Sorry not sure, I'm not the person to talk too about audio stuff, just wanted the best sound/functionality for my buck. I had a cheap FiiO and Schiit before. Maybe check ASR reviews to see. I think the remote is the best this dac/amp has going for. I wouldn't want to go back to a device without a remote, particularly for switching between pre and headphones. Sorry to hear about the standby issue, weird that it worked fine prior to the update...may want to continue troubleshooting? Hopefully JDS Labs makes a DX3 competitor without the issues and has a remote. If it won't take months to get a fixed device maybe send it back in...nothing against Chinese companies but its a major hassle if you have issues and live in NA, they should have an express exchange option where you pay for a replacement and they refund the money upon receipt of the defective device to cut the wait times in half.
Thanks, I brought it through Amazon so it will be a hassle free return. I'm not going to pursue a replacement. As much as I really like the remote, I value reliability far more in all my AV products. (10+ year lifespan) I thought the issues with this product are a myth, sadly it seems there really is a bit of build quality issues.
The remote is really a godsend, especially if you're switching between content (music to videos)
My workaround with the JDS Atom/DAC combo will be to have a really long USB extension cable to bring the box closer to me in the living room haha. Something really satisfying about turning a knob to turn up the volume.
For now I'll run a Q1 Mark ii/DAC until I can settle on a good DAC. I'm really really hesitant to buy another topping product now as I was contemplating the D30 or D10.