So I’m newer to audiophile world, so sadly I can’t really speak to the sound so well. I first bought a pair of Hifiman HE-4XX headphones, and then the Senn GSX1000 and enjoyed it for gaming and some music due to it’s presets. Then got the Amp which just boosted sound of the GSX.
Now I have the Atom Stack and have enjoyed the sounds I’m getting. Seems cleaner for sure. I haven’t adjusted any EQ settings on Windows yet (will be playing with Equalizer APO) to get things tuned for what I might like best. But so far the default sound it gives is pretty decent. For example, on the ‘music’ and ‘movie/media’ presets on the GSX, I found that the music preset had too much bass and movie preset not enough. But using the Atom stack as is with no EQ, is nice and won’t need too much fine tuning for me. I have not yet figured out a way to get all 3 to play together without adapters (but that’s not a priority).
I haven’t tried the Atom stack with gaming yet, but will today and then I’ll post an update. If I want the gaming features of GSX, I might just use it and the Amp for games like CoD MW. Otherwise I’m sure the stack as is will be fine (when positional data isn’t as crucial to staying alive).
For music, I’ve just been using Amazon Music app which has ‘Ultra HD’ (up to 24 bit / 176.4 kHz) songs to better test the stack & my HE-4XX’s out. Been happy thus far. Unfortunately I’m not experienced enough to give a real critique, but I’m sure few of the others here can do that
EDIT: Also, why the gap in between the two? Well the Atom DAC does run warm and I wanted to give more airflow. The spacer I’m using is too big, and I plan to get a few 1/2" rubber foot pads to put under the amp for that purpose.
I thought I’d drag this little guy in for some nostalgia. @FBizzle designed this 3d printed case to fit a Khadas Tone Board and stack with the Atom. I have a feeling that the real Atom DAC will be a huge success if people wanted it so bad they were designing their own.
My Atom is long gone and for some reason, I think I may have accidentally tossed my KTB! At least I can no longer find it and I threw out some of my first few trial prints.
Frank, people are still printing and enjoying that case! Look at the ASR KTB thread over the last few months. Several examples of people sharing their FBizzleDAC.
You’re an influencer and innovator in the HiFi space!
TL,DR: 110dB SINAD, just like the Topping E30 and the Khadas Tone Board. Fits very well with the 114dB JDS Atom amp indeed.
Obviously the D30 got a screen, but… not made in USA, not much of a warranty either. I say pay 30$ less and get the Atom for piece of mind. JDS Labs warranty/service is excellent.
Idea: Get the 100$ Khadas DAC and the 100$ Atom DAC and see if you can hear the difference between AKM and ESS chipsets with the exact same SINAD
Decided to install the sleepless firmware. As much as I like the 15 min automatic standby, I didn’t like the small audible transient as the DAC is reengaged. JDS says I can always revert the firmware back if I decide to enable that feature again. I’m in and out of my desk sometimes and that 15 min standby window is kind of short, imo.
Little late to this conversation but, I just ordered the Atom Amp and DAC earlier today. This is my introductory setup into the hobby. I’m looking forward to getting it hooked up.
Well… Right now I don’t really have any worthy mention, here… For now I’ll be using a pair of Edifier 1700s on the desktop. I don’t really know what I want for a headphone so, researching and trying some out to see what I like will be a new adventure.
OK. When you’re ready let us know what kinds of music you like and what aspects of sound matter most to you (bass, treble, vocals, etc.) and we’ll help you out.
Look at the ASR KTB thread over the last few months. Several examples of people sharing their FBizzleDAC.