[Claypole]

My current phone is an old iPhone 6 Plus, which I believe was the last iPhone to have a 3.5mm headphone jack. Whilst I do prefer to use my Fiio M6 for listening to music, the iPhone does sound very good.

My phone is now in need of upgrading, and it seems most new phones now come without a 3.5mm jack, and unless you want to use wireless headphones, you need to buy an adapter, which is essentially a DAC, amplifier and a 3.5mm jack.

Some current phones still have the headphone jack, but this convenience wouldn’t be much use if the sound quality is lacking, which is often the case with mobiles. So, I’m wondering, are decent dongles available, for both iPhones and Android, or am I better off with a 3.5mm jack built into a phone? I believe Sony still provid jacks on some of their phones, but am unsure of their SQ.

Any suggestions? I’m not expecting something that sounds better than my Fiio M6, or iPhone 6, but something at least half decent?

 

[megabigeye]

Yes, there are DAC dongles for both Android and Apple. AudioQuest DragonFly, E1DA 9038S, Tempotec Sonata HD Pro are just a few off the top of my head. There are also Bluetooth solutions, like the FiiO BTR5, Qudelix 5K, Radsone EarStudio ES100 that also sound surprisingly good.
Also, LG's V series of phones allegedly sound very good.

 

[HipHopScribe]

Dongles are a good option, there are lots of good ones out there. If you want a phone with a headphone jack, the LG V60 is the best 2020 phone in terms of sound quality because of the built-in ESS Sabre DAC (older LGs like the G8, G8x, V50, V40 are also options with ESS Sabre DACs)

 

[Claypole]

Thanks for the replies, I'm thinking I would probably be better off choosing a phone that suits my needs generally, and then using a dongle.

The LG V60 may well sound great, but I have my doubts as to whether it would sound much better than my M6. Not enough to warrant that kind of cost, anyway...

 

[megabigeye]

You may also just check out the iPhone dongle, which I believe a lot of people think is great if you're only driving IEMs/efficient headphones.

 

[buke9]

The only problem I’ve had with dongles with a phone is for me they don’t last too long if using them on the go or at work (construction) where I have to move . The EarStudio ES100 is a great little device with tons of power when needed eq if desired and does phone calls well and a ambient mode that lets you hear your surroundings as much or little as you want and like 14 hours of battery life. Has a app for your phone to adjust all of that and more.

 

[megabigeye]

The only problem I’ve had with dongles with a phone is for me they don’t last too long if using them on the go or at work (construction) where I have to move . The EarStudio ES100 is a great little device with tons of power when needed eq if desired and does phone calls well and a ambient mode that lets you hear your surroundings as much or little as you want and like 14 hours of battery life. Has a app for your phone to adjust all of that and more.

Agreed. My DFR didn't last as long as it could've because it was under stress from being attached to the phone and being in my pocket. It also caused at least one USB adapter to fail for the same reason.
The BTR5 sounds great and doesn't put any stress on the USB socket. I wouldn't recommend the BTR5 for other reasons, but it does sound good.