Audiophile Phones (Or phones with decent audio output)

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by Rotijon, Apr 27, 2017.

  1. Mark McDonald

    Mark McDonald New

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    Ok, a week after I said I'd be doing it I've finally been able to see how the Galaxy S9+ sounds with the volume limiter turned off completely.

    The volume this time (and with the Fiio A5) was almost twice as loud; I had a great time testing this with the Tin T2s and the Revonext QT2s. My tastes liked the T2s a bit better, but both sets of IEMs sounded great and there was plenty of volume left over. Now maybe I can make a better decision on whether I truly need a DAP or not.
     
  2. LVF1

    LVF1 New

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    Does anyone have a link to a good USB C OTG cable that does not drain the phone to use with a Hugo 2 and pixel 2XL? I'd use this in bed or maybe I'll pick up a cheap amp to use at the gym as well as listening while I'm lying in bed. Or maybe I should get a dap that has tidal capability. I guess I would prefer a dap as I can play some hard to find music as opposed to using tidal or Spotify on the phone with an amp.

    I hate how low the volume is on this phone, but I love the camera and free storage for pics and vids. The USB c port sucks ball and I've had way too many problems with LG phones in the past to buy a V30 or whatever is the new model. Yes i realize that the pixel is an LG phone, but Google has way better customer service and features that matter to me.
     
  3. willsw

    willsw Friend

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    I bought this out of curiosity and because in a review of their earlier model the specs were impressive: http://www.audirect.cc/product-page/audirect-beam-usb-dac-for-dsd-gray-color

    Whether it be listening time and environment, IEMs, or my own ears, I haven't heard much difference between it and my LG V20's already good DAC, but I haven't really tried that hard to. It's definitely at least as good. It comes with neat little OTG cables. I don't know about battery drain.

    Posted because it seems like a good option, but if you're interested in taking mine off my hands, send me a PM.
     
  4. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    Unless you supply external power of course it's going to drain the phone. Also with USB-C there is now no notion of "OTG". I use an Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter and an Apple USB power adapter with my V30 to charge and provide USB Host capability for a GO2A when travelling for work if I don't need a laptop.
     
  5. LVF1

    LVF1 New

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    There are usb c OTG cables that don't draw power from the phone. Moon Audio can make a custom usb c otg cable, but it's kinda expensive. If it came down to buying a custom cable or buying a cheap dac/amp, I might as well just pay for the cable and get more use out of my hugo 2. The only thing I'd be missing is expandable storage and I wouldn't take it to the gym. Maybe I have to bite the bullet and just buy a dap to get everything I want.
     
  6. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    This has to depend on whether the guest powers the phone...there will be draw even in standby surely? I mean discharge, not draw from the guest per se.
    Edit...and of course the guest needs to be powered.
     
  7. LVF1

    LVF1 New

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    In my example, I don't want the hugo 2 to drain the pixel 2 XL. Each device has it's own battery and shouldn't draw any power from the other device. I've owned portable dac/amps before but they were micro usb and it was easy to find a OTG cable that all it did was send the music to the dac/amp. There are some dac/amps like the ifi micro BL that I believe can also charge your phone if you use a regular usb cable and plug it into the usb connector on the side of the device.
     
  8. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    Just picked an S9+ (and Gear VR...) up.

    Quick impressions (using PowerAmp because of course): good sense of space but a bit excitable up top even compared to PC>Micro iDSD silver, which is a more fair comparison than anything else I have lying around. Also the power cut out like eight times today so the Bifrost MB is in the figurative oven.

    Brings weird details I have to force myself to notice on the iDSD to the foreground. Bit nasally and lean, but not congested, cymbal taps kinda pushed up front, kick drums hit hard. Obvious reverb/room cues? Pretty sure I have all sound enhancements disabled, will have to double-check. Bass is BIG on Klipsch/Fostex. Clearer sound, but also less subtle detail, not really gone but smeary. Trailing decays maintained surprisingly well.

    *I don't get along too well with IEMs and the ones that came with the phone hurt my ears after like 5 minutes. All impressions on Klipsch HP-3 and TH-X00.
    *Exynos variant, files all located on internal storage pending purchase of an audiophile-class microSD card ;)
     
  9. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    what makes an sd card audiophile class?
     
  10. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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  11. Syzygy

    Syzygy Friend

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    I expect it's just the card's read speed, so it can handle transfers fast enough for continuous high bitrate data reads.

    Similar with cameras, you want a high write speed if you want to do continuous shooting.
     
  12. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    Actually they claim lower electrical noise, not speed in the linked article above. Agree on speed for cameras though, audio... not so much. My take is it is BS
     
  13. Syzygy

    Syzygy Friend

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    Wow I didn't know somebody's actually marketing an audiophile class SD card. I guess you can sell anything these days. People used to have better BS detectors.
     
  14. dubharmonic

    dubharmonic Friend

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    [​IMG]

    Just because it exists doesn't mean we'll fall for it.
     
    Last edited: Dec 2, 2018
  15. DigMe

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    Hilarious - I thought they had topped it by advertising the sound-enhancing properties of the gold-plated volume knob on the $8000 DMP-Z1 DAP.
     
  16. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    I know this post is a year old, but I went ahead and ordered the international version of the XZ1C today. My US carrier (Metro by T-Mobile) will support the phone minus VoLTE and Wi-Fi Calling (which I don't care too much for neither). There's the XZ2C but they did some adjustments which I don't like on it (which is why I wanted the XZ1C). 1080p screen on XZ2C is nice, but honestly they made the phone a little too heavy than I would like. 720p is fine for that screensize.

    Just hope when I get it this week everything works without no issues. First time I'm buying an unlock phone. I just hate the bigger LG phones that Metro sells (since their selection is crap).
     
  17. Syzygy

    Syzygy Friend

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    Don't discount the value of WiFi calling; we switched to Google Fi a couple years ago. Now my phone bill is ~ $58 every month with 2 phones, 2 users. Still carried on TMO (& Sprint) infrastructure when using LTE.

    Downside to that - fewer phone selections available, may be more expensive to buy. But any time you can take a recurring cost and make it a fixed cost it's a good thing.

    Now back to topic, the Pixel 2 has pretty decent sound.
     
  18. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    How does the Pixel 2 have "pretty decent sound"? The only DAC it has is for speaker output to those little tinny speakers. If you're connecting to the USB-C socket or wirelessly, you're not listening to the Pixel 2, but to whatever you connected to it, which has to supply its own DAC and amplification etc..
     
    Last edited: Dec 3, 2018
  19. Syzygy

    Syzygy Friend

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    Well, I meant as phones go, and through the phone speakers. Although my Pixel XL had better sound. I don't have a mobile DAC, and honestly don't care for the sound of any mobile devices I've heard. And I can't wear IEMs cause 1) they won't stay in (big holes); and 2) they hurt my ears…I can't stand anything in my ears.

    It's been some time, but I used to walk around work with AKG K270's or K550's on my head. Got some weird looks tho. :punk:

    I also wanted to be more "on topic", because I'd veered a little bit there.
     
  20. Pilsnerpunk

    Pilsnerpunk Friend

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    LG has started putting their audiophool quad dacs in a bunch of their phones, not just the V series anymore. G7 ThinQ, G7 One, & Q7 have them and maybe others. The sound isn't mind blowing, but it's better than any other phone that I've owned.
     

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