Can S7 Edge root disable native android audio upsampling? - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Questions and Answers

Now that the US versions of S7E are rootable, can the native audio upsampling for all apps like bandcamp, youtube, stitcher and other apps be disabled for output via micro-b to a DAC? This would be my main reason for rooting since NOVA launcher does all the customization I need.
Sent from my SM-G935T using XDA-Developers mobile app

I was under the impression that you circumnavigate the internal processing when using the micro port thus enabling an external DAC to do the number crunching (and even provide galvanic isolation depending on device used?
I have the Exynos version (Wolfson co-developed DAC). Sound quality is very decent through headphone out.

drummerman said:
I was under the impression that you circumnavigate the internal processing when using the micro port thus enabling an external DAC to do the number crunching (and even provide galvanic isolation depending on device used?
I have the Exynos version (Wolfson co-developed DAC). Sound quality is very decent through headphone out.
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This is only true if you use the UAPP app, any other apps; bandcamp, youtube, spotify, etc will be upsampled.
Sent from my SM-G935T using XDA-Developers mobile app

Related

improve audio without root?

Guys there is a way to improve audio notes 4 without root permissions? I tried poweramp and jetaudio set, but I'm really sad, use well xiami piston 2 but the results are mediocre
if you use stock music and video apps you could consider using adapt sound.
it is an extra "equalizer" that lets you test your ears and audio equipment, and compensate for any shortcomings.
it is built into all recent samsung devices.
thedicemaster said:
if you use stock music and video apps you could consider using adapt sound.
it is an extra "equalizer" that lets you test your ears and audio equipment, and compensate for any shortcomings.
it is built into all recent samsung devices.
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Click to collapse
ok, but does not improve the power, hope note note 5 is not so mediocre
it actually also boosts volume a bit when in use(unless you use very bad headphones/speakers)

No Bluetooth Apt-X HD support for GS7E

Just found out no Apt-X HD for S7E.
http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/what-is-aptx-hd
I was thinking of getting the LG tone platinum and Apt-x HD is one of its selling points. Apparently the new LG phones will have it.
You would think since Qualcomm owns the technology we would have it in our phones or at least the Qualcomm versions.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
TBH, I would not worry or make it a buying point of a phone. The codec sounds good (although unnecessary for wireless listening and most probably inflated) but with the compression required over BT there is always going to be a trade off.
If you want good fidelity listening then a phone and Bluetooth cans is not the way to go anyway.
Oh and on top of that, after a quick search I could only find a single pair of headphones that allegedly support it which were on Amazon and no reviews about them etc...
chippyuk said:
TBH, I would not worry or make it a buying point of a phone. The codec sounds good (although unnecessary for wireless listening and most probably inflated) but with the compression required over BT there is always going to be a trade off.
If you want good fidelity listening then a phone and Bluetooth cans is not the way to go anyway.
Oh and on top of that, after a quick search I could only find a single pair of headphones that allegedly support it which were on Amazon and no reviews about them etc...
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As an audio engineer, and music composer who works with various forms of audio codecs, the difference between 16 and 24 bit in .wav files is almost unnoticeable, and that's with proper studio equipment. That's not to undermine that with apt x the extra headroom might provide a higher quality stream, but for streaming to your colored car audio system, regular old aptX is 100% fine.
I was hoping for more headroom in the dynamic range with Apt-x HD and now with the lackluster wired headphone performance on the SGE7. It's just a bit of a letdown
I ordered the SanDisk 200 gig. The goal was to finally replace my Ipod Classic 160.
Thanks for your input.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
I have Bluetooth UHQ on the S7 activated and paired with Samsung Level One Pro that support the Bluetooth UHQ. It does sound better but needs more resources.
Shame, no 2016's technologies, no Quick Charge 3.0, no Apt-X HD, no USB Type-C... and you know what ? S8 will have all of this but the S8 will not have the 2017's technologies so , no very mega Quick Charge 4.0, no Apt-X Ultra HD, no USB Type-D . Ok I trolled the last phrase, but maybe my troll will be realistic.
minoch said:
Just found out no Apt-X HD for S7E.
http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/what-is-aptx-hd
I was thinking of getting the LG tone platinum and Apt-x HD is one of its selling points. Apparently the new LG phones will have it.
You would think since Qualcomm owns the technology we would have it in our phones or at least the Qualcomm versions.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
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I had the LG Tone which are identical minus the "HD". Nothing special TBH. I hope the new version is better!
Does the Exynos supports apt-x?
Update : yes, it does But does it support aptx HD?
It doesn't support Aptx-HD, then again, I don't think there is any current headset that do.
calm your tits
For get apt-x HD, the only important part is APT-X itself.
This is already CD quality with no lags (almost), HD is 8 bit more yes, but you most likly not even notice the difference between 16 and 24 bit.
well if youre an audio professional you might be able to tell the difference, true but this is a science on its own.
but for this you need capable equipment and the audiosource too.
both you probably aint gonna have mobile neither do you really need it.
the HD addition is in first line a marketing thing, and given that there only a handful , and i mean literally a handful, useable mobile apt-x headphones and headsets out there it wont matter at all. hell the best around ear set unter 500$ is sennheiser which means it looks very grim for high soundquality mobile devices anyway.
important is only that apt-x finally get distributed and lets hope headset and phone manufacturer finally put it in by default. then again most wont profit much due to their poor builds anyway - looking at bose here
btw those heaedset that already support HD - forget it. they may technically able to transfer the data but their audio hardware including drivers wont cut it to really use it
minoch said:
Just found out no Apt-X HD for S7E.
I was thinking of getting the LG tone platinum and Apt-x HD is one of its selling points. Apparently the new LG phones will have it.
You would think since Qualcomm owns the technology we would have it in our phones or at least the Qualcomm versions.
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Click to collapse
Honestly mate, APTX HD is a complete waste of time on a phone, and probably on anything. The ONLY thing 24 bits are going to do is give you a lower noise floor. Let me say that again, so that it sinks in. The ONLY thing 24 bits is going to give you is a lower noise floor. That's it, period.
But since 16 bits already gives you a 96dB s/n ratio, that means that at any sensible listening levels, the noise is *way* below ambient background noise (unless you are listening at high volume in a perfectly silent room).
Then there's the small matter of the phone's electronics which perhaps produce more than -96dB of noise anyway, not that you can hear -96dB noise in any real world listening environment.
24 bit is a waste of time for consumer audio. For studio work and multiple overdubs, then yes perhaps. Other than that, it's all snake oil.
Im going from an s5, that has the aptx codec (not aptx hd from what i read), to a exynos s7, that doesn't have aptx. My question is, will the difference in sound quality be noticeable? My bt headphones aren't nothing special and are cheap (mpow swift) but they do support aptx and i have been happy with the sound quality using my s5, so i was wondering if i will notice any difference.
griffin_1 said:
Im going from an s5, that has the aptx codec (not aptx hd from what i read), to a exynos s7, that doesn't have aptx. My question is, will the difference in sound quality be noticeable? My bt headphones aren't nothing special and are cheap (mpow swift) but they do support aptx and i have been happy with the sound quality using my s5, so i was wondering if i will notice any difference.
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There's plenty of reasonably high-end and well regarded headphones that don't support aptx, and yet some cheapies that do. Conclusion: if it's not a critical for the high-end headphones, then you shouldn't miss it with your "nothing special" headphones.
S7 Edge (US version, Snapdragon) on Android 7 (Nougat) had always aptX support, besides the native Samsung UHQ HD audio. Actually every phone with Snapdragon that I have tested (Motorola) had aptX since Qualcomm bought off CSR plc in 2015. Tested personally with Developer Mode, Bluetooth HCI Snoop log and decoded with Wireshark on PC.
And now, with Android 8 (Oreo) gained LDAC support too (Sony), thanks to Google. See the attached pic.
PS: The difference between codecs can be appreciated only when playing FLAC files.

HIfI option, why does standard sound better than super ( various headphones )?

I own a few expensive headphones and IEM's that cost more than this phone.. Why does SUPER ALWAYS sound worse than standard in the hifi sound option? Super sounds muffled on every earpiece I used.. Its like its backwards or something..
so is standard the snapdragon DaC and Super is AKM dac? Or is both AKM? Mostly bought this phone for its audio capabilities, I ride over 100 miles a week on a cycle and always tune out.
HELP!!!
velvethammer said:
I own a few expensive headphones and IEM's that cost more than this phone.. Why does SUPER ALWAYS sound worse than standard in the hifi sound option? Super sounds muffled on every earpiece I used.. Its like its backwards or something..
so is standard the snapdragon DaC and Super is AKM dac? Or is both AKM? Mostly bought this phone for its audio capabilities, I ride over 100 miles a week on a cycle and always tune out.
HELP!!!
Click to expand...
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Also interested in the answer to this, I thought I was going insane as on my custom IEMS standard sounds better than super which seems muffled but if I swap to a pair of cheaper earphones then super gives better results.
Want to know what each of these modes do in terms of DAC or filter being used?
Super sounds waayyyyy better than default on my A2017G using OnePlus Icons.
I should know as a music producer and audiophile.
The sound is a lot deeper and thicker. Also the bass is a lot cleaner and the high frequencies are also more clear and less 'dull'
keessonnema said:
Super sounds waayyyyy better than default on my A2017G using OnePlus Icons.
I should know as a music producer and audiophile.
The sound is a lot deeper and thicker. Also the bass is a lot cleaner and the high frequencies are also more clear and less 'dull'
Click to expand...
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I'd like to know how others are finding the difference between standard and super headset hifi. Pls also post what earphones/headphones you are using for this.
For me, JH Roxannes and Sony EX1000 sound better with standard. If I use Westone UM30 pro then the opposite effect, super sound better.
I can't believe the phone can tell the difference between 2 earphones and would change super and standard accordingly.
beyerdynamics custom one pro.
no dolby.
with super the instruments sound a lot clearer (except for the increased volume in bass frequencies) as in i hear every single vibration of an instrument. e.g. when a hi hat is hit i audibly "see" how it swings.
I don't use dolby either but standard sounds better on my Roxannes than super. Same effects as you experience but on standard vs super. Highs/Mids/Bass sound clearer in standard. Super sounds muffled in comparison and bass is increased but muddy.
Unless standard and Super are reversed on the chinese version A2017?
May be my earlier post in other thread can help to answer to your question regarding DAC.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/how-to/stock-music-player-t3474463/post69069304#post69069304
The only thing is not clear yet is the analog part. I suppose that it is in separated, already not named chip and both DACs drive same amplifier. The volume difference between Standard and Super would be because of different analog signal level. It is my opinion but either I can imagine that it is on purpose indicating that something happened.
Why do you hear standard sounds better than Super? I don't know. I checked how standard sounds (good) but I always use super mode.
I brought this up in a previous thread, glad it's still being discussed.
One issue lies in confirmation bias. Anyone doing testing on their own and knowingly switching between Standard and Super could have psychologically skewed the results. Since the software named one setting "Super", the weight of average users opinions may bias towards that. The only way to truly test it would be to have a full blind test done.
Since even I don't want to bother anyone to help me set up such an involved test, I did some rudimentary testing with my Shure SRH840, Sony 7506, and Triple Fi 10. I'm finding that Super increases the overall volume, as well as increasing mid-bass response and some treble.
I have an unsubstantiated theory on this. First, Super setting could be a sales tactic equalizer designed to "wow" the average consumer. It's a well known audio industry strategy that preys on the human brain's tendency to rate slightly louder audio sources as higher in quality.
Secondly, this setting could be designed to give perceived improvements using low quality headphones. The fact that several of us observe increased mid-bass and treble, areas that cheap headphones sometimes severly lack, may be an indicator. Let's not forget that in the box, the Axon comes with a cheap set of headphones that are many buyers' first audio experience on this phone, which ZTE would want to leave an impression.
If this is true, it makes sense that many of us with higher end headphones with more accurately balanced frqeuency response would find the Super setting to be inferior in use. Again, none of my claims can be confirmed unless professional testing equipment and a blind test method is used.
I remain skeptical in regards to questions of this setting toggling between a Snapdragon DAC and a Axon specific Hi-fi DAC. When quickly switching between Standard and Super, there's virtually no pause in the audio playback, with linear fade outs and fade ins. It seems odd that if the phone was truly switching between sending the audio to two different hardware chips, a more prominent pause in audio playback should occur.
So is it true that you cannot use Dolby and process audio using the AKM DAC at the same time? I read that somewhere, you can use either one or the other
trace1er said:
So is it true that you cannot use Dolby and process audio using the AKM DAC at the same time? I read that somewhere, you can use either one or the other
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I believe that's not true, it may have come about from Poweramp users. If DVC is disabled in Poweramp then Dolby can be used. I assume that Poweramp uses the AKM dac.
I'm curious how the Axon 7 is setup. If only the AKM dac is enabled or if the S820 dac is also enabled. I can't work out if or how to switch between them. If there is any way to show which dac is in use that would be great as it's all guessing right now.
Kantana said:
I believe that's not true, it may have come about from Poweramp users. If DVC is disabled in Poweramp then Dolby can be used. I assume that Poweramp uses the AKM dac.
I'm curious how the Axon 7 is setup. If only the AKM dac is enabled or if the S820 dac is also enabled. I can't work out if or how to switch between them. If there is any way to show which dac is in use that would be great as it's all guessing right now.
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This would be a good thing. Wonder if there's an app to do it, or possible to make one.
Kantana said:
. ... if the S820 dac is also enabled.
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It isn't.
obladi64 said:
It isn't.
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If that's the case then no concern over super vs standard. Both modes use the AKM dac and the difference being heard is software/filters/dsp being applied
We could push the argument to say that standard is the pure output out of the dac with no coloration being added so no surprise this sounds most transparent, clear with decent earphones.
Super would be for lower quality earphones to add back elevated bass/highs so artificially compensating for hardware defecits.
Kantana said:
If that's the case then no concern over super vs standard. Both modes use the AKM dac and the difference being heard is software/filters/dsp being applied
We could push the argument to say that standard is the pure output out of the dac with no coloration being added so no surprise this sounds most transparent, clear with decent earphones.
Super would be for lower quality earphones to add back elevated bass/highs so artificially compensating for hardware defecits.
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Click to collapse
Not at all.
I've tested with several headphones and the super settings adds a lot more depth. Default sounds a bit flat. Not in terms of bass or treble, but widening, clearance, and especially the low-end sounds a lot muddier.
Kantana said:
If that's the case then no concern over super vs standard. Both modes use the AKM dac and the difference being heard is software/filters/dsp being applied
We could push the argument to say that standard is the pure output out of the dac with no coloration being added so no surprise this sounds most transparent, clear with decent earphones.
Super would be for lower quality earphones to add back elevated bass/highs so artificially compensating for hardware defecits.
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Click to collapse
Not exatly. If you use flat mode there is no colorisatin in both. As I know 4491 is not able to oversample and convert 16 or 24 bit to 32. 4490 is able to. It should make sound better theoretically. Beyond these 4490 has many switchable filter option. Don't mix it with DSP. Usually it is called soft or sharp mode etc mode. Unfortunately ZTE doesn't make it availabe for user and I don't know what is the default selected option but difference between these option is so tiny that you can judge just after long term listening if you can at all.
Kantana said:
I don't use dolby either but standard sounds better on my Roxannes than super. Same effects as you experience but on standard vs super. Highs/Mids/Bass sound clearer in standard. Super sounds muffled in comparison and bass is increased but muddy.
Unless standard and Super are reversed on the chinese version A2017?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Something is wrong with your phone in particular. Reset it or send it back.
I saw a friend with Axon 7 dealing with exact same issue.
I got mine and its working like its supposed to. Super enhances the sound and dolby gives the open dynamics.
Kantana said:
If that's the case then no concern over super vs standard. Both modes use the AKM dac and the difference being heard is software/filters/dsp being applied
We could push the argument to say that standard is the pure output out of the dac with no coloration being added so no surprise this sounds most transparent, clear with decent earphones.
Super would be for lower quality earphones to add back elevated bass/highs so artificially compensating for hardware defecits.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not both mode use AKM DAC but use different type of AKM DAC. 4490 is more enhanced than standard 4691. 4490 can oversample and convert bit depth but I already said it in earlier post. There is no software trick to make it "better" on cheap headphones. A7 was made for audiophiles too, why would they have done that? For this purpose a tone control would have been enough. I suggest to check how another A7 phones sound, may be yours has problem.
Otherwise today I listen music in standard mode too. Comparison was a bit difficult because I cannot set same volume level. The difference is 1.5 click between two mode. Never mind my intension was and long term test. I played only CD quality music and there is no question about that both DAC sound very good but differently. Standard sounds like typical CD player. It is a typical sterile digital sound. The Super is full with air and space. Everything is more clear and enjoyable. It sounds analog way. After this I don't know whether is it worth to compare with HD audio record too?
Now that would be a surprise to me as I saw AK4490 was used as DAC for playback but AK4961 was used as ADC for recording. I never considered they would have both wired for standard n super.
Where can we find supporting documents for these 2 modes since even manual skips on details and just says you can change it within headset hifi?
Kantana said:
Now that would be a surprise to me as I saw AK4490 was used as DAC for playback but AK4961 was used as ADC for recording. I never considered they would have both wired for standard n super.
Where can we find supporting documents for these 2 modes since even manual skips on details and just says you can change it within headset hifi?
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4691 is ADC and DAC in one chip while 4490 is only DAC. I haven't found well detailed document. All you can do in this question is that you read ZTE and AKM releases carefully. Also you can find some detail on site like Android Authority or Youtube etc.
obladi64 said:
4691 is ADC and DAC in one chip while 4490 is only DAC. I haven't found well detailed document. All you can do in this question is that you read ZTE and AKM releases carefully. Also you can find some detail on site like Android Authority or Youtube etc.
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From ZTE site, it looks confusing:
Playback
Sound Playback Codecs: Dolby Atmos® + Dolby Digital Plus (7+1 Surround Sound)
Sampling Frequency: 384 kHz
THD+N: '112dB
S/N: 120 dB
Recording
Channel: 3 channel (HiFi),1 channel (VAD)
Resolution: 32 bit as per spec (24 bit as per performance)
Sampling Frequency: 96 kHz
MIC max input: 2.02 Vpp
S/N ADC: 102 dB
Conference Mode
Directional Recording: Dimensional and Omni Directional
Recording Range: Up to 7 meters (approximately 23 feet)
Dedicated Audio Chipset: AKM 4961 + 4490
- 4961 - HiFi main chipset to provide HiFi and recording features
- 4490 - Independent amplifier to enhance HiFi playback (AK380)
It makes it sound like 4961 is dac and 4490 is the amp. At least for the conferencing, for playback it only mentions the dolby which is software. It also adds (AK380) to the line mentioning 4490!

high quality audio?

on samsung's website they say this, does it mean that it had a better DAC?
abdelha said:
on samsung's website they say this, does it mean that it had a better DAC?
Click to expand...
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I don't know much about audio, that jargon does make it sound good though. Hopefully it translates to high quality sounding music.
It can be high quality processed but the sound may still be not so great. The s7 edge I had had horrible headphone output. At this point, I may consider Bluetooth headsets to overcome Samsung crappy dac
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
I'm wondering if it's a reference to this technology: http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/...quality-tech-will-upscale-any-audio-to-32-bit
Wenbinbin2010 said:
I'm wondering if it's a reference to this technology: http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/...quality-tech-will-upscale-any-audio-to-32-bit
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Matches up completely with the Samsung info so looks like it. Hopefully it'll sound good enough. At least they are including better earphones this time. Won't replace the ones I already have but it's nice all the same.
abdelha said:
on samsung's website they say this, does it mean that it had a better DAC?
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Click to collapse
DAC is sound hardware which enhance the clarify and quality of audio, Mention by Samsung website is playable format and bit rate which has nothing to do with high quality audio or DAC
Find more info on DAC here : http://www.ubergizmo.com/what-is/dac/
onlinejobwork said:
DAC is sound hardware which enhance the clarify and quality of audio, Mention by Samsung website is playable format and bit rate which has nothing to do with high quality audio or DAC
Find more info on DAC here : http://www.ubergizmo.com/what-is/dac/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but higher bit rate means better quality...
abdelha said:
but higher bit rate means better quality...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If bit rate is higher but audio chip is poor or not DAC than audio output is poor or not so great even if it high sampling rate , but is sound coming through DAC than Audio quality is much better than higher bit rate with normal or non DAC audio chip, Source need to be superior quality than medium itself
I'm not sure what you mean by "non DAC audio chip"? A DAC is a Digital to Analogue Converter (inverse of an ADC), so to convert digital music to sound there needs to be a DAC in the circuit somewhere. Absolutely true that there are different qualities of decoder, converter and amplifier, and you should not mistake specs for quality (a common error in other components, and actively encouraged by marketing), but all 3 elements will be present in any audio output circuit, whether the manufacturer draws attention to them or not.
Large Hadron said:
I'm not sure what you mean by "non DAC audio chip"? A DAC is a Digital to Analogue Converter (inverse of an ADC), so to convert digital music to sound there needs to be a DAC in the circuit somewhere. Absolutely true that there are different qualities of decoder, converter and amplifier, and you should not mistake specs for quality (a common error in other components, and actively encouraged by marketing), but all 3 elements will be present in any audio output circuit, whether the manufacturer draws attention to them or not.
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btw if you are not sure as you asked, let me clarify when I said "non DAC audio chip" I was actually tried to say " normal DAC" instead of Upgraded Quad DAC which is the first in the world and introduced with LG V20 and now in LG G6, in the case of S8 this is Normal (not non) DAC Audio chip, more info translated below:
'LG G6', Upgraded Quad DAC to get a music enthusiast
LG Electronics will upgrade its next-generation premium smartphone 'LG G6' with a quad DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter). The new Quad DAC is supplied by ESS, a company specializing in high-performance audio chipsets.
The new quad DAC features fine control of left and right sound, enhancing sound balance and reducing noise.
,the more the sound distortion and noise are reduced more effectively, resulting in a clean sound quality. The quad DACs implement four DACs on a single chip, reducing the size by a factor of four and noise by up to 50% when using one DAC.
The new quad DAC applied to the 'LG G6' effectively controls the left and right earphones separately to control the left and right earphones separately. Also, by adjusting the balance of sound, listeners can feel the stereoscopic feeling of listening to music directly at the concert scene, Get rid of noise and deliver vivid impression
The LG G6 eliminates noise from loud as well as loud sounds, providing crisp, clean sound.
The new Quad DACs have increased circuit integration, lowering the negative distortion to 0.0002% of the luxury audio level and minimizing the loss of acoustic information. As the loss of information is less, the listener can hear a clean sound close to the original sound.
The path for transmitting sound signals inside the chip has also been widened. The ability to process large, high-quality sound sources quickly and accurately allows listeners to enjoy high-volume 32-bit hi-fi sources without interruption.
Ah, the curse of auto-correct I guess
Trouble is that you don't get the high quality DAC chip with the G6 unless you live in Korea, or at least Asia. If LG offered the 64GB + quad DAC version in Europe I'd probably have bought one, but we only get the most basic model.
Read somewhere that the audio is much better than the s7 headphones wise (which is great because I HATED the audio quality from the s7). It's said to be louder and sound better. Best thing to do is to head to best buy with good headphones and check it out
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
And here I am just sad that they only include those uncomfortable in-ear headphones, I would have preferred non-sealing earbuds. Those AKGs won't come out of that box
The sound quality is simply incredible. I tested DSD files it's just mind-blowing
godzi1971 said:
The sound quality is simply incredible. I tested DSD files it's just mind-blowing
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Click to collapse
Where did you test it? And where did you find dsd files? Lol
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
I use the device right now, and I bought 3 albums on the internet
godzi1971 said:
I use the device right now, and I bought 3 albums on the internet
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Exynos or snapdragon?
GermanGuy said:
Exynos or snapdragon?
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Exynos 8895
how does it go against the htc 10 or the g6...
any comment on sound quality now that some people have theirs?

[Q] Root/other headphones and audio quality improvement methods/audio mods

Hello,
I find headphones dongle with my earphones quite lacking quality/soundstage, but searching through forums I stumbled upon this: Viper detects our essential dongle as a speaker. Was it fixed, or do you have any suggestions how to improve sound quality?
I'm using AuriSonics ASG 1Plus, which are an excellent IEM's, with low Impedence:
(11 ohm +/ 10% @ 1kHz16 ; Sensitivity: [email protected]).
So there should be no problem powering 'em and dishing as good sound performance as possible.
I know essential uses Cirrus DAC (which is average, but I'm not really buying any high-quality USB-c DAC or portable AMP).
I come from Pixel XL, which had dedicated 3.5mm jack and SD DAC, it sounded okay and WAY better than essential.
Some EQ tweaks can elevate a bit of problems, but I'm looking for a more all-around solution (whether it's fixed viper(drivers/libraries/etc.)(( or something else)).
Thanks!
Bump.
Tautvydas said:
Hello,
I find headphones dongle with my earphones quite lacking quality/soundstage, but searching through forums I stumbled upon this: Viper detects our essential dongle as a speaker. Was it fixed, or do you have any suggestions how to improve sound quality?
I'm using AuriSonics ASG 1Plus, which are an excellent IEM's, with low Impedence:
(11 ohm +/ 10% @ 1kHz16 ; Sensitivity: [email protected]).
So there should be no problem powering 'em and dishing as good sound performance as possible.
I know essential uses Cirrus DAC (which is average, but I'm not really buying any high-quality USB-c DAC or portable AMP).
I come from Pixel XL, which had dedicated 3.5mm jack and SD DAC, it sounded okay and WAY better than essential.
Some EQ tweaks can elevate a bit of problems, but I'm looking for a more all-around solution (whether it's fixed viper(drivers/libraries/etc.)(( or something else)).
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How about this DAC?
https://www.zorloo.com/zuperdac-s
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/zuperdac-s-zuper-charge-your-music#/
I bought it when it was pre-release for quite a bit less.
Much better than the included dongle that comes with the phone.
tech_head said:
How about this DAC?
https://www.zorloo.com/zuperdac-s
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/zuperdac-s-zuper-charge-your-music#/
I bought it when it was pre-release for quite a bit less.
Much better than the included dongle that comes with the phone.
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Click to collapse
To be honest, I'm not up for buying any DAC's, but this one got me quite interested since it's for pc as well.
How is it?
Thanks!
Tautvydas said:
To be honest, I'm not up for buying any DAC's, but this one got me quite interested since it's for pc as well.
How is it?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interested in knowing as well. After my experience with the Aero Indiegogo, I have a pretty bad taste for Zorloo.
stompysan said:
Interested in knowing as well. After my experience with the Aero Indiegogo, I have a pretty bad taste for Zorloo.
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I bought the first headphone Z:ero and got them on time.
They worked great.
I bought the DAC while still on pre-order and received it a while ago.
For a small DAC the quality is really good.
The volume buttons make it very usable since you can set the input to the DAC from the phone at an optimal level then use the volume buttons on the DAC for the input of the car stereo, headphones, etc.
I'm quite happy and it's much better than the little dongle that comes with the phone.
Is it Focusrite or Apogee? No, but it's not $2K either.
I found the same issue. I don't think it is the DAC, but instead the native Android USB/DAC driver.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/essential-phone/themes/finding-music-player-essential-phones-t3710793
The problem is that this won't work for streaming applications. But I listen to FLAC / hi-bit MP3 so it solved the issue for me.
TimboC2000 said:
I found the same issue. I don't think it is the DAC, but instead the native Android USB/DAC driver.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/essential-phone/themes/finding-music-player-essential-phones-t3710793
The problem is that this won't work for streaming applications. But I listen to FLAC / hi-bit MP3 so it solved the issue for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! Great thread you've created, really explains it.
Which app would you prefer, Neutron or Onkyo? You explained about Onkyo, but it's almost 10 euros for me, Neutron is a bit cheaper and I was thinking for quite some time to buy it. Had it on my old Blackberry Z10, it was native to BB OS.
Right now I'm using foobar, since I'm using it on pc, where I think it's the best music player, but when it comes to Android, you live you learn hehe.
Tautvydas said:
Thanks! Great thread you've created, really explains it.
Which app would you prefer, Neutron or Onkyo? You explained about Onkyo, but it's almost 10 euros for me, Neutron is a bit cheaper and I was thinking for quite some time to buy it. Had it on my old Blackberry Z10, it was native to BB OS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, I only have experience with Onkyo and Hiby. The Onkyo is pretty well developed and something I use fairly regularly so it was worth the money to me.
Hopefully somebody else can provide comments on Neutron for you.
Anyone tried the Viper audio add-on in Magisk? I purchased Bluetooth Skull Candy Ink'd for $20 and love the sound quality. Actually have the volume at 80% most of the time
Sent from my PH-1 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
I just purchased a pixel audio adapter, as it measures well for its price ($9).
The market for high-end usbc adapters isn't quite there yet it seems, a traditional dac+amp setup is probably still better if you need more power.
If you're using IEMs though, powerful amps tend to have a higher noise floor.
Just tested Neutron player, it's excellent.
Huge increase in soundstage, overall processing quality, sounds great.
Magic is done under Audio Hardware options, selecting 'Direct USB Driver' to allow direct access to the USB device.
Duo8 said:
I just purchased a pixel audio adapter, as it measures well for its price ($9).
The market for high-end usbc adapters isn't quite there yet it seems, a traditional dac+amp setup is probably still better if you need more power.
If you're using IEMs though, powerful amps tend to have a higher noise floor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have that adapter and the Essential adapter. Using Onkyo HF application it was able to use multiple bit rates with the Essential adapter, but the Google adapter only works at 48kHz.
I have the Sabaj Da3 as well. It works great with the Onkyo HF app, it supports multiple sample rates and upconverts to DSD512 as well. Issues are: 1. It's huge. 2: It burns significant battery, especially if upconverting. 3. When I bought it was $90, right now it is $119 on Amazon - so it's expensive!
Honestly, for non-critical on the go listening the Essential adapter works really well once you bypass the Android USB driver.
---------- Post added at 06:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:46 PM ----------
Tautvydas said:
Just tested Neutron player, it's excellent.
Huge increase in soundstage, overall processing quality, sounds great.
Magic is done under Audio Hardware options, selecting 'Direct USB Driver' to allow direct access to the USB device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad it fixed your issues!
TimboC2000 said:
Unfortunately, I only have experience with Onkyo and Hiby. The Onkyo is pretty well developed and something I use fairly regularly so it was worth the money to me.
Hopefully somebody else can provide comments on Neutron for you.
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Click to collapse
Thank you for your original thread which pointed me to these apps..
1. I tried Hiby, and did like its music quality, but its very rough for me.. I could not make/receive voice calls when it locks my headphones.. Also it does not show any info on the actual bitrates its using..
2. I am trying out Neutron trial version, which is a 5 day limited use full feature version. It too seems to be limiting the output to 48kHz. Yet to try Onkyo.
mvadu said:
Thank you for your original thread which pointed me to these apps..
1. I tried Hiby, and did like its music quality, but its very rough for me.. I could not make/receive voice calls when it locks my headphones.. Also it does not show any info on the actual bitrates its using..
2. I am trying out Neutron trial version, which is a 5 day limited use full feature version. It too seems to be limiting the output to 48kHz. Yet to try Onkyo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
USB Audio Player Pro also seems well regarded and developed. I believe Hiby is a single developer and is much more of a work in progress.
Just found the perfect setup for my IEM's.
Ainur Sauron Magisk module and Neutron player's "direct USB support" option. Sounds amazing now!
Had quite similar experience in the ol' days with Colorfly C3 and Klipsch iem's (can't remember the model).
Or just that I'm easily impressed
Tried viper, just really dislike its signature sound. Clarity, bass, convolver turned on and tuned a bit, still, not to my ears.

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