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Audio DAC question
- Thread starter TommyVee
- Start date
They don't sell the V20 in my country, so I can't speak from experience. But I would expect that you would hear more difference with higher quality inputs (either lossless or high bitrate lossy) than with lower bitrate sources. Indeed a significant effect of a good DAC and headphones may be that you notice more difference between high and low quality sources. But at the end of the day what matters is do you enjoy listening to it.
Headphones recommendations are a minefield, because people have different ears and different preferences. What is your preferred style (in ear, over ear, on ear)? What is your budget? What are you going to be listening to and where (a headphone that's ideal for critical listening alone in your living room may be utterly unsuitable for commuting on public transport)? What is your preferred sound signature (neutral, bass-heavy, V-shaped...)? One person's ideal can be another's nightmare, so if you are thinking of laying out significant money (by which I mean significant to you) then I'd recommend doing some research and some listening to work out what you like before spending.
Headphones recommendations are a minefield, because people have different ears and different preferences. What is your preferred style (in ear, over ear, on ear)? What is your budget? What are you going to be listening to and where (a headphone that's ideal for critical listening alone in your living room may be utterly unsuitable for commuting on public transport)? What is your preferred sound signature (neutral, bass-heavy, V-shaped...)? One person's ideal can be another's nightmare, so if you are thinking of laying out significant money (by which I mean significant to you) then I'd recommend doing some research and some listening to work out what you like before spending.
Napalm
Android Expert
SO few things.
1 of the lesser publicized bits that goes with the V20 is that there is an dedicated amp circuit that goes with the HIFI dac. So even with lower bit rate offerings - using a quality headphone there is a benefit with the cleaner, stronger signal to the headphones.
I use spotify on it's highest settings and it does sound better on the V20 than it does on other device I have tried. BUT - not as good as it sounds on other files I own. And that has everything to do with the compression rate and original sampling.
Now that said - I also just Jet Audio as my other player - and I play quite a few FLAC encoded files that are rips from other sources I have or in a few cased downloaded direct samples. So if you have something that is encoded from the studio direct to FLAC format in high bit rate (some classical music is put out this way now) or something ripped off a SACD or DVD-A for example you can get files encoded in the higher bitrates that will take full advantage of the DAC setup.
Finally the other main reason for the quad DAC on the mobile is for your videos that you take - you will notice that you can record things that have a fully surround sound stage from your phone. SOmething only the V20 does that I know of. Yes there are a few other things out there that use multiple mics - but most of them software encoded and combine into stereo sound.
As far as headphones it depends significantly on your listening preferences and environment. I will say the B & O buds that come with the V20 sound really good for what they are. Great range. Other devices I like and use - Grado SR80's this is an over ear open stage headphone. People around you will be able to hear them - and you will be able to hear bits of your environment with them. The sound quality and presence is impressive. Another closed ear bud I like is Shure ec3's is what i have and they are over 10 years old now - full range as the B and O but also 28db sound suppression due to the fit of the ear piece - they are made to be stage monitors - some bands use them.
Do not waste your money on Beats anything please. Grado, Sennheiser, and Koss make some good stuff - as does Sony. OH and other than cost there's nothing wrong with the other B&O offerings.
1 of the lesser publicized bits that goes with the V20 is that there is an dedicated amp circuit that goes with the HIFI dac. So even with lower bit rate offerings - using a quality headphone there is a benefit with the cleaner, stronger signal to the headphones.
I use spotify on it's highest settings and it does sound better on the V20 than it does on other device I have tried. BUT - not as good as it sounds on other files I own. And that has everything to do with the compression rate and original sampling.
Now that said - I also just Jet Audio as my other player - and I play quite a few FLAC encoded files that are rips from other sources I have or in a few cased downloaded direct samples. So if you have something that is encoded from the studio direct to FLAC format in high bit rate (some classical music is put out this way now) or something ripped off a SACD or DVD-A for example you can get files encoded in the higher bitrates that will take full advantage of the DAC setup.
Finally the other main reason for the quad DAC on the mobile is for your videos that you take - you will notice that you can record things that have a fully surround sound stage from your phone. SOmething only the V20 does that I know of. Yes there are a few other things out there that use multiple mics - but most of them software encoded and combine into stereo sound.
As far as headphones it depends significantly on your listening preferences and environment. I will say the B & O buds that come with the V20 sound really good for what they are. Great range. Other devices I like and use - Grado SR80's this is an over ear open stage headphone. People around you will be able to hear them - and you will be able to hear bits of your environment with them. The sound quality and presence is impressive. Another closed ear bud I like is Shure ec3's is what i have and they are over 10 years old now - full range as the B and O but also 28db sound suppression due to the fit of the ear piece - they are made to be stage monitors - some bands use them.
Do not waste your money on Beats anything please. Grado, Sennheiser, and Koss make some good stuff - as does Sony. OH and other than cost there's nothing wrong with the other B&O offerings.
^^^That was so succinct^^^
Finally a simple explanation.
Finally a simple explanation.
Napalm
Android Expert
OH FYI there's a High quality FLAC file on the phone when you get it. If you open the LG player you will see a file already in que that I think is called Life's Good. IT's an instrumental and it's encoded direct into 192Khz sample rate, stereo, 32bit
If you don't have any other file to compare to - listen to that and any other Mpd or FLAC file you happen to own and you should easily hear the difference it quality, clarity, depth of tone, and overall smoothness.
IE - listen to how clear and defined the cello is vs as the other instruments come into the stage. ALL of them have similar clarity of tone and signature - you can pick them all out. In a lower quality mp3 you won't get that same WOW factor.
I'll warn you though - like most issues of senses - not everyone can hear that. Hell not all headphones can reproduce it either - but let's say you have good cans. Not everybody really hears full 20hz to 20000 hz sound frequency range - let alone to 12000. Over tones and undertones of a solid note off a string instrument or a woodwind aren't always replicable but with a quality FLAC recording - like it's SACD counterpart - you atleast have a chance of it making the recording. SOmething CD didn't do and MP3 often CAN't DO.
What I'm babbling about: If you were to have say an Amalfi Violin and a cheapo depo violin and on both you played a solid well tuned A- 440 note. A is the name of scale designation but 440 is the hz of the sound frequency. Now with the right resonance the Amalfi will also generate a 880, 1760 and often a 220 hz over and undertones to go with it - hence the round full sound that comes with. The cheapo depo violin might only replicate the 880 over tone to go with.
But upon recording without a quality microphone you may not get everything the amalfi offers - worse when digitized for CD some of that gets clipped out. Now this happens more when you have a full orchestral arrangement or hell even a 4 person combo. The more tones the more notes per second the more of the sample that it used - and other stuff that doesn't make the sample in that one instant in time. So the Higher the sample rate the more of that sound profile you will have a chance to record - and thus later replicate. Quality speakers and amplifiers exist so replication isn't an issue if the effort was put in but not all digital recordings are the same and worse even if recorded transferring from digits out to an analog signal (WHAT the DAC does) might not always carry all the bits either.
Now I'm greatly simplifying how it works there's complicated math involved and the like but hopefully this explains why it's a nifty feature that gets overlooked by many.
If you don't have any other file to compare to - listen to that and any other Mpd or FLAC file you happen to own and you should easily hear the difference it quality, clarity, depth of tone, and overall smoothness.
IE - listen to how clear and defined the cello is vs as the other instruments come into the stage. ALL of them have similar clarity of tone and signature - you can pick them all out. In a lower quality mp3 you won't get that same WOW factor.
I'll warn you though - like most issues of senses - not everyone can hear that. Hell not all headphones can reproduce it either - but let's say you have good cans. Not everybody really hears full 20hz to 20000 hz sound frequency range - let alone to 12000. Over tones and undertones of a solid note off a string instrument or a woodwind aren't always replicable but with a quality FLAC recording - like it's SACD counterpart - you atleast have a chance of it making the recording. SOmething CD didn't do and MP3 often CAN't DO.
What I'm babbling about: If you were to have say an Amalfi Violin and a cheapo depo violin and on both you played a solid well tuned A- 440 note. A is the name of scale designation but 440 is the hz of the sound frequency. Now with the right resonance the Amalfi will also generate a 880, 1760 and often a 220 hz over and undertones to go with it - hence the round full sound that comes with. The cheapo depo violin might only replicate the 880 over tone to go with.
But upon recording without a quality microphone you may not get everything the amalfi offers - worse when digitized for CD some of that gets clipped out. Now this happens more when you have a full orchestral arrangement or hell even a 4 person combo. The more tones the more notes per second the more of the sample that it used - and other stuff that doesn't make the sample in that one instant in time. So the Higher the sample rate the more of that sound profile you will have a chance to record - and thus later replicate. Quality speakers and amplifiers exist so replication isn't an issue if the effort was put in but not all digital recordings are the same and worse even if recorded transferring from digits out to an analog signal (WHAT the DAC does) might not always carry all the bits either.
Now I'm greatly simplifying how it works there's complicated math involved and the like but hopefully this explains why it's a nifty feature that gets overlooked by many.