Review on the JDS Labs C5
Fellow Head-Fi'ers, I am here to present you all with my first review on an audio product, the JDS Labs C5; so if I do anything that does not appear right, feel free to correct me, and let me know!I'll also mention here, as I have done in the past with any of my "first impressions", that I am still fairly new to the audio scene, and I cannot ensure you that my "review" will be as detailed and in-depth as one might suggest, but all in all, I'll give it my best, and hope you all enjoy it
Introduction
So, recently I have been in the threads, seeking a new portable amp that would be my first amp to kick off my start in mid-tier audio, as I felt that I was done with low-end, and had the sudden urge to move on slowly. After a week or so of reading reviews here and there, I had ended my hunt with the JDS Labs C5, since the reviews and opinions on it were very positive, and I had yet to encounter any statements saying anything majorly negative about it. This amp was well within my price range, was highly reputable and had the sound signature that I was after - so I guess you could say, it suited my situation nicely.Anyways, I had bought the C5 a few days ago from Noisy Motel, and to my surprise, the amp had arrived within 48-hours after payment! I'd like to give a shoutout to them, as they provided me with first class customer service during the process of my purchase, and and answered all my questions swiftly without hesitation. I was very satisfied
Now onto the unboxing...
Unboxing
Upon receiving the C5, I took a few photos of the amp in most of its perspectives to show you guys (who have yet to see what the amp looks like in detail).Here, you have the box that the JDS Labs C5 comes in.
Another angle of the box.
Yet, another angle of the box, with the Noisy Motel sticker enclosing the product.
Side view of the box, with the briefings (The other side has nothing on it).
The bottom of the box. The world must know it was made in the U.S.A!
The opened box and its internal presentation.
What is inside the box: Micro USB to USB charging cable, instruction manuel, and the C5 (enclosed in the anti-static bag).
A quick picture of the specifications and operation conditions.
The Monoprice Micro USB to USB charging cable.
Four clear rubber feet for the C5.
The C5 enclosed in the anti-static bag. (You can faintly make out the logo.
Release the Kraken!
The beast from within the packet. It has the obvious, JDS Labs logo on one side of the amp.
Angled view of the amp.
As seen in my quick unboxing, a sufficient amount of accessories have been included, just the main ones, nothing more. Overall, it was fairly basic, and the box housing the amp and accessories was just a regular cardboard box.
Now, onto the review...
Review
Specifications
- Frequency Response : +/- 0.02 dB
- THD+N (20-20kHz, 150 Ω): 0.0009%
- THD+N (20-20kHz, 32 Ω): 0.0045%
- Noise: -105 dBu
- Crosstalk @ 150 Ω: -67 dB
- Inter-channel Phase @ 1kHz: +/- 0.01°
- Channel Balance: +/- 0.55 dB, all volume positions
- Max Output @ 600Ω: 4.146 VRMS
- Max Output @ 150Ω: 3.337 VRMS
- Max Output @ 32Ω: 1.010 VRMS
- Power Supply: 14.0 Vpp
- Output Impedance: 2.2 Ω
- Battery Run Time: 11-14 Hours*
- Charge Time: 2 Hrs to 80%, < 4 Hrs to 100%
- Operating Temp: –40°C to 85°C
- Operating Humidity: 0 to 85% Rel. Humidity
- Dimensions (excluding switches): 99.5 x 61.5 x 14.0 mm (LxWxH)
- Weight: 4.2 ounces
Test Equipment: PrismSound dScope Series III audio analyzer, Tektronix TDS1012.
*Run time may vary based on equipment and listening style.
Build Quality & Design/Function Factor
Build Quality
The build quality of the C5 has a very nice construction as it obtains the appearance of elegance, and shows that it was built to last. The body of the C5, has a matte black metal finish (if you got the black version) that is very solid, and is overall, sturdy. It feels very nice in the hands, and does not have any sharp edges or anything that would give discomfort to the user.The 3.5mm sockets of the input and output of the amp, are slightly recessed into the amp, to allow the fitting of large male 3.5mm jacks. When inserting a jack into the sockets, the sockets are very tight, so it might take a bit of a push to get it in there, but at least you know it'll hold the jack in place, firmly. The sockets will take a slight bit of effort to pull the 3.5mm jack back out, so that will ensure that the jack won't be going anywhere once plugged in! None of that sliding-out action.
I did, however, notice that the charging Micro USB port on the amp is a little tight, were it took a pinch of force to get the Micro USB cable into the amp to charge it. Not a bad thing, but it just felt a bit too rigid and tight.
As of the switches of the amp, the On/off switch, and the bass boost switch, have a high-quality feel, which is obviously not like any of those cheap switches that feels like they're going to snap or break. They have a strong click upon switching it, so I guess you could say it's reassurance that you bought a well-built amp with quality materials.
What's new to me, is the new digital volume control (potentiometer). Although it's new to me, it is without a doubt, a very cool feature of the C5. Has a nice feel when increasing/decreasing the volume, and the click to switch to high/low gain is also a nice addition, on top of the already cool, potentiometer.
The faceplates at each end of the amp has a brushed aluminium finish, with a heavy-duty feel that is around 0.2mm thick. The plates are removable via two screws, one at each end of the plate, to remove/change the position of the internals of the C5. I unscrewed the screws, minutes after receiving the amp to flip internals so I could have the JDS Labs logo facing down, as I was going to apply Dual Lock to the amp so I could adhere it to my audio players.
Here are a Front and Back view of the faceplates of the C5.
Front View^
Back View^
Design/Function Factor
(I realised this part was basically me blabbing on about the digital potentiometer the most, so I wish to apologize in advance, haha)I found the design of the JDS Labs C5 to be quite elegant, yet still maintaining its classiness for its role. The amp, although very simple looking, is quite amazing when it comes to a sleek and compact design. Sleek, by all means of the recessed 3.5mm sockets and screw holes to the low profile switches and digital potentiometer, as opposed to the usual, large and protruding volume control pot. In no way, am I saying that the volume control pots are a bad design or anything, I'm just simply saying that JDS Labs did a good thing by applying the use of a digital potentiometer, that does not protrude out, or is easily adjusted by accident. Another thing about the digital potentiometer that I absolutely adore, is that it has eliminated the common channel imbalance problem, which is the usual case with the volume pots. Not only that, it also remembers your last high/low gain settings and volume setting, so you do not have to readjust to those desired positions when you use your amp next. The potentiometer has 63 steps of volume, inclusive of the silent step, which gives the user, a good amount of volume options to choose from. I might be a bit nit-picky here, but I think the volume increment of the potentiometer is a bit big for its own good. It would have been great if JDS Labs could have made the increments a bit small, so the majority of us users, could utilise the balanced volume at lower listening volumes. Other than that, I was well satisfied with the digital potentiometer. I know, that the potentiometer can be programmed to run at your desired volume increments, but I am not one to venture into the territories of the "DIY/playing with the internals of a unit" area. As of that, I will have to live with the C5's volume increments as is
Apart from the digital potentiometer, another fancy feature about the C5 is that when it is nearly out of batteries, the power light will begin to blink continuously, so you will always know when it needs to be charge, before its 14 hour usage time ends. I thought this was a cool feature, as there are many amps out there without an "I-Need-To-Be-Charged" indicator, hence it will then result in a randomly dead amp during usage. When on and at full battery, the amp will display a GREEN light; when in need of a charge, it will be a BLINKING GREEN light; and whilst it is charging, a BLUE light will be displayed.
Anyways, here is a picture of the C5 in the palm of my hand. It's pretty small, compared to what you see in images of it.
In short, the JDS Labs C5 has the regular appearance of a portable amp, but unlike some of the other, retangular prism amps, this amp has a well thought out design, which gives it the sleek and elegant look. I can say that the design and build of this amp, is surely up there competing with the other well-built amps of the higher prices!
Sound Quality
Okay, so this is the part I'm not too good at, so please bare with me
(I used my V-Moda M-100's and Colorfly C3 for this part - High gain ON, NO bass boost)
I understand that many people have compared this amp to the O2, but unfortunately, I do not own that amp. Instead, I will be comparing it to my C&C BH, which I am aware, a few owners of that amp are interested in the C5.
In general, to me, I found that the C5 had an overall feel of a clean sounding amp with almost crystal-clear clarity, well-refined detailing, and its amazingly presented, neutrality.
This amp, does not have a warm touch to it, nor does it sound too bright, hence the neutrality I had mentioned. The clarity is one of a kind with this amp; you can hear its full sound without a sign of hissing, which applies to low volume as well as medium-level volume, and I have yet to try maxed volume. I must admit, the detail and micro detail of this amp is really expressed well, as you can make out most of the micro details, such as the ending of the snare in some songs with drumming in it, or something like the "ting" of a triangle used in the far background - something you usually wouldn't notice when listening regularly.
As of its clean sound, I can easily say I have yet to hear anything like it. The sound it produces is just so clean and crisp, it makes my low quality songs (yes, I still have a few) sound as if they were of high quality with none of that warm vibe in the background. The crisp sound it produces makes the tune sound somewhat fresh, and it really just feels like starting off a beautiful morning with the breeze gently blowing across your face. Kinda like a splash of water to the face, where you get that cooling sensation. Haha, yeah, I apologize for my weird wording ways, as I am still new to this, as I had mentioned many times before
I shall go onto attempt at the Lows/Mids/Highs. Once again, bare with me!
Lows
I found the mid bass and sub bass on the C5 to sound rather satisfying - not too aggressive, nor too soft; just right to me. It has a good punch, which adds to its crispiness, and it has a fulfilling texture to it, similar to the melting of butter, as my friend once put it as for those moments. The bass boost switch for this amp was really a bit of a hardcore basshead thing; the bass it produces is thunderously earth-shaking, as I found it was way too impactful and was somewhat, headache-worthy. However, it is good for the occasional "I'm feeling like a head-banger moment"! Wasn't a fan of it still, but with the bass boost switch off, I enjoyed it as is.Mids
I found the mids of the C5 to be quite forward, as opposed to recess. It does come out at you and makes the vocals sound very full and makes it as if the singers were there before you, performing on stage, singing towards you in third row, although I feel that the soundstage of the C5 is a bit congested, could do with a bit more air and a wider soundstage. I believe "engaging" is the term, that should be coined for this? I think so. The level of detail here is fine, as I had stated above, but I found that the instrumental separation could have been better. It just didn't have the layered effect when I come to think about it. It can have the smothered-feel on that part.Highs
The treble of this amp to me was quite satisfying. This was the part where it gave me the feel of crisp sound, as the highs to me, were excelled pretty well. Not the best, but it could do with a bit more tightness.Comparison to the C&C BH
(This one's for my fellow Head-Fi'ers in the BH thread)
Haha, where do I start...
Sound Comparison
In short, I found that the C5 was superior to the BH in terms of clarity, cleanliness, fun & engaging sound, detailing, and balance of warmth and brightness, aka. neutrality.The BH has it over the C5 when it comes to the wide soundstage that the BH has, along with the BH's top quality instrumental separation, the good ol' cheat switch of the BH, the infamous, LF switch (The bass/treble booster), and the glorious 100 hour battery life of the BH still remains king of the hill.
So to sum things up for this comparison, I think the C5 has it in some ways, and the BH has it in another. Does indeed, come down to preferences, but the BH to me, does take it when the price-to-performance ratio is taken into consideration.
Now down to the question that most of the BH owners would be wondering, is that, "Which do you prefer?"
Well, as of now, the C5 as my "New Toy Syndrome" has yet to wear off!
I will touch up on this later down the track. As of now, I cannot confirm yet.
Size Comparison
Side-by-side (Birds eye view)^
Front-on view^
BH on top of the C5^
A side view of the BH on top of the C5^
Summary/Conclusion
So here I am...ending my first review Never thought I could pull it off, honestly, but I managed in the end, haha.Ultimately, I found the JDS Labs C5 to be a brilliant little amp that had a lot of positive attributes to it, along with an elegantly sleek design, that was very appealing to my ears and eyes. This amp has surely made my music listening experience much more enjoyable, and ever since I started listening to it, I have started to appreciated some of my songs that I had never been too fond of before, so that really says something about this. Call it placebo or whatever you want, but I found this to have great synergy with my C3 and M-100's, and the audio that it generates, really puts me in the soothing mood as well as giving me very enjoyable listening sessions late at night. This amp, to me, is what defines neutrality when I listen to it.
Briefing Before I Leave
I was originally going to get an iPod Classic for this C5, but I have found that my C3 pairs incredibly well with it, so I am not so much considering the Classic anymore. This for now, should serve me well for the months to come for mid-tier audio.
Now that this review is done, I'm going to need a break from four and a half hours of typing and thinking.
If you've read it from top to bottom, I'd like to thank you for putting in the effort to reading a novice's first review
Greatly appreciated.
I am so done here.
Going to enjoy my rig now!
Over & Out,
SkyBleu-
R would be: C5 is worth the premium over the BH?
