[god-bluff]

A Graham Slee Bitzie should not be three bad!



http://www.gspaudio.co.uk/bitzie-usb-dac-external-soundcard.htm


Took a few years?!? but I can finally confirm it's absobloomin'brilliant. Headphones simply disappear using this device. Looks home made (which it basically is) but effortlessly fluid open musicality. Out mojos a mojo I. M. E.
Flawless connectivity with my PHONE, at least with edition of IFI silencer + (highly recommended for USB audio streaming; does precisely what it says on the tin)

 

[chifihead]

Can anyone comment on the sound quality of the Hiby W3 relative to the Fiio BTR3K? I tried out a Fiio BTR3K and the Qudelix with my UERM IEMs and found that the BTR3K sounded too warm, congested, and muffled for my liking (using 3.5mm single ended connection). I didn't like that sound signature. The Qudelix sounded more to my liking, but it was too expensive for me. I am wondering if the Hiby W3S might suit me better?

I don't have the Hiby but it has an AKM chip, just like the BTR3K.. I wouldn't be holding my breath if I were you.

Maybe try the Shanling UP2 with its ESS chip?

 

[yawg]

I don't have the Hiby but it has an AKM chip, just like the BTR3K.. I wouldn't be holding my breath if I were you.

Maybe try the Shanling UP2 with its ESS chip?

The DAC chips are not important. The line out is. Tubes are good.

 

[chifihead]

The DAC chips are not important. The line out is. Tubes are good.

I've heard of that notion, yet I see a pattern where..

- AKM themselves claim they have a "velvety sound" which means they might design the sound to be colored
- DACs with AKM chips are described as warm and smooth

 

[yawg]

I've heard of that notion, yet I see a pattern where..

- AKM themselves claim they have a "velvety sound" which means they might design the sound to be colored
- DACs with AKM chips are described as warm and smooth

Yep, they add harmonics in the digital domain so you can get a "tubey" sound.

 

[JeanPaul Petrosyan]

Greetings, everyone! I'm trying to use Huawei p30 as a digital transport with the USB DAC. Does somebody know which USB Mode (settings found in the Developer Options) should be used for optimal performance? I guess there's a lot of folks who just plug it in, get it going and are content with what they get because, well, it shouldn't be as good as proper PC > USB DAC setup anyway, right? But it seems there's a bit more to it. Or is it just a peculiarity of my P30? I've tried Neutron MP and UAPP with their built-in custom USB drivers enabled - both seem to recognize the DAC (FiiO BTR5), but the sound is pretty diffident from what I get with my PC via Foobar2000 and FiiO's ASIO drivers. FiiO's display shows the correct sampling frequency (same as the source files), though. Also, the sound changes quite a bit with different USB Modes - Charge Only (default), MTP and Audio Source, as well as with enabling/disabling the Disable USB Audio Routing option. I can't tell wich one of these configurations is closer to optimal. Changing USB Debugging related settings also has an effect on sound, but a less drastic one (feels like slight changes in channel separation or something), I think it has something to do with increasing/decreasing latency. Meanwhile, the sound I get via Bluetooth connection over LDAC with Neutron MP and the Generic Driver > Hi-Res Over Bluetooth option enabled, is a lot more similar to what I get from the PC over USB connection. Here's the cable I use: https://www.ddhifi.com/productinfo/469679.html
I would be immensely grateful if somebody would help me sort this out!

Also...
I've come to the conclusion that it would be optimal to get a second (used) smartphone to use specifically as a digital source for both pure sound quality and convenience. I'll delete as much redundant software and get rid of as much background processes as possible, through ADB or maybe even via Root, will keep allsystem sounds, network connections and such permanently disabled (all this makes a noticeable difference with Huawei P30) etc. But still it has to work without any issues in stock, without these basic manipulations - if something's messed up on the system level I reckon that it will be impossible to fix.
So I'll be grateful for advice on this matter too.

 

[dss862]

Fiio bta30 connected to raspberry pi 4b android 10 using uaap as player indicate only direct not usb dac in playback info ..is this normal?

 

[boost3d]

Are Google Pixel phones using the Android Audio stack to resample data before passing it onto a USB Dac? I know some phones do and others don't.

 

[Devodonaldson]

Are Google Pixel phones using the Android Audio stack to resample data before passing it onto a USB Dac? I know some phones do and others don't.

As of right now all PHONES do. There are some DAPs that don't, but phones do

 

[ExTubeGamer]

Are Google Pixel phones using the Android Audio stack to resample data before passing it onto a USB Dac? I know some phones do and others don't.

The android app "USB Audio Player PRO" has a hi-res mode that can pass data directly to the DAC. Android phones usually pass the data through their system first.

 

[boost3d]

As of right now all PHONES do. There are some DAPs that don't, but phones do

Thanks. I misunderstood and thought some phones like LGs were capable of bypassing the audio stack.

The android app "USB Audio Player PRO" has a hi-res mode that can pass data directly to the DAC. Android phones usually pass the data through their system first.

Thanks. I've read about the apps.

But I plan to root and custom rom this Pixel 4, so I can rip out all the Google framework. Why? Planning to use it only as an offline (read offroad) GPS for the bike and was hoping dedicated music player too. Can't install those apps without the Google store/services. I was going to use VLC for music, which is available without Google store/services.

Oh well.....

 

[ExTubeGamer]

Thanks. I misunderstood and thought some phones like LGs were capable of bypassing the audio stack.



Thanks. I've read about the apps.

But I plan to root and custom rom this Pixel 4, so I can rip out all the Google framework. Why? Planning to use it only as an offline (read offroad) GPS for the bike and was hoping dedicated music player too. Can't install those apps without the Google store/services. I was going to use VLC for music, which is available without Google store/services.

Oh well.....

LG phones usually have good DACs, so you could connect the phone to a portable headphone amp that takes 3.5mm input.

 

[yawg]

LG phones usually have good DACs, so you could connect the phone to a portable headphone amp that takes 3.5mm input.

With some players you can use direct mode and bit-perfect conversion. So the bits of the recording go directly to the DAC/amp dongle. I use the E1DA 9038D in bit-perfect mode and the sound is perfect, too. No crackles, no hiss and no notification interruptions. Highly recommended. I use the Neutron player app and like it. The E1DA works in class A and is very powerful, can drive my Takstar magnetostatic planar cans and is individually calibrated by it's inventor/maker, Ivan.

 

[BobMonkhouse]

Can anyone recommend a simple self powered hub which doesn't charge the phone (no PD or pass-through power) but provides external USB C power to the ports? I have a couple of portable USB powered DACs which I want to use on my phone.

 

[RONJA MESCO]

The android app "USB Audio Player PRO" has a hi-res mode that can pass data directly to the DAC. Android phones usually pass the data through their system first.

shoo...I dont know why everyone continually sleeps on the Onkyo hi-res music player...that thing bypasses the Android stack and is money... and all my dacs (IFI, Monoprice THX, etc) display the actual signal thru 192 to 384 khz legitimately. Lots of options and settings if you pay to get the hi-res unlocker on Google Play. All the upper reaches of hi-res thru to DSD this thing delivers on and it sounds like it too.

I could be wrong it bypasses the stack, but damn, it sure sounds like it does...and I've been using this app for 5 years straight and been pleased with how it plays in all my phones and daps to perfection...and I've owned alot of em from the Pioneer 100k, Fiio x5, Sony Xperias, and more...this thing is the truth for Android.