Still using my LG v60 and loving it. Quad dac, 3.5mm headphone socket, sd card slot (over 100gb of WAV audio files using the USB audio player pro app). Also, detachable second screen option, proper stylus support on both screens, great battery life, excellent screen, tough as nails and more! Currently on android 12 and expecting android 13 as the last update. Just in time for me to consider a device that supports aptx lossless. LG have given great service to people using phones that enjoy audio. I've had several LG v series and still have an LG g8 thinq, also with a quad dac. And innovation in so many areas. Thank you LG! Model numbers of every ESS Sabre DAC featured in an LG smartphone: V10 - ESS Sabre 9018 DAC, Sabre 9602 headphone amp V20 - ESS Sabre ES9218 Quad DAC (tuned by LG or B&O Play, depending on the market) V30 and G6 (Asian market G6 only) - ESS Sabre ES9218P Quad DAC (tuned by B&O Play) V40 and G7 - ESS Sabre ES9218P Quad DAC (tuned with Meridian) V50 and G8 (and G8x) - ESS Sabre ES9218P Quad DAC (tuned by Meridian) V60 - ESS Sabre ES9219 Quad DAC (most likely tuned by LG)
Hey, have you tried any other lg phones? Ive heard the v60 was worse than v50(from my research the best sounding lg phone. maybe g8 is in the same boat)
As a new UA-camr myself I have to tell you how impressed I am with your ease and how you speak on camera without many errs or umms. It's a skill. And, as always, thanks for the great video.
I agree. I travel for work several days per week. I have always used the LG Quad-DAC phones with my Grado's since they came out. The one device reason you gave is it. On Airplanes and in hotels it just makes life easier. I currently have the LG V60.
The Dac of the v30 is what got me into real audio, never did i hear my music so clear, a few months later i went to a hi ress audio store were they had a Questyle QP1R player... WOOOWWW the sound of this thing with some grado headphones :D. Not long after that i got my first dap, a fiio m11 (now with denon ah7200 on 2.5mm) Thanks LG you opend my eyes on audio.
@@rimmigoyal5020here's my thoughts LG V30 -Most analytical of the bunch, by a small margin, BO tuning LG V40/V50 - Marginally warmer tuning, Meridian tuning LG V60 - sound is between the V30 & V40/V50. Not as analytical as the V30 and not as warm as the V60. V50 also can't process MQA if you need that. Also sounds a bit louder. I think they're almost all the same, I personally prefer the V40/V50 for the slight warmth with brighter IEMS, the V30 with bassy IEMS & V60 is better all-around. I don't use the V60 much because it is much bigger.
Thanks for opening the comment section again. I think it adds to the experience of your channel. And RIP LG. It has been my go-to phone brand for the last five years.
I was interested in that Rog 5 also but after jerryrig's durability test not gonna buy that. I hope asus makes zenfone 8 much more durable. If not I will go with usb dac dongle and usb audio player pro app.
I just got a Dragonfly Cobalt and a dongle. It sure is less comfortable but for those long train rides etc, it doesn’t really matter and the quality is remarkable.
I watched the MKBHD video and kept thinking ‘I wonder what John will think/say about LG throwing in the gloves.’ Great Video and really interesting view point 👍
Well said, was gutted when I couldn't buy a new LG recently. I decided to go with a Sony 5ii and the Fiio BTR5 to run the audio. It's an upgrade for sure, but my LG V40 was just simple and great.
I've really enjoyed my V30. Heard this news and ordered the G8X dual screen with the ESS dac from Best Buy. I can have Tidal on one screen and read about the song or artist on the other screen, or read the news on the other screen. Best Buy still has the unlocked version new for $500! BYW, you can remove the main phone from the case to lighten the load and it is essentially the G8x. My music player for the next few years.
I am a happy v30 user as a second phone, along with iPhone. I need to have two mobile one for work and the other one serves as a personal phone. So v30 is my main music player on the go. I am really sorry that LG has not been appreciated enough for its focus on user experience in these kinds of niche areas. thank you for the great video. all audiophiles will remember LG with good memories, I believe.
I also have and love the V40 (with Tidal) and hope I can keep it as long as possible. There are still no real competitor phones out there concerning the audio quality, as perfectly explained in this video. As always - great content on this channel! I'm a Fan!
I bought a locked LG V30 for $75US because the lady couldn’t get the headphone jack to seat fully. I took a paper clip and 5 min later removed a wad of lint out of the port. Now it’s fully functional. I bought the KEX Pro in ear monitor headphones and set up the V30 for music only. It was the best money I could have spent for a great audio player.
I loved my V30 but had to trade it in for my V40 which has been my day to day DAP (december 2023) since I change mobile carrier three years ago because the sound quality is that great!
Well done, Sir. Still have my V20 side piece! Current phone is a G8. Might try to pick up a V50 or 60 before they disappear. Not too happy but was good while it lasted. RIP LG. You will be missed!
I'm still rocking the LG V20. The HP jack is the golden gate to mobile audio. A replaceable battery, and SD Card slot that supports up to 1Tb, an IR blaster, a 2nd screen and a MILSpec build quality and you can rebuild it, if it breaks, Best phone of the last decade.
My LG V30 gave me good memories. Now I have a Sony Xperia 1 II. It has a headphone jack and DSEE upscaling for both wired and wireless audio. Not as good as the LG dacs but sure a clear step up from your average smartphone
Thanks John! I listen to Tidal HD through a V40, a dragonfly red and USBAPP and the sound is outstanding. I just use the headphone socket of the v40 and the Tidal app on the go because of all the external noise (traffic, other people etc). I really challenge anyone to tell the difference between CD quality and anything higher when you you're sat on a train or walking by a busy road!! I'm massively happy with my set-up at home and don't sweat not having MQA outside... there's more to worry about! 👍
I've always used Digital Audio Players since 2006 when I ordered a Cowon D2. What a great sounding machine that was even though the UI was truly terrible. I got used to carrying two devices, one phone, one audio player, until I was made aware of LG smartphones. They will be sadly missed.
Great vid as always John..heres a another niche. I use my LGv30 for a car audio system running android auto but with aftermarket amps and speakers. The v30 compared to my new s21 ultra ($1K phone) still sounds better to my ears! Connected via USB going into an Alpine ILX 702.
I bought LG V50 phone and since another phone, Google pixel 4a 5g I did a little bit testing before. Sound is so much better on LG phone. I also think V50 is as high as you want to go in the line due to LG cut corners on V60. V50 has 5G as well and screen and material are qualify too. So if deciding get LG V50 used and don't look back.
V35 thinq, here. Will never give it up. Just bought another for family member. That's number 4. I use my phone for music 99% of its tasks. Very few call or communication. Its my dap.
I can relate to every word you spoke here. In fact, these are the very words I told myself about my LG G7 ThinQ. I switched to this phone from my Sony Z3 plus, a phone which had terrible heating issues, but I stuck with it for the sake of music. Then I discovered LG G7 ThinQ with quad DAC and bought it immediately. I was pleasantly surprised and I couldn't ask for more. After more than three years of the best music experience I could have, my phone faced issues with the charging port. I am to blame because I let my nephew test its water resistance feature. I'll be giving it for servicing, I am not sure if they can fix it. Meanwhile, I was searching for new mobiles that could offer a music experience similar to LG ThinQ, but I found none. Heartbroken, disappointed. I will be missing LG phones.
I just got ddHiFi TC35i and it's a life saver for anyone rocking an iPhone who has an issue with double dongling. To me it sounds better then apple dongle. It could be me being impartial since I destroyed unhealthy number of iPhone dongles over the years. This one feels much better when it comes to build quality, since it's made of metal, so my brain might be translating that into better sound.
Wow this is my exact scenario. I've had an LG V10, V30,V30s,V40 and V50. The V50 style was probably my favorite but it didn't properly support the 5G mess here in the US. So only till recently I rocked a V40 for years due to the audio quality... and literally JUST this week I jumped to a Samsung S22 because if it's 5G prowess. Since Samsung was a lemming to Apple and dump their headphone jack and even expandable memory...i supplemented it with a very nice Cayin RU6 R2R dongle DAC as played through UAPP. This particular DAC even goes so far to have balanced headphone output. Big fan of Cayin's products as I also have their awesome tube DAP N8ii. So yeah as much as anybody else...I'm in the position to totally salute LG for keeping quality audio alive in their phone as long as they did!
Great video. I did a lot of research about BT codecs. As you mentioned the lack of compatibility is sad. In addition an operating system often does not even let you see the BT codec it decided to use and takes liberty in switching bitrates based on BT signal strength and its mood.
I have gone back to a dap for on the go. Using an old fiio m6 until I upgrade. I don’t mind carrying it alongside the phone or iPad. It frees them up for my work. I only use my iPad or iPhone to control volumino on a pi in my home set up. So happy with the sound as a lower price point. When I upgrade the dap I will go 4.4 balanced. (Never liked 2.5) so then only need to upgrade a few cables for my collection of iem’s and headphones.
The M6 is an interesting little player! I use one as an Airplay receiver for my headphones around the house. I have stellar wifi inside and out so I never have to worry bluetooth range issues or lossy codecs.
Thank you John - Loved the video, as always, actually listening to this on my iPhone with a dongle dac connected straight from lightning to usb-c cable! Very neat and it does hires (MQA) which does matter to me, as well as the sound and it has a 4.4mm balanced output. All together the Hilidac Audirect Beam 2S sounds pretty good compared to the ifi zen I have on my Mac but waiting for my IEMs (Fiio FH5s) arriving Monday) to test it fully! Agree this is going to be a very busy market area - took me a while to find a suitable MQA iPhone product as there are lots of choices without MQA or better for android. Happy listening!
Im just watching this from my LG V40 that i got after seeing your video about it. Using it daily with Tidal and Sennheiser hd25. I cant belive they stoped making smartphones
Excellent as always. Your comment on Marquez is so apt. He even pretended to compliment LG whereas not once has he supported LG in the past years. So interesting that he chose to recommend them at their demise when he did nothing to help them whilst they were around. I've had the LG V 20, LG V30, LG Wing now without DAC unfortunately. I use my Opus #11 DAC but unfortunately can't replace this easily it seems as the battery life is now only about 2 hours. Wonder if you could recommend something in its place. It's not easy to sift through the myriad of alternatives out there without being able to hear them. Thank you for your wonderful channel.
I bought my v30 for just this reason.... I now use it to stream Qobuz over wifi into a Parasound A23 with Klipcsh Forte 2 via 1/8" to RCA cable in my garage... sounds killer
The best sounding phone ,I ever had was the HTC 10 followed by my LG V50 which was close second.Whlch also had a high quality DAC and headphone amplifier.Now I just use an Audio Quest Dragonfly Red with my Samsung Note 20 ultra phone.
I have a DELL desktop in my workshop and added the Cambridge Audio DAC dongle and JBL ES30 monitors. The sound is great for not much $$. If you do your homework and search for deals, you can find ways to listen to great sounding music.
Recently I got my V60 (incredibly a new, on december 23)... Updated to android 13. It is just pleasant to hear the good quality sound of it. I still have my v20 as my home media player. Hopefully sony has something good for the future.
I upgraded from V20 to V40 and now V60. I only use mine as a DAP and not a phone. It's the only "phone" I have heard with enough muscle to drive the AKG K702.
I think LG made their mistake by not advertising their flagship phones dacs to the masses. When I heard about the potential for the best sound from a phone period, I was on board!
Man, the V20 was the first phone I had where I was able to just have my music there and be happy with it. I got caught in the time of Rockboxed Ipods and external, portable amps with LOD cables for said Ipod. That opened me up to wanting good sound as much as my first IEM' (Shure SE530) but it was so bulky and an extra device to have. I just purchased a V50 last year as my V20 was getting a bit wonky, it just continued with the nice DAC offering but I suppose all things end. Thanks to LG for trying, though no thanks for the bad SW update commitment.
Excellent discussion! As an iPhone user I am still a two device enthusiast. The major benefits for me are that notifications are not interrupting the playback and I still have offline support from Qobuz not to mention I like having both iOS and Android. If I were being hypothetical I would love for the iPod (not the touch) to come back with expandable storage, app support and music quality as a focus.
I've got a Dap and a dragonfly red, but honestly when I'm out going Bluetooth is so easy and comfortable I hardly ever use those. Better bt codecs are the best we can really hope for in a world of wireless earbuds where 99% of people have never heard of aptx or ldac. I enjoy my I3/aptx/cipher cable for mobile use which generally isn't a critical listening environment anyway.
I completely agree with you. Lossless and high-res lossless are only part of the story in making what we listen to sound better. A DAC, and amp, etc. will make lossy files sound good too. In fact you might want to invest in a high quality DAC/amp before you invest in and try to find lossless files.
Listing with my ear men eagle dongle dac, with moondrop starfield's, always sounds better since took your advice, John. Can't listen to my phone anymore without the dongle on my Samsung. Thank you.
I loved my V40 ( bought at least partly on your recommendation ) but after a year the battery life fell off a cliff. I still use it as a DAP at times but got a Realme phone with 65 W super ultra mega rapid charger (0-100% in 35mins) and bought a E1DA D dongle DAC/amp which is extraordinary when used with USB audio player Pro.
I'm getting MQA with Tidal on my S21 Ultra. Is that a recent change? I'm using the Helm Bolt and the Tidal app asked me when I plugged it in if I would like to utilize the DAC.
Wow comments are active. Have missed the interactions. Typing this on my V30+. Gonna have to be extra careful with it in the future. Will miss LG I'm still using a nexus 5 for usb streaming at home.
I had an LG g8x with the quad dac, for me hi res tops out at flac files stored on micro SD (512gb card with about 400gb for music so far!). About a year ago I experimented with these dongle dacs as I thought I would get some, probably small improvement over the LG. Tried the cobalt, s9 and most recently the dc05. All very good, all powerful enough for my iems and headphones (fd1's and Sony 7506's) but ultimately more of a faf and more of a battery drain. More difference came from changing headphones than the dongle. Going back to my g8x as is now and doing away with dongle, if I get a headphone Amp it would be something like a dh80 which has its own battery and suits my use case more. The quad dac lg's are more than enough for music on the go i think, as you say people get wound up about the files and the numbers when ultimately as long as your phone/player is good enough, then it's good enough 👍
But remember you have one type C port on your phone you may snap it very easly but when there is a dedicated 3.5mm jack with a good DAC that is more proper for every one . By the way a good external DAC might cost you more than $200 that is now the price for the 2020 LG V60. BY the way there is a new great phone for audiophiles by Moondrop called MIAD 01 it has a 3.5mm headphone jack and a 4.4mm pro. jack. with a very reasonable price and I think the DAC used there is CITRUSS MASTER HI-FI.
I was super-disappointed when the V20 didn't come to Germany and got flat out angry when I learned that LG would grossly overprice the V30. So I got a OnePlus Smartphone, a Dragonfly Red and never looked back. I really wanted to throw my money at LG, but they just wouldn't take it ...
Yeah, I’m in South Africa and the V series didn’t come for a while and when the V30+ showed up here it was a while after it had been released elsewhere and it was seriously expensive. Looking at LG’s notorious lack of software updates, it made the phone a no go.
Great content again John. I too went down the Astell & Kern route to get high res audio on the go. For the same reasons I also ended up using my phone (in the main). However after listening to the points you raise around the complexities of getting high quality audio from your phone, the mess of dongles, res sampling, Bluetooth etc... I think that this argues the point of going back to the DAP. I use the SR10 and can also use this as the DAC for other devices. You made the point of moving away from DAPs due to not having streaming capabilities however you then stated that you offline audio for use on the phone. You could do that with the DAP. No getting around the two devices but you will save on battery consumption on your phone which is important when travelling. 👍
indeed lg produce impressive dacs however my v30 does not produce enough amplification power to drive either my 4xx's or sundaras and i thus require an external dac/ amp like the btr5 to drive them. thus the dac on my lg gets bypassed and well turns into just another generic mobile phone. do the v50 or 60 provide stronger amplification?
Enjoyed the show! I'm glad you give the "everyman/woman"''s perspective on the whole audio-on-the-go scenario. I'm a tried and true DAP user myself, but I've bought and tried dongle dacs in the past - with an iPhone - and as you mention, the associated cables/adaptors etc made me feel it just wasn't worth it and I've gone back to a DAP. It just seems weird that the whole phone audio segment is in such a mess. Wasn't capitalism supposed to give us competition and therefore better products? We seem to be going backwards.
Hi, I am really interested regarding how you take this LG V30 or V40 as a best DAP smartphone and I am thinking to get one as well since in my country the price only around 50-90 bucks for used one but in still perfect condition.. I am happy since the DAP itself too expensive. Is that really good compared to DAP? Or should I buy DAC portable for that as well?
Once on the subject. You should have also mentioned the LG AFD-1200. It is the B&O tuned DAC , that could be bought, as optionial module for the LG G5. Not many know, but it can be used, as a stand alone USB DAC with Android phones or even with Windows laptops. It sounds just as good as my LG V20 B&O edition phone. Worth picking up one. I got one for 15 quid sealed in orginal box. Quite big compared to the dongle dacs. but surely a worth considering alternative. Also worth mentioning that Sony Xperia 1 III phone has a quality DAC with the 3.5mm headphone jack. Sony also have arguably the best Blutooth protocol. LDAC I think. Not sure. I am still not bothered by the wire.....:)
What happens when I listen to Tidal on my Sony android tv with (Dolby™ Digital, Dolby™ Digital Plus, Dolby™ Pulse, DTS Digital Surround, ClearAudio+) trough HDMi to my receiver. Do I still get the bit perfect sound or something close to it because receiver has DAC built inside it?
Ok. My 3.5 mm earbuds just kicked it, and I've realised there's nothing off the shelf in Norway anymore (I have jack, but can't find buds). Do you have a suggestion for USB-C buds with a low budget (80-100 €)? I mainly use them for cycling/training, so a in line remote (play/pause/answer + volume) is appreciated. Do you have another suggestion for my setup?
Does the quad dac on the LG phones impact the quality of the USB Audio that these devices can deliver? And does that give them an edge over any other Android flagships when comparing USB Audio output between them? (I'm currently using the LG V60 running bit perfect audio through UAPP and the ibasso DC01 (linked to FIIO FH7 IEM’s). This setup has blown the A&K Kahn Alpha and the FIIO M11 Pro out of contention for my listening pleasure.}
As a V40 owner, I salute you for saluting and praising the wonderful, so underestimated and unsurpassed LG audiophile Handy 😊
Still using my LG v60 and loving it. Quad dac, 3.5mm headphone socket, sd card slot (over 100gb of WAV audio files using the USB audio player pro app). Also, detachable second screen option, proper stylus support on both screens, great battery life, excellent screen, tough as nails and more! Currently on android 12 and expecting android 13 as the last update. Just in time for me to consider a device that supports aptx lossless.
LG have given great service to people using phones that enjoy audio. I've had several LG v series and still have an LG g8 thinq, also with a quad dac. And innovation in so many areas. Thank you LG!
Model numbers of every ESS Sabre DAC featured in an LG smartphone:
V10 - ESS Sabre 9018 DAC, Sabre 9602 headphone amp
V20 - ESS Sabre ES9218 Quad DAC (tuned by LG or B&O Play, depending on the market)
V30 and G6 (Asian market G6 only) - ESS Sabre ES9218P Quad DAC (tuned by B&O Play)
V40 and G7 - ESS Sabre ES9218P Quad DAC (tuned with Meridian)
V50 and G8 (and G8x) - ESS Sabre ES9218P Quad DAC (tuned by Meridian)
V60 - ESS Sabre ES9219 Quad DAC (most likely tuned by LG)
Hey, have you tried any other lg phones? Ive heard the v60 was worse than v50(from my research the best sounding lg phone. maybe g8 is in the same boat)
@@aura_guardian35Did you get one? I went G4 to V20 to V60 and I m still on V60.
As a new UA-camr myself I have to tell you how impressed I am with your ease and how you speak on camera without many errs or umms. It's a skill. And, as always, thanks for the great video.
Hello Steve, fancy bumping into you here!
I agree. I travel for work several days per week. I have always used the LG Quad-DAC phones with my Grado's since they came out. The one device reason you gave is it. On Airplanes and in hotels it just makes life easier. I currently have the LG V60.
The Dac of the v30 is what got me into real audio, never did i hear my music so clear, a few months later i went to a hi ress audio store were they had a Questyle QP1R player...
WOOOWWW the sound of this thing with some grado headphones :D. Not long after that i got my first dap, a fiio m11 (now with denon ah7200 on 2.5mm) Thanks LG you opend my eyes on audio.
LG V30 vs V60 - which one should i go for the music ALONE?
@@rimmigoyal5020here's my thoughts
LG V30 -Most analytical of the bunch, by a small margin, BO tuning
LG V40/V50 - Marginally warmer tuning, Meridian tuning
LG V60 - sound is between the V30 & V40/V50. Not as analytical as the V30 and not as warm as the V60. V50 also can't process MQA if you need that. Also sounds a bit louder.
I think they're almost all the same, I personally prefer the V40/V50 for the slight warmth with brighter IEMS, the V30 with bassy IEMS & V60 is better all-around.
I don't use the V60 much because it is much bigger.
Thanks for opening the comment section again. I think it adds to the experience of your channel. And RIP LG. It has been my go-to phone brand for the last five years.
LG - a giant in the electronic industry. I have an LG tv that has been going for eons. Thank you LG.
Watching this on my v40 right now. Not sure what I'm going to do here in a few years. I love these phones.
For anyone that's interested the newly released Asus Rog Phone 5 has a 3.5mm headphone jack with an ESS DAC. There is still hope for us yet.
I was interested in that Rog 5 also but after jerryrig's durability test not gonna buy that. I hope asus makes zenfone 8 much more durable. If not I will go with usb dac dongle and usb audio player pro app.
Usb dac dongle is the future. Companies such as thx, astell and kern are jumping in.
Plenty of options now.
I just got a Dragonfly Cobalt and a dongle. It sure is less comfortable but for those long train rides etc, it doesn’t really matter and the quality is remarkable.
@@ornobislam5106 future? Dude, we live in the future haha
@@spector175 Yeah, the durability test was disappointing. The phone is an absolute beast in size too. Not for me.
So informative, even as a lifelong Apple iPhone user I love hearing about what you said about LG. Thanks
I watched the MKBHD video and kept thinking ‘I wonder what John will think/say about LG throwing in the gloves.’ Great Video and really interesting view point 👍
oh and it's nice to see the comments open too!!
Well said, was gutted when I couldn't buy a new LG recently. I decided to go with a Sony 5ii and the Fiio BTR5 to run the audio. It's an upgrade for sure, but my LG V40 was just simple and great.
Glad I bought my V50 brand new last week.
I've really enjoyed my V30. Heard this news and ordered the G8X dual screen with the ESS dac from Best Buy. I can have Tidal on one screen and read about the song or artist on the other screen, or read the news on the other screen. Best Buy still has the unlocked version new for $500! BYW, you can remove the main phone from the case to lighten the load and it is essentially the G8x. My music player for the next few years.
Nice to see Jana- wish she was still making videos.
This was so sad. I am very happy with my G8x and its DAC.
I am a happy v30 user as a second phone, along with iPhone. I need to have two mobile one for work and the other one serves as a personal phone. So v30 is my main music player on the go. I am really sorry that LG has not been appreciated enough for its focus on user experience in these kinds of niche areas. thank you for the great video. all audiophiles will remember LG with good memories, I believe.
I also have and love the V40 (with Tidal) and hope I can keep it as long as possible. There are still no real competitor phones out there concerning the audio quality, as perfectly explained in this video. As always - great content on this channel! I'm a Fan!
I bought a locked LG V30 for $75US because the lady couldn’t get the headphone jack to seat fully. I took a paper clip and 5 min later removed a wad of lint out of the port. Now it’s fully functional. I bought the KEX Pro in ear monitor headphones and set up the V30 for music only. It was the best money I could have spent for a great audio player.
Always agree with you John, and learn so much from you. Thanks for being there .
Sony should take the baton, and get better DAC's on their phones.
I was literally just thinking that, they are announcing a new phone soon
why tho ? sony sells dedicated dacs. they wont bother puting it on their phones
New Xperias have dedicated DAC and 3.5 output. They cost a fortune though
Why better dac's? My Xperia 5 Mk ii sounds much better than my previous LG v30
I would buy that. A Sony high res phone
I loved my V30 but had to trade it in for my V40 which has been my day to day DAP (december 2023) since I change mobile carrier three years ago because the sound quality is that great!
Well done, Sir. Still have my V20 side piece! Current phone is a G8. Might try to pick up a V50 or 60 before they disappear. Not too happy but was good while it lasted. RIP LG. You will be missed!
Me to with a big 9k mil amp battery
I'm still rocking the LG V20. The HP jack is the golden gate to mobile audio. A replaceable battery, and SD Card slot that supports up to 1Tb, an IR blaster, a 2nd screen and a MILSpec build quality and you can rebuild it, if it breaks, Best phone of the last decade.
Still using my LGv20 and this thing constantly blows me away!
I only just came around to LG via a G8 about 1 1/2 years ago now. Love it. This new is a bit gutting.
My LG V30 gave me good memories. Now I have a Sony Xperia 1 II. It has a headphone jack and DSEE upscaling for both wired and wireless audio.
Not as good as the LG dacs but sure a clear step up from your average smartphone
Thanks John! I listen to Tidal HD through a V40, a dragonfly red and USBAPP and the sound is outstanding. I just use the headphone socket of the v40 and the Tidal app on the go because of all the external noise (traffic, other people etc). I really challenge anyone to tell the difference between CD quality and anything higher when you you're sat on a train or walking by a busy road!! I'm massively happy with my set-up at home and don't sweat not having MQA outside... there's more to worry about! 👍
Watching this with the LG V40
Big salute to this brand 😔
I've always used Digital Audio Players since 2006 when I ordered a Cowon D2. What a great sounding machine that was even though the UI was truly terrible. I got used to carrying two devices, one phone, one audio player, until I was made aware of LG smartphones.
They will be sadly missed.
Great vid as always John..heres a another niche. I use my LGv30 for a car audio system running android auto but with aftermarket amps and speakers. The v30 compared to my new s21 ultra ($1K phone) still sounds better to my ears! Connected via USB going into an Alpine ILX 702.
I bought LG V50 phone and since another phone, Google pixel 4a 5g I did a little bit testing before. Sound is so much better on LG phone. I also think V50 is as high as you want to go in the line due to LG cut corners on V60. V50 has 5G as well and screen and material are qualify too. So if deciding get LG V50 used and don't look back.
Yes, Yes, Yes keep having Jana promoted to the Sponsors to be their lead-in for your Videos🎶
Well done! Bravo!
Guess I'm all alone in that I'm satisfied with lossy on the run as long as I have lossless at home.
You're not alone. I feel the same way.
well, i don't even have much lossless at home.
Yes , I still can remember my days with LG G6 phone with quad DAC. I was amazing.
you were amazing? great
Wow hifi Bollywood !!
Thx for pinpointing other UA-camrs and showing some light on lg❤️
It's a niche market, but quality over quantity as always. LG G6 with Quad DAC variant owner since 2017. Thank you for bringing this up!
Watching your video using my lg g6..quad dac version.
V35 thinq, here. Will never give it up. Just bought another for family member. That's number 4. I use my phone for music 99% of its tasks. Very few call or communication. Its my dap.
I can relate to every word you spoke here. In fact, these are the very words I told myself about my LG G7 ThinQ. I switched to this phone from my Sony Z3 plus, a phone which had terrible heating issues, but I stuck with it for the sake of music. Then I discovered LG G7 ThinQ with quad DAC and bought it immediately. I was pleasantly surprised and I couldn't ask for more. After more than three years of the best music experience I could have, my phone faced issues with the charging port. I am to blame because I let my nephew test its water resistance feature. I'll be giving it for servicing, I am not sure if they can fix it. Meanwhile, I was searching for new mobiles that could offer a music experience similar to LG ThinQ, but I found none. Heartbroken, disappointed. I will be missing LG phones.
I just got ddHiFi TC35i and it's a life saver for anyone rocking an iPhone who has an issue with double dongling. To me it sounds better then apple dongle. It could be me being impartial since I destroyed unhealthy number of iPhone dongles over the years. This one feels much better when it comes to build quality, since it's made of metal, so my brain might be translating that into better sound.
Wow this is my exact scenario. I've had an LG V10, V30,V30s,V40 and V50. The V50 style was probably my favorite but it didn't properly support the 5G mess here in the US. So only till recently I rocked a V40 for years due to the audio quality... and literally JUST this week I jumped to a Samsung S22 because if it's 5G prowess. Since Samsung was a lemming to Apple and dump their headphone jack and even expandable memory...i supplemented it with a very nice Cayin RU6 R2R dongle DAC as played through UAPP. This particular DAC even goes so far to have balanced headphone output. Big fan of Cayin's products as I also have their awesome tube DAP N8ii.
So yeah as much as anybody else...I'm in the position to totally salute LG for keeping quality audio alive in their phone as long as they did!
Fascinating, thanks John 👍
Great video. I did a lot of research about BT codecs. As you mentioned the lack of compatibility is sad. In addition an operating system often does not even let you see the BT codec it decided to use and takes liberty in switching bitrates based on BT signal strength and its mood.
I have gone back to a dap for on the go. Using an old fiio m6 until I upgrade. I don’t mind carrying it alongside the phone or iPad. It frees them up for my work.
I only use my iPad or iPhone to control volumino on a pi in my home set up. So happy with the sound as a lower price point.
When I upgrade the dap I will go 4.4 balanced. (Never liked 2.5) so then only need to upgrade a few cables for my collection of iem’s and headphones.
The M6 is an interesting little player! I use one as an Airplay receiver for my headphones around the house. I have stellar wifi inside and out so I never have to worry bluetooth range issues or lossy codecs.
Thank you John - Loved the video, as always, actually listening to this on my iPhone with a dongle dac connected straight from lightning to usb-c cable! Very neat and it does hires (MQA) which does matter to me, as well as the sound and it has a 4.4mm balanced output. All together the Hilidac Audirect Beam 2S sounds pretty good compared to the ifi zen I have on my Mac but waiting for my IEMs (Fiio FH5s) arriving Monday) to test it fully! Agree this is going to be a very busy market area - took me a while to find a suitable MQA iPhone product as there are lots of choices without MQA or better for android. Happy listening!
Thank you John for this video. 🤝👍
Moved over to iPhone as my daily driver but I still have my LG G8X that I use as my dedicated DAP. Can't give up that Quad DAC goodness!
Im just watching this from my LG V40 that i got after seeing your video about it. Using it daily with Tidal and Sennheiser hd25. I cant belive they stoped making smartphones
Excellent as always.
Your comment on Marquez is so apt.
He even pretended to compliment LG whereas not once has he supported LG in the past years.
So interesting that he chose to recommend them at their demise when he did nothing to help them whilst they were around.
I've had the LG V 20, LG V30, LG Wing now without DAC unfortunately.
I use my Opus #11 DAC but unfortunately can't replace this easily it seems as the battery life is now only about 2 hours.
Wonder if you could recommend something in its place. It's not easy to sift through the myriad of alternatives out there without being able to hear them.
Thank you for your wonderful channel.
Thankfully ASUS have picked up the ball dropped by LG. The ROG 5 phone has an ESS Sabre chip and sounds great.
i used to own a v30 and was impressed back then now i am really tempted to get one again as they go for about 150 - 200 squid
I bought my v30 for just this reason.... I now use it to stream Qobuz over wifi into a Parasound A23 with Klipcsh Forte 2 via 1/8" to RCA cable in my garage... sounds killer
Best ad ever.
The best sounding phone ,I ever had was the HTC 10 followed by my LG V50 which was close second.Whlch also had a high quality DAC and headphone amplifier.Now I just use an Audio Quest Dragonfly Red with my Samsung Note 20 ultra phone.
I have a DELL desktop in my workshop and added the Cambridge Audio DAC dongle and JBL ES30 monitors. The sound is great for not much $$. If you do your homework and search for deals, you can find ways to listen to great sounding music.
How to spot a man of culture:
1) Surface Book
2) LG V-series phone
Recently I got my V60 (incredibly a new, on december 23)... Updated to android 13.
It is just pleasant to hear the good quality sound of it.
I still have my v20 as my home media player.
Hopefully sony has something good for the future.
I upgraded from V20 to V40 and now V60. I only use mine as a DAP and not a phone. It's the only "phone" I have heard with enough muscle to drive the AKG K702.
I think LG made their mistake by not advertising their flagship phones dacs to the masses. When I heard about the potential for the best sound from a phone period, I was on board!
Man, the V20 was the first phone I had where I was able to just have my music there and be happy with it. I got caught in the time of Rockboxed Ipods and external, portable amps with LOD cables for said Ipod. That opened me up to wanting good sound as much as my first IEM' (Shure SE530) but it was so bulky and an extra device to have.
I just purchased a V50 last year as my V20 was getting a bit wonky, it just continued with the nice DAC offering but I suppose all things end. Thanks to LG for trying, though no thanks for the bad SW update commitment.
Best video i have seen on smartphone audio or the lg situation!
Excellent discussion! As an iPhone user I am still a two device enthusiast. The major benefits for me are that notifications are not interrupting the playback and I still have offline support from Qobuz not to mention I like having both iOS and Android. If I were being hypothetical I would love for the iPod (not the touch) to come back with expandable storage, app support and music quality as a focus.
I've got a Dap and a dragonfly red, but honestly when I'm out going Bluetooth is so easy and comfortable I hardly ever use those. Better bt codecs are the best we can really hope for in a world of wireless earbuds where 99% of people have never heard of aptx or ldac. I enjoy my I3/aptx/cipher cable for mobile use which generally isn't a critical listening environment anyway.
For the extreme cost of most flagship phones they should all include a great ladder DAC and swappable op amps.
I have a v40 and it’s a great phone and I agree about the sound quality. Although I sometimes connect via Bluetooth to my shanling up4 .
I completely agree with you. Lossless and high-res lossless are only part of the story in making what we listen to sound better. A DAC, and amp, etc. will make lossy files sound good too. In fact you might want to invest in a high quality DAC/amp before you invest in and try to find lossless files.
Listing with my ear men eagle dongle dac, with moondrop starfield's, always sounds better since took your advice, John. Can't listen to my phone anymore without the dongle on my Samsung. Thank you.
I loved my V40 ( bought at least partly on your recommendation ) but after a year the battery life fell off a cliff. I still use it as a DAP at times but got a Realme phone with 65 W super ultra mega rapid charger (0-100% in 35mins) and bought a E1DA D dongle DAC/amp which is extraordinary when used with USB audio player Pro.
When you use a dongle DAC, you don‘t use the LGs internal DAC? Then you can use any low budget phone right?
Agree with John will miss LG Phones. They sound better on the go and eliminates the 2 device headache. Thanks LG
I'm getting MQA with Tidal on my S21 Ultra. Is that a recent change? I'm using the Helm Bolt and the Tidal app asked me when I plugged it in if I would like to utilize the DAC.
Same with me on my LG V40 and my Helm Bolt.
I've been using Sony Xperia upper range phones for years. I do find they sound pretty good although I've no idea what tech is inside.
Sony is coming with the Xperia mark 3 I Believe that one still has a 3.5 jack and hopefully a good DAC on it.
Wow comments are active. Have missed the interactions. Typing this on my V30+. Gonna have to be extra careful with it in the future. Will miss LG I'm still using a nexus 5 for usb streaming at home.
Nice, hang onto it for sure. Maybe it's time to get a new phone so you can keep the V30 in its best condition.
@@AuggieG yeah maybe a V50 😀
i was thinking about going back to lg for my next phone upgrade, i had the v20 and it was amazing...
Great vid. I Learnt so much. Thanks fella.
I had an LG g8x with the quad dac, for me hi res tops out at flac files stored on micro SD (512gb card with about 400gb for music so far!). About a year ago I experimented with these dongle dacs as I thought I would get some, probably small improvement over the LG. Tried the cobalt, s9 and most recently the dc05. All very good, all powerful enough for my iems and headphones (fd1's and Sony 7506's) but ultimately more of a faf and more of a battery drain. More difference came from changing headphones than the dongle. Going back to my g8x as is now and doing away with dongle, if I get a headphone Amp it would be something like a dh80 which has its own battery and suits my use case more. The quad dac lg's are more than enough for music on the go i think, as you say people get wound up about the files and the numbers when ultimately as long as your phone/player is good enough, then it's good enough 👍
LG G7 thin Q
Suits this little duck quite nicely.
ESS quad (four paralleled) DACs ES9218P with integrated headphone amplifier.
Same.... really enjoy my G7.
And only one with Boombox fiction if I'm not mistaken. Really great sound when put on acoustic material.
Bummed about LG. Have owned all the V series phones up to my current V60.
But remember you have one type C port on your phone you may snap it very easly but when there is a dedicated 3.5mm jack with a good DAC that is more proper for every one .
By the way a good external DAC might cost you more than $200 that is now the price for the 2020 LG V60.
BY the way there is a new great phone for audiophiles by Moondrop called MIAD 01 it has a 3.5mm headphone jack and a 4.4mm pro. jack. with a very reasonable price and I think the DAC used there is CITRUSS MASTER HI-FI.
thankQ LG
I was super-disappointed when the V20 didn't come to Germany and got flat out angry when I learned that LG would grossly overprice the V30. So I got a OnePlus Smartphone, a Dragonfly Red and never looked back. I really wanted to throw my money at LG, but they just wouldn't take it ...
Yeah, I’m in South Africa and the V series didn’t come for a while and when the V30+ showed up here it was a while after it had been released elsewhere and it was seriously expensive. Looking at LG’s notorious lack of software updates, it made the phone a no go.
Great content again John. I too went down the Astell & Kern route to get high res audio on the go. For the same reasons I also ended up using my phone (in the main). However after listening to the points you raise around the complexities of getting high quality audio from your phone, the mess of dongles, res sampling, Bluetooth etc... I think that this argues the point of going back to the DAP. I use the SR10 and can also use this as the DAC for other devices.
You made the point of moving away from DAPs due to not having streaming capabilities however you then stated that you offline audio for use on the phone. You could do that with the DAP. No getting around the two devices but you will save on battery consumption on your phone which is important when travelling. 👍
Brilliant video gets to the crux of the matter, don't get bogged down with numbers. Concentrate on sound quality.
I bought a V50 without knowing all the amazing things it can do but when I found out I really got into the Audiophile world
indeed lg produce impressive dacs however my v30 does not produce enough amplification power to drive either my 4xx's or sundaras and i thus require an external dac/ amp like the btr5 to drive them. thus the dac on my lg gets bypassed and well turns into just another generic mobile phone. do the v50 or 60 provide stronger amplification?
The v40 will drive hifiman 400s....to just loud enough.....so probably not enough for sundaras...
Simply brilliant!
Enjoyed the show! I'm glad you give the "everyman/woman"''s perspective on the whole audio-on-the-go scenario. I'm a tried and true DAP user myself, but I've bought and tried dongle dacs in the past - with an iPhone - and as you mention, the associated cables/adaptors etc made me feel it just wasn't worth it and I've gone back to a DAP. It just seems weird that the whole phone audio segment is in such a mess. Wasn't capitalism supposed to give us competition and therefore better products? We seem to be going backwards.
Hi, I am really interested regarding how you take this LG V30 or V40 as a best DAP smartphone and I am thinking to get one as well since in my country the price only around 50-90 bucks for used one but in still perfect condition.. I am happy since the DAP itself too expensive. Is that really good compared to DAP? Or should I buy DAC portable for that as well?
Once on the subject. You should have also mentioned the LG AFD-1200. It is the B&O tuned DAC , that could be bought, as optionial module for the LG G5.
Not many know, but it can be used, as a stand alone USB DAC with Android phones or even with Windows laptops. It sounds just as good as my LG V20 B&O edition phone.
Worth picking up one. I got one for 15 quid sealed in orginal box. Quite big compared to the dongle dacs. but surely a worth considering alternative.
Also worth mentioning that Sony Xperia 1 III phone has a quality DAC with the 3.5mm headphone jack. Sony also have arguably the best Blutooth protocol. LDAC I think. Not sure. I am still not bothered by the wire.....:)
Proud V30 owner😊
Is the Lg v40 the same sound like Lg g8? The same dac? The same sound in headphones?
Hi from Ukraine, - Kiev
What happens when I listen to Tidal on my Sony android tv with (Dolby™ Digital, Dolby™ Digital Plus, Dolby™ Pulse, DTS Digital Surround, ClearAudio+) trough HDMi to my receiver. Do I still get the bit perfect sound or something close to it because receiver has DAC built inside it?
Ok. My 3.5 mm earbuds just kicked it, and I've realised there's nothing off the shelf in Norway anymore (I have jack, but can't find buds). Do you have a suggestion for USB-C buds with a low budget (80-100 €)? I mainly use them for cycling/training, so a in line remote (play/pause/answer + volume) is appreciated.
Do you have another suggestion for my setup?
Love this content mate. Rip lg
do you need an external DAC to play hi-res music on LG v30 or v60? thanks
between LG V30, 50 and 60... which one should i go for?
Does the quad dac on the LG phones impact the quality of the USB Audio that these devices can deliver? And does that give them an edge over any other Android flagships when comparing USB Audio output between them? (I'm currently using the LG V60 running bit perfect audio through UAPP and the ibasso DC01 (linked to FIIO FH7 IEM’s). This setup has blown the A&K Kahn Alpha and the FIIO M11 Pro out of contention for my listening pleasure.}
Nope, the output is the same.