[james444]

Or maybe they consider aptX sufficiently "stable" that they don't need to offer you the option to drop back to A2DP?

Just for clarification, A2DP is the BT audio streaming profile, regardless of the codec used (SBC, MP3, AAC, aptX,...). If there's no better codec available, encoding drops back to SBC.

It's interesting that it seems to be working. While the headphone out on my V30 certainly sounds great in comparison to my other phones, both my S6 and OnePlus 3t sound better than the V30 using regular Apt-X.

Imo, aptX implementation on the V30 is pretty bad. I hope this can be improved by software updates in the future.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/lg-v30.858933/page-158#post-14022167

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/lg-v30.858933/page-162#post-14036638

 

[scottm18]

I noticed there is a new vesion of Neutron...any good updates for V30 users? Still no ISO playback? My DSD conversion apps don't work with all my ISOs so really would like to play them direct...

As for using adb to determine output--can someone re-iterate how to do that again here? It's been quite some time since i checked...I'd like to see what the BT output looks like.

 

[csglinux]

Just for clarification, A2DP is the BT audio streaming profile, regardless of the codec used (SBC, MP3, AAC, aptX,...). If there's no better codec available, encoding drops back to SBC.



Imo, aptX implementation on the V30 is pretty bad. I hope this can be improved by software updates in the future.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/lg-v30.858933/page-158#post-14022167

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/lg-v30.858933/page-162#post-14036638

Hi @james444 - thanks for the feedback!

Here is the relevant part of my logcat dump when using my XB10 in "Best sound quality" mode:

bt_btif_media: btif_a2dp_encoder_init [BTUI] Selected Codec aptX HD

Here's the same dump when using the XB10 in "Most stable" mode:

bt_btif_media: btif_a2dp_encoder_init Selected Codec AAC

My connection is dropping to AAC, not aptX. I have no option to select aptX - only AAC or aptX HD.

I saw in one of your earlier posts you mentioned comparing the XB10's aptX vs aptX HD connection. How did you do that?
Were you comparing two different devices, one aptX and one aptX HD? One other issue I didn't notice was the lack of bass when switching to aptX HD. I went back and checked this again, now expecting to be able to hear what you'd pointed out, but I still couldn't. More higher-frequency content with aptX (HD) should be expected, so I wonder if there's some automatic gain control going on with certain tracks? I was testing using the FLC8S with both SE and balanced outputs. If there are differences in the bass, it's too subtle for my ears to pick up reliably. If I find time, I'll try and measure this over the weekend and report back.

@kundica - I tried as best I could to go back and forth between my V30 and S8 connecting to the Aukey Latitude. Admittedly, I struggled to do this A/B testing quickly and it wasn't blind and I didn't SPL-match (which was a little awkward, because for whatever reason the S8's connection was louder than that of the V30's). On the V30 connection, the Aukey sounded horribly thin and tinny. And on the S8 it sounded... horribly thin and tinny. (The poor SQ is, IMHO, more to do with these particular earbuds than the BT codec. I have Bose Soundsport Free buds that have a much fuller sound, extending better at both ends of the spectrum - and this device doesn't even support aptX.) When volume-matched as closely as I could, the two connections sounded identical. I'm not sure why the same codec would sound different from two different devices, so this is just speculation: Different apps? DSP active on one or both devices? Weaker BT radio in the V30? It's possible that with a sufficiently-poor connection what you thought was an aptX connection might have dropped back to AAC or SBC.

FWIW, I've never encountered a Bluetooth problem that can't be solved with a good cable

I agree with @james444 that one should not buy this phone to use only with wireless headphones. The V30's strength is its wired connection.

P.S. Need to dig a little deeper. I just checked again and my Aukey device is now using SBC. @kundica - what headphones are you using?

 

[csglinux]

I noticed there is a new vesion of Neutron...any good updates for V30 users? Still no ISO playback? My DSD conversion apps don't work with all my ISOs so really would like to play them direct...

As for using adb to determine output--can someone re-iterate how to do that again here? It's been quite some time since i checked...I'd like to see what the BT output looks like.

I think the ISO stuff is still work in progress.

As for adb and BT connections, you need to install some software on your PC/Mac/Linux box:

https://android.gadgethacks.com/how...stall-adb-fastboot-mac-linux-windows-0164225/

and enable USB debugging on your V30 (the link explains this too).

Once you've granted permission on your phone, you can run:

adb logcat > output.txt

and then search the output.txt file for the words "Selected Codec".

 

[james444]

Here is the relevant part of my logcat dump when using my XB10 in "Best sound quality" mode:

Here's the same dump when using the XB10 in "Most stable" mode:

My connection is dropping to AAC, not aptX. I have no option to select aptX - only AAC or aptX HD.

I saw in one of your earlier posts you mentioned comparing the XB10's aptX vs aptX HD connection. How did you do that?
Were you comparing two different devices, one aptX and one aptX HD? One other issue I didn't notice was the lack of bass when switching to aptX HD. I went back and checked this again, now expecting to be able to hear what you'd pointed out, but I still couldn't. More higher-frequency content with aptX (HD) should be expected, so I wonder if there's some automatic gain control going on with certain tracks? I was testing using the FLC8S with both SE and balanced outputs. If there are differences in the bass, it's too subtle for my ears to pick up reliably. If I find time, I'll try and measure this over the weekend and report back.

My bad, I simply assumed it would drop from aptX HD to regular aptX in "most stable" mode. Sorry for that mistake, I stand corrected! Personally, I found aptX to be highly stable on all devices I've tried so far, so it didn't even cross my mind that they might choose something else as fallback.

As for the bass roll-off with aptX HD, I don't have a measurement rig, but heard it consistently on my test tracks. Not a change in overall tonal balance, just a slightly more pronounced roll-off in sub-bass below 100Hz. One of these test tracks is embedded in this post, along with instructions what to listen for... just in case you want to give it a try, I use the same tracks all the time to assess IEMs, so I'm familiar with them and pretty certain I wasn"t just imagining things on the V30.

 

[psikey]

Just got my V30+ and only BT audio I'd use is to my car. Sounds same to me as streamed out of my S7 to the car.

I do have a Samsung AptX adapter (for use with any wired earphones) so will give that a try when I get chance.

 

[kundica]

Hi @james444 - thanks for the feedback!

Here is the relevant part of my logcat dump when using my XB10 in "Best sound quality" mode:

Here's the same dump when using the XB10 in "Most stable" mode:

My connection is dropping to AAC, not aptX. I have no option to select aptX - only AAC or aptX HD.

I saw in one of your earlier posts you mentioned comparing the XB10's aptX vs aptX HD connection. How did you do that?
Were you comparing two different devices, one aptX and one aptX HD? One other issue I didn't notice was the lack of bass when switching to aptX HD. I went back and checked this again, now expecting to be able to hear what you'd pointed out, but I still couldn't. More higher-frequency content with aptX (HD) should be expected, so I wonder if there's some automatic gain control going on with certain tracks? I was testing using the FLC8S with both SE and balanced outputs. If there are differences in the bass, it's too subtle for my ears to pick up reliably. If I find time, I'll try and measure this over the weekend and report back.

@kundica - I tried as best I could to go back and forth between my V30 and S8 connecting to the Aukey Latitude. Admittedly, I struggled to do this A/B testing quickly and it wasn't blind and I didn't SPL-match (which was a little awkward, because for whatever reason the S8's connection was louder than that of the V30's). On the V30 connection, the Aukey sounded horribly thin and tinny. And on the S8 it sounded... horribly thin and tinny. (The poor SQ is, IMHO, more to do with these particular earbuds than the BT codec. I have Bose Soundsport Free buds that have a much fuller sound, extending better at both ends of the spectrum - and this device doesn't even support aptX.) When volume-matched as closely as I could, the two connections sounded identical. I'm not sure why the same codec would sound different from two different devices, so this is just speculation: Different apps? DSP active on one or both devices? Weaker BT radio in the V30? It's possible that with a sufficiently-poor connection what you thought was an aptX connection might have dropped back to AAC or SBC.

FWIW, I've never encountered a Bluetooth problem that can't be solved with a good cable

I agree with @james444 that one should not buy this phone to use only with wireless headphones. The V30's strength is its wired connection.

P.S. Need to dig a little deeper. I just checked again and my Aukey device is now using SBC. @kundica - what headphones are you using?

Thanks for checking it out. I couldn't find a good way to A/B test either so I just tried my best. For headphones I used my CA Jupiter and HD650s to test but I also ran Apt-X to an integrated amp with passive speakers. The Apt-X on my V30 sounds congested while Apt-X on my other phone is difficult for me to distinguish between Apt-X and USB DAC connection.

 

[csglinux]

Thanks for checking it out. I couldn't find a good way to A/B test either so I just tried my best. For headphones I used my CA Jupiter and HD650s to test but I also ran Apt-X to an integrated amp with passive speakers. The Apt-X on my V30 sounds congested while Apt-X on my other phone is difficult for me to distinguish between Apt-X and USB DAC connection.

I found something odd when going back to my Aukey Latitudes. I can no longer get them to connect to my V30 using the aptX codec. I swear they used to. They're supposed to be aptX-compatible, but nope - every time they connect they're using SBC. My FoxL V2 Platinum speaker connects via aptX, but not the Aukey. BTW, with the aptX connection, there's no option to change the connection quality - it seems that's only there with aptX HD. @james444's confusion is quite understandable - I would also have assumed the XB10 would have dropped back from aptX HD to aptX (and maybe it would in other scenarios?). It seems there's just no way of knowing without examining the syslog. So, @kundica, I'm still wondering if your Apt-X device is actually giving you an Apt-X connection from your V30. It could be - I still find a direct wired connection to my V30 significantly better SQ than via aptX HD to the XB10 - but there's still a chance it isn't. @james444 may be right about the poor quality of the BT on the V30, but maybe it's because the V30 isn't handshaking properly with certain existing Apt-X devices (e.g., my Aukey headphones) and so we're not hearing poor-quality Apt-X, but poor-quality SBC. @kundica - are you able to do a logcat dump while your BT device is playing to confirm?

P.S. @james444 - measurements of XB10 AptX HD vs XB10 AAC are coming...

 

[kundica]

are you able to do a logcat dump while your BT device is playing to confirm?

P.S. @james444 - measurements of XB10 AptX HD vs XB10 AAC are coming...

I did one a couple days back but all I found around Apt-X were failed responses. I think I might've accidentally deleted the log so I'll try making another one here in a bit.

Edit: It appears to be working. First it tries to connect to Apt-X HD but since I'm using the FiiO Q5 it fails and then tries to connect to Apt-X and I see this:

bt_btif_media: btif_a2dp_encoder_init [BTUI] Selected Codec aptX
bt_btif : [BTUI] current codec id: 0xff (SBC:0x0/aptX:0xff)

 

[Niyologist]

Is the LG V30 a good replacement for my OPUS #1?

 

[csglinux]

I did one a couple days back but all I found around Apt-X were failed responses. I think I might've accidentally deleted the log so I'll try making another one here in a bit.

Edit: It appears to be working. First it tries to connect to Apt-X HD but since I'm using the FiiO Q5 it fails and then tries to connect to Apt-X and I see this:

Looks good @kundica! But now we need another explanation for why it's not sounding so good? That's an even bigger mystery now.

Is the LG V30 a good replacement for my OPUS #1?

In general, I'd say the V30 competes with most low to mid (~$500) DAPs. Even my favorite DAPs (QP1R, QP2R, FiiO X7ii) don't beat the V30 by much. I would guess that the V30 would be a good replacement, given that you wouldn't need to carry a separate device with you, however... I've heard the OPUS #1, but I haven't ever done a careful A/B against the V30. Maybe some other readers with more experience of this DAP can chime in?

@james444 - here's my first shot at measuring the XB10 output (DCT turned off) via its balanced connection to my SE846 with the blue trishd filter mod, Comply P-series foam tips, a Vibro Veritas coupler and @crinacle's periodic white noise test track, playing into REW's RTA function (excuse the bump at 60 Hz - I always seem to get some mains buzz):

This doesn't address THD+N differences of course, but I don't see much difference in FR. I expected to see something going on around 14 kHz, but even there it looks pretty similar. If I'd measured two headphones that gave these readings, I'd conclude I'd measured the same headphone twice

This doesn't invalidate anybody else's listening tests though. Since the used codec never gets reported, it's possible that others, using other BT headphones or devices, may have even been switching between two completely different codecs when going from "Most Stable" to "Best Sound Quality" options. Just because you're connecting an aptX device doesn't mean you're using aptX - as my Aukey Latitude seem to repeatedly demonstrate for me.

It'd be nice to have something in the V30 firmware to report the BT connection type/quality.

 

[karloil]

Is the LG V30 a good replacement for my OPUS #1?

got to answer this in the other thread. don't get me wrong - i loved my #1! there's just something in its SQ that i truly adore!

the V30+ is a gem! i can simply do away with my DAPs....true enough, my DAPs and DAC/Amps are not getting that much airtime - so i started selling them off, including the #1. but then again, YMMV

 

[subguy812]

Just found the thread..

 

[oyobass]

Just found the thread..

I just found the thread last week. Hoping to pick up tips for my ZTE Axon 7 Mini spy machine. Hopefully what works for one inbuilt DAC works for another...

 

[james444]

@james444 - here's my first shot at measuring the XB10 output (DCT turned off) via its balanced connection to my SE846 with the blue trishd filter mod, Comply P-series foam tips, a Vibro Veritas coupler and @crinacle's periodic white noise test track, playing into REW's RTA function (excuse the bump at 60 Hz - I always seem to get some mains buzz):


This doesn't address THD+N differences of course, but I don't see much difference in FR. I expected to see something going on around 14 kHz, but even there it looks pretty similar. If I'd measured two headphones that gave these readings, I'd conclude I'd measured the same headphone twice

This doesn't invalidate anybody else's listening tests though. Since the used codec never gets reported, it's possible that others, using other BT headphones or devices, may have even been switching between two completely different codecs when going from "Most Stable" to "Best Sound Quality" options. Just because you're connecting an aptX device doesn't mean you're using aptX - as my Aukey Latitude seem to repeatedly demonstrate for me.

It'd be nice to have something in the V30 firmware to report the BT connection type/quality.

Thanks for the measurement! While I'm still pretty sure about that aptX HD bass roll-off on the V30 I tested (even double-checked, cause I had never encountered such a thing with A2DP before), I'm glad your measurement proves it's at least not a general issue. Mine was a European 64GB model btw, with the XB10 connected single ended to my IEMs. I'm planning to give the V30 another shot sometime, so this is actually good news...

If it's not too much to ask and if you have access to this track, could you please listen to "Empty White House" from Mica Levi's "Jackie" soundtrack on your XB10 and tell me if you hear occasional pops with AAC that disappear when you switch to aptX HD? I'm wondering whether I might have just tested a lemon V30 back then, and your unit might possibly exhibit none of the issues I heard with BT.