Suggestions for an *inexpensive* and *portable* 32 bit DAC/amp for the S10+?

[LilSweetLin]

I listen to my music a lot, which consists of every genre imaginable; from Trip Hop, Chill Out, Electronic, Trance, Indie, Hip Hop/RnB, Alternative Rock, House, Classical, Opera, etc. You name it, I listen to it. I owned an unlocked LG V30 last year, and the quad DAC for the headphone jack spoiled me. Listening to music with it toggled on, there's nothing like it on a smartphone. Now with the addition of DTSX surround sound on the V40 and G8, it's even better.

Having said that, I sold the phone after only two weeks because the signal reception on T-Mobile was trash, and LG's UI is woefully outdated. The theme store (if you can call it that) is a joke, and LG has absolutely no update schedule. Overall, it just felt like a half-assed version of a Samsung phone during the days of TouchWiz.

It seems the audio through the headphone jack on the S10+ is as close as you can get to LG devices from comparing the two for a bit in store, but I really would like to replicate the experience I had as much as possible. There's word that LG supposedly gimps the quad DAC to necessitate higher impedance headphones.

I have a pair of Sony MDR-NC7 headphones that I used with the V30 that definitely does the trick. to trigger the DAC. I also have a pair of 32 ohm buds that I use daily when on the go with my Nexus 6P. But higher impedance *really* makes a difference from my experience with the V30. Can anyone recommend a good cheap, portable 32 bit DAC/ amp that I can use with the S10+? There are a couple USB C DACs that look like dongles on Amazon, including one that goes for $14.99, but I'm not sure if they're viable. Feedback is appreciated.

 

[OhAlfie]

Is the sound THAT bad?

Seems like a pain in the *** yo have to buy and add another device to listen to music on a smartphone.

I'd just invst in a nice headset and call it good.

 

[LilSweetLin]

Is the sound THAT bad?

Seems like a pain in the *** yo have to buy and add another device to listen to music on a smartphone.

I'd just invst in a nice headset and call it good.

It's not that the sound is that bad, but that the sound on LG phones is that good, because of the quad DAC. Once you plug in a pair of high impedance headphones into it and toggle those settings on, there's nothing like it on any other smartphone. The problem is, the rest of LG's phones aren't for me; especially because their radios were trash for me. I already have the headset part of the equation.

 

[racedog]

I know how you feel. I am an amateur, but serious musician, and loves all kinds of music. I also still have the LG v30 but just couldn't love it past the DAC. For everyday use it drove me nuts.

On my s10+ I'm using some Shure se535 buds with Shure's rmce-bt2 Bluetooth communication cable. This combo works for me but you might want to consider something like the Redsone ES100 Bluetooth sound amp/DAC. Did you say whether you wanted or needed something Bluetooth or wired?

 

[LilSweetLin]

I know how you feel. I am an amateur, but serious musician, and loves all kinds of music. I also still have the LG v30 but just couldn't love it past the DAC. For everyday use it drove me nuts.

On my s10+ I'm using some Shure se535 buds with Shure's rmce-bt2 Bluetooth communication cable. This combo works for me but you might want to consider something like the Redsone ES100 Bluetooth sound amp/DAC. Did you say whether you wanted or needed something Bluetooth or wired?

Thanks for the reply. My sentiments exactly. I couldn't justify keeping the phone, as much as I loved the DAC and the battery life I was getting. I'm not one who uses Bluetooth, so something wired is preferable.

 

[strikeIII]

Here are some suggestions.

https://www.bassheadspeakers.com/top-10-best-portable-headphone-amps/

 

[Mike Dee]

Try the dongle from a Razer phone. It's pretty good. Even the the dongles from HTC or Pixel 3 are better than most built in DACs but the Razer is the best one out of the three.

 

[robber]

Don’t waste your money. Anything less than $50 is junk. Form factor also needs to be considered, but generally speaking the Audioquest Dragonfly Black @ $99 retail will be the first threshold where the LG’s sound quality is met/exceeded.

 

[chanchan05]

Snapdragon or Exynos? Because well, the Exynos has a 32bit Cirrus Logic DAC.

 

[mustang7757]

This is a good article from XDA forum
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s10/help/audio-quality-t3909283/page1

 

[LilSweetLin]

Snapdragon or Exynos? Because well, the Exynos has a 32bit Cirrus Logic DAC.

I'm in the US, so Snapdragon.

 

[LilSweetLin]

This one on Amazon seems to have the same DAC that's found in LG phones. Anyone have experience with it?

NextDrive Spectra Portable USB DAC - The World’s Smallest 32-bit DAC Headphone Amp for Truly Mastering Your Sound On-The-Go (USB C) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D3T7Q5...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU6539608

 

[mustang7757]

This one on Amazon seems to have the same DAC that's found in LG phones. Anyone have experience with it?

NextDrive Spectra Portable USB DAC - The World’s Smallest 32-bit DAC Headphone Amp for Truly Mastering Your Sound On-The-Go (USB C) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D3T7Q5...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU6539621

@Mike Dee would know these things

 

[Mike Dee]

This one on Amazon seems to have the same DAC that's found in LG phones. Anyone have experience with it?

NextDrive Spectra Portable USB DAC - The World’s Smallest 32-bit DAC Headphone Amp for Truly Mastering Your Sound On-The-Go (USB C) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D3T7Q5...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU6539625

In dont think it's using a Quad chipset but I'll also go out on a limb and state that the Quad chip set probably just runs cleaner. My feeling is that it's more measurable to instruments than it is noticable to the human ear.