Whenever I get asked for headphone amp recommendations for a given headphone, I respond back with two questions: What’s your budget? What’s your goal? The case with many of my readers is that they just dropped a couple of hundred dollars or more on nice headphones or IEMs and are disappointed that they don’t sound better out of their smart device or computer. This usually leads to a goal of getting better sound on a now more modest budget. Enter JDS Labs.

For the price and simplicity, it’s hard to recommend any other brand. For some time now, the simple and dependable O2 headphone amp and OL DAC have been staples in my review process. These little black boxes haven’t moved from my desktop since receiving them despite competing products coming and going. The reason is two-fold. They’re relatively cheap, which makes them accessible to a wide audience, and they’re versatile—there’s little-to-no coloration or noise, there’s more than enough power for most headphones, and they simply sound good with a wide variety of music. So, what’s not to like?

I continue to stand by my statement that the OL/O2 stack, with its crisp, clear, controlled, and consistent characteristics, is a damn good place to start for new budget-minded audiophiles. But good can always be better and that’s where JDS Labs’ The Element comes in. For those looking for the simplest USB-based audio upgrade, The Element does nearly everything the OL/O2 stack does, but does it better and in a single unit. This is now my recommended entry-level headphone amp/DAC.

On paper, The Element measures better than the O2 across the board, but the notable upgrade for most users is that The Element puts out nearly double the power of the O2. Offering max continuous output of 1.1 mW into 32Ω, you’ll have plenty of headroom to drive most high-end, high-ohm dynamic headphones (and even some orthos) to deafening levels.

On the DAC side of things, the standalone OL DAC still measures impressively for its price point (now $99), placing it in “reference-grade” territory. The DAC within The Element is similar but not quite up to the same specs, which is a likely concession for being a combination unit rather than a standalone DAC. While the two DACs measure close in most categories, The Element’s DAC loses the optical input and dynamic range, jitter, crosstalk, and frequency response all take a slight dip. The Element also only supports bitrates up to 24/96, which is rather conservative in today’s digital realm. That said, from a sound quality standpoint, The Element easily bests the OL/O2 stack and that’s what really matters to most.


What look like minor measurement differences on paper actually equate to much more. The struggle with reviewing The Element is that I can basically take the good things I wrote about the OL/O2, paste them below, be done, and you likely wouldn’t know the difference. Does that mean I was wrong about the OL/O2? Did I overhype them? Or did JDS Labs just figure out how to take their approach to sonic neutrality and transparency to a new level? I’m going with the latter.

So, let’s revisit some of my thoughts about the OL/O2 stack:

“This stack isn’t going to romanticize your music collection. Rather, it’s going to allow you to focus on the music and hone your efforts on choosing the IEM or headphone [or powered monitors in The Element’s case] that best suits your musical taste.

I’ve mainly been running the rounds with the Audioquest Nighthawk, Beyerdynamic Amiron Home, Meze Audio 99 Classics, and Sennheiser HD650. The OL/O2 drives each of these headphones with ease and enjoyment, although none come off as being quite as airy, lush or three-dimensional as when pushed with a powerful tube amp (just my personal preference), the warm characteristics of each is conveyed cleanly and with good dynamics. Although these are all darker sounding headphones, I liked the pairings because it brought some balance to the neutrality of the OL/O2 stack. The consistent instrument separation and detail retrieval of the OL/O2 pairing is solid. The sound stage is modest, extending maybe three to four inches out around the head. Stereo imaging is dead center, although I do selfishly lust for a more holographic presentation. As someone who favors really lush sounding gear, this little stack can sound a bit flat to my ears—bass notes hit with impact, but often lack resonance; mids are clear, but are light on warmth; treble is crisp and detailed, and never too brittle, but airiness and texture seem overly controlled. But all of this is inherent in neutral, transparent solid state amps and DACs….

Overall, I generalize the OL/O2 stack as being crisp, clear, controlled, and consistent. Sure, it can be boring for those that favor the ooey gooey goodness of lush and distorted tube gear, but boring isn’t always bad. In fact, these little black boxes are probably one of the best places to start for new budget-minded audiophiles looking to learn just what it is they like and lust for.”

Wow. If you think the OL/O2 stack sounds like a winner, The Element is a champ. The Element literally does everything the OL/O2 does sonically, but does it noticeably better. I think what struck me at first listen was how much cleaner The Element sounds—it truly takes the JDS Labs house sound to a new level. Switching from The Element back to the OL/O2 reveals grittiness in the OL/O2 that never stood out in use or comparisons before, especially as the volume gets cranked up. My guess is that this is mostly the O2’s fault, but The Element sounds smoother and more effortless throughout the dynamic range, emphasizing its crisp transparency and neutrality with better resolution and dimension. What’s more, the oversized volume knob’s smooth throw allows for precise volume control. I faulted the OL/O2 combo for having a limited sound stage, but The Element seems to reach further in this regard, immersing you in a deeper and wider atmosphere.

The Element also addresses the flatness the OL/O2 stack can exhibit. Whatever tuning tweaks were made to The Element have brought more realism to its output: Bass notes, while seemingly a touch less impactful or visceral, are more controlled, resonant, and exhibit better timbre; mids remain clear and defined, but seem to draw in new depth and dimension; and the high notes, while still easily described as crisp and detailed, ring more true, more accurate, and with better resolution. The Element is, in all its basicness, more revealing and immersive.

What this all culminates to is that The Element is an excellent choice for computer audiophiles looking for an inherently neutral and transparent solid state amp and DAC combo that can scale at volume. From my perspective, The Element’s sonic signature makes it an even better tool for audio purists, gear geeks, and reviewers because it reveals the sonic traits of the recording in front of it and of the headphones, IEMs, or powered monitors feeding the music to your ears. Simply put, The Element is not just for the budget-minded audiophile. Considering its sleek design, price-to-performance, and sonic signature, it’s hard not to make The Element a top choice for any computer audio enthusiast.


But What About...?

The cons? Okay, The Element is so lightweight that you have to hold it with one hand when trying to plug in or unplug your headphones or other connections. Second, the headphone jack isn't the smoothest. Third, the power supply ships in a separate box, which is kind of tacky.

The competition? I know I’ll get asked, so let me get this out of the way…. JDS Labs faces no shortage of competition in the marketplace for small, affordable desktop headphone amps and DACs. Most notably, I get asked about comparisons to Schiit’s products. My advice is to consider your actual needs (specs/features), sonic preferences (bright/neutral/warm), and budget, and then make a decision from there. Word of mouth is easily one of the biggest drivers in the audio hobby, but you’ll likely go crazy, or broke, trying everything everyone recommends to you.

That said, my preferences leans towards certain brands for these smaller desktop components (I find it hard to go “wrong” with any of them): ALO Audio, CHORD, iFi Audio, JDS Labs, and Schiit. My experience leads me to believe that these companies offer some of the best sounding small and portable products for the prices, new and in the used market. Across the sonic spectrum, from “bright” to “dark” sounding, I’d place them in the (subjective) following order: Schiit (brighter), JDS (neutral), iFi (neutral/warmish), CHORD (warm/classic “British” hi-fi), and ALO (warm/dark).

Build quality? All of the companies above offer high-end products for the prices. I think CHORD is probably the most solid, followed by ALO, Schiit/JDS, and then iFi. I have had QC issues with iFi review units and some of my Schiit products, but never any issues with ALO, CHORD, or JDS Labs.

Good luck on your quest for #AudioNirvana.

Shortly after sending my iFi Audio Pro iCAN review unit back, iFi hit me up with its stealthy Micro iDSD BL (Black Label), a portable desktop DAC and pre-amp/headphone amp combo that packs a punch and goes head-to-head against the very popular Chord Electronics Mojo (If you see this Chord, I’d love a demo).

Much like the Pro iCAN, the iDSD BL is an iFi flagship product, but this time in its smaller portable/desktop Mirco line. Here again, iFi packs in strong feature sets bettered by trickle-down R&D and technology from iFi’s ultra-high-end parent company, Abbingdon Music Research, or AMR Audio.

You can read about all of the tech specs on iFi’s website, like the dual-core Burr-Brown DAC chips, custom Sanyo OP-Amps, and femto clock, so I’ll just get to the feedback you care about — user and listening impressions.

Unboxing Impressions

A relative newcomer to iFi products, I was happy to see the lesser-expensive iDSD BL comes well-packed in higher-end packaging with clean, minimalistic design and aesthetics like the Pro iCAN. It gives off the impression that you’re unboxing a much more expensive product. Inside, you’ll find a very comprehensive accessory set. Everything you need to put the iDSD BL to use is included: USB 3.0 cable, RCA cable, Optical/Toslink adapter, 3.5mm to 6.3mm headphone jack adapter, 3.5mm jumper, some other various USB adapters, a crushed velvet storage bag, a rubber mat to keep the iDSD BL from sliding around on various surfaces when in use, and two bands for securing the iDSD BL to your smartphone or DAP (you can even use the iDSD BL to charge your smartphone).

Despite its light weight, in hand, the iDSD BL has a sleek and solid feel. I’d say it’s comparatively robust next to products from JDS Labs and Schiit, and maybe a hair less robust than ALO and Chord’s offerings; however, I do have a couple of gripes. The black-on-black text on the chassis is hard to read, and the various recessed slide switches feel, well, cheap. In fact, the first time I slid the iEMatch switch into another position, the round plastic button popped off the switch post. The button easily went back on, but I’d prefer more solid switches on a unit at this price point. I can see these buttons easily popping off their posts if handled less that delicately when traveling. This nitpicking aside, the front panel toggle switches and volume pot operate nicely with good tactile feedback, and the overall look and feel of the device is quite pleasing.

As for being portable, yes, the 4800mAh lithium battery lets you use the iDSD BL on the go, but it’s long, narrow rectangular shape and overall length does make it rather awkward to carry. It’s approximately 1.5” longer than most standard smartphones when accounting for the volume knob and exposed inputs/outputs. In fact, it’s closer in size to the battery brick for my laptop, so this isn’t something I am tossing into a jacket pocket to use on the train each day. This becomes less of an issue if you carry a bag of some sort.

Sound Options

Perhaps the greatest traits of the iDSD BL are its flexibility and versatility. From sensitive IEMs to more power-hungry headphones, mixing and matching the Power Mode (Eco -
2.0V/500 mW @ 8 Ohm; Normal - 5.5V/1,900 mW @ 16 Ohm; Turbo - 10.0V/4,000 mW @ 16 Ohm) and proprietary iEMatch (Off, High-Sensitivity, Ultra-Sensitivity) settings allows you to dial in the right amount of power and gain to drive your music with balance and authority.

Because of a strong channel imbalance on the volume pot of my review unit, and my preference for lower listening levels while working, I found these variable settings incredibly useful for balancing the volume output for all of the headphones and IEMs in my collection. For example, I’m back to primarily using the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home as my home-office headphone, which was comfortably driven in just the Eco/High-Sensitivity settings, meaning the more powerful settings will get deafeningly loud.

Furthering its versatility, the iDSD BL also benefits from two proprietary circuitries — Xbass+ and 3D+ — that help correct some common headphone and loudspeaker shortcomings: sub-bass and imaging. While only “on” or “off” via two front panel toggle switches, instead of being active in varying degrees like on the Pro iCAN, these are still very usable EQ-like features.

XBass+ is iFi’s solution to bass deficiency in reference headphones and loudspeakers. Through analog signal processing circuitry, XBass+ provides a noticeable, although sometimes intrusive, bass boost. Much like my experience with the Pro iCAN, I was mostly pleased with how the bass boost integrated into the timbre of the amp, but results obviously vary by recording and headphone/loudspeaker selections. XBass+ nicely boosts the deep bass regions of the Sennheiser HD650, Beyerdynamic Amiron Home, and Focal Elear on bass-light recordings. With bass-shy headphones like my old AKG K701 or the updated Q701, XBass+ adds some welcomed warmth and impact. On the other hand, the dark and mysterious AudioQuest NightHawk (review), and the Fostex TH-600 gets boomy with Xbass+. The takeaway here is that you just have to experiment; XBass+ is not a set-it-and-forget-it option.

While XBass+ helps correct bass deficiency, 3D+ helps correct sound stage deficiencies, like that closed-in feeling when the sound is stuck right between your headphones. In other words, 3D+ was designed to create an “out-of-head” headphone listening experience that emulates listening to well-placed loudspeakers in a room.

Much like the XBass+ feature, 3D+ is rather hit-or-miss. I particularly liked this feature on the Pro iCAN, which had varying degrees of impact. On the iDSD BL, 3D+ is again “on” or “off” only, which limits its usability. In particular, I found 3D+ to work well with live recordings and videos, like Ben Howard’s 2015 Glastonbury Festival performance, where it widens the sound stage and makes for a more cohesive and deeper blending of sound. Testing it with the tracks I used in my Pro iCAN review, the 3D+ function again worked well enough with jazz classics like John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” and Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” where instrument localization is very apparent and added depth and dimension enhances the experience. Admittedly though, some tracks get too busy and displaced with 3D+ engaged, especially when it has adverse effects in the treble region, injecting a strange artificial tizzy-ness to cymbals or an intrusive reverb effect to the entire track. Here again, it’s a feature that’s easily experimented with. Does it truly emulate properly positioned loudspeakers? No, but with the right tracks, it does make welcomed improvements to that “stuck in your head” feeling during long headphone sessions.


Toned Up

Coming from the Pro iCAN, which was surprisingly neutral and precise, I was expecting more of the same from the iDSD BL, but I was met instead with a tuning tipped towards warmer tones and marginally less precision in detail retrieval and treble clarity. It seems while the iDSD BL still seeks transparency, its tone plays it a bit safe, emphasizing more body in the bass and mids, probably for more versatility with headphone/IEM selection. I suspect this is also in part due to the tuning of the dual-core Burr-Brown DAC chips. For what it’s worth, the iDSD BL sounds more like the tube modes of the Pro iCAN than the solid-state section.

In comparison to my JDS Labs Objective2 headphone amp and OL DAC (review), the iDSD BL offers more bass impact and dimension, even without the XBass+ and 3D+ features engaged. However, the JDS stack takes the edge in neutrality and clarity, which is a touch dry in comparison, but perhaps more sonically accurate. I also still use an older ALO “The Island” at work, which comes off as much warmer and textured in comparison to both.

Overall, my takeaway is that the iDSD BL is relatively crisp and clear, with good bass impact and timbre, a touch rounded in the mids, but with nice dynamics, good space and dimension, and the right amount of treble and resolution for it to be hi-fi without being analytical.

Accuracy and neutrality are what come to mind with the Pro iCAN, which simply lacks a notable “house sound.” The iDSD BL moves a step back from its big sibling, adding a hint of coloration that gives it a touch of flavor for your desktop and portable needs. Add in the simple sound tweaks possible with XBass+ and 3D+ and you have a small amp/DAC that dishes out a darn good listening experience.

Parting Thoughts

Lastly, it’s well worth noting that the iDSD BL’s flexibility doesn’t stop with power and tone controls for your headphone listening sessions. The iDSD BL can serve as a DAC and pre-amp for your powered monitors, where XBass+ and 3D+ also work. It accepts USB and digital coax inputs (and optical/Toslink with the provided adapter) for greater input versatility. It natively plays all DSD, DXD, and PCM files, including Quad-DSD256, Octa-DSD512, and bit-perfect Double-DXD and PCM768. Consider all this on top of the innumerable headphones and IEMs that can be driven efficiently with the various Power Mode and iEMatch configurations and it’s clear that the iDSD BL offers scalability, flexibility, and performance well beyond its weight class.