One stop headphone solution
I've been a long time supporter of JDS Labs products. When I started my desktop audio journey, I sourced an Atom that continues to serve me well. After my DAC from another brand started to become unstable, I ordered an Element IV as an upgrade to my setup. The Element IV has a great software interface with Core, offering lots of customization. Having per-output EQ and volume settings stored on the device makes this device a game changer. The device runs warm, but never gets hot. I use the RCA out for a speaker amplifier and I love that I'm able to toggle without unplugging my headphones, unlike my old Atom amp. It's hard not to recommend the device. It's truly a one stop option for a powerful and performant DAC/Amp with great finish and build quality. Thank you JDS Labs!
Absolutely Fantastic
I am so pleased with this device. I was a little annoyed at first, as it exposed a glaring ground fault I didn't have to deal with on my outgoing DAC (Schiit Jotunheim 2), as it had proper balanced outputs. That being said, after adding a Synapse, I am very happy. The thing is just sexy. It looks and feels incredibly well made. I opted for the resin encoder knob and love the look of it. My DMS Omegas sound incredible, and the built-in DSP with EQ is such a brilliant idea it makes you wonder why no one else has done it before. The fact it remembers separate DSP settings for headphone and RCA outputs as well as separate volume settings, it just exudes an attention to detail you don't see it many other brands. I especially love the ability to swap between headphone and RCA outputs with a tap. While I could do this with my old DAC, the whole virtual encoder thing makes it a lot more convenient. No more accidentally waking up my spouse in the room over because I forgot to lower the volume when switching to my speakers. Just great, great gear. I've been a Schiit user for years, and I am now wholeheartedly a convert to JDS. When are we going to see some amps for proper, big speakers?
Amazing. (For speakers too!)
It instantly breathed new life into an expensive pair of planar magnetics, previously sitting disused on a shelf. It is a game-changer for my speakers. I turned off the DSP on my 13" sub; got rid of the 50Hz hot spot on my bookshelf speakers (no EQ previously possible); and now EQ both sub and speakers from one UI, providing a near-linear frequency response curve.
Super interface and amazing sound.
I love the tactile feel of the volume knob. Really intuitive DSP interface and ever so slightly warm, yet super spacious and detailed sound on my Ayra Stealth. Amazing driving power. Never even need the high gain. Not as clinical as the Topping offerings . Great communication and customer service.
Get out of the way
In my journey to find audio nirvana, I’ve tried many different forms of amplification and DACs. In that time, I’ve always felt like there was a compromise somewhere. For the first time in a while, I feel like the element iv has just gotten out of the way and had me enjoying music for the sake of the music. The design and build quality is impeccable, the giant knob is tactile and satisfying, and best of all the specs back it all up as an extremely transparent, neutral, revealing amp that just lets your headphones and music shine. The implementation of the new JDS core eq platform has helped take things to another level. It’s been flawless so far and being able to do away with third party programs simplifies things. Again, just getting out of the way and out of your thoughts. I’d be nice to eventually be able to add multiple shelves but this is still in beta and I have absolute confidence that JDS will be supporting this for the long haul. If you’re looking for a reference quality amp/dac for a fair price, from a company with an incredible reputation for being responsive to its customers needs, then look no further. The JDS Element IV is the last stop on the train. Hop off and get back to enjoying the tunes. Thanks JDS!
Is there really any need for more?
Sorry English isn't my first language so forgive me for any grammatical mistake I'll make. I've set on purchasing this dac amp from Goldensound's review and man did it not disappoint, this competes really well against the many multi-kilobuck DAPs such as DX340 and SP3k out there effortlessly. This also works well with both IEMS and Headphones effortlessly unlike most amps out there which only does 1 thing well. Coming from an Onix xl1, this is exactly what I'm looking for bass impact and upper treble is just on another level. Also for those who are stingy about build quality and design JDS is the company for you, he's actively reached out on some design errors on my part and made corrections on an already engraved knob for free. I've exchanged over 19 emails with John (sorry John if you are reading this) to correct the design and he as responded in less than 10 minutes for each and I mean EACH of the email despite me living in SEA and having massive timezone differences. Absolutely stellar product and customer support from JDS labs and would definitely be a returning customer!
Incredible upgrade
Had the first gen and finally decided to try out the element iv. Honestly wasn’t expecting a difference but wow, I instantly could tell how much more “crisp” my music felt.
I have had a passion for sound and technology for 40+ years and I am a gamer at heart. I have the Sound Blaster G6, Arc MKII Mayflower, iFi Micro iDSD Black Label, and BursonConductor 3XP. My Headsets are Focal Clear, Audeze LCD-X, Arya HiFiman, Sennheiser 58xx and a few others.
I have been looking for an external Amp / DAC / Sound Card that I can use for gaming and music that is as good or better than my HT Omega eClaro internal sound card which I really, really like a lot. The only reason I started looking even more recently for a different sound solution was because I was experiencing a coil whine on my new PC build when gaming with a headset and I couldn't take it any longer hearing the small whining noise. Internal sound cards no matter how good they are can be susceptible to noise issues.
I must say that to me the Element IV with the Core Web Portal and being an external device is a game changer! The sound is clear, crisp, no extra noise / distortion and detailed which really helps when gaming and enjoying different kinds of music. I love the fact you can add more treble or bass to any headphone if it needs it through the Core sound adjustments or you can fix any trouble frequencies your headphones might have! I LOVE my Sennheiser 58xx Headset combo with the Element IV (especially after some of my personal tweaks to the Core EQ), which made the clarity and bass even better on them! It now sounds BETTER than my HT Omega sound card and I am loving every minute of it. I also have tried the Element IV with with my HiFiman Arya's and Focal Clears and they sounded great on everything I threw at them.
I had some questions in general and e-mailed Support a few times and the Owner / CEO John himself answered my first e-mail in 20 minutes on a Sunday. Amazing! The quality of John's products and Customer Service are a good example of what other company's should be like and I feel he sets the bar extremely high for others to follow! :). I feel there is zero downsides to owning the Element IV and recommend if you are serious about sound in gaming or music. You are also get a USA made product backed by a company who cares about their people who buy their products.
Great Improvements
This unit has been great so far! I see some nice improvements from older products (I have an older El Amp II+), such as 1) Core--I really love the idea! Being able to access the functionality of the Element in a nicer UI, as well as it having the possibility of future feature expansion is really nice! 2) Almost no knob wobble--my older El Amp II+ had some knob wobble and would scrape the chassis a little bit if you spun the knob in the wrong way (note, I was able to fix this by putting a shim in knob next to the shaft). However, I am very happy to report that the knob on the Element IV feels like it has almost no wobble! 3) Perfect channel balance (haven't done blind tests, so not going to comment too much on this). 4) For desktop speakers being able to press the knob to change the output is nice! I do wish the knob were a little bit easier to press down, but that could just be personal preference. 5) A tiny thing, but when spinning the knob on the older El Amp II+, the "height" of the copper ring would vary quite a bit as the knob would turn. The new Element IV seems to be better in this regard! Also, I know I probably shouldn't be able to hear a difference between the sound coming out of my M4 Macbook Pro high impedance headphone jack and the JDS Element IV. However, I do think that getting the volume dialed in just right is easier on the Element IV (sometimes the Macbook quarter increments seem to go from too high to too low with just one bar) and makes listening more enjoyable.
Great dac and amp
Upon first opening the box that the Element IV, synapse and the power brick for the Element IV came in I was confused. It seemed like seemed like everything was half in the box and needed to be cleaned but that’s just probably just since it was all tested at JDS before leaving the door. The only negatives I have found have found the importing of eq profiles is a bit limited due to how new JDS core is but if you spend 5 minutes you can make whatever you want for EQ as well. Can’t knock a star for that or the packaging but for the imperfections in the clear resin knob and the glass of the synapse I have to deduct 1 star. The glass is filled with a distracting amount of imperfections on both that I thought it was used at first but they are clearly deeper than surface level and from the manufacturing process. I wish I had gone with non 3d printed synapse and just the normal knob as it’s really distracting but the actual sound itself is literally the best you can get under 1k unless you want more of an R2R flavor which is understandable but not my thing so this has been perfect. I really do want to give it 5 stars as it’s a 6/5 in performance it just doesn’t look as good on my desk as I hoped with the imperfections in the resin knob that I pushed the unit further back than I’d want with a great piece of equipment.
Best DAC i've owned
I've had a Topping and Schiit, as well as the Element II, but this is by far the best DAC/AMP I've owned. I can't believe how clean the sound is and how effortlessly it drives all my headphones. Nice job!
Fantastic product and service
Been a big fan of the Element for a while now. Had the original Element and upgraded to the IV recently and I couldn’t be happier. I just love how clear the sound is and how streamlined the experience is. I also had an issue that was quickly addressed, so huge shout out to their customer service team! Will be coming back for sure.
Awesome piece of kit
Upgraded from Element 1 - loving the new features on this model. So much more control now using the web app. I love being able to swap between my speakers and headphones with a touch of that giant button. I’ve been a JDS Labs user for years, will keep buying as long as they keep making them.
Best purchase
I use to have the atom amp/dac stack and it was great but the Element is the perfect upgrade. Looks way nicer, build quality is much better and its a all in one which saves a lot of space. I have the Element paired with the Focal Clear and Stellia.
Customer for Life
From start to finish of this ordering process, John was without a doubt the most helpful and supportive person imaginable. Answering all of my novice questions and accommodating additions to my order after the fact, I can hands down say this was the most comfortable transaction of my life. On top of that, the Element IV is drop dead gorgeous, easy to use, and works incredibly well. Also I mean c'mon, look at that K N O B. Very much a fan of the Core technology and helped me dive into the world of EQ. Looking forward to what's to come with it! A customer for life after this initial purchase. Thank you, JDS!
Amazing AMP/DAC
High quality AMP/DAC with great support and build quality! Sounds amazing and would highly recommend!
Blown away by how good it is
This is my second JDS Labs product, starting with the first Atom AMP and i’m still blown away by how good the support and the products are. The long wait for the Element IV was completely worth it. I was completely shocked on how good it performs and how accurate and clean the sound is.
Customer Service alone makes this the best thing I’ve bought
So been eyeing up the JDS Element products since I recently started this hobby about a year and a half ago. And I was saving up to get the Element 3 mk2 until they released the Element 4 WITH eq. So soon as that was available, bought the product and had the exciting wait for it to be delivered. I was assuming it’d take about a month, maybe 2 at most to come, however it arrived in just 30 days, 3 days after it had shipped. (UK Based). Absolutely phenomenal speed and especially the fact that it was built from order and had an engraving too. The device is fantastic, genuinely perfect, and the knob is gorgeous…It powers my K712’s very well, allowing for plenty of headroom, and the EQ feature is so fun to play around with. All of the other little settings are also what sets this product apart from competition. Even the simple things like changing what the Knob does when you press it, how responsive it is, harshness/warmth of music in the Core website. So many different things that make it a unique and fantastic product. Best thing about it however is that unlike some other Dac/Amps that sound analytical, this sounds just so slightly warm, neutral, but a minuscule of warmth which helps music sound so much nicer and engaging when listening. What made the experience perfect however was the customer service. John is an absolute legend. Every time I’d email a question, I’d get a response within 10 minutes every single time. Even small simple questions were answered kindly and helpfully. I think if you’re considering this product, do it 70% because you want it, and 30% because of John. I’ve shopped at SO many independent stores, companies etc etc, and none of them have matched Johns passion for both the product and helping out customers
Worthy Upgrade?
Only bought this because of the Code 10 error rendering my OG Element inoperable without uninstalling updates. That being said, it was an excuse to upgrade and I was extremely satisfied with my OG that I didn't really bother to look elsewhere. The IV seems very close, but it's the subtle differences that impress me. The digital volume and small display were definitely nice features and a welcome change. Love bring able to switch outputs by pressing the knob. Hope to upgrade again in another 10 years or so.
Amazing
I own quite a few $1500 plus dacs, very over priced solid state and tube amps and some crazy expenisve headphones like the rest of you all. All i can say is this thing is portable, the EQ app is very easy to use and the sound its hard to describe how good it is coming out of this little device. The knob is TOTL. All i can say is this thing slaps hard!
Simple great sound.
I tested the Element IV with the Synapse using my Hifiman Edition XS and found my comfortable listening level at -30db with plenty of headroom to boot. The unit produces great, resolving sound with no fuss or drivers. I also love the form-follows-function industrial design embodied by the intuitive giant volume knob. Overall, very resolving, intuitive amp that will power most headphones, highly recommended.
Awesome product with a great brand and support behind it
This is my first JDS LABS product and I’m super happy with it. I ordered from the EU and paid Tax (22% for my Country) during checkout and there were no additional charges when the product was delivered nor was it hold in customs. The Element IV feels very premium and looks super nice, the Web-based software works flawlessly, it’s easy to setup EQ or change the device settings. I don’t think there is a better Dac/Amp that combines plug&play with such a good software. Customer support is also top notch, I got a response in less than an hour and my questions were always answered + I was able to select a custom ring color free of charge. I would’ve preferred if the Element was powered via USB-C but it’s not a big deal since I’m going to use it stationary anyways. I can definitely recommend the Element IV.
Only thing better than the unit itself is the service
This is an A+ class product from JDS. It performs remarkably well, unseating my previous stack in sonic performance. On top of that the EQ is superior to EqualierAPO/PeaceGUI's performance and the fit and finish leaves nothing to be desired. Definitely get the upgraded knob it feels amazing. While this is a measurement focused unit it also just sounds amazing, plowing through my 660S2/HE560 with non fatiguing detail that has great body. I can't wait to enjoy this for years to come. Additionally, I probably had way too many questions and a couple self induced hiccups but John walked me through everything and was eager to track down and solve anything I came across. I've never experienced service like this before and JDS has earned an audio customer for life because of it. Thank you!
On the fence? buy it now.
I have had separate high dollar pieces that sounded great and am happy to report that the Element IV replaces these in a smaller more convenient form factor with the best volume control in the business. If you don love the sound? no worries, eq it to your exact preferences and save the presets for different headphones. Tame the highs on one pair, boos the lows on another and go back easily at your leisure. This is a state of the art product at a more than reasonable price, if you ar reconsidering it, do not wait, buy it now.
My best sounding headphone DAC-amp by a mile
I got the Element IV a couple of weeks ago. It was delivered to London with a remarkably short delivery time (about three days) and no extra import tax added, which was great, as I’ve come to expect and fear this every time I order smth from the US. In terms of design and sound there isn‘t much I can add to the reviews that are already published (e.g. like the one of GoldenSound) - it looks and feels great to use, the new EQ is a game changer (I keep it constantly opened in a browser tab on my laptop), and the sound is incredibly clean and balanced / neutral, while at the same time feeling rich and detailed and warm. It conveys a sense of sound richness and warmth without actually being warm in the sense of favouring bass and lower-mids at the expense of treble and detail. (For reference, I’ve used it so far with a Sennheiser HD 800 S and a Focal Elex - it works beautifully with the HD800S in particular, as that one really needs the richness and warmth to compensate for its otherwise slightly too analytical profile) While I constantly feel the urge to get more headphones, after getting the Element IV it feels like I really don’t need to look for anything else in terms of DACs and amps for the foreseeable future. My only two (very minor) gripes are: 1. a remote control of some kind (e.g. a Bluetooth-connected app or smth) would be really useful to control volume without having to reach out to the amp all the time 2. while the browser-based EQ works really well, I would have liked to use it on other browsers and devices which are not currently supported, i.e. Safari on MacOS and iOS / iPadOS If this DAC-amp had a Bluetooth connection for audio input and remote control (incl. the ability to control volume and update EQ profiles wirelessly), and the ability to use the EQ on iOS devices as well, I would regard it as a practically perfect product. P.S. Btw, don’t worry at all about Element IV not having a balanced output - even though its output is single-ended, it sounds better than any of my balanced output amps even over a 3m balanced cable (which is the longest one I have).
Long-time buyer is happier than ever
I’ve been buying from these guys for a long time. Starting with the original Element, which I loved, I’ve bought every model since! I was about to buy their O2 at the time, but the Element just happened to launch not very long after I discovered them. Figured it was fate so I went for it. But anyway, the only one with a very slight issue for me was the III, but it was nothing that affected quality or regular use. Just needed to be restarted every month or so (which they actually wanted you to do anyway 😂). But now the IV is here, and man, the changes are bigger than ever! Love that we’re using a new chip, USBC (though I wish the cable they have was USBC on both sides), and the webapp software is really slick. I’ve been using equalizer APO on Windows for a very long time, but I think with this new built in equalizer, it might finally be time to put it to rest. I haven’t had a chance to fiddle with it too much yet, so I can’t say for sure it does everything I would want, but my config is relatively basic so I’m sure it can… we also got UAC2, a very important upgrade. If you have an Element or basically anything else, but you’ve been wondering if it’s finally time to upgrade, I’d say it’s absolutely time to pull the trigger. Great products, great customer service, and 100% made in America! They’ve got a customer for life - though that’s been true since the first one, ha.
Excellent - in perfect balance
Having been a fan of the first Element III, I was expecting good things with the Element IV, and it delivered. The Element IV keeps everything I loved about the III and sounds cleaner, driving my headphones with greater sense of ease. This one ticks all the boxes the sounds is rich, detailed, neutral, with perfect imaging, a silent background, and toe-tapping rhythmic drive. Besides audio enjoyment, I imagine that the Element IV can be used for professional applications. Having owned a number of studio-grade dacs and amps, the Element IV does a better job than all of them (especially now with EQ built in) on my Audezes, at a lower cost. The Element IV is a joy to use.
Awesome Piece of kit
Love the element 4 and the buying experience and support is second to none. Good honest business people who look after their customers
Beats everything else out there.
Absolutely unmatched performance and usability. You can't beat the big knob. I loved my Element III, but had to get the improved IV with resin knob. The menu system is efficient, and I feel like I'm commanding my voyage through sound when I listening to music. It's such a joy. I haven't even yet dug into the EQ. That's simply a game changer.
From JDS Labs
Glad you're enjoying Element IV, Jeremy! Before anyone asks: The screen and backlighting are white. Camera white balance is tricky.
Simply Great
I have had a chance to try and also owned many DACs and AMPs before Element IV came out, but after getting my hands on one - I can safely say that most other audio devices fall short. Great amplifier (which won't have an issue driving majority of headphones on the market other than some edge cases), even better digital-to-analog converter and some additional features, such as built-in DSP or a fantastic knob make for a really compelling value proposition. Simply cannot recommend it enough!
Game changer... literally
I've never had a DAC, closest I ever got were dedicated sound cards back in the day. This Element is treat for the ears. I've got 1,000's of hours in some games, and with this its like experiencing sound for the first time again. Games sound soooo much better now. Now I just need to start tweaking the Core app, what a treat.
Endgame
This thing is outstandingly built like a tank. Power and sound wise, it got everything you need to drive almost every headphone on the market. Parametric EQ is very easy to use and fun to dabble to fine tune your cans further. Free engraving is a huge bonus, as well as the best customer support in the space.
Just Buy It
I have owned tons of aidio gear at this point, everything from the humble atom stack or dx3 pro all the way up to a burson composer reference and an rme adi-2. The element IV is everything you need and more. Its got enough power for any headphone that wasn't designed to shut down the power grid, its got peq, perfect channel balancing, free engraving, and the best customer support in the industry.
