Introducing Element IV and Core™

Introducing Element IV and Core™—the next evolution of our flagship amp+DAC, inspired by your requests and built on a foundation of what made Element III MK2 so loved. Element IV retains the essentials that defined its predecessor: perfect channel balance, automatic gain, and a discrete optical encoder for its signature knob.

Many of you asked for more EQ bands and advanced DSP capabilities, and we immediately realized that managing parametric EQ bands on a device display would be a user interface disaster. So, we envisioned a next-generation app to support our DACs. Enter Core™, our new web app, designed to provide you with intuitive, driverless control over Element’s 10-band PEQ and more. Together, Element IV and Core mark the future of desktop audio.

And we didn’t stop there! Element IV features USB Type-C connectivity, failsafe DC protection, and outputs an incredible 3.2W per channel—3x the power of the original Element III—while running cooler than a Boosted MK2. We also upgraded the discrete optical encoder for faster interaction and refined the auto-vanishing display with tinted Gorilla Glass. All in the same desktop form factor with a wobble-free knob. Pure bliss.

What is Core

It took our top developers over a year to build the firmware and Core platform for Element IV. Now, as I listen through Element IV, I’m certain that Core is the future of desktop DACs.

Core brings a new level of control to modern DACs, offering easy access to every setting exposed in firmware, along with a sleek yet powerful equalizer canvas. Core parses EQ profiles from Autoeq.app and Squiglink so that you can apply headphone profiles effortlessly.

Element IV connects to Core under Windows, macOS, and Linux without custom drivers or additional software. We’ve also eliminated third-party firmware tools and tedious command line procedures. Core detects when hardware updates are available and easily installs new firmware through your browser.

And this is just the beginning. Development is ongoing, and Core will continue to evolve.

Element IV’s DSP Implementation

Element IV currently supports up to 10 real-time, parametric EQ bands managed through Core:

• 1 Lowshelf Filter
• 1 Highshelf Filter
• 8 Peaking Filters
• Gain Range: +/-30.0 dB
• Frequency Precision: 0.1 dB
• Q Range (peaking): 0.1 to 50.0
• Q Range (low/highshelf): 0.1 to 3.0
• Preamp Gain: Auto or Manual

Firmware automatically sets preamp gain, volume compensation, and amplifier gain, so you can experiment without worrying about clipping or unintentionally distorting your music.

DSP is currently supported through USB input. Support for DSP over optical input is underway, along with several additional functions.

Lossless DSP?

The term “lossless DSP” has begun to appear in certain corners of the market. It’s tempting to label DSP performance as “lossless” if distortion and noise levels remain unchanged whether filters are enabled or disabled. But consider this: applying equalization intentionally changes the output. That change represents a loss of original frequency response. Rather than “lossless”, an appropriate label is “no added distortion or noise.” Admittedly too wordy for marketing teams.

With this in mind, we will not be so bold as to claim that any EQ is lossless. Instead, Element IV’s DSP is engineered to avoid distortion. On the left is SINAD with all 10 DSP filters enabled with volume at -3 dBFS; on the right is the same Element IV with DSP disabled. The DSP altered profile has favorable performance because of its slightly higher internal signal strength. No loss of quality!

Initial Release

Core has been running smoothly for a couple months. We shared the app at CanJam SoCal 2024 with trusted faces, along with reviewers. While Core is fully functional, we’re keeping the “Beta” status label until we’ve gathered more of your feedback.

Why a Web App? What happens in 10+ years?

Timmy is our full stack developer. He built jdslabs.com from scratch and has solved major challenges we’ve encountered throughout the past decade. When I pitched Core to Timmy, he immediately suggested a web app over native. Thus, Core is a web app.

Core is built in React, meaning it can potentially be ported to a native Electron app. For now, the server costs far less than our daily coffee, so it’s financially sustainable.  Core as a web app is always up-to-date, and it’s OS agnostic. Use it with Windows, macOS, or Linux.

As for the far distant future, I’ll be glad to release the codebase under an open-source license if the time ever comes to decommission the app server. It’s also possible to run Core locally on any machine with access to the codebase. In short, Core will always be available for your Element IV—barring, of course, world domination by emerging AI.

Requirements

Core connects to Element IV through a virtual serial port. You may use any Chromium based browser:

• Chrome
• Edge
• Opera
• Brave
• Firefox with WebSerial for Firefox

We’re curious to hear how many of you would like to use Element IV with an iOS or Android app. Let us know in the comments!

Core is free to use, and accounts are entirely optional. Unlimited EQ profiles or “presets” are possible through accounts, and you are welcome to export all of your EQ settings as you see fit.

Software Development Journey

Building Element IV and Core has been the most exciting project our team has undertaken. Core departs from decades of simple DAC interfaces, addressing the UI challenges required to introduce powerful features many of us have wanted for years.

As with any ambitious project, the vision came easily. The reality of building Element IV involved our top developers across four countries. Concept hardware was completed in 2023, and I underestimated the complexity of migrating to a new processor, leading to several months of groundwork before we had USB audio running on an early Element IV. Only then could we lay the foundation for Core, which involved designing a custom protocol to handle settings transfers to and from the app.

A test app was built early on, permitting firmware and Core development teams to work concurrently and independently. Building Core’s parametric EQ canvas was no small feat either, requiring some outside expertise. Special thanks to Rick, Oskar, Julian, Timmy, and Thiago for making Core a reality!

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Element IV Hardware Overview

 

Amplifier Stage

The gain stage of Element IV has been upgraded with an OPA1656 for ultra low THD, while the output buffer has been overhauled with 14 paralleled OPA1692s. This topology reduces common-mode noise and allows Element IV to deliver over 3.2W per channel at 32 ohms while running cooler than a Boosted Element III MK2.

Gain has also been increased, reaching maximum output in excess of 10 VRMS = 28.7 Vpp!

Failsafe DC Protection

Adding DC protection to Atom Amp 2 was a hedged bet. Worst case, each amplifier would cost us more to produce. In hindsight, it was a solid decision, protecting a handful of customers’ headphones from dangerous ESD events throughout the first year alone.

Thus, DC detection and failsafe relay muting is standard in Element IV. The same analog detection method is used, rather than resorting to a digital detection technique. Going digital would have reduced cost, and maybe yielded similar safety. But do we need more “maybes” in a design? Nope.

By the way, DC protection can trigger when listening to clipped audio. This is not a design defect. It’s DC protection at work. We plan to add Soft Clipping to Element IV in a future firmware update, for those of you listening to speedcore (warning, clipped!).

Power Supply

Element IV uses a new 17VAC transformer delivering 40% more current than before, in the exact same physical form factor as the previous generation 16V supply.

The USB Type C port is used exclusively for data, consuming no power. We evaluated USB C PD to eliminate the transformer. Given the extra circuitry required and the need for a 20V USB C charger, cost would have increased with debatable convenience.

D/A Stage

Implementation is everything. We explored ES9038Q2M and revisited AKM DACs early in the project and found that our tightly tuned 9018K2M performs every bit as well at lower cost.

Element IV’s transimpedance stage has been further refined, using triple OPA1612s and 0.1% thin-film resistors, with an LT3045 analog supply to reduce noise by several dB.

Oscillators received additional scrutiny. Master clocks now use ultra low phase noise crystal oscillators. There was no obvious measurement disadvantage by installing cheap oscillators rated at 80000 fs jitter. With that in mind, Element IV uses 43 fs clocks for its 45/49MHz clock pair, which look better on paper for a relatively small change in cost. Without delving into a longer discussion, the I2S engine and ESS’s algorithm influence jitter more.

Processor & Storage

The leap to a 16-core XMOS XU316 processor unlocks new possibilities. With 4 cores and 70% of memory remaining free even when running 10 EQ filters, there’s plenty of headroom for future feature expansions.

Element IV stores all settings, as well as your active Headphone and Preamp DSP settings, onboard. This means your EQ settings follow your Element IV wherever you use it (i.e., multiple PCs, tablets, phones, or consoles). When you open Core on another system, it reads settings from the Element IV connected to your machine.

You may save unlimited EQ “presets” in your optional Core account, allowing you to toggle between headphone profiles with a single click.

Knob

Element III MK2’s discrete encoder proved durable and wobble-free, so we improved it even further for Element IV by increasing the fin count from 8 to 12 fins. This gives the knob a more responsive feel, with the same smooth rotation.

Knobs are available in aluminum by default, or in polished “Clear Resin.” To streamline manufacturing, the Clear knobs for Element IV are now crafted in two parts: the clear knob itself and the encoder fins.

Clear knobs and PCBs arrived after our photo shoot, so stay tuned for updated images. For now, here’s a render:

Ring Colors: Element IV features a copper-colored accent ring by default. While black and red accent rings are still available upon request, over 80% of customers choose copper. Managing a single color simplifies inventory for our team.

Performance

Element IV is cleaner than ever, reaching up to 118 dB SINAD at high gain. During a month-long hiatus when our APx555 analyzer was down, none of us were able to audibly differentiate between untuned Element IVs at 110 dB SINAD and tuned boards at 118 dB. As mentioned in recent years, advancing SINAD is not a major priority. But yes, Element IV measures well.

Test Setup: ApX555 analyzer bandwidth = 22.4k, LPF = ADC passband, HPF = AC coupling, 300 ohm load, and Element IV USB input @ 48kHz fed from Synapse unless otherwise noted.

Element IV	Performance
Frequency Response 20-20kHz	+/- 0.1 dB
SINAD, 1kHz Low Gain	117 dB
SINAD, 1kHz High Gain	118 dB
THD+N Sweep 20-20kHz	< 0.00025 %
IMD CCIF 19/20 kHz -6 dBFS	-118 dB
IMD SMPTE @ -20dBFS	-95 dBFS
Signal to Noise Ratio	120 dB
Noise (low gain)	2 μV
Dynamic Range (A-Weighted)	123 dB
Linearity @ -90 dBFS	+/- 0.02 dB
Crosstalk @ 0 dBFS, 100k RCA	-127 dB
Channel Balance, -∞ to 0 dBFS	+/- 0.01 dB
Output Impedance	< 1 Ω
Max Continuous Power @ 600 Ω	174 mW (10.22 VRMS)
Max Continuous Power @ 150 Ω	692 mW (10.19 VRMS)
Max Continuous Power @ 32 Ω	3.2 W (10.18 VRMS)

Just-in-Time Production

Element IV has been on our roadmap for over a year, and we’ve been refining prototypes for months. The final build passed all FCC/CE compliance tests on the first try. Just in case, we added a two-week buffer to the release schedule. Thankfully, we did.

First, enclosures arrived late. Then, first-article production boards were completely unresponsive—no screen, no USB, no audio. I confirmed the cause after hours of probing test points: the processor ground pad was missing on the production silkscreen. Working closely with our assembly partners, a corrected stencil was overnighted, and we approved proper assemblies after a long drive to Chicago.

Hurry, Price Goes Up!

Element IV’s base price of $499 USD is valid through the end of 2024 and will increase by 10% thereafter. I know many of you are eager to upgrade, so now is the best time! The circuit board is packed with more silicon than ever before and software development will be ongoing as we add capabilities.

Availability

Element IV is in stock, exclusively at jdslabs.com. A limited number are ready to ship today, and we know they will move fast! All U.S. orders will ship first, while 220-240V power supplies for international orders are scheduled to arrive on Monday.