It depends on a persons preference & budget.. some people enjoy music using only spotify & youtube music with bluetooth earbuds or headphones.. some audiophile people are being practical by using their phone a source with a dac from simple dongle dac like apple dongle up to a high end high quality dac amp like the mojo 2 & some people with deep pocket just want the high end dap with a very hefty price tag.. the negative side of having a expensive dap is the battery life & the update support of the android & also the processor & ram will be getting slow after 2 to 3 years of use.. the mojo 2 don't need any firmware updates & the battery is easily replaceable & I use my spare back up phone as my source.. even a 6 year old iphone is faster than the latest android based dap.. especially is I uninstall all the apps I don't use & only use the apple music & put is on airplane mode & play only the downloaded music in my apple music app.. & the apple music monthly subscription here in my country is very cheap.. So for me the best & most practical way to listen to lossless music is by my 6 year old spare iphone with the mojo 2.. For me it is the best possible audio quality for a prortable lossless music listening experience..
When I listen to music, I don't need the latest chipset, many GB of RAM, or a great screen. I don't want to get any notifications or other distractions. Also, most of my headphones have custom, nice balanced cables with a 4.4mm tip. For me, the ideal solution is a DAP. Most DAPs currently sold are powerful enough to easily run streaming apps or play files from an SD card. Multitasking, multithreading is not required - when I listen to music, the device usually lies on the side.
Very interesting vid mate, I'm envious of your gear! I recently picked up a used Galaxy Note 9 and am looking forward to testing it's capabilities. I'm on the lookout for an LG V60 but they're quite hard to find in my area. Good to know that I don't have to shell out for an expensive DAP anytime soon. I see you haven't mentioned portable headphone amps, I presume you put those in the same category as dongles. I have a couple of Fiio amps which sound pretty good. I've been using Poweramp as my go to music app but might change to USB Audio Player Pro based on this vid. Greetings from New Zealand. 😊
You're correct on the portable headphone amps. If you're happy with Poweramp then stick with that. Personally I much prefer the UI of UAPP and it also does bit perfect, which Poweramp does not do.
The cons of having an expensive hig end dap is when the battery longevity & the software support updates.. it would not last 5 longer than 5 years then it will be so slow & the battery life will drain faster.. having the battery to be replaced is nearly impossible.. & when the android version can no longer be updated then the music apps also will no longer get any updates.. the advantage of a phone & dac amp is you can simply upgrade your phone as you normally do but the dac amp can be used for a lifetime as long as it is not broken the sound quality will never degrade if you changr the phone because the dac amp you use is still the same..
How about sound quality? One youtuber said DAC won't affect your music quality and if it do it's bad DAC, true? Which USB dongle DAC should I get for Sony MDR-Z1R? Do I need to get Sony ZX707 or WM1AM2 to get the best sound quality out of it?
I mean, to be fair, the v60 is NOT your average phone. It has a quad dac built in which is what some daps have. Probably why it sounds on par. However most normal phones dont come equipped with great audio components.
I have all the LG V phones including the LG V60. I also own the Sony NW-A306 DAP (Japanese version). The sound quality of the Sony is noticeably better than the one in my LG V60, even though the LG V60 probably can get a bit louder. When volume matched, Sony is clearly better. More resolving, better clarity, and a bit more dynamic.
What I find fascinating is people getting obsessed with the "specs" of a DAP - it is a music player, supposed to play music and that's it. RAM, processor etc is irrelevant to me as long as I have a good snappy interface which most decent DAPs do have. You DON'T treat your DAP like a smartphone, expecting "regular OS updates" etc because that is simply not the point of a DAP. Yes you can download apps on it....but it is not supposed to be a multimedia monster, it is supposed to play music. My FiiO is just as snappy as it was two years ago because I use it to play music and that's it. The only specs I'd even care about is the DAC, AMP and anything that affects sound quality. I own an iPhone 14 Pro Max & I can confidently say that the dongle "works". Yeah, it works but does it come even close to my FiiO M11 Pro when it comes down to the sound quality, the meatiness of the sound, the musicality of my audio tracks, the file support, the sheer amount of utilities that are available to me to make my music more musical & the fact that I don't have to burn my phone's battery while listening to music? The answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT. TLDR: If you don't know "why" you should have a DAP with a phone, you probably don't need a DAP. It is for people who want that last bit of fidelity from their music. For everyone else a dongle will do.
I've just ordered a MUSE HiFi M5Ultra Portable DAC & AMP, and a M300 DAP, plus a pair of 7HZ Timeless 14.2mm Planar In-Ear Monitors. Even though I Really like the sound of my Sennheiser Momentum TW2 Bluetooth iem's through my iPhone using an app called Flacbox. I just fancied some standalone gear, and the choice of SS or Tubes depending on what music I'm listening too. I aleady have SS and Tube amps in my home setup, just not portable. I am looking forward to different sounds, although I'm not expecting anything better, just different; hopefully so in a good way.
Hi Luke, you might want to try Apple dongle. I use it with my Hype 10 and it sounds fine. Also very small, easy to carry and cheap. Thanks for the content.
I have dongle usb type C -> mini jack 3.5. Also I have sony walkman nv 306 and FiiO JD7. And I'm absolutely sure and I can prove it with AB blind test, that dongle significantly worse than my sony walkman, comparing to my samsung s24 ultra. Of coarse it depends on your dongle, because in this case all sound handling lies on internal dong's chip
Samsung S10e Snapdragon 855 128gb 6gb with 512gb Samsung sd pro smashing the fosi TB10D 45v connected to the 1mii BO6S+ using KEF q150s sounds amazing get LDAC on every app I have had fiio X5 an M6 best sounding was the shanling M0 years ago for me with the SD card an my songs loaded up had it 3.5 into a JBL flip speaker and it sounded amazing in DSD so I wouldn't judge only on the baseline of these devices the Sony in the UK is volume restricted no good get the hiby R4 or shanling m7 6gb will last year's with the SD 665 or 660 cnt remember but phones sound good I have a pixel 4 XL and it sounds really nice and Has android 13 but no EQ like Samsung
Dongles are limited in how they present music, but are good. I dont think they play music as well as daps do and they are so annoying to be carrying with my phone even if i'm sitting on my ass.
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Bro u r just like me, A big KEEPER......
Even i have all the phones that sounded really well.
Even i have never used Bluetooth, always wired...
It depends on a persons preference & budget.. some people enjoy music using only spotify & youtube music with bluetooth earbuds or headphones.. some audiophile people are being practical by using their phone a source with a dac from simple dongle dac like apple dongle up to a high end high quality dac amp like the mojo 2 & some people with deep pocket just want the high end dap with a very hefty price tag.. the negative side of having a expensive dap is the battery life & the update support of the android & also the processor & ram will be getting slow after 2 to 3 years of use.. the mojo 2 don't need any firmware updates & the battery is easily replaceable & I use my spare back up phone as my source.. even a 6 year old iphone is faster than the latest android based dap.. especially is I uninstall all the apps I don't use & only use the apple music & put is on airplane mode & play only the downloaded music in my apple music app.. & the apple music monthly subscription here in my country is very cheap.. So for me the best & most practical way to listen to lossless music is by my 6 year old spare iphone with the mojo 2.. For me it is the best possible audio quality for a prortable lossless music listening experience..
When I listen to music, I don't need the latest chipset, many GB of RAM, or a great screen. I don't want to get any notifications or other distractions.
Also, most of my headphones have custom, nice balanced cables with a 4.4mm tip.
For me, the ideal solution is a DAP. Most DAPs currently sold are powerful enough to easily run streaming apps or play files from an SD card. Multitasking, multithreading is not required - when I listen to music, the device usually lies on the side.
Thumbs up for the degoogleing 😊
Very interesting vid mate, I'm envious of your gear! I recently picked up a used Galaxy Note 9 and am looking forward to testing it's capabilities. I'm on the lookout for an LG V60 but they're quite hard to find in my area. Good to know that I don't have to shell out for an expensive DAP anytime soon.
I see you haven't mentioned portable headphone amps, I presume you put those in the same category as dongles. I have a couple of Fiio amps which sound pretty good. I've been using Poweramp as my go to music app but might change to USB Audio Player Pro based on this vid. Greetings from New Zealand. 😊
You're correct on the portable headphone amps. If you're happy with Poweramp then stick with that. Personally I much prefer the UI of UAPP and it also does bit perfect, which Poweramp does not do.
You can find them refurbished from Ali - V60 for around 130 USD, older v40 for less than 100 USD.
The cons of having an expensive hig end dap is when the battery longevity & the software support updates.. it would not last 5 longer than 5 years then it will be so slow & the battery life will drain faster.. having the battery to be replaced is nearly impossible.. & when the android version can no longer be updated then the music apps also will no longer get any updates.. the advantage of a phone & dac amp is you can simply upgrade your phone as you normally do but the dac amp can be used for a lifetime as long as it is not broken the sound quality will never degrade if you changr the phone because the dac amp you use is still the same..
How about sound quality? One youtuber said DAC won't affect your music quality and if it do it's bad DAC, true? Which USB dongle DAC should I get for Sony MDR-Z1R? Do I need to get Sony ZX707 or WM1AM2 to get the best sound quality out of it?
I mean, to be fair, the v60 is NOT your average phone. It has a quad dac built in which is what some daps have. Probably why it sounds on par. However most normal phones dont come equipped with great audio components.
I recently ordered a v60☺
I have all the LG V phones including the LG V60. I also own the Sony NW-A306 DAP (Japanese version).
The sound quality of the Sony is noticeably better than the one in my LG V60, even though the LG V60 probably can get a bit louder. When volume matched, Sony is clearly better. More resolving, better clarity, and a bit more dynamic.
What I find fascinating is people getting obsessed with the "specs" of a DAP - it is a music player, supposed to play music and that's it. RAM, processor etc is irrelevant to me as long as I have a good snappy interface which most decent DAPs do have. You DON'T treat your DAP like a smartphone, expecting "regular OS updates" etc because that is simply not the point of a DAP. Yes you can download apps on it....but it is not supposed to be a multimedia monster, it is supposed to play music. My FiiO is just as snappy as it was two years ago because I use it to play music and that's it. The only specs I'd even care about is the DAC, AMP and anything that affects sound quality. I own an iPhone 14 Pro Max & I can confidently say that the dongle "works". Yeah, it works but does it come even close to my FiiO M11 Pro when it comes down to the sound quality, the meatiness of the sound, the musicality of my audio tracks, the file support, the sheer amount of utilities that are available to me to make my music more musical & the fact that I don't have to burn my phone's battery while listening to music? The answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT.
TLDR: If you don't know "why" you should have a DAP with a phone, you probably don't need a DAP. It is for people who want that last bit of fidelity from their music. For everyone else a dongle will do.
Totally agree with you bro.. You are my savior..
I've just ordered a MUSE HiFi M5Ultra Portable DAC & AMP, and a M300 DAP, plus a pair of 7HZ Timeless 14.2mm Planar In-Ear Monitors.
Even though I Really like the sound of my Sennheiser Momentum TW2 Bluetooth iem's through my iPhone using an app called Flacbox.
I just fancied some standalone gear, and the choice of SS or Tubes depending on what music I'm listening too.
I aleady have SS and Tube amps in my home setup, just not portable.
I am looking forward to different sounds, although I'm not expecting anything better, just different; hopefully so in a good way.
BTW the Sony NW-A306 is perfect for the Sennheiser HD400 Pro and the Sennheiser HD620s.
Hi Luke, you might want to try Apple dongle. I use it with my Hype 10 and it sounds fine. Also very small, easy to carry and cheap. Thanks for the content.
In terms of audio quality, do you think the Sony nw-a306 sounds better than the Sony xperia 10 vi? (has 3.5mm jack and micro SD slot)
I haven’t used the Sony phone so I can’t comment.
I have dongle usb type C -> mini jack 3.5. Also I have sony walkman nv 306 and FiiO JD7. And I'm absolutely sure and I can prove it with AB blind test, that dongle significantly worse than my sony walkman, comparing to my samsung s24 ultra. Of coarse it depends on your dongle, because in this case all sound handling lies on internal dong's chip
I wish someone would do a blind A/B. I am all for that but they don't exist.
hi! is there any difference in terms of sound quality on sony nv 306 between fiio music and native sony app?
asked and replied myself. There is no difference, at least, I don't hear it
Same
Samsung S10e Snapdragon 855 128gb 6gb with 512gb Samsung sd pro smashing the fosi TB10D 45v connected to the 1mii BO6S+ using KEF q150s sounds amazing get LDAC on every app I have had fiio X5 an M6 best sounding was the shanling M0 years ago for me with the SD card an my songs loaded up had it 3.5 into a JBL flip speaker and it sounded amazing in DSD so I wouldn't judge only on the baseline of these devices the Sony in the UK is volume restricted no good get the hiby R4 or shanling m7 6gb will last year's with the SD 665 or 660 cnt remember but phones sound good I have a pixel 4 XL and it sounds really nice and Has android 13 but no EQ like Samsung
Dongles are limited in how they present music, but are good. I dont think they play music as well as daps do and they are so annoying to be carrying with my phone even if i'm sitting on my ass.