[gwing3410]

I have an LG v10 and thinking about upgrading to the V20.
I also am wanting to upgrade to Hifiman he-400i from audio technica m40x. Considering the lg v10/20 can play hi-fi DAC, will my phone be sufficient to hear the Hi-Fi quality intended frombthe He-400is?
Thanks

 

[cossix]

I'd suggest the 400S instead, they're easier to drive from a phone. I would assume you'd get better sound with the S model through a phone, than the i model since you don't have a dedicated amp to power it

 

[blargman]

I use my he-400i's with an iphone 7+ and it works nearly as well as my dedicated teac ud-300 desktop amp. The desktop amp can just push it more loudly. I've heard the LG's are better than iphones for their performance? So I'd assume you'd be fine. I've never had a complaint with my iphone. I wish it had a TOUCH more volume, but not really. I'd just be wrecking my ear drums

 

[Monsterzero]

Dont quote me on this but I believe the V20 extra power only kicks in when a 600ohm load is detected.
I have the V20 and although I dont use it much for music,it drives my K240 sextetts(600 ohms) remarkably well.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Dont quote me on this but I believe the V20 extra power only kicks in when a 600ohm load is detected.
I have the V20 and although I dont use it much for music,it drives my K240 sextetts(600 ohms) remarkably well.

AFAIK, it activates at 60ohms. Except not a lot of IEMs at over 60ohms and headphones tend to still need more voltage or current if one wants to listen at an elevated volume level that kinda sounds more like a live performance with low distortion.

 

[Jerda]

you will need a rooted phone or an adaptor to activate the quad dac and the lg amp to full power, I suggest to root cause with a mod that you can find on XDA the sound quality will improve.
He400i will be enjoyable, not taken to their full capabilities but will be enjoyable. i suggest too a pair of 400s instead

 

[gwing3410]

you will need a rooted phone or an adaptor to activate the quad dac and the lg amp to full power, I suggest to root cause with a mod that you can find on XDA the sound quality will improve.
He400i will be enjoyable, not taken to their full capabilities but will be enjoyable. i suggest too a pair of 400s instead

Thank you all the responses, unfortunately i cant root because my dumbass upgraded the software.
May i ask how/why would the 400s sound better than the 400i's with the hi fi DAC phone?
I've also been considering the Sennheiser HD 600/650's and Oppo PM-3 given their high reviews.
Thanks again

 

[Jerda]

The 400s are just a bit different to he400i but they need a lot way less current.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

May i ask how/why would the 400s sound better than the 400i's with the hi fi DAC phone?

Higher efficiency. Much higher. And it's not high impedance so they won't need a lot of voltage to compensate. They'll get a lot louder with the same power input, which means you'll be farther from the amp's limits, and in this case you're using a smartphone. It's not like even the "Quad DAC" chip can kick out 500mW into the HE400i even if you can trigger the high output function.

Think of it like having the same 1.8L Toyota four cylinder engine and then comparing how it goes on a Lotus Elise body vs a Lexus RWD sport sedan body.

 

[gwing3410]

So would it be wiser just to buy a portable DAC/amp to add on to the phone?
thanks again

 

[ProtegeManiac]

So would it be wiser just to buy a portable DAC/amp to add on to the phone?

If you enjoy lugging around a brick strapped together from two smaller blocks with a cable connecting them, then sure.

Or you can get a desktop DAC-HPamp to drive harder to drive headphones, and if it's Android compatible, then you can still use the V20 as a source, and then when up and about, just use an IEM with high enough efficiency to blow your eardums with just 5mW of input power.

 

[blargman]

I really can't stress this enough... the he-400i with a standard phone is demonstrably fine..but do what you like

 

[cossix]

I really can't stress this enough... the he-400i with a standard phone is demonstrably fine..but do what you like

It just won't be operating at its best, is the point. I'd rather get 100% of the performance out of a headphone than 60-70% for not much reason. The S model isn't really any worse than the i model so there isn't much of a reason to dismiss the one that will likely sound better with a phone

 

[blargman]

Fair enough, but it's not anywhere near 60-70% difference, it's a very small amount of volume to be honest. I'd say it's closer to 95% there. That said, I've never heard the S.

FWIW, I got a more perceived quality in the openness to the he-400i from removing the grills than changing source.

 

[cossix]

Fair enough, but it's not anywhere near 60-70% difference, it's a very small amount of volume to be honest. I'd say it's closer to 95% there. That said, I've never heard the S.

FWIW, I got a more perceived quality in the openness to the he-400i from removing the grills than changing source.

Fair point, those percentages were just random. But I also refer to the sound quality when driving power hungry cans from un-amped sources. Typically, power hungry headphones will sound less dynamic when they're underpowered. The volume might be ok, but it may sound flat or boring. Some people can tell immediately, some can't. I hear a difference with even the Momentum 2 amped VS un-amped. It's slight but amped performance is better in terms of dynamics and tightness of bass. If the OP isn't able to hear differences in sound quality very easily, then maybe it doesn't matter much if the headphones aren't amped. It's all up to the individual's ears