Andy, your channel is so underrated. With all the people bitching over the last couple years with cell phone makers removing the 3.5mm jacks, and audio processor circuits, your channel is a goldmine of information. Thank you for posting your vids
Thank You! it's okay, my channel just started 2 months ago. I intend to continue to provide meaningful contents and hopefully more audiences will find that useful. Cheers 😁
I never knew about the USB C ports on phones, I'm really glad that I stumbled on your video. Unfortunately there is no info about he PD for my Rog phone 2. Bu the info ha you provided gives me the knowledge on what to check on my next phone purchase.
UAPP is very much worth paying for. Devs are always fixing stuff and the usb exclusive mode is an absolute game changer for those that have never tried before. As Andy has mentioned, the ability to micro adjust volume helps a ton. *coughs listening on tws*
I've just stumbled upon your channel which I found to be the most educational and insightful among the other channels on DAC/Amp dongles and IEMs thus far. I've just started this new hobby, and you've steered me in the right direction in my buying decision to optimise music listening pleasure. Unfortunately, I can't use Hiby Music and UAPP apps as I use only Spotify. I've subscribed to your channel, and I hope to broaden my knowledge in the future. Malaysia Boleh!
UAPP is incredible and the support is absolutely top notch. He spent quite a lot of time trying to solve and issue. In the end he couldn't but I appreciated the effort and use the app currently.
PD version is depend on Chipset, USB version is depend on USB speed. Both aren't same. PD is for charging speed, USB is for transfer data speed. I think if we talk about power, PD version can be used for account the power of the smartphone.
Great to see a fellow android lover! Also IMO if you are in this hobby and even use $20 iem. The price for for uapp and all its stuff is worth it. And I love the Dev, he is very friendly and responses very fast with fixes when you email him. I even paid for mqa upgrade, although I freaking hate mqa. To support the Dev.
@@mokisan Yes I did. You can find my written review of P5 in Head-Fi"www.head-fi.org/showcase/aful-acoustics-performer-5.26162/review/29614/ Also you can check my other videos of "Best Dongles and IEMs 2022"P5 made it to my top 5 list. So I am impressed with the tuning despite me normally preferring a more neutral IEMs
Thank you for the informative video and giving me a free alternative to the venerable paid Poweramp app I'm currently using for proper android external dac support. This will help me in my quest to provide free IEM's to my friends and thus introduce them to this hobby.
You're welcome. BTR15 I believe is not MQA capable natively. But I use Tidal too and I never had issues playing any format Tidal offers now. Most of the time I use Max settings on Tidal
Topic like this is so rarely found on youtube, i love it. I always wondering if phone Chipset will also affect the performance of dongle (Snapdragon, Dimensity, Tensor).
Thanks. I don't think the chipsets will impact the sound. I have owned a Dimensity chip Xiaomi for a while and it performed equally good to my other Snapdragon phones
Hi Andy and great video. I was a little disappointed with the power rating section. So, my new phone (Motorola Edge - 2022) is only a 2.0 USB. Does that limit what kinds of dongles I can use? My first phone in 30 years without a 3.5mm jack, so I need to buy a dongle. I just want a dongle that can play my music files off of my phone. No streaming or blue tooth required. I only use headphones, but very efficent ones: Grado's, Ibasso SR2's, CFA Cascades and some Focals.
Hi Shane, for simple usage, you can get either Xumee if you are on Amazon or I would recommend Abigail Pro or JCally JM6 Pro or JM7 for the type of headphones you use. These dongles are great for the relatively ultra compact size and still offer MIC support. Bigger dongles will not have MIC support. If you are running on Android, I highly recommend using HIBY Music App or UAPP to run USB Exclusive Mode/Bitperfect with these dongles because the stock Android settings will only allow up to 75% of the true performance they are capable of
I love the video Andy! Do you know any dac dongle that has a good chip that's rated to 100 ohms like the Abigail Pro, JCally JM6 Pro, Moondrop Click, or Avani but also includes a USB-C charge port? All the ones I've looked at on Amazon don't seem to list what chip they use and what impedance they are rated for.
Thanks. That's tough one, I mean something that include charging port. But I would assume that most dongles are designed to handle up to 100 Ohm of impedance and rarely would be lower than that. In fact many are now designed to tackle up to 300 Ohm especially detachable type dongles (not ultra compacts)
Just watched it! Thank you very much now I know a little bit on what to do,, I have a question again.. What settings on Ibasso app should I use to make it more bright and energetic? Thx(thanks)
Thanks!, on iBasso UAC app, I find using it on Turbo, High Gain and then Fast Roll Off filter type to be a bit more energetic, fast and brighter. You can try that
Hi. Great tips. I installed hiby music. Thanks. I want to use dongle for home stereo: 1. What is the longest usb c to c cable that i can use between phone and dongle ? Recommend cable ? 2. What is the longest mini phono (3.5mm) to 2 RCA cable that i can use ? Cable recommendation ? - - I am looking for convenience (phone with me at listening chair so I don't have to get up and walk to my stereot to change songs) but I don't want sound problems or power issues
Thanks! 1. The longest I have owned is 3 Meter of USB C and make sure it is certified to be used for USB C V3 and data capable. 2. For interconnects, I would recommend keeping it below 4 meter if you are pulling directly from small dongles, if you need to pull beyond 4 meter, I would be more comfortable to trust proper Power Amps to do the job, the longer the cable the more juice needed to complete the circuit
Hi Andy. I just discovered your channel. You got another new subscriber. Very informative for a beginner like me. My question is what DAC dongle do you recommend for an entry level setup. Using my laptop and i would like to spend only around RM 150 or less. Thank you 😁
Not so many phones have 3.0 usb C or above , but those that have it are high end phones of very high price Andy . I would like to know where can I buy this device you plug in to check the voltage and ampere because I own a Redmi Note 12 Pro with charging ability PD3.0 , to test if the voltage is still high despite the USB C 2.0 on this phone . Great video as always ! Stay metal !!!🤘
Hello Andy. Sorry for not subscribing earlier on your channel but you are one of reviewers that I am watching whenever I am getting some new audio stuff (that's why I get my Hiby FC6). Sorry for the long question but here it is. Whenever I am using Hiby FC6 with Hiby Music, there's a pop-up window that tells me that "This app has not been granted record permission but could capture audio through this USB device. Using HibyMusic with this device might prevent hearing calls, notifications, and alarms." The option would be cancel or ok. If I choose cancel, on volume mode, it will say that "Device not connected" and therefore I can still use volume of phone which it happened one time, they turned very loud and my ears hurt. But if I choose ok, I can choose automatic or software volume (hardware volume can not be chosen), but the problem is if I tried to open a video or another audio file, it will just play on the phone speaker not on my IEM. So what do you think is the problem or is this normal? Btw, my phone is Xiaomi Poco F3. Thank you and more power to your channel! God bless.
Thanks man. When the prompt appears (and it will appear every time you connect an external DAC), clicking OK means that you enable USB Exclusive mode which HIBY Music app will be the only one that will have audio to the dongle. If you click cancel then the Android system will have control instead, and the volume will be determined by the Android system. My advise, when you are not using FC6 for audio on HIBY Music app, always cancel and run on Android system. The best way to get 100% from FC6 is to run USB Exclusive mode and let HIBY Music app to lock the volume to MAX on the phone, so that you will only adjust the volume on the dongle side
@@AndyAudioVault Thank you! This is what i've been doing. I am maxing the volume on my android and controlling the volume only on FC6. I am just worried if I am doing something wrong or I am not getting the best experience out of it. But now you confirmed what should I do. Thanks again.
i agree that the android mixer is piss poor, and i can't listen to my iems without using eq, so i only use my laptop nowadays. thankfully, the quality of the windows mixer has been vastly improved since the vista days, and with some software maneuvers (particularly eq apo) i manage to achieve playback that measures really well and is effectively bit perfect without resorting to exclusive mode
Thanks. UAPP and HIBY Music only stream Tidal/Qobuz, no YT. I use YT Music app to enjoy music from YT and they don't offer Hi-Fi output due to the limitation of under 320 Kbps resolution enforced by YT
Great video. Couple things: 1. Did you run the voltage test with UAPP or hiby open? Ie you mentioned USB exclusive mode gives more power and i assume this should be able to be noticed on the measuring device. I thought exclusive mode just allows bitperfext playback. 2. Did you test and notice a difference between bitperfect on or off? I could not hear an audible difference.
I did the test in many scenarios. With different apps, with and without USB exclusive mode. The voltage flows remain the same regardless because the measurement from the gauge is to see physical power output. USB Exclusive mode is to bypass Android SRC which limits the outright power that can be drawn to external DAC amps, so the limitations are governed by the software side. The first time I tried this over a year ago I was so shocked to find out that dongles like Apple were able to perform much better once given USB Exclusive mode, more loudness and max cap for volume. The matter of Bitperfect will depend on the source being used, will be practically inaudible if subjected to listening to streaming services which does resampling anyways. But playing local FLAC Lossless will have effect on dynamic density and richness
@@AndyAudioVault Why suggest streaming services do resampling ? If paying for something like Qobuz Sublime (up to 24/192), and streaming an album in that bitrate, what resampling is Qobuz doing ?
@@AndyAudioVault But if bypassing the Android SRC and playing bit-perfect is what does the trick with getting you higher power, any player that can play bit-perfect should be able to unlock higher power, no? (Like Neutron and some others you haven't mentioned.)
@@d0nj03 Yes, that's the idea. I haven't tried any other players like Neutron, but if they offer USB Exclusive mode, then it's a good sign they are bypassing SRC
@@AndyAudioVault OK, thanks. It's good to know we can turn on this "hidden power" easily. I can't play bit-perfect because I need my headphone-specific EQs to work in ViPER4Android. Right now I have to clarify if the SRC is really that important to bypass, I haven't found much detail on what it does that's supposed to be so bad. Have you heard anything specific that sounded bad due to the Android resampling when not playing bit-perfect?
Andy, I had try your method to get the best of Audio Dac dongles from my phone, it work really well especially when USB exclusive mode is being enable. I got a question for dac amp like Onix Alpha, or EPZ TP50, is it just hooking up them up to PC (Window 11) and choose them as the output channel will be sufficient? Or is there any setting that we need to set on PC window?
With WIndows 10, 11 you just plug and play, no special drivers needed unless you want to play DSD files at which you will need to setup ASIO (which can be quite a headache to setup)
Great info Andy! Got Abigail pro on your recommendation. I am using S23 Ultra mobile. When I connect the DAC and give exclusive access to UAPP, I wont be able to get audio from youtube and other apps. Does that mean my DAC Abigail pro is working only with UAPP and not with youtube? How can we make the DAC work for every app like youtube and others. Thanks
Whenever you connect any DAC and use UAPP Bitperfect or HiBy USB Exclusive mode, they will take over the total control of the attached DAC and then other apps like TH-cam, FB, Spotify etc will not be able to use it concurrently. You will need to detach and re-attach and do not allow UAPP to take control if you want to use the DAC for something else. Then you are running in native Android SRC mode
Continuing the question above, have you tried the LG V-Series? Can the Quad DAC on LG V-Series run (bit perfect) on TH-cam and other applications? or Android SRC may limit it?
@@ratihputripertiwi7399 Yes I have LG V35 and V50. Both decent with sound and performance, but that also lacked organic element and sounding mostly digital especially V35
Thanks!. I will try that sometime soon. Will be setting up a new laptop rig this month for benchmark purposes. But I must admit I am still new to laptop setup and may take a while for me to get used to it haha
@@AndyAudioVault Super, another suggestion will be to create a Spotify/tidal playlist for test tracks for Sub bass, Bass, Mids, Male/Female vocals, treble, soundstage, imaging, and so on with particular time in those tracks to check it for ourselves 😉🙌
Hello Andy where can I buy that measuring usb device/voltmeter or whatever that u have used in the video? 😊 . My first question: Do you consider 5V vs 5,11V vs 5,29V to be sound changing difference? If so do u have some idea whats behind those ,,heard,, results? Cause strictly in numbers 5V and 5,29V are close enough arent they? Second question: whats are the values with excusive mode on and off on lets say ur samsung s20? Just to get idea how big are those restrictions? Thanks 😊
If you have access to Shopee or Lazada, you can search for "USB Power Meter"and there's a lot to choose from. You can get even more from AliExpress. The difference between 5.0v to 5.20v can be audible especially if you are using above 2Vrms dongles and pushing highly scalable IEMs or Headphones, but may not be so apparent on highly sensitive IEMs. For example, using my DACport HD, RU6, Ovidius B1 and iBasso DC03 Pro, I can hear that the output from my 3.0PD (both the laptop and my Sony Xperia 1 iV) are more solid with dynamics body and density (richer) as compared when running the same dongles on my Xiaomi Mi9t (2.0 PD). However, with efficient dongles like Abigail, Avani or anything under 1.9 Vrms, it is practically identical. So, it depends on the usage scenarios as well
Can you suggest the best neutral dongle dac? I want no coloring not even small coloring in any part of the sound. You seem to share my taste for sound. Please suggest me one.
The majority of top rated dongles with 4.5 Stars rating are neutral, check the rating list on my primary #donglemadness site and you will see them all. About the only ones that are colored would be the likes of iBasso DC03Pro, Tempotec Sonata E44, A&K PEE51 etc.
Im looking for portabe music since it much more easier compare to other. You come in the right time. I have few questions. 1. Im more into streaming music, like spotify, apple music and youtube. Can DAC improve the sound when using this without the use of UAPP or Hiby? Thanks for your video regarding portable audio, really appreciate it so much.
To a certain extend, an external DAC/Amp can also make listening to streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music or TH-cam Music better. But you must understand that the bottleneck here is the streamed resolution especially with Spotify and TH-cam which is limited to 256Kbps or 230Kbps at max, they are Lossy format. External DAC/Amps are best suited for usage with Lossless sources like FLAC or WAVE files and you will experience richer output (also depending on how resolving your IEMs are). But yes, you can expect improvements, but it will not be day and night sort of improvements with lossy streaming formats
@@AndyAudioVault appreciate your reply. I have one question. i already purchased final audio e5000 with sensitivity (93db/14ohm), what must i see on dac to get a good sound from it.
@@Bizarre5165 With such low sensitivity at 93dB, getting proper dongle is a must now to get full performance. You may consider anything with 2VRMS of power at minimum and I would recommend something like iBasso DC03Pro if you are limited to 3.5mm or Tanchjim SPACE/Truthear SHIO/LINK2 BAL/FC4 if you can get 4.4mm cable for the IEM
@@AndyAudioVault you so helpful, thanks! Will buy dac with 4.4mm. I have feedback, maybe you can do tiktok so you can share your knowledge. Jujur saya gembira dapat jumpa channel abang ni, susah sangat cari info info begini di malaysia. Semoga community ini akan lebih berkembang dan maju. Thanks abang andy!!!
Andy, perhaps you can answer this. And I believe it would be helpful for your followers too. The issue is: Ive tried to listen to "The Four Seasons Op8" song through JM6 Pro and Supermix 4 using Apple Music. But I found it's different in my three devices: Windows PC through USB 3.0 port, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 plus, Realme 9. The best is the Galaxy Note 10 Plus, and the worst is Realme 9. The most noticeable is the guitar sound since in the beginning of the song; its really loud and clear in Galnot 10 Plus. Even though Ive tried to download the Hi-res Lossless version and turn off my internet on Realme 9, the quality is same. Is it only because of the power issue, or might there be other factors? And can it be solved by a better DAC? Thanks so much Andy!
I don't use Apple Music so I have no idea if it will support Bitperfect with USB Excusive more, my advise is try the free HIBY Music App and run USB exclusive mode on your JM6 Pro and play the offline file through that, it could be the SRC limitation on Realme 9 is preventing the unit from doing proper performance of the dongle
@@AndyAudioVault yes Apple Music doesnt have a USB exclusive feature. But thank God my Realme 9 already has Android 14. Ive tried your advice, but its still the same. I found the difference is in Dolby atmos on Galaxy note 10 plus even though the Android OS is still version 12. The dolby version is also showed in Apple music. I tried to turn it off but when I play the song, it automatically turns on again, idk why.
Nice , MAYHEM! Which album do you like? I have purchased the ru6, the Fc6 and the iifi go bar based on your reviews. They are stellar. I got the ru7 preemptively and it is just as stellar! I can't find the Dacport Hd anywhere to purchase. Do you know where? And how much burn in time for the go bar? It hasn't quite opened up yet. I look forward to your ru7 review, it is my favorite , as it plays digital sounds and analog sounds (instruments) equally as good. I can't figure out if the DSD mode will sound superior without an actual DSD source data. I assume it will, because otherwise it would have a very small extremely small niche of users who have dsd source material. Because when I use the ru7 and switch between 64/128/256, I can hear a difference. I think it's actually making it sound like a Dsd source would sound Thank you! The last question is the most pressing in case you don't have much time
My favorites from Mayhem are the early releases of Deathcrush and DMDS. I love Lo-Fi stuffs. DACport HD is now back available directly from CEntrance I believe, check their website Normally after 100 hours most devices would already settle in, I would say that beyond that, iFi Go Bar would not yield any audible change Again, thanks!
Great info...I am using lg g8x for all my dongles which drives them great. Using Neutran player which to me seems superior to other apps due to 64bit processing and pcm to dsd conversion.
@@himanshumittal9473 To me Neutron is best in its unique pcm to dsd...works great for mp3 and 16bit flac files....ofcourse if you use 24-96 quality files then no difference which app you use. However dongles works best for dsd converted signal due to the design.
Thank you so much for your great Video 📹 I just bought the Sony MDR-Z1R headphones 🎧 and looking for a Dongle to listen 🎶 to HI-Resolution Audio from my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra using connection USB C 3.0 on my phone 📱 please help ... which one to buy ? 🤔
My pleasure. At this moment, my recommendations would be for ultra compact segment, Venture Electonics ODO for just $5, AKLIAM PD6 for under $100, ONIX Alpha XI for under $150 and iBasso DC07Pro for above $150
@@AndyAudioVaultthank you heaps... you are right ✅️ it worked great with the iBasso IC-7Pro at the Stereo Net show I tried it on my Samsung S23 Ultra .. what would you recommend in the Fiio brand ? Please
Hi, so no way to unlock the dongle potential with streaming services? Sorry if I missed that in the video. Be nice if uapp or hiby could play your Spotify account
Both UAPP and HiBy Music can stream Tidal, but not Spotify yet I think. Also HiBy may have support for others as well but I am not a big fan of streaming music, so I didn't test
Hi Andy. I have poweramp and I'm loving their UI. Is there an exclusive HQ usb audio access thing on this app as well? Or should I just use Hiby to get the best out of my dongle dac?
Hi Andey :) Im using a realme 6 pro (Android). It's a usb c 2.0 ... Will it be sufficient for the new ibasso dc03 pro dongle? Many thanks, Ilan / Israel
Thanks for your prompt reply. My iem's are the akg n5005. P.s I'm also a fan of black metal and metal in general:) Keep on the good work...your chanell rules.
Hello from Germany. I have the Sony Xperia 1VI and it has a headphone jack, I tried the Quedlix 5k via Bluetooth is not bad, but I think wired would be better? which dongle is recommended? as IE I have the Sennheiser IE800. Best regards
Qudelix 5K can also be used using wired USB, perhaps you should try it first. If you still want to try a USB dongle, then I recommend either ONIX Alpha XI or iBasso DC07Pro
My Samsung Galaxy S10e is USB Type-C 3.1 (no OTG) and PD2.0. Will it work with MEIZU Lifeme, FC6, or B1? But the S10e has a 3.5mm SE headphone jack. Is it good or not?
What about iphone 14 pro max Andy In ios store there is no UAAP app but Hipy music is founded but what about output power through its usb lightning? And Is it will be any different in sound quality if I use streamers platforms like apple music or Spotify or TH-cam music and finally when it comes to gaming. Thank you Andy
Unfortunately I have stopped using iPhones since 2021 due to the various issues it has with high powered dongles. Can't even power up the likes of DACport HD, Ovidius B1 and a few more. So it would be hard for me to imagine if anything has been improved since then, but maybe they have better software support now at least
I purchased my FLAC files from Bandcamp. There's a few other online services that sell FLAC too, but need to Google them. Most of the FLAC files I owned were originally from CDs I physically purchased
Hello Andy, HiBy and UAPP also work with DAC AMP COMBO (With FiiO Q15 for example)? And do they have PEQ that let me determine the frequencies? Thanks 🙏
Hi andy,about Dc03 pro,when do i know what digital filter should i use ? I have never used digital filter before ( i think dc03 pro have 5 filter and NOS ) thank you
If you connect a DAC to your phone then everything from your phone will be played by the DAC/Amp, TH-cam or anything else. Unless you run HIBY Music USB Exclusive mode then the DAC will only play for HIBY Music or if you use UAPP Bitperfect then the music will only play for UAPP - until you detach and reconnect the DAC to your phone
Hi andy, i just read a post of a guy online. He said that when using streaming service like spotify and apple music(i am using these 2), the Android always mess up with the audio before sending audio to the Dongle DAC and the limit of Android is very low for lossless streaming in Apple music. So he said dongle dac is waste of money because the audio is always done by the Android itself so there will be no improve when using good and high-end dongle compared to the cheap one? Is this statement true? Because i only use streaming service( spotify and apple music), not using tidal and UAPP app like you said in videos 😭😭
There may be some truth to it because I don't think both Spotify and Apple Music have capabilities to run USB DAC in exclusive mode. So any audio app that does not offer USB Exclusive access to the USB DAC will always use Android stock SRC (native resampling). That's why I only focus on HiBy Music and UAPP, to ensure that my audio source (which are 100% Lossless FLAC) are running bitperfect without any resampling by Android. To a certain extend, especially for MQA dongles, Tidal can also have exclusive access to the USB DAC. On the other hand, other aspect must be considered as well, dongles are not just an intermediary for playback, most dongles offer more power than stock DAC/Amp inside our phones, very rarely you would see internal DACs of an Android phones going over 1 Vrms or with 80 mW of power. Regardless if you are playing lossy 320 Kbps or even "Hi Fi" streams, power is power and most properly tuned IEMs can scale with that especially those rated 32 Ohm and above. I can guarantee you, a 2 Vrms iBasso DC03Pro will sound better than the stock phone out from any phones
I brought FIIO KA3 in January last year ... And i had a problem of random disconnect since first time with my poco f1 , i changed lot of customs ROMs but the problem still remain with my phone fortunately it occurs when certain conditions match ... I tried researching also talked to Fiio helps but no-one was able to figure out .... Then i myself understand that its due to older USB type of my phone . Now i am sure of it ... Thankyou. Also i like to ask 1 thing ... I am using poweramp latest built they says it bypass resampling, from DAC indicator i can confirm that its running 24bit 192khz ... But thier might be a chance that Android is allready resampling it at 48khz and then Poweramp resamples it again to 192khz thats why i get the 192khz led ..... I tried UAPP at bit perfect, and they both sound exactly same to my years ... I tried for good amount of time .... If its possible can you cheak and confirm if Poweramp really going hi-res or its just downsampling and then upsampling... Thankyou 🙏🏻
Thanks, sorry to hear the issues with older Android. I can relate to that as well. I still have my old Sony Xperia. On the other hand, should you choose to purchase a new dongle, then look for dongles than can switch between UAC 1 and 2 modes easily, something like xDuoo Link2 BAL or JCally AP90. Being able to switch UAC modes can solve compatibility issues with older phones. I will also try Poweramp soon. Thanks!
@@letsmobiles3396 Frankly I am not privy to the details of UAC1 or UAC2, I only know that these standards are set for compatibility of USB devices, like UAC2 designated with more feature support but will likely be less adaptable to older devices
I have two questions regarding your old reviews. 1) On your abigail review, what app did you use to check/show the chip parameters there? 2) On your CS-PRO CS46L41 review, the spec says PCM 24bit - 384khz. But i notice from the picture, it shows 32. So, can we play 32 bits file natively or not? Also, does it support dsd256 or dsd128 only? Or, it doesnt even support dsd at all. I think, im gonna suggest you to review such details on your future reviews.
1. The app is called TTGK. You may need to Google the APK as it is not provided in Google store 2. Sometimes, depending on the app being used, the displayed info can be misleading. Or even the specs being specified inaccurately by the manufacturer. In my case, you don't see me testing anything beyond regular PCM because I don't have DSD stuffs. I came from the CD generation and my FLAC files are practically 100% on PCM. But yes this is a good suggestion and I may need to find some DSD files to test
Is that a Hifiman HE400SE behind you? Can you tell me which dongle DAC is best for this headphone? And can I use a dongle DAC as a pure DAC and connect its output to an external headphone amplifier?
Yes it is. My favorite magnetic planar. HE400SE Stealth version. For my own usage, I love the output I am getting from either CEntrance DACport HD, HIBY FC6 or iBasso DC04Pro on this headphone. On DC04Pro, it need to run from the 4.4mm BAL port as DC04Pro only provide the highest power from there. As for connecting to external amp, I use Abigail Pro serving as pure DAC connecting to either Shure KSA1200 electrostatic energizer or xDuoo MT602 Class A Hybrid Tube amps, excellent synergy
@@AndyAudioVault Well I bought a topping l30 II desktop amp to power my he400se and was looking for a dongle DAC to replace my old fiio e10k. After watching your reviews I think the ibasso DC03 Pro can be a good DAC for my topping amp. But do you think the DC03 PRO is worth the extra cost over cheap dongles like abigail or avani when used as a pure DAC for HE400SE ?
@@ayushbhaumik7980 DC03Pro is best used as a whole dongle on its own. But yes it is also superior to Abigail Pro serving as pure DAC for LO purposes, but you must take into account that DC03Pro is not as neutral as Abigail Pro
@@AndyAudioVault Thank you for your reply. I am ok with a less neutral DAC as I use EQ already. I really like the DC03 Pro Software and hardware volume buttons. If it has better sound quality as well when used as a pure DAC then I will buy it. I hope it's resolving nature goes well with my HE400SE.
I bought the dc03 pro and I am extremely happy with the purchase, it sounds so much better than my older fiio e10k despite being much smaller, and it has a strong mid range and vocal emphasis with a forward sound signature which goes nicely with my HE400SE headphones as they were always a bit lean in the vocal part and the DAC makes them sound fuller now. The sonic improvement through just a DAC upgrade is so much that I was wondering whats the next step up from the DC03 Pro. Do you think its worth buying better portable DAC or should I buy a real Desktop DAC instead. Is there any portable DAC which is waaaay better than the DC03 Pro when used as a pure DAC? I was curious about the Earmen Sparrow DAC as reviews say how its a step up from the competition. Did you ever hear the sparrow and if you did how does it compare with DC03 Pro ?
CXS is the best IEMs from KZ (CCA) so far IMO. It is a very well tuned V sounding IEM with great technicalities. You can check my other video of Best Dongles and IEMs of 2022 and see exactly where I rank CXS
Andy So, does that mean that the power relationship of each type of cell phone can affect the overall volume of the DAC? In the extreme case of PCs and phones?????
Or more precisely, the type of USB C power delivery mode. Best results always from the PD3.0 USB because you get 900 mA of power which is similar you get from a PC. Even a good PD2.0 will be more than enough most of the time
@@AndyAudioVault Andy, what I want is to have high volume, but there doesn't seem to be a setting to specifically increase the volume. Should I change my phone??
Hi Andy, Ive checked your Sony X Compact and Redmi note 7 has the same type of USB C 2.0 with a charging rate of 18W. So, is the problem just the release year of the phone?
Hola Andy. Quería hacerte una consulta en español ya que no hablo inglés. Tengo el ibasso dc03 pro y es un muy buen dongle. Pero, por ejemplo, cuando escucho una pista en 44/16 utilizando el hiby music, el bitrate aumenta a 32 en la información de salida. Es normal? Se considera eso bitperfect?. Me pasa también con el fiio m3k cuando lo uso como dac. Todas las pistas de 16 bits las sube a 24 bits. Te agradecería mucho tu punto de vista al respecto. Saludos desde chile.
Sí, sería bitperfect. Es una forma de saltarse el resampleado de android a 48KHz que sucede con las canciones a 44/16 (esto introduce artefactos en el sonido y degrada su calidad). Lo que se hace es pasarlas a 24 o 32 bits, que son múltiplos de 16 bits, manteniendo la calidad original del sonido para reproducirlas como bitperfect a través de los drivers HD propietarios de dichos reproductores. En realidad siguen siendo las mismas canciones a 16 bits, aunque en pantalla aparezca 24 o 32.
Hola Andres, es normal. En HiBy Music, cuando hace clic en USB, la resolución no se muestra correctamente. Es solo un error de visualización ya que HiBy Music no lo vuelve a muestrear a menos que lo fuerces en una de las configuraciones. El que se muestra en la pantalla principal es el correcto. ¡Salud!
Hi Andy, I am wondering if Centrance DACPortHD can handle HD600? Will there be significant difference between DACPortHD and desktop dac amp while attached to HD600? like soundstage and details wise.
More than capable, even better than most entry level DAC/Amps. The fact is, many top performers rated dongles.have the power and authority to drive HD600 properly, but most of them will require you to run 4.4mm BAL. DACPort HD offers better soundstage compared to iFi ZEN DAC2 + ZEN Can stack and with better details articulation too
@@AndyAudioVault Well, there's a music equipment store still selling DACPortHD in my area and I see a second hand Chord Mojo, which one would you choose?
Hello Andy, Very important question to me - Does {for example} the HiBy App can work with separated Desktop DAC that is connected to a Headphones AMP? Thanks
@@AndyAudioVault So it's a very good news for audiophiles that want to EQ their Headphones / IEMs for getting that Harman Curve / Frequency Response (For example)
I can relate to your feelings, I was disappointed too since I had both V35 and V50. But at least you can take into consolation that LG V phones are among the very best with the internal quad DAC (I just personally feel the tuning a bit less analogue and organic for my taste)
@@AndyAudioVaultWhat minimum dac/star rating would you recommend that beats the quad DAC in the lg v60/35? Planning on upgrading to s23 but want to maintain similar quality to lg series
@@AndyAudioVaultHi there, I have the V60, so, this PD 2.0 charging power will give me less power let's say for example to drive and get most of the juice for the DC04 Pro? Thanks
Hi Im using samsung galaxy a51 to store all my music, but unfortunately it only support typeC 2.0 and has no PD If im using Fiio Q11, does the issue can be solved? (Since they are using their dedicated battery)
Hard to say as I never tried A51. USB 2.0 is still okay especially if you run USB Exclusive mode. Have you tried connecting any other DAC to your phone? Q11 can work in both PD and non PD depending on what cable you use. What concerns me more is whether OTG is enabled on your phone to support external DAC
@@AndyAudioVault yes im using DC03Pro right now (right after watching your review btw 🤣). And it has no issue, PnP. Connect with Uapp very well. But compare it side to side with my galaxy S23. Dc03pro on s23 sounds slightly fuller and vocal more pleasing to my ear. Where dc03pro on a51 feels drier and vocals sounds more harsh. Im worried that my a51 unable to give enough power if i connect it to a more power hungry dac
Me too. I believe it will still be 5v, but the issues primarily will be Apple own standards with USB power feed, the iOS is very stringent with power hungry USB devices, so the restrictions is even more than Android
Hi. I'm using the HIBY app at your recommendation. Like it. But having issues with one dongle not the other. Phone is LG V60 ThinQ. Android 13 USB 3.0 protocol on phone. . HIBY FC6 is working great. I'm using volume unlocked in the Hiby app, turning the volume all the way up on the phone and I think I have the USB speed set to fast and everything is fine. ... But .. with the Cayin RU7 I keep getting dropouts in the sound when streaming. I have tried different cables I've tried to set "line out" on the dongle vs "po" . I have tried to have the USB bus speed different settings such as fast, or automatic. I have tried to have volume locked and unlocked in HIBY music app when using RU7. Any ideas? Having trouble solving this. Does this dongle take more power than the Hiby FC6 ? If it does then perhaps my phone is just not quite giving it enough? Sorry if you were reading while I edited
That's quite frustrating. I would suggest that you try your RU7 on Tidal or UAPP instead to see if the issue will persist. I have heard feedback from users of HIBY Music App that there's some issues with some dongles getting stuttered playback, some more prominent than others. I am sure it has nothing to do with your hardware, it is the player. As much as I love HIBY Music App, I concede to use UAPP or Tidal when I face this issue
Yes. Quite frustrating. Thank you for the tips. I will try that. If I have to use Tidal then I think I'm going to stop using my phone and will use an iFi Zen streamer as it has Tidal connect. have any of you tried running a dongle off of that streamer ?
@@AndyAudioVault USB audio player pro removed the dropouts. After the switch to USB audio pro is using a 6 foot long USB cable and I was getting a slight clicking in the Tweeter of the right channel. I switching to a short USB cable which removed that clicking. Now all is well. A 6 ft USB cable was too long, apparently.
Hi Andy, I am using the Abigail dongle. 1..Would the 7hz 71 be an upgrade from the abigail in terms of resolution and technicalities? I am driving it with my planar iems the S12 pro. 2. Is it a significant upgrade going from the Abigail to 7hz 71? or would I stretch my budget more to the ibasso dc03 pro? 3. Another question, is the Dc03 pro significantly better than the 7hz 71? or would I just stick on upgrading to the 7hz 71 in terms of cost effieciency😅? Or If there is not much of a difference from upgrading to the 7hz 71, would I just stick to my Abigail?
7Hz 71 is just marginally better than Abigail in terms of technicalities and also it offers harder edged sound presentation. iBasso DC03Pro of course is significantly better dongle in every possible way compared to 71. Cheers. PS: Upgrade path from Abigail would be anything from ColorFly CDA-M1 and above as listed on my primary site.
@@AndyAudioVault Hello ANdy, I have a follow up question. 1. Is the DCO3 pro not sibilant on planar iems like the shuoer s12 pro? I am using the abigail as my dac for my s12s and it is sibilant on some tracks especially on louder volumes. When I use my macbook air 2017's headphone jack, it is not sibilant and fatiguinig on high volumes. Is the DC03 pro not sibilant or fatiguining on planar iems? 2. I have followed you since last year and has noticed that you love an organic and analogue type of dac. As you mention in your DC03 vid that it is not analogue and you still love it. My question is that, is the sound of DC03 pro much better than other analogue and organic dacs? or is it because of the features that it has that made the dc03 pro 5 stars in your review? 😅 Thank you for replying! You're the best content creator!
@@charbieculpa1455 If you find your S12 Pro sibilant even with Abigail then it is the nature of that IEM to be sizzling with Pinna edge brightness. DC03Pro will not fix that, unless you change to a non sibilant IEMs. However, you may still be able to fix it with a warmer dongle like Avani, Hidizs XO, JCally JM10 or even Lotoo PAW S2. I have many neutral bright IEMs like Etymotic ER series and even Simgot EM2R or Tanchjim ZERO can be regarded as brighter, but they don't sizzle unnecessarily with DC03Pro. Cheers!
THank you Andy, yeah I have experience sibilance on some tracks. Maybe I need a warmer source but I am looking also towards the DC03pro. Thank you for you comment, really appreciate it.
Hello Andy. May I ask, if my DAC dongle got volume adjustment, should I set Full Volume on my phone and control the volume using DAC dongle to best sounding while listening music?
Thank you @@AndyAudioVault for answering. Actually I still Newbies in this hobby but all your video make me much enjoy this hobyy ( or Jump into Rabbit Hole )😂. By the way, for Moondrop KATO IEM, it better low or high gain?
@@AndyAudioVault I hope you could try. I need an experienced hobbyist's opinion. I fear I'm missing something by sticking with Poweramp (the UI is just too good!).
when I listening music in 16 bit 44.1 its sound lot better than 24 bit 48 k, 24 bit music is not that open and fuller, but it should have been batter than 16 bit. I have tried in one basic DAP(Fiio M3K) and also in DAC (DC04 pro), in both case result is same. Does 24 bit audio need more volume to sound good? what is the issue?
Thanks! Battery drain is highly dependent on each dongles and would be different from one to the other. But if you watch my reviews on those dongles, I will always mention how much they drain the host. Usually it will drain more when driving more demanding partners especially if the dongle has High gain mode
I use Tidal with USB exclusive mode through HiBy fc3. The color of the dongle changes when I listen to HiFi and MQA. That is why I assume that the exclusive mode of Tidal works exactly like UAPP or HiBy app. Since Tidal got this feature, I no longer use the other two applications for listening to music.
The disadvantages are limited to the dongle itself, some dongles have compatibility issues with Tidal and may exhibit some anomalies like running on perpetual max volume or crackle with artifacts in playback
Yes, sometimes I hear crackling with HiBy fc3, but I haven't heard them or other unexpected noises with CX-Pro Conexant CX31993. It depends on Dacs. The big thing with CX-Pro is that it automatically stops playing music on call, and that is why I use it. The sound of it is not what I'm looking for and I'm searching another dongle with mic support for replacement (sadly I lost my Meizu HiFi, which I liked the most). Thought about Jcally JM10, but have no info how the mic will work.
Thank you for the proposal, but I'm not huge fan of MQA (waiting for spotifi HiFi). Other than that, I think in exclusive mode FC4 will not cancel playback. Can you tell me if Jcally AP10 (I've red your review) supports mic? I think it will be less power hungry than FC4
How do we find info on the USB bus bit rate? My new xiaomi tablet SE only allow 16 bit by USB, but the phone says it will do 24 bit audio up to 192 khz, yet by USB we are choked to 48khz and 16bit..How does that work? I don't even know this until I try to set bit rate to 24, and silence, won't play.. No sound.. Set back to 16, and it's fine. USB 2 can do how much current? I want to use my old xiaomi phone because tablet is huge, but maybe I am going to lose volume? I ordered the dac cable to USB micro for it..If I have to buy expensive phone, might as well go back to using DAP. I have a xiaomi 12 but the USB audio out does not work.
What app do you use? Did you use something like HIBY Music App (USB exclusive access) or UAPP (Bitperfect)? My very old Sony phone can do even DSD when I use dongles that are rated for DSD, because I use those apps to bypass Android SRC
@@AndyAudioVault update.. Hiby app is not detecting the dongle properly, so it's all over the place, I set the output to 96khz, and now the light is orange, which means >384khz, orange on everything, even 16-44.1 and sounds like forced clarity, for volume mode it reads properly, then reads no device detected, I will buy the uap app.. Hopefully that solves it. It could also be the alternate firmware I used, it's alternate tuning from tempotec but it's new, so I will try to put the standard version on first, see what happens. Thanks.
I have never done that so I don't know what to say. Assuming that your smart TV can connect to an external USB DAC, then no reasons for it not to work for dongles
hi, Andy after install tidal, uapp and hiby music , everytime I plug in the fc6 the phone will prompt out 3 message box to ask for exclusive mode for the 3 apps, so I finally not know which apps is using exclusive mode, do u have the same situation? or you turn off the exclusive mode off first for the apps and turn on it while using?
Yes, every time you attach an USB DAC, any app that can run USB Mode will prompt, you just need to cancel the one you don't plan on using for that session, it happens to me too, UAPP, Tidal and HIBY all prompted asking for control
Andy, your channel is so underrated. With all the people bitching over the last couple years with cell phone makers removing the 3.5mm jacks, and audio processor circuits, your channel is a goldmine of information. Thank you for posting your vids
Thank You! it's okay, my channel just started 2 months ago. I intend to continue to provide meaningful contents and hopefully more audiences will find that useful. Cheers 😁
Just found some time to finally watch this. Thank you, it is very informative for people getting into the hobby
I already buy the uapp and MQA embale tax and i must tell you. Thank you very much for the recomendation. Im very happy is very good. Greetings
My pleasure 😁
Love your reviews.
Using iPhone 15 plus usb c actually sounds better than my brilliant LG v60 (cayin ru6 dac).
I never knew about the USB C ports on phones, I'm really glad that I stumbled on your video. Unfortunately there is no info about he PD for my Rog phone 2. Bu the info ha you provided gives me the knowledge on what to check on my next phone purchase.
UAPP is very much worth paying for. Devs are always fixing stuff and the usb exclusive mode is an absolute game changer for those that have never tried before. As Andy has mentioned, the ability to micro adjust volume helps a ton. *coughs listening on tws*
I've just stumbled upon your channel which I found to be the most educational and insightful among the other channels on DAC/Amp dongles and IEMs thus far. I've just started this new hobby, and you've steered me in the right direction in my buying decision to optimise music listening pleasure. Unfortunately, I can't use Hiby Music and UAPP apps as I use only Spotify. I've subscribed to your channel, and I hope to broaden my knowledge in the future. Malaysia Boleh!
Terima kasih!!!
2nd Video I've seen, 2nd mayhem tshirt that I spotted. Subscribed! ❤
Hail!
UAPP is incredible and the support is absolutely top notch. He spent quite a lot of time trying to solve and issue. In the end he couldn't but I appreciated the effort and use the app currently.
Totally agreed
Thanks for the Insights. I 100% agreed and also turned fully to Android.
PD version is depend on Chipset, USB version is depend on USB speed. Both aren't same. PD is for charging speed, USB is for transfer data speed. I think if we talk about power, PD version can be used for account the power of the smartphone.
Actually, this is the answer to all the hype about Onix Alpha XI1s power and phone compatibility issues!
Great video! Thx for the uapp tutorial, it was most helpful.
Thank you! It's a pleasure for me to do this 🙏
Thank you for this information Andy, it's really helpful.
My pleasure
Thank you so much❤ this help me a lot sir using my uapp for a months 😊
My pleasure
@@AndyAudioVault i am waiting for my dc 04 pro and simgot ew200 delivery 😊❤️
READ THE COMMENTS
ITS LIKE A UNIVERSTY OF DONGLE STUDTIES
"UNIVERSITY of ANDY THE DONGLE PROFESSOR" 😊
u r a great guy man! THANK U
Lol 😂 thanks. I am laughing my ass off here. Cheers
Mr. Dongle Master 🙏
Lol 😂
THX, great Support! ❤
Thank you for the insights Andy regarding Dongle madness
No worries🙏
Great to see a fellow android lover!
Also IMO if you are in this hobby and even use $20 iem. The price for for uapp and all its stuff is worth it. And I love the Dev, he is very friendly and responses very fast with fixes when you email him.
I even paid for mqa upgrade, although I freaking hate mqa. To support the Dev.
Agreed. UAPP has amazing support and it only deserving that we pay for them to continue improving it
@@AndyAudioVault yep! Have you reviewed the aful performer 5 what are your thoughts on them? Why don't you make a review on them?
@@mokisan Yes I did. You can find my written review of P5 in Head-Fi"www.head-fi.org/showcase/aful-acoustics-performer-5.26162/review/29614/
Also you can check my other videos of "Best Dongles and IEMs 2022"P5 made it to my top 5 list. So I am impressed with the tuning despite me normally preferring a more neutral IEMs
@@AndyAudioVault thanks Andy! Maybe you should make a video on them too, since there are few videos on them.
@@mokisan I hope so too :D
Thanks a lot! Cheers from Brazil 🇧🇷
My pleasure
I m Italian but I didn't know the band morcolac. Thanks 👍
🤘🏼
Thank you for the informative video and giving me a free alternative to the venerable paid Poweramp app I'm currently using for proper android external dac support. This will help me in my quest to provide free IEM's to my friends and thus introduce them to this hobby.
You're very welcome!
Thanks Andy , very good information. I have fiio btr15 and im having dificulte to use with MQA from Tidal.
You're welcome. BTR15 I believe is not MQA capable natively. But I use Tidal too and I never had issues playing any format Tidal offers now. Most of the time I use Max settings on Tidal
Topic like this is so rarely found on youtube, i love it. I always wondering if phone Chipset will also affect the performance of dongle (Snapdragon, Dimensity, Tensor).
Thanks. I don't think the chipsets will impact the sound. I have owned a Dimensity chip Xiaomi for a while and it performed equally good to my other Snapdragon phones
Hi Andy and great video. I was a little disappointed with the power rating section. So, my new phone (Motorola Edge - 2022) is only a 2.0 USB. Does that limit what kinds of dongles I can use? My first phone in 30 years without a 3.5mm jack, so I need to buy a dongle. I just want a dongle that can play my music files off of my phone. No streaming or blue tooth required. I only use headphones, but very efficent ones: Grado's, Ibasso SR2's, CFA Cascades and some Focals.
Hi Shane, for simple usage, you can get either Xumee if you are on Amazon or I would recommend Abigail Pro or JCally JM6 Pro or JM7 for the type of headphones you use. These dongles are great for the relatively ultra compact size and still offer MIC support. Bigger dongles will not have MIC support. If you are running on Android, I highly recommend using HIBY Music App or UAPP to run USB Exclusive Mode/Bitperfect with these dongles because the stock Android settings will only allow up to 75% of the true performance they are capable of
I don’t have desktop setups ..
maybe NX7 stacked to BTR7 ..great review Andy
Thanks you! 🤞
I love the video Andy! Do you know any dac dongle that has a good chip that's rated to 100 ohms like the Abigail Pro, JCally JM6 Pro, Moondrop Click, or Avani but also includes a USB-C charge port? All the ones I've looked at on Amazon don't seem to list what chip they use and what impedance they are rated for.
Thanks. That's tough one, I mean something that include charging port. But I would assume that most dongles are designed to handle up to 100 Ohm of impedance and rarely would be lower than that. In fact many are now designed to tackle up to 300 Ohm especially detachable type dongles (not ultra compacts)
Best budget smartphone with PD3 sharp aquos v6 😊
Just watched it! Thank you very much now I know a little bit on what to do,, I have a question again.. What settings on Ibasso app should I use to make it more bright and energetic? Thx(thanks)
Thanks!, on iBasso UAC app, I find using it on Turbo, High Gain and then Fast Roll Off filter type to be a bit more energetic, fast and brighter. You can try that
Hi. Great tips. I installed hiby music. Thanks. I want to use dongle for home stereo:
1. What is the longest usb c to c cable that i can use between phone and dongle ? Recommend cable ?
2. What is the longest mini phono (3.5mm) to 2 RCA cable that i can use ? Cable recommendation ?
- - I am looking for convenience (phone with me at listening chair so I don't have to get up and walk to my stereot to change songs) but I don't want sound problems or power issues
Thanks!
1. The longest I have owned is 3 Meter of USB C and make sure it is certified to be used for USB C V3 and data capable.
2. For interconnects, I would recommend keeping it below 4 meter if you are pulling directly from small dongles, if you need to pull beyond 4 meter, I would be more comfortable to trust proper Power Amps to do the job, the longer the cable the more juice needed to complete the circuit
Hi Andy. I just discovered your channel. You got another new subscriber. Very informative for a beginner like me. My question is what DAC dongle do you recommend for an entry level setup. Using my laptop and i would like to spend only around RM 150 or less. Thank you 😁
Thanks. For that budget, I recommend iBasso DC03Pro
Great. Thanks!
great vid thanks for the big info
No problem 👍
Great video!
I was wondering i only have iems should i get a desktop dac
The dc03pro and the zen DAC air are closely priced in India
DC03Pro and you are set, desktop setup for IEMs are overkill. I use dongles for Headphones even
@@AndyAudioVault thanks will buy the dc03pro soon i have the Abigail bought after reading your review on the website very helpful reviews
Andy, when you remove usb from you phone, don't shake it left and right, just pull them out directly
Not so many phones have 3.0 usb C or above , but those that have it are high end phones of very high price Andy . I would like to know where can I buy this device you plug in to check the voltage and ampere because I own a Redmi Note 12 Pro with charging ability PD3.0 , to test if the voltage is still high despite the USB C 2.0 on this phone . Great video as always ! Stay metal !!!🤘
As with many gadgets I use, you can find them in AliExpress. Just search for USB Voltage Tester and you will find many to choose from
@@AndyAudioVault thank you so much Andy !!
Hello Andy. Sorry for not subscribing earlier on your channel but you are one of reviewers that I am watching whenever I am getting some new audio stuff (that's why I get my Hiby FC6).
Sorry for the long question but here it is. Whenever I am using Hiby FC6 with Hiby Music, there's a pop-up window that tells me that "This app has not been granted record permission but could capture audio through this USB device. Using HibyMusic with this device might prevent hearing calls, notifications, and alarms." The option would be cancel or ok. If I choose cancel, on volume mode, it will say that "Device not connected" and therefore I can still use volume of phone which it happened one time, they turned very loud and my ears hurt. But if I choose ok, I can choose automatic or software volume (hardware volume can not be chosen), but the problem is if I tried to open a video or another audio file, it will just play on the phone speaker not on my IEM. So what do you think is the problem or is this normal? Btw, my phone is Xiaomi Poco F3.
Thank you and more power to your channel! God bless.
Thanks man. When the prompt appears (and it will appear every time you connect an external DAC), clicking OK means that you enable USB Exclusive mode which HIBY Music app will be the only one that will have audio to the dongle. If you click cancel then the Android system will have control instead, and the volume will be determined by the Android system. My advise, when you are not using FC6 for audio on HIBY Music app, always cancel and run on Android system. The best way to get 100% from FC6 is to run USB Exclusive mode and let HIBY Music app to lock the volume to MAX on the phone, so that you will only adjust the volume on the dongle side
@@AndyAudioVault Thank you! This is what i've been doing. I am maxing the volume on my android and controlling the volume only on FC6. I am just worried if I am doing something wrong or I am not getting the best experience out of it. But now you
confirmed what should I do. Thanks again.
Which phone are you using in this video ? Looks like K20 pro
Very detailed content btw, loved it
Thanks! 🙏 You are almost right! lol. I have three Android phones and they are Sony Xperia 1 iV, Xiaomi Mi9T and Sony Xperia X Compact
Thank you for making this :)
My pleasure Oliver
Hiby app is great with all the freebies that come with it
only when it works
but It keeps killing itself randomly so I switched to UAPP in the end lol
i agree that the android mixer is piss poor, and i can't listen to my iems without using eq, so i only use my laptop nowadays. thankfully, the quality of the windows mixer has been vastly improved since the vista days, and with some software maneuvers (particularly eq apo) i manage to achieve playback that measures really well and is effectively bit perfect without resorting to exclusive mode
Great tips, thanks.
My question is, how to stream the music from hiby/uapp? As I don't use Tidal or Qobuz, yt music only.
Thanks. UAPP and HIBY Music only stream Tidal/Qobuz, no YT. I use YT Music app to enjoy music from YT and they don't offer Hi-Fi output due to the limitation of under 320 Kbps resolution enforced by YT
Great video. Couple things:
1. Did you run the voltage test with UAPP or hiby open? Ie you mentioned USB exclusive mode gives more power and i assume this should be able to be noticed on the measuring device.
I thought exclusive mode just allows bitperfext playback.
2. Did you test and notice a difference between bitperfect on or off? I could not hear an audible difference.
I did the test in many scenarios. With different apps, with and without USB exclusive mode. The voltage flows remain the same regardless because the measurement from the gauge is to see physical power output. USB Exclusive mode is to bypass Android SRC which limits the outright power that can be drawn to external DAC amps, so the limitations are governed by the software side. The first time I tried this over a year ago I was so shocked to find out that dongles like Apple were able to perform much better once given USB Exclusive mode, more loudness and max cap for volume. The matter of Bitperfect will depend on the source being used, will be practically inaudible if subjected to listening to streaming services which does resampling anyways. But playing local FLAC Lossless will have effect on dynamic density and richness
@@AndyAudioVault Why suggest streaming services do resampling ? If paying for something like Qobuz Sublime (up to 24/192), and streaming an album in that bitrate, what resampling is Qobuz doing ?
@@AndyAudioVault But if bypassing the Android SRC and playing bit-perfect is what does the trick with getting you higher power, any player that can play bit-perfect should be able to unlock higher power, no? (Like Neutron and some others you haven't mentioned.)
@@d0nj03 Yes, that's the idea. I haven't tried any other players like Neutron, but if they offer USB Exclusive mode, then it's a good sign they are bypassing SRC
@@AndyAudioVault OK, thanks. It's good to know we can turn on this "hidden power" easily.
I can't play bit-perfect because I need my headphone-specific EQs to work in ViPER4Android. Right now I have to clarify if the SRC is really that important to bypass, I haven't found much detail on what it does that's supposed to be so bad. Have you heard anything specific that sounded bad due to the Android resampling when not playing bit-perfect?
Andy, I had try your method to get the best of Audio Dac dongles from my phone, it work really well especially when USB exclusive mode is being enable. I got a question for dac amp like Onix Alpha, or EPZ TP50, is it just hooking up them up to PC (Window 11) and choose them as the output channel will be sufficient? Or is there any setting that we need to set on PC window?
With WIndows 10, 11 you just plug and play, no special drivers needed unless you want to play DSD files at which you will need to setup ASIO (which can be quite a headache to setup)
Great info Andy! Got Abigail pro on your recommendation. I am using S23 Ultra mobile. When I connect the DAC and give exclusive access to UAPP, I wont be able to get audio from youtube and other apps. Does that mean my DAC Abigail pro is working only with UAPP and not with youtube? How can we make the DAC work for every app like youtube and others. Thanks
Whenever you connect any DAC and use UAPP Bitperfect or HiBy USB Exclusive mode, they will take over the total control of the attached DAC and then other apps like TH-cam, FB, Spotify etc will not be able to use it concurrently. You will need to detach and re-attach and do not allow UAPP to take control if you want to use the DAC for something else. Then you are running in native Android SRC mode
@@AndyAudioVault Thanks for the reply Andy
Continuing the question above, have you tried the LG V-Series? Can the Quad DAC on LG V-Series run (bit perfect) on TH-cam and other applications? or Android SRC may limit it?
@@ratihputripertiwi7399 Yes I have LG V35 and V50. Both decent with sound and performance, but that also lacked organic element and sounding mostly digital especially V35
Andy really useful video, could u make a video for laptop and desktop users 😉
Thanks!. I will try that sometime soon. Will be setting up a new laptop rig this month for benchmark purposes. But I must admit I am still new to laptop setup and may take a while for me to get used to it haha
@@AndyAudioVault Super, another suggestion will be to create a Spotify/tidal playlist for test tracks for Sub bass, Bass, Mids, Male/Female vocals, treble, soundstage, imaging, and so on with particular time in those tracks to check it for ourselves 😉🙌
@@nsivaraj777 I already have a Tidal Playlist shared publicly for testing purposes 😁 tidal.com/playlist/ba3d9fa9-5133-4fc1-9efe-f65a25acd9da
@@AndyAudioVault Nice 😎👍
Hello Andy where can I buy that measuring usb device/voltmeter or whatever that u have used in the video? 😊 . My first question: Do you consider 5V vs 5,11V vs 5,29V to be sound changing difference? If so do u have some idea whats behind those ,,heard,, results? Cause strictly in numbers 5V and 5,29V are close enough arent they? Second question: whats are the values with excusive mode on and off on lets say ur samsung s20? Just to get idea how big are those restrictions? Thanks 😊
If you have access to Shopee or Lazada, you can search for "USB Power Meter"and there's a lot to choose from. You can get even more from AliExpress.
The difference between 5.0v to 5.20v can be audible especially if you are using above 2Vrms dongles and pushing highly scalable IEMs or Headphones, but may not be so apparent on highly sensitive IEMs. For example, using my DACport HD, RU6, Ovidius B1 and iBasso DC03 Pro, I can hear that the output from my 3.0PD (both the laptop and my Sony Xperia 1 iV) are more solid with dynamics body and density (richer) as compared when running the same dongles on my Xiaomi Mi9t (2.0 PD). However, with efficient dongles like Abigail, Avani or anything under 1.9 Vrms, it is practically identical. So, it depends on the usage scenarios as well
@@AndyAudioVault thank you very much 🔥🔥🔥
4:13
Same here with my Xiaomi Poco F5❕
✌️
Can you suggest the best neutral dongle dac? I want no coloring not even small coloring in any part of the sound. You seem to share my taste for sound. Please suggest me one.
The majority of top rated dongles with 4.5 Stars rating are neutral, check the rating list on my primary #donglemadness site and you will see them all. About the only ones that are colored would be the likes of iBasso DC03Pro, Tempotec Sonata E44, A&K PEE51 etc.
Im looking for portabe music since it much more easier compare to other. You come in the right time. I have few questions.
1. Im more into streaming music, like spotify, apple music and youtube. Can DAC improve the sound when using this without the use of UAPP or Hiby?
Thanks for your video regarding portable audio, really appreciate it so much.
To a certain extend, an external DAC/Amp can also make listening to streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music or TH-cam Music better. But you must understand that the bottleneck here is the streamed resolution especially with Spotify and TH-cam which is limited to 256Kbps or 230Kbps at max, they are Lossy format. External DAC/Amps are best suited for usage with Lossless sources like FLAC or WAVE files and you will experience richer output (also depending on how resolving your IEMs are). But yes, you can expect improvements, but it will not be day and night sort of improvements with lossy streaming formats
@@AndyAudioVault appreciate your reply. I have one question. i already purchased final audio e5000 with sensitivity (93db/14ohm), what must i see on dac to get a good sound from it.
@@Bizarre5165 With such low sensitivity at 93dB, getting proper dongle is a must now to get full performance. You may consider anything with 2VRMS of power at minimum and I would recommend something like iBasso DC03Pro if you are limited to 3.5mm or Tanchjim SPACE/Truthear SHIO/LINK2 BAL/FC4 if you can get 4.4mm cable for the IEM
@@AndyAudioVault you so helpful, thanks! Will buy dac with 4.4mm.
I have feedback, maybe you can do tiktok so you can share your knowledge.
Jujur saya gembira dapat jumpa channel abang ni, susah sangat cari info info begini di malaysia. Semoga community ini akan lebih berkembang dan maju. Thanks abang andy!!!
Andy, perhaps you can answer this.
And I believe it would be helpful for your followers too.
The issue is:
Ive tried to listen to "The Four Seasons Op8" song through JM6 Pro and Supermix 4 using Apple Music.
But I found it's different in my three devices: Windows PC through USB 3.0 port, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 plus, Realme 9.
The best is the Galaxy Note 10 Plus, and the worst is Realme 9.
The most noticeable is the guitar sound since in the beginning of the song; its really loud and clear in Galnot 10 Plus.
Even though Ive tried to download the Hi-res Lossless version and turn off my internet on Realme 9, the quality is same.
Is it only because of the power issue, or might there be other factors?
And can it be solved by a better DAC?
Thanks so much Andy!
I don't use Apple Music so I have no idea if it will support Bitperfect with USB Excusive more, my advise is try the free HIBY Music App and run USB exclusive mode on your JM6 Pro and play the offline file through that, it could be the SRC limitation on Realme 9 is preventing the unit from doing proper performance of the dongle
@@AndyAudioVault yes Apple Music doesnt have a USB exclusive feature. But thank God my Realme 9 already has Android 14.
Ive tried your advice, but its still the same.
I found the difference is in Dolby atmos on Galaxy note 10 plus even though the Android OS is still version 12.
The dolby version is also showed in Apple music. I tried to turn it off but when I play the song, it automatically turns on again, idk why.
Thx from Germany
Danke!
Nice , MAYHEM!
Which album do you like?
I have purchased the ru6, the Fc6 and the iifi go bar based on your reviews.
They are stellar.
I got the ru7 preemptively and it is just as stellar!
I can't find the Dacport Hd anywhere to purchase. Do you know where?
And how much burn in time for the go bar?
It hasn't quite opened up yet.
I look forward to your ru7 review, it is my favorite , as it plays digital sounds and analog sounds (instruments) equally as good.
I can't figure out if the DSD mode will sound superior without an actual DSD source data.
I assume it will, because otherwise it would have a very small extremely small niche of users who have dsd source material.
Because when I use the ru7 and switch between 64/128/256, I can hear a difference.
I think it's actually making it sound like a Dsd source would sound
Thank you!
The last question is the most pressing in case you don't have much time
My favorites from Mayhem are the early releases of Deathcrush and DMDS. I love Lo-Fi stuffs.
DACport HD is now back available directly from CEntrance I believe, check their website
Normally after 100 hours most devices would already settle in, I would say that beyond that, iFi Go Bar would not yield any audible change
Again, thanks!
Great info...I am using lg g8x for all my dongles which drives them great. Using Neutran player which to me seems superior to other apps due to 64bit processing and pcm to dsd conversion.
does uapp app is better than lg music app . i have already purchased but couldnt feel any difference when i compare a file of 24 bit 96khz.
@@himanshumittal9473 To me Neutron is best in its unique pcm to dsd...works great for mp3 and 16bit flac files....ofcourse if you use 24-96 quality files then no difference which app you use. However dongles works best for dsd converted signal due to the design.
Thanks 😋
Thank you so much for your great Video 📹 I just bought the Sony MDR-Z1R headphones 🎧 and looking for a Dongle to listen 🎶 to HI-Resolution Audio from my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra using connection USB C 3.0 on my phone 📱 please help ... which one to buy ? 🤔
My pleasure. At this moment, my recommendations would be for ultra compact segment, Venture Electonics ODO for just $5, AKLIAM PD6 for under $100, ONIX Alpha XI for under $150 and iBasso DC07Pro for above $150
@@AndyAudioVaultthank you heaps... you are right ✅️ it worked great with the iBasso IC-7Pro at the Stereo Net show I tried it on my Samsung S23 Ultra .. what would you recommend in the Fiio brand ? Please
@donglemadness thank you I bought the Ibasso DC 07pro as you recommended... Hope i won't regret it , God bless you
Apple has quality apps for FLAC like Vox. Bitperfect imo.
Now this is something I may want to try
@@AndyAudioVault Give it a try. I have been using it for years. That's my go-to FLAC app on ios.
Hi, so no way to unlock the dongle potential with streaming services? Sorry if I missed that in the video. Be nice if uapp or hiby could play your Spotify account
Both UAPP and HiBy Music can stream Tidal, but not Spotify yet I think. Also HiBy may have support for others as well but I am not a big fan of streaming music, so I didn't test
Hi Andy. I have poweramp and I'm loving their UI. Is there an exclusive HQ usb audio access thing on this app as well? Or should I just use Hiby to get the best out of my dongle dac?
I haven't use Poweramp yet so I don't know for sure. But I have heard some people said Neutron player can do exclusive USB mode as well
Nice
Hi Andey :)
Im using a realme 6 pro (Android).
It's a usb c 2.0 ... Will it be sufficient for the new ibasso dc03 pro dongle?
Many thanks,
Ilan / Israel
Yes of course, USB 2.0 on your Realme is suffcient to run DC03Pro optimally already. Not an issue for as long you are not pushing hard to drive IEMs
Thanks for your prompt reply.
My iem's are the akg n5005.
P.s
I'm also a fan of black metal and metal in general:)
Keep on the good work...your chanell rules.
@@ilanspiro1645 🤘
Hello from Germany. I have the Sony Xperia 1VI and it has a headphone jack, I tried the Quedlix 5k via Bluetooth is not bad, but I think wired would be better? which dongle is recommended? as IE I have the Sennheiser IE800.
Best regards
Qudelix 5K can also be used using wired USB, perhaps you should try it first. If you still want to try a USB dongle, then I recommend either ONIX Alpha XI or iBasso DC07Pro
My Samsung Galaxy S10e is USB Type-C 3.1 (no OTG) and PD2.0. Will it work with MEIZU Lifeme, FC6, or B1?
But the S10e has a 3.5mm SE headphone jack. Is it good or not?
Yes it will work definitely
@@AndyAudioVault thanks. so any phone with PD2.0 is fine, even with USB Type-C 2.0?
@@AndyAudioVault will it also work with the DACport HD?
Thanks a lot! Very useful info! Especially about PD 3.0. If i got you correct, you don't need USB 3.0 if PD 3.0 is already in smartphone?
My pleasure. Yes, you are correct, if the phone is already rated 3.0 with PD, then it is running on USB 3.0 power at over 5V and 900mA
What about iphone 14 pro max Andy
In ios store there is no UAAP app but Hipy music is founded but what about output power through its usb lightning?
And Is it will be any different in sound quality if I use streamers platforms like apple music or Spotify or TH-cam music and finally when it comes to gaming. Thank you Andy
Unfortunately I have stopped using iPhones since 2021 due to the various issues it has with high powered dongles. Can't even power up the likes of DACport HD, Ovidius B1 and a few more. So it would be hard for me to imagine if anything has been improved since then, but maybe they have better software support now at least
Hi Andy! Is the Jcally Ja3 also good?
By current standards, it is fairly good, for as long you use it with relatively easy to drive partners under 32 Ohm, or better keep it to 16-24 Ohms
May I know where we can get(buy) the high quality music? currently what i know is Tidal… regardless Android or iOS. thanks
I purchased my FLAC files from Bandcamp. There's a few other online services that sell FLAC too, but need to Google them. Most of the FLAC files I owned were originally from CDs I physically purchased
@@AndyAudioVault thank you very much. As an Apple user, i feel a bit restricted… 😅
Hello Andy,
HiBy and UAPP also work with DAC AMP COMBO (With FiiO Q15 for example)?
And do they have PEQ that let me determine the frequencies?
Thanks 🙏
Yes works with Q15 in USB exclusive mode and also both HIBY Music and UAPP offers PEQ
@@AndyAudioVault In UAPP App, you will have to purchase the PEQ separately...
Hi andy,about Dc03 pro,when do i know what digital filter should i use ? I have never used digital filter before ( i think dc03 pro have 5 filter and NOS ) thank you
I personally use Filter No.5 and 4. It suits my IEMs. This is something you need to test as only you can tell which one you like better
Hi Andy, If I play a song on TH-cam, do I still use my DAC dongle or only use the Amplifier from the Dongle Dac?
If you connect a DAC to your phone then everything from your phone will be played by the DAC/Amp, TH-cam or anything else. Unless you run HIBY Music USB Exclusive mode then the DAC will only play for HIBY Music or if you use UAPP Bitperfect then the music will only play for UAPP - until you detach and reconnect the DAC to your phone
@@AndyAudioVault thank you, I really like your Chanel very interactive, maybe I will ask a lot in the future 🤭👌
@@entertainmentlife1618 no worries
Hi andy, i just read a post of a guy online. He said that when using streaming service like spotify and apple music(i am using these 2), the Android always mess up with the audio before sending audio to the Dongle DAC and the limit of Android is very low for lossless streaming in Apple music. So he said dongle dac is waste of money because the audio is always done by the Android itself so there will be no improve when using good and high-end dongle compared to the cheap one? Is this statement true? Because i only use streaming service( spotify and apple music), not using tidal and UAPP app like you said in videos 😭😭
There may be some truth to it because I don't think both Spotify and Apple Music have capabilities to run USB DAC in exclusive mode. So any audio app that does not offer USB Exclusive access to the USB DAC will always use Android stock SRC (native resampling). That's why I only focus on HiBy Music and UAPP, to ensure that my audio source (which are 100% Lossless FLAC) are running bitperfect without any resampling by Android. To a certain extend, especially for MQA dongles, Tidal can also have exclusive access to the USB DAC. On the other hand, other aspect must be considered as well, dongles are not just an intermediary for playback, most dongles offer more power than stock DAC/Amp inside our phones, very rarely you would see internal DACs of an Android phones going over 1 Vrms or with 80 mW of power. Regardless if you are playing lossy 320 Kbps or even "Hi Fi" streams, power is power and most properly tuned IEMs can scale with that especially those rated 32 Ohm and above. I can guarantee you, a 2 Vrms iBasso DC03Pro will sound better than the stock phone out from any phones
I brought FIIO KA3 in January last year ... And i had a problem of random disconnect since first time with my poco f1 , i changed lot of customs ROMs but the problem still remain with my phone fortunately it occurs when certain conditions match ... I tried researching also talked to Fiio helps but no-one was able to figure out .... Then i myself understand that its due to older USB type of my phone . Now i am sure of it ... Thankyou.
Also i like to ask 1 thing ... I am using poweramp latest built they says it bypass resampling, from DAC indicator i can confirm that its running 24bit 192khz ... But thier might be a chance that Android is allready resampling it at 48khz and then Poweramp resamples it again to 192khz thats why i get the 192khz led .....
I tried UAPP at bit perfect, and they both sound exactly same to my years ... I tried for good amount of time ....
If its possible can you cheak and confirm if Poweramp really going hi-res or its just downsampling and then upsampling...
Thankyou 🙏🏻
Thanks, sorry to hear the issues with older Android. I can relate to that as well. I still have my old Sony Xperia. On the other hand, should you choose to purchase a new dongle, then look for dongles than can switch between UAC 1 and 2 modes easily, something like xDuoo Link2 BAL or JCally AP90. Being able to switch UAC modes can solve compatibility issues with older phones. I will also try Poweramp soon. Thanks!
@@AndyAudioVault thankyou for your reply... I will be waiting for Poweramp test 😁
@@AndyAudioVault what's the different between UAC 1 and UAC 2?
@@letsmobiles3396 Frankly I am not privy to the details of UAC1 or UAC2, I only know that these standards are set for compatibility of USB devices, like UAC2 designated with more feature support but will likely be less adaptable to older devices
@@AndyAudioVault thanks, appreciated
I have two questions regarding your old reviews.
1) On your abigail review, what app did you use to check/show the chip parameters there?
2) On your CS-PRO CS46L41 review, the spec says PCM 24bit - 384khz. But i notice from the picture, it shows 32.
So, can we play 32 bits file natively or not?
Also, does it support dsd256 or dsd128 only? Or, it doesnt even support dsd at all.
I think, im gonna suggest you to review such details on your future reviews.
1. TTGX
1. The app is called TTGK. You may need to Google the APK as it is not provided in Google store
2. Sometimes, depending on the app being used, the displayed info can be misleading. Or even the specs being specified inaccurately by the manufacturer. In my case, you don't see me testing anything beyond regular PCM because I don't have DSD stuffs. I came from the CD generation and my FLAC files are practically 100% on PCM. But yes this is a good suggestion and I may need to find some DSD files to test
@@AndyAudioVault Yep, i ve found the web that offers ttgk station apk (szttgk), but when i tried to download it, it said 404 :(
@@mokisan Do you know any web that offers ttgk rather from szttgk? (this one doesnt work, 404 ).
Is that a Hifiman HE400SE behind you? Can you tell me which dongle DAC is best for this headphone? And can I use a dongle DAC as a pure DAC and connect its output to an external headphone amplifier?
Yes it is. My favorite magnetic planar. HE400SE Stealth version. For my own usage, I love the output I am getting from either CEntrance DACport HD, HIBY FC6 or iBasso DC04Pro on this headphone. On DC04Pro, it need to run from the 4.4mm BAL port as DC04Pro only provide the highest power from there. As for connecting to external amp, I use Abigail Pro serving as pure DAC connecting to either Shure KSA1200 electrostatic energizer or xDuoo MT602 Class A Hybrid Tube amps, excellent synergy
@@AndyAudioVault Well I bought a topping l30 II desktop amp to power my he400se and was looking for a dongle DAC to replace my old fiio e10k. After watching your reviews I think the ibasso DC03 Pro can be a good DAC for my topping amp. But do you think the DC03 PRO is worth the extra cost over cheap dongles like abigail or avani when used as a pure DAC for HE400SE ?
@@ayushbhaumik7980 DC03Pro is best used as a whole dongle on its own. But yes it is also superior to Abigail Pro serving as pure DAC for LO purposes, but you must take into account that DC03Pro is not as neutral as Abigail Pro
@@AndyAudioVault Thank you for your reply. I am ok with a less neutral DAC as I use EQ already. I really like the DC03 Pro Software and hardware volume buttons. If it has better sound quality as well when used as a pure DAC then I will buy it. I hope it's resolving nature goes well with my HE400SE.
I bought the dc03 pro and I am extremely happy with the purchase, it sounds so much better than my older fiio e10k despite being much smaller, and it has a strong mid range and vocal emphasis with a forward sound signature which goes nicely with my HE400SE headphones as they were always a bit lean in the vocal part and the DAC makes them sound fuller now. The sonic improvement through just a DAC upgrade is so much that I was wondering whats the next step up from the DC03 Pro. Do you think its worth buying better portable DAC or should I buy a real Desktop DAC instead. Is there any portable DAC which is waaaay better than the DC03 Pro when used as a pure DAC? I was curious about the Earmen Sparrow DAC as reviews say how its a step up from the competition. Did you ever hear the sparrow and if you did how does it compare with DC03 Pro ?
What do you think about CCA CXS?? Thanks!
CXS is the best IEMs from KZ (CCA) so far IMO. It is a very well tuned V sounding IEM with great technicalities. You can check my other video of Best Dongles and IEMs of 2022 and see exactly where I rank CXS
Andy So, does that mean that the power relationship of each type of cell phone can affect the overall volume of the DAC? In the extreme case of PCs and phones?????
Or more precisely, the type of USB C power delivery mode. Best results always from the PD3.0 USB because you get 900 mA of power which is similar you get from a PC. Even a good PD2.0 will be more than enough most of the time
@@AndyAudioVault
Andy, what I want is to have high volume, but there doesn't seem to be a setting to specifically increase the volume. Should I change my phone??
Hi Andy, Ive checked your Sony X Compact and Redmi note 7 has the same type of USB C 2.0 with a charging rate of 18W.
So, is the problem just the release year of the phone?
Yes I believe so. The variance of older implementation which improved with later years with the same USB standards
@@AndyAudioVault Thanks Andy, then your Redmi note 7 will be our benchmark 😀
Hola Andy. Quería hacerte una consulta en español ya que no hablo inglés. Tengo el ibasso dc03 pro y es un muy buen dongle. Pero, por ejemplo, cuando escucho una pista en 44/16 utilizando el hiby music, el bitrate aumenta a 32 en la información de salida. Es normal? Se considera eso bitperfect?. Me pasa también con el fiio m3k cuando lo uso como dac. Todas las pistas de 16 bits las sube a 24 bits. Te agradecería mucho tu punto de vista al respecto. Saludos desde chile.
Sí, sería bitperfect. Es una forma de saltarse el resampleado de android a 48KHz que sucede con las canciones a 44/16 (esto introduce artefactos en el sonido y degrada su calidad). Lo que se hace es pasarlas a 24 o 32 bits, que son múltiplos de 16 bits, manteniendo la calidad original del sonido para reproducirlas como bitperfect a través de los drivers HD propietarios de dichos reproductores. En realidad siguen siendo las mismas canciones a 16 bits, aunque en pantalla aparezca 24 o 32.
Hola Andres, es normal. En HiBy Music, cuando hace clic en USB, la resolución no se muestra correctamente. Es solo un error de visualización ya que HiBy Music no lo vuelve a muestrear a menos que lo fuerces en una de las configuraciones. El que se muestra en la pantalla principal es el correcto. ¡Salud!
Hi Andy, I am wondering if Centrance DACPortHD can handle HD600? Will there be significant difference between DACPortHD and desktop dac amp while attached to HD600? like soundstage and details wise.
More than capable, even better than most entry level DAC/Amps. The fact is, many top performers rated dongles.have the power and authority to drive HD600 properly, but most of them will require you to run 4.4mm BAL. DACPort HD offers better soundstage compared to iFi ZEN DAC2 + ZEN Can stack and with better details articulation too
@@AndyAudioVault How about Apogee Groove? Have you tried it? I want to compare them since they have strong output.
@@Johnson-g5q Yes of course I have. Groove is slightly less with overall resolution and imaging
@@AndyAudioVault Well, there's a music equipment store still selling DACPortHD in my area and I see a second hand Chord Mojo, which one would you choose?
Hello Andy,
Very important question to me - Does {for example} the HiBy App can work with separated Desktop DAC that is connected to a Headphones AMP?
Thanks
Yes it does, the USB part always connects to DAC be it a standalone DAC or integrated DAC/Amp
@@AndyAudioVault So it's a very good news for audiophiles that want to EQ their Headphones / IEMs for getting that Harman Curve / Frequency Response (For example)
I am pretty disapointed about all LG V and G phones being PD 2.0 its a well known fact by now but when I was buying the phone I didnt know that.
I can relate to your feelings, I was disappointed too since I had both V35 and V50. But at least you can take into consolation that LG V phones are among the very best with the internal quad DAC (I just personally feel the tuning a bit less analogue and organic for my taste)
@@AndyAudioVaultWhat minimum dac/star rating would you recommend that beats the quad DAC in the lg v60/35? Planning on upgrading to s23 but want to maintain similar quality to lg series
@@liberdelta Any dongles with 3.5 Stars will equal V series quality wise
@@AndyAudioVaultHi there, I have the V60, so, this PD 2.0 charging power will give me less power let's say for example to drive and get most of the juice for the DC04 Pro? Thanks
Hi
Im using samsung galaxy a51 to store all my music, but unfortunately it only support typeC 2.0 and has no PD
If im using Fiio Q11, does the issue can be solved? (Since they are using their dedicated battery)
Hard to say as I never tried A51. USB 2.0 is still okay especially if you run USB Exclusive mode. Have you tried connecting any other DAC to your phone? Q11 can work in both PD and non PD depending on what cable you use. What concerns me more is whether OTG is enabled on your phone to support external DAC
@@AndyAudioVault yes im using DC03Pro right now (right after watching your review btw 🤣). And it has no issue, PnP. Connect with Uapp very well.
But compare it side to side with my galaxy S23.
Dc03pro on s23 sounds slightly fuller and vocal more pleasing to my ear. Where dc03pro on a51 feels drier and vocals sounds more harsh.
Im worried that my a51 unable to give enough power if i connect it to a more power hungry dac
I'm curious about how many volt does the iphone can provide :D
Me too. I believe it will still be 5v, but the issues primarily will be Apple own standards with USB power feed, the iOS is very stringent with power hungry USB devices, so the restrictions is even more than Android
Hi. I'm using the HIBY app at your recommendation. Like it. But having issues with one dongle not the other. Phone is LG V60 ThinQ. Android 13 USB 3.0 protocol on phone. . HIBY FC6 is working great. I'm using volume unlocked in the Hiby app, turning the volume all the way up on the phone and I think I have the USB speed set to fast and everything is fine.
... But .. with the Cayin RU7 I keep getting dropouts in the sound when streaming. I have tried different cables I've tried to set "line out" on the dongle vs "po" . I have tried to have the USB bus speed different settings such as fast, or automatic. I have tried to have volume locked and unlocked in HIBY music app when using RU7. Any ideas?
Having trouble solving this. Does this dongle take more power than the Hiby FC6 ? If it does then perhaps my phone is just not quite giving it enough? Sorry if you were reading while I edited
That's quite frustrating. I would suggest that you try your RU7 on Tidal or UAPP instead to see if the issue will persist. I have heard feedback from users of HIBY Music App that there's some issues with some dongles getting stuttered playback, some more prominent than others. I am sure it has nothing to do with your hardware, it is the player. As much as I love HIBY Music App, I concede to use UAPP or Tidal when I face this issue
Yes. Quite frustrating. Thank you for the tips. I will try that. If I have to use Tidal then I think I'm going to stop using my phone and will use an iFi Zen streamer as it has Tidal connect. have any of you tried running a dongle off of that streamer ?
@@AndyAudioVault USB audio player pro removed the dropouts. After the switch to USB audio pro is using a 6 foot long USB cable and I was getting a slight clicking in the Tweeter of the right channel. I switching to a short USB cable which removed that clicking. Now all is well. A 6 ft USB cable was too long, apparently.
Hi Andy, I am using the Abigail dongle. 1..Would the 7hz 71 be an upgrade from the abigail in terms of resolution and technicalities? I am driving it with my planar iems the S12 pro.
2. Is it a significant upgrade going from the Abigail to 7hz 71? or would I stretch my budget more to the ibasso dc03 pro?
3. Another question, is the Dc03 pro significantly better than the 7hz 71? or would I just stick on upgrading to the 7hz 71 in terms of cost effieciency😅? Or If there is not much of a difference from upgrading to the 7hz 71, would I just stick to my Abigail?
7Hz 71 is just marginally better than Abigail in terms of technicalities and also it offers harder edged sound presentation. iBasso DC03Pro of course is significantly better dongle in every possible way compared to 71. Cheers. PS: Upgrade path from Abigail would be anything from ColorFly CDA-M1 and above as listed on my primary site.
@@AndyAudioVault Thank you!
@@AndyAudioVault Hello ANdy, I have a follow up question.
1. Is the DCO3 pro not sibilant on planar iems like the shuoer s12 pro? I am using the abigail as my dac for my s12s and it is sibilant on some tracks especially on louder volumes. When I use my macbook air 2017's headphone jack, it is not sibilant and fatiguinig on high volumes. Is the DC03 pro not sibilant or fatiguining on planar iems?
2. I have followed you since last year and has noticed that you love an organic and analogue type of dac. As you mention in your DC03 vid that it is not analogue and you still love it. My question is that, is the sound of DC03 pro much better than other analogue and organic dacs? or is it because of the features that it has that made the dc03 pro 5 stars in your review? 😅
Thank you for replying! You're the best content creator!
@@charbieculpa1455 If you find your S12 Pro sibilant even with Abigail then it is the nature of that IEM to be sizzling with Pinna edge brightness. DC03Pro will not fix that, unless you change to a non sibilant IEMs. However, you may still be able to fix it with a warmer dongle like Avani, Hidizs XO, JCally JM10 or even Lotoo PAW S2. I have many neutral bright IEMs like Etymotic ER series and even Simgot EM2R or Tanchjim ZERO can be regarded as brighter, but they don't sizzle unnecessarily with DC03Pro. Cheers!
THank you Andy, yeah I have experience sibilance on some tracks. Maybe I need a warmer source but I am looking also towards the DC03pro. Thank you for you comment, really appreciate it.
Hello Andy. May I ask, if my DAC dongle got volume adjustment, should I set Full Volume on my phone and control the volume using DAC dongle to best sounding while listening music?
Depends if the volume adjustment is independent, if independent then always max at host
For Moondrop Dawn Pro, it is volume adjustment independent or not?@@AndyAudioVault
@@AbgFilm If you watch my video review on it, DAWN Pro is independent
Thank you @@AndyAudioVault for answering. Actually I still Newbies in this hobby but all your video make me much enjoy this hobyy ( or Jump into Rabbit Hole )😂. By the way, for Moondrop KATO IEM, it better low or high gain?
@@AbgFilm KATO better low
Hello Andy
what is the best software for pc to listen lossless music?
Foobar 2000
thanks a lot
Is Poweramp as good as UAAP and HiBy for USB exclusive mode?
Never tried Poweramp yet
@@AndyAudioVault I hope you could try. I need an experienced hobbyist's opinion. I fear I'm missing something by sticking with Poweramp (the UI is just too good!).
when I listening music in 16 bit 44.1 its sound lot better than 24 bit 48 k, 24 bit music is not that open and fuller, but it should have been batter than 16 bit. I have tried in one basic DAP(Fiio M3K) and also in DAC (DC04 pro), in both case result is same. Does 24 bit audio need more volume to sound good?
what is the issue?
I have no idea. I have never heard that 16 bit being louder than 24 bit, how can bitrate affect output loudness? I wish I know the answers
Very good video, any comment on the battery drain side of things?
Thanks! Battery drain is highly dependent on each dongles and would be different from one to the other. But if you watch my reviews on those dongles, I will always mention how much they drain the host. Usually it will drain more when driving more demanding partners especially if the dongle has High gain mode
@@AndyAudioVault 👍
What are the disadvantages of listening to music on Android directly from Tidal using exclusive mode for dongle?
I use Tidal with USB exclusive mode through HiBy fc3. The color of the dongle changes when I listen to HiFi and MQA. That is why I assume that the exclusive mode of Tidal works exactly like UAPP or HiBy app. Since Tidal got this feature, I no longer use the other two applications for listening to music.
The disadvantages are limited to the dongle itself, some dongles have compatibility issues with Tidal and may exhibit some anomalies like running on perpetual max volume or crackle with artifacts in playback
Yes, sometimes I hear crackling with HiBy fc3, but I haven't heard them or other unexpected noises with CX-Pro Conexant CX31993. It depends on Dacs. The big thing with CX-Pro is that it automatically stops playing music on call, and that is why I use it. The sound of it is not what I'm looking for and I'm searching another dongle with mic support for replacement (sadly I lost my Meizu HiFi, which I liked the most). Thought about Jcally JM10, but have no info how the mic will work.
@@TheGenohead You can check HiBy FC4, has better MQA control and also has MIC
Thank you for the proposal, but I'm not huge fan of MQA (waiting for spotifi HiFi). Other than that, I think in exclusive mode FC4 will not cancel playback.
Can you tell me if Jcally AP10 (I've red your review) supports mic? I think it will be less power hungry than FC4
How do we find info on the USB bus bit rate? My new xiaomi tablet SE only allow 16 bit by USB, but the phone says it will do 24 bit audio up to 192 khz, yet by USB we are choked to 48khz and 16bit..How does that work? I don't even know this until I try to set bit rate to 24, and silence, won't play.. No sound.. Set back to 16, and it's fine. USB 2 can do how much current? I want to use my old xiaomi phone because tablet is huge, but maybe I am going to lose volume? I ordered the dac cable to USB micro for it..If I have to buy expensive phone, might as well go back to using DAP. I have a xiaomi 12 but the USB audio out does not work.
What app do you use? Did you use something like HIBY Music App (USB exclusive access) or UAPP (Bitperfect)? My very old Sony phone can do even DSD when I use dongles that are rated for DSD, because I use those apps to bypass Android SRC
@@AndyAudioVault update.. Hiby app is not detecting the dongle properly, so it's all over the place, I set the output to 96khz, and now the light is orange, which means >384khz, orange on everything, even 16-44.1 and sounds like forced clarity, for volume mode it reads properly, then reads no device detected, I will buy the uap app.. Hopefully that solves it. It could also be the alternate firmware I used, it's alternate tuning from tempotec but it's new, so I will try to put the standard version on first, see what happens. Thanks.
hello.. music, movie and netflix
questyle m12, m15 and thx onyx
which one?
Can I suggest something else? iBasso DC03Pro!
@@AndyAudioVault about questyle m15?
🤘🏽
hi andy! is it feasibe to connect a dac dongle on a smart tv and hook up a headhone?
I have never done that so I don't know what to say. Assuming that your smart TV can connect to an external USB DAC, then no reasons for it not to work for dongles
Can I use the EQ of UAPP in Bit Perfect Mode?
Yes you can
hi, Andy after install tidal, uapp and hiby music , everytime I plug in the fc6 the phone will prompt out 3 message box to ask for exclusive mode for the 3 apps, so I finally not know which apps is using exclusive mode, do u have the same situation? or you turn off the exclusive mode off first for the apps and turn on it while using?
Yes, every time you attach an USB DAC, any app that can run USB Mode will prompt, you just need to cancel the one you don't plan on using for that session, it happens to me too, UAPP, Tidal and HIBY all prompted asking for control
@@AndyAudioVault thx Andy 😊 wish you have a best 2024
@@mkalok1307 You too!
I have Redmi Note 8 Pro, is capable of driving well a Hiby FC1?
Yes. FC1 is not very demanding with power
Is it safe to assume that the Samsung A90 5G is PD 3.0? It only says USB 3.1 in gsmarena.
Quite possibly yes. Samsung usually state specs a bit more accurately