Android phones and USB DACs - Page 13

Quote:

Originally Posted by WiR3D 

yes USB is 5V, but we want to know the wattage, there is a standard, that I don't have the time to google, but phones fall under low power USB devices which are capped at 100mW AFAIK. 

And I know the ODAC needs 125mW, I am curious what the SGS3 needs, if it uses the Tenor chipset it could be about the same (guessing.)

 

Oh use neutron player, only app I have ever bought, horrible interface, but sound quality is second to none, the only player that comes remotely close is Player Pro, and its still a way behind the new 64bit NEON enhanced Neutron MP (buy the normal neutron first, then install the 64bit Neon (if your phone supports NEON) enhanced from their website over the play store version.) 

And trust me I have tried MANY different players...

Another e-mail sent~

Just downloaded the Neutron Player and so far so good, distortion is pretty obivious with built-in player when compares with Neutron, but the greatest benefit for me is that when I use the original player to play certain songs, the app literally crashes, and I thought that's the problem of my files. However with the Neutron they can be played without a problem :)

Have you tried out the famed Voodoo Sound?? I am thinking about it but dont really want to root my SIII, at least not now as I am quite happy with the samsung setting so far.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NZtechfreak 

Thanks for that last post DanBa, useful and I may yet go that route if I get the Predator. What battery is connected to the Elijah Audio cable in that picture, do you know?

Sorry, I don't know.

It should be designed and built by Elijah Audio.

Some more Elijah Audio photos:

http://www.elijahaudio.com/gallery.html

Another audio-priced (i.e. high-priced) 5V battery power supply unit:

http://eden-audio.com/hifi-shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=245&zenid=f97c7a68e102392a46cecdd19b3c75eb

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/kingrex9/2.html

3 hours has passed, and here is my report about the battery life:

My SIII/Predator combo had been playing music from 13:05 to 16:05, the music files are FLAC, 24bits 44.1 kHz which i think the Neutron player has automatically resampled them to 16 bit 44.1 kHz. My phone is in 2G mode, with the wi-fi on, no phone call or texting during this 3 hours, and most of the time the monitor was off.

The result is the battery drops from 86% to 61%, so it is 25% in 3 hours...

some more details:

- I turn my wi-fi on mainly for e-mail, refreshing every 30 mins

- My SIII is quite new, so as the battery, has been used for exactly 2 weeks only

- I switched on the power-saving option in the Neutron player, but i don't think it made much difference in this test as power is saved from simpler UI

- The battery performance was measured by built-in function, the accuracy is doubtful...

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterPenHK 

3 hours has passed, and here is my report about the battery life:

 

My SIII/Predator combo had been playing music from 13:05 to 16:05, the music files are FLAC, 24bits 44.1 kHz which i think the Neutron player has automatically resampled them to 16 bit 44.1 kHz. My phone is in 2G mode, with the wi-fi on, no phone call or texting during this 3 hours, and most of the time the monitor was off.

 

The result is the battery drops from 86% to 61%, so it is 25% in 3 hours...

 

some more details:

- I turn my wi-fi on mainly for e-mail, refreshing every 30 mins

- My SIII is quite new, so as the battery, has been used for exactly 2 weeks only

- I switched on the power-saving option in the Neutron player, but i don't think it made much difference in this test as power is saved from simpler UI

- The battery performance was measured by built-in function, the accuracy is doubtful...

I doubt so aswell, if you have NEON support, that decreases CPU usage by 25% when you use the enhanced Neutron from there website, also sticking to the plain version and not the 64bit will enhance battery life, at the expense of a little quality, which is mainly the factor in the Equaliser or any effects.

I still think the overall power draw of the predator is too much for the S3.

 I am new to android, how can I know if my phone supports NEON or not??

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterPenHK 

 I am new to android, how can I know if my phone supports NEON or not??

Just did some digging, and all versions of of the S3 do support it. 

Thanks!

BTW, Ray has replied me that if the usb port of S3 has a power of 100mW, the DAC section will use all of them...

So I think 2 options are available:

1. You do care about portability and sound quality, then a self-powered amp/DAC combo will be a good balance

2. Sound quality is always your first piority then those external power sources will be the solution

just one question, do you guys think that if I keep using the Predator,which drives the USB port to its limit, will damage the USB port itself??

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterPenHK 

Thanks!

 

BTW, Ray has replied me that if the usb port of S3 has a power of 100mW, the DAC section will use all of them...

So I think 2 options are available:

1. You do care about portability and sound quality, then a self-powered amp/DAC combo will be a good balance

2. Sound quality is always your first piority then those external power sources will be the solution

 

just one question, do you guys think that if I keep using the Predator,which drives the USB port to its limit, will damage the USB port itself??

thats a tough question, it really depends how well they catered for overdraw. No way to really know unless it takes a dump.

A couple of thoughts on using DACs with the S3:

I would advice against using 24 bit files.  If you have software that can dither to 16 bits, I'd take the time to convert the files.  Even if Neutron player does 24 bit, your DAC may not.  If it can't, it'll truncate to 16 bits, which audibly compromises sound quality.  Having to cope with the extra 8 bits of data won't do good things to your batter life either. 

I haven't used my S3 / Pico combo long enough to get a proper handle on battery life.  But easy access to the battery is one of the perks of Samsung phones.  Just get a spare to use on a long trip.  Why bother with an external battery pack?

Quote:

Originally Posted by nnotis 

A couple of thoughts on using DACs with the S3:

 

I would advice against using 24 bit files.  If you have software that can dither to 16 bits, I'd take the time to convert the files.  Even if Neutron player does 24 bit, your DAC may not.  If it can't, it'll truncate to 16 bits, which audibly compromises sound quality.  Having to cope with the extra 8 bits of data won't do good things to your batter life either. 

 

I haven't used my S3 / Pico combo long enough to get a proper handle on battery life.  But easy access to the battery is one of the perks of Samsung phones.  Just get a spare to use on a long trip.  Why bother with an external battery pack?

agree with your point that 24 bit files should be avoided, just counldnt bother to do the pre-convertion... BTW any recommendation of format converter for Windows??

about the battery issue, if you've read through this thread you'd notice it's more about SQ instead of battery life, i'd say most of the people following this post won't put portability as their first priority

The combo "Odac + Neco V3" is very well-praised:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/513233/neco-soundlabs-portable-v-2-amp/105

"ODAC + NECO V.3 + Sennheiser HD580 = A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN.

I can't tell you how beautiful this rig sounds.  We all know how well the HD580/600 scales with better sources and amps.. but synergy is often undervalued.  The ODAC is beautifully resolving and clean.. but the Neco really steals the show, IMO.

...  A DEAD silent background, fantastic dynamic range.. and the artful Sennheiser sound.. on steroids!  Treble has spectacular air, crispness, and detail.. the mids are very very transparent and deep.. with the bass coming tight and punchy.  One thing I've really noticed the Senn benefits from is the V.3's dual opamp setup.. which provide fantastic channel separation, imaging, and soundstage.  It's so immersive.. I can listen to this setup for hours on end.  I like this little combo more than my desktop rig (via the tube or SS output!) and the ODAC+O2 (which is a little too clinical).  For those one the fence about this amp.. stop waffling.. it's a GEM.

... When driving the HE-500.. I like this combo more than the O2."

The Odac USB DAC can interwork with an Android powered smartphone Samsung Galaxy S III as well as with a PC or a Mac.

Odac USB DAC:

http://epiphany-acoustics.co.uk/our-products/e-dac-24bit-miniature-usb-dac/

http://www.jdslabs.com/item.php?fetchitem=46

http://www.headnhifi.com/index.php/shop/objective/odac

Neco V3 amp :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/new-V3-DUAL-AMP-portable-headphone-amplifier/140802199484?ssPageName=WDVW&rd=1&ih=004&category=14970&cmd=ViewItem