Hi all,
I'm very, very satisfied with my iDSD nano and use it mostly on the go as a DAC - headphone amp with a Sony Xperia Z (Android 4.4.). This works and sounds perfectly with the UAPP App.
Now I have two minor issues I could not solve yet:
1. I would it find convenient to have one single short cable from the Phone to the DAC instead of a cable + adapter, but I could not find such a cable.
2. The digital out works only with the UAPP App, sadly not with Spotify or any other audio player. Is this a problem with the Xperia Z hardware or more likely with the Android version?
Thanks
Hi,
To answer your technical questions:
> 1. I would it find convenient to have one single short cable from the
> Phone to the DAC instead of a cable + adapter, but I could not find
> such a cable.
Your solution is probably a custom made/termniated OTG cable. We recommend Forza Audio Works - see if they can do this for you.
They know their stuff and their workmanship is second-to-none. We show with their noir hybrid with our LCD-Xs and ATs and LCD-2s.
> 2. The digital out works only with the UAPP App, sadly not with Spotify
> or any other audio player. Is this a problem with the Xperia Z hardware
> or more likely with the Android version?
It is an Android Limitation.
Sony has released Android 4.4.4 for the Xperia Z2 & Z3 but AFAIK, not yet for the Xperia Z range.
This revision has much better USB Audio and Hi-Rez support. We have a Z2 Tablet and a Z Ultra Phone. And it is the business.
On the Z2/3 with 4.4.4 you can now use a USB DAC directly, it will play back the system sounds and audio from Spotify, Tidal, Games and no doubt any other Android App. The built-in "Walkman" branded Music Player supports High-Rez up to 192kHz and DSD playback via USB DAC or Headphones,
though DSD is transcoded to 176.4kHz PCM. It also plays from Network Sources (Media Server DLNA etc. e.g. the Media Library from a suitalby consigured windows PC).
As long as you stop any Music Playback App (meaning kill it) you can use USB Audio Player Pro for native DSD playback and High Rez beyond DSD64/192kHz.
There is no intention announced by Sony to bring this to the original Z lineup, though Sony has committed to bringing Adroid Lollipop (5.0) to Xperia Z devices in 2015 starting in Q1 with the Z3 range.
Lollipop will support USB Audio in the same way 4.4.4 does, indeed, Sony may have backported this feature from Lollipop to Kitkat (4.4) making their 4.4.4 Version.
Anyone who wants 4.4.4 (and full USB Audio support) on an Xperia Z1 or Xperia Z - do write to Sony care of Kunimasa Suzuki (CEO of Sony mobile).
We hope this has shed more light on this matter and pointed you in the right direction.