Best Smartphone for audiophile Part II (Updated: Jan 2020)
Jul 1, 2019 at 4:35 AM Post #2,641 of 5,162
Hey all. I have been using a Mojo with my Fiio X3 Gen 2 for some years. The Fiio has died and I thought I might replace it with a Fiio M6.
However, I now realise that using an android phone is another option.
So this is my question. And I know its been asked before , but there are too many threads to search through
If you bypass the androids sampling, does it matter which phone you use?
I would use a micro usb to micro usb OTG cable
I'm trying to find a small android phone which I would use as a dedicated transport using usb audio player pro as the music player
For example, a Samsung J1 Mini which comes with a 4" screen and 1 gig of RAM (Is 1 gig enough)
Everone raved about the Sony Experia z3, but that was a long long time ago and have current phones caught up?

Cheers for your help.

Samsung s7, htc 10 may be your choice as small phone.
 
Jul 1, 2019 at 4:37 AM Post #2,642 of 5,162
hey guys, need your help

im torn between lg v30 plus or the vivo xplay6:

A.which is a better sounding of the two? would be nice if you could describe the phones sound signature, I personally want a neutral sounding one with great resolution.

B.which is a better phone?

Neutral sound lean bass = lg v30
More natural sounding, thicker bass and extended treble = vivo xp6

Xp6 is better phone overall. Lg v30 is poor at low light photo and selfie camera.
 
Jul 1, 2019 at 4:57 AM Post #2,643 of 5,162
Neutral sound lean bass = lg v30
More natural sounding, thicker bass and extended treble = vivo xp6

Xp6 is better phone overall. Lg v30 is poor at low light photo and selfie camera.

thanks for the reply, but i wanna go further, is there any recessed mid frequencies on the xp6? or is it just the low freq and treble is a lil bit elevated?, I also want to know which has a better 3d stage since im a sucker for those. also wanted to have a dead silent background. lastly, does the v30 and xp6 still have software updates being released? Im kinda more leaning to the v30, just bcoz of that ugly bezels on the xp6, but like u said about the camera, oof.
 
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Jul 1, 2019 at 6:33 AM Post #2,644 of 5,162
thanks for the reply, but i wanna go further, is there any recessed mid frequencies on the xp6? or is it just the low freq and treble is a lil bit elevated?, I also want to know which has a better 3d stage since im a sucker for those. also wanted to have a dead silent background. lastly, does the v30 and xp6 still have software updates being released? Im kinda more leaning to the v30, just bcoz of that ugly bezels on the xp6, but like u said about the camera, oof.

1. Xp6 just elevate low and high. It is like W-shape signature. Xp6 has better 3d. While V30 feels wider but less depth.
2. Xp6 has no more software update now. V30 still has some.
 
Jul 1, 2019 at 6:57 AM Post #2,645 of 5,162
Hey all. I have been using a Mojo with my Fiio X3 Gen 2 for some years. The Fiio has died and I thought I might replace it with a Fiio M6.
However, I now realise that using an android phone is another option.
So this is my question. And I know its been asked before , but there are too many threads to search through
If you bypass the androids sampling, does it matter which phone you use?
I would use a micro usb to micro usb OTG cable
I'm trying to find a small android phone which I would use as a dedicated transport using usb audio player pro as the music player
For example, a Samsung J1 Mini which comes with a 4" screen and 1 gig of RAM (Is 1 gig enough)
Everone raved about the Sony Experia z3, but that was a long long time ago and have current phones caught up?

Cheers for your help.
Xz2 compact is the smallest phone that comes to my mind
 
Jul 1, 2019 at 7:20 AM Post #2,646 of 5,162
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Jul 1, 2019 at 7:33 AM Post #2,648 of 5,162
Jul 1, 2019 at 7:34 AM Post #2,649 of 5,162
I need quantitative criteria for inexpensive definition.
Sorry, replied to the wrong answer. actually the S7 is a great choice. They ae a fantastic phone.
 
Jul 10, 2019 at 10:20 AM Post #2,652 of 5,162
@artipiggo
Do you plan to makes a DC01 review benchmarking with your own phones?
I’m considering DC01 is good investment. I believe upcoming phones will come with usb-c interface. Don’t mention desktop PCs and laptops. it is right idea, I think, that keep audio devices versatile and tiny.

Hopefully, UAC 3.0 will mitigate power hungriness in not far future.
 
Jul 10, 2019 at 11:25 AM Post #2,653 of 5,162
hey guys, need your help

im torn between lg v30 plus or the vivo xplay6:

A.which is a better sounding of the two? would be nice if you could describe the phones sound signature, I personally want a neutral sounding one with great resolution.

B.which is a better phone?

Hi there,
I personally use the LG V30+ as one of my portables.
The included ESS 9218P DAC is a fine dac and the phone drives decently even headphones like the Sennheiser HD600 and HD650 that are rated at 300ohms, though volume sits slightly high at about 50ish to 60 out of 70. It senses the impedance of the headphones and adjusts the gain automatically (wish it had a manual override though). < 50ohms = low gain, > 50ohms = high gain. And inspite of listening to music about 2 to 3hrs per day on the phone, I still manage to get through the day with about 20 to 30% battery power left when I am ready to charge it before going to sleep. My estimates are that if I'm using it purely as a player, 9 to 10hrs are achievable. There are some slight improvements if you use the player while in airplane mode, but even if all the connections are on, I haven't had any issue with noise or interference in my last 1 year or ownership. Do remember to turn on the quad-dac mode when listening as it makes a noticeable improvement in the sound quality.

The app you use also plays a part in getting the most out of this DAC. I suggest USB Audio Player Pro app if you don't mind paying ~ USD15 for it, else, go with the cheaper Neutron Player app that is ~ USD5. I use the USB Audio Player Pro and found it to be more satisfying for me compared with the stock LG music app (that is already pretty good by the way) and the Neutron Player. (You can read more about USB Audio Player Pro (UAPP) if you do a search in the forums as well.) Also, it plays even the DSD material that I have without issues. I stand corrected but if I remember well, up to DSD128. I listen to 95% flac and 5% DSD.

Lastly, the headphones or earphones you use will also play a part. I personally don't have any very neutral/uncoloured earphones though I can say I enjoy both my ATH IM50 as well as H8.2 directly out of the phone a lot. As a matter of fact, after I got my V30+, I was happy to part with my DX90 which probably says quite a bit. Personally, to my ears, I think the music that comes out of the LG V30+ sounds musical, engaging and pretty lively and dynamic, making my DX90 sound quite flat in comparison. I also use the phone occasionally as a source with my RSA F35 amp to power headphones like my HE-560 and LCD XC and find the synergy surprisingly good that it satisfies me enough when my desktop solution is not within reach. From all the ways I use the LG V30+ for music, I am of the opinion they are pretty true to source, relatively neutral, uncoloured and balanced across the frequency spectrum, musical, very slightly warm in a nice way, (most people tend to associate ESS chips with a sort of "glare" or "metallic sheen"), though personally I don't detect this in the LGV30+. They are definitely not analytical or cold sounding as well. The phone will allow the way your headphones/earphones sounds to come through. As far as resolution, sound stage, imaging, layering, if my desktop system scores 100 / 100, I would say they do may be about 75 to 80 out of 100 depending on the type of music I'm listening to. But then again, my desktop costs many times more and it's not a portable solution.

I haven't tried the other phone, but I think if you youtube a bit as well, which I imagine you must also have, you will find the LGV30+ a very competent player, that rivals sound quality from many low to mid-tier daps, while still offering the full functionality of a mobile phone.

If you find one, pair it with a good pair of earphones, and you're set to rock.

As a phone, I think the LGV30+ is decent. It has been stable so far and pictures from the built in camera are pretty good, though I wish the AF was a bit faster. As far as camera goes, I think they are fine, and I really love how wide they can go, which is something not many phones can boast especially when it comes to taking group shots with friends in close proximities. Night shots aren't the best as some users have pointed out, but then again, for small image sizes and web viewing, I haven't had any issues.

Cheers and happy listening! Hope you manage to audition one and that my feedback has helped!
 
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Jul 11, 2019 at 2:50 AM Post #2,654 of 5,162
@artipiggo
Do you plan to makes a DC01 review benchmarking with your own phones?
I’m considering DC01 is good investment. I believe upcoming phones will come with usb-c interface. Don’t mention desktop PCs and laptops. it is right idea, I think, that keep audio devices versatile and tiny.

Hopefully, UAC 3.0 will mitigate power hungriness in not far future.

will do around next week.
 
Jul 11, 2019 at 10:40 PM Post #2,655 of 5,162
Hi there,
I personally use the LG V30+ as one of my portables.
The included ESS 9218P DAC is a fine dac and the phone drives decently even headphones like the Sennheiser HD600 and HD650 that are rated at 300ohms, though volume sits slightly high at about 50ish to 60 out of 70. It senses the impedance of the headphones and adjusts the gain automatically (wish it had a manual override though). < 50ohms = low gain, > 50ohms = high gain. And inspite of listening to music about 2 to 3hrs per day on the phone, I still manage to get through the day with about 20 to 30% battery power left when I am ready to charge it before going to sleep. My estimates are that if I'm using it purely as a player, 9 to 10hrs are achievable. There are some slight improvements if you use the player while in airplane mode, but even if all the connections are on, I haven't had any issue with noise or interference in my last 1 year or ownership. Do remember to turn on the quad-dac mode when listening as it makes a noticeable improvement in the sound quality.

The app you use also plays a part in getting the most out of this DAC. I suggest USB Audio Player Pro app if you don't mind paying ~ USD15 for it, else, go with the cheaper Neutron Player app that is ~ USD5. I use the USB Audio Player Pro and found it to be more satisfying for me compared with the stock LG music app (that is already pretty good by the way) and the Neutron Player. (You can read more about USB Audio Player Pro (UAPP) if you do a search in the forums as well.) Also, it plays even the DSD material that I have without issues. I stand corrected but if I remember well, up to DSD128. I listen to 95% flac and 5% DSD.

Lastly, the headphones or earphones you use will also play a part. I personally don't have any very neutral/uncoloured earphones though I can say I enjoy both my ATH IM50 as well as H8.2 directly out of the phone a lot. As a matter of fact, after I got my V30+, I was happy to part with my DX90 which probably says quite a bit. Personally, to my ears, I think the music that comes out of the LG V30+ sounds musical, engaging and pretty lively and dynamic, making my DX90 sound quite flat in comparison. I also use the phone occasionally as a source with my RSA F35 amp to power headphones like my HE-560 and LCD XC and find the synergy surprisingly good that it satisfies me enough when my desktop solution is not within reach. From all the ways I use the LG V30+ for music, I am of the opinion they are pretty true to source, relatively neutral, uncoloured and balanced across the frequency spectrum, musical, very slightly warm in a nice way, (most people tend to associate ESS chips with a sort of "glare" or "metallic sheen"), though personally I don't detect this in the LGV30+. They are definitely not analytical or cold sounding as well. The phone will allow the way your headphones/earphones sounds to come through. As far as resolution, sound stage, imaging, layering, if my desktop system scores 100 / 100, I would say they do may be about 75 to 80 out of 100 depending on the type of music I'm listening to. But then again, my desktop costs many times more and it's not a portable solution.

I haven't tried the other phone, but I think if you youtube a bit as well, which I imagine you must also have, you will find the LGV30+ a very competent player, that rivals sound quality from many low to mid-tier daps, while still offering the full functionality of a mobile phone.

If you find one, pair it with a good pair of earphones, and you're set to rock.

As a phone, I think the LGV30+ is decent. It has been stable so far and pictures from the built in camera are pretty good, though I wish the AF was a bit faster. As far as camera goes, I think they are fine, and I really love how wide they can go, which is something not many phones can boast especially when it comes to taking group shots with friends in close proximities. Night shots aren't the best as some users have pointed out, but then again, for small image sizes and web viewing, I haven't had any issues.

Cheers and happy listening! Hope you manage to audition one and that my feedback has helped!


thanks for that lengthy reply very informative, but I think about it a lot and decided to order the g7 thinq instead, seems to be a better phone and have the same sq with the v30s.
 

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