I am obviously reaching for more cons to add there, with the lack of an audio analyzer ($25k+) meaning there wasn't much objective testing. Instead, this is more a detailed overview of the feature set and my personal user experience with the frankly excellent JDS Labs Atom DAC+ and Amp+ stack. This combination originally cost $198, so the updated, upgraded versions of both coming in at only $10 more is really astonishing. Part of this came about from moving the manufacturing facilities out of California, though still within the US, and the $10 increase is solely due to the DAC, which added an optical input in addition to a wholly different DAC and power circuitry for better results. I am glad JDS Labs did not just replace the AKM DAC with an ESS one and call it a day for the DAC+, as there are a couple others I know who have done just that and claimed a new product release in tandem with an increased price.

The knowledge gained from that update worked its way into the Atom Amp+ too, with a slight increase in power output boasted by lower noise and substantially better SINAD, backed by other third-party measurements. These two are still the same units in terms of look and feel, and the lightweight plastic construction does result in some user-experience hassles the free optional weights for the enclosures resolve. I wasn't necessarily expecting a sturdier metal construction at this price point, but haven't yet experienced the equivalents of the likes of Schiit and Topping aiming to break into the affordable desktop source game.

But the excellent customer support paired with the experimental feature set and add-on accessories, including support for consoles, however small a market it may be, and transparent, recorded firmware builds all add to the appeal. Barely larger than some portable units and weighing less than a couple I know, this stack is ultimately small enough to pretty much fit anywhere, while providing more power, and cleaner power at that. There are of course reasons to get different or more expensive stacks, or all-in-one sources, including for more demanding headphones, as proper speaker amps, or simply for synergies with different types of sources, including tube amplifiers, but for the money, you would be hard-pressed to find a solution that is better than the JDS Labs Atom DAC+ and Amp+.