Android phones and USB DACs | Page 189 | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org

Theogenes · Aug 7, 2013 at 6:18 AM

I still think that a USB audio service = game-changer. Can't wait to have it!!

drSeehas · Aug 7, 2013 at 6:20 AM

FiiO E07K works with Galaxy S3 and Nexus 7:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/638910/fiio-e07k-andes-review-and-help-thread/675#post_9288277

UnknownAX · Aug 7, 2013 at 7:34 AM

davy wentzler said:
Although understandable since the app was not made for this, I wonder though. Is a kernel with 16-bit audio maxed at 48kHz no deal breaker? Would my upcoming USB audio service help?

Your USB audio service would definitely help many people.
If I understood right, you don't need root to use it. That and the fact, that it supports 24bit certainly could make Android a lot more popular with audiophiles. Not to mention, that it could open new possibilities for devices that haven't kernels with USB-audio drivers available.

Having said that, I must admit that I don't really care about 24bit. I doubt it'd make any difference -with my equipment. I'm fine with 320kb/s MP3's but I can't stand the built in DAC's of any Android device I've tried/owned. I also need the ability to use the DAC with any android player/app, which leaves me with no other option than to flash a custom kernel.

Anyways, I'm looking forward to try out your USB audio service and see how it works on my devices. Maybe it will make my old phone work with the DAC. That would make a nice, portable addition to a tablet. Keep up the great work!

CosmicHolyGhost · Aug 7, 2013 at 10:08 AM

are there any cheap 2nd hand android phones that are perfect candidate to use as transport? or may as well just get an ipod?

FlySweep · Aug 7, 2013 at 2:21 PM

Thanks for your continued work on the USB audio service, eXstream. I'd appreciate if you could contact some streaming music companies like MOG.com to see if their Android apps would support the USB Audio service.. it might be a bit of a long shot.. but MOG is pretty active in getting input from the community to improve their streaming audio app.

Thanks again!

SV_huMMer · Aug 7, 2013 at 2:36 PM

davy wentzler said:
No problem, I'll explain once more.

What it is NOT:
The service will not enable USB audio playback for just any app.

What it is:
The service can enable USB audio playback for apps that will support the service. App authors need to write some code to support this new service. For instance, PowerAmp could use the service. The question of which file types and cuelists you can play then simply depends on the app that will support the service.

After or before release I'll just contact all popular media player app authors to ask if they want to support this service. And after release, you can all do the same for your favourite app if they have no support for it yet.

If you have further questions, please let me know!

Dear eXtream, thanks a lot! Just a small clarification question: does the app need to support USB audio playback in general, or does it have to have support of your service specifically?

E.g. apps that currently work on Samsung S3 streaming music via usb - Neutron is one example - will they still need to add support to your service?

cosmicholyghost said:
are there any cheap 2nd hand android phones that are perfect candidate to use as transport? or may as well just get an ipod?

An iPod (depending on the model) will pose more or less serious problems or require extra costs to get the digital audio out of it. Even if it does, you're capped with 16/48, If I am not mistaken. And there's no UARP for iOS (at least, yet

))) So the iPod does not belong to this discussion.

As far as androids are concerned, the safest bet is to get a used GS3, and you'll have it all: native usb audio out support, but capped at 16/48, or UARP-enabled, without such SR/bit depth limits.

Alternatively, you could get some cheaper Xperias - see some of my earlier posts for details and warnings.

DanBa · Aug 7, 2013 at 4:33 PM

LG G2 & 24/192:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7205/hands-on-with-the-lg-g2-lgs-latest-flagship

"LG has made audio in the line-out sense a priority for the G2. We’ve seen a lot of emphasis from other OEMs on speaker quality and stereo sound, with the G2 LG has put time into rewriting part of the ALSA stack and Android framework to support higher sampling and bit depth. The inability of the Android platform to support different sampling rates for different applications remains a big limitation for OEMs, one LG wrote around, and with the G2 up to 24 bit 192 kHz FLAC/WAV playback is supported in the stock player, and LG says it will make an API available for other apps to take advantage of this higher definition audio support to foster a better 24-bit ecosystem on Android."

LG G2, Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One, Motorola Moto X
http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/07/lg-g2-vs-the-competition/#continued

jakenz · Aug 7, 2013 at 11:26 PM

@ Danba - that is great news in terms of LG setting an industry precedent in adding HD sound functionality as a point of difference. Nice one LG! Fingers crossed LG's competitors attempt to up their games in response for their future releases. And thanks again for your tireless work providing updates to this thread and maintaining your Android/DAC compatibility table.

@SV_huMMer - I'm not sure eXtream could state it any more clearly: "App authors need to write some code to support this new service."

ZeNmAc · Aug 8, 2013 at 12:03 AM

Quote:

davy wentzler said:
Although understandable since the app was not made for this, I wonder though. Is a kernel with 16-bit audio maxed at 48kHz no deal breaker? Would my upcoming USB audio service help?

For me 16/48 is all I need. With that said, I haven't been following this thread so I didn't see that you were working on a service to fix the problem. It sounds like a much better solution than UARP while google drags its feet to figure this all out. I'd be happy with poweramp, spotify, youtube, pandora, and ideally a browser. Voice calling would be nice too, although that probably wouldn't be feasible given the situation. So yea, to answer your question I'd be all over that service.

Quote:

danba said:
LG G2 & 24/192:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7205/hands-on-with-the-lg-g2-lgs-latest-flagship

"LG has made audio in the line-out sense a priority for the G2. We’ve seen a lot of emphasis from other OEMs on speaker quality and stereo sound, with the G2 LG has put time into rewriting part of the ALSA stack and Android framework to support higher sampling and bit depth. The inability of the Android platform to support different sampling rates for different applications remains a big limitation for OEMs, one LG wrote around, and with the G2 up to 24 bit 192 kHz FLAC/WAV playback is supported in the stock player, and LG says it will make an API available for other apps to take advantage of this higher definition audio support to foster a better 24-bit ecosystem on Android."

LG G2, Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One, Motorola Moto X
http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/07/lg-g2-vs-the-competition/#continued

Hopefully this means they put a decent dac inside, not just a mediocre one that supports 24/192. Until we get more detailed specs who knows *crosses fingers*. Also hoping that means it'll support usb dacs natively.

It was funny, all the news people assumed hifi audio meant good speakers. I couldn't care less about the speakers and actually dislike devices with front facing ones. Just an eye sore I'll never use.

Quote:

cosmicholyghost said:
are there any cheap 2nd hand android phones that are perfect candidate to use as transport? or may as well just get an ipod?

You mean for usb out, or just good sq? I picked up a used galaxy s 4g (vibrant) which sounds about on par with my ipod (5.5g) after the voodoo sound app was installed. For what it's worth, you can get a new one for about $200 which is not much more than a used one. There's a few other phones around with the same wolfson dac in them. They sound mediocre out of the box, but sound great after root + voodoo sound. To be honest I prefer it over my ipod sometimes, just because poweramp has a much better ui, plus the customizable 10 band eq.

wormsdriver · Aug 8, 2013 at 12:13 AM

Quote:

cosmicholyghost said:
are there any cheap 2nd hand android phones that are perfect candidate to use as transport? or may as well just get an ipod?

for usb otg phones, maybe a used samsung s3 with bad esn...

ZeNmAc · Aug 8, 2013 at 12:14 AM

Any news on the sony xperia z ultra? Will it have native support like the z and tablet z?

SV_huMMer · Aug 8, 2013 at 5:56 AM

Quote:

danba said:
LG G2 & 24/192:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7205/hands-on-with-the-lg-g2-lgs-latest-flagship

"LG has made audio in the line-out sense a priority for the G2. We’ve seen a lot of emphasis from other OEMs on speaker quality and stereo sound, with the G2 LG has put time into rewriting part of the ALSA stack and Android framework to support higher sampling and bit depth. The inability of the Android platform to support different sampling rates for different applications remains a big limitation for OEMs, one LG wrote around, and with the G2 up to 24 bit 192 kHz FLAC/WAV playback is supported in the stock player, and LG says it will make an API available for other apps to take advantage of this higher definition audio support to foster a better 24-bit ecosystem on Android."

Great effort! Would make even more sense if this is backed by native USB Audio Out support, and if this is the case - G2 can become a true S3 killer in the portable hi-fi domain. Althoug I personally would never get a 5.2 inch portable device

Quote:

wormsdriver said:
for usb otg phones, maybe a used samsung s3 with bad esn...

What's "bad esn"?

DanBa · Aug 8, 2013 at 7:22 AM

Quote:

sv_hummer said:
Great effort! Would make even more sense if this is backed by native USB Audio Out support, and if this is the case - G2 can become a true S3 killer in the portable hi-fi domain.

Very likely:

. the current LG flagship smartphone Optimus G Pro has USB Audio Out capability.

. "with the G2 LG has put time into rewriting part of the ALSA stack and Android framework to support higher sampling and bit depth"

USB Audio Driver for ALSA of HTC One:
https://github.com/flar2/m7-bulletproof/blob/master/sound/usb/card.c#L2

sv_hummer said:
Althoug I personally would never get a 5.2 inch portable device

Galaxy S4 : volume = 75 cm3 : 13.66 * 6.98 * 0.79 ; 4.99"
Galaxy S3 : volume = 83 cm3 : 13.66 * 7.06 * 0.86 ; 4.8"
LG G2 : volume = 87 cm3 : 13.85 * 7.09 * 0.89 ; 5.2"
Galaxy Note2 : volume = 114 cm3 : 15.11 * 8.05 * 0.94 ; 5.5"
Toshiba E800 : volume = 173 cm3 : 13.5 * 7.7 * 1.67 ; 4" (my old pocketable Pocket PC)

DanBa · Aug 8, 2013 at 7:23 AM

satwilson · Aug 8, 2013 at 1:04 PM

Danba, happy to report my Xperia TL, 4.1.2, Neutron, OTG, USB hub, AGD NFB-12, WORKS FINE! No UARP, Neutron. Sucks battery fast. Going to get a HifiMeDIY mini Sabre DAC to go portable. Will update after I get it. Yikes!

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