[Deders]

I'm hella late on this, but why are you triple amping? You're risking damaging the Mobius as it is an active headphone and already has DSP.

Just plug it in via the USB-C cable to the phone to get the best results...if anything use UAPP to EQ .

I have tried this using Neutron, but I get much better results with the C5 in line.

I'm not sure if it's my particular set of Mobius or not, everyone describes them as treble forward but mine seem excessively harsh on their own. When I initially got them I was getting sibilance on instruments which to me means there is something off. Plus some tracks sounded like they were recorded in a porcelain urn, which they never had before. These effects lessened as I wore the headphones in but they are still there and the sound signature isn't as pleasurable as it should be, and often distracting.

I would fiddle with the treble in Neutron on every other track, I use the music setting on the headphones themselves which has a lower treble than flat. The warm setting used to be ok but now they have changed it and cut off way more treble than I like. I had settled on cutting everything above 700Hz by 2db, but even that wasn't completely satisfactory. The C5 cleans up all the above issues perfectly.

I also had been having trouble tuning in a satisfying upper sub bass boost. I had a shelf from 90Hz down, but that left out the bass guitar/synth notes so a lot of the oomph and warmth was missing. I dialed in a bump that filled it out, but ultimately it wasn't as good as what the Cayin C5 provides (albeit with some manual EQ tweaks to remove some of muddiness that the C5's bass boost has)

So it seems to me that whilst none of these are perfect on their own, together, with some tweaking they can be tuned to audio bliss. But I do have to be careful between songs and ride the pre-amp.

After about an hour and a half of use I do think I hear slight clicks on peaks where there weren't before, even at levels that were previously safe, so I do get a bit worried.

Usually it is the phone volume that controls whether it clicks or not, I keep the C5 at around 80% and the headphones maxed, with the phone at about 45-46 out of 75 (works out at 61.3 out of 100).

According the the Audeze lab, the Mobius input can handle 2VRMS sustained without damaging the DSP.

I was waiting for the new update from Audeze, then make a recording of what I hear from the USB port, and then from my setup and see what their representatives think. Maybe the amp in my headset isn't driving the cups properly without additional power?

 

[chjanson]

V30 is an amazing playback device. For those primarily using it with IEMs or headphones, I recommend the USB Player Pro, with its full Tidal integration, its optional extension/plugin "parametric equalizer" by ToneBoosters (to which I am in no way am affiliated). Why? Most, if not all IEMs suffer from artefacts in their frequency response that BY FAR degrade sound more than a switch from CD quality to DSD or MQA. And this Toneboosters plugin offers the option to set your particular frequencies that needs treatment.

In HD SoundLab (Norway, developing SoundPimp = "headphone soundstage on loudspeakers", high end loudspeakers, media apps and more) we are two people with the LG V30 + Fiio FH7 IEM combo. While the latter has a great potential, in particular due to its bass response (all flat and snappy,clean and powerfull down to 20Hz), its construction in the upper frequency range is far from optimal. (Much) too sparkle and uneven in its response. What a weird set of choices the Fiio engineers have made. I attach a link to screenshot of usb audio player pro / Toneboosters eq: http://www.noach.one/blog/eq-suggestion-for-fiio-fh7/

Looks dramatic, but the result? My oh my, what sound I have now. We both agree that this is a super EQ for the Fiio Fh7. We have used REW to measure it and REW to autosuggest the corrections, then we have tuned ourselves for a while. Be sure to respond back if you try it, or if you improve it. It is still a premature suggestion. There is a potential here...

The only snag left in the FIIO FH7 is a tint of too much 3d harmonic, but we live in a digital world. Couldn't state it is on an audible level.

We have also the LG V10, also great, but V30 is a major step forward. V30 houses a true high-end DAC. Exact, non-perfumed, clean, free of distortion. Period.

 

[hag6]

Looking for headphones that really work well with the V30.
I just purchased a V30 based on the reviews praising the high quality its dac. I need to find a a good headphone pairing for the phone as my current headphones don’t seem to offer a satisfactory experience.

I find the two Sennheisers (HD 599 & HD660s) both seem muddy and congested with the V30. The 599’s lower impedance enables more volume than the 660s but lacks the wow factor I was hoping to get from the V30. I have used the stock music player and Neutron, the Neutron lifted the performance a bit but not significantly. Can anyone recommend over-ear headphones that really work well with V30. Thanks

 

[jsmiller58]

Looking for headphones that really work well with the V30.
I just purchased a V30 based on the reviews praising the high quality its dac. I need to find a a good headphone pairing for the phone as my current headphones don’t seem to offer a satisfactory experience.

I find the two Sennheisers (HD 599 & HD660s) both seem muddy and congested with the V30. The 599’s lower impedance enables more volume than the 660s but lacks the wow factor I was hoping to get from the V30. I have used the stock music player and Neutron, the Neutron lifted the performance a bit but not significantly. Can anyone recommend over-ear headphones that really work well with V30. Thanks

Just curious... Do you find the 660 to be clearer on desktop amps / better than the v30 phone? Asking because I was never really satisfied with the 660 no matter the source so it got no ear time.

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Looking for headphones that really work well with the V30.
I just purchased a V30 based on the reviews praising the high quality its dac. I need to find a a good headphone pairing for the phone as my current headphones don’t seem to offer a satisfactory experience.

I find the two Sennheisers (HD 599 & HD660s) both seem muddy and congested with the V30. The 599’s lower impedance enables more volume than the 660s but lacks the wow factor I was hoping to get from the V30. I have used the stock music player and Neutron, the Neutron lifted the performance a bit but not significantly. Can anyone recommend over-ear headphones that really work well with V30. Thanks

What kind of headphone do you prefer?
What's your budget?

Imo, the headphone is the most important thing properly, not the dac.
V30 is known for the amping. There're much more smartphones with great dacs out there.
But for me, the V30 suits perfect with Quad Era-1.

 

[hag6]

Hi thanks for the replies. The 660s opens up well with my ifi micro idsd (silver) which of course has a much higher output than the v30. I listen mainly to rock (from folk to heavy) but not exclusively. I am just trying to get a better match with the v30. It needs a headphone that is easy to drive. I like a wide soundstage (I don’t get that with the 599 or 660s) and good detail without harsh treble and I like to hear a solid and well articulated bass. Does such a headphone exist at £250 to £300 or less.

 

[monsieurfromag3]

Hi thanks for the replies. The 660s opens up well with my ifi micro idsd (silver) which of course has a much higher output than the v30. I listen mainly to rock (from folk to heavy) but not exclusively. I am just trying to get a better match with the v30. It needs a headphone that is easy to drive. I like a wide soundstage (I don’t get that with the 599 or 660s) and good detail without harsh treble and I like to hear a solid and well articulated bass. Does such a headphone exist at £250 to £300 or less.

Sony’s MDR-1AM2 should tick all of your boxes, although being closed-back it’s not the ultimate in sound stage (still sounds wide - at least the first MDR-1A had a good soundstage).
If you can stretch the budget to get a used Amiron Home, it’s very well driven by the V30 in spite of the high-ish impedance and sounds amazing.
Also, haven’t heard that one but the Hifiman Sundara is often lauded by rock and metal listeners.

 

[chjanson]

This is a relevant question. I state how our headphones work. We had the LG v10 since its arrival, and lately purchased the V30 as it is going out (but is top modern) in Norway for 350$. What a bargain. It means the V10 is now used as a wireless DAC on some stereo gear, a brilliant solution with e.g. Roon. (We have purchased several used LG V10 for 100$ for that particular purpose; a wireless good quality DAC).

Both my son and I purchased V30. We are happy. The LG V10 has a tint (=microscopic) of bass loudness compared to the V30 which is just a true monitor device providing pomp and punch if the recording asks for it and your headphones can follow up. Headphones:

1. Fidelio X2 is a nice mellow (non provoking) headphone that many has as an extra. It is now my wife's favorite. It is too low impedance to trigger the high impedance feature of both devices, hence will not play that loud, but loud enough if you don't want to destroy your ears. On LG V10 we used a particular app; HiFi DAC to trigger the high impedance mode for the X2. You can do that with any phone, I guess, probably also on V30. X2 is a well reputed classic with a charming "fun to listen to" style.

2. Focal Elear is a great phone (1200$ in Norway), and triggers the high impedance. You can play as loud as you want and the LGs will keep up and deliver, just like any wired DAC. You will not experience breathing problems. It is a very nice combination, and as Focal is launching new models these days, perhaps you can find one used for a fair price? I recommend it, and it is also extremely comfortable, mechanically speaking.

HOWEVER, with the LG V30 we also took a chance on the new FIIO FH7, if you will consider IEM as an alternative. The FH7 is just one "heluva" transducer, in particular in the bass region (full output down to 20Hz!), due to its 1.3cm beryllium driver. Simply fantastic and could easily be tuned to whatever fun factor you prefer. There is a lot of headroom for any crazy maneuver on your part. The rest of that IEM I suppose is more in line with the rest of the bunch. However again, the FH7 has some peculiarities in the treble that is impressing at first, but that urges you to apply EQ, which it handles well. I must state, post EQ this is the best transducer I ever had on ears. So punchy, and able to play all types of music. It will grant you great fun, WITH EQ. We are in the midst of investigating the "just right" EQ profile for the FH7, and anyone is invited to join our discussion here: http://www.noach.one/blog/eq-suggestion-for-fiio-fh7/. Perhaps we should bring it over here.

Anyway, on that link we explain a little about using the USB Audio Player Pro with the ToneBoosters plugin for eq, and its full Tidal integration. This player is a happy camper with the built-in DAC, or a USB connected one. I really like both the sound and the intelligent design of this app that will cost you next to nothing.

And while at it, may I introduce the Norwegian artist Kari Bremnes? Since the nineties she has been bringing audiophile quality listening pleasure to accompany her great music and voice. (She has a HE audio master mind in the backroom). Listen for example to KANSKJE (means "maybe") on the album ALT VI HAR (means "All we got"). It is MQA for those who prefer that (on Tidal). Her latest album is like a tranquilizer with its many "monotonic" bass rythms. Have a listen!

 

[hag6]

Thank you so much for the detailed and very informative post. It gives me plenty to consider. It is so useful to get insights from people who have actual experience of matching the v30. I will try UAPP to see if this has a positive effect on the sq with the headphones I currently own.

 

[nikolay.s]

Looking for headphones that really work well with the V30.
I just purchased a V30 based on the reviews praising the high quality its dac. I need to find a a good headphone pairing for the phone as my current headphones don’t seem to offer a satisfactory experience.

I find the two Sennheisers (HD 599 & HD660s) both seem muddy and congested with the V30. The 599’s lower impedance enables more volume than the 660s but lacks the wow factor I was hoping to get from the V30. I have used the stock music player and Neutron, the Neutron lifted the performance a bit but not significantly. Can anyone recommend over-ear headphones that really work well with V30. Thanks

I'm using the V30 with Sennheiser HD 58x and really like the pairing.

 

[pepodenata]

Looking for headphones that really work well with the V30.
I just purchased a V30 based on the reviews praising the high quality its dac. I need to find a a good headphone pairing for the phone as my current headphones don’t seem to offer a satisfactory experience.

Encuentro que los dos Sennheisers (HD 599 y HD660) parecen estar embarrados y congestionados con el V30. La impedancia más baja del 599 permite más volumen que los 660, pero carece del factor sorpresa que esperaba obtener del V30. He usado el reproductor de música de stock y Neutron, el Neutron elevó el rendimiento un poco, pero no significativamente. ¿Alguien puede recomendar auriculares sobre la oreja

I find the two Sennheisers (HD 599 & HD660s) both seem muddy and congested with the V30. The 599’s lower impedance enables more volume than the 660s but lacks the wow factor I was hoping to get from the V30. I have used the stock music player and Neutron, the Neutron lifted the performance a bit but not significantly. Can anyone recommend over-ear headphones that really work well with V30. Thanks

I have the V30 and I use tidal with UAPP, as headphones I have the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home and they are wonderful, of course a good update of the 660s and 599, as in ear I use the Nicehck M6 and they also make a very good couple with the Lg V30

 

[csglinux]

Some thoughts on the new Amazon HD music streaming service on the V30....

It's cheaper than Qobuz or Tidal, but it's certainly not perfect. There are lots of complaints on the two (yes, there are two) dedicated headfi threads that there is no exclusive wasapi mode for Windows. Mac has the same issue - it simply defaults to the OS's sample rate, which means unless you manually adjust sample rate to match each track, it'll end up resampling.

The Android situation is arguably worse. I've tested many Android devices, all of which are perfectly able to play sample rates over 48 kHz, but Amazon's app claims none of them have said capability. On some Android devices, it doesn't play at all. On the V30, it has an interesting behavior:

Output thread 0xee2f3000, name AudioOut_8F5, tid 4337, type 1 (DIRECT):
I/O handle: 2293
Standby: no
Sample rate: 48000 Hz
HAL frame count: 3840
HAL format: 0x5 (AUDIO_FORMAT_PCM_FLOAT)
HAL buffer size: 30720 bytes
Channel count: 2
Channel mask: 0x00000003 (front-left, front-right)
Processing format: 0x5 (AUDIO_FORMAT_PCM_FLOAT)
Processing frame size: 8 bytes
Pending config events: none
Output device: 0x8 (AUDIO_DEVICE_OUT_WIRED_HEADPHONE)
Input device: 0 (AUDIO_DEVICE_NONE)
Audio source: 0 (default)
Normal frame count: 3840
Last write occurred (msecs): 78
Total writes: 813
Delayed writes: 0
Blocked in write: yes
etc., etc....

Note the 48000 Hz sample rate. Amazon's Android music app gives you this for everything - HD and Ultra HD both result in a 48 kHz sample rate. I've not seen any Android device surpass 48 kHz with this app, despite what Amazon says in its app description. On the V30, 48 kHz is usually a result of that nasty resampling through the Android mixer. But look carefully at the above. It's actually playing in DIRECT mode. It appears Amazon is intentionally streaming 48 kHz with floating point precision. The nasty re-sampling artifacts that you get with 44 kHz file playback via the official Tidal app are gone. That's the good news. The not-so-good news is that, to my ears, Tidal via UAPP or Tidal master files via either UAPP or the official Tidal app still sound slightly better than the Amazon music app. Take that with a grain of salt though - I've not done any proper blind AB tests yet. These would need to be properly SPL-matched, because the Amazon app cranks up the gain (probably lowering the dynamic range in the process).

All in all it's an interesting, if not totally perfect, development. It's great to at least see more choice and competition in the area of lossless streaming services.

 

[gimpy]

Some thoughts on the new Amazon HD music streaming service on the V30....

It's cheaper than Qobuz or Tidal, but it's certainly not perfect. There are lots of complaints on the two (yes, there are two) dedicated headfi threads that there is no exclusive wasapi mode for Windows. Mac has the same issue - it simply defaults to the OS's sample rate, which means unless you manually adjust sample rate to match each track, it'll end up resampling.

The Android situation is arguably worse. I've tested many Android devices, all of which are perfectly able to play sample rates over 48 kHz, but Amazon's app claims none of them have said capability. On some Android devices, it doesn't play at all. On the V30, it has an interesting behavior:

Output thread 0xee2f3000, name AudioOut_8F5, tid 4337, type 1 (DIRECT):
I/O handle: 2293
Standby: no
Sample rate: 48000 Hz
HAL frame count: 3840
HAL format: 0x5 (AUDIO_FORMAT_PCM_FLOAT)
HAL buffer size: 30720 bytes
Channel count: 2
Channel mask: 0x00000003 (front-left, front-right)
Processing format: 0x5 (AUDIO_FORMAT_PCM_FLOAT)
Processing frame size: 8 bytes
Pending config events: none
Output device: 0x8 (AUDIO_DEVICE_OUT_WIRED_HEADPHONE)
Input device: 0 (AUDIO_DEVICE_NONE)
Audio source: 0 (default)
Normal frame count: 3840
Last write occurred (msecs): 78
Total writes: 813
Delayed writes: 0
Blocked in write: yes
etc., etc....

Note the 48000 Hz sample rate. Amazon's Android music app gives you this for everything - HD and Ultra HD both result in a 48 kHz sample rate. I've not seen any Android device surpass 48 kHz with this app, despite what Amazon says in its app description. On the V30, 48 kHz is usually a result of that nasty resampling through the Android mixer. But look carefully at the above. It's actually playing in DIRECT mode. It appears Amazon is intentionally streaming 48 kHz with floating point precision. The nasty re-sampling artifacts that you get with 44 kHz file playback via the official Tidal app are gone. That's the good news. The not-so-good news is that, to my ears, Tidal via UAPP or Tidal master files via either UAPP or the official Tidal app still sound slightly better than the Amazon music app. Take that with a grain of salt though - I've not done any proper blind AB tests yet. These would need to be properly SPL-matched, because the Amazon app cranks up the gain (probably lowering the dynamic range in the process).

All in all it's an interesting, if not totally perfect, development. It's great to at least see more choice and competition in the area of lossless streaming services.

 

[gimpy]

https://secure.campaigner.com/csb/Public/show/566i-1dyxzk--mrj4o-b8zadp1

The above link (I think - - haven't done this before) is from a blog (?) from Dr Mark Waldrep. If any of you are not familiar with his work, he specializes in high definition audio (? Right word?). His website is AIX. Anyway, the referenced blog is about the Amazon HD music.

Just so you know he is very critical of today's supposed high Def music.

Some thoughts on the new Amazon HD music streaming service on the V30....

It's cheaper than Qobuz or Tidal, but it's certainly not perfect. There are lots of complaints on the two (yes, there are two) dedicated headfi threads that there is no exclusive wasapi mode for Windows. Mac has the same issue - it simply defaults to the OS's sample rate, which means unless you manually adjust sample rate to match each track, it'll end up resampling.

The Android situation is arguably worse. I've tested many Android devices, all of which are perfectly able to play sample rates over 48 kHz, but Amazon's app claims none of them have said capability. On some Android devices, it doesn't play at all. On the V30, it has an interesting behavior:

Output thread 0xee2f3000, name AudioOut_8F5, tid 4337, type 1 (DIRECT):
I/O handle: 2293
Standby: no
Sample rate: 48000 Hz
HAL frame count: 3840
HAL format: 0x5 (AUDIO_FORMAT_PCM_FLOAT)
HAL buffer size: 30720 bytes
Channel count: 2
Channel mask: 0x00000003 (front-left, front-right)
Processing format: 0x5 (AUDIO_FORMAT_PCM_FLOAT)
Processing frame size: 8 bytes
Pending config events: none
Output device: 0x8 (AUDIO_DEVICE_OUT_WIRED_HEADPHONE)
Input device: 0 (AUDIO_DEVICE_NONE)
Audio source: 0 (default)
Normal frame count: 3840
Last write occurred (msecs): 78
Total writes: 813
Delayed writes: 0
Blocked in write: yes
etc., etc....

Note the 48000 Hz sample rate. Amazon's Android music app gives you this for everything - HD and Ultra HD both result in a 48 kHz sample rate. I've not seen any Android device surpass 48 kHz with this app, despite what Amazon says in its app description. On the V30, 48 kHz is usually a result of that nasty resampling through the Android mixer. But look carefully at the above. It's actually playing in DIRECT mode. It appears Amazon is intentionally streaming 48 kHz with floating point precision. The nasty re-sampling artifacts that you get with 44 kHz file playback via the official Tidal app are gone. That's the good news. The not-so-good news is that, to my ears, Tidal via UAPP or Tidal master files via either UAPP or the official Tidal app still sound slightly better than the Amazon music app. Take that with a grain of salt though - I've not done any proper blind AB tests yet. These would need to be properly SPL-matched, because the Amazon app cranks up the gain (probably lowering the dynamic range in the process).

All in all it's an interesting, if not totally perfect, development. It's great to at least see more choice and competition in the area of lossless streaming services.

 

[csglinux]

https://secure.campaigner.com/csb/Public/show/566i-1dyxzk--mrj4o-b8zadp1

The above link (I think - - haven't done this before) is from a blog (?) from Dr Mark Waldrep. If any of you are not familiar with his work, he specializes in high definition audio (? Right word?). His website is AIX. Anyway, the referenced blog is about the Amazon HD music.

Just so you know he is very critical of today's supposed high Def music.

And rightly so Amazon is pulling several pieces of wool over our eyes here. Their HD isn't HD and right now their HD isn't even CD, because somewhere along the chain everything is getting resampled to 48 kHz (most music out there is still 44 kHz sample rate, but everything via their Android app is 48 kHz). They're doing a better job than Android's mixer, but at launch their service is not bit perfect on any platform, which seems to be one heck of a blunder from a behemoth like Amazon. You'd expect a company like Amazon would have had the resources to get this right. If only they cared to...