JDS Labs ATOM DAC Review

Standalone Sound

In this section, I will try to describe what it sounds like, without the ATOM Amp. I am pairing it directly with my JBL LSR305P MkII. LSR’s are known for their sweet signature, they’re not exactly “reference”, however they do offer reasonably realistic presentation so I will be using them. Before everything else, I notice how clean the Atom’s signature is. It feels uncolored and the resolution is certainly impressive for a 99$ device.

Tonality is excellent, it does not feel artificial, it does not feel unbalanced. Everything is in their place, the instruments are nicely positioned around the vocals with ample space between each. Imaging is excellent, as well as PRaT. The neutral signature of the Atom DAC complements LSR’s beautifully. The bass response is deep and quick,  the midrange is delightfully sweet, it does not feel dry. Upper mids are vivid, yet controlled. Treble extension is marvelous for the price. The enjoyment I get out of this combination is perhaps triple the price, brilliant.

Atom Stack

Neutral, transparent, clean. These are the words that come to my mind when I try to describe the sound signature of the stack. In my opinion, JDS did an excellent job with both of the units and they sound way above their price tag. I tested the stack with several headphones and active speakers as well as my reference In-Ear monitors, Pears SH-3U. The stack does not manipulate or color the gear’s signature and lets you listen to the raw signature of the device you plug into it. That’s truly excellent for this price range.

No colouration, no particular band elevation, no artificially wide or deep staging.. It feels just right. The low region is tight, well-extended and accurate. It doesn’t overdo anything. Thunderous bass when the track calls for it. Fast and accurate response otherwise. Midrange is balanced, clear and accurate. The texture and detail is quite impressive. The tonal balance is felt throughout the spectrum, everything feels “in place”. Upper mids are controlled yet extension is great. No congestion issues.

The airy presentation does not allow fast and congested passages of tracks to bloat the stage, impressive. Cymbals and Hi-Hats are clear and easy to track. No hints of sibilance of any kind. Treble has excellent control as well, the extension, clarity and resolution of this section is very, very impressive.

Dynamics and PRaT is excellent for the price. The neutral, balanced signature and the fact that there are no dips and humps makes it quite coherent to listen to. Sound stage is not artificially wide or deep, it has a rectangular stage image with good layering. Instrument separation is very good. Background is black and clean.

Pairing with Sennheiser 58X

I have a modded Massdrop (now Drop) & Sennheiser special 58X. (Removed the grille foam and circular damper behind the driver.) This is an excellent pairing. Atom Stack complements the airy signature of 58X very very well. The clarity and resolution is quite amazing for this 330 USD combination. Extensive highs, velvet midrange, tight and fast bass. Really impressive and budget-friendly.

Pairing with Pears SH3-U

Pears’ SH3 is an excellent monitor. It’s signature is quite flat and tuned with accuracy in mind. Combining it with JDS Atom stack immediately gives you a very reference bundle. Detail-retrieval is very very impressive. The clarity, the resolution definitely impresses you the moment you put them on. Tonality feels very natural and life-like. Sound stage is wide and deep. Instruments are very well positioned and layering is excellent.

Pairing with Hifiman Deva

Hifiman’s Deva has a brilliant treble response. Plugging it to the Atom stack gives out similar results. The clarity and resolution is brilliant as well as the extension of the treble. Deva has a wide stage and features a mid-forward, airy presentation. Deva can be a little bass-light for some people and JDS Atom stack does not help this case very much though it does have a very snappy and fast bass response, which is quite awesome for a Planar headphone. Midrange is magical, tonality-wise it feels accurate and natural. Whole signature feels quite lively and energetic. If you’re okay with the flat bass response, I’d say JDS Atom stack is a great pairing to the Deva. 

Last Words

Once again, John and his team (Hey Jude!) did it. Both the DAC and the AMP are amazing for the asking price. Whether you need the stack or a standalone dac/amp, Atom is the answer.

As you can see, I can’t find anything bad about them. Missing optical out perhaps? Anyway, you get a solid bang for your buck. The accurate and neutral presentation of the stack is impressive. It doesn’t color the sound at all. Technical aspects such as PRaT, resolution, imaging punch way above its price tag. Clarity is very, very good.

At this price bracket, these should definitely be on your list. It’s build quality is good and will last for a long time. Don’t forget that JDS offers one of the best customer service in the industry so if anything bad happens, they got you covered. Give these a try! To the Recommended Buy list it goes!