2 performance. The same can be said for FC6 and really many other dongles especially the likes of Yuki, RU7 or DC-Elite. But of course Atom 2 remains the one with the most open and wide soundstage

[@guillermobrito4987]

Great review as always Andy. Just want to move my Fc4 out my desk (was attached to a Douk u10) and was looking for a new stack. How u compare the atom stack against the Modi/Magni Schiit stack? they are in the same price bracket.

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thanks. I wish I could tell you but I really have no idea about Schiit stuffs, never tried any one of them yet. Sorry

[@007prana]

thanks for the review uncle, i was considering to get these as well but ended up with a topping and fiio stack 😁

[@AndyAudioVault]

My pleasure

[@MuzdokOfficial]

i have this stack and its great!

[@Stylianos.]

Good morning from Greece Andy , one question since I don't have experience with desktop amps... Can this JLab AMP 2 be connected with a dongle DAC , like HiBy FC6 through aux or any other way ? Thanks again edit . I am trying to drive Sundara

[@AndyAudioVault]

Yes of course, FC6 can feed line in to Atom2 Amp. But I personally would not want to do that, FC6 alone is already great for Sundara, what you will be doing is double amping and that could introduce micro distortion

[@Stylianos.]

@@AndyAudioVault Ohh okay thank you for the feedback. So is it more recommended to use a Desktop DAC or the Atom 2 DAC ?

[@qazedout]

This is a great review

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thank you!

[@paulwoaert]

The Burson Audio Playmate 2 is a DAC or an amp? I mean: if it's a Dac, does Burson offer an amp to create a set (a combo) ?

[@AndyAudioVault]

Playmate 2 is an integrated DAC/Amp with 9038Q2M DAC and Class A amp module, I think Burson have a model just for amp

[@paulwoaert]

@@AndyAudioVault But which of the two is the most decisive element for the sound result, the dac or the amp ? I mainly use my Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro 250 ohm headphones on my MacBook Air M2 (this Macbook of 2022 - bought in 2023 - has a headphone output compatible with high impedance headphones). I particularly like when you say that these JDS Atom Amp + Dac offer the widest sound and widest openness you have ever experienced (even wider than the sound of the Burson Audio Playmate 2?). Do you mean that this openness and width of sound is superior to that of the iFi Audio Zen DAC/CAN tandem ? I already have the iFi Zen Dac and iFi Zen Can, it's why I ask this question.

[@paulwoaert]

@@AndyAudioVault I have the iFi audio Zen Dac and Zen CAN. I think that, given the excellent internal DAC of the MacBook Air M2 which is designed for its compatibility with high impedance professional headphones, I don't really need the Zen DAC anymore. But I want to continue to use the Zen CAN for volume amplification, occasional bass boost, etc. So my question is about connecting the Zen CAN to the MacBook. The 2 RCA cables on the back of the Zen CAN (right and left) plug into the RCA ports on the back of the Zen DAC. But since I won't have the Zen DAC anymore, I absolutely have to plug the RCA cables from the Zen CAN into my MacBook. To do this I have 2 possible choices: 1) connect the RCA cables from Zen CAN to the USB-C port of my MacBook (via RCA to USB-C adapter). 2) connect the RCA cables from the Zen CAN to the headphone jack 3.5 mm of the MacBook (again with a female RCA to macbook headphone input setup). In other words, should the Zen CAN amp or any other amp model be plugged into the computer preferably into the computer's USB-C port or into the 3.5mm headphone jack of the computer? I mean for better sound quality transmission.

[@benlee6991]

That's good review about JDS Lab Atom Line from Malaysia. Thumb up!! I'm also interesting on these product but can't find any dealer in Malaysia. How you can get these goods? Shipping from US?

[@AndyAudioVault]

Thanks, I don't see them in Malaysian seller as well. You can buy online directly from the link I included in the description. Shipping from US

[@benlee6991]

@@AndyAudioVault Any custom tax applied?

[@benlee6991]

@@AndyAudioVault fast reply, helpful channel👍🏻

[@Error_4x5]

For any guy with common sense, this is the last dac/amp that you'll ever need

[@AthamAldecua]

Planning on grabbing this stack soon!

[@theentirestateofalaska.4983]

Alright I'm trusting you, I'll purchase it in like a year

[@Error_4x5]

@@theentirestateofalaska.4983 You'll love it, like I love mine, lol

[@cyclode9584]

I have zen dac v2 now for future proof i want to change to this stack. In terms of sound quality which will you choose this or zen stack? Thanks

[@AndyAudioVault]

I used to own ZEN DAC V2 + ZEN Can stack, and I sold it off because I find that a dongle like xDuoo Link2 BAL totally was able to provide more open sound than that Zen stack. So yes, since you asked me, personally I would choose ATOM 2 Stack over ZEN stack any day, ATOM 2 stack sounds more open and flowing with better balanced tuning all over

[@cyclode9584]

@@AndyAudioVault big thanks. Im just an avid gamer and casually listen to music sometimes and yeah i like the openess and sound stage of my ananda planning to add he6se v2 soon. I have one worry i love the power match and truebass in zen dac

[@Syah2752]

Makes me want to get a dedicated desktop dac/amp again. I sold my Fiio K7 for the Fiio KA5 since I don't use headphones anymore and because it's less versatile against bass boosted sound signature from my listening. The K7 has the slight extra bass which I cannot stand when using bass boosted or balanced iems. Just too much bass quantity for me. And how it feels like it smoothens out the spiciness makes it a bit bland. I need the peaks🤣. Overall it's a very capable dac/amp combo, but not for me. Really enjoyed it with my Sundara and Chu OG.

[@chrisasmith75]

I find the k7 muddy. I just ordered the atom 2 stack. I'll compare and get back to you.

[@Syah2752]

@@chrisasmith75 It was my first dac/amp, so maybe there were some points I never realized

[@chrisasmith75]

@Syah2752 Atom stack 2 is better in every way other than the k7 being a bit warmer. Atom is clearer, more open, more punchy, just overall more pleasing.

[@amanieux]

for iem only, how does this kind of destop stack compares with dongles ? does it is also making a siginificant difference on iems or is it only making sense for full size headphones ?

[@AndyAudioVault]

These sort of stacks ot DAC/Amps that offer beyond 2000 mW of power makes more sense for full sized hard to drive scalable headphones. With so many IEMs designed to be super efficient, many dongles can even be overkill for them. But some IEMs that are highly scalable especially planars does benefit from the extra juices, usually translate into stronger and more solid dynamics. But for highly sensitive hybrids especially, you may even want to avoid using them with stacks

[@amanieux]

You mean Avoid these stack for iems because these stacks have high output impedance and this changes the bass (like we can do with impedance adapters) ? You may want to mention this important information in this kind of video because i think a lot of your viewers are using iems.

[@AndyAudioVault]

@@amanieux The output impedance of Atom 2 Amp is just 0.7 Ohm, not even 1 Ohm and practically even lower than most other portable amps

[@amanieux]

@@AndyAudioVault thanks i had a wrong idea that all desktop dac have a high output impedance, so what is causing problem on iems on this jds labs stack ?

[@ocean21990]

Hello , greetings from India , can you please review the Kiwi Ears Quintet in the upcoming weeks

[@AndyAudioVault]

Hello hello. I can only review what is available to me and I have no idea when I would be able to get a Quintet here in Malaysia, as much as I like to, I can't promise when. Thanks

[@rapmeister5242]

I know it may be unfair but how would you compare it to dongles? Say the all time best, FC6? I'm asking as one who uses dongle (RU7) as a desktop DAC/Amp using its lineout capabilities.

[@AndyAudioVault]

FC6, DACport HD and FiiO Q15 offers denser sound texture even compared to BURSON Audio Playmate 2 and JDS Stack, driving HD600, but the JDS stack of course offers outright better headroom, way more wide staging, more impact and authority on dynamic transients. I would say the top performing dongles scale up between 80-85% of what my desktop DAC/Amps offers (for anything over 300 Ohm or sensitivity under 100 dB)

[@XeonX__ASMR__METAL-experiments]

👍

[@chrisasmith75]

Is this an upgrade over the Fiio K7?

[@AndyAudioVault]

Yes absolutely

[@chrisasmith75]

@donglemadness Thanks for the faat reply. I just got the Fiio KA17 because of your recommendation and I honestly think it sounds better than the k7.

[@MuzdokOfficial]

so do you think the stack open up the hd600? i also use it with hd600

[@AndyAudioVault]

Yes, one of the best to use with HD600

[@MuzdokOfficial]

@@AndyAudioVault nice i did my homeworks as I often do😆thanks. good review

[@MuzdokOfficial]

are you running your gpu externally from your case?

[@AndyAudioVault]

The one you see here is an ultra compact Mini ITX case which barely have enough mounting point to secure the RTX4090, bridged to a MSI Micro ITX Mobo

[@MuzdokOfficial]

@@AndyAudioVault oh ok i also have a asus tuf 4090 i know how big a brick they are 😆

[@jacobs687]

would this be good for gaming purposes?

[@AndyAudioVault]

While Atom 2 offers wide open sound, for gaming I believe you could be better served with Fosi Audio K5 Pro instead, more holographic with spatial imaging. I use Atom 2 largely for Music, but yes it is good enough for gaming

[@siddheshdeshpande7183]

How does it compare with Topping A50 iii?

[@AndyAudioVault]

Atom 2 DAC/Amp offers superior and more analog/natural timbre with wide open sound versus the highly clinical, technical yet sterile sounding Topping A50

[@zDennii]

Saw this type of JDS things a while ago on ZReviews but must admit for me personally they would be to expensive. Import and Taxes goes over 100€ for me so its kinda sad that they dont made it more available for outside of the US. It would be a Banger for the price for sure. Next Days I will test your Magtame recommendation :D with coupon it was only 15€ for one Cable kinda okey for the usage that it will have. I guess I will be stuck with my Prime dac and getting another Amp for it would be to expensive for me aswell but thats the Reason why I love your DongleMadness part.

[@AndyAudioVault]

I feel your pain, that is too much money to pay for import/tax. I hope JDS Labs can expand their storefront to more accessible international sources

[@wedrinkfitness180]

@@AndyAudioVault How much do we need to pay if we were to purchase the stack and shipped to Malaysia?

[@ufopulse]

No idea what dac chip?

[@AndyAudioVault]

It would be nice to know, if someone know anything about it. But it is not important at all to me, what's more important the output is amazing as it is

[@ChicagoRob2]

ES9018K2M