Usually I carry a FiiO amp (I have three different models). I use them with my Note 3 and have various headphones ( Audio Technica ATH M50, V-Moda M100 and V-Moda XS, Beats Solo 2). On full amplification via the FiiO and depending on genre, I like the V-Moda XS and FiiO E18 the best. I would rate it a 9 for clarity and depth on portable device (I'm not huge into Ibiza levels of bass). So i walk into the T-Mobile store and hook up the V-Moda XS right to the phone and set the amplification to the highest setting. I would rate it a solid 8.5 (again for portable application). Although to a newbie not typically used to listening on good headphones they would probably rate it a 20.
Basically as is, the V10 makes carrying a headphone AMP a bit unnecessary now. By the way, I paid $160 for that FiiO E18 headphone amp a year ago but the going rate was over $200. The big selling point was that it was made for Android and you could switch to different tracks using the side mounted buttons on the FiiO instead of having to take the phone out, unlock the screen and move to a different track. For whatever reasons, all headphone cords don't work with all music apps on Android.
All that being said, is the V10 the best in class phone for not just camera functionality but audio playback?
I know the new HTC and Samsung Note 5 have a few advantages of their own. I'm curious to see if anyone thinks these are better on audio than the V10 based on experience.
I gave the Note 5 a quick listen, and V10 beats it IMHO. Had a fiio e18 too, good little amp.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
The V10 will hands-down have the best audio performance of any phone to date. However, the question has been raised as to whether or not the ESS DAC/amp are active 24/7. It seems some apps use the standard Snapdragon DAC instead (typically streaming apps). Local content works fine as far as I can tell, and I may have found a workaround to force the ESS DAC on a session-by-session basis, but it might be something that can also be forced via software modifications produced by developers later on.
Well that's good to hear since I won't be going back to Samsung since they ditched SD card and removable battery.
One thing I thought of, the V-Moda XS is known for having a compact folding design that has "military" grade impact resistance and all around durable build quality. Which are similar selling points for the V10. Right out of the box, this is a great sound pairing. Some say the Beats Solo2 is on par with V-Moda XS on sound, but given the plastic build quality it's not really the same value for the money.
Yes, some apps aren't working. Tidal is gtg fortunately. Sounds pretty damn good too.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
Nitemare3219 said:
The V10 will hands-down have the best audio performance of any phone to date. However, the question has been raised as to whether or not the ESS DAC/amp are active 24/7. It seems some apps use the standard Snapdragon DAC instead (typically streaming apps). Local content works fine as far as I can tell, and I may have found a workaround to force the ESS DAC on a session-by-session basis, but it might be something that can also be forced via software modifications produced by developers later on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was wondering about that too. Let me touch on my experience a bit.
A couple of things for reference: I briefly tested the DAC with my Sennheiser Momentum, and then with my HD 650 without any intermediary signal processing. Also, I believe that the 32 bit is an overkill, so signal-wise I don't consider this better than a 16-bit DAC for practical purposes. Still, I like having it just because it's there. My comparison is between the V10 and a Nexus 4, as well as a FiiO E07K + Little Dot Mark III at times.
So, the Momentum: of course the Momentum run well and loud, since they are easily run. DAC-wise, I do notice some added clarity and soundstage with Hi Fi on using FLACS and 320 kbps files (nothing major, but it's there, as expected). All good.
Now, for the HD 650: the V10 with Hi Fi on will do an automatic impedance/power match, which is really nice for volume control normalization. In the end, the V10 makes the FiiO e07k useless, because the HD 650 sound fine, loud, and equally clear on the phone. Now here is the thing: we know that Spotify is not affected by the Hi Fi toggle, yet the sound is equally loud and clear on the HD 650 than with Hi Fi on using local files. When I turn Hi Fi off, the amp can't power the headphones nearly as well (or at all), impedance match ends, and the volume and clarity go down.
In short, Spotify with Hi Fi off = Local files with Hi Fi on, even though it's supposedly not affected by it.
What that means to me is that they could be doing a Beats maneuver, and lowering audio quality on Hi Fi off on local files to really give people the feel that turning it on affects music. On the other hand, it could mean that Spotify (or other 3rd party, streaming apps) simply bypass the toggle and just run on the amp/dac's full power regardless. Proof of the latter would be that my Nexus 4 (and some other phones I've tested) simply cannot drive the HD 650 at the level that the V10 does on Spotify. I mean, I can barely reach a mediocre volume on the Nexus 4 maxed out.
Keep in mind that this is my initial impression, and I haven't done an in-depth sound test yet. That said, I'm very happy with the V10 regardless, since it can effortlessly power my HD 650 without having to carry an external amp/dac combo.
Kakuz said:
I
What that means to me is that they could be doing a Beats maneuver, and lowering audio quality on Hi Fi off on local files to really give people the feel that turning it on affects music. On the other hand, it could mean that Spotify (or other 3rd party, streaming apps) simply bypass the toggle and just run on the amp/dac's full power regardless. Proof of the latter would be that my Nexus 4 (and some other phones I've tested) simply cannot drive the HD 650 at the level that the V10 does on Spotify. I mean, I can barely reach a mediocre volume on the Nexus 4 maxed out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think they lower quality for hi-fi off. It simply uses a completely different DAC. It defaults to the Qualcomm Snapdragon DAC... which is low quality.
jamor414 said:
I don't think they lower quality for hi-fi off. It simply uses a completely different DAC. It defaults to the Qualcomm Snapdragon DAC... which is low quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what it's supposed to be like, so I'm inclined to believe it. My question is whether Spotify is really using the ESS, even if it was not supposed to. More of a curiosity than anything.
Kakuz said:
That's what it's supposed to be like, so I'm inclined to believe it. My question is whether Spotify is really using the ESS, even if it was not supposed to. More of a curiosity than anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Inclined to believe what?
Someone reported getting 3rd party apps like spotify to use the ESS dac with toggling tricks so it's definitely possible that it was using the ESS dac.
jamor414 said:
Inclined to believe what?
Someone reported getting 3rd party apps like spotify to use the ESS dac with toggling tricks so it's definitely possible that it was using the ESS dac.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course it's possible, but I have yet to find a 100% sure response. Not that it's a big deal anyways, since the audio is fine regardless.
By the way, can you send a link to the report? I want to test it.
Kakuz said:
Of course it's possible, but I have yet to find a 100% sure response. Not that it's a big deal anyways, since the audio is fine regardless.
By the way, can you send a link to the report? I want to test it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.head-fi.org/t/782706/lg-...gship-android-phone-from-lg/465#post_12047691
post 470
jamor414 said:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/782706/lg-...gship-android-phone-from-lg/465#post_12047691
post 470
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. That guy is saying something similar to what I said. Difference is, I didn't even have to overlap local file playing to trigger the amp/dac with Spotify. It just goes and it can't be turned off in any way, which is fine with me. But without any more information of course I was going to have initial doubts about it.
Can the v10 replace a standalone music player?
Kakuz said:
I was wondering about that too. Let me touch on my experience a bit.
A couple of things for reference: I briefly tested the DAC with my Sennheiser Momentum, and then with my HD 650 without any intermediary signal processing. Also, I believe that the 32 bit is an overkill, so signal-wise I don't consider this better than a 16-bit DAC for practical purposes. Still, I like having it just because it's there. My comparison is between the V10 and a Nexus 4, as well as a FiiO E07K + Little Dot Mark III at times.
So, the Momentum: of course the Momentum run well and loud, since they are easily run. DAC-wise, I do notice some added clarity and soundstage with Hi Fi on using FLACS and 320 kbps files (nothing major, but it's there, as expected). All good.
Now, for the HD 650: the V10 with Hi Fi on will do an automatic impedance/power match, which is really nice for volume control normalization. In the end, the V10 makes the FiiO e07k useless, because the HD 650 sound fine, loud, and equally clear on the phone. Now here is the thing: we know that Spotify is not affected by the Hi Fi toggle, yet the sound is equally loud and clear on the HD 650 than with Hi Fi on using local files. When I turn Hi Fi off, the amp can't power the headphones nearly as well (or at all), impedance match ends, and the volume and clarity go down.
In short, Spotify with Hi Fi off = Local files with Hi Fi on, even though it's supposedly not affected by it.
What that means to me is that they could be doing a Beats maneuver, and lowering audio quality on Hi Fi off on local files to really give people the feel that turning it on affects music. On the other hand, it could mean that Spotify (or other 3rd party, streaming apps) simply bypass the toggle and just run on the amp/dac's full power regardless. Proof of the latter would be that my Nexus 4 (and some other phones I've tested) simply cannot drive the HD 650 at the level that the V10 does on Spotify. I mean, I can barely reach a mediocre volume on the Nexus 4 maxed out.
Keep in mind that this is my initial impression, and I haven't done an in-depth sound test yet. That said, I'm very happy with the V10 regardless, since it can effortlessly power my HD 650 without having to carry an external amp/dac combo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you think the v10 can match something like a Fiio X3? I normally have to carry my phone and the Fiio X3. It'd be great to be able to carry just one device and not have to sacrifice decent sound quality.
3165dwayne said:
Do you think the v10 can match something like a Fiio X3? I normally have to carry my phone and the Fiio X3. It'd be great to be able to carry just one device and not have to sacrifice decent sound quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found this in another forum:
"I have had about 2 days to seriously listen to the V10 with a variety of different headphones and I've continued to be blown away. It puts the iPhone 6/6s to shame and even embarrasses (what I thought to be excellent) Samsung GS6E+/Note 5. I'm typing this in my bed listening to London Grammar's "Flickers" with my LCD-3 and V10. I'm amazed that a) a phone could power these cans as well as the V10 does and b) that there is such excellent instrument separation, transparency, soundstage, and quickness from a smartphone DAC/amp combo. I'd choose this over a FiiO X1/X3/(even) an X5. Until you get into the Questyle/AK territory, this thing is just as competent as any DAP. With TIDAL!"
And with that, I'm in
jamor414 said:
I found this in another forum:
"I have had about 2 days to seriously listen to the V10 with a variety of different headphones and I've continued to be blown away. It puts the iPhone 6/6s to shame and even embarrasses (what I thought to be excellent) Samsung GS6E+/Note 5. I'm typing this in my bed listening to London Grammar's "Flickers" with my LCD-3 and V10. I'm amazed that a) a phone could power these cans as well as the V10 does and b) that there is such excellent instrument separation, transparency, soundstage, and quickness from a smartphone DAC/amp combo. I'd choose this over a FiiO X1/X3/(even) an X5. Until you get into the Questyle/AK territory, this thing is just as competent as any DAP. With TIDAL!"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll see if I can get one tomorrow and test for myself.
3165dwayne said:
Do you think the v10 can match something like a Fiio X3? I normally have to carry my phone and the Fiio X3. It'd be great to be able to carry just one device and not have to sacrifice decent sound quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Fiio e07K that I used to use on the go. The V10 does just as well, or maybe even better, than the Fiio. Assuming the X3 is comparable to the e07k (haven't tested it), I would just stick to the V10 and reduce bulk.
I think I'll sell the e07K now.
Kakuz said:
I have a Fiio e07K that I used to use on the go. The V10 do just as well, or maybe even better, than the Fiio. Assuming the X3 is comparable to the e07k (haven't tested it), I would just stick to the V10 and reduce bulk.
I think I'll sell the e07K now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I'll sell my x3 as well.
Maybe it's possible that the V10 uses the ESS amplifier not matter what DAC is used. I've never noticed a difference between DACs for the most part... my PC sound card (Xonar Essence STX), Schiit Uber stack, and V10 all sound the same. Note5 honestly sounded about the same too. Maybe I just have insensitive ears or can't pick out the differences yet, but my AKG K812's are clearly the best sounding audio equipment I've ever heard, and I try to be critical in details of just about anything I hear sound through (apart from the source components). 320kbps .mp3's suit me just fine too.
Nitemare3219 said:
Maybe it's possible that the V10 uses the ESS amplifier not matter what DAC is used. I've never noticed a difference between DACs for the most part... my PC sound card (Xonar Essence STX), Schiit Uber stack, and V10 all sound the same. Note5 honestly sounded about the same too. Maybe I just have insensitive ears or can't pick out the differences yet, but my AKG K812's are clearly the best sounding audio equipment I've ever heard, and I try to be critical in details of just about anything I hear sound through (apart from the source components). 320kbps .mp3's suit me just fine too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mp3 normally sounds a bit more noisy and a lot of the details i look for are normally not present. then again, my hearing is pretty good. so I do notice the diffrence between mp3 at 320kbps and flac. At most times I don't listen to my music at high volumes either and then the missing stuff becomes more apparent.
I can tell the difference using Koss Portapro with 192kbps ogg.
The sound is more transparent than G4.
http://www.androidauthority.com/best-android-2016-audio-738746/
I suggest giving the kernel that @freeza developed a try. Then report DAC Noise.
Usually AA does good articles. Article is good but can't trust the number. Axon 7 having the worst dac??? Galaxy s7 beating it quality wise? Impossible. I came from an s7 and that thing sounded horrendous. My hugest dislike was its poor quality sound from speaker and headphones.
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
Haha I'm in wireless sales have used every high end phone... This is bs sorry.. I own the Moto Z Force as well as the A7... I can tell you from being on my 2nd Moto Z that this is absolute nonsense... The Moto ZF worst sound quality ever S7,S7e haha
https://youtu.be/dTsg7EyYKFM somebody make a mistake. Pocketnow or Android Authority? Pocket now clearly present at https://youtu.be/dTsg7EyYKFM?t=406 that Axon7 have -105.1Db, better than LG V10, so.... and the graphics are clear presented not only numbers.
Can't agree to that test. I'm running Firmware B08 and now B09. I would say it sounds like my LG V10 witch brings a little more Volt on Headphone output.
Way better than the Samsung S7 Edge. A least with Audio DAC enabled. Even Dolby Atmos sounds better than Samsung. When you listen to the Snapdragon DAC sucks like Samsung.
I read this as measured outputs and not actual quality. I wonder if they actually listened to any music, at all.
Sent from my ZTE A2017G using Tapatalk
The problem is like on the Beoplay H6 1st edition. They sound pretty good but a lot Smartphones can't drive them properly. Still sounds really good but sometimes you like to hear a song louder and for that you need the build in amp with more than 1 Volt. And 0,5 Volt isn't enough for that.
Pixel louder then axon? Ummm no
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Hey everyone,
One of the main reasons I got the V30 is the superb audio quality and the Quad-DAC. Now I absolutely hate the audio coming off my laptop! sounds so muddy and muffled compared to the crispy crystal clear sound I am getting from the V30. I am wondering if there is a way to use the V30 as an external DAC instead of buying a separate external DAC.
Cheers !
hossein7292 said:
Hey everyone,
One of the main reasons I got the V30 is the superb audio quality and the Quad-DAC. Now I absolutely hate the audio coming off my laptop! sounds so muddy and muffled compared to the crispy crystal clear sound I am getting from the V30. I am wondering if there is a way to use the V30 as an external DAC instead of buying a separate external DAC.
Cheers !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also interested to know, hope someone can answer
hossein7292 said:
Hey everyone,
One of the main reasons I got the V30 is the superb audio quality and the Quad-DAC. Now I absolutely hate the audio coming off my laptop! sounds so muddy and muffled compared to the crispy crystal clear sound I am getting from the V30. I am wondering if there is a way to use the V30 as an external DAC instead of buying a separate external DAC.
Cheers !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can route the audio wirelessly from ur laptop to your phone, the dac still active working
I just noticed that, GSMAREANA reported: "Headphones dropped the loudness to way below average, while introducing an average amount of stereo crosstalk and a bit of intermodulation distortion. Not a disastrous showing by any means, but not one worth writing home about. And if you own a pair of high-impedance headphones you might want to keep in mind that you might struggle to achieve high volume levels."
does anyone (who own the phone) notice this?
im about buying it, but i'm worried i will regret cuz i always use wired headphones and dont want go near wireless ones.
Johan_Khan said:
I just noticed that, GSMAREANA reported: "Headphones dropped the loudness to way below average, while introducing an average amount of stereo crosstalk and a bit of intermodulation distortion. Not a disastrous showing by any means, but not one worth writing home about. And if you own a pair of high-impedance headphones you might want to keep in mind that you might struggle to achieve high volume levels."
does anyone (who own the phone) notice this?
im about buying it, but i'm worried i will regret cuz i always use wired headphones and dont want go near wireless ones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stock sounds are pretty low, but you can use the Mi headphone enhancements to amp up the audio and also use the equaliser to tune the music to your preference. It has the same amp as the Mi A2 (or A1 if you're very used it). The only phone able to surpass this on my audio Technica high impedence headphones is the LG G7 ThinQ, which is quite obvious. It isn't very extraordinaty, but nothing to complain about. Most reviewers don't check out all features and most of all, Xiaomi hasn't made it easy to find the enhancement settings
iamsabresh said:
Stock sounds are pretty low, but you can use the Mi headphone enhancements to amp up the audio and also use the equaliser to tune the music to your preference. It has the same amp as the Mi A2 (or A1 if you're very used it). The only phone able to surpass this on my audio Technica high impedence headphones is the LG G7 ThinQ, which is quite obvious. It isn't very extraordinaty, but nothing to complain about. Most reviewers don't check out all features and most of all, Xiaomi hasn't made it easy to find the enhancement settings
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the replay, may I ask did you tried it, or some did try it, I don't want to regret after I buy it.
iamsabresh said:
Stock sounds are pretty low, but you can use the Mi headphone enhancements to amp up the audio and also use the equaliser to tune the music to your preference. It has the same amp as the Mi A2 (or A1 if you're very used it). The only phone able to surpass this on my audio Technica high impedence headphones is the LG G7 ThinQ, which is quite obvious. It isn't very extraordinaty, but nothing to complain about. Most reviewers don't check out all features and most of all, Xiaomi hasn't made it easy to find the enhancement settings
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I own the phone and would be surprised if it really had the sane audio setup as the MiA1 or A2, may I request you to share the source of tbis information.
I own a LG V20 myself and the audio quad dac was the biggest reason I wasn't giving it up, already have the f1 too but knowing it has the audio capabilities will help me take the plunge of giving up V20
watsinaname said:
I own the phone and would be surprised if it really had the sane audio setup as the MiA1 or A2, may I request you to share the source of tbis information.
I own a LG V20 myself and the audio quad dac was the biggest reason I wasn't giving it up, already have the f1 too but knowing it has the audio capabilities will help me take the plunge of giving up V20
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the Poco F1 and also the MiA1 and the MiA2 and the LG G7. This is my personal experience. But I got to say, don't go into the phone expecting extraordinaty sounds like more expensive phones. If you had already used MiA1 or A2, you would know exactly what to expect. It is nothing compared to the
LG and that's what I said earlier
iamsabresh said:
I have the Poco F1 and also the MiA1 and the MiA2 and the LG G7. This is my personal experience. But I got to say, don't go into the phone expecting extraordinaty sounds like more expensive phones. If you had already used MiA1 or A2, you would know exactly what to expect. It is nothing compared to the
LG and that's what I said earlier
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the response, and yeah certainly not expecting an experience at the level of LG's quad dac, but even something similar to MiA1 will be quite good
I tried it in my car using Bluetooth and output is pretty low. I had increase the volume to 15-16 to be able to hear anything.
I am planning to purchase POCO F1, and I am currently using Lenovo P2. I found it weird that in GSMArena review, the objective lab test numbers for audio are worse than that of Lenovo P2, when tested with headphones.
Now Lenovo P2 doesn't have a custom DAC as far as I know, and most probably be relying on SD625 embedded one.
1. So how can the above result of POCO F1 be correct, when it had SD845 Audio and POCO Claims it has a dedicated amp for 3.5mm jack as well as DiracHD tuning?
2. Or is there difference in output with the various modes in MIUI Headphone enhancements in settings?
Experienced hands please let us know. Thanks.
Because Xiaomi didn't implement Snapdragon DAC into MIUI. If anyone need the DAC for High Impedance output, just try Neutron or Poweramp Music Player.
But, be careful, sometimes because Hi-Res output came from DAC directly, volume can be too loud. Reduce your media volume first before trying
Don't worry about the sound. Someone will make a good mod in a month. So be patient. Sound mods will arrive soon and utilize the SD845 sound properly
My mi5 sounded much better than this packing a snapdragon 820 very let down by the headphone jack quality it lacks all the punch in base and clear highs i got from my mi5 :[§ hope someone makes a dac mod which enables the true potential of sd845
Will Neutron Player be able to exploit SD845 DAC? Or is there any other player readily available in PlayStore that can do it?
Johan_Khan said:
I just noticed that, GSMAREANA reported: "Headphones dropped the loudness to way below average, while introducing an average amount of stereo crosstalk and a bit of intermodulation distortion. Not a disastrous showing by any means, but not one worth writing home about. And if you own a pair of high-impedance headphones you might want to keep in mind that you might struggle to achieve high volume levels."
does anyone (who own the phone) notice this?
im about buying it, but i'm worried i will regret cuz i always use wired headphones and dont want go near wireless ones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I am using and this problem caused after recent update and Xiaomi- POCO INDIA AND GLOBAL told us via their twitter account that fix is coming soon.
Vivek05 said:
Yes I am using and this problem caused after recent update and Xiaomi- POCO INDIA AND GLOBAL told us via their twitter account that fix is coming soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you share the Tweet link?
I hope Dolby support in MIUI 10 would give us also the ability to drive higher impedance headphones.
I had Mi A1 which used to have that output until Xiaomi murdered its sound quality last May.
I tried a flac song on sennheiser hd598, and compared against my LG V20, the sound quality was good and closeto what my V20 drives, on the poco had to punp up the volume a bit though.
Not really an audiophile, but the audio output was not bad by any means.
I'm using the Pocophone F1 with Beyerdynamic dt770 pro 80 ohm headphones and even if quality is not perfect as my other phone (Vivo X21UD) volume is similar
sechebe said:
Will Neutron Player be able to exploit SD845 DAC? Or is there any other player readily available in PlayStore that can do it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Poweramp can also do it. Until now, only those 2 players that can output Hi-Res Output directly from Snapdragon DAC.
bkmagnetron said:
Could you share the Tweet link?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure
https://twitter.com/atytse/status/1037700537268023296?s=19
http://en.miui.com/thread-3754917-1-1.html
Vivek05 said:
Sure
https://twitter.com/atytse/status/1037700537268023296?s=19
http://en.miui.com/thread-3754917-1-1.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its just deals with the pubg audio bug