[LuminousMazim]

... BTW, seems like DSD is actually the real Audiophile-grade Hi-Res technology but as it is very inefficient in terms of file size it is not achieving acceptance within the streaming market that prefer size-efficient compressed technologies such as the common simple 320kbps formats or the new more sophisticated lossy compression method of MQA.
What are your impressions of the difference sound-wise between lossless FLAC vs MQA vs DSD (compared at more or less parallel sample rates & bit rates)? The debate between MQA and FLAC is long and full of opposite arguments, but how much ifna difference can one expect to hear when listening to DSD files?

At the end you need to ask yourself. Are you hear to listen to your equipment? Or to listen to music?

Couldn't agree more. I do maybe not have the highest end equipment to test the difference between hi-res on various formats so take my experience as a grain of salt.

For the last ten years, I jump into so-called "audiophile" the first thing i saw is format wars rabbit hole. mp3 vs flac can you tell the difference? At first i don't, but forum convince me otherwise. So i listen again, "critically" this time still can't find the difference. But I stuck with high res flac anyway to remove any bottleneck. There is a subtle difference after using a while when back to mp3/m4a, maybe because my ear already used to hear high-res so can hear the subtle difference.

Then, I found out about cd vs vinyl. But this time i can't hear the difference no matter what I try. The difference i hear is Just that needle crackling noise from vinyl. The next big thing is DSD, first impression is "WOW, i can hear everything" and then i found out it just loudness difference which leads me to loudness war rabbit hole.

And for the last 3 years, we have mqa vs old plain high-res debate. Is it snake oil? Is it revolutionary format? Is it cash grab by music industry? DRM? Again, because i want to hear the best version of music so i compare both of them, again.


All of that just leads me to question "what am i doing?" I buy headphones/speakers to listen to music not to compare file size to quality ratio or to look at frequency response about different format which I can barely hear the difference. I wasted so much time listening to test track, reading forum debate, looking at that fricking frequency response, without realizing that I can use that time to do something else or better yet, listen and ENJOYING music. Don't let me started with other things like "do cables matter?"


TLDR don't waste your time. My suggestion is just to buy good equipment since that is the biggest one which makes the difference and just enjoys the music. Use whatever platform/format you think is good enough for you, because in the end your ear is the final judges. Besides, good mastering more important rather than high-res format. Cheers.

 

[m-i-c-k-e-y]

Datasheets from ESS
V10 ES9018 + 9602
V20 ES9218
V30, G6, V40, G7, V50, G8, G8X ES9218p
V60 is ES9219

32bit 384Khz 2ch Test Track (wav)

 

[m-i-c-k-e-y]

I wasted so much time listening to test track, reading forum debate, looking at that fricking frequency response, without realizing that I can use that time to do something else or better yet, listen and ENJOYING music.

Ha ha ha! Same music all over....and then Aha! New test track!..then cycle continues...

TLDR don't waste your time. My suggestion is just to buy good equipment since that is the biggest one which makes the difference and just enjoys the music. Use whatever platform/format you think is good enough for you, because in the end your ear is the final judges. Besides, good mastering more important rather than high-res format. Cheers.

Totally agree with you Bro! Especially the last one.

I would personally take a well recorded, well mastered RedBook release any day over a mediocre HiRes release. It can be hard to know in advance which are well made, but some labels (such as Reference Recordings, and others) and producers (such as Steven Epstein, and others) specialize in releasing excellent, natural recordings.

Try One Mic Recordings from Sound Liaison and NativeDSD

 

[Dannemand]

Datasheets from ESS
V10 ES9018 + 9602
V20 ES9218
V30, G6, V40, G7, V50, G8, G8X ES9218p
V60 is ES9219

32bit 384Khz 2ch Test Track (wav)

I am not talking about the specs of the ES9218p, which we know goes to 384khz. I am talking about its implementation in LG Quad DAC phones. I'm sorry if that wasn't clear.

If you try to play the WAV file you linked in UAPP, it will refuse if set to Bit-perfect. If you disable Bit-perfect, it will down-sample to 352.8khz.

This may have changed in later Quad DAC phones. I can only test it on V30.

Again, I apologize for being a nitpick

 

[Dannemand]

Try One Mic Recordings from Sound Liaison and NativeDSD

I wasn't aware of those stores. That's serious!

Most of my listening is RedBook. And unfortunately I don't listen as much as I used to.

@INERTIA21: To follow up on my last response, if you are merely looking for test material, 2L has a bunch of well recorded tracks in various sample rates for free download, up to DXD 352.8khz and DSD256 as well as MQA.

http://www.2l.no/hires/

 

[m-i-c-k-e-y]

No problem Bro! We're (I'm) here to learn.

For High Def recordings NativeDSD is where to go. Large offerings. Upto DSD256 as original recording quality. Materials available upto DSD512 (upconverted).

Yeah an old trusted ripository of test tracks is 2L.

Yep different phones! My V50 has this and Bitperfect is On:

My old V20 has 192Khz on that test track me thinks...
oh well! What is important is to hear good music.

 

[Dannemand]

Yep different phones! My V50 has this and Bitperfect is On:

That's awesome. I'm glad to see LG's implementation has evolved, even before the ES9219 in V60 (which lost native DSD and MQA, as I understand).

Has anybody tested/confirmed if the old inability to play 16-bit through Direct path has changed in later models? That would be huge.

 

[Victorr]

Besides using Qobuz for streaming Hi-Res files (when available), where do you recommend I can find albums I want to purchase in Hi-Res PCM or DSD formats? I would like to experiment and train my listening ability.

https://www.highresaudio.com/en/site/index

 

[INERTIA21]

LG V40 both with bit-perfect on or disabled, seems same as LG V50.

Thanks for all the links and information!

 

[Dannemand]

Yep different phones! My V50 has this and Bitperfect is On:

LG V40 both with bit-perfect on or disabled, seems same as LG V50.

Could I ask you two which exact models you have and which OS versions you are on?

Your postings made me curious about which other changes LG may have made in the ES9218p codecs in those phones. If/when I get the time, I'll take a look at their kernels. Again if/when I get the time

 

[INERTIA21]

Could I ask you two which exact models you have and which OS versions you are on?

Your postings made me curious about which other changes LG may have made in the ES9218p codecs in those phones. If/when I get the time, I'll take a look at their kernels. Again if/when I get the time

LM-V405EB
Android 8.1.0

 

[m-i-c-k-e-y]

LM-V500EM
Android 9 Kernel: 4.14.83
FW: V10e-EEA-XX

 

[Dannemand]

Thank you, guys. So I assume following are your ROM versions.

LM-V405EB
Android 8.1.0

LM-V500EM
Android 9 Kernel: 4.14.83
FW: V10e-EEA-XX

We'll see if/when I get around to this. It's basically just curiosity on my part.

Last time I dug into these codecs it was to look for how the gain modes are implemented (NOT quite the way most people think, as there are only TWO modes in the DAC itself, with HiFi and Aux mode using the same, but with different caps on the analog volume control); And to look for clues to the fabled B&O vs Meridian tuning (which don't seem to be implemented in the codec). I posted about this here, among other places.

And I guess this is as far from the UAPP topic I should stray in this thread

 

[m-i-c-k-e-y]

More or less this one: https://lg-firmwares.com/downloads-file/21301/V500EM10e_00_1106

 

[Dannemand]

More or less this one: https://lg-firmwares.com/downloads-file/21301/V500EM10e_00_1106

Hmmm... I don't see the source code for 10e listed under V500EM. But maybe it's listed under a different model, that happens sometimes. 10e would imply 4 Pie updates since the original release 10a.

What does it say under Settings - About phone - Software info - Software version?

Thanks again.