Please don't ever apologize for going down a rabbit hole. It's a fascinating experience to hear you find problems during the process and figure out their solutions. I had such a big smile when you finally figured out how to get the MQA light to pop up when streaming through the iPad. Keep doing what you're doing, John. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite channels.
If your smartphone is still used as a phone (still have an active sim card) you may, for sure, experienced interferences like I experienced using my Chord Mojo. These interferences disappeared in "flying mode"
I think the key in a Roon environment is, that you have to know what your attached devices are capable of. So if your DAC is supporting full MQA unfold, than you have to do the proper setup and configure Roon accordingly. It's a little bit geeky and not plug & play, but after this initial setup has been done, everything normally works rock solid.
It's been a while since that hasn't been true.. release 1.5 or release 1.4... I forget which, but since that release, Roon automatically configures playback settings including MQA when Roon Tested / Roon Ready DACs are connected to Mac/PC/Linux -- in this case, the Cobalt is indeed Roon Tested. Unfortunately, this doesn't work when the USB device is connected to iOS, due to restrictions on what iOS allows us to look at. This would be fine on your Mac/Windows/Linux (and soon, Android). This video really shows the how messy the world is when Roon can't do what it needs to do. When it's not restricted, this is simply plug and play to get the best settings automatically.
A valiant effort to explain the complexities of Hi-Res audio. I think you did still manage to get across how someone can achieve a relatively simple streaming setup. It's then up to the individual how much to venture down the Hi-Res rabbit hole!
Hi John. Your attitude towards audio is fantastic in my opinion. I love the fact that you don't just talk about how good a particular component sounds, you communicate the personality of each device you present to us. There is more to a component or a device than just how it sounds which you do a great job of explaining. I love the fact that you dig deep into the options and flexibility of any given product. You have me thinking about slimming down my large traditional system in exchange for a complete digital solution. I love the modern day options with the products that are out today. I have a traditional setup with CLASSE and Bowers & Wilkins which brought me years of happiness and joy. I can't deny after watching some of your videos that an all digital smaller scale system can look quite nice. Especially in a living room. I also love the fact that you advocate for Spotify and ROON. Most of my friends would never listen to those streaming services because they think they are subpar when it comes to audio quality. Based on some of your reviews, I have made it a point to audition some of the products you reviewed on your channel. Two products really stood out to me at a price point I could live with. Those two products were the Chord Qutest and the Auralic Aries G1. I'm hoping they will be in my setup in the near future. I also think you were on to something when you introduced your KALLAX FI series. I quite enjoyed that because it displayed an avenue of audio that is important but never gets any attention online. The way a component looks and fits into your room is just as important as how it sounds in my opinion. Keep up the good work John.
Oooo man.. This is what I’ve been waiting for. I never gonna understand how to play MQA. This is by far the easiest way to understand rather then just reading and diving into comments in forum and fb group (which can be more confusing in the end). Really thankful for this.
And this is why MQA will never be mainstream in my view. Qobuz just tells you what it is, then pumps it out. None of this first unfold second unfold crap. If the light wasn't on the DAC you would be 100% sure.
Lol. I like that you tried. You did well. This is the stuff that a lot of gearheads and audiophiles love. Many of us love switching things around, trying different permutations, even when we end up in the same place where we started and even when we get tired and utterly confuse ourselves. At least you got to a solution in the end.
**WARNING** There is a LOT of information in this video! Let's try something different with the comments: reply preference will be given to those who ADD to the conversation by sharing their own experience or observation.
I have gone through the same experience trying to use a Fire TV with HDMI as my primary home network streamer. It has amazing support for Tidal, Plex, Spotify etc. a nice lean back remote control and it's $35 US! But, as you also experienced, I can't get bitperfect audio out of it no matter what i do. It resamples everything to 16/48 and sounds terrible doing it. Plugging it into my AVR to listen to music is just a disappointment. Would you consider doing an episode with using a streaming media device with an HDMI output as a network streamer for good sounding digital audio? If Roku does a better job they get my money!
Ey yo Dawg, I heard you like remote controls, so we put a remote control in your remote control, so you can remotely control your remote control while you remote control!!
Thank you for doing this video. Total agreement about the frustratingly complex nature of high res. Making this video is a godsend to everyone who’s experienced the same complexity and wondered what trick we must be missing to encounter so many idiosyncrasies. Ultimately we all wanna listen to our music with the best possible sound but the technical hurdles of high res often detract from the experience. Much progress can be made to standardize and simplify. Though I’m addicted to the advantage digital music has regarding limitless catalog selection, it’s easy to see why vinyl and it’s inherent simplicity is enjoying an unexpected renaissance.
First of all I’m not sure why anyone would dislike this video - highly constructive and interesting. I liked it anyway. Secondly, to add some value to the conversation. If you add a lightning to USB3 Camera adapter to the iPad you can power and use the iPad at the same time removing the concern of having to unplug and recharge it. Could be a stationary device.
Very clearly explained as always. Love your videos. Great pace, well placed breaks/interludes and just the right amount of humour! The fact that you have impeccable musical taste makes the content even more enjoyable. Just off to repurpose my old iPad ... :)
John, I've really like your videos introducing your whole audio rig recently. An idea / sharing: People are re-discovering the joy of vinyl and maybe to a certain extend CD, but vinly especially. This enjoyment comes from slowing down, having a physical object, limitations that empower, bring focus. I've experienced a similar nostalgia when I started shooting film (medium format). Everything was slower, more focused, I had to shoot right, there was a physical record of my work. I brought some of that process back to my digital shooting method ; making it a little bit analog and focused : slow down, shoot less, focus, use JPEGs (work in progress). A big one was also PRINT, PRINT, PRINT. Bringing the digital files to a physical, lasting reality than I can touch and enjoy. (oh and a way to double backup: I buy cheap micro SD cards on which I copy much more Hi Res files and RAW files in case I want to re-print existing pictures or view extra pictures that were not printed). Back to music, I have been wondering. How do you bring some of the "vinyl experience" into digital audio? Could you "print your music"? Yes of course, some options - Buy good quality digital music and burn your playlist. Play it through a CD player. => Not too bad, but the CD experience is so-so and the CD will be ugly. If there is artwork, it'd be small. - The "best idea" I had so far would be to print Vinyl size artwork, stick a NFC tag in the back => have a stand/receiver to place this artwork on to start the playlist/album. => that way you remove the "I control my library with my mobile phone" (which is cool) and replace it with : I have some nice artwork to look at. I can physically go through my library of playlists and albums => swipe the NFC and it starts playing and I can take the artwork to my sofa. A guy did something similar here: www.instructables.com/id/Albums-With-NFC-Tags-to-Automatically-Play-Spotify/
Mate we thank you, we love what you are doing, we are learning from you and actually you are solving many of our questions in our heads. You give us a lot of useful info so we know what and why to buy it. Thanks again.
The year is 2020 and it should not be this diffucult or confusing to enjoy hi res music! It's really all centered for retail purposes, but all in all you done a great informative job! Well done John
John, this is your best video yet. Not because it is a review, but it has so much information about compromise. If you don't want to spend the money for a dedicated streamer, there is a compromise when it comes to setup. I use an LG G7, which sounds okay. If I want to step up the quality with a Dragonfly, listening to music isn't as easy as just tapping on Spotify or Tidal. There are additional steps. This video explains that. Ease of use, touch screen, low price. Pick two.
I say kudos to you and anyone that offers advice on budget high quality streamers. There are a lot of devices that can stream (if that is your thing) audio, but only a few that does this at high quality audio on a budget. These are great choices and you do not need to drop a load of coin to do it. The only draw back is there may be a few steps to get there but in my opinion the result are well worth the effort! My search for these type of results is what lead me to your site a the first place with the Allo Boss DAC. I bought this device and love it.
Great video John! I am replicating this same setup with my iPhone & my iPad. iPhone serves as a relatively compact/transportable setup. One suggestion regarding the dongle for the iPad setup, the camera dongle from Apple is better suited for your setup as you can keep listening to music & at the same time plugin the charger cable. It costs somewhere around 40CHF / 35USD. Missed your playlist this time, always looking forward to them! Thanks for educating & entertaining with MQA quality videos ;) Cheers
Agreed. The Apple USB 3 camera connector is recommended by Audioquest, doesn't 'pop', and allows charger to be permanently connected. I've used in car with Dragonfly/iPhone/Tidal just for a play and see...convinced me that Bluetooth is no match for cables even in a noisy driving environment.
Indeed from Audioquest's website (and explaining how to resolve the "clicks and pops" issue): "In our tests, Apple's Lightning-to-USB 3 Camera Adapter (with charging port) sounds better and is more reliable than Apple’s less expensive Lightning-to-USB Camera Adapter, while also providing the ability to charge during playback. Your mileage may vary. Some users prefer the size of the smaller adapter, while others prefer the performance of the larger adapter. We encourage experimentation. When DragonFly (Black, Red, Cobalt) is connected to an iOS device using Apple’s older Lightning to USB Camera Connection Kit, I can hear clicks and pops in the background of the music. What should I do? In some rare instances, the combination of an iOS device in conjunction with the standard CCK and DragonFly Black, Red, or Cobalt causes a clicking in the background of the music. Neither we nor Apple have been able to determine why this is, but, in circumstances where this occurs, we’ve found that using Apple’s Lightning-to-USB 3 Camera Adapter resolves the problem. In addition, this connector offers improved audio performance over the smaller unit and provides the ability to charge the attached iOS device while listening to music."
John, I think it is good on your part to show us how to repurpose equipment like old phones and iPads to service a Hifi purpose. This is something that is valuable to everyone. The only thing that I think may have been limiting is the focus on having a streamer with a touch screen when you are controlling it with a portable touch screen anyway. Also I understand that through an update from AQ that the Cobalt itself is now a Roon endpoint. I am not sure how this would change the configuration of Roon on the iPad if the Cobalt is also a Roon endpoint. But you’ll be able to control your Cobalt endpoint with a portable touchscreen device with the Roon app on it. Thanks.
Mind is down the rabbit hole, as a newcomer, as someone taking their first dip into hi-res music I found this so informative and I truly appreciate this video. I've made the first step getting my first DAP 6th gen iPod classic, modding with flash storage and most importantly to me the first wired cans. Still debating on a few to spend on but looking forward to it.
I run an old iPad as digital transport to my preamp-amp system (the preamp has a decent DAC that I hope to replace shortly.) It works perfectly and I’m super happy it spares me one equipment purchase. Someday I’ll add a proper file server and Roon and I’ll be set
I repurposed an Apple iPad as my Roon bedroom endpoint. (I also have tidal loaded just in case). I have an AQ Dragonfly Red tethered to it via the USB 3 CCK to keep it charged, then into a Reta Brio-R. I freaking love it. Just absolutely love it. It’s simple, looks super slick and sounds fantastic.
This is very interesting. I’m close to spending £500 - £700 on a streamer. But i love the idea of using my iPad connected to a DAC then connected to my integrated amp. I need to know how you were controlling the music from your phone. That was kind of breezed over. Is that just by using Roon? So if I had a USB 3 adaptor, I could leave the iPad on charge and have the DAC connected, then connected to an integrated amp? Screen always on and control from my phone??? That would be sweet!
I think I found the best balance of high-quality content with ease-of-use, - after having tried all sorts of different set ups and hardware and software. I’m now using a fourth generation Apple TV, with an iPad as my interface/control device wirelessly streaming Qobuz Hi-Res via airplay to the Apple TV, which in turn is hardwired to a DAC/preamp, and then on to the amplifier. This also allows me to stream all my digital content off my home network iMac. I also use Apple Music to explore, as I believe it has one of the most extensive library‘s, great interface, and ties in with my years of content stored in iTunes.
AirPlay is limited to 16bit/44.1khz I believe, so technically it's not hi-res. However, this is a nice and flexible solution, as you can play anything (any app) through it :)
In your opinion, what is the difference between using the iPad or buying a dedicated network audio player? They do the same function, or the audio player is superior in auditory quality.
I am pretty happy with the dac in my v30 and if I need to run hi res audio I just run the lg music app that is pre installed. That does output hi res to my headphones perfectly fine.
Being fond of fiddling, I’ve tried a few different combinations including an iPad, iPhone and an old MacBook. If you’re using something like Tidal then it makes sense having the screen but if you can control Roon from another device then the second screen doesn’t really matter. For all the setups I have the device going through USB into a Cambridge Audio Dacmagic plus (not as elegant as the dragonfly), using Qobuz and local 44.1/16 files stores on a Mac mini (also Roon core). After experimenting, I have to say the MacBook sounds the best, but I have no idea why. It could be the better processor, or stronger WiFi, who knows? But the sound is sparkling enough that I don’t really feel motivated to get a dedicated network streamer. With so many configuration options, it can get complicated fast talking about this, so I thought this was a courageous video!
Another great video John. I have been using USB Audio Player Pro for a couple of years now. Absolutely brilliant piece of software. I did notice that Roon now supports the Cobalt as an endpoint. I am trying to get my head around the benefit of that at the moment. Keep up the good work.
the output headphone jack in the iPhone is limited to 16/44.1 when Tidal App is used in Master mode, if you want go to 24/96 you must connect through lightning port, probably in Android phones you have to use the usb connector to get more audio resolution.
One issue with this solution, if you are a big Spotify user - is that only Spotify clients, logged in as the same account as the endpoint - will be able to stream. Other users on the same network, won't see the endpoint. That is where a commercial implementation of Spotify Connect, supports multiple user accounts.
Hi Darko. I think with some beginners they might just use TIDAL HIFI/MQA without Roon. In such a case the new iPadPro which has USB-C and with Cobalt is a simple elegant solution. Please can you consider making such a video.
I’m interested in how using the USB C changes anything over the lightning in terms of sample rate - just wondering? Also I think the idea was to show that it could be remotely controlled - hence the Roon or Spotify Connect.
Very nice comments. Using an old iPad as a streaming source is more than just the Roon/Spotify experience, IMO. I haven’t read the other comments, so apologize for a repeat if that is what I am doing. When I first upgraded my home stereo DAC to a Topping D70S (MQA compatible) . Streaming Apple Music from an Apple Music or Family subscription, I can stream from my home iTunes server or from Apple direct. Playlists, albums, etc are minimum CD quality and will hook in hi - rez as available. But other than hunt/peck for particular albums, for background or technical listening, Apple Music, IMO , has worked. Really well.
Much better Glasses this week much more Barker esc :) Hi Res streaming is a bit of a nightmare to explain and I think you did a great job, dont beat yourself up some things are easier to explain than others and good for you for tackling this as not many people can hold a viewer all the way through the video like you do, Ive watched others and lost the will to live 5 mins in but you not only explain things simpler but hold peoples attention longer.....Great Job!!
I didn’t realize how easy it was to use my iPad and iPhone together using Spotify. Just load on the tablet first, and when you load on the phone, it gives you the option of linking with the tablet. It is great, thank you.
As a non-headphone user I recently purchased two headphones. The first was the Campfire audio comet based reviews John's reviews. The other was the over ear Audioquest Nightowls Carbon. I wonder how the sound quality of these would compare to those mentioned in this video ? I would seriously recommend everyone to try using a balanced connections with their high end headphones. There is significant improvement in the sound separation and tonality of the music after spending a bit more cash the balanced cables or balanced plugs
As a novice HD hi-res user I appreciate your earnest video. I learned some things as I'm listening through my Cobalt into my Mezes right now. I'm on my fourth year of being an audiophile and really appreciate the education.
I miss that about my V20, V30 is great but don't know why they removed ir blaster, guess not enough people cared to use it. I used it for everything, even my LG air-conditioner..
It would be helpful if you showed how you are wiring in to your Dac from the Dragonfly. Is it 3.5mm to RCA? My BelCanto DAC also accepts USB mini but then I would probably need yet another adaptor?
Aggghhh! I get the idea of wanting the best quality from our gear but, wow, it's a pain. I've been trying various combinations of kit like this too. I've realised that my ears are no longer able to hear the difference after a certain point now. I'm getting on a bit so no surprises there really. I do like the challenge of getting stuff to work though. It's become a bit of a hobby or maybe obsession? Reusing older tech for this kind of thing is great. I hope your videos will inspire others to at give it a try John. Thanks.
I love your videos John and as a result of your previous videos now operate the following : Outside the home system = Tidal via USB Pro app LG V30 with Cobalt and Campfire Comet Inside the home system and = Tidal via IPadPro with either Cobalt or Mojo and Sennheiser ie80 or Campfire Comet I am interested in incorporating some active speakers to my home set up but also like the look of the JohnBlue JB3 blue speakers which will require an amp Would welcome your thoughts on any other improvements I can make at a reasonable small costs
Great video as always Mr Darko! Nice to see that as a reviewer, you continue to explore different solutions to play digital audio (much more imaginative than Simply reviewing another pair for S400 / RP600M / Vanatoo etc etc like many other reviewers) I use dragonfly Red + jitterbug with Roon on my iPad for a few months now (it’s a much easier / faster solution than my Macmini... mostly down to boot-up time) keep up the good work fella!
HighRes Audio seems to be a lot of trouble. Roon does a very good job of front ending Tidal. But chasing the purple light is probably a bit silly. How is the sound relative to AirPlay or Chromecast?
John life is to short to put yourself through this, when I want to listen to music I just put in a cd. But I just love your videos, always interesting and informative.
For some of us, if we had our songs on CD, we would literally need the length of a song just to find the CD to load into a player. And I’m not talking about streaming. I know some folks who literally have 10, thousand albums in flac stored on their network storage, and not a single physical CD. Or rather he used to, for that short amount of time it takes for him to rip the CD, digitise the album booklet, and then toss the CD and album case away.
Great information here. Thanks. I’m taking the first steps into higher quality streaming and iPad-dragonfly into my Naim system seems to be a decent way to begin. Thanks again.
So how does one control their Ipad with an Iphone? I'm using a Dragon Fly Black with Neil Young's Hi Res site. The ability to stay on my couch, change albums/songs to play by my Iphone would be great. Was there another video that showed how???
I've been using one of the older LG V20's as a network streamer with the same quad dac and it sounds outstanding with the added benefit you can pick these up pretty cheap nowdays
I grabbed a new V40 just a couple months ago for $270. My only issue is lack of signal strength. Not great through Schiit Magnis. Sounds better through AUX input on car stereo.
New fan... you have good useful information on your channel. I've always been a tinkerer so I love this kind of stuff! As a teen, I plugged my electric guitar into my grandpa's hifi reel to reel recorder's microphone jack and used that as an amp ( he was not happy about that... lol). Honestly, I never concerned myself with bitrates and kHz when it comes to music. I just enjoy what I'm hearing and call it day. Because of watching PS Audio videos, your videos, etc I recently got the Schiit Modi 3. That plugs into my Emotiva integrated amplifier that powers my bookshelf ELACs. I connect the USB C output of my LG V35 to the DAC . Since Mike and Jason don't care about MQA, I am not getting Tidal 's full potential. Am I really missing out? My system is not revealing enough even to hear an improvement with the Schiit plugged in. I am happy with what I'm hearing so I guess that's really what matters.
I have a V40 and Tidal and the Audio Player Pro app and it works great for getting hires digital to an external dac. I just wish it could do it with the Tidal "downloads" I have on my phone because I often go to my camper, which is in a remote location with bad cell reception. Of course I still have 100s of gigs of owned music on my V40 so I guess not that big of a deal.
Another geat video John. I used a AQ Dragonfly red on Android with the USB Audio Player Pro with the the MQA add on as my portable solution and it works great. I do think the DF works better on iOS as you dont need any additional drivers like you do on Android. I did try using my ipad like you and my phone as the remote, but prefer using the ipad as the remote, so now use an old laptop as the roon player and the ipad as the controller. Love Roon as well. Keep those videos coming. I really enjoyed your RPI/Allo videos, so much I have a USBridge Signature Player coming.
John, you can absolutely control UAPP remotely. It can be set up as a UPnP renderer to which you can stream using Bubble/Audirvana. Additionally UAPP has it's own hires audio driver (aside from the USB driver) that is used whenever a device with a high end audio dac is detected (such as the LG v30/v40)
@@DarkoAudio You can use a UPnP controller to tell UAPP which Tidal/Qobuz track it should play the same as with normal files. Both Audirvana and Bubble support this.
@@DarkoAudio The primary way I control Tidal and Qubuz along with my own music files is with Bubbleupnp app. all the changes I make are reflected in the app USB player pro as Upnp rendered and are reflected in their respective apps on other platforms. Through Bubbleupnp app I able to cast/stream to Digione Signature, Allo Boss DAC, two chromecast devices and USB player pro on an Android device without a hitch.
Honestly thank you for this. I have a LG G7 with a similar DAC and will definitely be remembering this when it comes time to replace it as a daily driver.
I finally got the audio player pro app (with MQA plug-in). Was well worth it. If at the least get the Android junk out of the audio, even if it is 16-44.1, or higher. Surely, there's nothing wrong with Spotify (love it). Yes, I steam tidal and MQA; and went a smidge into the wormhole. But, have peeked back out of it; realizing, 16, 44.1, CD-level quality; is still really good. And, knowing, that more of a greater library selections, come from that level of quality. And one of my favorite sounding tracks, legitimately, is a 16, 44.1, track. Truly. So, may snag some MQA stuff when it's able; but not gonna make it a must, going forward, in my gear. Nice to have. Not a must for me, now. Great stuff, John.
John, I'm using a v30 , dragonfly red, and USB audio player pro with an old pair of powered quad bookshelf speakers (some day the Elac Nevis bookshelf speakers). Before I signed up with Tidal, i had downloaded some iTunes, and some flac music files onto the v30 mini sd card. USB audio pro let's me play both, including the mqa on Tidal and some hi-res on the sd card. Not a Roon setup but still very serviceable, and a very small footprint for desktop audio. With the v30 and dragonfly I can have great sound on my headphones too, so awesome multi-use bang for the buck as well.
I might give the iPad a try. Thanks Darko. Quite a helpful video. Personally for me, I would use my RME DAC 2 to provide sampling and bit depth info. The apple USB camera adapter should allow this to work.
Cool solutions but what about power? You have to disconnect and charge your iPad or phone prior to or after each use. Is there an option to charge and use the dragonfly at the same time?
This may work Belkin Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, White www.amazon.ca/dp/B01LXFKSNA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_WFsODbA65Y8ZK
Was it ever mentioned how the iPhone could remote control the iPad? Is that handled through the Spotify/ROON interface? I wanted to try this exact setup, while utilizing Apple Music.
Hi John, thanks for another imformative video. I've been thinking about using the same setup e.g iPad/Cobalt. using the Amazon Ultra HD service , and was wondering about the sound quality from this setup as you haven't mentioned this ??
Hi - many thanks for this! Is there anyway of controlling the iPad (playing Tidal outside of Roon- ie, on native iOS app and acting as streamer in this setup) with another iPhone?
Hi John, love your videos. I have been thinking along the same lines and currently have an iPad Air2 connected to a Chord Mojo. It sounds great and overall I'm pleased. The only downside is that I'm not using Roon or Spotify (using Glider to play local music and Apple music for streaming) so remote controlling the iPad is a problem. Any suggestions?
Using the i pad as a MQA player with the audioquest is genius. Is Roon the only way to “remote control” it? I don’t have Roon, would one just need a Roon subscription or purchase more hardware? I do have a iPad Air and an LG v5 so with the purchase of a audio-quest dac could run this set up
thanks for the video i didn't know i could use iPad as roon endpoint. You can also use the USB3 CCK adapter that will charge your iPad at the same time.
I bought an audio quest dragonfly cobalt a few weeks ago and went through this exact same experience but worked out streaming off iOS was easier with Roon and Spotify ad you stated. USB audio player pro on my android phone seems to take over and take priority of the dac. When you go to TH-cam and try and use it USB audio player pro still owns the USB driver. I know I have to manually swipe left and exit the app fully for it to let go. Overall loving the new DAC and got my head around how I want to use it on either device.
The reason for the pops and clicks is because LG makes some of their phones to be used with a 3.5mm jack that has three section on the male terminal. If your 3.5mm jack only has two sections then there is crossing of channels.
Some of your other videos emphasize that from a sound quality standpoint a dedicated streamer is better than streaming over an attached computer because a computer introduces electrical noise into the DAC. Is the ipad, on battery, exempt from this problem, and perhaps comparable to a mid-priced streamer? Or is the setup you have here convenient, but compromised on SQ?
@@DarkoAudio Thanks for this very good video. I have the same question Paul has for Ipad. I've been through the video 3 times now and can't find where SQ is addressed. If we could have just a little idea of what to expect soundwise, or very high level idea of how it may compare to inferior or superior setup (with equivalent DAC processing) that would be very much appreciated :) thanks again!
Hi John! I would be interested on your thoughts with the Dayton Audio WBA28 streamer (under $100 USD). I use an old iPad to control the device remotely over the network very similar to what you are doing here but this device has an optical out for the DAC.
Grrreaaat vedio john. You solved my problem, because i had my music library in my LG G7 phone. This is the way i can get nearly hi res audio from cobalt through my cxa80 integrated amp
great great video helping us understanding how to get that mqa working properly absolutely helpful ! if it is confusing for you, definitely confusing for us just wondering that 3.5mm output from the cobalt is connected to your amp? is it to RCA? does the quality music degrade at all when you use RCA?
Hello John, and thank you so much for your incredible videos! I’m a regular guy, who until finding your TH-cam channel was about to dump a lot of money into a traditional turntable based 2 channel system. In the pursuit of convenience and quality, I have thrown that to the wind. I now have a Tidal subscription, and am loving the quality, just running through my iPad and a cheap pair of Grado SR60 headphones. After seeing this video, I’m going to add a cobalt to the mix, and am curious to find out about controlling my iPad from my iPhone. Is this possible?
The most easy setup in my opinion with good quality is a Chrome cast with optical output to a dac. The Spotify app recognises the Chrome cast so you have the remote (iPhone) on the couch.
The Hidizs Sonata HD DAC Cable II is €46 (Amazon prime) and can be flashed to 24bit/192Khz work well with USB Audio Player Pro, though you should mention that you need to buy the MQA plugin to decode an MQA steam in Audio Player Pro. I had the cobalt and it wasn't all that noticeably different from the black to warrant the cost IMO. I replaced the black with Hidizs
I cannot help but wonder the improvement of mqa when one needs to look at the colour of a light as opposed to hearing an improvement. Just playing devil's advocate. I like the idea of this system in general. Just wonder about the real world sound improvements of hires audio. It seems a lot more about being able to sell a entirely new class of audio equipment than about audible sound improvement.
Yeah, seems many are split on whether MQA is really an improvement at all compared to simply streaming FLAC in deeper bit depth and bit rates. Just another proprietary format that messes with the sound files that may or may not offer any real sonic improvements. Is it needed? IDK.
The main problem with using a dragonfly, or any other USB DAC, with a phone/tablet streaming solution, is that you can't use the USB port for charging any more. So sure, you've got a streamer, but only for a day or so until the battery dies, then you have to start swapping cables and it's messy. You can use a wireless charging pad, but they can be finicky and sometimes add noise, and you wouldn't be able to use that fancy stand of yours.. I think the V30 sounds pretty darn good on its own. I don't think the USB DAC adds much and complicates the setup.
Love this video. Rarely do people delve into the other side of audiophilia.. which is source handling and delivery. The bonus for me with this video is how you found solutions between iOS and Android and while it may be a bit hodge-podge-- you reached your goal. Achieve MQA delivery with your preferred set up. For a second, and in typical Apple fashion-- I thought the usb-2-lightning adapter broke MQA data to the dragonfly. And when I say typical Apple fashion, I mean the lack of Bluetooth codec support(apt-x/ll/hd, LDAP). While I'm a big fan of Google Music for its library-- I've trialed both Tidal and Amz Unlimited for the hi-res options and settled Amz. (Plenty of hi-res/ultra-hd collections). Not sure what Amz offers across the pond. Amazing what the dragonfly Cobalt can do for it's small footprint. Great job Audioquest.. I've yet to own a Nighthawk.... Great vid!
Good job - I moved away from this sort of solution to Euphony on a NUC with a linear power supply (apparently this can match/best a Innuos Zenith SE, which is something I believe). Which sounds much better than Roon Core direct. Would be interested how this setup compares to Euphony or JPlay
I really appreciated this video and your way of patiently going through and explaining everything. My newbie experience finds me with all sorts of speakers, amps and phones around my house and in my car and I need understanding and experimentation to begin to tie everything together. The cobalt looks like a good way to test and enjoy the hardware I have, also I want to get outside the 6S dac AND the cheapie bluetooth to FM converter dac I'm using in the car. Thank you.
Please don't ever apologize for going down a rabbit hole. It's a fascinating experience to hear you find problems during the process and figure out their solutions. I had such a big smile when you finally figured out how to get the MQA light to pop up when streaming through the iPad. Keep doing what you're doing, John. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite channels.
If your smartphone is still used as a phone (still have an active sim card) you may, for sure, experienced interferences like I experienced using my Chord Mojo. These interferences disappeared in "flying mode"
I think the key in a Roon environment is, that you have to know what your attached devices are capable of. So if your DAC is supporting full MQA unfold, than you have to do the proper setup and configure Roon accordingly. It's a little bit geeky and not plug & play, but after this initial setup has been done, everything normally works rock solid.
It's been a while since that hasn't been true.. release 1.5 or release 1.4... I forget which, but since that release, Roon automatically configures playback settings including MQA when Roon Tested / Roon Ready DACs are connected to Mac/PC/Linux -- in this case, the Cobalt is indeed Roon Tested. Unfortunately, this doesn't work when the USB device is connected to iOS, due to restrictions on what iOS allows us to look at. This would be fine on your Mac/Windows/Linux (and soon, Android). This video really shows the how messy the world is when Roon can't do what it needs to do. When it's not restricted, this is simply plug and play to get the best settings automatically.
A valiant effort to explain the complexities of Hi-Res audio. I think you did still manage to get across how someone can achieve a relatively simple streaming setup. It's then up to the individual how much to venture down the Hi-Res rabbit hole!
Hi John. Your attitude towards audio is fantastic in my opinion. I love the fact that you don't just talk about how good a particular component sounds, you communicate the personality of each device you present to us. There is more to a component or a device than just how it sounds which you do a great job of explaining. I love the fact that you dig deep into the options and flexibility of any given product. You have me thinking about slimming down my large traditional system in exchange for a complete digital solution. I love the modern day options with the products that are out today. I have a traditional setup with CLASSE and Bowers & Wilkins which brought me years of happiness and joy. I can't deny after watching some of your videos that an all digital smaller scale system can look quite nice. Especially in a living room. I also love the fact that you advocate for Spotify and ROON. Most of my friends would never listen to those streaming services because they think they are subpar when it comes to audio quality. Based on some of your reviews, I have made it a point to audition some of the products you reviewed on your channel. Two products really stood out to me at a price point I could live with. Those two products were the Chord Qutest and the Auralic Aries G1. I'm hoping they will be in my setup in the near future. I also think you were on to something when you introduced your KALLAX FI series. I quite enjoyed that because it displayed an avenue of audio that is important but never gets any attention online. The way a component looks and fits into your room is just as important as how it sounds in my opinion.
Keep up the good work John.
Oooo man.. This is what I’ve been waiting for. I never gonna understand how to play MQA. This is by far the easiest way to understand rather then just reading and diving into comments in forum and fb group (which can be more confusing in the end).
Really thankful for this.
And this is why MQA will never be mainstream in my view. Qobuz just tells you what it is, then pumps it out. None of this first unfold second unfold crap. If the light wasn't on the DAC you would be 100% sure.
Lol. I like that you tried. You did well. This is the stuff that a lot of gearheads and audiophiles love. Many of us love switching things around, trying different permutations, even when we end up in the same place where we started and even when we get tired and utterly confuse ourselves. At least you got to a solution in the end.
Thankful Today yep!
**WARNING** There is a LOT of information in this video! Let's try something different with the comments: reply preference will be given to those who ADD to the conversation by sharing their own experience or observation.
Level of detail you provide is good - I think you’ve saved a few newbies several hours of effort. Good job
I just can not swallow price of Roon, $699.99 ...
@@tomastomasek1401 Exactly! Otherwise a perfect system, but the expensive Roon. Are there any good alternatives for that?
I have gone through the same experience trying to use a Fire TV with HDMI as my primary home network streamer. It has amazing support for Tidal, Plex, Spotify etc. a nice lean back remote control and it's $35 US! But, as you also experienced, I can't get bitperfect audio out of it no matter what i do. It resamples everything to 16/48 and sounds terrible doing it. Plugging it into my AVR to listen to music is just a disappointment. Would you consider doing an episode with using a streaming media device with an HDMI output as a network streamer for good sounding digital audio? If Roku does a better job they get my money!
Where can I get a remote control for my remote control?
Exactly, like pushing water up a hill with a rake.
Ey yo Dawg, I heard you like remote controls, so we put a remote control in your remote control, so you can remotely control your remote control while you remote control!!
Thank you for doing this video. Total agreement about the frustratingly complex nature of high res. Making this video is a godsend to everyone who’s experienced the same complexity and wondered what trick we must be missing to encounter so many idiosyncrasies. Ultimately we all wanna listen to our music with the best possible sound but the technical hurdles of high res often detract from the experience. Much progress can be made to standardize and simplify. Though I’m addicted to the advantage digital music has regarding limitless catalog selection, it’s easy to see why vinyl and it’s inherent simplicity is enjoying an unexpected renaissance.
First of all I’m not sure why anyone would dislike this video - highly constructive and interesting. I liked it anyway.
Secondly, to add some value to the conversation. If you add a lightning to USB3 Camera adapter to the iPad you can power and use the iPad at the same time removing the concern of having to unplug and recharge it. Could be a stationary device.
Very clearly explained as always. Love your videos. Great pace, well placed breaks/interludes and just the right amount of humour! The fact that you have impeccable musical taste makes the content even more enjoyable. Just off to repurpose my old iPad ... :)
John, I've really like your videos introducing your whole audio rig recently.
An idea / sharing:
People are re-discovering the joy of vinyl and maybe to a certain extend CD, but vinly especially. This enjoyment comes from slowing down, having a physical object, limitations that empower, bring focus.
I've experienced a similar nostalgia when I started shooting film (medium format). Everything was slower, more focused, I had to shoot right, there was a physical record of my work. I brought some of that process back to my digital shooting method ; making it a little bit analog and focused : slow down, shoot less, focus, use JPEGs (work in progress). A big one was also PRINT, PRINT, PRINT. Bringing the digital files to a physical, lasting reality than I can touch and enjoy. (oh and a way to double backup: I buy cheap micro SD cards on which I copy much more Hi Res files and RAW files in case I want to re-print existing pictures or view extra pictures that were not printed).
Back to music, I have been wondering. How do you bring some of the "vinyl experience" into digital audio? Could you "print your music"? Yes of course, some options
- Buy good quality digital music and burn your playlist. Play it through a CD player. => Not too bad, but the CD experience is so-so and the CD will be ugly. If there is artwork, it'd be small.
- The "best idea" I had so far would be to print Vinyl size artwork, stick a NFC tag in the back => have a stand/receiver to place this artwork on to start the playlist/album.
=> that way you remove the "I control my library with my mobile phone" (which is cool) and replace it with : I have some nice artwork to look at. I can physically go through my library of playlists and albums => swipe the NFC and it starts playing and I can take the artwork to my sofa.
A guy did something similar here:
www.instructables.com/id/Albums-With-NFC-Tags-to-Automatically-Play-Spotify/
Mate we thank you, we love what you are doing, we are learning from you and actually you are solving many of our questions in our heads. You give us a lot of useful info so we know what and why to buy it. Thanks again.
The year is 2020 and it should not be this diffucult or confusing to enjoy hi res music! It's really all centered for retail purposes, but all in all you done a great informative job! Well done John
John, this is your best video yet. Not because it is a review, but it has so much information about compromise. If you don't want to spend the money for a dedicated streamer, there is a compromise when it comes to setup. I use an LG G7, which sounds okay. If I want to step up the quality with a Dragonfly, listening to music isn't as easy as just tapping on Spotify or Tidal. There are additional steps. This video explains that. Ease of use, touch screen, low price. Pick two.
Relevant and very useful info right here. Thank you Darko. Gonna try that USB app. Can't wait to hear the difference.
I say kudos to you and anyone that offers advice on budget high quality streamers. There are a lot of devices that can stream (if that is your thing) audio, but only a few that does this at high quality audio on a budget. These are great choices and you do not need to drop a load of coin to do it. The only draw back is there may be a few steps to get there but in my opinion the result are well worth the effort! My search for these type of results is what lead me to your site a the first place with the Allo Boss DAC. I bought this device and love it.
Great video John! I am replicating this same setup with my iPhone & my iPad. iPhone serves as a relatively compact/transportable setup.
One suggestion regarding the dongle for the iPad setup, the camera dongle from Apple is better suited for your setup as you can keep listening to music & at the same time plugin the charger cable. It costs somewhere around 40CHF / 35USD.
Missed your playlist this time, always looking forward to them! Thanks for educating & entertaining with MQA quality videos ;)
Cheers
Agreed. The Apple USB 3 camera connector is recommended by Audioquest, doesn't 'pop', and allows charger to be permanently connected. I've used in car with Dragonfly/iPhone/Tidal just for a play and see...convinced me that Bluetooth is no match for cables even in a noisy driving environment.
which iPad would benefit from the Roon interface the best? I don't have Roon or an iPad yet but Im thinking about getting one as a Roon controller.
Indeed from Audioquest's website (and explaining how to resolve the "clicks and pops" issue): "In our tests, Apple's Lightning-to-USB 3 Camera Adapter (with charging port) sounds better and is more reliable than Apple’s less expensive Lightning-to-USB Camera Adapter, while also providing the ability to charge during playback. Your mileage may vary. Some users prefer the size of the smaller adapter, while others prefer the performance of the larger adapter. We encourage experimentation.
When DragonFly (Black, Red, Cobalt) is connected to an iOS device using Apple’s older Lightning to USB Camera Connection Kit, I can hear clicks and pops in the background of the music. What should I do? In some rare instances, the combination of an iOS device in conjunction with the standard CCK and DragonFly Black, Red, or Cobalt causes a clicking in the background of the music.
Neither we nor Apple have been able to determine why this is, but, in circumstances where this occurs, we’ve found that using Apple’s Lightning-to-USB 3 Camera Adapter resolves the problem. In addition, this connector offers improved audio performance over the smaller unit and provides the ability to charge the attached iOS device while listening to music."
Love everything you do Johnny Boy. Especially enjoyed the fact that you're inquisitive and are looking at music so many different ways
John, I think it is good on your part to show us how to repurpose equipment like old phones and iPads to service a Hifi purpose. This is something that is valuable to everyone. The only thing that I think may have been limiting is the focus on having a streamer with a touch screen when you are controlling it with a portable touch screen anyway. Also I understand that through an update from AQ that the Cobalt itself is now a Roon endpoint. I am not sure how this would change the configuration of Roon on the iPad if the Cobalt is also a Roon endpoint. But you’ll be able to control your Cobalt endpoint with a portable touchscreen device with the Roon app on it. Thanks.
Always love that you have music in your videos between scenes. just makes the videos more enjoyable when watching over TH-cam in my living room. :-}
Mind is down the rabbit hole, as a newcomer, as someone taking their first dip into hi-res music I found this so informative and I truly appreciate this video. I've made the first step getting my first DAP 6th gen iPod classic, modding with flash storage and most importantly to me the first wired cans. Still debating on a few to spend on but looking forward to it.
I run an old iPad as digital transport to my preamp-amp system (the preamp has a decent DAC that I hope to replace shortly.) It works perfectly and I’m super happy it spares me one equipment purchase. Someday I’ll add a proper file server and Roon and I’ll be set
I repurposed an Apple iPad as my Roon bedroom endpoint. (I also have tidal loaded just in case). I have an AQ Dragonfly Red tethered to it via the USB 3 CCK to keep it charged, then into a Reta Brio-R. I freaking love it. Just absolutely love it. It’s simple, looks super slick and sounds fantastic.
*Rega (dammit)
Lovely as usual John . Always look forward for your new releases.
This is very interesting. I’m close to spending £500 - £700 on a streamer. But i love the idea of using my iPad connected to a DAC then connected to my integrated amp. I need to know how you were controlling the music from your phone. That was kind of breezed over. Is that just by using Roon? So if I had a USB 3 adaptor, I could leave the iPad on charge and have the DAC connected, then connected to an integrated amp? Screen always on and control from my phone??? That would be sweet!
@18:46 not only did I like it.. I LOVED it! opened my mind to some other great options. now im learning all about roon too thanks!
A very sweet solution for the MQA debate. Once again nice video and excellent content.
I think I found the best balance of high-quality content with ease-of-use, - after having tried all sorts of different set ups and hardware and software. I’m now using a fourth generation Apple TV, with an iPad as my interface/control device wirelessly streaming Qobuz Hi-Res via airplay to the Apple TV, which in turn is hardwired to a DAC/preamp, and then on to the amplifier. This also allows me to stream all my digital content off my home network iMac. I also use Apple Music to explore, as I believe it has one of the most extensive library‘s, great interface, and ties in with my years of content stored in iTunes.
AirPlay is limited to 16bit/44.1khz I believe, so technically it's not hi-res.
However, this is a nice and flexible solution, as you can play anything (any app) through it :)
In your opinion, what is the difference between using the iPad or buying a dedicated network audio player? They do the same function, or the audio player is superior in auditory quality.
I am pretty happy with the dac in my v30 and if I need to run hi res audio I just run the lg music app that is pre installed. That does output hi res to my headphones perfectly fine.
Being fond of fiddling, I’ve tried a few different combinations including an iPad, iPhone and an old MacBook. If you’re using something like Tidal then it makes sense having the screen but if you can control Roon from another device then the second screen doesn’t really matter. For all the setups I have the device going through USB into a Cambridge Audio Dacmagic plus (not as elegant as the dragonfly), using Qobuz and local 44.1/16 files stores on a Mac mini (also Roon core). After experimenting, I have to say the MacBook sounds the best, but I have no idea why. It could be the better processor, or stronger WiFi, who knows? But the sound is sparkling enough that I don’t really feel motivated to get a dedicated network streamer. With so many configuration options, it can get complicated fast talking about this, so I thought this was a courageous video!
Old exynos phones by samsung has wolfson dac, its good like my note 4. Any other than apples 3.5 jack is shit, except lg tho.
Another great video John. I have been using USB Audio Player Pro for a couple of years now. Absolutely brilliant piece of software. I did notice that Roon now supports the Cobalt as an endpoint. I am trying to get my head around the benefit of that at the moment. Keep up the good work.
the output headphone jack in the iPhone is limited to 16/44.1 when Tidal App is used in Master mode, if you want go to 24/96 you must connect through lightning port, probably in Android phones you have to use the usb connector to get more audio resolution.
Really enjoying your channel and podcast John. Cheers.
One issue with this solution, if you are a big Spotify user - is that only Spotify clients, logged in as the same account as the endpoint - will be able to stream. Other users on the same network, won't see the endpoint. That is where a commercial implementation of Spotify Connect, supports multiple user accounts.
Hi Darko. I think with some beginners they might just use TIDAL HIFI/MQA without Roon. In such a case the new iPadPro which has USB-C and with Cobalt is a simple elegant solution. Please can you consider making such a video.
I’m interested in how using the USB C changes anything over the lightning in terms of sample rate - just wondering? Also I think the idea was to show that it could be remotely controlled - hence the Roon or Spotify Connect.
I’m with you guys
Very nice comments. Using an old iPad as a streaming source is more than just the Roon/Spotify experience, IMO. I haven’t read the other comments, so apologize for a repeat if that is what I am doing. When I first upgraded my home stereo DAC to a Topping D70S (MQA compatible) . Streaming Apple Music from an Apple Music or Family subscription, I can stream from my home iTunes server or from Apple direct. Playlists, albums, etc are minimum CD quality and will hook in hi - rez as available. But other than hunt/peck for particular albums, for background or technical listening, Apple Music, IMO , has worked. Really well.
Much better Glasses this week much more Barker esc :) Hi Res streaming is a bit of a nightmare to explain and I think you did a great job, dont beat yourself up some things are easier to explain than others and good for you for tackling this as not many people can hold a viewer all the way through the video like you do, Ive watched others and lost the will to live 5 mins in but you not only explain things simpler but hold peoples attention longer.....Great Job!!
I didn’t realize how easy it was to use my iPad and iPhone together using Spotify. Just load on the tablet first, and when you load on the phone, it gives you the option of linking with the tablet. It is great, thank you.
As a non-headphone user I recently purchased two headphones. The first was the Campfire audio comet based reviews John's reviews. The other was the over ear Audioquest Nightowls Carbon. I wonder how the sound quality of these would compare to those mentioned in this video ?
I would seriously recommend everyone to try using a balanced connections with their high end headphones. There is significant improvement in the sound separation and tonality of the music after spending a bit more cash the balanced cables or balanced plugs
As a novice HD hi-res user I appreciate your earnest video. I learned some things as I'm listening through my Cobalt into my Mezes right now. I'm on my fourth year of being an audiophile and really appreciate the education.
No idea if it solves any reote control functions but the LG V20 has an IR Blaster.
I miss that about my V20, V30 is great but don't know why they removed ir blaster, guess not enough people cared to use it. I used it for everything, even my LG air-conditioner..
It would be helpful if you showed how you are wiring in to your Dac from the Dragonfly. Is it 3.5mm to RCA? My BelCanto DAC also accepts USB mini but then I would probably need yet another adaptor?
Aggghhh! I get the idea of wanting the best quality from our gear but, wow, it's a pain. I've been trying various combinations of kit like this too. I've realised that my ears are no longer able to hear the difference after a certain point now. I'm getting on a bit so no surprises there really.
I do like the challenge of getting stuff to work though. It's become a bit of a hobby or maybe obsession? Reusing older tech for this kind of thing is great. I hope your videos will inspire others to at give it a try John. Thanks.
I love your videos John and as a result of your previous videos now operate the following :
Outside the home system = Tidal via USB Pro app LG V30 with Cobalt and Campfire Comet
Inside the home system and = Tidal via IPadPro with either Cobalt or Mojo and Sennheiser ie80 or Campfire Comet
I am interested in incorporating some active speakers to my home set up but also like the look of the JohnBlue JB3 blue speakers which will require an amp
Would welcome your thoughts on any other improvements I can make at a reasonable small costs
Great video as always Mr Darko! Nice to see that as a reviewer, you continue to explore different solutions to play digital audio (much more imaginative than Simply reviewing another pair for S400 / RP600M / Vanatoo etc etc like many other reviewers) I use dragonfly Red + jitterbug with Roon on my iPad for a few months now (it’s a much easier / faster solution than my Macmini... mostly down to boot-up time) keep up the good work fella!
HighRes Audio seems to be a lot of trouble. Roon does a very good job of front ending Tidal. But chasing the purple light is probably a bit silly. How is the sound relative to AirPlay or Chromecast?
You can "remote control" USB audio player pro by simply feeding it a upnp stream from the mconnect app, which has tidal masters
John life is to short to put yourself through this, when I want to listen to music I just put in a cd.
But I just love your videos, always interesting and informative.
For some of us, if we had our songs on CD, we would literally need the length of a song just to find the CD to load into a player.
And I’m not talking about streaming. I know some folks who literally have 10, thousand albums in flac stored on their network storage, and not a single physical CD.
Or rather he used to, for that short amount of time it takes for him to rip the CD, digitise the album booklet, and then toss the CD and album case away.
Great information here. Thanks. I’m taking the first steps into higher quality streaming and iPad-dragonfly into my Naim system seems to be a decent way to begin. Thanks again.
Thanks John. You helped to clear up a lot of confusion that I was having about MQA/Tidal, bitrates, smart phone DAC’s.
So how does one control their Ipad with an Iphone? I'm using a Dragon Fly Black with Neil Young's Hi Res site. The ability to stay on my couch, change albums/songs to play by my Iphone would be great. Was there another video that showed how???
Our music collections overlap SO much. Have you listened to any of the releases from the (defunct?) Sending Orbs label...Secede, Yagya, Kettel, etc.?
2024 and you make a video starring, amongst others, the V40, the V30, USB Audio Player Pro, and an old iPad. Hats off!
I've been using one of the older LG V20's as a network streamer with the same quad dac and it sounds outstanding with the added benefit you can pick these up pretty cheap nowdays
I grabbed a new V40 just a couple months ago for $270. My only issue is lack of signal strength. Not great through Schiit Magnis. Sounds better through AUX input on car stereo.
Same here with my lg g6 asian version..
@@1rexrex Lg phones worst signal reception of all the times..
New fan... you have good useful information on your channel. I've always been a tinkerer so I love this kind of stuff! As a teen, I plugged my electric guitar into my grandpa's hifi reel to reel recorder's microphone jack and used that as an amp ( he was not happy about that... lol). Honestly, I never concerned myself with bitrates and kHz when it comes to music. I just enjoy what I'm hearing and call it day.
Because of watching PS Audio videos, your videos, etc I recently got the Schiit Modi 3. That plugs into my Emotiva integrated amplifier that powers my bookshelf ELACs. I connect the USB C output of my LG V35 to the DAC . Since Mike and Jason don't care about MQA, I am not getting Tidal 's full potential. Am I really missing out? My system is not revealing enough even to hear an improvement with the Schiit plugged in. I am happy with what I'm hearing so I guess that's really what matters.
I have a V40 and Tidal and the Audio Player Pro app and it works great for getting hires digital to an external dac. I just wish it could do it with the Tidal "downloads" I have on my phone because I often go to my camper, which is in a remote location with bad cell reception. Of course I still have 100s of gigs of owned music on my V40 so I guess not that big of a deal.
Another geat video John. I used a AQ Dragonfly red on Android with the USB Audio Player Pro with the the MQA add on as my portable solution and it works great. I do think the DF works better on iOS as you dont need any additional drivers like you do on Android. I did try using my ipad like you and my phone as the remote, but prefer using the ipad as the remote, so now use an old laptop as the roon player and the ipad as the controller. Love Roon as well. Keep those videos coming. I really enjoyed your RPI/Allo videos, so much I have a USBridge Signature Player coming.
Eric Rowe Hi Eric, do you mind if I ask you how you are controlling your iPad with your iPhone?
When I use UAPP and a USB DAC from my phone life is good. When I switch to another APP for podcasts I get no sound:( any ideas ??
John, you can absolutely control UAPP remotely. It can be set up as a UPnP renderer to which you can stream using Bubble/Audirvana. Additionally UAPP has it's own hires audio driver (aside from the USB driver) that is used whenever a device with a high end audio dac is detected (such as the LG v30/v40)
UPnP remotes are well known but how do they help with controlling Tidal (or Qobuz) inside UAPP?
@@DarkoAudio You can use a UPnP controller to tell UAPP which Tidal/Qobuz track it should play the same as with normal files. Both Audirvana and Bubble support this.
@@DarkoAudio The primary way I control Tidal and Qubuz along with my own music files is with Bubbleupnp app. all the changes I make are reflected in the app USB player pro as Upnp rendered and are reflected in their respective apps on other platforms. Through Bubbleupnp app I able to cast/stream to Digione Signature, Allo Boss DAC, two chromecast devices and USB player pro on an Android device without a hitch.
Man once you went down the rabbit hole I was along for the ride man had to see the outcome lol.
Honestly thank you for this. I have a LG G7 with a similar DAC and will definitely be remembering this when it comes time to replace it as a daily driver.
Yep, just $100 and you get a better dac you can take to any phone
Thanks for the info. Excellent, keep them coming.
I finally got the audio player pro app (with MQA plug-in). Was well worth it. If at the least get the Android junk out of the audio, even if it is 16-44.1, or higher. Surely, there's nothing wrong with Spotify (love it). Yes, I steam tidal and MQA; and went a smidge into the wormhole. But, have peeked back out of it; realizing, 16, 44.1, CD-level quality; is still really good. And, knowing, that more of a greater library selections, come from that level of quality. And one of my favorite sounding tracks, legitimately, is a 16, 44.1, track. Truly. So, may snag some MQA stuff when it's able; but not gonna make it a must, going forward, in my gear. Nice to have. Not a must for me, now. Great stuff, John.
John, I'm using a v30 , dragonfly red, and USB audio player pro with an old pair of powered quad bookshelf speakers (some day the Elac Nevis bookshelf speakers). Before I signed up with Tidal, i had downloaded some iTunes, and some flac music files onto the v30 mini sd card. USB audio pro let's me play both, including the mqa on Tidal and some hi-res on the sd card. Not a Roon setup but still very serviceable, and a very small footprint for desktop audio. With the v30 and dragonfly I can have great sound on my headphones too, so awesome multi-use bang for the buck as well.
I might give the iPad a try. Thanks Darko. Quite a helpful video. Personally for me, I would use my RME DAC 2 to provide sampling and bit depth info. The apple USB camera adapter should allow this to work.
Very helpful info John. It helped me figure a few things out. Thanks!!
Cool solutions but what about power? You have to disconnect and charge your iPad or phone prior to or after each use. Is there an option to charge and use the dragonfly at the same time?
iPhone Camera Adapter has both charging port and USB port.
This may work Belkin Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, White www.amazon.ca/dp/B01LXFKSNA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_WFsODbA65Y8ZK
Coolesttech Apple has a different adapter that lets you plug in a USB device and also has a lightning port for power.
Was it ever mentioned how the iPhone could remote control the iPad? Is that handled through the Spotify/ROON interface?
I wanted to try this exact setup, while utilizing Apple Music.
C. R. It is Roon remote on the phone to control roon on the ipad
I'm very interested in this type of set up. I'd love to learn more about the various formats and configuring Roon. Thanks! ... always learning.
Hi John, thanks for another imformative video. I've been thinking
about using the same setup e.g iPad/Cobalt. using the Amazon Ultra HD service , and was wondering about the sound quality from this setup as you haven't mentioned this ??
cool, thanks for the tips. One tip, Apple also sells a lighting adaptor with a lightning port so you can charge and play at the same time.
Super technical. And SUPER HELPFUL!
Hi - many thanks for this! Is there anyway of controlling the iPad (playing Tidal outside of Roon- ie, on native iOS app and acting as streamer in this setup) with another iPhone?
Hi John, love your videos. I have been thinking along the same lines and currently have an iPad Air2 connected to a Chord Mojo. It sounds great and overall I'm pleased. The only downside is that I'm not using Roon or Spotify (using Glider to play local music and Apple music for streaming) so remote controlling the iPad is a problem. Any suggestions?
Using the i pad as a MQA player with the audioquest is genius.
Is Roon the only way to “remote control” it?
I don’t have Roon, would one just need a Roon subscription or purchase more hardware?
I do have a iPad Air and an LG v5 so with the purchase of a audio-quest dac could run this set up
thanks for the video i didn't know i could use iPad as roon endpoint. You can also use the USB3 CCK adapter that will charge your iPad at the same time.
I bought an audio quest dragonfly cobalt a few weeks ago and went through this exact same experience but worked out streaming off iOS was easier with Roon and Spotify ad you stated.
USB audio player pro on my android phone seems to take over and take priority of the dac.
When you go to TH-cam and try and use it USB audio player pro still owns the USB driver.
I know I have to manually swipe left and exit the app fully for it to let go.
Overall loving the new DAC and got my head around how I want to use it on either device.
Use a Lightning to USB 3 adapter on the ipad setup and not worry about draining its battery.
Thanks for putting up with the complexities
The reason for the pops and clicks is because LG makes some of their phones to be used with a 3.5mm jack that has three section on the male terminal. If your 3.5mm jack only has two sections then there is crossing of channels.
Some of your other videos emphasize that from a sound quality standpoint a dedicated streamer is better than streaming over an attached computer because a computer introduces electrical noise into the DAC. Is the ipad, on battery, exempt from this problem, and perhaps comparable to a mid-priced streamer? Or is the setup you have here convenient, but compromised on SQ?
This is addressed in the video.
@@DarkoAudio Thanks for this very good video. I have the same question Paul has for Ipad. I've been through the video 3 times now and can't find where SQ is addressed. If we could have just a little idea of what to expect soundwise, or very high level idea of how it may compare to inferior or superior setup (with equivalent DAC processing) that would be very much appreciated :) thanks again!
Sorry chaps but this video is a "how to" and not a "how it sounds".
Hi John! I would be interested on your thoughts with the Dayton Audio WBA28 streamer (under $100 USD). I use an old iPad to control the device remotely over the network very similar to what you are doing here but this device has an optical out for the DAC.
Are you able to stream services like Amazon HD
Grrreaaat vedio john.
You solved my problem, because i had my music library in my LG G7 phone. This is the way i can get nearly hi res audio from cobalt through my cxa80 integrated amp
Really enjoyed that video. Very informative and inspiring for my own future set-up. 👍🏻
great great video helping us understanding how to get that mqa working properly
absolutely helpful !
if it is confusing for you, definitely confusing for us
just wondering that 3.5mm output from the cobalt is connected to your amp?
is it to RCA?
does the quality music degrade at all when you use RCA?
When streaming SPOTIFY from the iPad, how would you describe the sonically difference between the dragonfly output and the iPad's 3,5?
Hello John, and thank you so much for your incredible videos! I’m a regular guy, who until finding your TH-cam channel was about to dump a lot of money into a traditional turntable based 2
channel system. In the pursuit of convenience and quality, I have thrown that to the wind. I now have a Tidal subscription, and am loving the quality, just running through my iPad and a cheap pair of Grado SR60 headphones. After seeing this video, I’m going to add a cobalt to the mix, and am curious to find out about controlling my iPad from my iPhone. Is this possible?
The most easy setup in my opinion with good quality is a Chrome cast with optical output to a dac. The Spotify app recognises the Chrome cast so you have the remote (iPhone) on the couch.
Mentioned at the start of this video: yes, you can but it doesn't have a screen. Also, the GCA isn't gapless with Tidal and Qobuz.
John Darko Didn’t know GCA is not gapless. Thx
Google’s ChromecastAudio dongle’s toslink out does not sound great. Any of John’s suggestions here would sound better
The Hidizs Sonata HD DAC Cable II is €46 (Amazon prime) and can be flashed to 24bit/192Khz work well with USB Audio Player Pro, though you should mention that you need to buy the MQA plugin to decode an MQA steam in Audio Player Pro. I had the cobalt and it wasn't all that noticeably different from the black to warrant the cost IMO. I replaced the black with Hidizs
What have I set myself up for getting interested in steaming. Maybe it will become clearer as I go deeper into the rabbit hole.
I cannot help but wonder the improvement of mqa when one needs to look at the colour of a light as opposed to hearing an improvement.
Just playing devil's advocate.
I like the idea of this system in general. Just wonder about the real world sound improvements of hires audio. It seems a lot more about being able to sell a entirely new class of audio equipment than about audible sound improvement.
Yeah, seems many are split on whether MQA is really an improvement at all compared to simply streaming FLAC in deeper bit depth and bit rates. Just another proprietary format that messes with the sound files that may or may not offer any real sonic improvements. Is it needed? IDK.
The main problem with using a dragonfly, or any other USB DAC, with a phone/tablet streaming solution, is that you can't use the USB port for charging any more.
So sure, you've got a streamer, but only for a day or so until the battery dies, then you have to start swapping cables and it's messy. You can use a wireless charging pad, but they can be finicky and sometimes add noise, and you wouldn't be able to use that fancy stand of yours..
I think the V30 sounds pretty darn good on its own. I don't think the USB DAC adds much and complicates the setup.
You don't need a remote control. A long aux cable for a couple of quid fixes all these issues.
Thank you
Thank you
Well done
More please
Love this video. Rarely do people delve into the other side of audiophilia.. which is source handling and delivery. The bonus for me with this video is how you found solutions between iOS and Android and while it may be a bit hodge-podge-- you reached your goal. Achieve MQA delivery with your preferred set up.
For a second, and in typical Apple fashion-- I thought the usb-2-lightning adapter broke MQA data to the dragonfly. And when I say typical Apple fashion, I mean the lack of Bluetooth codec support(apt-x/ll/hd, LDAP).
While I'm a big fan of Google Music for its library-- I've trialed both Tidal and Amz Unlimited for the hi-res options and settled Amz. (Plenty of hi-res/ultra-hd collections). Not sure what Amz offers across the pond.
Amazing what the dragonfly Cobalt can do for it's small footprint. Great job Audioquest.. I've yet to own a Nighthawk....
Great vid!
Great video I enjoyed the level of detail, since watching I have resurrected an old iPhone and bought a preowned dragonfly red from eBay.
Good job - I moved away from this sort of solution to Euphony on a NUC with a linear power supply (apparently this can match/best a Innuos Zenith SE, which is something I believe). Which sounds much better than Roon Core direct. Would be interested how this setup compares to Euphony or JPlay
I really appreciated this video and your way of patiently going through and explaining everything. My newbie experience finds me with all sorts of speakers, amps and phones around my house and in my car and I need understanding and experimentation to begin to tie everything together. The cobalt looks like a good way to test and enjoy the hardware I have, also I want to get outside the 6S dac AND the cheapie bluetooth to FM converter dac I'm using in the car. Thank you.