[kkugel]

True about the software issues, but they were/are easily fixed with UAPP or Neutron (about an $8 investment). If you're not that worried about SQ and aren't bothered about having to carry the extra dongle and don't mind having only 11 discrete volume steps, you can just go with an iPhone + dongle?

I'm not really into photography, but don't all phones get better cameras after some number of iterations? According to this guy, LG are credited with all phones now having wide-angle lenses: https://twitter.com/MKBHD/status/1378894128952573959


Same DAC chipset as the older LG V-series phones. Difficult to see how that could be in any way superior. Certainly not better than the V60's quad DAC.

Yeah but UAPP can't download Tidal offline tracks. Really inconvenient for flights.
Yea but the LG V60 camera is still far behind iPhones or other chinese brands.

No, the ES9281pro is not the ES9218, you misread the 81 for a 18 there. Quite new and very low noise floor, it's better. Also does MQA out of the box.

Edit: Actually the ES9281pro is a better chip than the V60's chip. 2dB lower noise floor too.

 

[csglinux]

Yeah but UAPP can't download Tidal offline tracks. Really inconvenient for flights.

You've been doing a lot of that in the last 12 months?

No, the ES9281pro is not the ES9218, you misread the 81 for a 18 there. Quite new and very low noise floor, it's better. Also does MQA out of the box.

Edit: Actually the ES9281pro is a better chip than the V60's chip. 2dB lower noise floor too.

My bad. I did read that wrong. One point of concern might be output impedance (which I can't see mentioned, and something HiBy have a chequered history with).

How many volume steps do you get with this dongle?

 

[kkugel]

You've been doing a lot of that in the last 12 months?


My bad. I did read that wrong. One point of concern might be output impedance (which I can't see mentioned, and something HiBy have a chequered history with).

How many volume steps do you get with this dongle?

Well I'm buying my hardware for past covid too!

Output impedance is below 1 ohm so fine. I actually think Hiby just bolted on ports and a LED and used the chip as a system, as that how the chip is designed to be used. I would estimate about 25 volume steps but not sure.

 

[csglinux]

Well I'm buying my hardware for past covid too!

Output impedance is below 1 ohm so fine. I actually think Hiby just bolted on ports and a LED and used the chip as a system, as that how the chip is designed to be used. I would estimate about 25 volume steps but not sure.

Thanks a lot for the info! I can't see me ever carrying a dongle around, but in the interest of science, I will check this thing out...

 

[kkugel]

Thanks a lot for the info! I can't see me ever carrying a dongle around, but in the interest of science, I will check this thing out...

It's tiny actually! Like if you have a braided IEM cable it doesn't really add to the weight or size.

 

[csglinux]

It's tiny actually! Like if you have a braided IEM cable it doesn't really add to the weight or size.

I have a lot of respect for ESS. Their DACs' performance is pretty consistently awesome. It's just too bad that nobody's now willing to give us a package like that in a phone*. Dongles may be small, but they're one more thing to forget or lose. And they're a constant reminder of the nonsense Apple has inflicted on the world in order to boost their bluetooth headphone sales.

I totally get your frustrations about the LG software issues (it now looks like the Android mixer issue is never ever going to be fixed). A lot of people (including me) have griped about that. But nothing's perfect. As all-round phones and audio devices, they were far better than anything else (with the offline Tidal exception). I think they likely still will be - until we get far enough beyond their software updates and security patches.

*Ok, not entirely true. The Asus ROG Phone 5 comes with an ESS ES9280AC Pro Quad DAC.

 

[Bluecactus123]

After 3 years i had to finally let go of my LG V 30, and i bought Sony Xperia 5 Mk II. I have to say that Xperia is a better sounding device, to my huge surprise! Also, I have just had a chat with a guy who owns a music shop and who has had both phones, and he confirmed my findings. He also said that Xperia sounds better than fiio m6 (which i also considered before buying Xperia) By the way, both devices were tested with Empire Ears Legend X

 

[Chris Kaoss]

No complains with iems on that.

The truly benefit of the V-Series, and a couple other smartphones, was and is the integrated amp section, especially for full size headphones.
Beside the high measured sound quality.

 

[Bay Jingles]

I have an LG V30 and HiBy R3 Pro Saber. Which would be the right decision to sell? They state that the V30 gives the same quality of sound as the $ 200 DAPs. The same DAC is used in both. But HiBy has a balanced output. The V30 does not. Is there a significant difference in sound quality between the two? If there is no significant difference, I am thinking of selling HiBy. The V30 looks more advantageous as it is both a phone and at the DAP level.

 

[dw1narso]

Have you try hear music through each of them? Do you know how to get the LG to work on high impedance load and hear yourself?

 

[Bay Jingles]

Have you try hear music through each of them? Do you know how to get the LG to work on high impedance load and hear yourself?

I haven't tried the high impedance mode. I listened in normal mode. I could not see a huge difference. But I haven't tried HiBy's balanced output. They say I will realize the true potential there. Unfortunately I don't have a balanced cable. Is it worth buying a balanced cable and trying it?

 

[dw1narso]

The benefit of using balanced cable depend on how hard your phones to be driven (i.e. phones that low sensitive)

LG V30, I think parallel the DAC+amp while also increase the amp gain, in high impedance mode, to achive similar result as in balanced output DAP.

 

[Dannemand]

I have an LG V30 and HiBy R3 Pro Saber. Which would be the right decision to sell? They state that the V30 gives the same quality of sound as the $ 200 DAPs. The same DAC is used in both. But HiBy has a balanced output. The V30 does not. Is there a significant difference in sound quality between the two? If there is no significant difference, I am thinking of selling HiBy. The V30 looks more advantageous as it is both a phone and at the DAP level.

One other issue to consider is bypassing the Android audio stack: V30 wants to route everything through the Android mixer, which re-samples to 16/48. HiRes tracks (including anything 24-bit) can be routed through Direct path if the app knows how to do it. But 16-bit tracks will always go through the mixer. This affects all Red Book CD tracks, causing audible artifacts, particularly on sensitive IEMS. UAPP and Neutron can avoid the mixer on 16/44 tracks by converting them to 24/44, but most other players can't.

I would imagine HiBy worked around this issue on their R3 -- although I don't know firsthand. Assuming The R3's hardware implementation otherwise matches the V30 (NOT a low threshold) this would give it a SQ advantage when using any player apps other than UAPP and Neutron, including Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon and the HiBy player -- all of which play through the mixer on V30.

High Impedance mode (2Vrsm) vs Aux mode (1Vrms) vs Normal mode (< 1Vrms) only affect the 9218p THD compensation, not its frequency response or sound quality in general -- assuming you perform level matched comparisons or measurements.

The phone does an OK job of automatically detecting the appropriate mode on most IEMs and headphones. The exception is planars with low sensitivity but also low impedance; those may require forcing HIM. A few other IEMs/headphones near the 50 Ohm threshold may also benefit from forced HIM if they have low sensitivity; but otherwise I would not recommend forcing it.

Check the thread linked below for much more on this subject:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/music-apps-tips-and-tricks-for-the-lg-v30.868978/

 

[Earl of Bouillon]

I haven't tried the high impedance mode. I listened in normal mode. I could not see a huge difference. But I haven't tried HiBy's balanced output. They say I will realize the true potential there. Unfortunately I don't have a balanced cable. Is it worth buying a balanced cable and trying it?

Which headphone/IEM would you be using with the V30 or HiBy?

 

[Bay Jingles]

One other issue to consider is bypassing the Android audio stack: V30 wants to route everything through the Android mixer, which re-samples to 16/48. HiRes tracks (including anything 24-bit) can be routed through Direct path if the app knows how to do it. But 16-bit tracks will always go through the mixer. This affects all Red Book CD tracks, causing audible artifacts, particularly on sensitive IEMS. UAPP and Neutron can avoid the mixer on 16/44 tracks by converting them to 24/44, but most other players can't.

I would imagine HiBy worked around this issue on their R3 -- although I don't know firsthand. Assuming The R3's hardware implementation otherwise matches the V30 (NOT a low threshold) this would give it a SQ advantage when using any player apps other than UAPP and Neutron, including Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon and the HiBy player -- all of which play through the mixer on V30.

High Impedance mode (2Vrsm) vs Aux mode (1Vrms) vs Normal mode (< 1Vrms) only affect the 9218p THD compensation, not its frequency response or sound quality in general -- assuming you perform level matched comparisons or measurements.

The phone does an OK job of automatically detecting the appropriate mode on most IEMs and headphones. The exception is planars with low sensitivity but also low impedance; those may require forcing HIM. A few other IEMs/headphones near the 50 Ohm threshold may also benefit from forced HIM if they have low sensitivity; but otherwise I would not recommend forcing it.

Check the thread linked below for much more on this subject:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/music-apps-tips-and-tricks-for-the-lg-v30.868978/

Thanks. It was a very detailed and technical explanation. But my technical knowledge is not enough. For this reason, I find it difficult to understand what you have written. Which one is better for harmonic distortion? Does being a quad or double have an effect on this? HiBy dual DAC, LG quad DAC. As far as I understand HiBy is better for 16 / 44.1 files. There are approximately 3600 files and all of them are 16 / 44.1 FLAC files. Actually, the reason why I ask this is that if there is not a huge difference in quality between them, the V30 seems more logical.