C_Lindbergh
Headphoneus Supremus
I don't think there's a way to get LDAC on PC, best you can do is either APTX or APTX HD.
DROP + THX Panda Announcement
- Thread starter WillBright
- Start date
I don't think there's a way to get LDAC on PC, best you can do is either APTX or APTX HD.
DiederickFritz
Head-Fier
One of the Shanling DAPs support LDAC transmission. That’s pretty much it for LDAC transmitters...
thomaspf
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Yes, I have looked at the Shanling players/Dacs before. Does anyone know whether the Shanling solution works as a headset or just as headphones? I am looking to use the Panda for video conferences.
heavyharmonies
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I gotta say, the more I use the Panda, the more I like them. Wireless headphones have always been a tradeoff forsaking sound quality for convenience/features. Not any more. I have my Audeze Mobius and my Taotronics Soundsurge 46, that latter that are my go to for wireless. I've got several sets of TWS earbuds, but they are so iffy when it comes to position and comfort vs. over-the-ear headphones for me; try as I might, I just cannot get there from a comfort standpoint.
Regardless, the Panda craps all over all of them.
I find myself reaching for the Panda rather than my wired headphones just so I can move freely about the house untethered to anything.
I may have to pick up a second pair.
It will be interesting to see what the forthcoming app brings to the table.
I contacted Drop about the possibility of obtaining replacement earpads (I'm one with sweaty ears and once we hit Summer weather, that will be a thing), and they said they haven't figured out when/how they are going to sell replacement pads yet. I hope they actually do so.
Regardless, the Panda craps all over all of them.
I find myself reaching for the Panda rather than my wired headphones just so I can move freely about the house untethered to anything.
I may have to pick up a second pair.
It will be interesting to see what the forthcoming app brings to the table.
I contacted Drop about the possibility of obtaining replacement earpads (I'm one with sweaty ears and once we hit Summer weather, that will be a thing), and they said they haven't figured out when/how they are going to sell replacement pads yet. I hope they actually do so.
DiederickFritz
Head-Fier
Bluetooth headphone-headset combos are always going to have crappy audio/glitches and issues when set to headset mode. idk why this is but headset audio and media audio are treated differently with the latter having the superior sonics, but the former has the benefit of being able to use a mic. Drop should’ve added a wireless usb dongle option ala Audeze Penrose.
Imo the best solution is to get a separate wireless mic. Antlion has a wireless ModMic that can attach to the Pandas.
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sooevo
New Head-Fier
V-moda boom pro is also a good option if you want a mic that can plug directly into the 3.5mm port on the panda but you will be wired at that point.
thomaspf
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The Antlion wireless solution looks interesting. However, it ships with it's own USB dongle. Can a Shanling Bluetooth device plugged into one USB port and this dongle in a second work at the same time without interference?
DiederickFritz
Head-Fier
There’s always going to be interference, especially if you live in an apartment complex, but moreso the closer these sources are placed next to each other. I would recommend that you plug the two adapters as far away as you can. Personally, I installed a wireless adapter (Wifi/Bluetooth) directly into my computer’s PCIe slot. This is said to give the most stable connection compared to generic bluetooth usb adapters, but even then I still get short dropouts every once in awhile. Bluetooth is very much hit-or-miss so your mileage may vary severely.
thomaspf
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So you have a single Bluetooth adapter for both the Antlion mic and a headphone both using LDAC over that adapter in both directions?
DiederickFritz
Head-Fier
No I don’t use any of those. Just typing out second-hand knowledge. The wireless Modmic only connects to its usb receiver—an aptxLL transmitter, it seems. PCIe wireless adapters can only transmit Windows’ ‘basic’ bluetooth codecs—SBC and aptx, if you have the driver. Additional bluetooth codecs would have to be added via a dedicated bluetooth transmitter, and the Shanling (whatever model it is) seems to be the only one that can connect to a PC and transmit LDAC.
I received mine and noticed a few things that are bothering me; I'll just copy paste my comment from Drop.com and ask you guys the same questions
I am an Indiegogo backer (August batch) and I would like to know whether these issues are "normal" and consistent for all pairs and batches
1) faint noise: while not like any of my other Bluetooth headphones (very faint and almost unhearable), I can still hear noise (before the AMP shuts down after ~10 secs), and it's more noticeable on the right earcup (would still classify as virtually silent)
2) weird static glitches: this only happened one time for now, but I could hear some intermittent static glitches (like small electric arcs) when no sound was playing before the AMP shut down
3) there's teeny tiny more bass on the left earcup, but if I cover the AUX port with my finger, there is WAY LESS bass, covering the USB-C port with my fingers reduces the bass on the right earcup (interesting)
4) Getting away a few meters and pressing my hand against the right earcup will drop the signal
BONUS) I read a comment on Indiegogo stating "found out that Drop switched the bluetooth module in the cheapest tier units. So now they add noise" (EDIT: this is just speculation, and most certainly false)
I am an Indiegogo backer (August batch) and I would like to know whether these issues are "normal" and consistent for all pairs and batches
1) faint noise: while not like any of my other Bluetooth headphones (very faint and almost unhearable), I can still hear noise (before the AMP shuts down after ~10 secs), and it's more noticeable on the right earcup (would still classify as virtually silent)
2) weird static glitches: this only happened one time for now, but I could hear some intermittent static glitches (like small electric arcs) when no sound was playing before the AMP shut down
3) there's teeny tiny more bass on the left earcup, but if I cover the AUX port with my finger, there is WAY LESS bass, covering the USB-C port with my fingers reduces the bass on the right earcup (interesting)
4) Getting away a few meters and pressing my hand against the right earcup will drop the signal
BONUS) I read a comment on Indiegogo stating "found out that Drop switched the bluetooth module in the cheapest tier units. So now they add noise" (EDIT: this is just speculation, and most certainly false)
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Shroomalistic
100+ Head-Fier
now I want to cry, I got my replacement set today, Left side only works wired and right side only works with bluetooth
Received mine yesterday. All good so far no problems and they sound great. Really looking forward to the app!
jsmiller58
Headphoneus Supremus
Face it. You were evil in a prior life. How else to explain it?
Sorry, really, hope they fix it. When they do you’ll have a great set of headphones - and an even greater story to tell!
Mine arrived yesterday. Everything looking good and working well so far. The little zip case is great and I like the little details of building into the case a small cable "bin" to easily carry the cables around, and that they have velcro straps on them - small details that make life easier.
I mainly bought them for wired use rather than wireless, but tried pairing it with my M11Pro and LDAC does indeed sound pretty good - I hadn't actually heard LDAC bluetooth before, way better than SBC using my iPhone. Wired use sounds great and overall the signature seems the same between wired and wireless, as intended by Drop.
I was a bit nervous about how they'd sound as in all honesty I was never sold on the Oppo PM-3s after trialling them a few times instore, but despite the similar driver these seem tuned quite differently. So far the sound is pretty impressive, nice black, quiet background, good sense of space. They don't have as much kick and punch down low as my B&W P7s, but I guess that would be expected. They're quite detailed but simultaneously smooth, like it avoids anything too glaring or bright. I'll listen for a good week or so before thinking too much more about the sound yet. Has anyone noticed changes with burn-in? I haven't seen anything mentioned in this thread.
I mainly bought them for wired use rather than wireless, but tried pairing it with my M11Pro and LDAC does indeed sound pretty good - I hadn't actually heard LDAC bluetooth before, way better than SBC using my iPhone. Wired use sounds great and overall the signature seems the same between wired and wireless, as intended by Drop.
I was a bit nervous about how they'd sound as in all honesty I was never sold on the Oppo PM-3s after trialling them a few times instore, but despite the similar driver these seem tuned quite differently. So far the sound is pretty impressive, nice black, quiet background, good sense of space. They don't have as much kick and punch down low as my B&W P7s, but I guess that would be expected. They're quite detailed but simultaneously smooth, like it avoids anything too glaring or bright. I'll listen for a good week or so before thinking too much more about the sound yet. Has anyone noticed changes with burn-in? I haven't seen anything mentioned in this thread.
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