We have so many choices when it comes to choosing DACs and headphone amplifiers. There’s no shortage of great manufacturers that offer some excellent models to choose from, no matter what your sound preferences are.
JDS Labs’ Atom and the FiiO K5 Pro are two popular choices that are also close competitors with similar features. So, which one is most worthy of your hard-earned cash?
The JDS Labs Atom and FiiO K5 Pro are excellent headphone amplifiers with similar designs and sound quality. The K5 Pro has a built-in DAC with excellent performance, which offers a warm sound. The Atom needs an external DAC but has excellent gain and a neutral sound signature with no frills.
The choice of headphone amp will depend on your personal preferences since both devices are excellent options. They have different features and advantages affecting their sound signature and user experience.
Let’s compare the JDS Labs Atom and the FiiO K5 Pro more closely so you can make an educated decision before buying.
Design And Build Quality
The JDS Labs Atom and FiiO K5 Pro (on Amazon) have slightly different designs and build quality.
The JDS Labs Atom is a compact and minimalistic amplifier made of solid aluminum. The amplifier’s front panel has a volume knob, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a 6.3mm headphone jack.
The amplifier’s back panel has an RCA input and an RCA output. It has a sturdy build that can easily withstand some rough usage and makes it feel like a solid, premium product.
Its design is simplistic and slightly reminiscent of a small form factor computer. There are no flashy displays or anything that draws attention until you switch it on, which is when you’re greeted by a halo of light surrounding the volume knob. The simplicity and minimal design make it impressive in a toned-down kind of way.
On the other hand, the FiiO K5 Pro is an even smaller (but thicker) amplifier that is made of aluminum and a plastic top. The panel has a large volume knob, a 6.3mm headphone jack, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The amplifier’s back panel has an RCA input, a coaxial input, an optical input, and an RCA output. The FiiO K5 Pro has a sleek, modern design that looks great on a desk.
It looks sturdier than the Atom, but it feels less solid somehow; perhaps because of the plastic top, even though that is still hard enough to withstand a beating.
Overall, both devices are well-designed with a modern look that will go well with your audio desk setup. They look very similar, so the design shouldn’t be much of a deciding factor between the two.
Also: iFi Zen DAC V2 vs FiiO K7
Input/Output
Neither of these devices boasts a wide range of inputs and outputs, which makes sense considering they are intended as headphone amplifiers, not general-use hi-fi DACs.
The JDS Labs Atom features two inputs: a 3.5 mm input jack and stereo RCA inputs. It also features stereo RCA jacks and a 6.35 mm headphone jack as outputs. The RCA outputs only work when you haven’t inserted a headphone since the headphone jack is its core focus.
The FiiO K5 Pro has a slightly more comprehensive range of options. As inputs, it has coaxial, optical, and stereo RCA adapters. For output, it provides a 6.35 mm headphone jack and stereo RCA options. Similar to Atom, connecting your headphones will disable the RCA outputs entirely.
Although their outputs are identical, the Atom beats the K5 Pro slightly with its more comprehensive range of input options, though it doesn’t have a 3.5 mm input connector. If you wanna connect digital inputs, the K5 Pro is the better option to go for.
Unique Features
Let’s be honest – these are pretty entry-level devices, so they don’t really have much that sets them apart from other similar headphone amps and DACs. However, both have some small details that make them different.
The FiiO K5 Pro’s most outstanding feature is that it performs on par with other DACs and headphone amps that cost twice the price (or more). For an entry-level device, FiiO obviously put a lot of effort into making this a very high-quality product with exceptional performance.
You can use the K5 Pro as a dedicated amp without using its built-in DAC if you already have a premium DAC in your setup. It has excellent amplification capabilities, which makes this a viable option that even some audiophile stores use it for.
For the JDS Labs Atom, its most outstanding feature is its high gain levels. Though very few people actually find it necessary to use this feature, it’s great to know that you have the headroom to increase the gain on the device.
The gain also works really well, with very low interference and distortion if you keep it on sane levels; most people won’t even notice that it’s been boosted.
Also: Chord Mojo 2 vs Chord Qutest
Technical Specifications
The JDS Labs Atom and FiiO K5 Pro have different technical specifications.
The FiiO K5 Pro boasts an XMOS XUF208 USB decoding chip and high-resolution ES9038Q2M ESS DAC. It supports 768 kHz 32-Bit and DSD512, which is excellent and on par with current standards in headphone amplification and digital-to-analog conversion. It also has low-, medium-, and high-gain levels.
The JDS Labs Atom uses an NJM4556 op-amp chip for its amplification but does not have a DAC chip by default. It has a very low distortion rate and a high signal-to-noise ratio, but you will want to get a dedicated DAC to use with it.
Both devices have excellent technical specifications, but each is in its own niche.
Sound Quality
When it comes to sound quality, both the JDS Labs Atom and FiiO K5 Pro offer exceptional performance. However, their sound signatures are slightly different, which will appeal to different listeners depending on their preferences.
The JDS Labs Atom is known for its neutral and transparent sound signature. It offers a clean, accurate sound output that doesn’t color the original audio signal.
This makes it a perfect option for users who want a faithful reproduction of their music. Its amplification and gain are exceptional, so as a headphone amplifier, it is an excellent piece of kit.
On the other hand, the FiiO K5 Pro has a warm and musical sound signature that considerably enhances the bass and midrange frequencies. This makes it a good choice for users who want a more dynamic and lively sound output.
It’s worth noting that the FiiO K5 Pro also offers a bass and gain switch, which allows you to further customize the sound output to your liking.
Overall, the Atom is the ideal choice for a pure and untampered sound experience, or if you have your own separate equalizer to adjust the tone of the music you’re listening to.
The K5 Pro is a more general-use device that will color the sound and make it more dynamic without interfering with the sound quality at all.
User Experience
The user experience of the JDS Labs Atom and FiiO K5 Pro is also different, though their controls appear very similar when you compare them at face value.
The JDS Labs Atom has a simple and self-explanatory user interface that is easy to use. It features a single knob on the front panel, allowing you to adjust the volume level. It also has a gain switch on the back panel, allowing you to adjust the amplification level.
That’s really all there is to its interface, but this makes it great for people who appreciate the simplicity and don’t want to spend hours learning to operate a new device.
In contrast, the FiiO K5 Pro has a more advanced user interface that may require a bit more of a learning curve, though it’s still not overly complicated. It features a volume knob, a bass switch, and a gain switch on the front panel, which allows you to set the volume, bass, and amplification level.
Additionally, it has a USB DAC that allows you to connect it to a computer and use it as an external sound card, which is a bit more complicated to use, but the software that comes bundled with the K5 Pro makes this much more accessible.
However, when you open the software, you will notice that there’s quite a bit more to the device than you initially thought.
Users are generally happy with both devices, but the main differentiating factor is the DAC that’s built into the K5 Pro. Users who buy an Atom expecting the same quality without a dedicated DAC will be disappointed.
On the flip side of this, users who buy the K5 Pro expecting the same performance as a dedicated high-performance DAC will also be disappointed. The DAC is excellent, and it offers some fantastic sound quality.
However, it’s important to note that the device is a headphone amp first and foremost, and the DAC is a bonus, so FiiO did not put as much effort into the DAC as they did in the K7, which is a DAC with headphone amplification.
So, if you keep those differences in mind and focus on what you’re looking for, either device will offer an unparalleled sound experience at this particular price point.
Which One Should You Buy? My Opinion
Both devices are entry-level devices, as you may already know. However, I had to choose between the JDS Labs Atom and FiiO K5 Pro, without any hesitation, I’ll go for the FiiO K5 Pro (Amazon).
This is simply because the K5 Pro offers more input options than the JDS Labs Atom. It has a built-in DAC that allows you to plug digital audio into it. And the built-in audio interface makes it a more versatile option than the JDS Labs Atom.
Final Words
The JDS Labs Atom is an exceptional headphone amplifier that offers incredible sound quality and volume. Its biggest competitor is the FiiO K5 Pro, which is a better device in some ways because it has a built-in DAC.
If you already have a DAC, the Atom is all you need, but if you don’t have one yet, you can save a few dollars by going for the K5 Pro. You won’t be disappointed.
Hi, I’m Raymond. A keyboard player, music producer, and writer. And I’m also the founder of this blog. As someone who has been working with several audio and music equipment and different musicians for many years, my goal is to answer all your questions on music and equipment, as well as the latest music software and technology. For more info, check out my about me page