JDS Element IV

Minimalism Meets Perfection

The JDS Element IV is a minimalist desktop headphone amplifier and DAC, designed for audiophiles who seek powerful, pure sound without the clutter. The Element IV promises clean aesthetics, high power output, and intuitive, versatile EQ capabilities and in this review I won’t keep you in suspense, it delivers on its promises.

So after a month of extensive use, the JDS Element IV has become an indispensable place as my main working from home desktop amplifier setup. It effortlessly powers all headphones I own and any ones I have borrowed for review purposes, it simplifies connectivity to both my desktop speakers and my Macbook Pro, and provides stellar EQ functionality, all wrapped in a beautifully minimalistic design that takes up very little space on my Desk.

Now, let’s dive into what makes this ‘minimalist’ amplifier special.

Unboxing and Build Quality

Unboxing the Element IV is a straightforward as it comes in environmentally friendly packaging:

Inside, you’ll find the amplifier itself, a robust power adapter, USB Type-C cable, and some documentation. Although minimal, the contents reflect the clean design philosophy.

The Amplifier itself

The Element IV’s design is exquisitely simple, with an understated aluminum chassis and a mesmerizingly smooth, oversized volume control. It shouldn’t be possible to fall in love with a volume control, but the Element IV’s control feels uniquely satisfying with its buttery-smooth rotation and precise feedback.

Build quality is impeccable; it feels substantial without taking up unnecessary space, perfectly suited to a tidy desktop setup.

The 2 key visual aspects of the design are the massive volume control that just begs to be touched:

Headphone or RCA toggle

Clicking on the volume button toggles between the Headphone and RCA Preamp outputs, the Element IV cleverly remembers the volume and EQ between the headphone and the preamp outputs allows you to have for example some Room correction EQ on the RCA outputs while at the same time having dedicated EQ for your headphone.

This together with the Auto Gain feature (which I will explain a little bit more later) are ingenious solutions to keep the Element IV clean, minimalistic and most importantly ‘button free’.

Screen

And the small screen which discretely shows relevant information for a few seconds then will turn black again:

Note: This glass is actually tinted and is made from Gorilla glass so should width day to day usage for a long time.

Typically, it displays the Input Mode (usb, optical), Format, Bitrate, current Volume, Output mode and current Gain:

But also can be used to change configuration options:

Options menu:

Clicking and holding the volume button for 3 seconds shows the “options” menu on the display with a huge amount of configuration options:

But as you will see you can also configure these settings via the Web UI, but for example here is the DAC submenu:

On the back:

On the back you get both an usb-c DAC input and an optical/SPDIF input as well as RCA outputs.

Even when “fully” loaded the back of the Element IV does not feel cluttered:

You can configure the ‘mode’ button to have a different behaviour but the simplest (and default) is to toggle between the usb-c and optical inputs.

Desktop setup

I have been using the Element IV daily for the best part of a month now while working from home, and I think it is actually the perfect desktop headphone amplifier, it is small but easy to reach:

It also has more than enough power to effortlessly drive any headphone including very power hungry ones like the Modhouse Tungsten and the Sennheiser HD800s both of which I used for hours daily with the Element IV:

Features

Let’s get into some of the important ‘internal’ features of the Element IV:

Powerful Output:

Delivers up to 3.2 watts per channel into 32-ohm loads, effectively driving a wide range of headphones, from sensitive in-ear monitors to demanding planar magnetics. 

Parametric Equalization (EQ):

Features a 10-band parametric EQ accessible via the JDS Core™ web app, allowing precise sound customization to match user preferences and headphone characteristics.

To use this you simply need to browser to https://core.jdslabs.com on Chrome or similar browser (but not Safari or Firefox) then you select to the JDS Element IV from the dialog that pops up to allow access to the “usb serial port”:

Once you connect you can tweak the EQ:

JDS have done a lovely job with the UI here allowing you to drag the EQ to your liking without needed to enter any vales should you want it. You can decide if you want the EQ immediately applied or not. So for example, a bass boost can be a good thing to visually adjust the bass while listening to get your preferred level.

You can also import an exported PEQ from various popular measurements databases including Squig.link, graph.hangouts. com and of course Pragmatic Audio IEM and Pragmatic Audio Headphone databases.

I really like that you can have a list of presets for both the headphone output but also for the RCA pre-amp output.

Finally, once you have imported a EQ profile it is available as a “My Presets” on the right-hand side:

You can have many presets in this area and quickly switch between profiles.

Because I liked how well this works, I am planning adding a new feature to Pragmatic Audio where you can push PEQ directly to Element IV presents menu.

Overall, the core JDS website is a pleasure to use to edit and configuration PEQ filters, I feel it does everything you should expect and more from a PEQ tool.

Other Configuration options

As well as the PEQ configuration you have access to change all the DAC configuration options via various core website:

And you can configure even change the behaviour of the buttons on the via these configuration screens:

Auto Gain Functionality:

This is a super clever feature and one I hope lots of manufacturers adopt but the Element IV supports automatically adjustments to the gain settings based on volume levels, ensuring optimal performance without manual intervention. Basically, as you approach 0 dbSPL it will switch from low gain to high gain in a gradual fashion seemlessly support a huge range of gain.

RCA Auto Gain

You can also configure the RCA pre-gain to be manual if you want:

Perfect Channel Balance:

Maintains precise channel balance down to -127.5 dBFS, enhancing soundstage accuracy and overall listening experience. 

Robust Build Quality:

Constructed with a sleek, all-metal chassis and a tactile volume control, combining durability with aesthetic appeal, I had been using the FiiO K11 in this space (as it is a similar size):

But the added power and especially the EQ capabilities of the Element IV meant it was an easy upgrade in every way, and though the K11 build quality is excellent for its price range, the Element IV is easily worth the upgrade. I have added a more detailed comparison with the new FiiO K17 later in this review.

Sound Impressions

The Element IV shines through its powerful, clean, and very neutral presentation, allowing headphones to reach their full potential. The power provided on the headphone jack is outstanding meaning I never felt that something was missing from even my most demanding headphones and the auto gain feature is super handy if you are switching between demanding headphones to IEMs.

Bass

The bass reproduction is impressively clean, fast, and authoritative even with the most demanding headphones.

Testing with tracks like Daft Punk’s “Instant Crush” showcases deep, controlled lows that never muddy the sound.

Mids

Vocals and instruments sound incredibly natural and detailed. Listening to Norah Jones’ “Come Away With Me,” the midrange clarity and richness are captivatingly lifelike.

Treble

The treble response is smooth yet detailed, offering exceptional clarity without harshness. “Hotel California” by the Eagles beautifully illustrates the Element IV’s ability to deliver sparkling treble detail without fatigue.

Soundstage and Imaging

The soundstage is spacious and impressively precise, offering excellent separation and imaging accuracy—perfectly demonstrated by Pink Floyd’s “Money.”

Specifications and Measurements

The DAC supports up to 32/384khz though if you enable the DSP this is then limited to 32/192Khz as you can see from my Mac:

Measurements

For precise measurement references, I suggest diving into both Amir’s detailed analysis at AudioScienceReview and Cameron’s comprehensive measurements at Headphones.com as both highlight the Element IV’s exceptional performance, with negligible distortion and flat frequency response.

But I thought I would highlight some of the key aspects of both these technical reviews so first both the Audio Precision Dashboard get effectively the same result:

Amir dashboard from ASR:	Cameron’s dashboard from Headphones.com:

And I thought this was excellent as both got the same result of 3.1w into 32 Ohms:

Amir’s result from ASR	Cameron’s results from Headphones.com

Often when you see specifications like 3.2w Ohms into 32 Ohms from manufacturer who have to be a bit skeptical but in this case you can see both Amir and Cameron got very close e.g. 3.14W in 32Ohms. While I would encourage everyone to check out both reviews this was mostly all I needed to know, we have clean and powerful output from the Element IV verifed separately by 2 independent websites.

Comparison with the FiiO K17

This is might be an unfair comparison, comparing the Element IV with a “desktop” amplifier that is twice the price but since I have been using both for the past few weeks I thought it might be useful comparison.

The JDS Labs Element IV and the FiiO K17 are both high-performance DAC and headphone amplifier offering eq capabilities, but beyond that each company have gone in very different but interesting directions, the FiiO is following their trend of Retro inspired designs with lots of ‘buttons’ and pretty extensive connections on the back while JDS have gone for a minimalist design, both will have their fans but for a desktop setup I liked the Element IV much better (and I said this in my recent K17 review).

Here’s a comparative overview:

Power Output:

• Element IV: Delivers up to 3.2 watts per channel into 32-ohm loads, effectively driving a wide range of headphones, including demanding planar magnetics.
• K17: Offers a substantial 4.0 watts per channel in balanced mode, providing ample power for high-impedance and power-hungry headphones.

So similar, while technically the K17 has more power if you have mainly single ended headphone connections the 3.2 Watts offered by the Element IV will be louder.

Digital-to-Analog Conversion (DAC):

• Element IV: Utilizes an ESS Sabre DAC renowned for its low noise and high-fidelity audio reproduction. 
• K17: Features a dual-DAC setup with AKM AK4191 and dual AK4499EX chips, aiming for a rich and detailed sound signature. 

At the high end of the market I think it will be impossible to tell the difference between 2 high end DACs but it is nice to have either top quality DAC.

Equalization and DSP:

• Element IV: Equipped with a 10-band parametric equalizer (PEQ), allowing precise sound customization via the Core™ web app. 
• K17: Potentially offers a 31-band high-precision lossless PEQ, managed through its integrated DSP, enabling detailed frequency adjustments. 

Currently, the K17 has various software bugs limiting access to key features like customising the Equaliser so this would be a clear win for the Element IV.

User Interface and Controls:

• Element IV: Features a minimalist design with a prominent horizontal volume knob and a small OLED display for clear status information.
• K17: Boasts a 3.93-inch LCD touchscreen, providing an intuitive interface for navigation and settings adjustments. 

This depends on if you appreciate simplicity over ‘options’, for a working desktop environment I actually appreciate simplicity but if I am testing some specific feature it can be great to have more options and configuration offered by the K17 screen.

Connectivity:

• Element IV: Includes USB Type-C and optical (TOSLINK) inputs, along with RCA preamp outputs for integration with various audio systems. 
• K17: Offers extensive connectivity options, including dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4Ghz/5Ghz), Ethernet port, Bluetooth, and RCA inputs, catering to both digital and analog sources. 

The K17 offers more connections including crucially balanced inputs and outputs as well as various headphones outputs but then again this is a question as do you want all the options or just the ones you actually need.

Design and Build:

• Element IV: Presents a sleek, compact form factor with a focus on functionality and ease of use.
• K17: Features a retro-inspired aesthetic with tactile controls, combining modern technology with classic design elements. 

Another comparison that is probably personal, I personally like the minimilist design of the Element IV for a “no messing about as I need to focus” desktop setup but the K17 is also a beautiful device that probably goes better with other “retro styled” products like the FiiO TT13 turntable or some retro styled tube amplifier.

Price Point:

• Element IV: Priced competitively around $549 USD, offering a balance of performance and affordability.
• K17: Positioned in the higher-end segment at approximately $899 USD (though I think the Tariff changes might cause this price to increase), reflecting its advanced features and robust build quality. 

In summary, the JDS Labs Element IV is ideal for users seeking a straightforward, powerful DAC/amp with essential features and a focus on high-quality audio performance. In contrast, the FiiO K17 caters to audiophiles desiring a feature-rich device with extensive connectivity, advanced features like Roon, and a distinctive Retro design. Your choice would depend on your specific requirements, preferences, and budget considerations. 

Rating

I am giving the Element IV a 5-star pragmatic rating because it does what it sets out to do perfectly, as is the perfect desktop companion. With lots of power, phenomenal EQ functionality, and gorgeous minimalist aesthetics, it is genuinely an endgame desktop amplifier under $600.

Conclusion

The JDS Element IV redefines minimalism and precision, offering fantastic sound quality, impressive power, and intuitive configuration and EQ features. It truly stands alone in its category as the ideal desktop amplifier especially if you like a clean look.

So, If you are looking for a minimalist headphone amplifier with power, precision and all the flagship level features you might need the JDS Element IV is an easy recommendation.