Android phones and USB DACs

[desmond0123]

anyone have any random clicking/popping sound when using usb dac with android phone?
i am using one plus 2 with chord mojo with shuttle music player,
from what i have notice it only happens with flac files.

 

[NZtechfreak]

Had that with my Mojo and P8max, not even UAPP could workaround the phones terrible USB audio difficulties. No problems with my Note 4.

 

[thejammonster]

For those with USB Type-C OTG questions, see my post from a few pages ago:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/7350#post_12064753
 
I tested all of those with my Nexus 6P successfully to various DACs.  Regarding the cables being out of spec per a Google engineer, that is for charging from legacy devices.  The phone tries to draw 3A/15W and the other end of the cable doesn't have the proper circuitry so the legacy device outputs more power than it is rated for, which can burn out the USB hub on that device.  For OTG/data transfer purposes this should not be a problem since the phone doesn't try to charge from the DACs.  It would really only present a problem if you connected these cables to a PC or powered USB hub where it would try to draw current.

 

[take8]

  For those with USB Type-C OTG questions, see my post from a few pages ago:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/7350#post_12064753
 
I tested all of those with my Nexus 6P successfully to various DACs.  Regarding the cables being out of spec per a Google engineer, that is for charging from legacy devices.  The phone tries to draw 3A/15W and the other end of the cable doesn't have the proper circuitry so the legacy device outputs more power than it is rated for, which can burn out the USB hub on that device.  For OTG/data transfer purposes this should not be a problem since the phone doesn't try to charge from the DACs.  It would really only present a problem if you connected these cables to a PC or powered USB hub where it would try to draw current.

 
That's what I thought, that it wouldn't make a difference because it only affects charging.
 
Have you been able to use any app (Spotify, Play Music, etc.) with the 6P and an external DAC without doing the "check the OTG option" that was mentioned on the last page? Google offered to replace my phone when I called them about this, and I may take them up on it if there are others that can do this successfully. Before you, I haven't seen anybody using the same type of cable as me (direct male to male connection).

 

[thejammonster]

 

  For those with USB Type-C OTG questions, see my post from a few pages ago:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/7350#post_12064753
 
I tested all of those with my Nexus 6P successfully to various DACs.  Regarding the cables being out of spec per a Google engineer, that is for charging from legacy devices.  The phone tries to draw 3A/15W and the other end of the cable doesn't have the proper circuitry so the legacy device outputs more power than it is rated for, which can burn out the USB hub on that device.  For OTG/data transfer purposes this should not be a problem since the phone doesn't try to charge from the DACs.  It would really only present a problem if you connected these cables to a PC or powered USB hub where it would try to draw current.

 
That's what I thought, that it wouldn't make a difference because it only affects charging.
 
Have you been able to use any app (Spotify, Play Music, etc.) with the 6P and an external DAC without doing the "check the OTG option" that was mentioned on the last page? Google offered to replace my phone when I called them about this, and I may take them up on it if there are others that can do this successfully. Before you, I haven't seen anybody using the same type of cable as me (direct male to male connection).

 
It was plug & play for me, no options needed.  I use Google Play Music and I just connected the cable and pressed play on the phone.
 
Edit: On Reddit I saw people with issues with OTG as well that had the phone exchanged, so it seems there may be some issues.  I don't know where I saw it but it was on www.reddit.com/r/nexus6p

 

[take8]

It was plug & play for me, no options needed.  I use Google Play Music and I just connected the cable and pressed play on the phone.

Wow, that's really perplexing. I can't imagine what could be different between our two setups that would cause mine to downmix and yours to work properly.

 

[thejammonster]

 

It was plug & play for me, no options needed.  I use Google Play Music and I just connected the cable and pressed play on the phone.

Wow, that's really perplexing. I can't imagine what could be different between our two setups that would cause mine to downmix and yours to work properly.

 
See above, I edited my post with where I saw people having the same issue.

 

[NZtechfreak]

Wow, that's really perplexing. I can't imagine what could be different between our two setups that would cause mine to downmix and yours to work properly.

Down mix?

 

[take8]

   
See above, I edited my post with where I saw people having the same issue.

 
Hmm, I searched the subreddit with a few different terms and wasn't able to find anything on it.
 

Down mix?

 
Yeah, that's my problem. It plays using any app, but it turns stereo into mono. The only way it works in stereo is with an app like HibyMusic.

 

[NZtechfreak]

Hmm, I searched the subreddit with a few different terms and wasn't able to find anything on it.


Yeah, that's my problem. It plays using any app, but it turns stereo into mono. The only way it works in stereo is with an app like HibyMusic.

Ah, mono. Well, that is pretty strange.

 

[DanBa]

Apparently, the native USB audio is bugged.

 

[DanBa]

  For those with USB Type-C OTG questions, see my post from a few pages ago:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/7350#post_12064753
 

 

  I figured this would be the best place for this...
 
For anybody needing OTG cables for USB Type-C phones (Nexus 6P/5X, OnePlus Two), I bought the cables below and used all of them successfully with my Nexus 6P to Schiit Bifrost Multibit (USB-B), Schiit Modi 2 Uber (USB-B), JDS Labs C5D (Mini-B), and an LG G4 (Micro-B).  I don't recommend trying to use any of them for charging from legacy devices as they don't adhere to power specs per Google (see reviews) but they're less than half the price of any other reputable options I've seen.
 
C > Micro-B
http://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters%C2%AE-USB-C-Braided-Jacket/dp/B00UUBRX0Y
 
C > Mini-B
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UUBS0SS
 
C > USB-B
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VKSF39O
 

 
As far as I understand, there is no more USB OTG cable with USB Type-C.
 
 
USB is a master-slave communication bus: USB communication can only take place between a master device (i.e. USB host) and a slave device (i.e. USB peripheral).
A lot of Android devices are Dual-Role Devices (DRD), sometimes a USB host, sometimes a USB peripheral.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/2700#post_9647286
 
A DRD has to be configured in USB host mode in order to work with a standard USB DAC always operating as a USB peripheral.
A DRD has to be configured in USB peripheral mode in order to work with a PC / Mac operating as a USB host.
 
 
Before USB Type-C, the ID pin in the micro USB plug of a so-called USB OTG cable is used to configure the DRD in USB host mode or in USB peripheral mode.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/2205#post_9399011
 
With USB Type-C, the ID pin does not exist in the USB Type-C plug.
 

 
So, the USB host mode or the USB peripheral mode of a Dual-Role Device must be determined by other means:
. OTG storage menu item
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/7380#post_12078210
. Pop-up menu screen whenever a USB cable is inserted into the Dual-Role Device
…

 

[thejammonster]

 
As far as I understand, there is no more USB OTG cable with USB Type-C.
 
 
USB is a master-slave communication bus: USB communication can only take place between a master device (i.e. USB host) and a slave device (i.e. USB peripheral).
A lot of Android devices are Dual-Role Devices (DRD), sometimes a USB host, sometimes a USB peripheral.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/2700#post_9647286
 
A DRD has to be configured in USB host mode in order to work with a standard USB DAC always operating as a USB peripheral.
A DRD has to be configured in USB peripheral mode in order to work with a PC / Mac operating as a USB host.
 
 
Before USB Type-C, the ID pin in the micro USB plug of a so-called USB OTG cable is used to configure the DRD in USB host mode or in USB peripheral mode.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/2205#post_9399011
 
With USB Type-C, the ID pin does not exist in the USB Type-C plug.
 

 
So, the USB host mode or the USB peripheral mode of a Dual-Role Device must be determined by other means:
. OTG storage menu item
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/7380#post_12078210
. Pop-up menu screen whenever a USB cable is inserted into the Dual-Role Device
…

 

 
I just know that my Nexus 6P works with the DACs I have available using the cables I listed without having to change anything.

 

[NZtechfreak]

Yes, no OTG with USB C, that functionality is baked into the standard.

 

[DanBa]

 
I just know that my Nexus 6P works with the DACs I have available using the cables I listed without having to change anything.

 
Do you use your Nexus 6P connected to a PC / Mac?