[ljnew]

 
​The LG V10 is extremely loud when in "high Fidelity" mode. With a pair of Focal Elear (read reviews) it is impossible to play at max, it is too loud. However, the audio quality is true hifi. I have seen some reviewers concluding that LG V10 was the peak, and that V20 is a tiny step down from true high fidelity, due to a tint of "fun" added. I have not heard the V20.
 
And I don't care at the moment: I almost cannot get anything done due to this combo; LG V10 and Focal Elear. What a hifi team. Almost all reference recordings reveal a new layer of musicality and "precision level".
 
With Android 6, there are no snags whatsoever with the LG V10. Silk. Everything just works. And the battery is long lasting. One can suspect the original V10 had problems with Android 5.1 but that these were solved with Android 6.

v20 definitely step up imho.  More analytical less noise, louder.

 

[ljnew]

   
 I also saw this - "The Quad DAC (digital to analog converter) is made by ESS, the company who created the DAC in both the V10 and V20. Customers are expected to experience “exceptional sound balance” that “provides a sense of depth.” The DAC will also help get rid of (or reduce) noise and allow for finer controls over left and right earphone audio. With this new DAC, LG also states that the “path for transmitting sound signals inside the chip has also been widened” and that high-volume 32-bit HiFi sources won’t see interruption."
 
It's all rather vague for now. My point is the V10 is a generation or two behind. It's not something I'd buy if I was in the market for a phone right now. The hype train has passed a long time ago, but it still produces great sound. As good as my ears need in a phone. The only thing I'd need perhaps is more juice for high Ohm/difficult to drive listening gear.

v20 definitely better than v10 imho.  they say g6 is better..

 

[widezu69]

Good to see another V10 user here and using the Elear no less!

I cannot comment on any comparison to the V20 but theoretically the V10 should have better dynamic range due it having a separate amp chip.

The V20 sounding "fun" and less reference may be due to the B&O tuning some variants get which may have resulted in a V shaped response but once again I cannot comment due to having no personal experience with it.

 

[ljnew]

Good to see another V10 user here and using the Elear no less!

I cannot comment on any comparison to the V20 but theoretically the V10 should have better dynamic range due it having a separate amp chip.

The V20 sounding "fun" and less reference may be due to the B&O tuning some variants get which may have resulted in a V shaped response but once again I cannot comment due to having no personal experience with it.

i keep forgetting about the bo tuning.  good point, i have the tmobile without b&o.  Thats why im thinking its crazy people say v20 is fun, the tmobile variant mare analytical to me but the tmobile v10 more fun imho.
 
tmobile v20 with audio-technica ath-e70 match made in heaven!!!!!

 

[R0blo]

I have the V10 (aux mode)paired with my TH900 and it's incredible. It sounds better than my burson conductorSL, not louder but better.

 

[chjan]

  v20 definitely step up imho.  More analytical less noise, louder.

​Those familiar with the v20 knows more than me, but are you sure  you heard or are hearing the V10 NOT switched to (1)  the DAC that is built into the processor system, but switched to (2) the ESS SABRE 9018 HiFi DAC, fueling the 9602 headamp?
 
(1) is said to be comparable to iPhone latest model (or so), and cannot drive heavy impedance headphones, while
(2) can take on any load of high impedance headphones. (2) is really VERY loud when connected to low impedance headphones.
 
Also, the noise floor is down +120 dB (or so) on the v10 using (2), so it is not easy to hear any noise in that context.

 

[ljnew]

 
​Those familiar with the v20 knows more than me, but are you sure  you heard or are hearing the V10 NOT switched to (1)  the DAC that is built into the processor system, but switched to (2) the ESS SABRE 9018 HiFi DAC, fueling the 9602 headamp?
 
(1) is said to be comparable to iPhone latest model (or so), and cannot drive heavy impedance headphones, while
(2) can take on any load of high impedance headphones. (2) is really VERY loud when connected to low impedance headphones.
 
Also, the noise floor is down +120 dB (or so) on the v10 using (2), so it is not easy to hear any noise in that context.

Yes, the v10 sounds great!  it was my favorite before the v20.  V20 more analytical and way less noise (tmobile version).
 
 If you have a pair of really analytical iem or headphones you will notice a very clear difference.  The v20 less forgiving, so se846 will have more mid bass on v20 vs v10.  My audio-technica ath-e70 is very analytical and flat.  I use flac files and the v20.  Really good combo, no eq needed at all unless u desire to color.
 
2 isnt loud to me.  V20 unquestionably will drive anything no problem.  Louder than any iphone.
 
keep in mind im talking about the tmobile version not the other version which is said to be colored.
 
Both clearly better than iphone imho.    

 

[vapman]

I honestly actually prefer my V10 sound to my gf's V20. I agree it is more analytical and less noise, but I much prefer the more energetic sound of the V10 over the V20's flatter but more detailed sound. I still find the V10 to be exceptionally detailed, it was enough to make me completely uninterested in any of my DAPs below $250-300 (well except the Walnut but that is a huge exception in many ways.)
 
Then again I will always take more background noise if it means a more lively and dynamic sound, I am not really an analytical-/detail-/treble-head.

 

[ljnew]

  I honestly actually prefer my V10 sound to my gf's V20. I agree it is more analytical and less noise, but I much prefer the more energetic sound of the V10 over the V20's flatter but more detailed sound. I still find the V10 to be exceptionally detailed, it was enough to make me completely uninterested in any of my DAPs below $250-300 (well except the Walnut but that is a huge exception in many ways.)
 
Then again I will always take more background noise if it means a more lively and dynamic sound, I am not really an analytical-/detail-/treble-head.

I respect that.  Any dac better than v10 or v20?  Walnut or something else?  There was a tester on the forum who said the v20 better than ak240.  I wouldn't be surprised, but i never heard ak240.
 
By the way what type of headphones?  I'm guessing not flat or analytical?  Just wondering

 

[vapman]

  I respect that.  Any dac better than v10 or v20?  Walnut or something else?  There was a tester on the forum who said the v20 better than ak240.  I wouldn't be surprised, but i never heard ak240.
 
By the way what type of headphones?  I'm guessing not flat or analytical?  Just wondering

Walnut very specialized not for hi res users.
AK240 uses 2x CS4398... found in many sub $100 players.
by contrast the ESS in V10/V20 not really found in sub $300-400 players.
The only dac i can recommend over the ESS in v10/v20 is AKM dac like AK4490, ak4396, etc. lot of DAPs coming out with these chipsets now
 
If you're asking what kind of headphones i use, no, not flat or analytical at all

  JVC SZ  & Rose Cappuccino mk2 user here.

 

[ljnew]

  Walnut very specialized not for hi res users.
AK240 uses 2x CS4398... found in many sub $100 players.
by contrast the ESS in V10/V20 not really found in sub $300-400 players.
The only dac i can recommend over the ESS in v10/v20 is AKM dac like AK4490, ak4396, etc. lot of DAPs coming out with these chipsets now
 
If you're asking what kind of headphones i use, no, not flat or analytical at all

  JVC SZ  & Rose Cappuccino mk2 user here.

Cool; thanks for being straight forward about not flat or analytical.  That makes a big difference.
 
hmmm is the AK4490 in the Axon 7?  The axon 7 lacks the treble extension doesn't compete with v10 or v20 imho.  
 
I really suggest you try the ath-e70 with the v10 and v20.  Up there with iems 1400+ but only $399!

 

[vapman]

  Cool; thanks for being straight forward about not flat or analytical.  That makes a big difference.
 
hmmm is the AK4490 in the Axon 7?  The axon 7 lacks the treble extension doesn't compete with v10 or v20 imho.  
 
I really suggest you try the ath-e70 with the v10 and v20.  Up there with iems 1400+ but only $399!

Give some USB DAC with AKM dac a shot. I have several USB DAC with AK4490. No shortage of treble extension at all, quite bright actually.
 
The AKM is incredibly sensitive to implementation. Several DAPs with AKM DAC (shanling, xduoo x10, cayin, some others) all sound very different including amount of treble extension.

 

[widezu69]

A dac which will sound similar to the V10 is the Oppo HA-2 as it has the dual chip version of the same ESS Sabre core in the V10.

A DAP to consider with similar internals would be the Onkyo DP-X1 which is similar to the HA-2 but has MQA decoding as standard. It's like the V10 minus the phone functionality plus audio specs on steroids.

 

[shootertwist]

does the v10 or v20 suffer from tidal offline playback hiccups sometimes? like there's a sudden skip sometimes when listening offline... thanks in advance

 

[stenog]

does the v10 or v20 suffer from tidal offline playback hiccups sometimes? like there's a sudden skip sometimes when listening offline... thanks in advance

No, never experienced anything like this with the V10. I had this with the Pioneer xdp-100, one of the reasons I let it go.

To my ears the V10 is on the same level as the older versions of the pioneer/onkyo daps. Don't know about the new versions. But don't say this in the onkyo thread .