This is a review of Antec GAIN bluetooth receiver with Android phone controls: http://www.antecmobileproducts.com/product_detail/148
I think this little gadget is one of the best kept secrets, and I will tell you why in my review. After spending some time reviewing wired headphones with in-line remotes and wireless bluetooth headphones with built-in controls, I have a good idea of what to expect from a headphone and it's control when using Note 2 or any other Android phone, like S4 I was just reviewing. Bluetooth technology is great since you don't have to tie yourself up with an umbilical cord to your phone and can pickup/end a phone call and play/pause audio and maybe control volume or skip a track, depending on models you use. But you also run into an issue when you are in a middle of something and battery goes dead. Plus, not all the headphones have both volume and track skip controls, and sometimes you are dealing with a single button with multiple functionality. Either way, you have some pluses and minuses with both. What GAIN does is to bridge these both giving you an option to use either one while also providing you all the necessary controls.
This little device is small, well actually its tiny! Measured at 40mm x 23mm x 15mm and weight of under 10 grams it looks almost like a toy you get with a Happy Meal. But it actually packs a lot of functionality and executes it really well. First of all it has a clip on the back so you can attach it close to you. Keep in mind, it will host the microphone so you have to remember its not the same as in-line remote on your wired headphones which is close to your face or a microphone built into your earbuds. You want to keep it close to you so it will pick up your voice better. It has a regular micro-usb charging port which is a big bonus since you don't have to dig for any old mini-usb or proprietary cables. According to Antec the battery should last 6 hours of continuous music play. I haven't tested it for 6 hours, so can't confirm that yet. Will rely on a vendor data for now. Next you have 3.5mm jack where you connect headphones. Headphones are supplied as part of the package. These are actually decent looking earphones, doesn't look cheap at all, and they even come with 3 pairs of interchangeable ear tips. The sound quality is not top notch, but its acceptable in this case. I have to note, they have a short cable which is the whole intent of the use because you are not plugging these into a remotely located phone, but rather into a small GAIN receiver which should be closer to you with it's microphone. Of course, the main idea is that you can use ANY headphones connected to this bt receiver to turn them into wireless headphones!!! In case of any regular wired pair of headphones, you will have to deal with an excess of wires, so will have to figure out how to manage it. Another bonus, this is BT receiver so you can use it to turn ANY speaker into a wireless speaker! As a matter of fact, you can even hook it up to aux input of your car stereo to stream music from your phone and/or pick up the calls that way. The possibilities are endless, but I wish Antec would have included 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio adapter cable. They did include usb/micro-usb cable in the package, but audio adapter cable would have been nice as well.
Now, about the bluetooth interface and phone/multimedia controls. When you look at this device, you don't see any buttons. It has a top flat panel which is clickable in the corners and in the middle. The corner functions are assigned to next/prev track selection and volume control, while the area in the middle is multi functional to pick up/end the call and to play/pause the music and the videos. To prevent accidental clicking, there is a lock button on the side. You also get LED indicator in the middle with a cool blue and red light. Pairing up with Note 2 and S4 took seconds, no need to enter any code. From the get go it was working controlling the audio tracks, volume, calls, YT videos, etc. Everything worked as expected. When you pair up with Android smartphone, you get both multimedia and phone pair up and this device supports all the profiles such as EDR, A2DP, Hands Free, and Headset. I was very impressed because I have seen bluetooth receivers before, but this one has a unique functionality to integrate all the audio, multimedia, and phone controls, comes with a bonus pair of headphones and charging cable, and cost around $30 plus change. I do have to mention the sound quality. It will not make a cheap pair of headphones sound like a million bucks. It just transforms it into wireless. So the bundled headphones were not necessary of the highest quality which is noticeable especially at higher volumes. But once I plugged in a pair of my Klipsch earphones - the sound was top notch. I did a/b comparison using Klipsch (S4A II) pugged directly to a phone and through GAIN and found very little degradation. I'm not an audiophile to analyze the whole frequency spectrum to exhaustion at different volume levels. I'm looking at it from a consumer point of view, and I was satisfied.
So, this one definitely gets my two thumbs up!!! A great design, excellent functionality, easy to use, and flexibility of converting any wired headphone into wireless and then back if you run out of battery - definitely a very impressive gadget. I will try to see how it works in the car next, just need to get audio cable adapter.
Here are some pics for your enjoyment:
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OK now you have made me want something else!
How do we buy this? How much is it? The link didn't seem to have purchase info just a link to download a manual. Maybe I missed it.
Time to Google! No. Time for bed!
Edit... OK Google saved me. It comes in other colors too!
Now no more play time. Vacation's over. Work tomorrow. Bummer.
Sent From My Ginormous Note 2
Does this also support the built in mic on some headsets?
DeMiNe0 said:
Does this also support the built in mic on some headsets?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure it won't. The whole idea is to transfer only audio to your headphones, not a two-way communication with any other control built into your headphones. As a matter of fact, I was using my S4A II Klipsch which has built in-line control and also mic, and it made no difference. Only controls on the box and its built-in mic communicate with your phone.
This this box is my new favorite toy!!! I looked up other similar devices from Sony and Samsung, and nothing even comes closer in price. Plus, I was just testing it with external bluetooth speaker (and those usually have only volume up/down control, no way to play/pause or skip a track), and after connecting GAIN to that speakers 3.5mm input - I was able to use it as a remote control. Super cool!
very nice review bro! i have the same color, and it works just great. the only difference is, you might have a newer model because mine does not have a lock/unlock button on the side.
also, you are right, you cannot use the mic button functionality of your headphones. i have confirmed this.
Can you use it as a bluetooth headset for calling?
c0nvict said:
Can you use it as a bluetooth headset for calling?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely, it support all the Phone and Multimedia functionality. So you can play and control music, and also receive phone calls, thus a built in mic.
opasha said:
very nice review bro! i have the same color, and it works just great. the only difference is, you might have a newer model because mine does not have a lock/unlock button on the side.
also, you are right, you cannot use the mic button functionality of your headphones. i have confirmed this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gotta give you big credit for helping me discover Antec (your mentioning of ISO headphones)!!!
vectron said:
Gotta give you big credit for helping me discover Antec (your mentioning of ISO headphones)!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, anytime bro!
I'm using the BlueAnt Ribbon which basically does the same thing and looks classier.
IsolatedAbyss said:
I'm using the BlueAnt Ribbon which basically does the same thing and looks classier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed, not bad! But $20 more than Antec?
IsolatedAbyss said:
I'm using the BlueAnt Ribbon which basically does the same thing and looks classier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the Antec looks very nice, BUT, I do prefer the way that the BlueAnt looks! That said, with the BlueAnt being almost double the price, I would definitely purchase the Antec over the BlueAnt!
I bought the Acoustic Research ARWH1 about 4 or 5 years ago(it's an antique by now going by technology standards! Lol) . I think I paid around $20-30 when it was on sale back then. It still works great and has never given me a single issue! IT is pretty small and not too much bigger in overall size, has a clip on the back, and it has all of the needed controls on it too. That said, I'm not in the market for a BT bridge, but if I was, the Antec would definitely be my choice!
Thanks to the OP for the excellent review and pictures! This will be very useful to anyone looking to get one of these devices!
Here's a few pictures of my old Acoustic Research ARWH1
SwiftKey'ed from my White Sprint Note 2 using XDA Premium
Hey
If you are Europe based, you can purchase from Overclockers UK.
acemodder said:
Hey
If you are Europe based, you can purchase from Overclockers UK.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for pointing this out. Often I forget that XDA is international community and outside you can't use US Amazon. I just looked it up from your reference and the link is: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-008-AN
Just bought from Groupon for 19,98€
Good deal
Thanks for your review
Bad audio quality! Sent back to groupon
ribelle85 said:
Bad audio quality! Sent back to groupon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What headphones did you use? The bundled one are not that good. Also, keep in mind, this bluetooth wireless connection compresses the sound, and that going to affect some high frequencies.
vectron said:
What headphones did you use? The bundled one are not that good. Also, keep in mind, this bluetooth wireless connection compresses the sound, and that going to affect some high frequencies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bose in ear
it's look a touch buttons wright ?
I think the normal ones is better
Maybe try it, after makes comparing with another types
Related
Has anyone tried a bluetooth to stereo adapter for their car? I was looking at maybe the Blackberry one.
Thats not the thing that you need. What are you looking to do? Stream music via bluetooth to a fm radio? I found a piece from Amazon that I just ordered. I am not sure if it is going to work or not but I will let you know when it arrives.
That is what I want to do. Stream bluetooth to my stock stereo that only had a 2.5mm aux jack.
I have a Samsung HM3500 BT headset. It is A2DP via an included headphone adapter. You plug your normal headphones into the jack on the adapter that plugs into the microUSB on the headset. You could get a patch cable and connect the headset adapter to your vehicle stereo.
betasp said:
Has anyone tried a bluetooth to stereo adapter for their car? I was looking at maybe the Blackberry one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using that Blackberry unit. It works great. Now I need to get a power filter and maybe a headphone amp for it, I have to turn the radio up a lot for some things like audiobooks, and it causes the radio to pick up engine noise.. pfftttt.. I do have a ground loop isolator, but the 12V in a prius is generated from an inverter so it is a little noisy..
betasp said:
Has anyone tried a bluetooth to stereo adapter for their car?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love my Jabra Cruiser!!!
Do a google search (XDA won't let me post links yet) and you can find this for less than $50 delivered. I paid $99.00 for mine, but have no regrets.
All of the phones audio are relayed to an FM station on the car stereo (never been a fan of FM transmitters, but this one rocks). I mostly listen to tech podcast, and pandora going down the road.
Fm transmitters suck balls especially if you live in heavily populated areas. For mine to work I had to disconnect my antenna for it to work somewhat. I listen to tech podcasts on commute everyday so I decided to install a newer stereo with a 3.5mm jack instead. $100 shipped from crutchfield with all the hardware and special instructions for my vehicle. It was worth every penny it also has HD programing which I am starting to like.
Simple Static Fix
badaphooko01 said:
Fm transmitters suck balls especially if you live in heavily populated areas. For mine to work I had to disconnect my antenna for it to work somewhat. I listen to tech podcasts on commute everyday so I decided to install a newer stereo with a 3.5mm jack instead. $100 shipped from crutchfield with all the hardware and special instructions for my vehicle. It was worth every penny it also has HD programing which I am starting to like.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No antenna for me why listen to any market that is just going to give me ad's plus spend 100 naw
Antenna removed works great for me no problems and the quality is great
That Samsung Modus 3500 looks very cool. It's a more functional [edit: because it can do both phone calls and music streaming] bluetooth adapter than the Blackberry one.
Now I just have to fix the 3.5mm aux in jack on my factory car stereo!
I have been using the Kensington LiquidAux for a few months with my vibrant. It works great for streaming audio. I found it for ~$25 in november from geeks.com.
I have had good luck with the Blubridge mini-jack Rx, bought from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Soundfly-Bluetooth-Transmitter-BlackBerry-supported/dp/B001DDE4VY
It has everything for all situations.. I own one an love it. It even has cable line in for guests and and cable line out for those of you with aux jacks in your cars. Come with microphone and remote control. Can accept SD cards for music and usb sticks i think, never tried it. Its a true no wire solution (unless you want to use the aux for better audio than FM of course).
I've had the Scosche BTAXS for a few months, and I LOVE it. If your stereo has an aux jack on the front of it, then this is perfect. It is easy to use, and the microphone is excellent. From what people have told me, no one can tell I'm speaking on a speakerphone when I'm using it, and the audio quality for music is perfect. It's a bit pricey, but it was definitely worth the cost for me.
http://www.buy.com/prod/scosche-bta...s-bluetooth-audio-in/q/loc/111/214551809.html
I got a JVC car stereo with bluetooth for 150 canadian about a year ago (so it is probably cheaper now \ cheaper in the states too). It was about the same price as add-on options like the parrots and such.
Bluetooth Car System
A couple years ago my In-law gave me a Motorola T-505 Bluetooth car speakerphone. He gave it to me because He nor His wife ever knew how to use it.
I love this thing. The quality is great, and the internal speaker sounds great by itself. The cool thing is you can press a button to transmit to the FM radio. Then you can have an phone conversation as loud/soft as you prefer. Also, for those of you who listen to music on your phone or ipod touch, you can sync it bluetooth then play it through the car stereo. My In-law was mad because he didnt know it would do that.
Sometimes you will have some static on the channel that you are using, but you can press a button to find another station.
You can buy these for about 45 bucks.
Just my .02
I also use the sosche btaxs. I love it. Works great. I also use it at home sometimes to get bluetooth signal to my receiver. Got it from amazon for around 60 bucks
Sent from my GT-I9000M using XDA App
BF_Mattwrench said:
A couple years ago my In-law gave me a Motorola T-505 Bluetooth car speakerphone. He gave it to me because He nor His wife ever knew how to use it.
I love this thing. The quality is great, and the internal speaker sounds great by itself. The cool thing is you can press a button to transmit to the FM radio. Then you can have an phone conversation as loud/soft as you prefer. Also, for those of you who listen to music on your phone or ipod touch, you can sync it bluetooth then play it through the car stereo. My In-law was mad because he didnt know it would do that.
Sometimes you will have some static on the channel that you are using, but you can press a button to find another station.
You can buy these for about 45 bucks.
Just my .02
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried one of these, borrowed from a friend, it did indeed exceed my expectations as I'm not usually a fan of FM Modulators. However, if you're willing to take your dash apart and do some installation, something like this:
Audiovox FM100A
works pretty good. It only has two channels to choose from, but it isolates from the antenna. Just run a 3.5mm to RCA adapter and plug in. Doesn't help for phone calls and such like the bluetooth but is good for long rides or dense areas where it's hard to find an unused channel for the traditional FM Modulators.
i have this and it works good
http://www.amazon.com/Miccus-BluBridge-mini-jack-Rx-Bluetooth/dp/B0038MA11U/ref=pd_sim_cps_9
Those are all great choices, but keep in mind that if you're on a 2.2 rom you will have severe quality loss when streaming over bluetooth (A2DP). For some reason, the outgoing bitrate is reduced (despite your audio file's quality) and higher frequencies such as Cymbals, guitars, etc distort heavily.
I think some of the developers are working on a fix though. I just thought I would give a heads up about that. Keep the great product ideas coming!!!
- Mat
betasp said:
Has anyone tried a bluetooth to stereo adapter for their car? I was looking at maybe the Blackberry one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mattymat said:
Those are all great choices, but keep in mind that if you're on a 2.2 rom you will have severe quality loss when streaming over bluetooth (A2DP). For some reason, the outgoing bitrate is reduced (despite your audio file's quality) and higher frequencies such as Cymbals, guitars, etc distort heavily.
I think some of the developers are working on a fix though. I just thought I would give a heads up about that. Keep the great product ideas coming!!!
- Mat
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is the setup I have been using for about 2 years now with my black Berry then my touch pro2 and now with my vibrant and it works great, you just need to power the audio gateway with a power inverter that plugs into your cigg power outlet. If you don't use the inverter you will get noise from the cars electrical. Ill post pics of my setup later I am running it on my scion Xb and I love it!
To address what mattymat said it is true if your running 2.2 builds you will have quality loss and intermittent audio cut outs when reviving texts emails or some times just randomly. All in all it still works good and is cheaper in the long run, instead of having to buy replacement auxiliary cables because they stop working from wear. I have been using the same cable for 2 years now since I don't have to keep moving it or unplugging it from the phone or the auxiliary Jack.
0bey
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I want to make the beast (aka note) the centre of entertainment/info in my car.
The problem: My car has no aux input.
Solution: FM Transmitter.
Now I tried a few cheapo fm transmitters, and they all had horrible sound connection. The transmission was fine but something was wrong. I pretty much gave up on this idea until I tried my brother's fm transmitter. It was crystal, however it had long cables which dangled over the driver -not ideal. Also, his one was from a good company and cost $120 -yikes.
Anyways, just the other day I saw my friends set-up. All he had was this:
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Which can be bought off ebay for ~$15, or even cheaper from other sources.
It is the perfect companion, since the rigid arm holds the phone just firm enough. It cleanly connects to fm. And charges it simultaneously.
Here's one for example: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/FM-Trans...Accessories&hash=item20c69cb619#ht_3654wt_905
After looking for it for many hours, I can't find a suitable one for androids.
For once, I am jelly over Apple's monopoly of its proprietary connector.
Any good solutions you guys know of?
Why would you bother, just buy radio with aux and a stand.
dawids2k8 said:
Why would you bother, just buy radio with aux and a stand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, this was your first post on xda, I'm honored.
The thing is, I'm not planning on keeping this car for too many years... so a new head-unit will be a little pointless and expensive. Another thing, there is a separate display unit which pairs with the headunit...so removing it will stuff that up (which is handy for quick time and temperature).
It plays CD's but I don't have any cd's...they're all digital media.
I know I'm not the only one with an Android phone who has this problem, so a solution is out there.
Anyways, I found these solutions on ebay:
1) Bought, tested, its useless. Cables float everywhere. Costs ~$5.
Picture: http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab314/youkeshu/youkeshu-7/AA404_5-ALL.jpg
2)Then I found this one, costs ~$11, also suffers from the same noise distortion. Again cables galore!
Picture: http://cdn1.sellerimage.com/cdn2/120802/9e/78/f4/fmt-uni023_1_cc.jpg
3) I found this. Its just like the first crappy one. This one I haven't bought and tested, it may actually work well. But again cables galore!
Picture: http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab238/ebay510/home and garden/CBA00031-1.jpg
4) Okay I found this a working solution. The seller contacted me said it doesn't have the noise problem like the other options and backs it up with a full refund. Sad part is it costs ~$45...and what makes it worse is that the cables are still hanging about but at least not as much as the solutions prior to this.
Picture: http://gomadic.us/imgs-prod/fmt/samsung-galaxy-2-car-auto-charger-fm-transmitter.jpg
I finally found a (2yo?) thread in Google where they were discussing the same thing for the original Droid.
Anyways, I found a link to it on Amazon but it was discontinued.
Luckily enough, it was "related" to another product which led me to find this:
http://www.amazon.com/GOgroove-Flex...?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1339419456&sr=1-39
Same as the iPhone dock, only costs double the price. Instead of Apple connector, its a microUSB.
edit:
Hold on, found this. Same product (moreless) but $18
http://www.amazon.com/Accessory-Pow...?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1339419702&sr=1-19
edit:
Okay now its pouring in, found an even cheaper one ($13) lol.
http://www.amazon.com/GSI-Dock-Moun...-Smartphones/dp/B004006L7W/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_2
Okay, so there was more to this story than I thought. Wondering how I couldn't find any in the sea of thousands of other (mostly iphone) fm transmitters.
Anyways, back on ebay and finally found this:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/17083475...X:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_3398wt_1270
Same as the other ones (~$20) but ships Internationally so anyone can get a hold of it.
It looks to be too small to fit the beast, and the seller hasn't responded back to my message.
But another seller has.
And no, the clamps maximum width is 80mm. We need at least 83mm, or ~90mm (comfortably) to clamp the note. But I have good news from the seller:
"But we will list another item which will fit for your Samsung NOTE,
Please come back to our shop 10 days later,or I can notice you when we list the item."
"Ok,I will let you know when we get new model.
Please don't worry,we have professional Technician?"
I'll keep this thread updated once I get my hands on it.
(ps I broke my windshield mount the other day, so hopefully 2-angry-birds-1-stone)
just to let u know, transmitters/holders that plugs into the cigarette lighter last a week max.
once the rubber that that goes into the cigarette light wears out, its all over, it wont stay up.
werks said:
just to let u know, transmitters/holders that plugs into the cigarette lighter last a week max.
once the rubber that that goes into the cigarette light wears out, its all over, it wont stay up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the input.
I'm going to try anyway and give a review. It shouldn't cost much $15-$30 so the burden wouldn't be great.
And if it does fall apart, I'm planning on modifying it so it becomes a windshield mount.
That way I can have eyes on the road, and glanceable navigation... while having music from car speakers and hands-free phone function. The Ultimate Road Warrior! xD
this is what i would do if i werent to invest in a head unit.
www.firesport.com.au, buy a 2nd hand amp for cheap.
connect the amp to speakers.
connect the note directly to amp via cheapo 3.5mm to aux cable.
sound quality will be 10x better than transmitter lol.
migrate amp to next car
werks said:
this is what i would do if i werent to invest in a head unit.
www.firesport.com.au, buy a 2nd hand amp for cheap.
connect the amp to speakers.
connect the note directly to amp via cheapo 3.5mm to aux cable.
sound quality will be 10x better than transmitter lol.
migrate amp to next car
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.
Of course the advantage of the ebay item is that its too easy to setup and can work in literally all cars. And the unit is still purposeful even if the fm isn't transmitting (ie phone holder + charger).
And you will definitely get x10 better sound via a wired solution.
I'm tempted to try both methods, not much to lose.
For now I just have to wait and see the item description when its up and report back.
The problem is the head unit in some cars, such as mine, are built in and cannot actually be changed our it's a big job. I was still using my Nokia N8 for music duties untill last week as it has a transmitter built in, but I've just gotten a Belkin from Amazon and it's superb. Still has to be plugged into the cigarette lighter but I don't mind that.
FlamingGoat said:
The problem is the head unit in some cars, such as mine, are built in and cannot actually be changed our it's a big job. I was still using my Nokia N8 for music duties untill last week as it has a transmitter built in, but I've just gotten a Belkin from Amazon and it's superb. Still has to be plugged into the cigarette lighter but I don't mind that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're into a bit of soldering, I have successfully added aux into older cassette deck stereos and my DAB stereo clock radio.
Basically, you open up the head unit/radio, google the chip numbers, find a datasheet. Only one of them will be some kind of mixer/preamp/processing chip. Find the pins that are the input L/R and ground. Then solder a 3.5mm stereo lead in. Close it up, plug in your phone, hey presto, AUX in! And better than any FM transmitter.
On the cassette radio, I just wired in to the cassette audio input and disconnected the tape motors. On my clock radio, I added a 2 pole 2 way switch to toggle between the tuner input and my phone. Later I'll add a bluetooth input to get rid of the slight noise hum when my phone is charging.
I bought one,but broken one.
china2834 said:
I bought one,but broken one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which one?
Can you link it for us.
I got a response from another seller, and one from local. They won't be getting it.
Its been 6 days since I received the email from one seller who said they will get NOTE compatible models (hopefully 90mm wide, so NOTE with case can also fit).
So there's another 4 days until he will respond back to me with the link, and then probably a week or two until I can test it.
Getting excited!
I know you said you wouldnt be keeping this car long but imho you would be much better served changing your head unit to one with bluetooth. You can find used ones in great condition shipped on ebay for$100. Installation time is under an hour. Trust me its worth it. My head (eclipse cd5030) automatically connects to my phone as soon as i start the car. No wires, just press play. And also, it has a usb plug for charging it.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2
That's a good idea.
My options seem to be:
-FM transmitter/dock
-Change head unit for Bluetooth (break the overhead display and car cpu though)
-Change head unit for AUX in (break the overhead display and car cpu though)
-Install a low-powered/cheap amplifier with an AUX in.
Here's the inside of my car (though not so new, heh):
The head unit (ie CD slot and music controls) is located in the middle of the centre-console.
The actual display for it is displayed higher up on the centre-console.
The display is also wired into the car, if the engine runs out of power for a second, it locks and needs the password. Same thing if I jump start someone.
If I can install a new head-unit without stuffing up the relay going between the display and car cpu, I'd be all set... I wished I was more experienced in this field
Anyways, I've already decided on my next car, so I better start saving now:
I may be wrong buddy but i believe that your stock equipment is set up for an optional CD changer from the factory so there will be an option for an auxiliary input..
What you need to do is call an aftermarket car audio supplier and ask about a 3rd party wiring loom, more than likely they will have a plug in solution for it..
bazrippa said:
I may be wrong buddy but i believe that your stock equipment is set up for an optional CD changer from the factory so there will be an option for an auxiliary input..
What you need to do is call an aftermarket car audio supplier and ask about a 3rd party wiring loom, more than likely they will have a plug in solution for it..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with that,
Kangal,
Most of the car stereos have port to get AUX out behind. An audio shop can use this to get a 3.5 mm female port
A new quality brand like pioneer car stereo with aux on the front is about $45 NZ these days. Problem solved. And you never know your stereo may have line in in the back you could use.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app
I have the same problem as you.
My solution requires the following equipment :
1. Jabra SB600 car hands free
2. Original Samsung car dock for Note.
You basically pair your Note with Jabra via bluetooth and the Jabra transmits the audio via FM to your car radio. Simple, clean, no wire solution. Music and calls play via your car speakers and the Jabra's DSP does a fantastic job to cut out ambient noise in a moving car.
The sound quality is decent. Probably not the very best, but bearable. And more importantly, it gets the task done without any extra wires and stuff. Consider it a trade-off between ripping out / modding your car stereo and making no changes at all.
Though the Jabra's price may be a bit steep, it is a better bet if you consider it against replacing your stereo or spending the time (and taking the risk) on modding it.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app
I'm assuming that not a whole lot of people here are really into cars. I am really into modding my car and one aspect of that is audio. I love car audio and have a moderately nice system in my car. I can say that if you're looking for a good way to integrate your phone as your main source of media, then perhaps a new head unit would be a great upgrade for both your media and for your car.
Some people may be on a tight budget, and if so then the previously mentioned solutions may be the only options viable to you, but if you are willing to branch out and see what you can do with your ICE (in car entertainment), then you may find something that you might want to invest in.
So what are the options? You can use a wired fm transmitter, and as people have mentioned, you're dealing with wires and such. You also have wireless fm transmitters, which eliminates your wiring, and your results don't stray far from the wired transmitters in terms of sound quality. If you're willing to upgrade your headunit, then you have two options, single dins which is the base tier headunit. It has most, if not all, of the features your stock headunit has, and a few extras. If it is equipped with bluetooth, you can send/make calls from the headunit, but most single dins don't solve your audio needs in this way. What you want to look for is if it equipped with USB, so you can connect your phone via USB and play your music that way. Yes it does involve wiring, but there have been many ways to tie in a nice docking station for your phone to really make it appealing to many users. Double dins are almost always touchscreen type headunits and are a great way to upgrade your system. They have many more features that single dins will not have, such as GPS, movie viewing, etc. These types of headunits will follow single dins in that you will be wiring your phone via USB to source your music. I think there may be some double dins that are capable of bluetooth audio but I am not totally sure as mine does not have that feature as a 2011 model from Alpine.
W W W[dot]thebizzy[dot]com/technical_pages/thebizzy/audio/ipod2.jpg
Here is an example of how many users like to mount their phones/ipods/etc.
I will say that the benefit of a wired connection over a fm transmitted connection is that the sound quality is so much better. Music is much more crisp and clean with none of that distortion. Granted your overall sound quality will be determined by the quality of your speakers, but the differences from a USB connection and an fm transmitted connection are really noticeable.
So think about what your budget is and what you really want in your car audio system/integration. I went with a double din because the features are just spectacular. I do want to note though, that a headunit does not make your car system sound better, you need to upgrade your speakers, amps, subwoofers, etc. The main purpose for a new headunit is features. For me, I went with the double din because of benefits such as GPS, bluetooth (syncs my entire phonebook so I can just search for people whom I need to contact, shows recent call logs, auto answering for incoming calls), better interface when selecting music (it can utilize the entire interface of the ipod giving me access to movies, artists, playlists, genres, etc.), and overall ease of use.
So to conclude I'd recommend you find out what you want, and what your budget is, and start a project because my daily commute is worlds better than what it used to be because I made my upgrade happen. If you have any questions about ICE then feel free to ask.
There's a thread over in the international forums about this, but nothing (that I found) over here in the US forums.
I'm looking for a reasonably cheap (but I'm flexible) pair of headphones that include in-line audio controls.
It's my understanding that the standard urbeats headphones (like the ones that come with the Rezound) work, although it'd be great to see someone confirm this 100%. My problem with them is that they're butt-ugly. They do have a version with white accents, but it still has that ugly red cable.
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I'm looking for something with a little bit nicer look to it, like the a-JAYS series. My problem with that is that they only have 2 versions with audio controls... The a-JAYS One+) should work fine (made for Android specifically), but I'm not a fan of the 1-button. I know they have a free app to configure what it does, but I don't want to have to, for example, press the button 3 times to advance songs or something like that.
They also make the a-JAYS Four which comes with the apple-style 3-button controls (and even comes in a white version, which would look sweet with the white SGSIII). But from what I understand, those controls don't work with Android. Confirm?
I'm no audiophille, so even cheap-o headphones like the official apple ones would be fine with me if they actually worked.
Does anyone know of any adapters that would make these, or perhaps the a-JAYS Four (since they're way cooler), actually work?
Like I said above, I'm not not an audiophille so I'm not really picky about quality. I've been using these for the past 4-ish years:
so you know how much I really don't care about quality.
I don't mind something cheap, as long as it get's the job done. If there's some cheap adapter that might look funny but will work then I'm all for it. But, if I'm going to be paying a lot, I want it to actually look nice... which is why I'm turned off by the urbeats. I really like the style of the a-JAYS (especially the flat tangle-free cable).
Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?
(P.S. I don't want headphones, per se (despite the thread title). I want earbuds... and I don't care if they're the in-ear type, or the outer-ear type (like the apple ones, or the ones I'm currently using)
The headphones that come with the SGS3 in the box can do this.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
shorty87 said:
The headphones that come with the SGS3 in the box can do this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol. Seriously? You gotta be ****ting me. What a waste of time typing out that question. Ha.
Why did nobody bring this up in that other thread?
They have volume up/down. Pause/play button, and double click that button to change tracks. And they are good in-ear headphones with pretty good sound quality.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
shorty87 said:
They have volume up/down. Pause/play button, and double click that button to change tracks. And they are good in-ear headphones with pretty good sound quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Good to know.
Any idea if third-party tips will fit on these? I always find the cheap silicone tips that come with these sorts of headphones to be a little uncomfortable. I'd rather get some Comply foam tips but don't know if they're compatible.
The beats from the HTC Rezound work perfectly - all buttons control as they should.
Like you, I have yet to find anything other the the beats and the Samsung headphones that include three button control...
ScottC said:
The beats from the HTC Rezound work perfectly - all buttons control as they should.
Like you, I have yet to find anything other the the beats and the Samsung headphones that include three button control...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for confirming that. I'll probably end up sticking with the included ones, but it's good to know.
I sent an email to the people at Comply to see if they can investigate which (if any) of their tip models are compatible with the SGSIII included headphones
I have never used the Comply tips but if their tips work with other in ears that have the silicone tips then they should fit. I've used a lot of these style IEM and all the tips have been interchangeable. Sennheiser, Sony, LG, Altec Lansing and the Samsung ones...
Posting from my mobile, expect some typos.
-jchan
shorty87 said:
They have volume up/down. Pause/play button, and double click that button to change tracks. And they are good in-ear headphones with pretty good sound quality.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. I've been very surprised at the quality of the earphones. I expected some cheap throw away buds. I have $100 Klipsch S4i and I haven't used them since I got my SIII.
am i the only one who thinks the included headsets blow? they sound so hollow and the treble is so high pitched........or did i get a defective pair?:crying:
vitinjou said:
am i the only one who thinks the included headsets blow? they sound so hollow and the treble is so high pitched........or did i get a defective pair?:crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So far
I actually like both of the headphones that comes with the Galaxy S phones. Majority of the time I am using BT headsets anyways.
I am obsessed with my beloved V-Moda headset. Unfortunately the buttons nor mic work on my S3. They worked on my Sensation - well the volume didn't but everything else did.
I ordered an iPhone to Samsung/Nokia adapter pigtail (4") that claims it will make it work. I'll post back if it arrives on Friday as promised.
I hate that my ibeats headphones dont work with my SGS3. Worked perfect on my SGS2 w/ CM9 so Im hoping the CM team implements it for the GSG3...
The ones that come with the GSG3 are sh1t
vitinjou said:
am i the only one who thinks the included headsets blow? they sound so hollow and the treble is so high pitched........or did i get a defective pair?:crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel the same about it...they blow but for free...can't really complain cause it's def a lot better than the ZUNE or iPod earphones...which are meant for audio playback, lol.
vitinjou said:
am i the only one who thinks the included headsets blow? they sound so hollow and the treble is so high pitched........or did i get a defective pair?:crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's relative I suppose. If you wanted to use it as a phone (I guess some people might buy it for that) the supplied headset would be fine. And they are LIGHT YEARS ahead of the joke buds that apple supplies. But if you're expecting them to compete with your $100+ 20K Hz range headphones... economies of scale don't stretch that far. Look at the economic calamity that was HTC and giving away Beats headphones.
So in the grand scheme of things lets give apple a D for effort and a F for execution - which I think is quite reasonable and fair. That makes Samsung's free headset an A for effort and a C for execution. Not too bad really.
so glad I found this thread, hopefully it'll continue and collect more peoples experiences on what works and what doesn't...
i have the gs3 16 blue from sprint. the headphones in the box do work, and have 3 button controls that function as they should. that being said, i think they suck (agree with you other poster - sound is hollow). i'm not some crazy audiophile or anything, but i really think they suck. that and i hate the marshmallow type "here jam this way into your ear for more bass!" tips on them.
i also have the bose (yes yes, proceed with the mocking) headset with 3 button controls. i much prefer the sound and fit (well the sound is OK, and yes they are over priced, they were a gift). mostly the fit keeps me going back to them. unfortunately only the center control works. and for whatever reason, the sound only works when you plug the phone in after you've initiated a call (e.g. call person, while ringing plus headset in). the sound will not work for calls unless you plug it after nitiating the call. watching a video, listening to an mp3, no problem. headset sound works. very odd. in any case my summary is, the bose functionality on the gs3 blows, which is in stark contrast to my evo 4g - where they worked wonderflly (minus the full 3 button, only center button works for android). no issues with the mic there, or the sound.
i also have the "headset button controller" app from the store. it's pay. gives much greater control over the single button on 3 button iphone style headsets. for anyone stuck with one and android it's very helpful. but it does lead you to "click 3 times for this" "click 4 times for that" "click and hold" etc etc. cause hey, its only one button. winamp also gives some of the same functionality out of the box once installed (click 3 times for prior track, for example) and used.
i'm still looking for a good headset with mic and 3 button for this phone. so glad i found this thread. looks like htc headsets may be the way to go...hopefully mor epeople will post about their experiences with different headsets here.
Regarding the in-box headphones... as I'm thinking about this more, I'm realizing that a lot of people either (a) don't like these headphones, or (b) already have a $100+ pair of headphones and would therefore not use these headphones.
Given that, if there's anyone out there who already has a $100+ pair of headphones and doesn't want the ones that come in-box, I'd be very interested in a second set for my desk at work
I'd of course cover the shipping costs, plus $5 for your trouble I suppose. PM me if anyone is interested.
If want great sounding in ear with control for s3 try Sony smart headset
http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/products/accessories/smart-headset/
If you already have beats solo or studio but want the cable that make mic and volume control work pm
ethutch said:
I am obsessed with my beloved V-Moda headset. Unfortunately the buttons nor mic work on my S3. They worked on my Sensation - well the volume didn't but everything else did.
I ordered an iPhone to Samsung/Nokia adapter pigtail (4") that claims it will make it work. I'll post back if it arrives on Friday as promised.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got the FiiO Smart Adaptor [sic] Cable and can report that it is an unmitigated failure. None of the missing functions work and it messes up the audio.
I cannot figure out what the heck Samsung has done. It seems pins 2-4 are indeed standard. This implies that pin 4 is... well the only place left for pin 4 to be.
But regardless this adapter is NOT the right choice. Don't buy it.
Actually this is a double review where I would like to share with you my latest two portable speakers, one is Hi-Fi Super Bass Bluetooth speaker music player for $14.50 (http://www.tvc-mall.com/details/HI-...ne-Intelligent-Voice-Speaker-Black-MINS-597A/) and the other one is Kaidaer Mini-speaker music player for $8.30 (http://www.tvc-mall.com/details/Cir...e-MP4-MP3-PC-Support-TF-Card-Green-MINS-491F/)
When I started doing my reviews early this year, my main goal was to prove to myself and to others that you can get a high quality product and don't spend a fortune. That was mainly in reference to phone cases and screen protectors. I was skeptical about anything else outside of that, especially something like speakers where even big name companies with products $100+ can't get it right. Recently I had success with quality of stuff I got from tvc-mall.com, so I figured to give it a shot with a few speakers that were dirt cheap and looked cool as hell on a picture and in description. Turned out that I was in for a huge surprise when I got these in this week. I actually been playing with these for a few days just to make sure it wasn't my first impression reaction. Still LOVE it and planning to order more since both of my kids already got their hands on it lol!!!
Let's first start with Hi-Fi Super Bass speaker. When it comes to portable speakers, small is great and this one is about 55mm in height and 60mm in diameter, but also you want it to be heavy thus knowing it has a better driver - and this one at 206 g feels nice in your hand! The construction is very solid, aluminum, with a top firing speaker covered with a grill The bottom of the speaker has a non-slip rubber-ring pad to keep it steady on the surface, comes handy during bass shaking It has a rechargeable battery, 700 mAh, so no need to worry about replaceable batteries, just use mini-usb cable (included) to charge it up and you are ready to go! The speaker is both bluetooth and also has micro-sd card which turns it into a music player. The play controls are at the bottom where you have Play/Pause, +/- for volume up/down when you hold those buttons or Next/Prev track skip when you just press it briefly, and M mode change button to switch between bluetooth and micro-sd card, as well as pairing up function button. There is a guiding voice that tells you when you turn the speaker on, when its bluetooth or card, and when it gets paired up with your phone. In bluetooth, its also a speaker phone and switches seamlessly when you are playing a music from your phone and receive a call - it pauses the music, switches to call, and when you are done goes back to music. The volume control is DUAL, which means you can use either +/- control buttons or a specially designated ring volume control which is located around bottom of the speaker. That volume control is super cool, just turn the dial clockwise/counter-clockwise to raise or lower the sound.
Here is where it gets totally insane - the sound quality. Yes, it has a nice deep bass sound and a very loud overall sound with clean and clear mids/highs. The bass is so good, it will shake in your hands! For a no-name generic speaker - this is very impressive. Another very impressive part is that playing the same song through bluetooth or directly from micro-sd card - doesn't change the sound quality. Due to bandwidth limitation, bt compresses the sound often cutting lows and highs - not in this case. Overall I was very impressed, considering this is $14.50 speaker with so many features, controls, and great sound quality. You can definitely use it both indoors and outdoors because it's loud enough.
Here are the pictures.
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The second speaker is actually brand name, although its probably local HK company which I never heard of, Kaidaer. It's only a speaker with micro-sd card, no bluetooth. But it also offers Line Input to connect any other device or to use 3.5mm cable as antenna since it has built in FM receiver. You also get headphone output for private listening, you get different playback modes and a separate EQ setting buttons, along with Play/Pause button and Skip Next/Prev which doubles as volume up/down when you press and hold it. This one is also rechargeable and mini-usb cable as well as 3.5mm audio cable come with included accessories. The speaker is even smaller than a previous one, being under 2" in height and diameter, about 130g in weight, top firing speaker with a nice mesh grill, solid aluminum design (my youngest dropped it a few times already, still like new!), and a small built in translucent stand with non-slip surface which also transmits light from a blue led inside of the speaker. Although smaller than previous one and also cheaper (at $8 plus change) - it actually LOUDER and has even cleaner mids and crispier highs which actually sound natural rather than exaggerated. OK, I do listen mostly to EDM and Dubstep but I'm comparing it to other high quality sources I'm referencing it against (like Klipsch and UE). According to the description of this product, it has aluminum vibration loud speaker film. Whatever it is - its brilliant and for $8 and 8 different color case choices - I highly recommend it! Turn off the lights in the room, and have a rave party lol!!! (I have it demonstrated in my last picture).
Here are the pictures.
Last but not least, I was also using micro-sd card from tvc-mall (http://www.tvc-mall.com/details/4GB-MicroSD-TF-TransFlash-Memory-Card-with-SD-Adapter-MCARD-401B/), another no-brand product but for $5 this 4GB card with sd adapter and class 4 rating did a good job being used with both of the speakers to host my music. I have no idea if its reliable for long term use in your phone (considering even my trusted Sandisk failed and had to be replaced under warranty), but I'm definitely using it for the music.
A few pics as well.
Bottom line, I was more than impressed with a built quality, functionality, and sound quality for such a small price, and without naming other brands I can tell you these $14 and $8 speakers sounded the same or even better than some $100+ I heard and tested before.
Nice Review!
I have the Kaidaer, but mine has bluetooth. It has a very nice and solid build, and actually feels quite heavy for its size.
Volume adjustment on Super Bass portable bluetooth speaker
Hi
Is it possible to adjust the volume of the lady who tells us when the device is connected to the bluetooth or not? She's quite load.
Thanks!
Torew said:
Hi
Is it possible to adjust the volume of the lady who tells us when the device is connected to the bluetooth or not? She's quite load.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good question I absolutely hate how loud that voice too. Unfortunately, you can't change it. It's the same controller chip with the same voice and volume level they use in a lot of these wireless speakers. I already replied to a number of distributors to get back to those companies with a feedback about loud voice. At the current time, there is no way to adjust it.
Thanks alot, hope you get an answer some day.
vectron said:
Good question I absolutely hate how loud that voice too. Unfortunately, you can't change it. It's the same controller chip with the same voice and volume level they use in a lot of these wireless speakers. I already replied to a number of distributors to get back to those companies with a feedback about loud voice. At the current time, there is no way to adjust it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks again
Can you please compare this to the Xiaomi bluetooth speaker. They look alike, and I really like the controller on Xiaomi one, where you can control it by pressing on the speaker from the different parts, since the controllers are at the bottom, holding the whole speaker...
Eleo said:
Can you please compare this to the Xiaomi bluetooth speaker. They look alike, and I really like the controller on Xiaomi one, where you can control it by pressing on the speaker from the different parts, since the controllers are at the bottom, holding the whole speaker...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have a link to Xiaomi speaker, and hopefully in English? Never seen one before. I'm afraid I will not be able to get a sample since Xiaomi brand is still not popular outside of China and not too many retailers carry it. Everything I review comes either directly from a vendor or sent to me by a retailer. Xiaomi Pistons 2.1 headphones was an exception because there is a retailers on Amazon US from China which carries it for sale, but I haven't seen their bt speakers. Either way, sounds like that speaker is better than the one I reviewed above?
vectron said:
Do you have a link to Xiaomi speaker, and hopefully in English? Never seen one before. I'm afraid I will not be able to get a sample since Xiaomi brand is still not popular outside of China and not too many retailers carry it. Everything I review comes either directly from a vendor or sent to me by a retailer. Xiaomi Pistons 2.1 headphones was an exception because there is a retailers on Amazon US from China which carries it for sale, but I haven't seen their bt speakers. Either way, sounds like that speaker is better than the one I reviewed above?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMHO the designis better, but I don't have any information about the sound quality, which I'm interested in very keenly
Eleo said:
IMHO the designis better, but I don't have any information about the sound quality, which I'm interested in very keenly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have at least a link?
vectron said:
Do you have at least a link?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know whether it will do it, I have a youtube link ("http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmIyb_bFVYI"), and I know that it has the same battery as the phone itself. I have found it in a e-shop either ("http://www.xiaomiworld.com/xiaomi-original-bt-speaker.html").
Old one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjaZIQ0U7FQ) (http://www.arigbuy.com/high-quality-musical-bluetooth-speaker-dock-station-xiaomi-smartphone.html) (http://vimeo.com/70177241)
Does the first speaker (super bass portable speaker) support aux input?
Love this thing!
swassi said:
Does the first speaker (super bass portable speaker) support aux input?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have pretty much exactly the same speaker, with a matte aluminium finish, got it from DealExtreme.com during a sale, was $10. Mine came with a mini usb to both normal usb and a standard 3.5 jackplug.
Sadly, it appears my cable was DOA, the speaker doesn't charge from it (Had to use a mini usb cable from a camera) and the audio barely transmits. If I put both my phone and the speaker at full volume, I can hear the speaker hissing the music when I put it to my ear. :crying:
The audio is great though! At full volume, mine starts crackling at 60 Hz beats, so I had to dampen those a bit using the equalizer on my phone. The sticker on the bottom says it had a frequency range from 60Hz to 18 KHz, but audio gets a bit distorted at the edges of that spectrum at high volumes. It was loud enough to fill a double classroom with dubstep though
Battery life is pretty good too. I had a project day at school today, had the thing blasting dubstep at full volume while working for 4 hours non-stop, and then some later on the day. It died in my backpack while walking to the station... I guess it would be better with an SD-card though, so I'll try that tomorrow.
All in all, a great machine! Although I guess I'm going to file a complaint with DealExtreme.com for the broken audio cable. I guess they'll just send me a fresh cable, or even a replacement speaker, DX customer service is pretty generous most of the time. :fingers-crossed:
TL;DR:
It's supposed to have AUX support, at least, with my model, but the cable I got was broken, could be an incident.
Good audio, loud, gets a little flaky at low Hz at high volume.
Battery life is good with Bluetooth, SD-Card and AUX untested.
Would recommend. :good:
P.S. If I made any grammar/spelling errors or typo's, please tell me, I'm Dutch, not my first language. (It is a very close second though).
P.S.S Does anyone know in what order the speaker will play songs you put on an SD-Card? Is there a way to arrange them? I'll try it in a few hours, but if someone know more about this, please tell.
Very nice review. Pictures you posted are very nice and descriptive. I bought this kind("Super bass portable speaker", the one you have reviewed 1st) of speaker from amazon.in 4 days ago. But here it is sold under brand name Maxxlite. It is exactly same and is in blue colour. I want to know whether this speaker is Mono or stereo? I am unable to decide. Sometimes I feel it is mono, sometimes stereo. The bluetooth connection to PC shows it as a "BT stereo speaker" in device manager. There is no mention on the box and no manual also. I also searched some of the chinese websites, but some say it is 2.1 channel and some say it is 1 channel. ... ... This sounds really really really good, it was a total surprise for me!
This is a review of HiFimeDIY Sabre Android DAC. http://hifimediy.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=124
As many of you probably noticed, I have been focusing a lot lately on headphones and portable DAC/Amp/DAP reviews. There is no denial, our smartphones becoming our personal entertainment center to watch tv shows and movies, to play video games, to listen to music, to stream social media, and so on. The smartphones get bigger, more powerful, and have better displays. But one thing still remains the same - the sound delivery is nowhere near a hi-fi quality. For those who are OK with a pair of $10 earbuds, this will not be an issue because you will not hear a difference. But for others who value a sound quality and have an audiophile collection of headphones - you are limited by a sub-par internal DAC which takes a raw digital audio data and converts it to analog signal delivered to headphone jack inside of your phone. This is a not a clean solution to drive a quality headphones. Fortunately, there is a number of portable mobile DACs and amplifiers. Some can connect to your micro-USB port to receive a raw digital audio data for external processing, while others can take output of your headphone jack and process it through external amplifier. Unfortunately with a combined DAC/amp device you don't have a flexibility to use a different amplifier, and driving an external amp from headphone jack will mean amplifying already processed audio signal. That's where HiFimeDIY Android DAC comes to the rescue!
I wasn't even aware of this product until someone mentioned to me in the forum with a request to review it. This Android DAC is a very compact solution of bringing your digital audio outside of your phone to be processed with an external DAC. Using PCM2706 USB receiver which accepts up to 48kHz/16bit audio and also a popular Sabre ES9023 DAC chip, you get a clean analog conversion of the extracted digital audio signal brought out to 3.5mm port. You can connect your headphones directly, but that's not the main intent of this product. Just for the purpose of using headphones without amplifier, I'm not sure if it makes sense to add another dongle to your phone. But if you want to drive your high impedance headphones from a portable amplifier or want to connect your phone to a high class audio system - this little gadget for under $30 will be a perfect solution! One thing to mention, since it doesn't have built in rechargeable battery, it will source a power from your phone, but I haven't noticed any major drain.
The analog output from this Android DAC sounds relatively clean and neutral. I tested and compared it to my Note 2 headphone output, and you can really hear a difference at higher volume where Note 2 DAC starts to saturate while Sabre is still clean. Of course, you can always go with a fully integrated solution such as I have with FiiO E18 or Beyerdynamic A200p, but that cost anywhere from $160 to $300 and more. I don't have any dedicated headphone amps to test with now (never had a need since I have all low impedance headphones), but hopefully will update my review in a near future when I get one. Overall, with HiFimeDIY Sabre Android DAC you have more flexibility and can pick your own amplifier to match your favorite set of headphones with your smartphone.
Here are the pictures.
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I use this in my car, definitely better than using the headphone out. I also have the Fiio E17, which I prefer, but it's too much hassle for my car setup.
Nice clean setup!!!
Interesting review.
Have you tried with latest KitKat roms?
When you connect you headphones, will the volume change with volume keys?
How is the sound when connected with an external amplifier? Have you tried to compare it to a good CD player?
vectron said:
As many of you probably noticed, I have been focusing a lot lately on headphones and portable DAC/Amp/DAP reviews.
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Sorry, I forgot to ask you where did you buy the item. I've found it on eBay.
Inviato dal mio GT-N7100 utilizzando Tapatalk
Yes, you should be able to change the volume. What it does is bypasses your phone's "dirty" DAC so the signal doesn't get converted internally (digital to analog), and rather comes out digitally through micro-usb connector to this external "clean" DAC.
Sorry, I'm all stock Android 4.4.2 on my Note 2. And you can buy it directly from their website (per link in my review) or probable ebay, though make sure it's a legitimate seller because ebay has a lot of fake stuff. I received mine directly from HiFimeDIY as a review sample.
vectron said:
Yes, you should be able to change the volume. What it does is bypasses your phone's "dirty" DAC so the signal doesn't get converted internally (digital to analog), and rather comes out digitally through micro-usb connector to this external "clean" DAC.
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My S4i are designed for iPhone but the middle button still works on my Android phone. However, it isn't working with my new HiFimeDIY Android DAC. I have a single-button cable for IM70 coming in the mail so I'll post my findings with that. I'll be really disappointed if I can't use controls with this since it improves the sound so much on my Moto X.
Slusho said:
My S4i are designed for iPhone but the middle button still works on my Android phone. However, it isn't working with my new HiFimeDIY Android DAC. I have a single-button cable for IM70 coming in the mail so I'll post my findings with that. I'll be really disappointed if I can't use controls with this since it improves the sound so much on my Moto X.
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It's NOT supposed to work. When you push remote button on your S4i or IM70, it sends a special signal to headphone jack of your phone to control the playback or call, etc. That's why those headphones connectors have TRRS connector - Tip Ring Ring Sleeve. HiFimeDIY headphone connector is TRS (Tip Ring Sleeve) so that special control signal will not be decoded back to your phone through micro-usb connection (it's lost). That connection is for AUDIO only, while your headphones send audio and data (control).
vectron said:
It's NOT supposed to work. When you push remote button on your S4i or IM70, it sends a special signal to headphone jack of your phone to control the playback or call, etc. That's why those headphones connectors have TRRS connector - Tip Ring Ring Sleeve. HiFimeDIY headphone connector is TRS (Tip Ring Sleeve) so that special control signal will not be decoded back to your phone through micro-usb connection (it's lost). That connection is for AUDIO only, while your headphones send audio and data (control).
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UGH. If I've learned one thing in my recent foray into audio equipment, it's that you have to make tradeoffs. If I want quality audio, I have to pull my phone out of my pocket every time I want to pause, change volume, or skip to the next track. How do we have hoverboards and magic pocket computers and virtual reality but we don't have this!? This is why people use iPhones. For the added features Android provides, you need to be okay with a lot of things not working or being subpar (like DACs and audio controls). Also, maybe you should have mentioned that (unless I just missed it)?
Does yours have a loose USB connection? Mine can slip out.
Slusho said:
Does yours have a loose USB connection? Mine can slip out.
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Unfortunately, it does. Stay tuned, I'm posting a review of Cozoy Astrapi in a few minutes
I'm noticing a trend. You seem to not mention negatives in your review.
Slusho said:
I'm noticing a trend. You seem to not mention negatives in your review.
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Negatives come from a comparison of one product vs the other. Read my Cozoy Astrapi review, you will see negatives about HiFimeDIY If I don't like a product, I simply don't review it. If I like a product, I will describe it in details so you can make your own judgment. And sometime I get very impressed with "positives" about the product, but rest assured - if you read my reviews carefully, I point out negatives as well. Just that my format is not like other reviewers where they make a list of positives and negatives. Plus, in my opinion, a lot of negatives come from an extended use of the product after you get to know it better lol!!! Unfortunately, I have written hundreds of reviews and it will be next to impossible to come back to every review with a follow up impressions. Thus, I'm depending on you guys to ask me questions
One more thing. I'm not working for a website or a blog where they give me to review products, and I review to decide if I like it or not. I do my own research and contact companies of products that I like and want to review. That also makes a difference on a more positive outlook of my reviews
HI all
I have a hifime for android and it works great with my moto G.
I recently got a Huawei Honor 6 phone which supports OTG USB (i can plug a USB key trhough the USB port and read files like movies)
Now when i plug the hifime dac, it does'nt work. The led is green but doesn't deliver any sound...
I though the requierement was to support USB OTG only... Kind of desapointed.
Any tricks?
Thanks!
K
kalapyu said:
HI all
I have a hifime for android and it works great with my moto G.
I recently got a Huawei Honor 6 phone which supports OTG USB (i can plug a USB key trhough the USB port and read files like movies)
Now when i plug the hifime dac, it does'nt work. The led is green but doesn't deliver any sound...
I though the requierement was to support USB OTG only... Kind of desapointed.
Any tricks?
Thanks!
K
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Also has to do with Android version, in case if they customized it.
So what should i do? Is there any fix ? Busybox? Firmware? Kernel ? What about cm?
kalapyu said:
So what should i do? Is there any fix ? Busybox? Firmware? Kernel ? What about cm?
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I would probably contact hifimediy to ask what they can recommend. Sorry
Also, try this app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.extreamsd.usbaudioplayerpro (scroll down, they have a link to a limit demo version). It has its "own" built in drivers to send audio over usb. See if this going to help.