i paired my quad dac LG G6+ with my sound magic e50’s & it sounds incredible. LG is definitely the way to go if you care about audio. Pulsar+ has been the best sounding music player i’ve found. really takes advantage of the dac & correctly decode samples above 48/16 (no downscaling).
I have an LG v30 Plus (the one made with collaboration with Bang and Olufsen) . I use it as my portable audio player with any IEM that I use. Its been 4 + years since i bought it , and it still amazes me . Pretty incredible . 🎶🎶🎧🎧
The ONLY reason I got a v20 was for the quad DAC. It sounds fantastic. Not to mention the ease of adding music is 1000 times better than dealing with iTunes especially when you can run FLAC. Plus you can add a second micro SD card for a ridiculous amount of storage. Hey, LG, wanna give me a sponsorship.
There are a number of reasons to use DAPS. One, smartphone battery life is already pretty short. Beyond that, apps have much greater storage. Storing music files is essential so that you are not reliant on wifi, and because more obscure music is not found on streaming services. My fiio x5 still has better sound quality than the lg. Finally, some sensitive work environments prohibit use of smartphones, but do allow dapa.
John Darko - The new Sony, the ZX300, caught my eye because of its class leading battery performance. 26-30 hours of runtime. One more reason to use a DAP: Your phone can receive notifications and you can respond or mute the phone, but the DAP’s playback will be uninterrupted. This is nice if you like to privately listen to music while you work, or in bed. I get you point that you made with your Sony ZX2 as an example: it sucks to carry two devices instead of one. I like to EDC my phone, keys, money, a light, a cutting tool, and audio entertainment. That’s a lot of things!! Right now, I’m down to two pockets: wallet case for my phone, Olight keychain sized flashlight and a tiny retractable Exacto blade knife on my keys. I also usually grab a pouch with IEMs and a Bluetooth receiver, or put some Bluetooth headphones around my neck. Bluetooth has gotten better, but I still have lag or headset mode issues.
As a owner of the V30 and a Fiio X5Mk3 I prefer the Fiio! I like the non interpretation when working out plus the Fiio is louder much louder and has more punch!
Nah....I've tried the LGV10, LGV30, LGV40 and even LGV50. (Never had the V20 though) I still go back to my DAP for music despite carrying a LGV50 with me all the time. Conclusion is simple, it just isn't as good as my DAP. Sound wise and usage wise. And the fact that my the battery is supposed to be reserved for my awesome music listening session is now gonna be shared with my games, phone calls, social media, messaging and all that crap, it is a no go. And at the end of the day, the LG V series of phones is still designed and meant to be a phone. Not a dedicated audio player and thus is still missing a lot of features that you would have found on a DAP which to me is quite essential. And unless they managed to add more features to it and make the battery bigger and improve battery life, it will still be a no go for me. At the end of the day i am sacrificing quality for lesser things to carry. But if i already invested so much on a good pair IEM or headphones, quality is not something i wanna sacrifice and i would rather get the most out of it.
Thanks Dango, have been trying to find out if it is worthy to get a new Ibasso DX160 over my current driver (Samsung Note 9). Everyone seems mum on this topic but Im quite convinced that a good DAP will shine better than any flagship phone. I dont really care about portability and carrying more things. All i want is quality lossless music to go where ever i go :)
DangoSings thats what you got if you searching about sound quality first force you to depend on it and yet you dont have the best sounding music or dap in the planet.
@@average_joe3325 Well, it is realy hard to believe. Fiio x5 and x5II arent good daps in sq department. I have pioneer xdp-300r which is waay better than even fiio x7 and bit better then fiio x7 mark II and my lg v30 is almost on pair with it in sq. Lg v30 is that good, really. And im using Beyerdynamic Xelento remote so these are great sounding and very revealing iems.
3 years and some months later, DAP days arent over but you can pick one of these phones up for dirty cheap and have a pretty good player with plenty of storage.
Got this phone for its audio support. Have not been disappointed. It has MQA codec so it can decode the Master tracks from Tidal with no problems. One of the only mobile devices that can! Also FYI, the stock camera sucks but you can port in the camera from the pixal phone and the pictures come out way better! So now you have a DAP, digital camera, and a phone! No this isn't a paid advert just a happy consumer!
Good to see an audiophile actually using one of the only audiophile phones available rather than the overpriced rubbish Apple offers that other supposed audiophiles seem to use.
John Darko Are you sure this is the very first and not the Vivo Meizu Oppo dac phones. I say definitely keep a different section of phone dac and software hack reviews coming. XDAs kernel mods and audio enhancer software mods. Supercurio mod. ZTE Axon 7 like stuff. Samsung Wave with Wolfson, Samsung Galaxy S1 Supercurio mod. It's very very essential for a discerning sound quality expert give A to B comparisons on various mods models and combinations. After all millions of people may not go the special external dac route, yet want an integrated solution. Edit : couple them with Chin-Fi IEMs and you can really give great VFM solutions for various price points. Thanks in advance.
I used to use a Mojo for my IEMs, but now I just rely on the LG. Yes, the Chord sounds much better, but I could not deal with the boondoggled phone + DAC.
Hate to break it to you, but the DAP has been around longer than the smart phone. Starting with Apple and its iPod. Then Apple went and combined everything and the smart phone came about. But at the cost of sound quality, which most smart phone manufacturers ignored as well. That is more the reason DAPs have seen a resurgence. We woke up to the crap sound and wanted something better. At least LG wants to improve its quality.
That's true: those who care about sound quality jumped to DAPs because smartphone manufacturers didn't care about sound quality. And now we have the LG range of smartphones that make the jump to a DAP much harder to justify -- my point here.
The iPod isn't a dap, it's a piece of overpriced shit that is equivalent to a Chinese knock off of a knock off mp3 player. Don't insult the Walkman by comparing it to the iPod
Hate to break it to you, but iRiver (of Astell & Kern fame) and Creative (now more known for their gaming audio soundcards and keeping alive the old Denon closed headphone designs) made MP3 players before the iPod came out. I was there, and so was Darko. Before MP3 players, we had CD players and tape players. Yes, smartphone’s have been do-all devices since they came out, “jack of all trades, master of none.” LG’s latest models are an exception, and I love them for catering to my niche, but they aren’t able to set a trend like Apple and Samsung. I sincerely wish Apple would go all-out on a new iPod, or at least bring back the headphone jack, but they want to push Bluetooth, which frankly has good music capabilities these days but lag and quality problems with movies and games. For the mainstream, audio quality unfortunately doesn’t move units like screen technology, battery and power technology. The LG is better, but it’s not the ultimate quality device that some people make it out to be. Darko here just compared it to the level of the Audioquest Red, a $200 DAC/amp, and other reviewers say the Dragonfly Red is still just a little bit better. For some people, that is all they need “on the go” where they believe they won’t hear finer nuance anyway. For me, where I work from home unless I travel to domestic or international events, I spend equal or more time listening in hotels or cafés as I do listening on a plane (and rarely on public transit), so audio can be the most portable form of entertainment and I enjoy it being nicer (and having tons of battery life in case I might not be able to use power outlets for days at a time). I’m a pretty niche market though, even more niche because sometimes I need a good sounding and reliable source to let people demo audio from.
@@DarkoAudio I agree, I have an LG V30 But then again those who normally get iPhones or Samsung's will now argue there's no reason to buy LG phones because of the dap At least the ones that are biased LG though have s major marketing deficit because hardly anyone knows the v30 even exists, even in 2019
Just wanted to say I find your you tube channel really interesting and also like your podcast and that it is nice to see that Jana is working with you, used to like when she helped out at Innerfidelity with Tyll etc.
The days may have been over 2 years ago, but I have a feeling that dap's ar going to be a big thing again. Rumor has it that new Iphone's will not have any ports at all. I guess others will follow as well. As much as It suck's, I still like the iphone for everything else than listening. This make me think I will stick to them. So then I will probably want a dap. Ok, 2 devices in my pockets. I wont have a problem with this in the next few years, but say i needed a new phone now, and the one I liked had no ports. I would like the idea of getting the Astell&Kern sa700 for 1500ish usd- Not so far from a brand new phone, and I hope and believe the onboard dac in that thing is pretty decent as well. Then I would still have 2 devices, just like the phone dac setup. + It would free up my phone for home use. I really hope you will get your hands on the A&K SA700 and share your thoughts on that thing :) P.S Great stuff on your channel, and homepage.
This is fascinating stuff. Thank you! I'm always interested in new ways to stream, for one purpose, a car DSP by Audiotec-Fischer called the Helix Pro-2 which allows me to stream into it via toslink, coaxial S/PDIF, or USB. All controllable with an in-dash controller with volume control. So currently I can stream via iPhone through the CCK (which is a bit clunky with the extra oddity adapter but it works, or I have an old Fiio X5ii which works nicely over coaxial. A really cool solution would be a streaming capable device to output digital to the DSP system, but be controlled remotely via tablet or phone as an interface.
I started watching your 'DAP days are over' series with skepticism starting with your episode on the firefly and usb cable. Then by the episode on the LG V30 I found myself in full disagreement with you. I used to do the phone + usb/external dac combo both with the Cambridge Audio XS and the Fiio Dac Q1 and found that the micro usb were very tempermental in terms of connection reliability. I found carrying the two components around was just as bothersome as carrying a phone and dap. I then bought the bullet and got myself an Astell and Kern Ak70 which is jaw droppingly good. When my phone plan was up for renewal I got an LG v30 and was excited to hear the 'hifi' dac in it. I loaded up some hi-res flac files I had compiled over the years and played them with Neutron hi-res music app..... and I was not impressed. I then compared the hi-res tracks using Neutron to streaming 328kbps tracks using google play and I could discern zero difference between the two. Now, this isn't to say that the phone is junk - quite the opposite - I think the phone overall is fantastic...just not for audiophile playback. It clearly cannot resolve hi-res music the way my Pioneer N50 or AK70 can. Even a phone using a micro usb to external dac suffers much the same problem - it just does not compare to the AK. I love your videos, John, but for my ears mainstream phones (and computers, for that matter) just don't do digital audio justice and so I disagree with you on this one. I have connected very high quality dac's to fast computers using expensive usb cables and they just don't work like a purpose built audio machine does. I have had numerous conversations with my local Hi-fi retailer (who happens to have a PhD music and audio engineering - so I pick his brain every chance I get) and the conclusion we come to is that the purpose built digital player (portable or home hifi) is just an entirely different experience and necessary to properly play digital music to it's fullest.
I've tried SD DAPs with FLAC, but ultimately nothing will beat the experience and access speed of my simple Ipod Classic 160GB + ZT IEMs + HD490 combo, even if I had money...
I have to disagree with you John because the money you spend to get an lgv40 the problem with those phones are to get the phone to go into a high-end peaden's mode with a low impedance headphone or IEM you have to plug in another cable and trick the phone constantly it becomes a hassle. If you're going to use it as just a single player yes but the LG v-series don't function very well as a daily phone in my opinion. The v40 has horrible battery life in the screens not very good the v50 has great battery life great screen but the external speaker sound in the speaker phone is horrible so if you want to use it just as a d a p player you're okay but they're not very great as phones. I'll put my fiio M11 up against any of the LG phones.
I don't know but my Huawei Mate 9 kick ass phone sounds freakin' amazing especially when i connect it on my cars Bose sound system via cassette adopter! Sounds like im in a damn live studio with nothing but pumping bad ass 80s jams!!! But also my legendary Cowon D2+ player that was build like a tank that came out about 20+ yrs ago and still plays and looks new like the day i got it outputting outstanding music sound!!!
The DT 1990 is a lot less hard and edgy than the DT 990, I’m glad for the improvement. It’s still not my taste, but at least it doesn’t hurt to use anymore. Worth the upgrade.
I have a LG g7 fit and it also has a 32bit quad dac but i dont really hear a diffrence to when i torn it off. Is it because im dump?? Or is it because of cheap headphones or because i use mp3 format?? Pls answer me.
Are you sure the dap is gone since it seems the phones with a headphone jack are dying quicker than earth's species. However what about bluetooth 5.0 and the filo btr5?
Hello Man! I USe my Headphones (Sennheiser HD700) and iems (dunu falcon c, Sennheiser ie800) with my Dragonfly REd+Jitterbug from my Laptop i mostly listen music with Deezer Hi Fi what is 1411 kbps CD quialty music, and they sound good IMO. MY question that i seen this Lg v30 it is as good as a Fiio x5 Dap or Oppo ha2? I realy planning to buy it since i dont wana buy a Dap and i dont like my current phone with Dragonfly Red and if i wana go out or work i just want to plug my iem to my phone and have good quality music. How is This Lg v30 sound quality vs Dragonfly Red, and other AMp/Dacs ?
Get a LG V20. You can buy additional batteries, or as I have a double sized battery, from Amazon. The DAC in the phone is really good. I have read it is "essentially the same DAC" as the V30.
I was wondering about the V30. Ive been looking at this phone primarily because of the quad dac in it. What Bluetooth codec does it use? I have Sennheiser HD1 overears and I like to listen wirelessly too. Thanks for your opinion on this hardware.
I'd say go for it if you primarily use ear buds or IEMs. The V30 is perfect for all the IEMs I have tried so far: the Shure SE846, SE215, and the UE 900s. Full size, or higher impedance transducers in general, need more juice than the v30 can adequately supply. My very efficient Audeze EL8s are disappointing playing directly from the v30.
Nice video john i have the v30+ as my second phone the earbuds i use are the 67ohm sound magic e80s the dac on the v20 and v30 doesnt fully open for buds or headphones below 50ohms i totally enjoy the e80s in my v30
There's a mod for higher powered earphones for V20. I bet they have the V30 version as well. Keep in mind though, this could broke a lower ohm earphones.
I'd like to get this phone, but as someone used to a headphone jack on the bottom and a fingerprint reader on the front, I realize that it is too frustrating when using the LG V30 on a desk or in a car mount. Headphone jacks should always be on the bottom. Fingerprint readers should always be on the plane of the device that contains the interfacing surface, (the touch screen,) and the "shimmy" people do with their phones when they put their phones in their pockets right side up, seems to contribute to people dropping their phones.
I can't stand any of the ESS Sabre-based devices I've listened to thus far, always feel fatigued when listening to them. Surely I can't be the only one who feels that way about them? The high frequency range sounds incredibly artificial to me. Owned a Dragonfly Red and extensively listened to the DAC Oppo used to produce, as well as some other devices I can't recall right now.
I love listening to my music on my Astell sr15 it looks and feels gorgeous and my shure se 535, fiio th 7 and fiio fa 7 sound bliss! The only time i ever use Android is on my sr15! I don’t care how good this LG sounds it”s still an Android PHONE! I could NEVER switch from my iPhone, it’s all about the seamless connectivity I have with my other Apple devices! FaceTime, iMessage are also another reason! I’m happy with my Dap and I can’t wait to buy my next player which will be the Astell SA700!
I know i'm late, but v30 is just not that amazing. I have a Meizu Mx4 Pro which I bought because of the dedicated DAC and the very cheap price (approx $75), and compared it to the v30 plus which my brother owns. And to be honest, Mx4 Pro sounds better and more lively than v30 plus.
Who wants to carry another little cord and a little USB dac around with them plugged into their phone, I would rather have a separate digital audio player and the sound is more quality especially if you buy a quality brand player
@John Darko would love to know if you would be willing to bootloader unlock and then root the sony DAP then try Viper4Android and see how well this improves the sound quality,(same with the xaiomi phone),i will leave a link to the site where you should be able to do this and would love to see you upload a video comparing the sound before and after using viper4android...forum.xda-developers.com/android/software/viperaudio-viperatmos-3-8-sq-driver-t3289075
You are reviewing a phone? A phone? John, I respect your knowledge and insights regarding home audio, please continue your reviews. C'mon, leave the 'phone reviews to those who are captivated by them - kids. Regards.
Per the link beneath the video, this phone is one of the very first to be designed with audiophiles in mind. Its DAC/headphone chip comes from ESS and the Android OS has been coded to be bit-perfect from user to said chip.
i paired my quad dac LG G6+ with my sound magic e50’s & it sounds incredible. LG is definitely the way to go if you care about audio.
Pulsar+ has been the best sounding music player i’ve found. really takes advantage of the dac & correctly decode samples above 48/16 (no downscaling).
I have an LG v30 Plus (the one made with collaboration with Bang and Olufsen) . I use it as my portable audio player with any IEM that I use. Its been 4 + years since i bought it , and it still amazes me . Pretty incredible . 🎶🎶🎧🎧
Still using lg 8x audiophile
3 years later, DAP is still going strong
The ONLY reason I got a v20 was for the quad DAC. It sounds fantastic. Not to mention the ease of adding music is 1000 times better than dealing with iTunes especially when you can run FLAC. Plus you can add a second micro SD card for a ridiculous amount of storage. Hey, LG, wanna give me a sponsorship.
There are a number of reasons to use DAPS. One, smartphone battery life is already pretty short. Beyond that, apps have much greater storage. Storing music files is essential so that you are not reliant on wifi, and because more obscure music is not found on streaming services. My fiio x5 still has better sound quality than the lg. Finally, some sensitive work environments prohibit use of smartphones, but do allow dapa.
Many of the class-leading DAPs run for around 10 hours between charges.
better than most smartphones..@@DarkoAudio
John Darko - The new Sony, the ZX300, caught my eye because of its class leading battery performance. 26-30 hours of runtime.
One more reason to use a DAP: Your phone can receive notifications and you can respond or mute the phone, but the DAP’s playback will be uninterrupted. This is nice if you like to privately listen to music while you work, or in bed.
I get you point that you made with your Sony ZX2 as an example: it sucks to carry two devices instead of one. I like to EDC my phone, keys, money, a light, a cutting tool, and audio entertainment. That’s a lot of things!! Right now, I’m down to two pockets: wallet case for my phone, Olight keychain sized flashlight and a tiny retractable Exacto blade knife on my keys. I also usually grab a pouch with IEMs and a Bluetooth receiver, or put some Bluetooth headphones around my neck. Bluetooth has gotten better, but I still have lag or headset mode issues.
Now days its not true lg v60 has 5000 mah battery with fast charging
Good job. The LG V20, G6, and G7sound excellent as well. You might as well try those and see how they compare to the V30.
G7/V40 is a tad bit louder and more forward sounding
Not much difference on DAC quality. Only appeal between these choices is the phone performance itself.
Last i checked only v20 has ess 9218.. g7 and v40, v30 has ess 9218p which is missing some features.
@@gaganpreetxp I have the V20 and V35. The V20 has a slightly louder line output level.
As a owner of the V30 and a Fiio X5Mk3 I prefer the Fiio! I like the non interpretation when working out plus the Fiio is louder much louder and has more punch!
Thanks, Nath! This gets to exactly what I wanted to know!
Nah....I've tried the LGV10, LGV30, LGV40 and even LGV50. (Never had the V20 though) I still go back to my DAP for music despite carrying a LGV50 with me all the time. Conclusion is simple, it just isn't as good as my DAP. Sound wise and usage wise.
And the fact that my the battery is supposed to be reserved for my awesome music listening session is now gonna be shared with my games, phone calls, social media, messaging and all that crap, it is a no go.
And at the end of the day, the LG V series of phones is still designed and meant to be a phone. Not a dedicated audio player and thus is still missing a lot of features that you would have found on a DAP which to me is quite essential. And unless they managed to add more features to it and make the battery bigger and improve battery life, it will still be a no go for me.
At the end of the day i am sacrificing quality for lesser things to carry. But if i already invested so much on a good pair IEM or headphones, quality is not something i wanna sacrifice and i would rather get the most out of it.
Thanks Dango, have been trying to find out if it is worthy to get a new Ibasso DX160 over my current driver (Samsung Note 9). Everyone seems mum on this topic but Im quite convinced that a good DAP will shine better than any flagship phone. I dont really care about portability and carrying more things. All i want is quality lossless music to go where ever i go :)
@@csc9540, remember that having android DAP != having an android phone-like form factor but with good audio. Android DAPs tend to have a very buggy OS
DangoSings thats what you got if you searching about sound quality first force you to depend on it and yet you dont have the best sounding music or dap in the planet.
totally agree, I got a v35 because of all the reviews and I couldnt be more dissapointed, my fiio x5 sounds way better.
@@average_joe3325 Well, it is realy hard to believe. Fiio x5 and x5II arent good daps in sq department. I have pioneer xdp-300r which is waay better than even fiio x7 and bit better then fiio x7 mark II and my lg v30 is almost on pair with it in sq. Lg v30 is that good, really. And im using Beyerdynamic Xelento remote so these are great sounding and very revealing iems.
Since I got the OnePlus6T I repurposed my LGV20 as media hub. It is excellent!
3 years and some months later, DAP days arent over but you can pick one of these phones up for dirty cheap and have a pretty good player with plenty of storage.
Got this phone for its audio support. Have not been disappointed. It has MQA codec so it can decode the Master tracks from Tidal with no problems. One of the only mobile devices that can! Also FYI, the stock camera sucks but you can port in the camera from the pixal phone and the pictures come out way better! So now you have a DAP, digital camera, and a phone! No this isn't a paid advert just a happy consumer!
Good to see an audiophile actually using one of the only audiophile phones available rather than the overpriced rubbish Apple offers that other supposed audiophiles seem to use.
Apple is garbage, hi 5 to you for being smart. apple, and samsung really bad
What audiophiles use an iPhone for sound? Unless it’s going digital to a dsp in a car. They will all use DAP’s because they put any phone to shame.
You talk like an original person without any drama. 👍👍👍
John Darko Are you sure this is the very first and not the Vivo Meizu Oppo dac phones.
I say definitely keep a different section of phone dac and software hack reviews coming.
XDAs kernel mods and audio enhancer software mods.
Supercurio mod. ZTE Axon 7 like stuff. Samsung Wave with Wolfson, Samsung Galaxy S1 Supercurio mod.
It's very very essential for a discerning sound quality expert give A to B comparisons on various mods models and combinations. After all millions of people may not go the special external dac route, yet want an integrated solution.
Edit : couple them with Chin-Fi IEMs and you can really give great VFM solutions for various price points.
Thanks in advance.
I used to use a Mojo for my IEMs, but now I just rely on the LG. Yes, the Chord sounds much better, but I could not deal with the boondoggled phone + DAC.
I just bought Mojo, i find hard to differentiate between LG and Mojo. Does mojo sounds way better or my iem (average) are limiting factor?
I installed Poweramp, output settings to 24/32bit Hi Res, Direct volume to DAC , voila, killer audio with phone features
thanks i didn't know bit rate can be changed in poweramp till now.
Hate to break it to you, but the DAP has been around longer than the smart phone. Starting with Apple and its iPod. Then Apple went and combined everything and the smart phone came about. But at the cost of sound quality, which most smart phone manufacturers ignored as well. That is more the reason DAPs have seen a resurgence. We woke up to the crap sound and wanted something better. At least LG wants to improve its quality.
That's true: those who care about sound quality jumped to DAPs because smartphone manufacturers didn't care about sound quality. And now we have the LG range of smartphones that make the jump to a DAP much harder to justify -- my point here.
The iPod isn't a dap, it's a piece of overpriced shit that is equivalent to a Chinese knock off of a knock off mp3 player. Don't insult the Walkman by comparing it to the iPod
Hate to break it to you, but iRiver (of Astell & Kern fame) and Creative (now more known for their gaming audio soundcards and keeping alive the old Denon closed headphone designs) made MP3 players before the iPod came out. I was there, and so was Darko. Before MP3 players, we had CD players and tape players.
Yes, smartphone’s have been do-all devices since they came out, “jack of all trades, master of none.” LG’s latest models are an exception, and I love them for catering to my niche, but they aren’t able to set a trend like Apple and Samsung. I sincerely wish Apple would go all-out on a new iPod, or at least bring back the headphone jack, but they want to push Bluetooth, which frankly has good music capabilities these days but lag and quality problems with movies and games. For the mainstream, audio quality unfortunately doesn’t move units like screen technology, battery and power technology.
The LG is better, but it’s not the ultimate quality device that some people make it out to be. Darko here just compared it to the level of the Audioquest Red, a $200 DAC/amp, and other reviewers say the Dragonfly Red is still just a little bit better. For some people, that is all they need “on the go” where they believe they won’t hear finer nuance anyway.
For me, where I work from home unless I travel to domestic or international events, I spend equal or more time listening in hotels or cafés as I do listening on a plane (and rarely on public transit), so audio can be the most portable form of entertainment and I enjoy it being nicer (and having tons of battery life in case I might not be able to use power outlets for days at a time). I’m a pretty niche market though, even more niche because sometimes I need a good sounding and reliable source to let people demo audio from.
@@DarkoAudio
I agree, I have an LG V30
But then again those who normally get iPhones or Samsung's will now argue there's no reason to buy LG phones because of the dap
At least the ones that are biased
LG though have s major marketing deficit because hardly anyone knows the v30 even exists, even in 2019
Great review...are you saying that lg v30+ is better than your Sony Dap?
Just wanted to say I find your you tube channel really interesting and also like your podcast and that it is nice to see that Jana is working with you, used to like when she helped out at Innerfidelity with Tyll etc.
Thank you - and yes, Jana is a real asset to the team.
Looking on Android Arena shows the relative sound quality and output of most audio for android phone
devices.
The days may have been over 2 years ago, but I have a feeling that dap's ar going to be a big thing again. Rumor has it that new Iphone's will not have any ports at all. I guess others will follow as well. As much as It suck's, I still like the iphone for everything else than listening. This make me think I will stick to them. So then I will probably want a dap. Ok, 2 devices in my pockets.
I wont have a problem with this in the next few years, but say i needed a new phone now, and the one I liked had no ports.
I would like the idea of getting the Astell&Kern sa700 for 1500ish usd- Not so far from a brand new phone, and I hope and believe the onboard dac in that thing is pretty decent as well. Then I would still have 2 devices, just like the phone dac setup.
+ It would free up my phone for home use.
I really hope you will get your hands on the A&K SA700 and share your thoughts on that thing :)
P.S Great stuff on your channel, and homepage.
Stuck with the LG V50/G8 and you should be fine.
This is fascinating stuff. Thank you! I'm always interested in new ways to stream, for one purpose, a car DSP by Audiotec-Fischer called the Helix Pro-2 which allows me to stream into it via toslink, coaxial S/PDIF, or USB. All controllable with an in-dash controller with volume control. So currently I can stream via iPhone through the CCK (which is a bit clunky with the extra oddity adapter but it works, or I have an old Fiio X5ii which works nicely over coaxial. A really cool solution would be a streaming capable device to output digital to the DSP system, but be controlled remotely via tablet or phone as an interface.
I phone is pure "BS", LG V30 I've been reading about with good reviews for sound and chip set. Thanks
LG's phone business is out of business, DAP are going strong!
Not at all
Your videos are very helpful and easy to understand, thanks!
I started watching your 'DAP days are over' series with skepticism starting with your episode on the firefly and usb cable. Then by the episode on the LG V30 I found myself in full disagreement with you. I used to do the phone + usb/external dac combo both with the Cambridge Audio XS and the Fiio Dac Q1 and found that the micro usb were very tempermental in terms of connection reliability. I found carrying the two components around was just as bothersome as carrying a phone and dap. I then bought the bullet and got myself an Astell and Kern Ak70 which is jaw droppingly good. When my phone plan was up for renewal I got an LG v30 and was excited to hear the 'hifi' dac in it. I loaded up some hi-res flac files I had compiled over the years and played them with Neutron hi-res music app..... and I was not impressed. I then compared the hi-res tracks using Neutron to streaming 328kbps tracks using google play and I could discern zero difference between the two. Now, this isn't to say that the phone is junk - quite the opposite - I think the phone overall is fantastic...just not for audiophile playback. It clearly cannot resolve hi-res music the way my Pioneer N50 or AK70 can. Even a phone using a micro usb to external dac suffers much the same problem - it just does not compare to the AK. I love your videos, John, but for my ears mainstream phones (and computers, for that matter) just don't do digital audio justice and so I disagree with you on this one. I have connected very high quality dac's to fast computers using expensive usb cables and they just don't work like a purpose built audio machine does. I have had numerous conversations with my local Hi-fi retailer (who happens to have a PhD music and audio engineering - so I pick his brain every chance I get) and the conclusion we come to is that the purpose built digital player (portable or home hifi) is just an entirely different experience and necessary to properly play digital music to it's fullest.
use 50 ohm or higher iem or headphone . you will notice the difference
@@khaledkibria2434 I have used my NAD hp viso, Grado RS1 and my Focal Clear and the results are underwhelming (but they are
Hi can you use lg as an external dac for pc.Thanks for keeping audio simple.
Hi John, what do you think about the lg v60?
2019....I use a 5 year old samsung phone with $30 earbuds... sounds great to me....
U can use KZ IEM's....they had that price...and sounds really nice
Good for you save money. My advice don’t start listening to better quality stuff otherwise you might get hitched.
Which is better, spectra x or dragonfly red?
Snagged a v30 for under $100 unlocked. Gonna use it just for my media.
I've tried SD DAPs with FLAC, but ultimately nothing will beat the experience and access speed of my simple Ipod Classic 160GB + ZT IEMs + HD490 combo, even if I had money...
I have to disagree with you John because the money you spend to get an lgv40 the problem with those phones are to get the phone to go into a high-end peaden's mode with a low impedance headphone or IEM you have to plug in another cable and trick the phone constantly it becomes a hassle.
If you're going to use it as just a single player yes but the LG v-series don't function very well as a daily phone in my opinion.
The v40 has horrible battery life in the screens not very good the v50 has great battery life great screen but the external speaker sound in the speaker phone is horrible so if you want to use it just as a d a p player you're okay but they're not very great as phones.
I'll put my fiio M11 up against any of the LG phones.
now lg v60 is in the market, will you recommend? or i stick with my v30?
Have you ever tried connecting a dap, that can be used as a DAC, to a Raspberry Pi's USB output?
I don't know but my Huawei Mate 9 kick ass phone sounds freakin' amazing especially when i connect it on my cars Bose sound system via cassette adopter! Sounds like im in a damn live studio with nothing but pumping bad ass 80s jams!!! But also my legendary Cowon D2+ player that was build like a tank that came out about 20+ yrs ago and still plays and looks new like the day i got it outputting outstanding music sound!!!
Using $350 Sennheiser wired earphones,can't I attach a small DAC such as Fiio or Dragonfly to get great sound on a Samsung S10+?
I also own a LG G5 taht has a DAC you can purchase from Bang and Oulufson but is not as good as the quad DAC with the V30.
Does all the V series do both decoding and rendering all full unfolded thr mqa or just the decoding ??
Hi
Can I use the LG V30 as a streamer for a hi-fi system?
Yes, but you need to disable notifications.
2 issues not mentioned. Battery life and interuptions So my DAP wont be going anywhere.
Keep your main cell phone and get a V30. You're still carrying two devices either way and you won't get interruptions.
@@waynebruce24893 Yeah but why not just get a DAP as a secondary device though?
I'm using the V35 + Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro, do y'all like it?
The DT 1990 is a lot less hard and edgy than the DT 990, I’m glad for the improvement. It’s still not my taste, but at least it doesn’t hurt to use anymore. Worth the upgrade.
I'm using V35 + DT770Pro 80ohms, love it.
LG V30 with Massdrop Plus or Nuforce HEM 8 or, when at home, Focal Elex , Soundmaic Hp151 and Grado 325e.
I have a LG g7 fit and it also has a 32bit quad dac but i dont really hear a diffrence to when i torn it off. Is it because im dump?? Or is it because of cheap headphones or because i use mp3 format?? Pls answer me.
It's definetly because of your dumbness
Are you sure the dap is gone since it seems the phones with a headphone jack are dying quicker than earth's species. However what about bluetooth 5.0 and the filo btr5?
Hello Man! I USe my Headphones (Sennheiser HD700) and iems (dunu falcon c, Sennheiser ie800) with my Dragonfly REd+Jitterbug from my Laptop i mostly listen music with Deezer Hi Fi what is 1411 kbps CD quialty music, and they sound good IMO. MY question that i seen this Lg v30 it is as good as a Fiio x5 Dap or Oppo ha2? I realy planning to buy it since i dont wana buy a Dap and i dont like my current phone with Dragonfly Red and if i wana go out or work i just want to plug my iem to my phone and have good quality music. How is This Lg v30 sound quality vs Dragonfly Red, and other AMp/Dacs ?
Hey , did you buy ? And how was your experience ?
How would you say it compares to the Chord Mojo+Poly combination for sound quality?
Not as punchy, detailed or as wide/tall of headstage.
Are you serious?!
@@mervinho666 ...said the guy who's never listened to it.
Isn't the phone already a year old?
I think a phone is a terrible device to use as a player as the experience can be spoiled by sales calls or any calls during the middle of the song!
Looks like daps didn't die :)
DAC: "Part 3? The rumors of my death are apparently greatly exaggerated."
Does anyone know how Empire Ears Legend X sound paired with LGV30 ?
Problem of v 30 is to small battery. I refuse to buy anything that has battery smaler than 4000mah.
I use my V30 all day without issue.
Get a LG V20. You can buy additional batteries, or as I have a double sized battery, from Amazon. The DAC in the phone is really good. I have read it is "essentially the same DAC" as the V30.
The LG phone doesn’t come close to any mid to hi end DAP.
Why?
I'm looking for a DAP my budget is $800.
I was wondering about the V30. Ive been looking at this phone primarily because of the quad dac in it. What Bluetooth codec does it use? I have Sennheiser HD1 overears and I like to listen wirelessly too.
Thanks for your opinion on this hardware.
aptX HD out of the box + LDAC with Android Oreo 8.0.
Thanks. I saw your other video about the Bluetooth specs after I asked this question.
I'd say go for it if you primarily use ear buds or IEMs. The V30 is perfect for all the IEMs I have tried so far: the Shure SE846, SE215, and the UE 900s. Full size, or higher impedance transducers in general, need more juice than the v30 can adequately supply. My very efficient Audeze EL8s are disappointing playing directly from the v30.
are you gonna check out the LG v40?
No plans to at this stage.
Nice video john i have the v30+ as my second phone the earbuds i use are the 67ohm sound magic e80s the dac on the v20 and v30 doesnt fully open for buds or headphones below 50ohms i totally enjoy the e80s in my v30
There's a mod for higher powered earphones for V20. I bet they have the V30 version as well. Keep in mind though, this could broke a lower ohm earphones.
Lg v20 is the same dac and y better option for the price
What is the DAP name? CHINESE WITH SD CARD
Hello, I was curious if you have the DAC setup as shown in the video, or do you find the need to make adjustments?
I made zero adjustments to the DAC setup. Just used as is.
John Darko thank you very much
Thanks Great Video!!!
I'd like to get this phone, but as someone used to a headphone jack on the bottom and a fingerprint reader on the front, I realize that it is too frustrating when using the LG V30 on a desk or in a car mount.
Headphone jacks should always be on the bottom. Fingerprint readers should always be on the plane of the device that contains the interfacing surface, (the touch screen,) and the "shimmy" people do with their phones when they put their phones in their pockets right side up, seems to contribute to people dropping their phones.
Screen double-tap or voice unlock also work. And kudos to LG for putting the headphone jack on top where it belongs.
I can't stand any of the ESS Sabre-based devices I've listened to thus far, always feel fatigued when listening to them. Surely I can't be the only one who feels that way about them? The high frequency range sounds incredibly artificial to me. Owned a Dragonfly Red and extensively listened to the DAC Oppo used to produce, as well as some other devices I can't recall right now.
I love listening to my music on my Astell sr15 it looks and feels gorgeous and my shure se 535, fiio th 7 and fiio fa 7 sound bliss! The only time i ever use Android is on my sr15! I don’t care how good this LG sounds it”s still an Android PHONE! I could NEVER switch from my iPhone, it’s all about the seamless connectivity I have with my other Apple devices! FaceTime, iMessage are also another reason! I’m happy with my Dap and I can’t wait to buy my next player which will be the Astell SA700!
I know i'm late, but v30 is just not that amazing. I have a Meizu Mx4 Pro which I bought because of the dedicated DAC and the very cheap price (approx $75), and compared it to the v30 plus which my brother owns. And to be honest, Mx4 Pro sounds better and more lively than v30 plus.
Not true
V60 is better with the dacs
why because i aint using a smartphone or a phone at all
In the long end everything will be over; especially crappy stuff like apple, sony , lg ... you name it.
No, the DAP days are just coming. Even 109$ Shanling M0 is better than V30.
Better in what way? Better in your uninformed assumptions?
i have both and i have als a fiio x7-ii.please check your ears...
Who wants to carry another little cord and a little USB dac around with them plugged into their phone, I would rather have a separate digital audio player and the sound is more quality especially if you buy a quality brand player
🤣🤣🤣
@John Darko would love to know if you would be willing to bootloader unlock and then root the sony DAP then try Viper4Android and see how well this improves the sound quality,(same with the xaiomi phone),i will leave a link to the site where you should be able to do this and would love to see you upload a video comparing the sound before and after using viper4android...forum.xda-developers.com/android/software/viperaudio-viperatmos-3-8-sq-driver-t3289075
Argh, your British, it’s ZED not ZEE don’t Americanize the English language please!
You could just buy a car with a radio.
Or a vacation in Sicily. Or a new wardrobe. Or a year's supply of strawberries.
Everything comes with an opportunity cost.
You are reviewing a phone? A phone? John, I respect your knowledge and insights regarding home audio, please continue your reviews. C'mon, leave the 'phone reviews to those who are captivated by them - kids. Regards.
Per the link beneath the video, this phone is one of the very first to be designed with audiophiles in mind. Its DAC/headphone chip comes from ESS and the Android OS has been coded to be bit-perfect from user to said chip.
And deployed as a standalone streamer it holds its own against the AURALiC Aries Mini.
V30/Shure 846 makes me smile everyday. No Iam not a kid.
Well, I guess you don't travel much, David.
I guess John Atkinson would disagree with you, www.stereophile.com/content/lg-v30-hi-res-smartphone-mqa