[ForgotMyName]

My current headphones are a four year old pair of FLC8s in-ears. I just got a OnePlus 8 pro if that matters. I keep reading that LG's flagship phones are supposed to be amazing and unbeatable, but I thought the sound was just OK. Then, again that's because I got used to listening to music from my custom built gaming PC. Roughly how much would I be looking at to match or beat the sound quality?

 

[SilverEars]

I recently got a V50. It does everything I need it to do as a primary usage phone, and meets my need for audio. It's very stable for high bitrate BT connection, has a headphone jack, and has the quad DAC thing with high impedance mode with 192khz usb output for external DAC usage. It has OLED display, and since it's a previous model, it doesn't break the bank, or excessively priced like DAPs out there.

Main reason I use my phone for audio these days is because an excellent Android app called USB Audio Player Pro. A phone and that is all I need.

 

[Chris Kaoss]

It depends on the hardware you have.

LG's are among the best music devices on the smartphone market and compete with mid tier daps, yes.
But that only applies to the dac and its abilities, as a all-in-one solution, and excludes the amplification capabilities of mid tier daps and higher.

Maybe you're used to the lower accurate sound reproduction of your pc when it comes to fidelity.
Of course, that isn't a bad thing, but do exist.

Without knowing your hardware, it's hard to figure that out.

Even a simple device as the FiiO BTR5 could be an improvement.
Advantage of this little device is you'd be able to use it via usb on your pc and coupled via bluetooth with your smartphone.
This is a cheap step up, i think.
Imo, it's better to buy this one before heading to the LG phone in regard of usability when you stick with your current earphones/ headphones.

Sure, you can get better sound quality/ amplification all the way, but this will charge at least round about 4 times the price of the Btr5, imo.

In the end, it's up to your how much steps you climb the ladder.

 

[UltraFine]

For some reason USB Audio Player Pro (test version) crashes on my V50. Am I doing something wrong?

I recently got a V50. It does everything I need it to do as a primary usage phone, and meets my need for audio. It's very stable for high bitrate BT connection, has a headphone jack, and has the quad DAC thing with high impedance mode with 192khz usb output for external DAC usage. It has OLED display, and since it's a previous model, it doesn't break the bank, or excessively priced like DAPs out there.

Main reason I use my phone for audio these days is because an excellent Android app called USB Audio Player Pro. A phone and that is all I need.

 

[SilverEars]

For some reason USB Audio Player Pro (test version) crashes on my V50. Am I doing something wrong?

What makes it crash? It hasn't crashed for me yet.

I had Galaxy S8+ before it, and I like the display and the lightness of the Galaxy, and of course Samsung Pay, and the LED indicator which alerts me when the phone is charging/charged and new messages. Which I don't get why LG doesn't have LED indicator which is quite useful for practical usage.

S8+ with big display was slimmer and light, and I liked the way edge display looked. V50 is quite heavier for some reason. It feels like a brick in comparison. OLED display quality is better with S8+ I notice it out in the sun as well as it's better lit.

If it wasn't for the older Android OS and less USB audio bandwidth, and lower quality BT connection, and less powerful DAC, I would just replace the battery on the S8+ and keep using as I do like the phone in terms of user friendliness. I like the keyboard, Samsung pay, and led indicator.

 

[UltraFine]

I cannot even start it. When I tap on it, it tries to start, but immediately crashes. Do I have to have a USB-DAC attached to the smartphone for this App to work properly?

What makes it crash? It hasn't crashed for me yet.

I had Galaxy S8+ before it, and I like the display and the lightness of the Galaxy, and of course Samsung Pay, and the LED indicator which alerts me when the phone is charging/charged and new messages. Which I don't get why LG doesn't have LED indicator which is quite useful for practical usage.

S8+ with big display was slimmer and light, and I liked the way edge display looked. V50 is quite heavier for some reason. It feels like a brick in comparison. OLED display quality is better with S8+ I notice it out in the sun as well as it's better lit.

 

[SilverEars]

I cannot even start it. When I tap on it, it tries to start, but immediately crashes. Do I have to have a USB-DAC attached to the smartphone for this App to work properly?

No, for me it opens fine. Perhaps you need to factory reset the device and see if it works.

 

[ForgotMyName]

It depends on the hardware you have.

LG's are among the best music devices on the smartphone market and compete with mid tier daps, yes.
But that only applies to the dac and its abilities, as a all-in-one solution, and excludes the amplification capabilities of mid tier daps and higher.

Maybe you're used to the lower accurate sound reproduction of your pc when it comes to fidelity.
Of course, that isn't a bad thing, but do exist.

Without knowing your hardware, it's hard to figure that out.

Even a simple device as the FiiO BTR5 could be an improvement.
Advantage of this little device is you'd be able to use it via usb on your pc and coupled via bluetooth with your smartphone.
This is a cheap step up, i think.
Imo, it's better to buy this one before heading to the LG phone in regard of usability when you stick with your current earphones/ headphones.

Sure, you can get better sound quality/ amplification all the way, but this will charge at least round about 4 times the price of the Btr5, imo.

In the end, it's up to your how much steps you climb the ladder.

This is just absolutely wrong. My computer sounded the same as the v20, just less congested and clearer. I just got a $25 Meizu for my OnePlus 8 pro, and WOW..... the instrumentals are so clear, so detailed, well separated, and makes the v20 sound like muffled junk. I'm using the same FLC8s phones. I'm blown away.

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Glad you've found a suitable solution which makes you a happy listener.