Best program to listen to FLAC and hi-res audio on the LG v30

[jb14]

I just tested the GoneMad player. Nice user interface, by the way. It is not meant for high quality playback however. It will play via the Sabre DAC but will decimate all PCM to 48khz and converts all DSD to 48khz PCM. It will not unfold MQA files. If you have CD quality or lower, this application will work fine for you.

So miknez am I correct in thinking that with anything at CD quality (ie 16/44.1hkz) or lower the app selection doesn't matter? Or did your investigations confirm which music players reverted to the Qualcomm DAC, not the Sabre DAC? Ie should I avoid all of the listed non-LG music players to ensure that the Sabre DAC is utilised with my CD FLAC files? I only have a few 'higher resolution' files and it is clear I will only use the LG app for these.+ many thanks for the QUAD DAC link, I will need to read it a good few times to understand it completely.

 

[mlknez]

I would just use the stock LG player and call it a day.

 

[widezu69]

Could you please try Qobuz? They don't have a trial option for their sublime subscriptions but I guess the HiFi subscription trial could be enough to see if the app communicates properly with the DAC at all.

 

[mlknez]

Could you please try Qobuz? They don't have a trial option for their sublime subscriptions but I guess the HiFi subscription trial could be enough to see if the app communicates properly with the DAC at all.

The Android Qobuz app does use the ES9218P DAC for output. I did an analysis on the output of 30 tracks that Qobuz defines as "hi-resolution" and all but 1 was really a standard or lower than standard resolution recording stuffed into a 192khz container. Most didn't even have any energy over 17khz.

Good news, Qobuz uses the DAC. Bad news, Qobuz lies about the REAL quality of their content.

 

[widezu69]

The Android Qobuz app does use the ES9218P DAC for output. I did an analysis on the output of 30 tracks that Qobuz defines as "hi-resolution" and all but 1 was really a standard or lower than standard resolution recording stuffed into a 192khz container. Most didn't even have any energy over 17khz.

Good news, Qobuz uses the DAC. Bad news, Qobuz lies about the REAL quality of their content.

So does that mean Qobuz can do everything the default LG music app can do provided the source material is legit hi res? Or does it down convert to 48khz like the others?

 

[widezu69]

The Android Qobuz app does use the ES9218P DAC for output. I did an analysis on the output of 30 tracks that Qobuz defines as "hi-resolution" and all but 1 was really a standard or lower than standard resolution recording stuffed into a 192khz container. Most didn't even have any energy over 17khz.

Good news, Qobuz uses the DAC. Bad news, Qobuz lies about the REAL quality of their content.

So does that mean Qobuz can do everything the default LG music app can do provided the source material is legit hi res? Or does it down convert to 48khz like the others?

 

[mlknez]

So does that mean Qobuz can do everything the default LG music app can do provided the source material is legit hi res? Or does it down convert to 48khz like the others?

It can play PCM up to 192khz but no DSD and no MQA. That means that it CAN'T make full use of the Sabre DAC.

 

[widezu69]

It can play PCM up to 192khz but no DSD and no MQA. That means that it CAN'T make full use of the Sabre DAC.

Ah of course. Forgot about DSD and MQA. I guess Qobuz is the best for streaming then and for everything else use the LG music player.

 

[mlknez]

Ah of course. Forgot about DSD and MQA. I guess Qobuz is the best for streaming then and for everything else use the LG music player.

Tidal works the same.

 

[Scott Muhlbaier]

Thanks for this thread. Plain and simple, i am checking out the V30 due to that quad-dac, but it has to be able to play DSD files to their max potential. More specifically SACD DSD and DST (muiltichannel) ISO files due to my meticulously converting everything i have for playback in my main system Exasound DAC. This could replace a DAP since Hiby can directly play this format (built-in app certainly cannot)...however, if Hiby can't take advantage of the great DAC or gets cut to Android-wimpy bitrate, that's not going to fly and I may as well get any other cheaper Android. Is that unfortunately the case with no workaround?

I didn't see KAMERTON music player listed which i also think handles those formats (although a bit clunky)--did you try that?

 

[mlknez]

Thanks for this thread. Plain and simple, i am checking out the V30 due to that quad-dac, but it has to be able to play DSD files to their max potential. More specifically SACD DSD and DST (muiltichannel) ISO files due to my meticulously converting everything i have for playback in my main system Exasound DAC. This could replace a DAP since Hiby can directly play this format (built-in app certainly cannot)...however, if Hiby can't take advantage of the great DAC or gets cut to Android-wimpy bitrate, that's not going to fly and I may as well get any other cheaper Android. Is that unfortunately the case with no workaround?

I didn't see KAMERTON music player listed which i also think handles those formats (although a bit clunky)--did you try that?

The V30 Sabre ESS9218P DAC CAN play DSD up to DSD256 natively. The only caveat is that you can currently ONLY use the stock LG music player to do so. The stock player will play .dsf and .dff files but not .iso files. You must extract the individual tracks to either .dsf or .dff first. This will not alter the audio, it is just an extra preparatory step for you. You are better off using .dsf as you can then embed metadata such as cover art into the file. Hiby is not able to send DSD files to the Sabre DAC on this device. I will try Kamerton. I have never heard of it before.

 

[Scott Muhlbaier]

But isn't everything on an Android phone neutered down to 16bit/48khz whether it uses the DAC or not--using the headphone jack? I dont have any use for USB out although i think it can be made bitperfect that way. Don't think there's anyway to get bitperfect audio on an Android phone out the jack--using anything--which would be why DAPs are still the way to go for 24-32 bit files and DSD.

 

[mlknez]

But isn't everything on an Android phone neutered down to 16bit/48khz whether it uses the DAC or not--using the headphone jack? I dont have any use for USB out although i think it can be made bitperfect that way. Don't think there's anyway to get bitperfect audio on an Android phone out the jack--using anything--which would be why DAPs are still the way to go for 24-32 bit files and DSD.

No, audio files can be sent to the onboard DACs unretouched on Android.

 

[csglinux]

I'm finding something I didn't expect. Native LG music app on the V30, playing 44 kHz/16 bit redbook FLAC, output to the Hugo 2 via USB. The Hugo 2 is indicating it's receiving a 48 kHz sample rate signal. Can anybody explain what's going on? I wasn't expecting this behavior from the stock LG music app.

 

[Wilson Jarvis]

Will PlayerPro activate the Sabre DAC?

 

[mlknez]

Will PlayerPro activate the Sabre DAC?

what do you mean by activate?

 

[jb14]

I'm finding something I didn't expect. Native LG music app on the V30, playing 44 kHz/16 bit redbook FLAC, output to the Hugo 2 via USB. The Hugo 2 is indicating it's receiving a 48 kHz sample rate signal. Can anybody explain what's going on? I wasn't expecting this behavior from the stock LG music app.

The problem is android, not the LG app per say. From my understanding, the V30 only utilises the Quad DAC when the headphones are being used. If you use the usb out the audio is processed by the 835's DAC so subject to 'interference' by the android system, which is long known to mess about with sample rates. It's the same thing that affects external DACs (such as the red/black dragonfly etc), which necessitated using the 'USB Audio Player PRO' app to circumvent such problems (uses its own drivers over androids to allow direct usb output). You might be able to test the above app which should allow the redbook FLAC to be sent at its native 44 kHz rate via USB to your Hugo 2 DAC.

 

[widezu69]

The problem is android, not the LG app per say. From my understanding, the V30 only utilises the Quad DAC when the headphones are being used. If you use the usb out the audio is processed by the 835's DAC so subject to 'interference' by the android system, which is long known to mess about with sample rates. It's the same thing that affects external DACs (such as the red/black dragonfly etc), which necessitated using the 'USB Audio Player PRO' app to circumvent such problems (uses its own drivers over androids to allow direct usb output). You might be able to test the above app which should allow the redbook FLAC to be sent at its native 44 kHz rate via USB to your Hugo 2 DAC.

USB Audio Player Pro is afaik the only app that has a separate driver for USB output on phones which will send bit-perfect signal to an EXTERNAL dac.

UAPP can also play through Android and in settings there is an option to set the sample rate as 'variable' so the app tries to match the Android sample rate with that of the track being played. However the developer has said this is only at the Android software/driver end and he can't confirm if the app can speak directly to the QuadDac even when it is outputting to it.

@mlknez could you possibly comment if UAPP with its Android sample rate set to 'variable' can output a full 192Khz PCM signal from the QuadDac without downsampling to 48Khz?

 

[xeperset]

Have you had the chance to try BubbleUPnP? I had read somewhere that it is one of the few players that may use the Quad DAC

 

[mbryanr]

I had forgotten about this as I used it on my V10...

https://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-v10/themes-apps/dac-fix-hi-fi-dac-everywhere-t3274457