[m-i-c-k-e-y]

I don't hear quite a difference in SQ from low to high impedance mode, only Gain.

My recommendation is use UAPP or Neutron MP where these Apps communicate directly to your DAC. With this, you're sure that you are using your DAC to its fullest in spite of impedance difference from your ear/headphones.

 

[tienbasse]

I don't hear quite a difference in SQ from low to high impedance mode, only Gain.

This is what most people have been saying for the last 200 pages, high impedance mode = higher gain, and nothing else.

Plus, if you have to rely on an additional connector to achieve high impedance mode, you're introducing a component that can affect SQ in an unpredictable way.
It's funny how people are willing to buy a 100$ high quality cable, only to insert a cheap 10$ adapter between the cable and the DAP. Makes no sense to me.

 

[good sound]

This is what most people have been saying for the last 200 pages, high impedance mode = higher gain, and nothing else.

Plus, if you have to rely on an additional connector to achieve high impedance mode, you're introducing a component that can affect SQ in an unpredictable way.
It's funny how people are willing to buy a 100$ high quality cable, only to insert a cheap 10$ adapter between the cable and the DAP. Makes no sense to me.

Just to be clear, you remove the adapter to listen once high impedance mode has been triggered. This will still leave an extension cable, hopefully short and of high quality, in the chain but the effect on sound quality from this should be very minimal.

The difficulty in doing volume matched comparisons between normal and high impedance mode makes it close to impossible to determine whether it is only gain one will achieve by initiating high impedance mode. Initially I thought this was the case but further listening and non volume matched comparisons has left me unconvinced that extra gain is the only change. I am relatively certain there is some imorovement but of course this is purely subjective.

 

[tienbasse]

Just to be clear, you remove the adapter to listen once high impedance mode has been triggered. This will still leave an extension cable, hopefully short and of high quality, in the chain but the effect on sound quality from this should be very minimal.

The issue I see is I chose my cables very carefully (nothing to do with the price, but more the material/thickness and number of cores), so having an extension cord pretty much nullifies this initial effort unless you can have it made with the same design, and still you're adding plugs.
If people don't believe in cables, I understand that they won't care, but I do believe that "certain" cables can affect the sound (although most 4-core thin strand cable will sound identical).

I am relatively certain there is some improvement but of course this is purely subjective.

To me it may be an improvement or the opposite, depending on your IEM/headphones matching.
Since I usually hear a much more significant difference when changing cables, I don't see the need of playing tricks unless gain is really an issue.

What people should remember is that Quad-dac is not any less "active" because you're in "normal impedance mode", it just delivers less power.

 

[329161]

Humans usually equate louder music as better. But if it sounds better to you, then at the end of the day it is.

 

[nickpinla]

Could you tell me what's the name of those 63$ headphones?

Sharkk Claro. Turns out they were actually $45 delivered!

 

[329161]

I just discovered that the v20 can do aptx hd over Bluetooth. Curious since it's still on Android 7.0 and I didn't think aptx hd was a feature on 7.0.

 

[FSTOP]

I just discovered that the v20 can do aptx hd over Bluetooth. Curious since it's still on Android 7.0 and I didn't think aptx hd was a feature on 7.0.

Really has nothing to do with OS.
Aptx/HD are the higher-definition codecs used in the BT tx, but a specific (newer) BT chip is required, namely the CSR8675 (CSR is now owned by Qualcomm).
Of course, to HEAR the hd codec you also need a receiver capable of apt-x HD as well. Ive crowd-funded the Bluewave Get (headphone amp with apt-x hd rx) and am happy with the sound, certainly an improvement in bt sound. I have another rx hooked up to my studio hifi system which also sounds quite well.
The announcement that the v20 was aptx hd-capable was one of the selling points for me initially.
As more and more phones are now foregoing a 3.5mm jack (unfortunately) the better BT sound should become even more important.

 

[SteroidEars]

I received my 75ohm adapter yesterday and tried it with my v20. When plugged in, it sound softer than normal hifi mode. Confirmed that it is on high impedance mode. Is this supposed normal?

 

[artpiggo]

Just dont understand why ppl need to use high-ohm adapter trick to activate high impedance mode.

It is like buying a car that has feature to detect when road is rough to have a bigger thrust. But your road from your home isn't that rough so you make all the road to be rough so that it will activate high thrust feature.

You can just use a extension cable trick to get external mode. High impedance mode is not a one for all solution or need achieving at all time.

Otherwise, you need to stack
Extension cable + 75 ohm adapter + your earbud/iem/fz together to get a high impedance mode firstly.

Then pull out 75 ohm adapter out and bring your earbud/iem/fz to stick with extension cable back.

There shouldn't be 75 ohm resistivity adapter in your equation while enjoying music.

 

[tienbasse]

I received my 75ohm adapter yesterday and tried it with my v20. When plugged in, it sound softer than normal hifi mode. Confirmed that it is on high impedance mode. Is this supposed normal?

Please Google impedance first...
High impedance mode is only there to drive headphones louder when they have high impedance.
Introducing a 75ohm resistance in the chain and leaving it while playing is very effectively negating the juice increase you get from high impedance mode, hence negating the volume gain increase.

Honestly, for the 100th time: don't bother with high impedance mode if you're not having volume issues, it is not NEEDED.

People just enjoy wasting money and complicating things uselessly...

 

[vladstef]

There are real benefits for triggering high impedance mode in some cases with/without removing the added impedance. Here are 4 useful ones that come to mind:

1) most earbuds benefit from amplification by sounding fuller, this is true for every earbud that I've tried so far including 32/16 Ohm ones which won't trigger high impedance by themselves (remove impedance adapter after triggering high impedance mode and be careful not to blow your ears)
2) some bright IEMs benefit from additional impedance (some Etymotics have this in their cables) and this will naturally trigger high impedance
3) if you like to use EQ by reducing some bands yet want to preserve overall loudness - hardware amplification is the only way (effectively using V20's high impedance mode to boost only some frequencies with minimal software disruption)
4) there are some IEMs that reportedly sound better in high impedance mode - iSine 10 and 20 are good examples according to others

 

[artpiggo]

There are real benefits for triggering high impedance mode in some cases with/without removing the added impedance. Here are 4 useful ones that come to mind:

1) most earbuds benefit from amplification by sounding fuller, this is true for every earbud that I've tried so far including 32/16 Ohm ones which won't trigger high impedance by themselves (remove impedance adapter after triggering high impedance mode and be careful not to blow your ears)
2) some bright IEMs benefit from additional impedance (some Etymotics have this in their cables) and this will naturally trigger high impedance
3) if you like to use EQ by reducing some bands yet want to preserve overall loudness - hardware amplification is the only way (effectively using V20's high impedance mode to boost only some frequencies with minimal software disruption)
4) there are some IEMs that reportedly sound better in high impedance mode - iSine 10 and 20 are good examples according to others

Then I think activating external mode by using a little cable extender is a better choice. no need to go to high imp. mode though.

 

[andrewski]

Also, if you have a mic button, holding it down while plugging in will activate external mode. I've stopped doing that due to loss of detail. But some people like a little distortion

 

[329161]

Really has nothing to do with OS.
Aptx/HD are the higher-definition codecs used in the BT tx, but a specific (newer) BT chip is required, namely the CSR8675 (CSR is now owned by Qualcomm).
Of course, to HEAR the hd codec you also need a receiver capable of apt-x HD as well. Ive crowd-funded the Bluewave Get (headphone amp with apt-x hd rx) and am happy with the sound, certainly an improvement in bt sound. I have another rx hooked up to my studio hifi system which also sounds quite well.
The announcement that the v20 was aptx hd-capable was one of the selling points for me initially.
As more and more phones are now foregoing a 3.5mm jack (unfortunately) the better BT sound should become even more important.

As I understand it, aptx hd capability on Smartphones is os version dependant. It is only available for android from Oreo onwards (or so I thought). I have the Audio technica dsr9bt, which is how I discovered my v20 is now aptx hd capable.