[kawaivpc1]

The ultimate DAP! 550GB storage, 10,000mAh battery, features of Note 4, 32bit 382kHz / DSD, Wi-fi support!
 
This is how you can build a dream DAP based on Samsung Note 4!
 
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TOOLS NEEDED:
 
Samsung Note 4 Snapdragon Variant(Note 4, S4, and S5 have the best compatibility with portable USB DACs. It can run them without an external battery or a Y cable!) - Only snapdragon version can read 512 cards!
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-galaxy-note-4-4g-cell-phone-charcoal-black-at-t/8766009.p
 
10,000 mAh battery case for Note 4      - $60
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Q7C6FTA/
 
SanDisk 512GB SD card  - $599 (or a 256GB SD card  - $100)
http://www.adorama.com/IDSDSDXPA512.html
http://www.amazon.com/PNY-Elite-Performance-256GB-Speed/dp/B00FF90EZM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420454960&sr=8-1&keywords=pny+256gb+sd+card
 
MicroSD to SD adapter  -  $10
http://linitx.com/product/ablytech-sdmicro-to-sd-card-adapter/11922
 
USB Audio Player Pro or Hiby Music Player (Free) - $10
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.extreamsd.usbaudioplayerpro&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hiby.music
 
A portable DAC such as Geek Out 1000      -$299
http://www.amazon.com/Geek-Out-1000-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00JD0CV3M
 
A list of standard USB DAC reportedly interworking with the Android-powered smartphone Samsung Galaxy Note4:
stock Samsung Galaxy Note4 > digital USB audio out >> USB OTG cable (ID pin grounded) >> USB DAC >> amp >> headphones
http://goo.gl/gnmvuf
 
Recommended: Geek Out 1000, Meridian Explorer 2, Sony PHA-3, Oppo HA-2 (coming soon), Calyx F (coming soon), Chord Hugo, iBasso D55.
 
Geek Out works with Samsung Note series without an external battery or a Y cable!
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/711267/light-harmonic-geek-out-em-1000-impressions-thread/480

 
Samsung S4 + Meridian Explorer 1 DAC (works!!)

 
 
(Optional) If you need more than 512GB, you can try to use a 2TB Wi-Fi HDD. They work with cellphones.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Wireless-Portable-Built--STCK1000100/dp/B00AQRUW4Q/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1420453699&sr=8-3&keywords=wireless+hdd+2tb+seagate
 
http://www.amazon.com/Passport-Wireless-Mobile-Storage-WDBDAF0020BBK-NESN/dp/B00M9B4482/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420453724&sr=8-1&keywords=Western+digital+2tb+wireless
 
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You can simply put a 512GB SD card with an adapter inside the battery case of Note 4.
After that, you can start using USB Audio Player Pro or Hiby Music app to play music through a portable DAC!
 
This setup proved to be working fine and it will provide you with 10,000 mAh battery, 512GB + 32GB of storage, sound quality of a chosen portable DAC, and UI of Note 4!
 

 
 

 

 


 
 
 

 
 
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4/general/half-terabyte-phone-tank-phone-550gb-t2987826
 
 
This is much better and cheaper than AK240. It will provide you with more than 24 hours of playback! 
No external battery or Y cable is needed!  
There's no UI bug, size issue, SD card loading time issue, battery life issue, and sound quality issue.
 
Geek Out 1000 sounds nearly as good as AK240!   http://www.head-fi.org/t/746183/geek-out-1000-vs-ak240
This set up works fine for Galaxy S4 too:   http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/5865#post_11120441
FYI, Oppo HA-2 and Calyx F 32bit 382kHz portable DACs are coming within the next three months! http://audio-head.com/the-new-oppo-pm-3-and-ha-2-rmaf-2014/

 

[h1f1add1cted]

Good idea, this could be addtional with the great thread 'Android phones and USB DACs' http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs

You can mod with mostly all good Android phones, not only Samsung devices. For example not only my Samsung Galaxy S4 is a good pair with any USB DAC, the most Sony phones will do the job as well (like my Sony Xperia Z1 works fine too).
 
I know the PNY 256 GB SD card is cheap and great product, but this good card is not in all countries available (like in Germany), I recommend the Kingston Ultimate SDXC 256GB (which is priced at 170 Euros, which is for us a cheap deal). Since a while we also have the Transcend R95 SDXC 256GB (same pricing), but I have no experience if this cards works well without glitches.
 

 

[kawaivpc1]

  Good idea, this could be addtional with the great thread 'Android phones and USB DACs' http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs

You can mod with mostly all good Android phones, not only Samsung devices. For example not only my Samsung Galaxy S4 is a good pair with any USB DAC, the most Sony phones will do the job as well (like my Sony Xperia Z1 works fine too).
 
I know the PNY 256 GB SD card is cheap and great product, but this good card is not in all countries available (like in Germany), I recommend the Kingston Ultimate SDXC 256GB (which is priced at 170 Euros, which is for us a cheap deal). Since a while we also have the Transcend R95 SDXC 256GB (same pricing), but I have no experience if this cards works well without glitches.
 

Not all Android phones support USB Audio out or portable USB DACs. My current HTC Desire 816 doesn't work with either Geek Out or iBasso D55. Some of Android phones need an external battery or A Y cable. My Nexus 7 doesn't work perfectly well with Geek Out.
Samsung S and Note series are the ones which can work flawless with portable DACs. You don't have to use an external battery or a Y cable for this set up! It makes the whole thing more convenient. 
Also, this kind of battery case is mostly available for Samsung phones. For my HTC phone, there isn't a good battery case.

 

[h1f1add1cted]

I know USB DACs without a own battery is a little bit special, but I spoke in general about USB DACs. 

And yes the accessories are easier to find and you have more options in general for Samsung devices, thats true.

 

[kawaivpc1]

  I know USB DACs without a own battery is a little bit special, but I spoke in general about USB DACs. 

And yes the accessories are easier to find and you have more options in general for Samsung devices, thats true.

That's why Note 4 is the best for this mod. 10,000 mAh case is only available for Note 4.

 

[peterinvan]

Not all Android phones support USB Audio out or portable USB DACs. My current HTC Desire 816 doesn't work with either Geek Out or iBasso D55. Some of Android phones need an external battery or A Y cable. My Nexus 7 doesn't work perfectly well with Geek Out.
Samsung S and Note series are the ones which can work flawless with portable DACs. You don't have to use an external battery or a Y cable for this set up! It makes the whole thing more convenient. 
Also, this kind of battery case is mostly available for Samsung phones. For my HTC phone, there isn't a good battery case.

The Note-1 does not support USB digital audio. Tried in vain, but no work around?

 

[PChoon]

Wow... Just wow... this is a very good idea... if we are strapping the Chord Hugo or Aurender FLOW to the souped up Note 4... it could be the ultimate player!

 

[kawaivpc1]

The Note-1 does not support USB digital audio. Tried in vain, but no work around?

I recommend Note 4. Note 3 works but it has some UAPP bug. You'll have to reboot to make this set up work. Note 4 works just fine. I don't think older cellphones will work.

 

[davidcotton]

I love the fact that the same phone costs £599 over here in the uk vs $299 over there!

 

[jk47]

this looks really interesting!  i've got a dx90 and i'm already carrying around a note 4 as my phone.  the sd card idea is brilliant- i've got about 280gb of flac files so have a handful of microsd cards.  one big sd card that i don't have to fiddle with is much nicer. 
 
what kind of power output can you get out of this system?  what's the output impedance?  what kind of 'phones can you drive?

 

[kawaivpc1]

this looks really interesting!  i've got a dx90 and i'm already carrying around a note 4 as my phone.  the sd card idea is brilliant- i've got about 280gb of flac files so have a handful of microsd cards.  one big sd card that i don't have to fiddle with is much nicer. 

what kind of power output can you get out of this system?  what's the output impedance?  what kind of 'phones can you drive?

It depends on what DAC you choose. Note 4 can run the most of them without an external battery or a y cable.
If you choose to use Geek Out 1000, it will drive pretty much anything from IEM to demanding Audeze LCD headphones. Check specification of Geek Out 1000. Geek Out is recommended as its sound quality is great and it's flexible with driving phones or IEMs. Also, it's light and can be attached to Note 4 easily.

You will get abundant playing time with this setup.
I'm anticipating 12 hours of DSD playback. Normal Note 4 can play 3.5 hours of DSD files through Geek Out.
I believe it can play up to 24 hours of FLAC.

 

[kawaivpc1]

Remember that only Snap Dragon version of Note 4 can accept 512GB SD card. I think other versions can accept up to 256GB.

 

[jk47]

1.a  does the note 4 put out enough power via usb otg to run the geek out 1000? [i know the op says "yes" to this, but i want to make "double-sure

" before i spend the money.  any disadvantages to this?] one of the 2 posted reviews of the geekout specifically said the reviewer couldn't get the geekout to work via otg.  that poster was trying to use an external batter via y-cable.  i'm not sure what difference that would have made.
 
1.b  is the geekout450 easier to drive?  would it make a difference in this application?
 
2.  i know this is somewhat off-topic, or perhaps side-topic, but do people think the geekout is the best usb dac/amp for this application?  why/why not?
 
3.  alternatives to the geekout?  pros and cons?

 

[h1f1add1cted]

The iFi micro iDSD would a great paring for the Note 4 too, because with up to 4000mW output power and a tons of features and outstandin g DAC section and internal big battery it runs on other phones aswell: http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/5865#post_11120441

 

[kawaivpc1]

1.a  does the note 4 put out enough power via usb otg to run the geek out 1000? [i know the op says "yes" to this, but i want to make "double-sure " before i spend the money.  any disadvantages to this?] one of the 2 posted reviews of the geekout specifically said the reviewer couldn't get the geekout to work via otg.  that poster was trying to use an external batter via y-cable.  i'm not sure what difference that would have made.

1.b  is the geekout450 easier to drive?  would it make a difference in this application?

2.  i know this is somewhat off-topic, or perhaps side-topic, but do people think the geekout is the best usb dac/amp for this application?  why/why not?

3.  alternatives to the geekout?  pros and cons?

I have check this with a person who has both Geek Out 1000 and Note 4. Geek Out 1000 works on Note 4 without any problem at all. It works on Note 3 too but you will have to reboot UAPP to make it initialize Geek Out 1000. Note 3 and 4 can run Geek Out without any external gear than an OTG cable.
There's no loss in sound quality either. I have checked this too.

Geek Out 450 has less power than Geek Out 1000. If you're going to use IEM only, go for 450. If you want to use a full-sized headphone, choose Geek Out 1000.

As far as I know, Geek Out is the best. It sounds nearly as good as AK240. It supports 32bit 382khz PCM files and DSD files. The most important thing about Geek Out is its size.
It's small and light. It can hang on a phone without a problem. You don't need to strap it to hold it. It's light.
You'll be able to put this setup in your pocket.

The iFi audio iDSD sounds better than Geek Out, but it's bigger than usual cellphones and you can't carry this in a pocket.
For pure sound quality, you can get an iDSD.

Sony's PHA-3 has better sound quality than the above two, but it's expansive (999 dollars), bigger and thicker than a cellphone.
Someone confirmed that it works fine with Note 4.

if you don't like Geek Out, wait for Calyx F. So far, Geek Out can make it the most convenient portable player.