[sebek]

If you connect something like the btr3k to a pc, can it be powered through that usb or does it still run off its own battery?

I've never used it on a PC but I think it works like when you use it on your smartphone as a USB DAC. It works with its own battery but you can put it in charge on mode and you will always have it charged.

 

[LaughMoreDaily]

I would look at the Meizu Hifi Dac which is cheap and should be almost on par with the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro.

Opinions, guys?

 

[dsoares]

Opinions, guys?

Meizu pro is similar to Sonata hd pro, both in power and in sound signature. The standard Meizu has reduced power, but that might not be a problem for you. Anyway, read the audiosciencereview and conclude for yourself.

 

[piji]

After a little bit of usage I think my insistence on hardware buttons was silly for phone usage, lol. The biggest problem, though, is walking around will constantly knock the USB slightly out of the phone's port and disconnect the device. It's super annoying.

 

[Nolbert0]

After a little bit of usage I think my insistence on hardware buttons was silly for phone usage, lol. The biggest problem, though, is walking around will constantly knock the USB slightly out of the phone's port and disconnect the device. It's super annoying.

How about a longer usb cable and a clip for your shirt/collar?

 

[piji]

How about a longer usb cable and a clip for your shirt/collar?

Seems like it'd be a pain since then you have a dangling USB cable and a dangling IEM cable. I don't think it would solve the issue since the problem is at the phone end anyway.

I wonder if those magnetic cables would work.

 

[Nolbert0]

Tucking the 'remote' cable (or usb in this case) under your shirt and having a short headphone cable out of the remote has always been a winning formula for me - for decades, in fact! But each to their own.

Magnetic cables would be even more of a nightmare in your pocket, imo. You're just adding more points of failure. Magnets can be very weak when force is applied in certain directions.

If a nackered USB port on the phone is the problem, Bluetooth might be your only sensible solution?

 

[piji]

Tucking the 'remote' cable (or usb in this case) under your shirt and having a short headphone cable out of the remote has always been a winning formula for me - for decades, in fact! But each to their own.

Magnetic cables would be even more of a nightmare in your pocket, imo. You're just adding more points of failure. Magnets can be very weak when force is applied in certain directions.

If a nackered USB port on the phone is the problem, Bluetooth might be your only sensible solution?

It's not really a broken port, it's just a matter of jostling whilst walking is enough to slightly unplug it. It's one of the few things I hate about USB type C - the dimensions of ports and plugs seem to vary so sometimes you get a device and cable that are nice and snug and other times a slight breeze will unplug it.

The cable under shirt is a no-go for me. I can't stand the feeling of it on my skin and an undershirt would be awful in 30-40 degree C weather

 

[sodesuka]

You won't have to worry about accidentally leaving sw volume at max on a dongle with hw buttons but hey everyone's got different use cases. I personally won't even look at $50-100 dongles with no HW buttons no exceptions, not worth the hassle.

Also if your use case is for walking or running then you probably don't want anything that's got cables or not integrated, and should take a look at DAPs or bluetooth modules instead.

 

[piji]

You won't have to worry about accidentally leaving sw volume at max on a dongle with hw buttons but hey everyone's got different use cases. I personally won't even look at $50-100 dongles with no HW buttons no exceptions, not worth the hassle.

Also if your use case is for walking or running then you probably don't want anything that's got cables or not integrated, and should take a look at DAPs or bluetooth modules instead.

I think a DAP is out of my price range and I'd rather not have another thing to stuff my pockets with. Between keys, wallet, and phone my pockets are bulging lol. I think getting something with bluetooth is going to be necessary if I want to keep listening to music on the go, unfortunately. Almost regretting buying a new phone without a jack now.

Also what do you mean about software volume and hardware buttons? Do devices without hardware buttons not keep separate volume like how when you plug in via a phone's headphone jack it changes the volume? I noticed it does that with my Link 2 and I just assumed that's a phone based thing.

 

[sodesuka]

software volume= your phone volume
hw buttons= your dongle own volume buttons

 

[piji]

software volume= your phone volume
hw buttons= your dongle own volume buttons

Obviously, but how do you accidentally leave the volume at max? And how would hardware buttons solve that better than just using the phone volume buttons? My hardware buttons and phone buttons both control the same volume and it remembers what the volume was. e.g. if I max my phone speaker out and then plug in the dongle it remembers that I had the dongle at 30% volume.
On my old phone it even remembers the difference between dongle volume, headphone jack volume, and phone speaker volume.

 

[sodesuka]

no clue my phone just sometimes don't remember device-specific volume and it just decides that randomly. obviously my use case doesn't represent all but neither do you, I just know what I experience so feel free to disregard it.

tbh, even if it's not a problem, not expecting $100 devices to have the least bit of user friendliness like hw button is just eh to me.

 

[Nolbert0]

It's not really a broken port, it's just a matter of jostling whilst walking is enough to slightly unplug it. It's one of the few things I hate about USB type C - the dimensions of ports and plugs seem to vary so sometimes you get a device and cable that are nice and snug and other times a slight breeze will unplug it.

The cable under shirt is a no-go for me. I can't stand the feeling of it on my skin and an undershirt would be awful in 30-40 degree C weather

Australia. Of course! My bad. It was 0 degrees in London today and didn't even consider it. Lol.

 

[Rence]

Obviously, but how do you accidentally leave the volume at max? And how would hardware buttons solve that better than just using the phone volume buttons? My hardware buttons and phone buttons both control the same volume and it remembers what the volume was. e.g. if I max my phone speaker out and then plug in the dongle it remembers that I had the dongle at 30% volume.
On my old phone it even remembers the difference between dongle volume, headphone jack volume, and phone speaker volume.

I have exactly the same issue with accidental disconnects on the go? What is the best way to use a Bluetooth DAC with aptx hd that can drive a Sony ier z1r?