LG V20 Sound Quality

[rawrster]

  Tmobile is full of crap!!!!
 
Read the fine print.  In order to recieve the "goodies" you have to sign a two year contract!!!  With their unlimited throttled data service.

 
What did you expect? They certainly are not going to give stuff away for free.

 

[ljnew]

   
What did you expect? They certainly are not going to give stuff away for free.

I never said or made any hint that I expected anything for free.  
 
I planned on purchasing the phone for around $800 and getting something extra as an incentive to spend my money with Tmobile vs. one of the thousands of competitors.  That's a very reasonable expectation!
 
What's crap is the fact that you have to sign a two year contract for a service that's marketed as unlimited, but it's not unlimited in addition to purchasing a phone to receive a tablet and a pair of headphones that's not free.
 
In order to get tmobile "unlimited" service, you have to pay an additional $25 monthly(95 vs 70) for two years.  So, that's an extra $600 bucks for a "free" tablet and headphones.  
 
Tmobile and other companies get away with this all the time because they know most people won't take the time to do the math.  They just see "free" or "unlimited" and fall for the hype!
 
The unlimited portion is simply false advertising because all of their services are throttled at some point and the extra $600 bucks you have to pay makes the "free" headphones and tablet not so "free"!
 
see https://www.cnet.com/how-to/t-mobile-unlimited-plan-explained/

 

[13713]

Anyone have links to in depth reviews of the DAC? I found impression threads about the V20 but not anything serious on the south do front.

 

[ch0nk]

If you can explain adoptive storage, I will try check it out on my V20.

 

[club968]

If you can explain adoptive storage, I will try check it out on my V20.

Basically means that the expansion microsd card is treated as an extension to the internal storage. It's all one thing instead of being separated into external and internal. Effectively meaning you have up to 284gigs of acting internal storage.

You would go into settings and select storage. Once selected you would have the option of formatting the microsd card as external or internal storage. If the option is not there, than likely it's not possible.

 

[Mariano3113]

Basically means that the expansion microsd card is treated as an extension to the internal storage. It's all one thing instead of being separated into external and internal. Effectively meaning you have up to 284gigs of acting internal storage.

You would go into settings and select storage. Once selected you would have the option of formatting the microsd card as external or internal storage. If the option is not there, than likely it's not possible.

Probably should have gave the warning that activating Adoptable storage especially if stock Encryption is enabled is akin to having the sd-card formatted for the phone only*


To anyone with LG V20:
Is there the same LG (Nexus 5, G2, G3, G4, G5...) channel imbalance at higher listening levels?

GSMARENA's stereo crosstalk readings have me worried given all the work LG put in for the Quad-Dac.

 

[jagwap]

Probably should have gave the warning that activating Adoptable storage especially if stock Encryption is enabled is akin to having the sd-card formatted for the phone only*


To anyone with LG V20:
Is there the same LG (Nexus 5, G2, G3, G4, G5...) channel imbalance at higher listening levels?

GSMARENA's stereo crosstalk readings have me worried given all the work LG put in for the Quad-Dac.

GSMarena measure more than most, but what they print doesn't give much insight into audio quality. They don't even quote output level (phonearena does)

Crosstalk figures don't indicate a sound quality issue, although you are right it could suggest a lack of care with layout. Bad crosstalk is often inaudible, depending on type, which a number doesn't indicate.

 

[ronnel0918]

Wow, hopefully this phone gets released internationally!
 

LG just launched a 5.2-inch water-resistant V20 in Japan called the V34
 
Despite the half-inch smaller display, the V34 isai Beat keeps all of the V20’s impressive internals intact, including the 3,000 mAh battery. Like the V20, the V34 is powered by the Snapdragon 820, runs Android 7.0 Nougat, packs 4 GB of RAM and comes with 32 GB of storage with microSD expansion supporting up to 256 GB cards.
 
The V34 also keeps the V20’s secondary screen and QHD IPS LCD display, has the same dual-16 MP cameras on the back with a 5MP selfie camera up front, has B&O branding (meaning Bang & Olufsen are responsible for the tuning of the V34’s Quad DAC), and supports LTE, VoLTE and WiMAX 2+. At 146 grams, it’s 15% lighter than its larger sibling.
 
The LG V34 will be available in mid-November via the AU Japan website in gold or titanium. No Japanese pricing has yet been announced.

 

[malifact]

  Wow, hopefully this phone gets released internationally!
 

 
Unlikely if it being released through au. Also, apparently this version does not have a removable battery.

 

[Mariano3113]

GSMarena measure more than most, but what they print doesn't give much insight into audio quality. They don't even quote output level (phonearena does)

Crosstalk figures don't indicate a sound quality issue, although you are right it could suggest a lack of care with layout. Bad crosstalk is often inaudible, depending on type, which a number doesn't indicate.

Very true about GSMarena not listing output level. Which is why I use use measurements usually from both GSMarena and PhoneArena.

We also are left to guesstimate the output impedance of smartphones: Here's to hoping the major manufacturers deciding to publish headphone out specs even if it is through USB-C/Lighting adapter.

The Hiss from Nexus 6 and HTC M7 & M8 made those devices practically unlistenable especially with Campfire Jupiter and Shure SE535.

On Note 7 I was mostly impressed with the clarity of using a Car AuX while charging and not having the usual interference and noise. (The LG devices I listed above showed the Channel imbalance where tuning car's left and right was needed to help correct AuX)

As it is now : I'll have a Pixel(hoping this week) and LG V20 next week to listen and compare. I am hoping LG V20 is not all hype, but I think it is basically going to stand alone as Sprint Compatible Phablet. (Not having high hopes for HTC Bolt...ATM)

My best case scenario for the Pixel is Note 7 (Aqstic) like noise floor, response, and clarity with lowering listening levels given the output voltage.

(Otherwise I will be waiting for a USB-C Chord Variant for future mobile listening)

 

[jagwap]

Very true about GSMarena not listing output level. Which is why I use use measurements usually from both GSMarena and PhoneArena.

We also are left to guesstimate the output impedance of smartphones: Here's to hoping the major manufacturers deciding to publish headphone out specs even if it is through USB-C/Lighting adapter.

The Hiss from Nexus 6 and HTC M7 & M8 made those devices practically unlistenable especially with Campfire Jupiter and Shure SE535.

On Note 7 I was mostly impressed with the clarity of using a Car AuX while charging and not having the usual interference and noise. (The LG devices I listed above showed the Channel imbalance where tuning car's left and right was needed to help correct AuX)

As it is now : I'll have a Pixel(hoping this week) and LG V20 next week to listen and compare. I am hoping LG V20 is not all hype, but I think it is basically going to stand alone as Sprint Compatible Phablet. (Not having high hopes for HTC Bolt...ATM)

My best case scenario for the Pixel is Note 7 (Aqstic) like noise floor, response, and clarity with lowering listening levels given the output voltage.

(Otherwise I will be waiting for a USB-C Chord Variant for future mobile listening)

Phonearena have the LG V20 output level up on their benchmarks.  It's been there for a while, and changed from 0.7 to 1Vrms.  I guess the impedance adjustment from the V10 is on the V20, and is altering the maximum output.  That is one of the more interesting aspect: the fact that >50ohm headphones may get a lot higher output levels from the ESS amp.  Maybe as high as 2Vrms.  This opens up all sorts of possibilities.  1V is usually enough, but 2V can drive stuff like the new AKG K872 and big Bayers.  I've moved over to the Sines recently, and 1V is not enough on some quieter tracks.  I read there is a workaround for fooling the V10 that the headphones are high impedance even when they are not.
 
You shouldn't have a problem with the sensitive IEMs if the gain adjusts as well as the maximum output level when low impedances are around.  130dB should help, although I suspect that may be the DAC dynamic range, not the system.

 

[SeeSax]

My Pixel comes tomorrow but I'm already looking to the V20 due to the low output of the Pixel. I think I'll take T-Mobile up on the offers. Loved my V10 and my G5/module!

-Collin-

 

[sabloke]

 

[ljnew]

I'm over 200 and i sit on my v10 all the time.

 

[club968]

Ordered my v20 today via B&H. They say it will ship on the 26th which is 7 days from now. They also bundled a cheap Android tablet for free. I'll take free. I also hope that this thing can produce better audio experience than my HTC 10 or LG G5/hi-fi DAC. It seems like it's a pretty killer phone in the camera/phone department so I could keep it for those reasons (at least that's how I'll justify it to myself