[Brain Damage]

I went from V20 >> G6 >> G8.

The V20 had B&O on the back. G6 no major afiliation, but the V30 generation, and G8 is Mearidian affiliation.

There was a subtle but steady increase in quality. The largest being between V20 >> G6. Whether this had anything to do with B&O I have no idea.

B&O used to be a great R&D centre in Denmark. However their main strengths were in robust reliable design and unfatiquing sound. They had decades of accoustic knowledge and a huge annechoic chamber to do research in: none of which is of any use to a phone's headphone output. Meridian were closer to the cutting edge of audio DSP design and DAC implementation, which is more useful when they are asked to "breath" on a phone.

B&O cleared out a huge amount of the old guard of engineers a decade ago. Hundreds of man-years of experience, gone forever. The new hired idiot in charge told me to my face, that all B&O had was a brand name. So wrong a mind-set. Now B&O is mostly a bunch of ex-Philips engineers in Singapore shouting at Chinese factories to make shiney cheap bluetooth electronics they can charge a lot for. The stuff designed in Denmark is still pretty good though.

Interesting to note that you picked up on a significant step up in sonic quality moving from the ESS Sabre ES9218 Dac chip (LG V20) to the ESS Sabre ES9218P (G8). Wonder if there is yet another step up when moving to the ESS Sabre 9219 chip found in the V60?

I don't know if you have checked out Andy's #donglemadness website?

https://andyaudiovault.com/donglemadness/

He has reviewed lots of dongle dacs and notes that many of the ESS Sabre DAC chips have the same clean, bright sound signature compared to dongle dacs that employ AKM DAC chips and the Cayin RU6 R-2R dongle dac, which seemingly sound more balanced and closer to a true analogue sound. Of all the dongles that use an ESS Sabre DAC chip, the Questyle M12 is seemingly the most balanced. This has me interested as my Zorloo Ztella and LG V30 both have the ESS Sabre DAC chip sound signature (bright, clean, crisp and full of clarity). Wonder if I am missing out on a trick???

Of course, even more interesting is the fact that all good quality DACS, regardless of DAC chip used, should sound the same if they are doing their job well (according to many sound engineers).

 

[jagwap]

Interesting to note that you picked up on a significant step up in sonic quality moving from the ESS Sabre ES9218 Dac chip (LG V20) to the ESS Sabre ES9218P (G8). Wonder if there is yet another step up when moving to the ESS Sabre 9219 chip found in the V60?

I don't know if you have checked out Andy's #donglemadness website?

https://andyaudiovault.com/donglemadness/

He has reviewed lots of dongle dacs and notes that many of the ESS Sabre DAC chips have the same clean, bright sound signature compared to dongle dacs that employ AKM DAC chips and the Cayin RU6 R-2R dongle dac, which seemingly sound more balanced and closer to a true analogue sound. Of all the dongles that use an ESS Sabre DAC chip, the Questyle M12 is seemingly the most balanced. This has me interested as my Zorloo Ztella and LG V30 both have the ESS Sabre DAC chip sound signature (bright, clean, crisp and full of clarity). Wonder if I am missing out on a trick???

Of course, even more interesting is the fact that all good quality DACS, regardless of DAC chip used, should sound the same if they are doing their job well (according to many sound engineers).

9218 etc: Hard to say. Generally most people I know in the design end of the industry think the implementation of the circuit and layout contribute more to sonic differences than the brand or part number of the DAC. Gone are teh days when Philips trounced everyone with oversampling. So unless there is something significantly different in the P version, or 9219, I doubt you will hear a noticable difference if the same guys laid out the PCB and PSU. Note if Meridian did the digital filters on G8 onwards, this may be part of the quality, as they know their sh!t in this area.

I will take a look at the website, thanks. AKM are great, and it is good to see them starting to ship samples again after their fab burnt down.

 

[_mouse_]

Tidal MQA will work on V50 with UAPP

Sorry my fault. It don't work on V60.

 

[Danjen22]

Can anyone confirm if there is a noticeable step-up in sound quality going from the LG V30 to the V50/60/G8? Would appreciate people's opinions.

I went from a Korean G6 which had the Quad DAC to a V40 and now a V50. For me the V40/50 Meridian tuned was much better than the G6. I'm currently in the process of deciding what phone to move to ATM but it's proving to be a nightmare. I also bought the Hiby FC3 dongle DAC but I still prefer the V50 as I can't seem to get the right volume step on the FC3.

 

[Brain Damage]

I went from a Korean G6 which had the Quad DAC to a V40 and now a V50. For me the V40/50 Meridian tuned was much better than the G6. I'm currently in the process of deciding what phone to move to ATM but it's proving to be a nightmare. I also bought the Hiby FC3 dongle DAC but I still prefer the V50 as I can't seem to get the right volume step on the FC3.

Yeah, I am struggling to find a decent, viable new smartphone too that matches any of the LGs Vxx specs for audio. Such ashame LG have pulled out of the market now. Very few phones are now sticking with the 3.5mm headphone jack and the need for a dongle dac has never been so prevalent. Going to keep my LG V30 as long as I can because no matter, how small or portable the dongle dac, it is never going to be as convenient as the LG Vxx phones (an all-in-one MQA decoder/Hi-Res player/Smartphone).

I can't believe the desire to have optimal audio quality in a phone has become such a niche within the smartphone consumers world.

 

[drftr]

Yeah, I am struggling to find a decent, viable new smartphone too that matches any of the LGs Vxx specs for audio. Such ashame LG have pulled out of the market now. Very few phones are now sticking with the 3.5mm headphone jack and the need for a dongle dac has never been so prevalent. Going to keep my LG V30 as long as I can because no matter, how small or portable the dongle dac, it is never going to be as convenient as the LG Vxx phones (an all-in-one MQA decoder/Hi-Res player/Smartphone).

I can't believe the desire to have optimal audio quality in a phone has become such a niche within the smartphone consumers world.

I may be preaching to the wrong choir but I have spent a LOT of time looking into ways to replace the Quad DAC of my Korean G6, and have finally settled on the Cayin RU6 yesterday, which apart from aparently sounding phenomenal also cures the 3.5 mm jack problem forever. The only suitable phones for audio that don't lose out on functionality were basically the Xperia I III and Asus ROG Phone 5. But then I'd pay a grand more for a phone than I wanted to really. Both wired DAC/amps and also Bluetooth DAC/amps cure all problems as they can sound better than the best LG phone ever did, they solve the jack problem so you're free to go with whatever phone you want going forward, and if you want to make the best out of portability without giving up on sound quality Bluetooth DAC/amps like Qudelix K5, Fiio BTR5, and iFi GO Blue deliver tremendous quality.

It took me over 6 months to realize that I got stuck in the "best phone with a jack that doesn't cost an arm and a leg" jail, but when I started reading up on the best portable DAC/amp replacements it quickly dawned upon me that this was the way forward. Because honestly, if you find that one phone now, if it breaks down 2 years from now you might not even have the chance to find a decent replacement any longer. Why not taking the big leap now and get better sound quality while doing so; the trade-off being ultimate portability for sure. So yeah, I would still have been happier if there had been a great sounding V60 follow-up. But since there isn't what's a man to do? I for one decided to take sound quality over the last bit of portability. So for sitting down and really listening to music I'll connect to my RU6, while when on the road in public transport, etcetera, I will use the Sony WF-1000XM4 for that ultimate portability with still very decent sound quality.

drftr

 

[Brain Damage]

I may be preaching to the wrong choir but I have spent a LOT of time looking into ways to replace the Quad DAC of my Korean G6, and have finally settled on the Cayin RU6 yesterday, which apart from aparently sounding phenomenal also cures the 3.5 mm jack problem forever. The only suitable phones for audio that don't lose out on functionality were basically the Xperia I III and Asus ROG Phone 5. But then I'd pay a grand more for a phone than I wanted to really. Both wired DAC/amps and also Bluetooth DAC/amps cure all problems as they can sound better than the best LG phone ever did, they solve the jack problem so you're free to go with whatever phone you want going forward, and if you want to make the best out of portability without giving up on sound quality Bluetooth DAC/amps like Qudelix K5, Fiio BTR5, and iFi GO Blue deliver tremendous quality.

It took me over 6 months to realize that I got stuck in the "best phone with a jack that doesn't cost an arm and a leg" jail, but when I started reading up on the best portable DAC/amp replacements it quickly dawned upon me that this was the way forward. Because honestly, if you find that one phone now, if it breaks down 2 years from now you might not even have the chance to find a decent replacement any longer. Why not taking the big leap now and get better sound quality while doing so; the trade-off being ultimate portability for sure. So yeah, I would still have been happier if there had been a great sounding V60 follow-up. But since there isn't what's a man to do? I for one decided to take sound quality over the last bit of portability. So for sitting down and really listening to music I'll connect to my RU6, while when on the road in public transport, etcetera, I will use the Sony WF-1000XM4 for that ultimate portability with still very decent sound quality.

drftr

I agree. I have the Sony WH-1000XM3s and they are very good - especially when utilising the LDAC codec. I also have the Audiolab m-dac nano bluetooth dac and these Bluetooth pieces of technology do take wireless music to CD quality (dependent on consistency and strength of connection of course), but it still isn't as great as a wired connection for taking full advantage of fully decoded Tidal Masters and/or Qobuz hi-res files on the go.

This is where the market for dongle dacs continues to thrive: they do offer a full wired connection for those who prioritise audio fidelity from hi-res streaming services when on the go.

On another note, the Sony WH-1000M3s are a bit bass heavy and although the Sony app offers the ability to correct the sound signature thanks to it's EQ setting, you trade off the ability to fully utilise the LDAC codec, so you're not even getting music at 16/44.1 CD quality. This is only a potential hiccup for those who want to make the most of hi-res streaming of course.

 

[wildforest]

Yes need

thanks. so....if i got it clear, with lg g and v series there is no need for dongle dac to play bit perfect because they are having dedicated dac? also, there is one thing i`m not sure about - all my music is 16 bit 44100 hz flac or wav. given that fact and the fact that i`m using cheap in ear soundmagic e11 and sennheiser hd 559 headphones - is there sense of buying lg g or v series comparing to regular phones?

 

[mainguy]

I may be preaching to the wrong choir but I have spent a LOT of time looking into ways to replace the Quad DAC of my Korean G6, and have finally settled on the Cayin RU6 yesterday, which apart from aparently sounding phenomenal also cures the 3.5 mm jack problem forever. The only suitable phones for audio that don't lose out on functionality were basically the Xperia I III and Asus ROG Phone 5. But then I'd pay a grand more for a phone than I wanted to really. Both wired DAC/amps and also Bluetooth DAC/amps cure all problems as they can sound better than the best LG phone ever did, they solve the jack problem so you're free to go with whatever phone you want going forward, and if you want to make the best out of portability without giving up on sound quality Bluetooth DAC/amps like Qudelix K5, Fiio BTR5, and iFi GO Blue deliver tremendous quality.

It took me over 6 months to realize that I got stuck in the "best phone with a jack that doesn't cost an arm and a leg" jail, but when I started reading up on the best portable DAC/amp replacements it quickly dawned upon me that this was the way forward. Because honestly, if you find that one phone now, if it breaks down 2 years from now you might not even have the chance to find a decent replacement any longer. Why not taking the big leap now and get better sound quality while doing so; the trade-off being ultimate portability for sure. So yeah, I would still have been happier if there had been a great sounding V60 follow-up. But since there isn't what's a man to do? I for one decided to take sound quality over the last bit of portability. So for sitting down and really listening to music I'll connect to my RU6, while when on the road in public transport, etcetera, I will use the Sony WF-1000XM4 for that ultimate portability with still very decent sound quality.

drftr

I agree. I think dongles are killing the headphone jack more than anything.
I had an Xperia 1 ii, and the ifi go blu, a bluetooth dongle, is much better imo. It has power, a balanced output, wireless, etc. Then you've got so many wired dongle options too.

Fact is the phones with headphone jacks are just too rubbish now. Xperia are crap phones, in my opinion, I switched to the 11 pro max and literally get double the battery life. I'd take the extra battery, better screen, better camera, and the slight inconvenience of a dongle over an xperia any day.

 

[9611838416m]

Don't know if I'm allowed to do this, if not I request the OP or mods to delete it. But I have a mint condition LeTV Le Max (x900) that I've listed on the classifieds if anyone is interested. Thanks!

I bought this phone after a lot of research on this thread and it still sounds better on many full-sized cans compared to the LG G7. It also comes with an IR blaster that can even learn from existing remotes so you can have this as a control device for your amps etc. I've decided to let go of it as I've moved to a desktop-only setup (thanks to work from home situation)

 

[Brain Damage]

I agree. I think dongles are killing the headphone jack more than anything.
I had an Xperia 1 ii, and the ifi go blu, a bluetooth dongle, is much better imo. It has power, a balanced output, wireless, etc. Then you've got so many wired dongle options too.

Fact is the phones with headphone jacks are just too rubbish now. Xperia are crap phones, in my opinion, I switched to the 11 pro max and literally get double the battery life. I'd take the extra battery, better screen, better camera, and the slight inconvenience of a dongle over an xperia any day.

Couldn't agree more with regards to the amount of dongle dacs available. This website is very helpful too when considering what dongle may be best for you:

https://andyaudiovault.com/donglemadness/

The Centrance Dacport HD has me curious.

 

[artpiggo]

thanks. so....if i got it clear, with lg g and v series there is no need for dongle dac to play bit perfect because they are having dedicated dac? also, there is one thing i`m not sure about - all my music is 16 bit 44100 hz flac or wav. given that fact and the fact that i`m using cheap in ear soundmagic e11 and sennheiser hd 559 headphones - is there sense of buying lg g or v series comparing to regular phones?

Yes if your headphone relys on source quality.

 

[montanari]

LG V50 or LG G8x
I love my G8x. Same ESS 9218p DAC but with an optimized battery discharging.

I ll buy the g820n (smaller) from aliexpress

 

[Klingonac]

Hi, the new iBasso DCO5 is around 60$, I am wondering about type c build quality. Because previously BTR5 was pain in ass when it comes to cable type c to type c connection when I was listening music while walking because of constant interruption in signal transmission and had to use Bluetooth with phone music and wired DAC on laptop.

Is iBasso have that kind of problems related to listening music on the move?

 

[wildforest]

Yes if your headphone relys on source quality.

how do i know if my headphones rely on source quality?