[rkw]

There is currently no USB BT transmitter / dongle that can transmit LDAC.

I thought Shanling M0 / M2X / M5S, and Hidizs AP80 can transmit LDAC from USB input.

 

[Sam L]

Don't worry. I have my ST-10s Black/Silver and they outperform the original ST-10. They take the neutrality and soundstage of the M1 Pro and the authority of the green ST-10 and improve on them. Bass is superb and natural timbre very impressive.

Good to know. Can't wait to get them.

 

[RobinFood]

I thought Shanling M0 / M2X / M5S, and Hidizs AP80 can transmit LDAC from USB input.

M0 can act as a dac-Bluetooth transmitter but the lag on windows is completely unacceptable.

 

[ClieOS]

Building / selling a stand-alone BT LDAC Transmitter would probably require licensing from Sony (creators of LDAC).

It is not a problem to get license from Sony as it'll only benefit from more third party product support. It also won't add much cost to manufacturers as LDAC license fee is mainly on the decoder side (* = the side that plays the music) rather than the encoder side (* = the side that sends the signal). The problem is that LDAC is not a standard BT codec and therefore it isn't hard-coded into any BT chip. aptX isn't a standard BT codec as well, but it benefit vastly as CSR makes its own BT chips that hard-coded aptX in the first place, before it was bought by Qualcomm, which dominates the smartphone and mobile BT scene. Sony makes the smart move by donating the LDAC code to Android as the company wants every Android to support it (*don't forget Sony is also the main LDAC headphone maker as well), but didn't do so with Microsoft and Apple - I'll imagine this has more to do with big companies trying to fend off each other technology than anything else. Neither Microsoft nor Apple would want to see LDAC dominating BT market but rather prefer a common standard that either owned by themselves or under public domain / open standard.

Now the real issue is that Sony didn't develop any PC specific LDAC software kit for USB BT dongle maker to use, and most USB BT dongle maker probably don't have the required skill to develop such a kit by themselves either. Microsoft and Apple can probably do this easily, but they just don't have the incentive to help the competition.

I thought Shanling M0 / M2X / M5S, and Hidizs AP80 can transmit LDAC from USB input.

There are work-around solution involving LDAC supported DAP acting as transmitter, not just from Shanling or Hidizs but also a few others. The problem is they are not the most stable of solution and often has quirk of their own. They can be used as short term solution but too problematic as a long term solution.

 

[baskingshark]

Anybody tried this new earbud: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001000183742.html

Sunrise Dragon 2
$145 USD

 

[DBaldock9]

It is not a problem to get license from Sony as it'll only benefit from more third party product support. It also won't add much cost to manufacturers as LDAC license fee is mainly on the decoder side (* = the side that plays the music) rather than the encoder side (* = the side that sends the signal). The problem is that LDAC is not a standard BT codec and therefore it isn't hard-coded into any BT chip. aptX isn't a standard BT codec as well, but it benefit vastly as CSR makes its own BT chips that hard-coded aptX in the first place, before it was bought by Qualcomm, which dominates the smartphone and mobile BT scene. Sony makes the smart move by donating the LDAC code to Android as the company wants every Android to support it (*don't forget Sony is also the main LDAC headphone maker as well), but didn't do so with Microsoft and Apple - I'll imagine this has more to do with big companies trying to fend off each other technology than anything else. Neither Microsoft nor Apple would want to see LDAC dominating BT market but rather prefer a common standard that either owned by themselves or under public domain / open standard.

Now the real issue is that Sony didn't develop any PC specific LDAC software kit for USB BT dongle maker to use, and most USB BT dongle maker probably don't have the required skill to develop such a kit by themselves either. Microsoft and Apple can probably do this easily, but they just don't have the incentive to help the competition.




There are work-around solution involving LDAC supported DAP acting as transmitter, not just from Shanling or Hidizs but also a few others. The problem is they are not the most stable of solution and often has quirk of their own. They can be used as short term solution but too problematic as a long term solution.

My main objective is to find, or build, a device that has SPDIF Optical input, and can transmit BT LDAC.

 

[groucho69]

My main objective is to find, or build, a device that has SPDIF Optical input, and can transmit BT LDAC.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32996995824.html?

 

[DBaldock9]

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32996995824.html?

Thanks, but I don't see anything that specifically says it has SPDIF Optical input.

 

[groucho69]

Thanks, but I don't see anything that specifically says it has SPDIF Optical input.

Closest I've seen. Can you use a SPDIF Digital Coaxial Cable?

 

[DBaldock9]

Page 3200

 

[DBaldock9]

Closest I've seen. Can you use a SPDIF Digital Coaxial Cable?

There are SPDIF Coax to Optical converters.
.
But, I think I'm going to try getting a Raspberry Pi, a HiFiBerry Digi+ I/O, and a Kinivo BTD-400 - and see about rolling my own SPDIF Optical -> BT LDAC Transmitter.
.
Some of my earbuds have Microphone / Volume Controls, and I wish the portable BT DAC/Amps would pass through the Mic & Controls, when operating in LDAC mode (or any BT mode).

 

[jogawag]

Anybody tried this new earbud: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001000183742.html

Sunrise Dragon 2
$145 USD

The original SWD2 isn't a new earbuds, it's been sold for years. It was sold by Penon Audio for about $ 70 last year.
Why is Sunrise now releasing a Limited Edition? I wonder if SWD3 isn't selling well.

 

[DBaldock9]

...
Some of my earbuds have Microphone / Volume Controls, and I wish the portable BT DAC/Amps would pass through the Mic & Controls, when operating in LDAC mode (or any BT mode).

It turns out that my new FiiO BTR5 BT DAC/Amp does allow the Mic & Music Controls to be passed through to my phone.
.
It also has a very good microphone of its own.

 

[ClieOS]

The original SWD2 isn't a new earbuds, it's been sold for years. It was sold by Penon Audio for about $ 70 last year.
Why is Sunrise now releasing a Limited Edition? I wonder if SWD3 isn't selling well.

SWD2 Limited Edition is to celebrate the 10 years anniversary of its release. Simphonio is doing just fine. Their main product is the VR1 anyway, not the SWD3..

 

[1clearhead]

Okay, after several days with the Snow-Lotus 1.0 by FAAEAL, the stage presense are by far the best I've personally ever heard coming from earbuds, IMHO!

I have the Snow-Lotus 1.0 demonstrating a better and overall wider soundstage than the ones below...

TY HI-Z (by Tamrac)
VE MONK
GranVela/Mrice/Baldoor E100
Edifier H185