Last Buy

EL DAC II+

Name: EL DAC II+
Rating: 5.0 (2 reviews)

This product has been discontinued. You might be interested in Atom DAC 2.

Atom DAC 2

$149.00

Covered by our 2-year transferable warranty

Simplified Audio, Re-engineered

We designed the Element Line for precision fit and function. EL DAC II+ furthers the exceptional performance of its predecessor with relay muting, an XMOS based UAC2 engine with PCM and DSD support, transformer isolated coaxial input, and a higher performance optical input. Optionally choose Balanced Outputs for the flexibility of connecting to any amplifier, or choose a BT5 Module for wireless streaming. Stack with EL Amp II+ or EL Amp II+ Balanced for single button switching between headphones and speakers.

“

EL DAC II+ is unexceptionally well-executed DAC. I have no doubt that you (or I) could spend far more but I'm not sure you can get anything better anywhere near this price.

TNT-Audio Reviews JDS Labs EL DAC II+, July 2023

Gallery

Features

MEMS Oscillator

EL DAC II+'s USB engine is clocked by an SiTime MEMS oscillator, delivering pristine jitter.

Relay Muting

Microprocessor controlled relays are standard in EL DAC II+ so that power up and input mode changes are free of audible transients.

USB Audio Class 2

EL DAC II+ supports up to 32/384kHz PCM over a custom XMOS XU208 based UAC2 engine. While we claim no measurable superiority of high sampling rates, UAC2 and ASIO support satisfy your pursuit of bitperfect listening.

Externally Powered

EL DAC II+ is powered by a perfected supply network, with an external AC transformer and 14 regulators that ensure consistent rail voltage and super low ripple. Never be bothered by USB hubs or OS power difficulties again.

Light Ring

Enjoy the presence of your EL DAC II+ with front and center mode selection via a touch-sensitive light ring.

Differential Summing Output

Differential output of an ESS Sabre DAC is paired with our unique, DC coupled, precision tuned I/V converter with three stages per channel, or six NJM opamps in total. Optional Balanced TRS Outputs and single-ended RCA Outputs provide flexibility of connecting to any amplifier.

Transformer Isolated S/PDIF

Coaxial S/PDIF input is isolated using a Pulse transformer to minimize the possibility of ground loop noise.

ASIO and DSD Support

EL DAC II+ provides an ASIO endpoint and automatic handling of PCM and DSD playback. Live sampling rate and status mode information is available in the XMOS control panel.

Upgradeable Firmware

Our custom XMOS based firmware configures and manages EL DAC II+'s USB input and DAC, with DFU support for possible future feature additions.

Optional Bluetooth 5

An optional Bluetooth 5.1 module feeds the received digital audio signal directly to the DAC via S/PDIF, relying on ESS's patented jitter recovery to deliver maximum performance from the wireless transmission.

Customer Reviews

Dec 13, 2024

Great option if you need a balanced connection

I bought it because I need to run long cables (aprox 15m) from my source (a laptop) to my preamp. It does the job, the sound is transparent and the build quality and design are great.

Rafael G.

Verified Buyer

Aug 19, 2024

I’ve spent quite a bit of time this weekend listening to my new EL Dac 2+.It’s paired with a Yamaha cds 303 which I thought sounded pretty good with the internal dac. I was mistaken about that. I never dreamed what I was missing. This relatively inexpensive (379.00) cd player now sounds like something much more expensive. My cd’s have never sounded so good. I’m guessing you probably hear this frequently. Thank you for making such a wonderful, quality product! I’m glad my search for my first dac led me to JDS. Thanks again

Cliff

Verified Buyer

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Specifications

DAC Performance

Frequency Response 10Hz-20kHz +/- 0.12 dB
SINAD @ 1kHz, 20-22.4kHz > 112 dB
THD+N, 20Hz-20kHz < 0.0004%
SNR, 20Hz-20kHz > 117 dB
IMD CCIF, 19/20 kHz -6 dBFS -115 dB
Noise, A-Weighted -112 dBV
Dynamic Range, AES17, A-Weighted 120 dB
Linearity Error -90 dBFS -0.02 dB
Crosstalk, 1kHz, 100k Input -132 dB
Maximum Single-Ended Output (RCA) 2.0 VRMS
Maximum Balanced Output (TRS) 4.0 VRMS
USB Jitter Components @ 12kHz -130 dB
PCB Stackup 4 Layers

Dimensions

Case Dimensions 5.8 x 5.8 x 0.9 in
Weight 13 oz

Data Support

Audio Formats (USB) 16/44.1kHz thru 32/384kHz PCM, DSD64-DSD128
Audio Formats (S/PDIF) 16/44.1kHz thru 24/192kHz ^1.
USB Interface UAC2 with UAC1 Fallback ^2.
USB Driver OS Support Windows 10/11, macOS, iOS, Linux, Android, PS4/PS5, Nintendo Switch ^3.
Bluetooth 5.1 SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Low Latency ^4.

Connectivity

Digital Inputs USB, TOSLINK, and Coaxial S/PDIF
Line-Output (SE) RCA
Line-Output (Balanced) TRS ^5.

^1. Many sources are unable to reliably transmit at 192kHz.
^2. UAC1 supported by UAC1 Fallback Cable, sold separately
^3. Appropriate cables are required for Android, iOS, and PS5
^4. Bluetooth mode requires optional BT5 Module
^5. Balanced Outputs are installed by default. Please note the optional BT5 module takes the place of Balanced Outputs.

Packaged Items

EL DAC II+
15VAC Power Adapter → Please note current batch is labelled '14VAC 500mA'
3ft USB Type B-C Cable with C-A adapter and Ferrite

Drivers

XMOS Driver v5.72 for Win 10/11
XMOS driver v5.70 supports Windows 10/11 under x86/x64/arm64 and is optional. No drivers are required for macOS, Linux, or Windows 10/11.

This driver enables ASIO support, provides the ability to view and adjust Buffer Settings (latency), supports 16/24/32-bitrates, and adds full DSD64-128 support to Atom DAC+, Atom DAC 2, EL DAC II+, and Element III (MK2), and Element IV.

All XMOS based JDS Labs DACs are supported, including:
- Element IV
- Element III (MK2)
- Atom DAC 2
- Atom DAC(+)
- EL DAC II(+)
- Element II
This driver is developed and maintained by Thesycon, and licensed to JDS Labs. Please find the full change log at TUSBAudio_history.txt.
Optional - XMOS Firmware Update Utility (DFU) for Win 10/11
This optional application for Windows 10/11 allows you to install firmware updates to XMOS based JDS Labs DACS, including:
- Element III
- Element II
- EL DAC II(+)
- Atom DAC(+)
- Atom DAC 2
To use, unzip the folder and follow instructions in the article How to Install an XMOS Firmware Update.
XMOS Driver v4.13.0 for Win7/8 - EL DAC II

Archived XMOS driver v4.13.0 is required for UAC2 in Windows 7/8. Alternatively, you may use UAC1 fallback.

For Win10/11, please use the most recent XMOS driver v5.30.0.

Firmware

EL DAC II+ Firmware v2.1.2

WINDOWS 10/11 INSTALLATION
Please install the latest XMOS Driver, then use the Optional XMOS Driver and XMOS Firmware Update Utility (DFU).

MAC OR LINUX INSTALLATION
Please refer to: https://github.com/jdslabs/xmos_dfu

Please refer to included README.txt for further information. Detailed installation guidance for all operating systems can also be found in the article, How to Install an XMOS Firmware Update

CHANGELOG

v2.1.2 (Released Nov 09, 2022)
* Mute output when USB audio is inactive, to prevent unexpected sounds from Linux or Android systems

v2.1.0 (Released Feb 23, 2022)

* Updated core XUD, USB, and I2C libraries
* Move to RAM based-settings developed for Element III
* Enforce de-emphasis OFF in USB mode, and Auto de-emphasis in S/PDIF mode
* Improved error handling when USB Host is in standby
* Faster mode switching
* Changed default DPLL from 5 to 7 to improve general compatibility with 4k TVs
* Improved UAC1 Descriptors to support Nintendo Switch
* Disable operating system volume controls by default: Support PS4/PS5

Warning: EL DAC II+ firmware is NOT compatible with EL DAC II. For more information, please see Custom Firmware Builds.