[alfish]

After waiting patiently for Jelly Bean to be released for my AT&T HTC One X, it was with great anticipation that I downloaded the update yesterday.  Supposedly Jelly Bean would enable USB sound, allowing me to connect to my Ray Samuels Predator DAC via USB rather than line out.  However, I still can't seem to get the phone to see the DAC when connected via USB.  Has anyone had any success with a USB DAC and a One X?  
I am attempting to connect with an Audioquest USB to USB Mini, and a USB to USB Micro adapter.  When I connect the cable, the phone notifies me that it is unable to charge the phone via this connection, but does not seem to recognize that a device is connected.  I've looked through the Settings on the phone, and can't seem to find anything relevant to USB audio...
 
Any assistance will be greatly appreciated!  
 
Thanks in advance,
-alfish

 

[MaxD]

Hey alfish
 
I just had a go with my HTC One X and a Fiio E17.  I just pluged it in with a USB Host cable and it worked.  Well I am getting the sound out of the E17 but it is not that good sounding.   Looks like the DAC is connecting at low quality.   
 
I am using poweramp with 96/24 flack files but the E17 is showing only 32/16 ?
 
What USB/OTG cable are you using ?    Looks a bit like we need to be able to set the output quality on the X one.     Happy to suppluy more detail if it helps ?
 
MaxD

 

[alfish]

Hey MaxD.
 
Thanks for the reply.  I am using a USB A to mini cable with a USB A to micro adapter.  Maybe I need a different cable?  Is USB OTG different from USB 2.0?
 
FWIW, I'm also using PowerAmp.
 
-alfish

 

[DanBa]

Yes, it's different.
 
The HTC One X is a USB OTG device, sometimes behaving as a USB peripheral, sometimes behaving as a USB host.
Only a HTC One X acting as a USB host can work with a USB peripheral like a USB DAC.
 
A Micro-A plugged HTC One X behaves as a USB host.
A Micro-B plugged HTC One X behaves as a USB peripheral.
 
Micro-A plug, Micro-B plug:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/1155#post_8979038

 

[alfish]

DanBa,
     Thanks for the info.  Looks like i need a USB host mode adapter.  
      I'll let y'all know if I get this thing running...

 
-alfish

 

[MaxD]

Yup USB/OTG (On The Go) has an extra wire connected.   I got one from Amazon.   The one X has the micro USB on the side so one with a 90` angle would be good.

 

[alfish]

Thanks,MaxD.  I ordered a new adapter from Amazon today.  I'll let you know the results.
 
What is a little confusing is that apparently some adapters (such as the one that I have) are billed as USB OTG, but are USB Micro B, whereas in other cases USB OTG is used to refer specifically to USB Micro A.
 
Anyway, I'll let you know what kind of luck I have when the cable is delivered this weekend.  Then maybe between us we can solve the output quality issue...
 
-alfish

 

[alfish]

OK, so I got the USB Host adapter... it's this one, nominally a USB OTG Host cable:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005OOJPKS/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
To this adapter I connect an Audioquest Evergreen USB to USB Mini cable (which works to connect the Predator to my PC...)
 
However, when I hook it up to my Predator, it doesn't connect; I just get a message from the phone that it cannot charge through this cable...
What am I doing wrong here?  Do I still have the wrong cable?  Is there a setting somewhere I need to change (I've looked)?
 
Any help is appreciated.
 
-alfish

 

[MaxD]

[size=11.0pt] This is the one I got from amazon in the UK.[/size]
[size=11.0pt] http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005OOJPKS/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.[/size]
[size=11.0pt]  [/size]
[size=11.0pt] My X1 is running Android 4.1.1[/size]
[size=11.0pt] Software Number 3.14.401.31[/size]
[size=11.0pt] My Fiio E17 is running stock firmware (FWooLC11EN)[/size]
[size=11.0pt]  [/size]
[size=11.0pt] I turn off the option on the E17 to charge from the usb.  That would draw power and flatten the phone.  Although it works with charging turned on too.[/size]
[size=11.0pt] Then I turn on the Phone and the F17.  Connect them via the OTG cable and a standard USB in series.[/size]
[size=11.0pt] Switch the E17 to USB input and take the phone out of standby then the e17 it gets a lock (sync over usb).  It looks like it locs at 48k/16bit.[/size]
[size=11.0pt] Then open poweramp Pro and hit play.[/size]
[size=11.0pt] That is everything I did to get it working.  I just went through and tried it again and it still works.[/size]
[size=11.0pt] As a further check I plugged another mp3 player into the phone and the file system came up on the phone a under /mnt/usb.  So it works as a host for storage too.[/size]
[size=11.0pt] Let me know if there is anything I can try out for you.[/size]
[size=11.0pt] Max[/size]

 

[MaxD]

[size=11.0pt] Just a thought,  I have a nexus 7 and I just tested it with that and it seems ok too,  same lock though.   48/16.   Do you have some other android device you could test your OTG cable on.   The difference in an OTG cable is small.  Here is the pin out:[/size]
[size=11.0pt]  [/size]

Max

 

[HardDrive]

Also try using an interconnect if your still having problems. Try connecting a usb hub to the otg cable and then the DAC. That way your phone isn't confused about the script thinking the device is actually a charger. This should cause the phone to go into host mode once it detects the hub. Basically it sounds like the phone thinks the DAC is a charger and is checking its voltage output and letting you know, that your DAC sucks at being a charger, which is fine because it isn't a charger...its a DAC. Worth a shot.

 

[alfish]

OK, no joy with the new OTG cable, so I tried a few things.  (Thanks to HardDrive for the suggestions...)
 
1.  The OTG cable will work with other devices, at least for storage-type - it connects a USB flash drive just fine.  From this I conclude the OTG cable is OK, and the phone is connecting as a host.
2.  The Predator connects just fine to my PC with the standard USB cable I'm using.  Ergo, the USB cable is OK. 
3.  I tried, par HardDrive, going from a USB hub to the DAC.  Still no connection.
4.  Similar results with my Audioquest Dragonfly.
 
Another note is that the HTC gives me the "Cannot Charge" message whenever I connect the OTG cable, even when not connected to anything else.  MaxD, do you get this message?
 
I'm starting to wonder if it's just some strange compatibility issue between the Predator and the One X specifically.  I should probably try to track down a Fiio E7 and see if I can get that to work...
 
 
Thanks to everyone for the input, and I'm still open to suggestions.
-alfish

 

[alfish]

Hold the presses - Success! (of a sort...)
I decided to give it a whirl with USB Audio Recorder Pro...and it works!
Still can't get things going from PowerAmp... and I need to do a little more digging to find out what bitrate I'm getting.  Anyway this is a step in the right direction, I think.
 
-alfish

 

[MaxD]

Sounds like you are almost there'. No I have never seen that message. I dident do anything extra to make poweramp work though.

Max

 

[Nextbeat]

Hold the presses - Success! (of a sort...)
I decided to give it a whirl with USB Audio Recorder Pro...and it works!
Still can't get things going from PowerAmp... and I need to do a little more digging to find out what bitrate I'm getting.  Anyway this is a step in the right direction, I think.

-alfish

The problem is that you can only get audio in that setup through USB Audio Recorder Pro. Otherwise, the main soundboard will be used. That is why audio is not going through PowerAmp. I finally got my HTC Evo 4G LTE>USB OTG>FIIO E7>Headphones to work by restarting the phone. Turned everything on and opened the app. It immediately recognized my setup. Tested playing music through the app, which turned out fine (except it could only play one track and refused to play everything else). Then I tried to play music through HTC Music. Music came out through the smartphone's speakers instead. Overall, the best solution is to fix the USB implementation through the user space or kernel.