Android phones and USB DACs
Jan 17, 2016 at 9:11 PM Post #7,771 of 9,526
  i have the sony z5 i know u tried it in the store so how is the 800st different than z5 if u remember


wider stage...very very wide. detail is superior. There is a triangle hit on the classic "Tin Man" by America listen with your Z5 and see how clear it is. Only one of my IEM plays it clear with no eq and that's the 800st. Even if I cover vents it is still impressive. A BA driver should dig that instrument out easy but the Angie i heard did not.  Comes in around the 40 second mark. It's what we called (my car audio club) a sonic rally pole. A specific musical event that can be gone over again and again by others. It is subtle but a very high note and elevated bass can easily obscure it. A well tuned set should give me bass and minutia in the top end.
 
Jan 17, 2016 at 9:29 PM Post #7,772 of 9,526
I'm looking at switching from a dedicated DAP and using my phone (Galaxy Note 4) with a DAC/amp, preferably a DAC/amp combo as opposed to separate devices for each as I would like to keep it portable.
 
I'm looking at the Oppo HA-2 and am wondering what experience, if any, others have had with that combo. Currently I have AKG K553 Pro's and MEElectronics M6 Pro's. I've heard nothing but good things about the Oppo but want to make sure it'd be a good match with both headphones and my phone before I pull the trigger.
 
Any thoughts?
 
Jan 18, 2016 at 12:40 PM Post #7,773 of 9,526
  I'm looking at switching from a dedicated DAP and using my phone (Galaxy Note 4) with a DAC/amp, preferably a DAC/amp combo as opposed to separate devices for each as I would like to keep it portable.
 
I'm looking at the Oppo HA-2 and am wondering what experience, if any, others have had with that combo. Currently I have AKG K553 Pro's and MEElectronics M6 Pro's. I've heard nothing but good things about the Oppo but want to make sure it'd be a good match with both headphones and my phone before I pull the trigger.
 
Any thoughts?

 
You might want to check out the Oppo HA-2 thread as well (http://www.head-fi.org/t/755879/oppo-ha-2-portable-headphone-amplifier-dac-discussion-thread); it's a pretty helpful bunch in there too. 
 
I'm using a Galaxy S4, but can't speak for the Note 4. I can say, however, that the ergonomics of such a combination will be compromised, since the Note 4 is a good bit larger than the Oppo. 
 
Jan 18, 2016 at 5:33 PM Post #7,775 of 9,526
Read one of the reviews on here and he paired the OPPO with the Note 4 and said it worked really well. Once my DX50 sells I'll be purchasing one. I'll let you guys know how I like it.

i own the oppo pm1 no way does it sound good out of a note 4, you need an amp, i use it with my mojo and note 3 
 
Jan 19, 2016 at 4:30 PM Post #7,778 of 9,526
   
Copied my post from Mojo thread:
 
Super happy with my super cheap transport stacked with my Mojo using the slimmer dual lock. 
 
I purchased this Sprint Moto E 2nd Gen with a microsd slot. It has NATIVE Android USB audio so you don't need UAPP to listen from the Mojo. Google Music works just perfectly like on my Nexus 6. It's on sale right now too for $39.99 shipped:
 
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/sprint-prepaid-motorola-moto-e-4g-with-8gb-memory-no-contract-cell-phone-black/2729581.p?acampID=0&ref=8575135&loc=0
 
]

 
Thanks for the Best Buy Moto E deal. I picked one up, added a 128gb micro-sd card and UAPP. Fantastic. Using it with a Dragonfly v1.2 and a Portaphile Micro (627).
 
Jan 20, 2016 at 10:49 AM Post #7,780 of 9,526
how does the sony z5 differ from mojo? sound quality i mean.
 
considering a dac/amp, mojo is quite expensive for me but i am willing to save up for it if there is an immediate discernible difference between the two. i'd rather stick with z5 if the law of diminishing return applies to mojo too. the headphone and iem i own are pretty easy to drive so the difference in amp powers wouldn't matter to me.
 
i know this is a subjective question but it would be really helpful if someone could reply.
 
Jan 20, 2016 at 11:02 AM Post #7,781 of 9,526
  how does the sony z5 differ from mojo? sound quality i mean.
considering a dac/amp mojo is quite expensive for me but i am willing to save up for it if there is an immediate discernible difference between the two. i'd rather stick with z5 if the law of diminishing return applies to mojo too.
i know this is a subjective question but it would be really helpful if someone could reply.

 
This is, super subjective, as you've mentioned. I can only share my experience, since I went through the same thing when I sold my Fiio X3ii. I liked the sound, but missed Andoid. I figured my phone would sound "good enough" and that I didn't need a dedicated $200 device for music. I was wrong. After selling the X3ii, I knew my phone's audio was lackluster in comparison. I ultimately picked up the $300 Oppo HA-2 dac/amp, which is a similar device to the Mojo, but most would say not as good.
 
I feel the Oppo is a huge step up from any cell phone or laptop's audio I've ever used. To me, it's definitely worth the $300 price, since I can connect it to Android, Apple, and Windows devices as a dac/amp. 
 
Most people agree the Mojo is better than the Oppo, but once you start talking about the laws of dimishing returns and audio gear, a lot of that is subjective. The Mojo is $600. To some people, it's definitely worth the upgrade, and others are happy with a very good, but half-the-price Oppo. Others think $300 or even $200 isn't worth it, so they don't bother. 
 
You also have to consider the type of headphones you're trying to drive. If you are using full sized headphones, you probably want a dac/amp to get the most out of them.
 
You should try a few dac/amps out and see what makes sense for you. 
 
Jan 20, 2016 at 12:43 PM Post #7,782 of 9,526
   
This is, super subjective, as you've mentioned. I can only share my experience, since I went through the same thing when I sold my Fiio X3ii. I liked the sound, but missed Andoid. I figured my phone would sound "good enough" and that I didn't need a dedicated $200 device for music. I was wrong. After selling the X3ii, I knew my phone's audio was lackluster in comparison. I ultimately picked up the $300 Oppo HA-2 dac/amp, which is a similar device to the Mojo, but most would say not as good.
 
I feel the Oppo is a huge step up from any cell phone or laptop's audio I've ever used. To me, it's definitely worth the $300 price, since I can connect it to Android, Apple, and Windows devices as a dac/amp. 
 
Most people agree the Mojo is better than the Oppo, but once you start talking about the laws of dimishing returns and audio gear, a lot of that is subjective. The Mojo is $600. To some people, it's definitely worth the upgrade, and others are happy with a very good, but half-the-price Oppo. Others think $300 or even $200 isn't worth it, so they don't bother. 
 
You also have to consider the type of headphones you're trying to drive. If you are using full sized headphones, you probably want a dac/amp to get the most out of them.
 
You should try a few dac/amps out and see what makes sense for you. 

i guess the best is to save up for one as you said. probably a used deal here on head-fi if i am lucky enough. that way i could sell it off without much loss if i am not impressed.
thank you.
 
Jan 20, 2016 at 4:33 PM Post #7,783 of 9,526
have a stock sprint SGS5 and the iBasso D-Zero MK2. i was able to get the DAC working with the onkyo app but would like to use it with google play so i can use it for music streamed to my phone and not just what's stored on my sd card. also, using the short cord that came with the D-Zero i get static through my earphones.was wondering if anyone here has had similar experiences and how they were able to fix them.
 
thanks!
 
Jan 20, 2016 at 11:07 PM Post #7,784 of 9,526
  how does the sony z5 differ from mojo? sound quality i mean.
 
considering a dac/amp, mojo is quite expensive for me but i am willing to save up for it if there is an immediate discernible difference between the two. i'd rather stick with z5 if the law of diminishing return applies to mojo too. the headphone and iem i own are pretty easy to drive so the difference in amp powers wouldn't matter to me.
 
i know this is a subjective question but it would be really helpful if someone could reply.

Only tried the Mojo with my Z3c, but I think Sony Z phones sound very good on their own and many DAC/Amps just screw up the sound. The only models I've tried that enhance the sound are Sony's PHA1A (more powerful presentation) and PHA2 (more power, details, soundstage). So far I've tried Chord Mojo, Oppo HA2, IFI Nano, Yulong D200, Aune S16, Sony PHA3.
 
Jan 21, 2016 at 12:19 AM Post #7,785 of 9,526
what's the absolute cheapest compact android phone that supports otg usb? 
Needs to have micro sd expansion slot and good batter life.
I don't care about any think else like connectivitiy, display or performance because I'm onlly going to use it as transport, a music player. 
 

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