JDS LABS ELEMENT III (01) PDF Document

Step 01: Connect AC power adapter to rear power jack (16VAC), then connect to wall outlet.

Step 02: Connect USB cable between your computer and the USB jack.

Step 03: Connect headphones to the front headphone output jack.

Step 04: Pressing the Power button turns Element on or off. Pressing the Headphone/RCA button toggles between headphone or RCA Output modes.

Step 05: Slowly raise the volume knob to an appropriate listening level. See Listening Tips on page 7.

Pressing the volume knob toggles between USB and Optical input.

Pressing down on the Volume Knob for 3 or more seconds enters the Options Menu. Turn the knob to navigate up or down the options menu. Push the knob to make a selection.

The default setting for Screen Timeout is 5 seconds, with a range of 0 (never) to 120 seconds on the JDS LABS ELEMENT III.

The available options for Screen Contrast in the UI Settings of the JDS LABS ELEMENT III are HIGH, MED, OR LOW.

LEDs will remain on while Element III is on.

LEDs will power off while the screen is off.

LEDs operate as follows:

In S/PDIF mode, the LEDs will always remain on, as audio stream detection is available only in USB mode.

In USB mode, the LEDs will turn off after 5 minutes of audio inactivity*. The LEDs will turn on:

a. as soon as the USB stream becomes active again, or

b. anytime the screen turns on with user interaction (which is true in any mode). When the screen turns off, the LEDs will turn off as well only if the USB stream has remained inactive for 5 minutes.

Consistent with 5 minutes of USB stream inactivity, the USB “rate” on the display will also be cleared once this standby limit is surpassed.

Note that the screen on/off is unrelated to the 5 minute standby setting. The screen power-off is related exclusively to the “SCREEN TIMEOUT” option/setting.

The options for Knob Speed (Encoder Resolution) on the JDS LABS ELEMENT III are FULL or HALF.

The Volume Steps (Encoder Steps) options for the JDS LABS ELEMENT III are 0.5 dB or 1.0 dB.

The default setting shows a progress bar and requires about 1/3 of a knob turn to transition between gain states. ‘Aggressive’ minimizes internal delays and eliminates the progress bar for a much faster transition on the JDS LABS ELEMENT III.

This option allows you to reconfigure the knob button to:

Toggle Input

Toggle Output

Mute (USB only)

Mute (SPDIF only)

The parameters available for Headphone DSP configuration (USB) on the JDS LABS ELEMENT III are:

Bass Gain

Bass Frequency

Treble Gain

Treble Frequency

The parameters available for RCA/Line DSP on the JDS LABS ELEMENT III are:

Bass Gain

Bass Frequency

Treble Gain

Treble Frequency

Bass Filter supports +/-30 dB of gain and selectable corner frequencies: [40Hz, 60Hz, 80Hz, 100Hz, 110Hz, 125Hz, 150Hz, 170Hz] on the JDS LABS ELEMENT III.

Treble Filter supports +/-30 dB of gain and selectable corner frequencies: [10kHz, 11kHz, 12kHz, 13kHz, 13.5 kHz, 14kHz, 14.5kHz, 15kHz] on the JDS LABS ELEMENT III.

DSP filters are defeated by setting Bass Gain and Treble Gain to 0 on the JDS LABS ELEMENT III.

UAC2 is recommended for modern operating systems (Win 10/11, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS), providing ASIO support, DSD128 and PCM 32/384kHz playback, and ability to perform firmware updates. Choose UAC1 to connect to legacy operating systems such as Win XP/7/8, Nintendo Switch, or PS 4/5 on the JDS LABS ELEMENT III. You may toggle between UAC2/UAC1 at any time. Element III will restart upon change, or prompt to restart. Alternatively, you may use a UAC1 Fallback cable in UAC2 mode.

The default setting for 2nd Harmonic Steps on the JDS LABS ELEMENT III is 0, with a range of -75 to 75. Large values in either direction will increase second harmonics.

The default setting for 3rd Harmonic Comp on the JDS LABS ELEMENT III is -20, with a range of -75 to 75. Large values will increase 3rd harmonics.

The default value of ON automatically enables de-emphasis when an incoming S/PDIF stream contains such a flag, and otherwise disables de-emphasis. Setting to OFF bypasses auto de-emphasis on the JDS LABS ELEMENT III.

The default setting for DPLL Bandwidth on the JDS LABS ELEMENT III is 7, with a range of 0 to 15. This setting directly impacts jitter rejection, with the optimal value dependent on timing stability of your PC or audio source. Most audio sources produce stable audio when DPLL is set to 5. The default DPLL value was conservatively increased to 7 in order to support a wider range of sources, especially modern 4k TVs. If you encounter stuttering, try increasing DPLL Bandwidth.

The DAC Filter selects the filter to be applied by the ES9018 during D/A conversion. FAST Rolloff is preferred for optimal performance. SLOW introduces high frequency rolloff. The options are:

Fast Rolloff

Slow Rollof

Min Phase

The Status menu displays the current firmware version, USB Stream status (Active, Inactive), and internally recovered I2C Errors. This information is intended for factory Q/C checking. Note: I2C Errors can occur from strong ESD events, voltage variations, or other interference. Element III monitors for and automatically recovers from I2C errors. Over 17M transmissions occur every 24 hours, so it is normal to see an accumulation of I2C recoveries over time. The number of I2C “Reset” attempts should remain at 0 on the JDS LABS ELEMENT III.

Element III accepts digital input via USB or S/PDIF (optical). Press the volume knob to toggle between input modes on the JDS LABS ELEMENT III.

Element III provides headphone output and RCA Preamp Outputs. Press the Headphone/RCA button on the rear to toggle between output modes. Only one output is active at a time. Volume is adjustable in either mode, and saved to memory for easy transitions. Pressing an input or output button displays the current mode on the screen.

Set sampling rate to the highest integer multiple of your music collection. For example, use 192kHz for a collection of 48k and 192k audio files. Common streaming services and games tend to use 48kHz audio. Alternatively, you may install the optional XMOS drivers in Win 10/11 and use an ASIO capable app to achieve bitperfect sampling rate changes. Active sampling rate is displayed on Element III’s screen.

By default, Element III disables host operating volume controls for maximum fidelity and plentiful D/A headroom. Note: Win 10/11 may still permit system level volume adjustments.

Element III can amplify headphones to dangerously loud audio. Listen safely to conserve your hearing.

Element III uses a high current power supply and runs warm to the touch. Avoid covering the top and sides.

Do not lift the amplifier by its knob!

Element III can be safely powered on 24/7.

To ensure an optimal noise floor, always position headphone amplifiers as far away as possible from wireless devices.

Element III requires no drivers in Windows 10/11. You may download optional drivers for Windows at jdslabs.com/drivers to enable all bitrates, adjust Buffer Length (latency), and enable an ASIO endpoint. Be sure to select your new DAC as the default playback device:

1. Right click the volume icon in your taskbar and click: Open Sound Setting Sound Control Panel

2. Click on “JDS Labs Element III,” then choose “Set Default.”

Please refer to Listening Tips for optimal properties.

Element III requires no drivers on macOS. Ensure JDS Labs audio device is selected from Audio Devices.

Cause: USB Device is not initialized. Solution: Turn Element III off, then back on to reset the USB device.

Cause: Missing, damaged, or loose power adapter connection. Solution: Please see jdslabs.com/troubleshooting.

Cause: Element III constantly self-monitors to automatically correct potential error states. Flashing LEDs or no screen activity indicate no response from the XMOS processor despite internal reset attempts. This may be caused by a power surge or extreme ESD event. Solution: Please turn Element III off for at least 1 minute, and then back on. If behavior persists, please reach out to jdslabs.com/support.

Cause: Element III is designed to detect insufficient AC mains power, and may reboot when subjected to a severe brownout. Solution: Ensure clean power is provided.

Cause: Wrong mode or incorrect connectivity setup. Solution: Please see the Connectivity section. Double check all cabling and volume levels.

The power adapter included with the JDS LABS ELEMENT III has the following specifications:

Low Gain is always active at volume levels from -127.5 to 0 dBFS on the JDS LABS ELEMENT III. Continuing to turn the knob beyond 0 dB presents an on-screen progress bar, signifying a pending transition to High Gain. Element III automatically adjusts volume for a pleasant transition between gain states. You will see an effective volume range of 0 to 13.5 dB in High Gain.

Typical listening levels range from -50 dB to -20 dB for most dynamic and planar headphones, depending on your music collection and preferences when using the JDS LABS ELEMENT III.

Element III ships with a 3ft (1m) USB Type A to Type B cable equipped with a ferrite core for optimal jitter and noise rejection. You may use a Type C to Type B cable to connect to Type C devices. Be sure to transfer the detachable ferrite from your JDS Labs cable to your new cable. Use the exact same position on the new cable for the JDS LABS ELEMENT III.