[artpiggo]

Only mi phone that I recommend is xiaomi mi note / note pro back in 2013(?). Still higher performance than their newer model.

 

[generalwu]

I'm using Redmi K20 Pro and it's a good option for what it costs but not at all exceptional. My Redmi Note 4 sounds equally good with Ainur Narsil. Plus Miui is a pain and most audio mods dont work on this device so it's depends on what you want out of this smartphone - simple audio performance or an overall package.

Hi @Dani157,

Thank you for the response, after more research I found out that both Redmi K20 Pro and Xiaomi 9T Pro does not accept MicroSD card which is a bummer as my collection of music are in both lossless and lossy which will easily eat up the internal space. With these infomation I will be going ahead with both K20 Pro and 9T Pro.

Also again reviewing my music usage with my phone, I spend more time with bluetooth than wired (Using Aftershokz Trekz Air while working and bluetooth in car) so I was wondering if going with USB C dongle would be more logical then going with specifc phone model with 3.5mm jack. I'm using IEM specifically and seldom use any headphones with my phone so amping would not be a issue to me.
Would like to seek some opinion here if possible.

Cheers.

 

[Isloo]

I recently bought an Oppo A5 2020. I bought it to use as transport to use my 9038s and PDV2 dac/amps. I don't uses it as a phone. It has a 5000mah battery so can power both with ease. What I wasn't expecting was it to have really good sound quality out of its 3.5mm jack, which it does. Once you turn off the dolby atmos setting, the sound quality is really really good. It sounds nice and balanced and detailed. It supports 24bit 192khz files, but I don't know which dac it uses. For only $220 I am very happy with it.

 

[Barusu Lamperouge]

Hi @Dani157,

Thank you for the response, after more research I found out that both Redmi K20 Pro and Xiaomi 9T Pro does not accept MicroSD card which is a bummer as my collection of music are in both lossless and lossy which will easily eat up the internal space. With these infomation I will be going ahead with both K20 Pro and 9T Pro.

Also again reviewing my music usage with my phone, I spend more time with bluetooth than wired (Using Aftershokz Trekz Air while working and bluetooth in car) so I was wondering if going with USB C dongle would be more logical then going with specifc phone model with 3.5mm jack. I'm using IEM specifically and seldom use any headphones with my phone so amping would not be a issue to me.
Would like to seek some opinion here if possible.

Cheers.

For BT and normal IEM usage, K20 Pro serves the purpose. I'm personally not a fan of dongles and prefer 3.5mm jack as it's one accesory less while on the go. But considering phone has to serve other purposes apart from being a portable music player, one should decide basis price to specs ratio. In that price range, nothing comes near K20 Pro in terms of specs. But adding $70-100 extra one can get OnePlus which has same processor and DAC as K20 Pro and a better product on the whole. It's actually a personal choice.

I recently bought an Oppo A5 2020. I bought it to use as transport to use my 9038s and PDV2 dac/amps. I don't uses it as a phone. It has a 5000mah battery so can power both with ease. What I wasn't expecting was it to have really good sound quality out of its 3.5mm jack, which it does. Once you turn off the dolby atmos setting, the sound quality is really really good. It sounds nice and balanced and detailed. It supports 24bit 192khz files, but I don't know which dac it uses. For only $220 I am very happy with it.

It uses Snapdragon 665 so it's DAC is same as other budget offerings.

 

[Isloo]

It uses Snapdragon 665 so it's DAC is same as other budget offerings.

Which ever dac it uses, it sounds good. It doesn’t have much power, so it’s no good for harder to drive headphones or iems, but otherwise with reasonably sensitive iems the sound quality is good.

 

[Barusu Lamperouge]

Which ever dac it uses, it sounds good. It doesn’t have much power, so it’s no good for harder to drive headphones or iems, but otherwise with reasonably sensitive iems the sound quality is good.

Yes I agree. Snapdragon 665 has a very capable DAC. Think it uses Hexagon DSP to optimise sound. Most Snapdragon 665 devices have good audio performance

 

[kutulu32]

Only mi phone that I recommend is xiaomi mi note / note pro back in 2013(?). Still higher performance than their newer model.

i also recommend xiaomi mi a1 with lineage os 15 and modified audio_policy. conf and configuration. amp is huge, hires works flawless with usb audio player pro, neutron etc. i have no issues with hissing with my iems and drives my hd600 very nice. i can compare it with my meizu pro 7. still my favourite phone for music is mx4pro though.

 

[generalwu]

For BT and normal IEM usage, K20 Pro serves the purpose. I'm personally not a fan of dongles and prefer 3.5mm jack as it's one accesory less while on the go. But considering phone has to serve other purposes apart from being a portable music player, one should decide basis price to specs ratio. In that price range, nothing comes near K20 Pro in terms of specs. But adding $70-100 extra one can get OnePlus which has same processor and DAC as K20 Pro and a better product on the whole. It's actually a personal choice.



It uses Snapdragon 665 so it's DAC is same as other budget offerings.

Hi @Dani157,

Thank you for the response, just to be sure when using the 3.5mm dongle, do the phone uses its own DAC or does it uses the DAC on the cable?
I do recall that some if not most of those cable have a DAC in it, please do correct me if I'm incorrect.

I'm looking for the highend SOC (SD 855) mostly but it's also good to know that there's other SOC chip that has good audio performance.
I do recall that SD 730 has the Aqstic codec so in your opinion do that mean that it'll have good audio performance?

Cheers.

 

[Barusu Lamperouge]

Hi @Dani157,

Thank you for the response, just to be sure when using the 3.5mm dongle, do the phone uses its own DAC or does it uses the DAC on the cable?
I do recall that some if not most of those cable have a DAC in it, please do correct me if I'm incorrect.

I'm looking for the highend SOC (SD 855) mostly but it's also good to know that there's other SOC chip that has good audio performance.
I do recall that SD 730 has the Aqstic codec so in your opinion do that mean that it'll have good audio performance?

Cheers.

Afaik dongle's DAC works in tandem with phone's DAC. Yes all Snapdragon 700+ processors have Aqstic. And they do have some competence in terms of performance but sadly the manufacturers rarely prioritise audio performance. So if you're not into modding your phone by rooting then you are very much dependent on device manufacturer's mercy. Highend processors usually have better audio performance so that should not be a point of concern.

P.S. Rooting devices voids your warranty and after sales support. Also, it may damage your device software/hardware if incorrect softwares are flashed.

 

[dodap]

I recently bought an Oppo A5 2020. I bought it to use as transport...

I am also trying to find a decent new phone as an USB transport for a portable DAC (so far I have a LG G5 which was the last decent phone that had replacable batteries). I read that this Oppo supports 256GB card. Is this really the limit or can one use a 400 or 512 GB card too in this phone?

 

[loomisjohnson]

the g8x defintely has lower output than the v30 and purely from an audiophile standpoint isnt as good. as a phone, though, it's excellent--nice battery, interface, etc.

 

[chris6878]

the g8x defintely has lower output than the v30 and purely from an audiophile standpoint isnt as good. as a phone, though, it's excellent--nice battery, interface, etc.

I cant agree. g8x and v30 output are the same. I have both phones. The g8x sounds cleaner. Plus with the additional sound pre sets its better. Neither can output aas loud as my MOJO. But they are loud enough. I just wish they had a custom eq setting.

 

[imackler]

Looking at a Moto G7 as a dap w Quobuz and FLAC w/ UAPP and a usb-dac. Does anyone use a combo like this? I like the price and micro sd slot of the Moto G7 and Android 9. Any recommended usb-dac?

 

[dodap]

The Topping DX4 DSD has a good reputation and is quite beefy with 290mW at 32 Ohm impedance. Smaller lighter and not so powerful: FiiO Q1 II (only 60 mW at 32). A real monster is the xdDuoo XD-05 (280g!), it can deliver 500mW at 32 Ohm.
Or you go the minimum way: USB-C DAC dongles als the Hidizs Sonata, but this devices will power only low impedance earphones like the typical IEMs

 

[lxlx]

E1DA 9038s