V20 DAC - Gain adjustment (Is it the same as the V10?) - LG V20 Questions & Answers

Guys, I'm torn. I have a V10 and I LOVE my phone. I don't want to get rid of it. But - it's slow and a battery hog. I'm tired of the extra battery lump in my wallet. I've bought a few phones now, and have returned each one. (Unlocked S7, Honor 8, ZTE Axon 7, etc.) All of them have their issues, but my question here is.. can you force the hi-fi DAC on the V20 into high gain mode by using a 3.5mm audio pigtail like you can with the V10? I need the extra volume boost for those take-offs in planes when I want to listen to some NERO or something. Seriously, the V10 with v4a and this neat trick seriously makes my B&O H6's sing to me!
(I know you wanna ask about the issues on the phones above.. here's my two cents..)
S7 - Best hardware hands down. BUT it's not easy to root and the gain out of the 3.5mm jack is pathetic.
Honor 8 - Really like this phone size. The battery is INSANE! The CPU is great, but graphics SUCK. The camera is always blurry. Low volume out of 3.5mm jack (but sounds good) The IPS screen looks so good I actually mistook it for an AMOLED until I turned a lamp off and brought up a real dark photo and cranked the backlight.
Axon 7 - The camera sucks in low light so bad that I can't even look at the fact that you have to void the warranty by requesting a bootloader unlock through ZTE, which brings to point - unlocking the bootloader should never be that difficult. The volume output on the 3.5mm jack is decent, but for whatever reason the kernel was written for only a 5 band EQ. PlayerPro's DSP pack installs an EQ that works with the functionality of the kernel installed so you don't have to root. I have a 10 band EQ available on my V10, but only 5 band on ALL the other phones listed above.
I welcome your comments and hope someone can confirm my question above. Thanks!

The 3.5mm adapter trick also works on the V20.
It will trigger the "External Audio" mode as it does in the V10's "AUX" mode.
You should be very happy with the upgrade.

Thank you very much!

To get full output on the 3.5mm plug you need to trigger High Impendance mode. I just changed my audio_mixer xml and swapped the normal headphones and high impendance paths. See the attached screen shot. Line 3232 of mixer_paths_tasha.xml

KAsp3rd said:
To get full output on the 3.5mm plug you need to trigger High Impendance mode. I just changed my audio_mixer xml and swapped the normal headphones and high impendance paths. See the attached screen shot. Line 3232 of mixer_paths_tasha.xml
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd like to do this. I thought that a 80ohm headphone would trigger it but doesn't. Can you give a little more detail with instructions?

vibrantliker said:
I'd like to do this. I thought that a 80ohm headphone would trigger it but doesn't. Can you give a little more detail with instructions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Requires root.
The file is /system/etc/mixer_paths_tasha.xml

KAsp3rd said:
Requires root.
The file is /system/etc/mixer_paths_tasha.xml
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, found it. Now what do I do?

KAsp3rd said:
Requires root.
The file is /system/etc/mixer_paths_tasha.xml
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can the mixer paths be changed so that the normal volume when plugging in headphone is "external device" level and if using an adapter you can get "high impedance" level?
If anyone knows, can you tell me where to change in the attached file?

vibrantliker said:
Can the mixer paths be changed so that the normal volume when plugging in headphone is "external device" level and if using an adapter you can get "high impedance" level?
If anyone knows, can you tell me where to change in the attached file?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is possible. I will look into setting that up for you as soon as I find a few minutes in my day lol

KAsp3rd said:
That is possible. I will look into setting that up for you as soon as I find a few minutes in my day lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If possible it would be awesome.

Related

Sound on The Archos Tablets

The sound quality on these devices is amazing but the volume is a bit low, so, i was thinking, can we get any support for this? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=806195
It already supports the Wolfson WM8994 Sound codec so, what do you think?
TjaXanK said:
It already supports the Wolfson WM8994 Sound codec so, what do you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know if thats gona work,but if yes, i support you i stay tuned
Lennb said:
I don't know if thats gona work,but if yes, i support you i stay tuned
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It would be great to get a bit of analog volume boost, it's just a factor of tampering with the kernel so that it is supported
If you drive these speakers any harder, they'll fry. They're already over driven on the stock firmware. I lost both of mine within 5 months of use. If you really want it to be louder, replace the internal speakers with higher efficiency ones.
For my A101it, I used Mouser.com Part # 253-CE221-RO. It's a very easy swapout if you're careful when taking your tablet apart. If you don't have a 101, I don't know what speaker will work, if you can get me the dimensions of yours I can source the correct replacements.
My speakers have a 1.1W max rating, compared to about .5W on the originals. That way you can drive them harder without frying. Also, the speakers I used have a higher sensitivity/efficiency, so they are much louder at the same setting. I used to have to set the media volume to 100% to hear videos well. Now I only have to go up to 50-60%.

Get the best of S3's sound

Hi,
I am not much of a hard core audiophile and I can settle with almost any sound quality, but I recently bought a decent mid-range IEM, the Sony HM1. So, I wonder if there is any way to be sure that I get the best S3 has to give. I use:
-Sony HM1
-Rocket player (paid version, the one with the unlocked equalizer).
-At least 192bit rated MP3s.
-Volume enhancer mod
So, is there any other mod, program or anything else that can take full advantage of S3's potential, if any? Thanks!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1704138
Your question has been posted multiple times . Forum rules require you to search before posting .
Google <<< I9300 your search terms > xda
Sound Thread .
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1633685
Try Viper4Android .
I posted these questions right after I read some pages of that threat and I was just hoping for a medium-sized sum or a small guide with the steps necessary. I will move my question there then, thanks and sorry.
one word. poweramp. no other mods/apps needed. Best audio comes from poweramp. Must be stupid to argue against that.
Sammy GS3 + Nothing = Decent Audio
Melissakis said:
Hi,
I am not much of a hard core audiophile and I can settle with almost any sound quality, but I recently bought a decent mid-range IEM, the Sony HM1. So, I wonder if there is any way to be sure that I get the best S3 has to give. I use:
-Sony HM1
-Rocket player (paid version, the one with the unlocked equalizer).
-At least 192bit rated MP3s.
-Volume enhancer mod
So, is there any other mod, program or anything else that can take full advantage of S3's potential, if any? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In all honesty, to get the best sound you need good source and as you rightly did, at least 192kbps audio. But I have numerous songs that sound much better at 320 than 192 and when played back side by side, you hear the diff. My father who is half deaf heard it.
My recommendation for music is simple, highest bitrate you can afford given the storage you have (getting a 64gb Micro SD card remedies that issue quickly, the Samsung model is the best i've use so far), equalisers and volume normalisers are just to flavour the music to your taste, more bass here, a little mid there, or to compensate for a particular bias your headphone may have. I use a Senheisser HD 201 and HD 202. The 201 is flat and pure, the 202 is bassy and wild so i adjust to suit. FYI I'm current using JetAudio Pro with the AM3D Effects set to 40 and 50.
Hope this helps.
Btw, if you just looking for louder, the tablets, Nexus 7 and the like have higher volume outputs on their headphone jacks so be aware of that.
veer01_42 said:
Hope this helps.
Btw, if you just looking for louder, the tablets, Nexus 7 and the like have higher volume outputs on their headphone jacks so be aware of that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It sure did, thanks! Having high bitrate and a decent IEM, I just wanted to be sure that S3's hardware has no room for improvements, a better kernel or some other tweak.
About Nexus 7, are you sure it has higher output? I have both S3 and Nexus 7 and I just tried it, on the same volume level, S3 is way more louder. Just bear in mind that I used this sound enhancement tweak on S3.
Pure audio and Wolfson Sound engine, Poweramp with all post processing turned off.
That is all
Cameltoemcgee said:
Pure audio and Wolfson Sound engine, Poweramp with all post processing turned off.
That is all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Poweramp, check.
About the other two, could you be more specific? I'm a noob. About the Pure audio, I know that's it's a flashable zip, does it give me after the flashing a app that tweaks the sound? And what about wolfson sound engine, could you please give me a link?
Currently I use googy-max kernel, which enables the wolfson sound engine via STweaks. Would it be better to use something else? Maybe all of these questions have already been answered, but it's very difficult to collect all the info available. Thank you all!
Melissakis said:
Poweramp, check.
About the other two, could you be more specific? I'm a noob. About the Pure audio, I know that's it's a flashable zip, does it give me after the flashing a app that tweaks the sound? And what about wolfson sound engine, could you please give me a link?
Currently I use googy-max kernel, which enables the wolfson sound engine via STweaks. Would it be better to use something else? Maybe all of these questions have already been answered, but it's very difficult to collect all the info available. Thank you all!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure! i use googymax too with the wolfson engine, my settings are: headphone equalizer: Enable WITHOUT saturation Prevention.
EQ Presets: Use graphical equalizer
at the bottom of stweaks i turn on DAC direct and DAC oversampling but leave the others.
Pure audio - flash the zip, make sure that DSP manager isn't installed otherwise it'll do nothing. remove it with titanium backup if you hvae it.
pure audio doesn't give you options to adjust because you don't need it. it won't give you any indication that its running when you're listening to music either... but you'll know if you've done it right
If you do feel the need to adjust eq, then use the eq in Stweaks, or poweramp even if you find it easier.
Hope it helps!
Cameltoemcgee said:
Sure! i use googymax too with the wolfson engine, my settings are: headphone equalizer: Enable WITHOUT saturation Prevention.
EQ Presets: Use graphical equalizer
at the bottom of stweaks i turn on DAC direct and DAC oversampling but leave the others.
Pure audio - flash the zip, make sure that DSP manager isn't installed otherwise it'll do nothing. remove it with titanium backup if you hvae it.
pure audio doesn't give you options to adjust because you don't need it. it won't give you any indication that its running when you're listening to music either... but you'll know if you've done it right
If you do feel the need to adjust eq, then use the eq in Stweaks, or poweramp even if you find it easier.
Hope it helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for the reply, you've cleared everything out!

Will a portable amp Improve the headphone quality?

Probably the most stupidest question out there but just wondering..
Since a lot of people are saying that the headphone quality is meh will a portable amp improve the quality?
crap in, crap out
amplifying a crap headphone out (if it is crap to you where you think a seperate amp should be used) will result in a crap result
if the usb has a line out, that might be of some use....does it? I'd be interested to know
An amp with its own DAC, like the Fiio E18 for example, would improve the sound quality. I've not used mine since I got my Exynos S7 though, the sound quality sounds good enough.
dazzer1975 said:
crap in, crap out
amplifying a crap headphone out (if it is crap to you where you think a seperate amp should be used) will result in a crap result
if the usb has a line out, that might be of some use....does it? I'd be interested to know
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah i have no idea, some people have said that getting a portable amp and plugging it to your phone will increase the audio quality :\ but your saying of "crap in, crap out" makes a lot of sense.. haha
jbpf77 said:
An amp with its own DAC, like the Fiio E18 for example, would improve the sound quality. I've not used mine since I got my Exynos S7 though, the sound quality sounds good enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers for that, yeah i'll be getting the exynos as well is it as bad as everyone saying it is ? (sound quality)
dazzer1975 said:
crap in, crap out
amplifying a crap headphone out (if it is crap to you where you think a seperate amp should be used) will result in a crap result
if the usb has a line out, that might be of some use....does it? I'd be interested to know
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
portable amps don't utilize the 3.5mm jack. And yes, a portable amp will improve the quality. If you have the snapdragon version, then you'd want a portable dac/amp combo.
andiedee said:
Cheers for that, yeah i'll be getting the exynos as well is it as bad as everyone saying it is ? (sound quality)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me, listening at my desk at work in a fairly quiet environment, the sound quality and volume levels are absolutely fine. I used to have to use my E18 with my Note 4 all the time as the sound quality was really bad, especially noticeable as I had an M8 before that, but I've not used the E18 at all since I got the S7.
jbpf77 said:
For me, listening at my desk at work in a fairly quiet environment, the sound quality and volume levels are absolutely fine. I used to have to use my E18 with my Note 4 all the time as the sound quality was really bad, especially noticeable as I had an M8 before that, but I've not used the E18 at all since I got the S7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh okay! sounds good to me
I got the m8 at the moment its 2 years old, gotta replace it with the s7e or the new HTC 10 i don't know if i can be bothered waiting for the HTC 10 though :\
I'm using my senheiser omx 980 and waiting for the oppo ha 2 hopefully it will sound different. I'm satisfied with the audio as it is now nonetheless
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
I have funded this on Kickstarter. Its a DAC that is connected via the USB port.
AQUA DAC
Shipping at the end of this month hopefully. Write up seems good. I will have to wait till it comes to see if it works.
andiedee said:
Cheers for that, yeah i'll be getting the exynos as well is it as bad as everyone saying it is ? (sound quality)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which headphones are you Using??
I'm using a Pair of UE 900 (UVP 399€ quad-driver in-ear-monitors), and i have no problems, of deficites. I used an htc one m8 before, and i dont really notice a worse soundquality.
Sure, if you really try hard enough and compare then like you want to dissect it, you might find differences.
But like i said, i have no Problems there. The Output impedance is low enough with almost 2 Ohm, soundquality, and output Power is really enough (i can not listen to 100% Volume, it's just way too loud for me).
Of course, you'll ha ve to decide that yourself, maybe you have much better in-ears / headphones, and have much higher, more audiophile standards.
(but, if you dont dissect your music, but just want to enjoy listening, it's totally fine)

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...
Click to collapse
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...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It isn't.
obladi64 said:
It isn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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!

[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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
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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