Amps + DACs
Element III MK2
$449
In Stock
- Covered by our 2-year transferable warranty
Simplified Audio, Reimagined
We’ve reimagined our flagship amp+DAC to create a listening experience you will notice and appreciate. Element III operates on our second-generation XMOS hardware and firmware, blissfully integrated with a custom encoder. You’ll hear perfect channel balance down to the black noise floor. Automatic gain helps you focus on listening rather than button pressing, and an auto-vanishing display presents the essentials while you toggle between USB and Optical inputs and headphone or preamp outputs. Element III MK2 upgrades the iconic knob with a discrete, optical encoder for unmatched feel. And we’ve added a 2-band EQ to adjust bass and treble to your taste, along with DSD support, selectable DAC filters, and more. Element III MK2 is designed and built in the USA.
Gallery
Features
Auto Gain
We regularly hear from customers fretting over when to use gain. Element III eliminates this confusion by automatically toggling gain for you at exactly the right volume level. As you turn the knob beyond 0 dB, high gain activates and volume is compensated for a near seamless transition to higher listening levels.
Perfect Channel Balance
Element III delivers audibly perfect channel balance all the way down to -127.5 dBFS. You'll immediately hear and appreciate soundstage accuracy.
OLED Display & Options
An OLED display momentarily presents status information while you interact, then powers down to minimize distractions. The Options menu further allows you to adjust OLED and backlighting LED behaviors, DAC filters, and more.
Exceptional Power
Element III's rail-to-rail gain stage provides extra headroom and no distortion penalty when listening at high gain versus low gain. With +/-15VDC rails and continuous clean power, Element III drives all headphones on the market to extraordinary levels, from balanced armatures to planar magnetics. Think you need even more? Choose Boosted Power!
Preamp Outputs
Element III provides preamp RCA outputs so that you can control volume of your powered speakers. Volume of preamp output is managed separately from the headphone output for quick toggling.
Customizeable Buttons
The tactile knob button can be assigned to toggle between headphones and speakers, or to toggle between USB and optical inputs. No need to disconnect cables!
Relay Muting & Safety
Designed for desktop listening, Element III's full relay muting eliminates pops and thumps during startup through both its headphone and preamp outputs. And for extra safety, Element III's dual, independent processors continuously monitor internal communications and verify volume of the ESS DAC.
Parametric Bass & Treble EQ
Element III's latest firmware adds a 2-band DSP engine: Parametric bass boost and treble controls coordinate perfectly with auto volume and gain logic. Equalization runs in real-time with virtually no impact on THD. Tweak your headphones to your taste, without extra hardware or software!
USB Audio Class 2 - PCM & DSD
Element III supports up to 32/384kHz PCM and DSD128 through our second generation XMOS XU208 engine. While we claim no measurable superiority of high sampling rates, UAC2 with an ASIO endpoint will satisfy your pursuit of high fidelity listening.
Mains Isolation
Element III's amplifier and DAC are 100% powered by its external AC transformer, with 13 regulators ensuring consistent rail voltage, super low ripple, and mains isolation.
Specifications
Performance
- Frequency Response 20-20kHz +/- 0.11 dB
- SINAD, 1kHz Low Gain 112.5 dB
- SINAD, 1kHz High Gain 112 dB
- THD+N Sweep 20-20kHz < 0.0004%
- IMD CCIF 19/20 kHz -6 dBFS -101 dB
- IMD SMPTE @ -20dBFS -95 dB
- Signal to Noise Ratio 117.7 dB
- Noise Level -112 dBV
- Dynamic Range (A-Weighted) 120 dB
- Linearity Error -90 dBFS -0.01 dB
- Crosstalk @ 0 dBFS, 100k RCA -130 dB
- Jitter Components – USB @ 12kHz, DPLL 5 -131 dB
- Jitter Components – S/PDIF @ 12kHz DPLL 5 -130 dB
- Channel Balance, -∞ to 0 dBFS +/- 0.01 dB
- Output Impedance < 0.7 Ω
- Max Continuous Power @ 600 Ω 146 mW (9.37 VRMS)
- Max Continuous Power @ 150 Ω 584 mW (9.36 VRMS)
- Max Continuous Power @ 32 Ω - Standard 1.3 W (6.43 VRMS)
- Max Continuous Power @ 32 Ω - Boosted 2.3W (8.68 VRMS)
Dimensions
- Enclosure Dimensions 5.8 x 5.8 x 1.6 in
- Weight 19 oz
Data Support
Connectivity
- Digital Inputs USB Type B and TOSLINK
- Headphone Output 6.35mm (1/4")
- Preamp Outputs RCA
Configuration
- Gain Auto Toggling 1.0x and 4.73x (+13.5dB)
- Volume Attenuation Discrete Encoder, 255 steps
- 1. UAC2 or UAC1 can be selected in the Options menu
- 2. Appropriate cables are required for Android and iOS. Must use UAC1 mode with Win XP/7/8, PS4, or PS5.
- 3. Some TOSLINK sources are unable to reliably transmit at 192kHz.
Packaged Items
- Element III MK2 (Amplifier+DAC)
- 16VAC Power Adapter
- 3ft USB Type A to Type B Cable w/Ferrite
Drivers
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XMOS Driver v5.68 for Win 10/11
XMOS driver v5.68 supports Windows 10/11, 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).
All XMOS based JDS Labs DACs are supported, including:
- 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.
Firmware
-
Element III - Firmware v2.5.2
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
Abbreviated Changelogv2.5.2 (Released July 21, 2023)
* Resolved bug in cached treble/bass values when transitioning between output modes.v2.5.1 (Released June 13, 2023)
* DSP Performance Updates:
- Optimized DSP stages to achieve static-free PCM 352.8kHz and 384kHz support
- Adjusted DoP detection state machine within DSP stages to improve performance
* Corrected volume compensation for negative DSP gains
* Updated Treble DSP Frequency options to: [3k, 4k, 6k, 8k, 9k, 10k, 12k, 14k]
v2.5.0 (Released May 31, 2023)
* Added parametric bass and treble EQ! Conditional DSP implemented in PCM audio path, using 1 dedicated core per biquad filter with Q = 0.707, dynamically configuring volume and gain for optimal listening
* Reboot in rare event of 5+ serial resets (0 events observed in testing)
* Menu and UI improvements
* Display updates
...[Please see v2.51 Readme for full Changelog]
Instructions & Guides
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