I just received my stack last week. Its all you need indeed. Driving my hd600 with these. With Equalizer Apo + Sonarworks Reference it give a nice smooth treble and strong bass with plenty of sub extension. Cheers!
@@astrolemonade349 Way less volume, less transparency and less clean transients. I would say cleaner sound overal with smoother top end and less distortion. But changing the pads for new is also important.
You would have to pry my cold, dead hands from my magni/modi stack to get it away from me. I would probably say the samething about this reviewed gear. One thing to note is that the milliwatt rating at 600 ohms is 20-30% lower on the JDS amp compared to the Schiit Magni. So it could mean that driving the most hard to drive headphones could be more difficult with the JDS. The Beyerdynamic dt 880 and 990 600 ohm models plus the Hifiman 6seV2 come to mind. I have the Beyer 990 600 ohm model on it’s way from Amazon Warehouse. So we’ll see how that works out with a report later. The Schiit stack handles the 250 ohm variant handily. It’ s important to alot of us to keep the price to performance aspect in mind when purchasing gear. Thanks for that aspect of this review.
Did get in the 990 600 ohm and the magni does a credible job of driving them at 2-3 o’clock. Actually better than was expected. I got to demo these headphones with the Lyr (don’t know the generation) and it sounded (somewhat) better as it should have. Great headphones, especially for the price ($138) I paid.
How many people have 600ohm headphones now a days? You're a niche, in a niche of a niche, lol. The Atom 2 stack is a noticeable improvement (sound wise) over the Modi and the Magni. Its clean distortion free sound is right up there with THX AAA amps.
Just received my Atom 2 stack yesterday and already listened for a few hours. I am wondering if I need to setup a Burn-in Process around 100 hours or s for the Amp? I also am waiting on better RCA cables to arrive and deciding on optical connections as well. Over all it's very nice pairing with my Drop HD6xx. I plan to pickup a tube amp at some point and run the Atom Dac 2 to it. But still trying to figure out the Gain to volume from source levels. My biggest question is do I run it on High-Gain with the 300 ohm HD6xx's or do low gain?
Thanks for the review. I think when you reviewed the original atom amp you mentioned it was a little harsh which I agree with, owning it myself. Did you notice any tendencies like that with this current model?
Compared to the duo iFi Zen Dac / iFi Audio Zen CAN (amp) ? I use the Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro 250 ohms (in my MacBook Air M2). You say (in another video of you) that the JDS labs Amp 2 "covey a little more maybe engagement, a little more emotion » but that Zen Can is « faster and bit cleaner ». Can you specify this distinction ? I use my Beyerdynamic a lot for listening to voice narration (documentaries, interviews, etc.). I already own the duo ZenDac v2 / Zen CAN and so I wonder if should change to switch to the pile of JDS Labs "Amp & Dac 2 », if it would be a good choice. I'm surprised when you say that the JDS Labs offers sound with a greater feeling of space and dynamics because many say that the Atom 2 is instead extremely neutral, so it doesn't add anything and its main quality is to amplify the sound without any distortion. A personal observation: when listening tennis matches (so in a sports amphitheater space) on youtube in HD quality, the Zen Can's 3D mode is very appropriate (but otherwise I never use it). The xBass button of the Zen CAN is much more subtle than the xBass of the Zen DAC which is too boosted I think. Last thing: I connect the Zen Can with the iFi SilentPower iPower2 - Low Noise DC Power Supply from iFi Audio.
@MrAyrit I own the k7 but it has reboot Issues and it's past warranty. We just wondering if the atom stack would be an upgrade or if i should go higher. I own the Focal Clear og and Ananda Nano.
External clocks are a solution in search of a problem. Any well designed dac will make the jitter inaudible. Snake oil thrives in the gaps of consumer knowledge.
@@dontron810 in life no one can make all happy. we make standards. in telecom we used to have very high standards. with the world trading with those who make pretty devices with snake oil burned into them while advertising as great.. it makes it tough to have standards again. another conception of truth is when one says something that is on point... others that know will try and call it fake.. lol
When you say that you prefer Element III to Atom 2 because of its greater clarity, what do you mean ? Is it "clarity" in the sense of "analytical sound" as for example AKG headphones are? So less roundness, warmth? We could illustrate this distinction by contrasting for example the AKG 702 headphones to the Mezze 109 pro. I approach this point mainly by focusing on listening to the voice in videos (host voice or TH-camr voice like you for example). In my own audio experiences, when the sound of the voice is very clear and sharp, it is at the same time often to the detriment of seduction, of attraction: we gain in clarity what we lose in charm. This is a subject that often obsesses me. I have often asked myself this question : why bother looking for an analytical and ultra-transparent sound when the sound engineers of the big HI-FI studios in cinema or music have put all their energy into making the voice very timbre and very cinematic. The example of movie theaters is eloquent : the sound of actors' voices is on the contrary extremely and deliberately "timbre", often enveloped, or if you prefer : improved by the miracle and sophistication of the microphone (this phenomenon has existed since the very beginnings of radio). In the same way, when we listen to classical music recordings on luxurious audiophile equipment (via prestigious labels like EMI, Phillips, Decca, Columbia, Deutsche Grammophone, etc.), the sound is very rich and deliberately transformed (this aspect is evident on high-level turntables). It is the same thing when theater actors narrate great literary texts on the radio : the voices are very enveloped, soft, caressing, not at all flat or ultra-clear. So I ask myself the question of understanding why ultimately in the world of audio-tech what was very richly seductive becomes a handicap and even a demonstration of weakness of an amplifier ? For sound detection reasons by those who mix or do mastering this is understandable, but for the others ?
I just received my stack last week. Its all you need indeed. Driving my hd600 with these. With Equalizer Apo + Sonarworks Reference it give a nice smooth treble and strong bass with plenty of sub extension. Cheers!
How do you think stock hd600 without amp+dac compare with the atom 2 stack?
@@astrolemonade349 Way less volume, less transparency and less clean transients. I would say cleaner sound overal with smoother top end and less distortion. But changing the pads for new is also important.
You would have to pry my cold, dead hands from my magni/modi stack to get it away from me. I would probably say the samething about this reviewed gear. One thing to note is that the milliwatt rating at 600 ohms is 20-30% lower on the JDS amp compared to the Schiit Magni. So it could mean that driving the most hard to drive headphones could be more difficult with the JDS. The Beyerdynamic dt 880 and 990 600 ohm models plus the Hifiman 6seV2 come to mind. I have the Beyer 990 600 ohm model on it’s way from Amazon Warehouse. So we’ll see how that works out with a report later. The Schiit stack handles the 250 ohm variant handily. It’ s important to alot of us to keep the price to performance aspect in mind when purchasing gear. Thanks for that aspect of this review.
You don't need wattage to drive high impedance headphones, you need voltage, that's why OTL tube amps do so well with high impedance loads.....
thanks for that. Obviously I have lots to learn about this tech!
Did get in the 990 600 ohm and the magni does a credible job of driving them at 2-3 o’clock. Actually better than was expected. I got to demo these headphones with the Lyr (don’t know the generation) and it sounded (somewhat) better as it should have. Great headphones, especially for the price ($138) I paid.
How many people have 600ohm headphones now a days? You're a niche, in a niche of a niche, lol. The Atom 2 stack is a noticeable improvement (sound wise) over the Modi and the Magni. Its clean distortion free sound is right up there with THX AAA amps.
@@markweiss5913 I’m using a Schiit Vali 2++ to drive modded Drop 58x phones. This is a serious amplifier and very musical.
Just ordered the stack DAC 2 and Atom AMP 2 and will combine it with the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro. Hope this will be a good setup video editing.
I'd love for you to review the new iFi Audio Kensei GoBar. Also, the FiiO Q15 since you mentioned dongles and portable.
I’ve got a pretty good relationship with Ifi. I’ll ask about the gobar.
Just received my Atom 2 stack yesterday and already listened for a few hours. I am wondering if I need to setup a Burn-in Process around 100 hours or s for the Amp? I also am waiting on better RCA cables to arrive and deciding on optical connections as well. Over all it's very nice pairing with my Drop HD6xx. I plan to pickup a tube amp at some point and run the Atom Dac 2 to it. But still trying to figure out the Gain to volume from source levels. My biggest question is do I run it on High-Gain with the 300 ohm HD6xx's or do low gain?
How about the Fosi SK02 on your table?
Yeah, I’d personally save for the Atom stack. I’ve got a video on the Fosi as well.
How does the sound compared to zen dac v2? Wanna change to this stack
Thanks for the review. I think when you reviewed the original atom amp you mentioned it was a little harsh which I agree with, owning it myself. Did you notice any tendencies like that with this current model?
Compared to the duo iFi Zen Dac / iFi Audio Zen CAN (amp) ? I use the Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro 250 ohms (in my MacBook Air M2). You say (in another video of you) that the JDS labs Amp 2 "covey a little more maybe engagement, a little more emotion » but that Zen Can is « faster and bit cleaner ». Can you specify this distinction ? I use my Beyerdynamic a lot for listening to voice narration (documentaries, interviews, etc.). I already own the duo ZenDac v2 / Zen CAN and so I wonder if should change to switch to the pile of JDS Labs "Amp & Dac 2 », if it would be a good choice.
I'm surprised when you say that the JDS Labs offers sound with a greater feeling of space and dynamics because many say that the Atom 2 is instead extremely neutral, so it doesn't add anything and its main quality is to amplify the sound without any distortion.
A personal observation: when listening tennis matches (so in a sports amphitheater space) on youtube in HD quality, the Zen Can's 3D mode is very appropriate (but otherwise I never use it).
The xBass button of the Zen CAN is much more subtle than the xBass of the Zen DAC which is too boosted I think.
Last thing: I connect the Zen Can with the iFi SilentPower iPower2 - Low Noise DC Power Supply from iFi Audio.
Atom stack 2 or fiio k7?
Ooo, that’s tough. Either is great. If push came to shove… I’d go Atom Stack, just because ours American made 🇺🇸
@MrAyrit I own the k7 but it has reboot Issues and it's past warranty. We just wondering if the atom stack would be an upgrade or if i should go higher. I own the Focal Clear og and Ananda Nano.
Hi there, did yu sell the v281? Cheers
Yes
@@MrAyrit Wow! Well, thats really saying something isnt it? No regrets then?
When it's not balanced why a 4.4mm input instead of a 3.5mm? otherwise it seems to be a bang for the buck.
I think it’s just for more connection options.
Christophe Brooks
More education about the clocking needs to be understood. Clocking might be more important the type of DAC.
Something I haven’t dove into yet, so yeah, I’m pretty ignorant on the clocking stuff.
Time out! (pun intended!). What does it even mean?
External clocks are a solution in search of a problem. Any well designed dac will make the jitter inaudible. Snake oil thrives in the gaps of consumer knowledge.
@@dontron810 in life no one can make all happy. we make standards. in telecom we used to have very high standards. with the world trading with those who make pretty devices with snake oil burned into them while advertising as great.. it makes it tough to have standards again. another conception of truth is when one says something that is on point... others that know will try and call it fake.. lol
@@Temperature980 with your last comment you said a whole lot without saying anything at all. Congrats.
I still use my trusty Hidizs HD80S and it sounds great and is very portable.
When you say that you prefer Element III to Atom 2 because of its greater clarity, what do you mean ? Is it "clarity" in the sense of "analytical sound" as for example AKG headphones are? So less roundness, warmth? We could illustrate this distinction by contrasting for example the AKG 702 headphones to the Mezze 109 pro. I approach this point mainly by focusing on listening to the voice in videos (host voice or TH-camr voice like you for example). In my own audio experiences, when the sound of the voice is very clear and sharp, it is at the same time often to the detriment of seduction, of attraction: we gain in clarity what we lose in charm.
This is a subject that often obsesses me. I have often asked myself this question : why bother looking for an analytical and ultra-transparent sound when the sound engineers of the big HI-FI studios in cinema or music have put all their energy into making the voice very timbre and very cinematic.
The example of movie theaters is eloquent : the sound of actors' voices is on the contrary extremely and deliberately "timbre", often enveloped, or if you prefer : improved by the miracle and sophistication of the microphone (this phenomenon has existed since the very beginnings of radio). In the same way, when we listen to classical music recordings on luxurious audiophile equipment (via prestigious labels like EMI, Phillips, Decca, Columbia, Deutsche Grammophone, etc.), the sound is very rich and deliberately transformed (this aspect is evident on high-level turntables). It is the same thing when theater actors narrate great literary texts on the radio : the voices are very enveloped, soft, caressing, not at all flat or ultra-clear.
So I ask myself the question of understanding why ultimately in the world of audio-tech what was very richly seductive becomes a handicap and even a demonstration of weakness of an amplifier ? For sound detection reasons by those who mix or do mastering this is understandable, but for the others ?