[gordec]

Note 9 is one of the best sounding cell phones out there. The biggest benefit is that it has a silent background even with my super sensitive westone ES60. Many dedicated daps cannot make that claim.

 

[verycoolalan]

Trying to use my AudioEngine D1 on the Note 9, worked on my OnePlus but the Note 9 won't power it on? What the heck?
Anybody got any ideas or should I ditch the phone and go to something else?

 

[BowWazoo]

Does someone knows, which version of the Note 9 was tested?
Exynos or Snapdragon?

https://m.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note9-review-1805p3.php

It would be very interesting to know if you can transfer the audio measurement results from one version to the other...

 

[FYLegend]

Does someone knows, which version of the Note 9 was tested?
Exynos or Snapdragon?

https://m.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note9-review-1805p3.php

It would be very interesting to know if you can transfer the audio measurement results from one version to the other...

They use Exynos for all their reviews.

The Chinese site Soomal measured Exynos too, including Bluetooth codecs, and stated that they personally prefer the sound of the Snapdragon S9. Note that their English translation has some sections like wired audio accidentally cut off, so here's the full Chinese article:
http://www.soomal.com/doc/10100008156.htm
English translation: http://eng.soomal.com/edoc/10100000286.htm

I still haven't seen a measurement of Snapdragon Note 9. I've only heard some users say it sounds worse than an Exynos S7 or something along those lines.

Android Authority, which uses Snapdragon, measured it but didn't actually put the results in the spreadsheet. They just ranked it at the very bottom of many of the categories and said they were all really close.
https://www.androidauthority.com/best-of-android-2018-best-sounding-phone-924393/

Anandtech tested Snapdragon and Exynos S10 and found the Exynos to be worse. They also make the broad assumption that it's been like this for quite sometime and people just feel like Qualcomm is inferior, so it might be that they tested Note 9 as well but didn't post the numbers. Part of this might be the fact that Samsung has swapped out the Maxim amplifier for a Cirrus Logic amp, although both variants seem to have this.

 

[BowWazoo]

Great, thanks for the info.
That helps me.

But did I understand correctly, that in the Exynos version a cirrus Logic amp was installed, while the Snapdragon version has a Maxim Amp?

Anyway...
Yesterday I compared the Note 9 (Exynos) with the FiiO X5 III for several hours. The headphones were the Quad era-1.
I could not find any significant difference...

 

[FYLegend]

I think both of them use Maxim amp, as Exynos S9 also says it uses Maxim, but sometimes the DAC + amp combo might not work out as well. Maybe the amp is only used for the speakers, I'm not sure. I just recall reading Samsung switching from Maxim to Cirrus for the S10.

PhoneArena didn't post output voltage for the Note 9, unfortunately, so I don't know how powerful the amp really is. For S9, it was still ~0.75V. I haven't been able to compare Note 9 output with other DACs at the moment, except Audioquest Dragonfly Black 1.5. On the Note 9 they're both about the same volume, with the Dragonfly being about 1-2 notches louder (yet, the Dragonfly is very loud off a Windows source). The bass might be a bit better controlled on the Dragonfly vs Note 9's headphone out though...

 

[BowWazoo]

Ok, thanks.

Today I tried to get the Ultrasone Naos running.
But it won't.
Tomorrow I will test the Oehlbach Bridge.
If this dac should not work too, I will buy a dragonfly

 

[gordec]

Note 9 sounds as good as the AK380. I'm not really kidding. For easy to drive IEMs, a good mobile phone dac may be all you need.

 

[Ike1985]

Right now I'm connecting my Chord Hugo2 audio DAC to my Note10+ directly via usb-c to micro-b cable and using various music apps to play music. The chain is like this: Phone --> USBC to microb cable--> hugo2 --> headphones Will I be able connect my DAC to my portable dex setup as well? I was considering a few possibilities:


1. USB c splitter: one end goes to the portable monitor the other to the DAC

2. Phone --> monitor--> hugo2. In this case the phone will connect to the monitor as normal, the audio data will transfer through the monitor to the Hugo2 and then to my headphones.


3. DeX station: it looks like the station has several outputs, would Ik be able to connect one of these to the DAC?

4. Monitor out via some other port to hugo2? Bear in mind I will need 1 USBc port for connecting the phone to the monitor and also another port for charging the monitor via portable battery pack, so if it is going to be some other port outputting the data to hugo2 then the monitor may have to have 3 ports.

 

[Ike1985]

Am I correct in assuming that this device would not work to connect my note10+ to the monitor AND hugo2 because the audio-out port on this splitter is analog not digital(the device has a DAC)?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MV667XT/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_Y3fZDbZXRV17P

 

[40lb]

@Ike1985 , to reply to your first post, I believe options 3 will be your best bet to try first. Some monitors have USB connections with them but it's whether or not the phone will pick up something connected to it. Not sure how a split will work.

Also I recommend stay away from third part devices like that. One if it's not the office I samsung product it'll drain the battery like crazy even plugged in. Two that adapter doesn't look like it do what you want. Normally if it's says a port is for charging it's meant only for that.

 

[TheUnknow]

Note 9 sounds as good as the AK380. I'm not really kidding. For easy to drive IEMs, a good mobile phone dac may be all you need.

Hard to believe that the Note 9 sounds similar to the AK380 when it can't even reach my Pro 6 Plus ...

 

[Ike1985]

@Ike1985 , to reply to your first post, I believe options 3 will be your best bet to try first. Some monitors have USB connections with them but it's whether or not the phone will pick up something connected to it. Not sure how a split will work.

Also I recommend stay away from third part devices like that. One if it's not the office I samsung product it'll drain the battery like crazy even plugged in. Two that adapter doesn't look like it do what you want. Normally if it's says a port is for charging it's meant only for that.

Can I power the DeX pad with a portable battery bank or must it be plugged in?

 

[40lb]

Can I power the DeX pad with a portable battery bank or must it be plugged in?

I don't have the dex pad so I'm not sure, how I see it is as long as the power and connection requirements are meet why wouldn't it.

 

[VideoWork]

Spoiler

turn off all improvements, and make a small correction. You will hear what Note 9 can do.
Tested on the Note 9(N9600 ) with Dunu 3001 pro