Android phones and USB DACs
Nov 16, 2018 at 7:24 AM Post #9,272 of 9,526
I will buy a new smartphone and want absolutely a Dac usb otg compatible.
I hesitate until now between the Samsung S8 or the Sony Xperia xa2 plus.
Are they compatible with DAC usb?
I own chord Mojo, encore mDAC and some little others

Thanks
 
Nov 17, 2018 at 9:15 PM Post #9,273 of 9,526
I hesitate until now between the Samsung S8 or the Sony Xperia xa2 plus.
Are they compatible with DAC usb?

Yes, both list USB Host mode in their specs. You will need an OTG compatible USB Type C cable or adaptor to connect them to a DAC, I believe the Samsung ships with that adaptor included in the box.

It's worth noting the Sony is marketed as having great sound features all on it's own, suggesting no need for a USB DAC. The native music player app is DSD and 24/192 capable, and the onboard headphone amp is a step up from what you'll find in a typical Android phone.

The above pertains to models sold in the U.S. Because you appear not to be in the U.S. you should double check the specs for the specific model variant sold in your region, as they can and do sometimes differ.
 
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Nov 27, 2018 at 6:14 AM Post #9,274 of 9,526
hi, i have ordered ultrasone Naos for my oneplus 3 and galaxy tab s2. i will pair it with f9 pros iems and ATH pro500mkII. just wanted to know that how much will be a sonic upgrade? and is this setup comparable to cheap daps like cayin N3 or hiby R3?

Thanks.
 
Dec 15, 2018 at 8:48 AM Post #9,276 of 9,526
I just got a pixel 2 xl and i am missing the headphone jack. Can anyone recommend a DAC that is compact and budget friendly. I have a few portable amps if need be but i dont have and really hard to drive headphones
 
Jan 5, 2019 at 11:15 PM Post #9,278 of 9,526
Hi, I am hoping someone can answer a couple of questions. I am an Android noob, having used iOS (and Windows phone briefly) for 10 years. I have an old Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 on 4.4.x and I'm wondering when using a USB DAC and playing 16bit 44.1khz content if that is what is being sent to the DAC vs being resampled to 48khz? I know I can use USB Audio Player Pro for local content but I'm also wanting to stream Spotify and am wondering if audio will be resampled. I have a Nexus 6 as well and wondering if newer versions of Android software behave the same? Thank you much for your help.
 
Jan 8, 2019 at 4:08 PM Post #9,279 of 9,526
Hi, I am hoping someone can answer a couple of questions. I am an Android noob, having used iOS (and Windows phone briefly) for 10 years. I have an old Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 on 4.4.x and I'm wondering when using a USB DAC and playing 16bit 44.1khz content if that is what is being sent to the DAC vs being resampled to 48khz? I know I can use USB Audio Player Pro for local content but I'm also wanting to stream Spotify and am wondering if audio will be resampled. I have a Nexus 6 as well and wondering if newer versions of Android software behave the same? Thank you much for your help.
On all Android devices, unless otherwise stated due to the device focusing on it, all audio, regardless of bit depth or sample rate, goes through Sample rate conversion to 16/48.
 
Jan 12, 2019 at 5:45 PM Post #9,280 of 9,526
On all Android devices, unless otherwise stated due to the device focusing on it, all audio, regardless of bit depth or sample rate, goes through Sample rate conversion to 16/48.

I rooted my Nexus 6 and made the change as noted in this post earlier in the thread:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/android-phones-and-usb-dacs.595071/page-576

So I presume all audio is now being presented as 44.1 vs 48k. Or is there still any resampling occurring with USB audio?
 
Jan 13, 2019 at 4:52 AM Post #9,281 of 9,526
I rooted my Nexus 6 and made the change as noted in this post earlier in the thread:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/android-phones-and-usb-dacs.595071/page-576

So I presume all audio is now being presented as 44.1 vs 48k. Or is there still any resampling occurring with USB audio?
It's more than just the sample rate though. It's rheway the Android system processes the audio. Even if you are able to get it to output at 44.1, it's still being processed by Android drivers. It just xoesndo sound the same. Not bad, but once you have a device that dowsndo touch the file at all, you are absolutely aware of the difference. It can still sound good, due to different DAC chips, but always sounds a bit better set straight to DAC, IF DAC chips are same
 
Jan 13, 2019 at 9:37 AM Post #9,282 of 9,526
It's more than just the sample rate though. It's rheway the Android system processes the audio. Even if you are able to get it to output at 44.1, it's still being processed by Android drivers. It just xoesndo sound the same. Not bad, but once you have a device that dowsndo touch the file at all, you are absolutely aware of the difference. It can still sound good, due to different DAC chips, but always sounds a bit better set straight to DAC, IF DAC chips are same

Thanks for the response man, I had assumed this was the case- even on iOS I presume there is some mixing going on as system audio (notification sounds, etc) are being passed to my DAC. I have my Chromebook/Linux machine presumably sending the bitstream straight to the DAC and it sounds really nice. I'm gonna give HibyMusic a go later today on my Nexus 6 with the bitperfect option and see how it sounds.
 
Jan 14, 2019 at 5:24 AM Post #9,283 of 9,526
Hi,

I just wanted to ask your opinion on the fidelity of this USB Type B/C going through DAC compared to the dedicated Music Streamer?

Maybe i am out of a little bit in the topic but i am just curious on how we perceived the benefits of Phone > DAC setup aside from the great convenience and simplicity of the connection.

I am really having a hard time deciding which way to go because in the end we wanted to have the greatest sound output with compromises that we could live with.

Thank you

Whill
 
Jan 14, 2019 at 11:04 AM Post #9,284 of 9,526
My phone > dac setup sounds better than my pc > dac setup

So I bought an Android TV w/ HDD bracket. Installed a 8tb HDD, LPS and USB reclocker/purifier.

Sounds better than a dedicated music streamer? IDK? But I love the sound and it costs a lot less.
 
Feb 7, 2019 at 12:02 PM Post #9,285 of 9,526
I've been doing a lot of searching but having a hard time finding a recommendation. Looking to go from Android phone to external dac to headphone amp.

Here's the catch: I'm looking for an external, portable dac that has a line out which bypasses internal amp (or doesnt have one), but which works w smartphones. I can find ones that work w computer but having tough time w smartphone... So something like a Modi 3 or SDAc but smaller and for smartphones?

Any recommendations? Thanks!
 

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