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For audiophiles, the GS1 was a good phone with the Wolfson DAC. I currently use a variant of the GS1 - the Epic, which I imported from the US.
Anyways, the GS2 was a let down - the Yamaha DAC was not up to par.
Any ideas what the DAC is on this phone?
- The Wolfson one (I hope)
- The Yamaha one (probable, but I hope not)
- A TI DAC perhaps? (probable given that this phone was made with a TI SOC)
Edit:
We now have an update:
The Texas Instruments TWL6040 8-Channel High Quality Low-Power Audio Codec
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Samsung-Galaxy-Nexus-Teardown/7182/2
Will probably have to wait closer to when it launches in u.s. and some people break it down like ifixit or the like to find out.
I voided my warranty and your mum.
I think this post answers your question -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=18599287#post18599287
chris10230 said:
I think this post answers your question -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=18599287#post18599287
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Not really... Audio codec: Texas Instruments TWL6040
From what I've read below it looks like the TWL6040 is for PCM passthrough but I'm not sure what that means for the headphone output. Other sites list the TWL6040 as a power management device. The BB playbook has the TWL6040 and a Wolfson Micro WM8994E: Audio codec.
http://lwn.net/Articles/462732/
fair enough will have to wait for a more detailed specification to leak out then...
The DAC will make or break my decision to upgrade my SGS1. The reason why I didnt upgrade to SGS2 was because of the ****ty DAC.
XmDXtReMeK said:
The DAC will make or break my decision to upgrade my SGS1. The reason why I didnt upgrade to SGS2 was because of the ****ty DAC.
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I didn't have a smart phone yet so I jumped on the SGS2 but the audio quality is horrible. Really frustrating.
pastuch said:
I didn't have a smart phone yet so I jumped on the SGS2 but the audio quality is horrible. Really frustrating.
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I agree. I had to return my SGS2 and go back to the Nexus S. If they keep this up again I'm getting an iPhone.
Supercurio had a breakdown on engadget no mention of wolfman or yoohoo or whatever sound chips people are looking for or avoiding.
Audio codec: Texas Instruments TWL6040
USB Audio DAC (digital-to-audio converter with USB input and stereo outputs) should also be supported
The amp is more important than the DAC.
Audio quality
Does anybody have any idea what to expect for the audio quality compared to the Galaxy S2? That is my only gripe with that phone, the audio is low when I have my wired headset in for calls.
someone ought to tell supercurio, the TWL6040 is only a power management chip, not a DAC. (per this TI document http://www.ti.com/lit/sl/slyy028/slyy028.pdf )
bcpk said:
The amp is more important than the DAC.
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Both are extremely important but hardly anyone pays attention. Every time I see someone wearing cheap headphones I want to slap them.
10nisman94 said:
someone ought to tell supercurio, the TWL6040 is only a power management chip, not a DAC. (per this TI document http://www.ti.com/lit/sl/slyy028/slyy028.pdf )
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Yes, why don't you tell him? I won't tell him because of this:
http://www.ti.com/product/twl6040
TWL6040
8-Channel High Quality Low-Power Audio Codec For Portable Applications
tjtj4444 said:
Yes, why don't you tell him? I won't tell him because of this:
http://www.ti.com/product/twl6040
TWL6040
8-Channel High Quality Low-Power Audio Codec For Portable Applications
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That's an inaccurate description, see the TI parts summary document I linked. Proof: The playbook has this chip for power management of its Wolfson DAC. The wording on TI's site is incorrect.
EDIT: I don't contact him because I don't have a twitter
pastuch said:
Both are extremely important but hardly anyone pays attention. Every time I see someone wearing cheap headphones I want to slap them.
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You know, not everyone cares about the sound quality as much as you do.
On the other hand, if they were wearing expensive headphones that are ****, then that feeling might be more appropriate since they would then be thinking they were getting great audio quality but would be wrong.
pastuch said:
Both are extremely important but hardly anyone pays attention. Every time I see someone wearing cheap headphones I want to slap them.
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lol...
blunden said:
You know, not everyone cares about the sound quality as much as you do.
On the other hand, if they were wearing expensive headphones that are ****, then that feeling might be more appropriate since they would then be thinking they were getting great audio quality but would be wrong.
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Most dont care AT ALL. Which is why we often end up with ****ty audio parts. If people cared as much about there audio as they did there screens all our phones would be alot better.
xManMythLegend said:
Most dont care AT ALL. Which is why we often end up with ****ty audio parts. If people cared as much about there audio as they did there screens all our phones would be alot better.
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Indeed.
I'm still with a variant of the original Galaxy S phone for that reason.
In fact, it's of so little importance that when listing specs, manufacturers don't bother listing it. [Groans].
Edit:
One reason why I strongly suspect that there may not be a Wolfson DAC is the lack of press releases from Wolfson:
http://www.wolfsonmicro.com/media_centre/press_releases/
More info regarding the audio codec specs:
http://www.omappedia.org/wiki/Audio_Drive_Arch
The Phoenix codec in OMAP4 is the analog part of the audio architecture. It consists of the following components:
Audio output:
Headset
Handsfree
Vibrator
Auxiliary
Earphone
Audio input:
Mic left input (Can be Main mic, HS mic or AUX/FM left input)
Mic Right input (Can be Sub mic, HS mic or AUX/FM right input)
Line In
The Phoenix codec renders samples at 88.4 KHz and 96 KHz. Handsfree speakers and other paths can only work at 96 KHz, but heaphones has two modes of operation:
Low power mode (88.4 KHz and 96 KHz). Consumes less power but the audio quality may be affected.
High performance mode (96 KHz only). Good for applications in which quality of audio is desired.
There are eight digital input channels on the Phoenix that can be used for rendering audio out to nine different analog outputs. There are 5 McPDM channels (DL0 -> DL4), an I2C channel, and two auxiliary inputs that can be used for the FM radio (AFM0, AFM1).
Possible. Any idea how good the audio quality is - mainly how well does it drive good cans?
I am considering switching from the SGS2 to the X. The sound quality while listening to MP3's on the S2 was average at best even with tampering with all the settings etc.
What is the quality of the sound like on the X ? Anyone know what DAC is inside ? I have a set of Shure E535's and want to make best use of them. If the quality is the same as the SGS2 i think i will use the bit i have saved and buy a Cowan Z2 and keep the SGS2.
Thanks for any advice
I'm interested in this myself. I've already ordered the phone though, as I need a new one.
I'm hoping I finally can put away my mp3-player, but I guess it will still be some years until a phone reach Cowon sound quality. :--/
finduz said:
I'm interested in this myself. I've already ordered the phone though, as I need a new one.
I'm hoping I finally can put away my mp3-player, but I guess it will still be some years until a phone reach Cowon sound quality. :--/
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The original Samsung Galaxy S and any other device with a Wolfson DAC came close, with Supercurios Voodoo app. Best sound on a mobile device! But SamsUng dropped the Wolfson for a Yahama DAC on the SGS2! Wonder what DAC the HOX has!
i'm no mod, but i already made a thread about this.
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finduz said:
I'm interested in this myself. I've already ordered the phone though, as I need a new one.
I'm hoping I finally can put away my mp3-player, but I guess it will still be some years until a phone reach Cowon sound quality. :--/
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i don't think a phone is ever going to include good audio. the amount of people that actually use expensive headphones and lossless files are too small for the companies to care. i sold my Cowon D3 because they messed up trying to use Android 2.2 with insufficient hardware. i'm looking at the S9, J3, or X7 now. i'll use the beats audio eq bs until i have the spare 250-280.
brent8577 said:
i'm no mod, but i already made a thread about this.
---------- Post added at 12:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:58 AM ----------
i don't think a phone is ever going to include good audio
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My good ol' Sony Ericsson w950 had a fantastic sound quality!
As a user of an iPhone with high end multidriver in ear monitors (Westone UM3x and Shure SE420) sound quality ranks very high in my list.
Thus i would appreciate if some owner of multidriver iems could chime in with an opinion on the headphone out sound quality. With all effects turned off. If the audio hardware is any good (low output impedance, low distorsion and low crosstalk) the sound should be very good (Just as it is off the iPhone headphone out) and no need of audio tweaking would be necessary.
elfary said:
As a user of an iPhone with high end multidriver in ear monitors (Westone UM3x and Shure SE420) sound quality ranks very high in my list.
Thus i would appreciate if some owner of multidriver iems could chime in with an opinion on the headphone out sound quality. With all effects turned off. If the audio hardware is any good (low output impedance, low distorsion and low crosstalk) the sound should be very good (Just as it is off the iPhone headphone out) and no need of audio tweaking would be necessary.
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On every iPhone/iPod I've tried since their inception the DAC hasn't been the talking point, and flaked out when the eq is modified, even with a decent pair (sennys/shures) of 'phones.
I think buying a phone to replace a (good/non-ipod) portable player is a bad idea.
It's also entirely subjective; you could have a Cowon S9 and top-end in-ear sound-cancelling headphones, but if you're listening to 192kbps CBR mp3s you may as well be using your phone and a pair of £20 Porta-Pros - in most situations the source is the bottleneck, then the headphones, then the DAC. (IMO, of course)
qpop said:
On every iPhone/iPod I've tried since their inception the DAC hasn't been the talking point, and flaked out when the eq is modified, even with a decent pair (sennys/shures) of 'phones.
I think buying a phone to replace a (good/non-ipod) portable player is a bad idea.
It's also entirely subjective; you could have a Cowon S9 and top-end in-ear sound-cancelling headphones, but if you're listening to 192kbps CBR mp3s you may as well be using your phone and a pair of £20 Porta-Pros - in most situations the source is the bottleneck, then the headphones, then the DAC. (IMO, of course)
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I just asked for an opinion from a high end iem user about the HTC One X headphone out. Honestly I don't need your view on portable audio. But thanks for enlightening me.
Parameters like the impedance output impedance are nothing but subjective. iPhones output impedance is lower than 2 so they will always get a linear signal to your multidriver iem where a high z source like the galaxy S2 will get a pretty skewed signal that will ruin the frequency response of the iems.
Sound and electricty are sciences even if some people find it hard to believe and prefer esoteric approaches to the matter (That's specially true amongst Cowon fans
elfary said:
As a user of an iPhone with high end multidriver in ear monitors (Westone UM3x and Shure SE420) sound quality ranks very high in my list.
Thus i would appreciate if some owner of multidriver iems could chime in with an opinion on the headphone out sound quality. With all effects turned off. If the audio hardware is any good (low output impedance, low distorsion and low crosstalk) the sound should be very good (Just as it is off the iPhone headphone out) and no need of audio tweaking would be necessary.
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Click to collapse
There is way more to those 3 factors for sound quality, plenty of things have those but don't sound good.
Anyways for most multidriver IEMs to make the most out of the IEM you will want some sort of amperage, even my Cowon C2 isn't powerful enough to make some IEMs shine (power doesn't always need to equal volume, but power to drive with authority)
My Soundaudio Rocco-P however, at the same volume, blows the Cowon out of the water, and there was a time you could of gotten it only for $1 + shipping on head-fi
But the SGS > SGS2 that is IMO but neither hold a candle to the C2 or the Rocco.
To the OP the cowon is a fine DAC but if you just need music playback (and if you need FLAC) there might be better options in your budget
I'm still looking for portable setup that doesn't involve carrying a brick around that will power my modded Fostex T50RP
---------- Post added at 03:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:39 AM ----------
qpop said:
On every iPhone/iPod I've tried since their inception the DAC hasn't been the talking point, and flaked out when the eq is modified, even with a decent pair (sennys/shures) of 'phones.
I think buying a phone to replace a (good/non-ipod) portable player is a bad idea.
It's also entirely subjective; you could have a Cowon S9 and top-end in-ear sound-cancelling headphones, but if you're listening to 192kbps CBR mp3s you may as well be using your phone and a pair of £20 Porta-Pros - in most situations the source is the bottleneck, then the headphones, then the DAC. (IMO, of course)
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First of all, many ipods and the iphones sound great, their EQ sucks but their SQ is quite good, really good if you pass the headphone out, and use the line out into an amp via a LOD.
They are not the end all of players though.
Porta pros are amazing IMO, they are one of my fav headphones under $100
Any update on DAC? Audio Quality?
Personally waiting for GSM Arena to do their audio test. Below from The Verge's review:
AUDIO
Audio quality on the One X is superb across the board. The earpiece offers clear, loud calls, and the rear-mounted loudspeaker does as well — for whatever reason, HTC's managed to make this placement of the loudspeaker work far better than Samsung did with the Galaxy Nexus, which produces exceptionally quiet, easy-to-muffle sound. Callers reported that I was easy to hear even in significant background noise and wind, a good sign that this phone's dual-mic noise canceling system is really well tuned.
The 3.5mm headphone jack outputs clean, noise-free music — clean enough that I was easily able to pick out the depressingly low bitrate of Rdio's tracks. Of course, the One X carries the Beats Audio branding, as most HTC devices are now expected to (HTC owns 51 percent of Beats, after all). I find it ironic that the One series' tagline is "Amazing Camera, Authentic Sound" when Beats' audio processing is anything but authentic — in fact, if anything, it intentionally diverges from the artist's intentions. Every time I hear music with Beats enabled, it just sounds like bass boost to me, which is a trick we've seen in various forms in portable audio products for at least 30 years.
I'm not saying some users don't appreciate Beats — it definitely makes music more "exciting" sounding — but if you're looking for "authentic" music reproduction, Beats definitely isn't the answer. Personally, I'll be leaving it turned off. And fortunately, it's easily toggled either from Settings or from the notification tray while music is playing. It should also be noted that Sense 4.0 (and Sense 3.6 as found on HTC's Android 4.0 upgrades for older devices) makes Beats processing compatible with any audio app, which is a big improvement; previously, it only worked with HTC's baked-in apps.
Now that a few people are receiving their One X's can anyone answer my question please
Daemos said:
To the OP the cowon is a fine DAC but if you just need music playback (and if you need FLAC) there might be better options in your budget
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Yeah its just music playback i want if i have to get another device. What do you think of the Cowon J3 ??
I agree nikzDHD about waiting for the GSM Arena review. I read the Verge review earlier and it sounds good though i would prefer a more detailed review on the subject.
darrenjdoc said:
Now that a few people are receiving their One X's can anyone answer my question pleaseYeah its just music playback i want if i have to get another device. What do you think of the Cowon J3 ??
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Honestly, I wouldn't trust the verge's gsmarena's or most other techsite's for their "audio quality" reviews.
just FYI. having fancy bar charts, graphs etc isn't the end all, having someone be able to compare it to another device, with tons of experience, using high end audio gear is MUCH more important.
Unfortunately phones usually don't get tested in audiophile type things and you are better at looking at audiophile forums and seeing if experienced members have used them.
I'm just saying for SQ, cowon isn't the best there is, but their EQ system is one of the best, but EQ can't replace energy, soundstage, or detail reproduction, all it does is emphasize certain regions of the sound changing the "sound signature" like I said my RoCoo P is superior to the Cowon but is far cheaper, but the UI sucks, and it's missing features, but I use it almost every day when I need to walk somewhere.
I suggest reading here: http://www.head-fi.org/f/15/portable-source-gear then after reading through there potentially asking your question there, but please do list your headphones, source type, type of music, and if you *need* eq or not.
It all depends on your budget and how large of a device you want to carry. I can recommend things like the ibasso DX100 or hifiman HM-801 which are basically almost as good as you can get in a portable audio player, but they cost more than a new phone, and they are very bulky.
um.. no disrespect/no intended banter to the above poster
but we simply just want to find out if the audio quality is sufficient for use of mp3s
in comparison to say the S2, which everyone knows has disappointing sound quality . Yes we all know the S1 had a good DAC etc, this thread is more so about the phones sound quality and not about how much of an audiophile we are etc.
I need to know as if it's good enough, I don't have to bring my Cowon J3 with me everyday to work as well : )
darrenjdoc said:
Now that a few people are receiving their One X's can anyone answer my question pleaseYeah its just music playback i want if i have to get another device. What do you think of the Cowon J3 ??
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I can't recommend the sansa clip enough. Cheap, good battery, flac support and even better with a portable amp! One of the best sounding players I've had.
thanhson87 said:
um.. no disrespect/no intended banter to the above poster
but we simply just want to find out if the audio quality is sufficient for use of mp3s
in comparison to say the S2, which everyone knows has disappointing sound quality . Yes we all know the S1 had a good DAC etc, this thread is more so about the phones sound quality and not about how much of an audiophile we are etc.
I need to know as if it's good enough, I don't have to bring my Cowon J3 with me everyday to work as well : )
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What is "sufficient"? What is "good enough"? It varies for different people.
If you want to know if it plays music, yes it'll play mp3s. If it's good enough to you or not, I can't say.
I can tell you this, in terms of SQ I'd rank what I've used as this SGS2 << SGS1 < rockboxed Sansa Clip/fuse (first gen) < Rockboxed earlier ipod < Cowon players < RoCoo P
This is of course FLAC, if we add mp3 playback I'd say the iphone/ipod touch fits in better than the SGS1 but can = sansa clip/fuse
These are also only what I'd consider portable DAPs.
The OP wanted to know if they should keep the SGS2 and get a J3 or get a one X instead and was focused on audio quality.
I just happened to say I think he could get better than the J3 for better SQ for the money. I'm just trying to help the OP.
Most people just want to carry one device, I've also got a rockboxed Sansa Clip its small enough to take anywhere and sound quality is very good. Again to OP Sansa Clip is the cheapest way of getting some good sound but good sound is only good if you pair it up with a good set of headphones to take advantage of it.
If only Supercurio lived in the UK I would of let him borrow my phone his analysis is very good.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
I have a Sansa clip+ lying in a box that i haven't used in a long time and just rockboxed it. Teamed with my Shure E535's and a few flac albums this little guy sounds heads and shoulders above my SGS2. Actually shocked how such a small player can sound so good. Going to get a portable amp and this will save me a few quids. Many thanks for the replies
nice! Yeah a rockboxed clip+ is definately the way to go for small awesome sound. They are also basically impossible to beat at the price you can get a clip+ and fuze for
if you want my help, let me know how much you want to spend on an amp and i'll point you in the right direction
But basically in terms of portable (and affordable amps) ibasso, jds labs and fiio (if you get their higher end stuff)
Good luck with your search, hopefully you can find a good amp that pairs well with the 535's
Hey Guys,..
I just ordered a new headset from sennheiser.
I red somewhere that smartphones and mp3 players might not have enough power to make your headphones sounds nice at higher volume.
I cant seem to find any figures for the note 2 that i can use to do the math, so does any one know what the output is of the note 2?
Or perhaps someone has already tried this?
I bought the sennheiser 449, and was looking to add a FiiO E6 IF needed.
Thanks.
The phone should power the headphones, as it has a Wolfson DAC like some of the older model iPods, and a lot of people in the audiophile community claim the iPods with the Wolfson DAC were the best sounding (a little bit warmer and they give an overall better sound in comparison to the audi chips Apple are using nowadays from Cirrus Logic.
Try the stock player when they arrive and play about with PowerAmp and Jet Audio has loads of extra controls for sound settings etc, adding an extra headphone amp would boost the volume and give you a little more bass but at the cost of adding extra bulk, which sometimes isn't a good thing if your on the go all the time! Also apparently in the future BBE may be porting their SoundMax app from iOS to Android
I have been looking into getting a Note 2 for daily use and music, (trying to find an app that will play apple lossless!) and I also want to try and avoid adding the extra bulk of a headphone amp, the phone is big enough as it is Headphone wise, if your a bass head there is the newly released V-Moda M-100 which have been getting rave reviews, there is also the older V-Moda M80's which as still really good for the money (about the same you paid for your new Sennheisers). I have been looking at the AKG K550's a real nice set of headphones, they certainly look the part, and they are apparently great being powered by a Mobile, they are also closed back, so not much sound leak when your out and about. Hope this helps.
the only thing you should look at when buying new cans is the impedance (measured in ohm). in your case the impedance of the sennheiser 449 lies between 35 & 45 ohm. so, no problem to drive them without a dedicated headphone amp on smartphones and mp3 players respectively. to give you comparison, there are headphones with several hundered ohms of impedance. for these a headphone amp is highly recommended
right thats what i wanted to know because one youtube vid said that you DO need an amp if you are going to use it on your smartphone.
but i will give it a try without.
thanks.
Nope it doesn't require.... I have gaming stereo headset... Big in size, it works well in my nexus s... And must be working in note 2... Note 2 is using newer version of Wolfson chips
Accidentally sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2
I guess, you don't really 'need' it, but if you have a portable AMP, it always make your headphones sound better.
So I found a Behringer UCA202 DAC online for really cheap and thought why not try it just for fun. Everything I've read says having one can help a bit and I figured at the least it would sound the same, but I plugged it into my Nexus 5 via OTG then plugged the AUX cord to my Jeep into the DAC and all bass and pretty much any other level of detail is gone from my music whether it's from Pandora, YouTube HD, or FLAC audio files. Audio sound quality is equal to listening to music over old mono bluetooth, you hear it fine but any highs and lows are removed. Has anyone else used this DAC that could give some suggestions?
Otherwise it's just as I assumed, DACs are pointless on good quality phones and that's why I can't find any DAC threads with the Nexus 5 involved.
herqulees said:
So I found a Behringer UCA202 DAC online for really cheap and thought why not try it just for fun. Everything I've read says having one can help a bit and I figured at the least it would sound the same, but I plugged it into my Nexus 5 via OTG then plugged the AUX cord to my Jeep into the DAC and all bass and pretty much any other level of detail is gone from my music whether it's from Pandora, YouTube HD, or FLAC audio files. Audio sound quality is equal to listening to music over old mono bluetooth, you hear it fine but any highs and lows are removed. Has anyone else used this DAC that could give some suggestions?
Otherwise it's just as I assumed, DACs are pointless on good quality phones and that's why I can't find any DAC threads with the Nexus 5 involved.
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Ummm, it's not a DAC. It's an interface.
theesotericone said:
Ummm, it's not a DAC. It's an interface.
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Yes, with a DAC in it. You need a DAC to get audio output through USB, there is no analog audio output through USB/USB OTG...
herqulees said:
Yes, with a DAC in it. You need a DAC to get audio output through USB, there is no analog audio output through USB/USB OTG...
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Yes it has a DAC but it's not meant as a stand alone DAC. It's an interface or soundcard. Does your phone have enough juice to even operate the thing? Also for a device that sells for less than 30 bucks what exactly where you expecting? Get a real DAC. You will notice a huge difference. Until then do some more research on what you have and see if your meeting it's power requirements.
This is actually a pretty good review of the unit with lots of technical info.
http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/behringer-uca202-review.html
theesotericone said:
Yes it has a DAC but it's not meant as a stand alone DAC. It's an interface or soundcard. Does your phone have enough juice to even operate the thing? Also for a device that sells for less than 30 bucks what exactly where you expecting? Get a real DAC. You will notice a huge difference. Until then do some more research on what you have and see if your meeting it's power requirements.
This is actually a pretty good review of the unit with lots of technical info.
http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/behringer-uca202-review.html
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While I can't see power being an issue I suppose I'll test with my Nexus 7 and laptop. I know it's a cheap DAC but I've read many reviews using this DAC with tablets and phones for car audio, along with the nwavguy in-depth review and testing showing how it's not a multi-hundred dollar unit but still does amazingly well. My issue is it doesn't even sound decent. It sounds like I'm playing rap/hip-hop through an old Nokia on speaker phone, you can hear it clearly but there's no depth.
So I tossed this DAC in a closet after I got bored of trying to make it work right and forgot about it for a year or so till earlier today when I found it while cleaning. My Nexus 5 has been retired and serves no purpose other than a security camera now. I now have a Samsung Galaxy S5 and an RCA Maven Pro tablet. The RCA Maven Pro is an 11.1inch 2-in-1 Android tablet with detachable keyboard for around $120. You'd assume it's horrible thanks to the brand and price but they managed to cut corners in all the right places it seems. Downsides are no GPS, 1GB of RAM, terrible cameras, and a horrible speaker. Other than that it has faithfully replaced my $1200 laptop with zero issues other than adjusting to ditching Windows.
Now back on track when I listen to music I'm either using an aux cord plugged into my work truck or bluetooth when using headphones or in my new car. When doing a side by side comparison bluetooth, to no surprise, shows no difference between my Maven and S5. However when using an aux cord the RCA doesn't put out as much bass and highs are... I guess not as clear? I think audiophiles are insane most of the time so it's hard for me to describe when I do notice a difference. Anyways I plugged the UCA202 into the RCA's USB port (no OTG here, it has a full size USB port) and plugged my Sony MDR-XB950BT headphones in to it with an aux cord (these headphones are 100% passive when wired, no bass boost or other enhancements) and sound quality is just as great as my S5, all bass and highs are restored. Just to further the test I plugged it into my S5 and did the same test with the same results. These are the same FLAC song files from the same network location that my Nexus 5 was playing a year ago.
The whole time the issue was something in my Nexus 5. What it was I don't know and sorry you guys I don't plan on investigating, I just wanted to inform everyone that the Behringer UCA202 is in fact a quality budget DAC since this thread is a top Google result for "Behringer UCA202 Android". If you have a cheap device that you want the audio to be on par with the high end phones this will do it, and for my original purpose of at the same time giving a bit of amplification for a weak head unit without distortion it does that decently too. To finish this off I am NOT an audiophile. Just a human with human hearing that likes songs with bass on car head units that weren't always designed for it (I glued a 80mm CPU fan to the back of the HU in my Jeep ) So take my finer details however you'd like.
the DAC works great for my Nexus 7 2013 model.
maybe otg cable is sh1tty
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Just bought a jaybird x3 from Amazon I would say it cannot match the b&o play headphone comes with the phone with quad DAC enabled, anyone has better suggestion is that even Bose sport wireless will be about the same? Welcome any suggestion or I should stick with wired one just Bluetooth is so much more convenient, love to hear anyone with BeatX or similar ones
Replaced the standard ear tip with the foam type comes with jaybird x3 sounds significantly better
You need to use wired headphones to take advantage of the dac
I use the Creative Sound Blaster E3 combined with b&o play headphone that came with the phone and to me it sounds just as good or may be better than the phone with wired headphones. If the sound of the E3 is not up to par you can always substitute any 3.5mm headphone out for the B&O.
The Quad DAC will only activate with an audio cable plugged in. So unfortunately Bluetooth will not be able to take advantage of it.
However, the V20 does support AptX, which essentially allows for high quality audio through a BT headset, headphones, speakers, etc. Though I am far from an audiophile, I honestly do hear a definitive difference between an AptX supported headset vs a non AptX set.
Amazon has an extremely large selection of BT 4.1 (which features the ability to display the battery % of your headset on your phone), waterproof, AptX supported headphones. You just have to find the ones that fit your needs.
Good luck.
I use Samsung Gear IconX (truly wireless ones) with V20, very decent sound not much worse than included B&O H3! There's a bunch of them brand new unpacked on Ebay starting from like 80$ or so! Most folks change eartips on IconXs, the large ones from milliion year old Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic worked for me famously, balanced sound and punchy bass, perfect for workouts. One very neat feature of IconXs that you can store 4gigs of songs and use as a standalone mp3 player and I personally think SQ is even better than paired with V20! Lastly, you can track steps and heart-rate but that's something I don't use...
I use the Apple AirPods when I need the convenience of Bluetooth. For wireless ear buds they sound really good when you pair them with Apple Music. I don't like the sound with Tidal tho.
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vam1230 said:
I use the Creative Sound Blaster E3 combined with b&o play headphone that came with the phone and to me it sounds just as good or may be better than the phone with wired headphones. If the sound of the E3 is not up to par you can always substitute any 3.5mm headphone out for the B&O.
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Oh I don't really know creative still makes things like this sounds interesting and it is about the same price as my jaybird x3, thanks for the suggestion
Lgv20user said:
The Quad DAC will only activate with an audio cable plugged in. So unfortunately Bluetooth will not be able to take advantage of it.
However, the V20 does support AptX, which essentially allows for high quality audio through a BT headset, headphones, speakers, etc. Though I am far from an audiophile, I honestly do hear a definitive difference between an AptX supported headset vs a non AptX set.
Amazon has an extremely large selection of BT 4.1 (which features the ability to display the battery % of your headset on your phone), waterproof, AptX supported headphones. You just have to find the ones that fit your needs.
Good luck.
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Yes v20 actually does support aptx HD but not easy to find a headphone that supports that except from LG and from the reviews it seems doesn't matter so much
Zenroid said:
Yes v20 actually does support aptx HD but not easy to find a headphone that supports that except from LG and from the reviews it seems doesn't matter so much
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TaoTronics Bluetooth In Ear Headphones Wireless Earbuds Sports Magnetic Earphones with Built-in Mic (Sweatproof with IPX5 Splash Proof Rating, aptX St https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LYMSLFL/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apap_gKUSnifT9FZbE
I don't have high standards by any means, but these headphones are perfect for me. Great sound, durable, sweat resistant, long battery life, etc.
Jaybird is at the top when it comes to bluetooth, and you won't find any bluetooth earbuds that sound better than the X3.
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I use the Samsung Level U:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YA8L3YA/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
which show to support aptX:
https://www.aptx.com/products/samsung-level-u-wireless-bluetoothr-headset
now the LG V20 supports aptX HD:
https://www.aptx.com/products/lgv20
but the aptX HD is backward compatible with the aptX. I think the Samsung Level U work great and sound great
Bose QC35 and Bose SoundSport Wireless, Word!
My brother has been through quite a few different ones including the Jaybirds and the best earbud pair imo was Monsters sport ones (ill have to get the model number for ya later as I dont recall). To be honest I thought my $30 Taotronic sport ones I got off Amazon sounded just as good as the Jaybirds did.
I've seen Bose has a new wireless in ear buds with active noise cancelling so those might sound pretty good. Haven't read anything about them yet though
I just posted this on another thread, well worth the price.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=71356965&postcount=154
In my opinion the absolute best sounding bluetooth headset on the market right now is the Definitive Symphony 1, these things sound awesome for BT, even the bose BT headsets don't compare imo.
Best Bluetooth Earbuds
Have you seen the top 5 best sounding bluetooth earbuds you can buy. It might be the best for your need :laugh:
I have the Vmoda Crossfade Wireless 2 and they sound awesome with the phone. My Bludio UFO I just got today I think sound better at a much lower cost. Either way, the Bluetooth sounds great and the option to plug in for even better sound is there.
Don't mean to rain on the earbud parade but to get the best sound you need something with bigger drivers. I recently bought the Sharkk Claro from Amazon for $44.99 and it has ANC and Apt-X and it sounds pretty good.
I've been really happy with Mixcder over the ear headphones. I have a pair of the MS301 and my wife has the HD601. Both use Apt-x low latency, which seems to really help the audio quality.