I currently have the iFi Audio Micro iDSD Black Label. It has served me well but is having issues with the IEM matching switch malfunctioning and was looking to upgrade. I currently use IEMs and Sundara headphones with it. I was looking at the Topping DX3 Pro+ for a replacement but didn’t know if anyone else had any thoughts about different options under $300.
Jds labs atom 2 Coukd be a good option. Or just a single dongle could be great.
I forgot to mention I need RCA outputs as I will be using external speakers connected to a separate amp also.
I second this and if you need the stack it still comes in under $300. Probably the best bang for buck stack out there and it comes with pre outs.
Jds atom 2 has rca out.
I just got an SMSL DL100 and it’s really nice. Plenty of power for the Hifiman Deva Pro Wired, also it’s big enough to sit a full sized amplifier on it down the road if more power is needed. It runs ice cold, one gain setting for 1.5 watts into 32 ohm, and it’s a 5.2 volt output DAC. It was $180 on Amazon, and since it’s new the warranty is doubled. It’s got RCA and XLR outputs, not the 1/4" balanced (I don’t like them just because of how many XLR cables I have already).
I just saw that and the DL200. I didn’t know about them as there isn’t many reviews of them.
JDS Labs Atom 2
The alternatives that others have mentioned from JDS labs & Schiit Audio are both solid options, but it would depend what type of sound signature you are looking for. Your music genres would also come into play.
In my experience Hifiman headphones pair nicely with Schiit Audio gear, yet like I said earlier it depends what type of sound you are looking for.
I listen to all genres of music except country.
One of the beauties of the JDS Labs Atom amp, besides providing ample, CLEAN power at a cheap price, is a lack of colorization. It’s one of the more neutral amps I’ve heard, which is attractive to me.
I listen to all genres of music on my end as well, and I prefer a little coloration in my amps, and I tend to stay away from most of the Topping lineup as a result. As others have already mentioned JDS labs offerings are leaning neutral so the headphone itself will take center stage (for good or for worse depending on your tastes).
Schiit Audio definitely likes their house sound and turn it up or down depending on the model. Low end will normally have more impact, and mids are center focus. The top end is reasonably extended, but not piercingly painful. DAC implementation will play a role in all of this as well. I have recommended one variation of the Magni or another to friends looking for a solid solution that won’t break the bank. One of which is using it to power my old Sundara headphone I gifted him after moving onto the Arya V3. Another is using his Magni to power his HD650. Both of them are happy with the sound.
Like I said earlier, both solutions are solid offerings depending on the sound you are looking for.