Dongle sound quality.

[Mike Dee]

Yup, I understood. What headphones are you using most often?

Audio Technica MSR7NC
They are low impedance except when the noise cancellation is active. I bought them partially because they triggered the full output of the V20 quad DAC, however I like them for many reasons. Very clean sound but not a lot of bass. I also like the fact the noise cancellation doesn't impact the sound and it still lets some background sound in because I like to be aware of my surroundings. The noise cancellation is not as great as Bose QC25s however I prefer it that way and Better Sound over the QC25s. I also like the Beyer Dynamic Custom Studio 80ohm

 

[e30ernest]

I tend to go for IEMs rather than headphones (even though headphones will generally sound better) because I live in a hot climate, and I find my ears to get sweaty when walking around with headphones. I like the Shure sound so I have SE425s for general use (for my laptop, or watching YouTube videos) and SE846s for really listening to music.

With IEMs I find not to need noise cancellation as much. Just having a good seal will block a fair amount of noise. The Shures are also relatively flat when inserted, so I have fallen asleep with them on and they were still comfortable.

 

[Mike Dee]

I tend to go for IEMs rather than headphones (even though headphones will generally sound better) because I live in a hot climate, and I find my ears to get sweaty when walking around with headphones. I like the Shure sound so I have SE425s for general use (for my laptop, or watching YouTube videos) and SE846s for really listening to music.

With IEMs I find not to need noise cancellation as much. Just having a good seal will block a fair amount of noise. The Shures are also relatively flat when inserted, so I have fallen asleep with them on and they were still comfortable.

The reason I go for over-the-ear headphones is because of my daily commute. I'm not opposed to in ear Bud's though.

 

[e30ernest]

The reason I go for over-the-ear headphones is because of my daily commute. I'm not opposed to in ear Bud's though.

Yeah neither am I against a full set of cans. It really boils down to how they are used and how comfortable they are to the user.

TBH if I lived in a cooler climate, I'd go for headphones as well. At the same price-point, they'll generally sound better.

 

[KrisYYC]

I've not personally tested this. Have you tested using the same phone, same app, same songs, same headphones and same volume level to make sure you're comparing 1:1? You'd need a phone with an internal 3.5mm jack and a USB-C port. It's certainly possible that the adapter uses slightly more power but "a bit" is difficult to define without controlled testing.

Keep us posted on your results. It would be interesting to know what you find. If you have access to a proper multimeter and a USB-C extension cable, you could measure actual power draw by the adapter.

The closest to a proper test was using the same headphones on my original Pixel with the same set-up and same music player (google play music, mp3's stored on device, not streamed). It's not a big different by any means, just slight but I'm like Rainman noticing stuff like that. Definitely not a detriment or anything, just something I've noticed. After an hour of music playback I'd say the Pixel 2 lost about 3% more batter than my original Pixel.

Unfortunately I cannot test this against my OG Pixel as I just sold it. I do have a Nokia 8 with similar internal specs as the Pixel 2.

 

[modifier]

The closest to a proper test was using the same headphones on my original Pixel with the same set-up and same music player (google play music, mp3's stored on device, not streamed). It's not a big different by any means, just slight but I'm like Rainman noticing stuff like that. Definitely not a detriment or anything, just something I've noticed. After an hour of music playback I'd say the Pixel 2 lost about 3% more batter than my original Pixel.

Unfortunately I cannot test this against my OG Pixel as I just sold it. I do have a Nokia 8 with similar internal specs as the Pixel 2.

3% sounds possible. A discreet chipset should use more power and I'd buy 3% without question. Had it been like 15-20% I'd be more skeptical without seeing hard data.

 

[KrisYYC]

Some potentially good news on the dongle/Type-C headphone front:

Qualcomm wants to make headphone dongles sound better by giving them Hi-Fi DACs

If dongle's like that can mean better sound quality then the lack of a 3.5mm jack is much easier to swallow.

 

[Mike Dee]

Some potentially good news on the dongle/Type-C headphone front:

Qualcomm wants to make headphone dongles sound better by giving them Hi-Fi DACs

If dongle's like that can mean better sound quality then the lack of a 3.5mm jack is much easier to swallow.

The dongle for the Pixel 2 already sounds better than phones with an internal DAC.
I would welcome something with a little kick, however that means a bigger dongle and a drain on the device battery unless the dongle supplies it's own power.
There are already other hifi dongles out there also.

 

[vzwuser76]

The dongle for the Pixel 2 already sounds better than phones with an internal DAC.
I would welcome something with a little kick, however that means a bigger dongle and a drain on the device battery unless the dongle supplies it's own power.
There are already other hifi dongles out there also.

Since this one would be made my Qualcomm, they might be able to optimize it better than aftermarket OEMs could. Also, I wouldn't think it would have to be noticeably larger to include an amp. We're not talking 100s of watts here or anything. An amplifier could be accomplished on a single chip for something with that low of a power output, so it should fit in the same size as the included dongle.

 

[e30ernest]

Pocletnow really likes the Pixel 2 dongle.

https://youtu.be/nGmE7vHLLwA

 

[ncc74656m]

I'm not quite sure if it's been fully covered as yet, but I have to say, the difference between the analogue adapter that comes with the Moto Z2 Force vs. the Pixel 2's digital adapter is night and day. The noise floor is vastly lower, and the separation is vastly improved. This on my Etymotic HF5s. I just wish I still had my missing ER4s to test them on - and I'd love to get one of those HTC adapters to try.

I'll try ordering the HTC unit some time soon, or see if I can steal my friend's if she doesn't use it if she orders the U11, but I'm very happy to have my music "back." I was on a One M9 beforehand, and I thought the sound was vastly better than this Moto, but I'm much more satisfied now.

 

[Mike Dee]

I'm not quite sure if it's been fully covered as yet, but I have to say, the difference between the analogue adapter that comes with the Moto Z2 Force vs. the Pixel 2's digital adapter is night and day. The noise floor is vastly lower, and the separation is vastly improved. This on my Etymotic HF5s. I just wish I still had my missing ER4s to test them on - and I'd love to get one of those HTC adapters to try.

I'll try ordering the HTC unit some time soon, or see if I can steal my friend's if she doesn't use it if she orders the U11, but I'm very happy to have my music "back." I was on a One M9 beforehand, and I thought the sound was vastly better than this Moto, but I'm much more satisfied now.

The Motorola is a pass through adaptor so it doesn't do anything as far as sound. It utilizes the phones internal DAC. Pixel and HTC adaptors actually have a DAC built into the dongle.

 

[idiotekniques]

I've tried the stock dongle, the HTC dongle, the Razer dongle and the Faracet dongle using the REALTEK Dac from Amazon.

I found all three others to be superior to the stock dongle which I felt was a little tinny and hollow. I switch between the HTC and Razer dongles and keep the other 2 for backup now.

This is all to a pretty high end pair of Dunu 3001 IEMs. I do use a nice Schiit Bifrost Multibit DAC at home with my pairs of regular headphones so I can't say I have golden ears but I do appreciate a nice sound.

I was anti-dongle at first but after owning the Pixel 2 XL I kinda dig being able to have the option for different sound signatures by simply changing the cable or in the future, headphones.

If you have only tried the stock dongle I definitely say try HTC or Razer

 

[Mike Dee]

I've tried the stock dongle, the HTC dongle, the Razer dongle and the Faracet dongle using the REALTEK Dac from Amazon.

I found all three others to be superior to the stock dongle which I felt was a little tinny and hollow. I switch between the HTC and Razer dongles and keep the other 2 for backup now.

This is all to a pretty high end pair of Dunu 3001 IEMs. I do use a nice Schiit Bifrost Multibit DAC at home with my pairs of regular headphones so I can't say I have golden ears but I do appreciate a nice sound.

I was anti-dongle at first but after owning the Pixel 2 XL I kinda dig being able to have the option for different sound signatures by simply changing the cable or in the future, headphones.

If you have only tried the stock dongle I definitely say try HTC or Razer

I use the dongles on my Pixelbook and they improves the sound as well.

 

[Knightmayre90]

I use both wired and wireless, but my wired headphones are better quality to my Bluetooth ones. but if I'm honest, I don't really see any issues with either, music is clear, good volume and I enjoy it as much as I did when I could plug in on my last phone. as long as I can rock out I'm a happy camper.

 

[TraderGary]

I decided to try going wireless with my Pixel 2 XL.
In December I got a Sony WH1000XM2 wireless noise cancelling headset that cost $350.
I've used it now for four months and I'm very happy I went wireless.
This headset, even though it is wireless, is better than any headset I've ever owned.
So I could give a flip about dongles or not having a headphone jack.
Not having to fool with dongles or wires is a breath of fresh air!

 

[Mike Dee]

I decided to try going wireless with my Pixel 2 XL.
In December I got a Sony WH1000XM2 wireless noise cancelling headset that cost $350.
I've used it now for four months and I'm very happy I went wireless.
This headset, even though it is wireless, is better than any headset I've ever owned.
So I could give a flip about dongles or not having a headphone jack.
Not having to fool with dongles or wires is a breath of fresh air!

That's great that it works for you but many prefer sound quality over convenience. I have both Bluetooth and wired and there is a time and a place for both.

 

[TraderGary]

That's great that it works for you but many prefer sound quality over convenience. I have both Bluetooth and wired and there is a time and a place for both.

Yes, I know what you're saying. I subscribe to Google Music too because I can tell no difference.
On paper the difference is there, but at my age I really can't hear the difference. One's hearing slowly degrades throughout life, but I still enjoy my music and I still work on my piano several hours every day.

 

[Mike Dee]

Yes, I know what you're saying. I subscribe to Google Music too because I can tell no difference.
On paper the difference is there, but at my age I really can't hear the difference. One's hearing slowly degrades throughout life, but I still enjoy my music and I still work on my piano several hours every day.

My loss of hearing at the higher frequencies is actually what makes me appreciate higher quality sound files and wired headphones. That's not say that good bluetooth equipment is by any means shabby.

 

[TraderGary]

My loss of hearing at the higher frequencies is actually what makes me appreciate higher quality sound files and wired headphones. That's not say that good bluetooth equipment is by any means shabby.

That's great Mike! Having a degree in performance on piano and violin, I'm very envious of those that can hear things that I no longer can. When I play the top octave of my grand piano I can only hear the sound in my mind.