[jt25741]

Just buy the V20 and ignore a lot of posts in this thread and you'll be happy. I have an unrooted V20 with the stock LG player and a bunch of high impedance headphones and believe me, this thing kicks butt. My Fiio X5 with high impedance headphones feel like I need to amp them but not with the V20. The V20 is an audiophile's dream even in stock condition. I have thrown anything from 50 Ohms to 150 Ohms and the sound is deafeningly loud and crisp without any distortion.
At the used prices on Amazon this is a no brainer!

I agree X 3 (v20s) for me. Ebay has had the best pricing I have found, and I have not had any rude surprises, but i only buy from high-volume reputable sellers.

 

[beto_nl]

you wrong... you can relock the bootloader to return to your original state. not sure how you can blame Google. they provide the manufacturers the base and its the manufacturers that change it how they like

In many cases phones can have their bootloaders unlocked, however, in many situations depending on the manufacturer (LG is one of them) you'll need to get an unlock code from the manufacturer first. This is a fairly simple process, but it registers your account and serial number with the OEM, which means they'll know that you've unlocked your bootloader. In most cases, the phone's warranty will be completely void.
Also . for the less experienced user, re-locking the bootloader can be very tricky and not without risks.

And you are naive if you think Google is not promoting bootloader locking...it is even disabling some features when the bootloader is/gets unlocked....

But this is all off-topic; what matters is that the sound of all LG V-series is great, no matter what, rooted or not ...

 

[beto_nl]

I agree X 3 (v20s) for me. Ebay has had the best pricing I have found, and I have not had any rude surprises, but i only buy from high-volume reputable sellers.

Don't know about eBay but since LG stupidly decided to make the V20 NOT available in Europe ( I live in Holland) I decided to get mine all way from Hong Kong by eGlobal Central....295 euros new, unbranded.
The downside is that it took 13 days to arrive. But I knew it could take between 7 and 14 days

 

[Dartin Bout]

Excellent advice. The V20 forced me to learn about impedance and the process made me a very happy lad. It has been my goal, for over 20 years, to carry a music server with me, wherever I go, that plays my music files, locally and sound as close to my home sound system (in just one device). The LG V20 did that. No streaming, no buzzy little buds, no bass hidden in the folds of the missing, just the clear voice of Ella whispering to me, Willie Dixon infectious bass making me dance down the street or the joy of Previn conducting Tchaikovsky with the LSO as I wait in line for coffee. This is a heaven on earth.

 

[LightBlue77]

This is still available in shops in romania.
About the ability to fully and corectly drive up to medium impedance headphones i would say that people should try their headphones on proper amplifying devices to reveal their true potential. Not that v20 wouldn't do a good job, but some even under 100 ohms impedance headphones really benefit from amping.
I also have x5 but android experience is dreadfull, this is the reason i thought of v20. Not decided anyway.

 

[trellus]

I'm glad I got the V20, but one thing I find annoying is how it varies the power based on the headphones. I think that's a neat feature -- for other people, lol. I wish it could be turned off. It works well for some of my more sensitive headphones, and surprisingly well for harder to drive headphones (like the HD 600), but there are plenty of headphones or earphones for which it just fails, and I have to restore to tricks (plugging in an extender first and then plugging in the headphones or earphones into that) that mean I can't use the V20 as a DAP without the hassle of carrying additional cables/accessories with me -- and that's one reason I got the V20, to avoid Apple's dongle hell with my iPhone 8 Plus.

It can't really power, for example, my KEF M100 earphones well, without the cable extender trick, and that makes it clunkier to use a DAP.

 

[TurtleLion]

Is anybody here using a V20 with poweramp? It's my favourite music player but updates take forever...
Sadly the hifi output doesn't work for me on alpha 704 but hopefully it will someday...

Spoiler: I'll wait for you poweramp... take your time.

I think it would be interesting to share your eq settings . I'm still trying to find what works for me but I'm getting there!

 

[FSTOP]

PowerAmp is what i am using (been using it since v1, now on alpha704 too). Yes, looking forward to the v3 upgrade to hi-res compatibility, but still quite happy with v20 as a portable player and no need for separate dac/amp. Sounds quite satisfactory to me for the portability!
Regarding EQ settings, i literally have a dozen or more. One of my favorite things about PA is being able to save a custom eq profile for each device i use: iems, headphones, BT speakers, car systems. They are specific to each device, so dont know if sharing would be helpful though.

 

[TurtleLion]

PowerAmp is what i am using (been using it since v1, now on alpha704 too). Yes, looking forward to the v3 upgrade to hi-res compatibility, but still quite happy with v20 as a portable player and no need for separate dac/amp. Sounds quite satisfactory to me for the portability!
Regarding EQ settings, i literally have a dozen or more. One of my favorite things about PA is being able to save a custom eq profile for each device i use: iems, headphones, BT speakers, car systems. They are specific to each device, so dont know if sharing would be helpful though.

Well I do the same thing so a lot of eq presets .
Still can't make one (for senn 598) that would satisfy me 100% but half of the problem is the volume of some of my tracks... Do you know a program that would scan my albums so I they're usable with Replay Gain?
Clicking the buttons all the time is killing me!

Any presets could be useful since some things are common in many headphones. A preset for headphones that have weak bass could be used (with or without some adjustments) for other headphones with similar problems .
I just used the word "headphones" 3 times in a row. Forgive me for I have sinned

 

[Steve Wilcox]

I've had an interesting discussion over on the V30 thread regarding the 'high impedance trick'.

I should say, first of all that I have a V10 but I think the issues here are essentially the same across the V range.

I've been using a Shure volume control adapter that triggers high impedance mode and leaving it plugged in. I've really liked the change in sound signature this has brought about in my Shure se535s and Noble Massdrop Xs. I don't really need the extra power; it's the change in sound signature that has appealled to me.

Apparently, leaving the the adapter plugged in changes the output impedance and this effects the frequency response of the phones. The effect varies from headphone to headphone and the effect is more pronounced with balanced armature drivers than dynamic drivers.

My advice would be to try and see. Use your ears to decide how you like it. Both my IEMs sound great on my Mojo but since using the adapter I've not felt the need to use the Mojo as the V10 gets me 90% there without the faff of a secondary device, RFI, etc. The Mojo is now firmly in place in my main HIFI.

I love the V10 and look forward to upgrading to a 20 or 30 when necessary.

 

[TurtleLion]

I've had an interesting discussion over on the V30 thread regarding the 'high impedance trick'.

I should say, first of all that I have a V10 but I think the issues here are essentially the same across the V range.

I've been using a Shure volume control adapter that triggers high impedance mode and leaving it plugged in. I've really liked the change in sound signature this has brought about in my Shure se535s and Noble Massdrop Xs. I don't really need the extra power; it's the change in sound signature that has appealled to me.

Apparently, leaving the the adapter plugged in changes the output impedance and this effects the frequency response of the phones. The effect varies from headphone to headphone and the effect is more pronounced with balanced armature drivers than dynamic drivers.

My advice would be to try and see. Use your ears to decide how you like it. Both my IEMs sound great on my Mojo but since using the adapter I've not felt the need to use the Mojo as the V10 gets me 90% there without the faff of a secondary device, RFI, etc. The Mojo is now firmly in place in my main HIFI.

I love the V10 and look forward to upgrading to a 20 or 30 when necessary.

That's interesting but my stuff already activates high impedance mode so I don't think it will change anything :S.

I think I found EQ settings I like but the problem is that the volume of my tracks is all over the place. Some are out of control loud and some too silent and since they don't come with enough data poweramp can't use replay gain .
I'll probably try foobar2000 or something and we'll see how it goes.

 

[oliwek2]

Mugen 9300mAh extended battery for the V20, you best friend for long travels.
Easily 5 days of use for calls/text/music/internet, as lons as you don't play heavy games.
And the back cover still allows for NFC, unlike cheaper extended batteries.

I don't use it for office days because it makes the phone bulky, but for travels it is unbeatable.

Still, it would be nice if manufacturers gave 50% bigger stock batteries, even if the phone was 2 mm (0.1 inch) fatter. And a battery accessible device as V10/V20 were.
But it's not a mainstream choice...

 

[good sound]

Still, it would be nice if manufacturers gave 50% bigger stock batteries, even if the phone was 2 mm (0.1 inch) fatter. And a battery accessible device as V10/V20 were.
But it's not a mainstream choice...

Well, one of the great things about the V20 is it's user replaceable battery. An increasing rarity in today's water resistant obsessed flagship phone market. One of the first things I did after purchasing my V20 was to buy the OEM spare battery kit. Came with a genuine LG battery charging dock and carrying case. It has come in very handy on many occasions. E-bay has all sorts of sellers pedalling this kit. Switching the battery is quick and easy.

 

[tienbasse]

Well, one of the great things about the V20 is it's user replaceable battery. An increasing rarity in today's water resistant obsessed flagship phone market.

I hope you do realize that water resistance is just an excuse to make the battery non replacable.
Programmed obsolescence is made SO MUCH easier when the battery is more difficult to change!

 

[good sound]

I hope you do realize that water resistance is just an excuse to make the battery non replacable.
Programmed obsolescence is made SO MUCH easier when the battery is more difficult to change!

Well, I don't know about that. I am no conspiracy theorist, but it does seem to me that in this day and age someone should be able to produce a smartphone that is both water resistant and has a user replaceable battery.