Thank you; the "Pro" looks pretty great according to the website. I just ordered it on Amazon.
FiiO BTA30, or BTA30 Pro.
So, before you posted this reply I already did a search on Amazon and found a product which does what I was looking for, the auris bluMe Pro. But I went ahead and ordered the FiiO BTA30 Pro as well, after I read your post. Finally I have had the time to try them both out, starting with the FiiO. I got the FiiO to pair, but could not change the codec to a better one than aptX (not aptX HD). I tried changing the codec in both the "Bluetooth Scanner" app (which I highly recommend), and in the Developer Options in Android settings. However, at this time I did not yet know about a "switch" within the settings for the bluetooth device in the bluetooth connections menu where you can tap it to enable LDAC, so this may have been the problem, though I rather suspect that what I was tapping in the Developer Options would have done the same thing.
So I moved on to the more expensive bluMe, which unlike the BTA30 Pro is strictly a bluetooth receiving device (with SP/DIF outputs like the BTA30). This is when I discovered the aforementioned toggle "switch" within the Android bluetooth connection settings, and I switched it on. Then I did what I've always done before which is to switch the sound output back to "this phone", and use the "separate app sounds" menu within the Sounds settings within Android, in order to (attempt) to give Tidal exclusive access to the bluetooth output:
Works perfectly according to the display on the bluMe, once I started playback in Tidal:
I can also use the Bluetooth Settings app (available on Google Play) to change the LDAC sample rate (must stop playback first!):
Worked!
Now, to check whether the optical output actually works with my SoundBlaster X4, but I have to move my operation out to my truck (semi truck sleeper cab which, unlike the hotel I am currently staying at, is my
primary residence), because I have already mounted my X4 there.
see update below
I have also changed my headphone amp from the Schiit Magni 3+ to the Magni Heresy (both cost $99). Why? I find that there is an ugly lack of transparency with the 3+ (similar to the
very old HeadRoom Total AirHead amp I have used in the past) which causes me to be constantly tweaking the EQ settings and constantly lowering the volume. Based on the reviews I have read about the Heresy (and a comparison of the Heresy to the Magni 3+), there is a clear reason for me to have this perception, and I should be pleased with the Heresy, which one reviewer found to be indistinguishable from the Atom and Archel 2 Pro "I could
not audibly discriminate between the Magni Heresy, Atom or Archel 2 Pro
at all." and another reviewer found that it could be "an end-game amp for many people." ("I was recently talking to others that have tested the Heresy and the consensus seems to be that its better or at least on par with the THX amps which start at 3 times the asking price of the Heresy.")
Also a note about using the best headphone I've ever heard, yes laughably the
Sony MDR-V600 (and I have listened to Sennheisers, Beyerdynamics, and others). I love them so much that my current pair is one I recently purchased brand-new unopened on eBay for $600, due to the model being discontinued. I actually got a deal on this because the current brand-new unopened offerings are going for $800 - $900. Laugh all you want but despite being weak in the very low end (roughly 40 Hz and below), these headphones have an incredibly flat (and therefore natural-sounding) frequency response.
Update: I'm delighted. It's working perfectly (SoundBlaster X4 accepts the optical output of the bluMe, and I'm able to "listen" through the Windows stack, which is then output through my Schiit Modi Multibit DAC (and this "sound device" has the effect "Windows Sonic for Headphones" enabled which is far better than the harsh imaging you get with headphones). But why wouldn't I just run the Tidal Windows app on the laptop instead? The laptop is mounted (on a rubber suspension), and the bulk of my listening is done laying in bed. I want the playback from the Tidal app on my phone, and also using the app for the "organic" growth I am doing of my library. I have finally arrived at my solution, after much toil.