Develop Bugs

HTC Car A100 Stereo Clip

Sprint has been offering the HTC Stereo Clip for a little while now, so I went ahead and picked one up. Even though I don't have a HOX or HOS, it is spec'd to work with practically any Bluetooth-enabled audio device, so I figured I might as well post a bit of a review for other potential owners. Initially the compatibility with apt-X piqued my interest, but since nobody seems to know if the GNex supports it, I didn't figure that I would get any better than A2DP streaming quality out of it. Still, the idea of turning any set of normal speakers or headphones into Bluetooth-enabled is pretty awesome, so even if the GNex won't support the full audio quality I expect I will eventually get a device that does.
The unit came in yesterday, so I charged it up and ran it through some basic tests. Here's the notable things I found.
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First of all, this thing is small. It's about the size of a thumb drive and can be easily stored in even the smallest pockets. That also means the battery is small, and it doesn't have much power to output sound, so you should expect to use an external amp if you need it louder.
Down next to the USB port it tells you the max voltage and amperage it is configured to expect; 5V, 1A. This was a big deal for me, since I had a previous Bluetooth audio adapter that I accidentally overloaded with my car charger. Since this accepts 1 amp, it should be compatible with nearly every phone charger currently in existence. I got it to full charge in about an hour after plugging it into a USB port on my computer, and the manual says it should most likely take no more than 2 hours to charge from most USB chargers.
Now based on the configuration of the audio plug, it's obvious HTC only designed this for car stereos with female auxiliary ports, which poses a problem if you want to hook this up to other various speakers and headphones that only have another male 3.5mm plug. Plus, my car doesn't have a dedicated aux port, so instead I use a tape deck adapter, which of course is another male 3.5mm plug. Thankfully, all you need is just a 3.5mm coupler (female to female), which I picked up at my local Radio Shack for about $5.
Does it work? Yes, and beautifully at that. You can also use it while it's charging, so for some systems you can effectively just leave it attached to the charger all the time. Using the coupler I hooked it up to my car, my A/V receiver at home, and even to my headphones. The effective range seems to be limited to about 5 feet, but this is still much cheaper than purchasing brand new Bluetooth-enabled systems for each time you want to wirelessly play your music, especially when 99% of existing Bluetooth systems are terrible quality compared to regular sound systems. I imagine the quality will be better too when I have something that supports apt-X, but for now I can deal with A2DP.

earlyberd said:
Sprint has been offering the HTC Stereo Clip for a little while now, so I went ahead and picked one up. Even though I don't have a HOX or HOS, it is spec'd to work with practically any Bluetooth-enabled audio device, so I figured I might as well post a bit of a review for other potential owners. Initially the compatibility with apt-X piqued my interest, but since nobody seems to know if the GNex supports it, I didn't figure that I would get any better than A2DP streaming quality out of it. Still, the idea of turning any set of normal speakers or headphones into Bluetooth-enabled is pretty awesome, so even if the GNex won't support the full audio quality I expect I will eventually get a device that does.
The unit came in yesterday, so I charged it up and ran it through some basic tests. Here's the notable things I found.
First of all, this thing is small. It's about the size of a thumb drive and can be easily stored in even the smallest pockets. That also means the battery is small, and it doesn't have much power to output sound, so you should expect to use an external amp if you need it louder.
Down next to the USB port it tells you the max voltage and amperage it is configured to expect; 5V, 1A. This was a big deal for me, since I had a previous Bluetooth audio adapter that I accidentally overloaded with my car charger. Since this accepts 1 amp, it should be compatible with nearly every phone charger currently in existence. I got it to full charge in about an hour after plugging it into a USB port on my computer, and the manual says it should most likely take no more than 2 hours to charge from most USB chargers.
Now based on the configuration of the audio plug, it's obvious HTC only designed this for car stereos with female auxiliary ports, which poses a problem if you want to hook this up to other various speakers and headphones that only have another male 3.5mm plug. Plus, my car doesn't have a dedicated aux port, so instead I use a tape deck adapter, which of course is another male 3.5mm plug. Thankfully, all you need is just a 3.5mm coupler (female to female), which I picked up at my local Radio Shack for about $5.
Does it work? Yes, and beautifully at that. You can also use it while it's charging, so for some systems you can effectively just leave it attached to the charger all the time. Using the coupler I hooked it up to my car, my A/V receiver at home, and even to my headphones. The effective range seems to be limited to about 5 feet, but this is still much cheaper than purchasing brand new Bluetooth-enabled systems for each time you want to wirelessly play your music, especially when 99% of existing Bluetooth systems are terrible quality compared to regular sound systems. I imagine the quality will be better too when I have something that supports apt-X, but for now I can deal with A2DP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you tell me where/which Sprint store that you have found this item? I cant seem to find them ANYWHERE.....
Thanks!
Riggy

bigriggy63 said:
Can you tell me where/which Sprint store that you have found this item? I cant seem to find them ANYWHERE.....
Thanks!
Riggy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought it online.
http://shop2.sprint.com/NASApp/onli...tion_box=htc stereo clip&id16=htc stereo clip

thanks for the quick review...i am thinking of picking one of these up for my gs3.

Two questions:
Does it time out to save power?
Does it turn on automatically when it recieves external power?
If so this would make for a perfect semi-permentant install in a car where it will get power as soon as the car starts. so far no other adaptor will do this that I have found. Either they won't accept music while charging, or if they do, they will not auto-power-on once they've timed out.

just got mine in the mail yesterday...
^ it does have a time out feature for power save, not sure about auto turn on when receive external power but it does charge and stream at the same time.

jumperalex said:
Two questions:
Does it time out to save power?
Does it turn on automatically when it recieves external power?
If so this would make for a perfect semi-permentant install in a car where it will get power as soon as the car starts. so far no other adaptor will do this that I have found. Either they won't accept music while charging, or if they do, they will not auto-power-on once they've timed out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you seen the Kensington LiquidAux? Works exactly as you describe: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0011UIX2K

DJGibbon said:
Have you seen the Kensington LiquidAux? Works exactly as you describe: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0011UIX2K
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kensington LiquidAux does not have APT-X though.

Hi.
Just ordered one. Trying to find out which bluetooth version it has, as it said 2.1EDR in the specs, but The Verge listed it as 4.0 in their test.
Was the sound quality and volume acceptable when using the cassette adapter??

Hey guys, I've had this stereo clip for about 4 months and it's fantastic. The fact it's wireless, so small, and gives a brilliant quality are my favourite points.
Although the battery is pretty poor, so now i've hooked it up to my cigarette lighter which solves that problem.
Now though, my calls are not distributed through the stereo clip to my cars speakers. Where-as a couple of months ago they were. Is this something that can be turned on/off or restored? It was super clear through the car speakers but now voice comes through the phones speaker and the sound is pretty crap when I'm driving to be honest.

The $43 Galaxy S3 + Car Stereo Upgrade for WaaaY better sound quality! USB-DAC Audio

EDIT/UPDATE January 2013: The USB-DAC option is now working for AOSP based i9300 and North American phones!
Here is my thread on how to get it working for Liquidsmooth (cm10.1 clone) on my AT&T S3:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2116877
---------------------------------------------------------
EDIT/UPDATE 02/12/2013 --- This USB-DAC functionality also now works with the Xylon AOSP ROM after the JackNorris patch:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=37925178#post37925178
Also, LiquidSmooth thread is closed now due to the team breaking up. But a new thread will likely be opened soon as the ROM is still being developed by the new Liquid team.
---------------------------------------------------------
EDIT/UPDATE 2/28/13 for North American S3's (not sure about Euro S3):
CZ Eddie said:
For the 4.1.X AOSP ROM's, only LiquidSmooth and Xylon work. If you can find them anymore. All stock based/rooted ROM's work.
LiquidSmooth ROM never skips, it had flawless audio performance. But you lose the headphone jack on LiquidSmooth. And the 4.1.X Xylon ROM was a WIP ROM with various bugs.
The 4.1.2 LiquidSmooth ROM was fantastic. Never once had any cd-skipping type sounds. Sounded excellent and was a flawless, bug-free ROM. Perfect if you didn't need the headphone jack, which was the only issue. BUT, I can't find that ROM download anymore. I have a nandroid and if someone bugged the hell out of me, I might be talked into uploading it. But it was a nandroid from a dirty flash so I can't guarantee it will work perfectly.
Stock ROM's skip sometimes when initially connecting audio and also when taking calls or other events occur. Otherwise they work great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
---------------------------------------------------------
ORIGINAL THREAD TEXT BELOW:
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So, you're like me and you want to use your North American Galaxy S3 with your car stereo to stream Pandora, play MP3's and listen to your phones Navigation directions.
But, Bluetooth obviously sucks for so many reasons.
And the USB analog audio output has too many clicks/clacks and otherwise degraded sound.
So what do you do? You're an audiophile (or a wanna-be like me) and NEED better, cleaner sound!
Well, here is how you can get near audiophile quality sound from your GS3 to your car stereo.
1) Purchase an external USB DAC (digital to audio converter). This takes your phone's digital audio and cleanly converts it to analog audio for your car stereo to handle.
So why don't we just use the phone's internal DAC? Well, because it's a cheapy, crappy sounding Yamaha DAC. Samsung cheaped out on us! So we're using a BETTER DAC instead.
I bought the Behringer UCA202 USB DAC for just $30 shipped.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/160904879602?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
2) Now you need to get the digital audio out of your phone and into the external DAC! And you also need to make sure your phone still charges! So I bought this USB-OTG cable that has a charging adapter. It's just $10 shipped:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/160912100776?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
3) And then you need a dual-RCA to 3.5mm cable to get the analog audio from the DAC into the Car Stereo! I used one similar to this $3 shipped one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-FT-3-5mm-...=US_Audio_Cables_Adapters&hash=item2a134140b0
And so what are the results you ask?
HOLY MOLY!
Not only is the audio quality MUCH improved, but the sound is so CLEAN now. No clicks, burps, or any other weird background noises. Just straight CD quality background silence.
Even my GPS voice sounds prettier. hahah
Bass is tighter and deeper. Highs are more revealing. Everything is so much better that a novice could tell it sounds better.
And yes, GPS navigation works perfectly. If I'm listening to Pandora or an MP3 and my GPS needs to talk, then my music will go several db quieter and GPS will speak up, then afterwards the music will automatically go back to full volume.
UPDATE EDIT: Google Maps voice gets cut off when it starts talking, if I'm not already listening to music. When music is playing, then Google Maps voice talks perfect. But if nothing else is using sound, then I think Google Maps doesn't force its voice out enough and the first part gets cut off. This could have been a one-day deal or other issue. I need more time with it.
Also, one thing I hated about Bluetooth was everytime I turned my car off for just a minute, when I would power it back on the Bluetooth would not consistently reconnect. Well, this USB-OTG has been very consistent for me so far. Music just picks back up where it left off at and is fairly quick to do so.
Cons? Well, I haven't tested hands free calling yet. But I'm told it doesn't work with this USB-OTG to DAC configuration. Maybe there is a bluetooth solution for that. I dunno? And AOSP does not yet support DACs.
UPDATE EDIT: Bluetooth hands-free works perfectly when I'm using the USB-OTG to my DAC. I'll add pics & info below.
UPDATE EDIT: Once in awhile, my cheapy DAC gets weird sounding when I first start up music. Like a CD player skipping. I just stop and start the music again and it's fine. Or it quickly goes away on it's own. Doesn't happen very often though.
UPDATE #2 EDIT:*I flashed a new ROM today and everything has been 100% flawless so far. That last ROM had lots of weird issues.
Pros? Freakin everything.
Pics are below.
Here is the DAC and the USB-OTG cable:
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This is how you configure the DAC. You can probably also use the headphones output instead of the stereo RCA, but I didn't try it.
I wired up my USB-OTG cable to my iBOLT dock. It comes up through my dash defrost vents.
This is what the three connectors on the USB-OTG cable look like:
Here is the DAC being wired up. I taped up the non-used RCA's to prevent anything bugging with them.
I wrapped up the DAC with DUCT tape.
Hid it behind my dash.
Here is the USB-OTG cable with my iBOLT dock.
The car stereo w/audio cable attached. Some car stereos have the 3.5mm connector in the back. Or a dual-RCA input. I'd prefer one of those to have a cleaner install. Maybe someday I'll upgrade my car stereo.
And here is the finished product. My S3 docked, charging and outputing beautiful digital music!
LINKS:
How to make your own USB-OTG cable with power:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1828032
List of compatible DACs:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/1320#post_9038046
The official Galaxy S3 sound quality thread (TONS of info!!!):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1633685&page=2
UPDATE EDIT:
Here is how you get Bluetooth hands-free calling working. I tested it today. Started listening to music via PowerAmp through the USB-OTG to DAC to my car stereo which was set to the AUX input. Then I accepted an incoming call. My car stereo automatically switched to Bluetooth input on it's own and I could hear/talk over bluetooth to the car stereo/speakers without any problem. After disconnecting the call, my car stereo automatically went back to AUX input and my USB-OTG/DAC music resumed playing nicely.
So here are the steps.
1) Connect your phone to your car stereo via Bluetooth.
2) Click the "settings" button next to your Bluetooth connection in the phone:
3) Put a checkmark in "Call Audio" and de-select "Media Audio".
4) When you accept a call on your phone, click the "headset" button and all audio will be played over your car speakers and your voice will be picked up by your hands-free microphone.
My next step is to figure out a way to get TASKER to automatically select "headset" when I'm in my car.
EDIT:
Here is my new dock and new cable solution. Just one single cable down under my dash.

Great post and very well put together but there a couple of things
1) doubt pandora is of audiophile quality
2) most people won't hear a difference since most don't have super expensive speakers in their car
3) the amp/dac you have has 2 ANALOG outputs (rca and headphone) and 1 digital output (Optical cable)....since you're using the analog output.... its been through an amp already.... then your stereo amps the signal again.... so technically you're amping an already amped signal. If you want to notice a difference use a line out/digital signal to ur stereo.
http://www.headstage.com/USB-DAC-Cable/USB-DAC-Cable-with-35mm-Mini-Plug-75cm-30::10134.html
would be the perfect solution..lineout.... small.... don't need to hide anything, and take it with you inside ur house and use it for the receiver at home also.
But if you want something with analog, lineout and portable.... i'd go with an E7 from Fiio... need to buy a 10 dollar adapter for the line out.... but for about 80 you can listen to it from ur s3 or computer straight to ur headphones via analog. use the line out adapter to hook it up to ur car stereo or home receiver. so best of both worlds.

If you're going to quote something, please don't quote a zillion pictures with it.
krash183 said:
1) doubt pandora is of audiophile quality
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely it is not "audiophile" quality. But that doesn't mean it doesn't sound better with my current DAC configuration. Because it does sound better now. Though it's still limited by the lower bitrate/conversion Pandora offers us.
My 320kbps and FLAC MP3 collection sounds absolutely incredible though.
krash183 said:
2) most people won't hear a difference since most don't have super expensive speakers in their car
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have $60 Alpine speakers and it was a heck of a difference. I can only imagine how much better it'll get when I do eventually put high end separates in here.
My subwoofer is fairly high end though.
You don't need high end speakers to notice a cleaner sound.
krash183 said:
3) the amp/dac you have has 2 ANALOG outputs (rca and headphone) and 1 digital output (Optical cable)....since you're using the analog output.... its been through an amp already.... then your stereo amps the signal again.... so technically you're amping an already amped signal. If you want to notice a difference use a line out/digital signal to ur stereo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh?!? Nothing has been amplified before it hits my car stereo. My phone deliveres a digital signal to a converter, which convers the signal to a high end analog signal directly into my car stereo. This means neither the DAC in my phone or my car stereo is used.

CZ Eddie said:
Huh?!? Nothing has been amplified before it hits my car stereo. My phone deliveres a digital signal to a converter, which convers the signal to a high end analog signal directly into my car stereo. This means neither the DAC in my phone or my car stereo is used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not talking about the DAC... talking about the amp section. But I read the specs wrong on your link,
"The stereo headphone output features a dedicated level control and lets you listen to both the input and output."
I thought the level control was for the headphone and RCA out, but reading more the RCA is a lineout.

The E7 you mentioned is a very popular one indeed.
This one is on my "upgrade wishlist" if I ever get more serious. It's being compared with >$300 DAC's due to the chipset it uses.
edit: removed link due to report that this particular DAC may not be compatible with Android.
Here is a list of known working DAC's:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs/1320#post_9038046

by using the rca to headphone cable it automatically is in analog therefore not digital at all and all those conversions and amplifications can and most likely causes some signal degradation...it's kind of a round about way to get cleaner sound when your using low bitrate streaming music...

CZ Eddie said:
The E7 you mentioned is a very popular one indeed.
This one is on my "upgrade wishlist" if I ever get more serious. It's being compared with >$300 DAC's due to the chipset it uses.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/140847495065?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
96khz/24bit...wow thats impressive.... I'm using a old silverstone DAC with a burr brown connected to an old x-head amp, But it works well since it was only 10 bucks used haha. Want to get this and find a used objective amp.

killj0y said:
by using the rca to headphone cable it automatically is in analog therefore not digital at all and all those conversions and amplifications can and most likely causes some signal degradation...it's kind of a round about way to get cleaner sound when your using low bitrate streaming music...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, you may want to research the subject a little more.

Subscribed.. Great thread..
Does this provide a true line out, or is volume still controlled by the phone?
Also since there's clearly audiophiles here has anyone tried or heard of this?
http://www.gromaudio.com/store/usb_adapters/index.html
I have a Jetta and it would be great to be able to use my steering wheel controls to skip/replay tracks...
Again.. Great thread..

ddiehl said:
Does this provide a true line out, or is volume still controlled by the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Volume is controlled by the phone still.
Though the volume button on the DAC does also affect volume.
I set mine to full volume on the DAC. Forgot to mention that in my OP.
So my Car Home Ultra application automatically sets Android volume to max, and I end up using my car stereo's volume knob for everything.
ddiehl said:
Also since there's clearly audiophiles here has anyone tried or heard of this?
http://www.gromaudio.com/store/usb_adapters/index.html
I have a Jetta and it would be great to be able to use my steering wheel controls to skip/replay tracks...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, never looked into that. But there are lots of steering wheel control thingies developed for car stereos.
Something else I want to look into is this sucker. Infinity IMS:
http://www.harmanaudio.com/search_browse/product_detail.asp?urlMaterialNumber=IMS

A DAC developed *specifically* for Android should be available in January.
It's kind of expensive though.
The AudioQuest Bumblebee:
Designed specifically for Android devices
24-bit ESS Sabre conversion chip
Supports all music files including 24-bit/192kHz lossless
Drives headphones directly with 3.5mm mini-jack output
Fixed or Variable output modes
Asynchronous transfer for accurate digital timing
64-position (computer-controlled) analog volume control
Isolated dual master clocks
Colour changing LED to indicate source sample rate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.avland.co.uk/aasp/audioquest/1220/bumblebee/bumblebee.asp

CZ Eddie said:
Hmm, you may want to research the subject a little more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with killjoy. You are not getting the full benefits of your dac if it's just connected via aux in.
You will have to either use a usb or optical connection.
I was about to get a leckerton uha 6s mk ii, but I couldn't find a way to have hi fi connection with my car stereo.
And fwiw, I do connect my international sgs3 (Wolfson chip) with a denko cable interconnect tipped with neutrik plugs. Audio via neutron player. Very good. But definitely not hi fi.
Sent from a Galaxy far, far away

rab1412000 said:
I agree with killjoy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you also think that the DAC or phone is amplifying the signal? Because that's what he said.
It's a pre-amp DAC, guys.
rab1412000 said:
You are not getting the full benefits of your dac if it's just connected via aux in.
You will have to either use a usb or optical connection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well that would be great if there were a plethora of car stereos with optical input, but there aren't.
This isn't an "audiophile" thread. This is a thread to help people get cleaner and better audio sound in their cars when using the S3 as a source.

CZ Eddie said:
So you also think that the DAC or phone is amplifying the signal? Because that's what he said.
It's a pre-amp DAC, guys.
Well that would be great if there were a plethora of car stereos with optical input, but there aren't.
This isn't an "audiophile" thread. This is a thread to help people get cleaner and better audio sound in their cars when using the S3 as a source.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Afaik all stand alone dacs have a pre amp or else you wouldn't hear music from it. However the better ones have specific connectors to bypass the internal amp to avoid double amping.
The reason I mentioned hi fi sound and the limitations of the aux in is to serve as a sort of warning to you and others. As you have the us sgs 3 (with the poor internal dac) and a cheap external, connecting via aux in is definitely a good option.
However getting a more expensive dac such as the Sabre equipped ones you mentioned MAY NOT improve your sq due to the limitations of the inter connection.
Sent from a Galaxy far, far away

rab1412000 said:
Afaik all stand alone dacs have a pre amp or else you wouldn't hear music from it. However the better ones have specific connectors to bypass the internal amp to avoid double amping.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no freakin internal amp in this DAC. WTF.
How many times do I have to stress this point? LOL
rab1412000 said:
The reason I mentioned hi fi sound and the limitations of the aux in is to serve as a sort of warning to you and others. As you have the us sgs 3 (with the poor internal dac) and a cheap external, connecting via aux in is definitely a good option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We're not using AUX in on the DAC. We're using the digital input on the DAC. The DAC is then converting that digital signal to analog where it's being sent directly to my car stereo amps (via the car stereo).
The signal is going to be analog at some point, no matter what you have in your bag of tricks. I believe that even digital amplifiers have to convert the signal to analog at some point, though I could be wrong on that one.
rab1412000 said:
However getting a more expensive dac such as the Sabre equipped ones you mentioned MAY NOT improve your sq due to the limitations of the inter connection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is the craziest statement ever.
Yes, interconnection will always be somewhat of a limitation.
But processing can always be improved upon.

Nice writeup, it was an a-ha moment for me recently, that I should be using my Fiio E7 in the car. Haven't done anything about it like you have.
The next step is to take the digital out of the DAC and send it right to the digital input of a DSP, such as this:
That's what I'm talking about! Who needs a head unit?
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SIII

OSNPA said:
The next step is to take the digital out of the DAC and send it right to the digital input of a DSP, such as this:
That's what I'm talking about! Who needs a head unit?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whoahh. :good:
http://www.zapco.com/zapcoprocessors.html

Lol I wasn't talking about the aux in of the DAC but the aux in of the stereo, which is the weak link here.
The dsp unit above is the solution your looking for if you want true hi fi. You will never get it by connecting thru aux in of stereo is what I'm saying.
Also no need for insults or derogatory statements here mate. We are all trying to help each other. My comments, whether they agree with your opinions or not, should be taken constructively
Sent from a Galaxy far, far away

It's actually not a DAC (digital-to-analog converter). It doesn't have a Digital input, per their Website. The volume control is for monitoring the input and output so that wouldn't need a Amp. This is a USB audio interface for pc and macs.
The UCA202 allows you to connect instruments and other audio devices to your computer, effectively merging the analog and digital worlds. It accomplishes this by providing two analog mono Inputs and Outputs (for monitoring), USB connectivity and an additional S/PDIF optical output for direct analog-to-digital conversion. The stereo headphone output features a dedicated level control and lets you listen to both the input and output.
It has only analog inputs and a S/PDIF out that coverts analog to digital. So i'm sure what he's saying is that this unit takes the analog from the phone and cleans it up before it's delivered to analog input of Head Units...
http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/UCA202.aspx

CZ Eddie said:
Whoahh. :good:
http://www.zapco.com/zapcoprocessors.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've used that specific one, just not with the digital input. I am more experienced with audio than I am with android, pm me if want to do something drastic.:thumbup:
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SIII (AT&T)

Review of Antec GAIN bluetooth receiver w/pics!!!

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

Review of Beyerdynamic A200p portable USB DAC/amp with lots of pics!!!

This is a Review of Beyerdynamic A200p portable USB DAC/headphone amplifier. http://north-america.beyerdynamic.c...-and-headsets/mobile-portable/a-200-p-us.html
For anybody who is serious about sound quality and invested into audiophile headphones, you know that DAC and amplifier are among the essential pieces of your audio chain. Also, you would know how expensive this equipment cost and how much space it will occupy. So what are you supposed to do if you want to enjoy your 300 ohm headphones with your smartphone? Or maybe you want to stream Netflix on your laptop and surround yourself with hi-fi sound? There is a number of portable solutions available to help you with this task, but NONE of them will come even close to a small size of Beyerdynamic A200p portable USB DAC/amp. I just had an opportunity to test A200p, and here is what I found.
Arrived in a very compact box, a size similar to Beyerdynamic in-ear headphones (MMX102ie and DX160ie) I recently reviewed, I actually expected this DAC to barely fit inside. There was plenty of info on the front and the back of the box, but no typical magnetic cover to reveal the actual product. I have a feeling Beyer guys did that intentionally to make a surprise even sweeter once you take A200p out of the box. When I say small, that wouldn't be even accurate. It's TINY, with a matchbox dimension of approximately 55mm x 55mm x 13mm and only 51g. It's hard to even believe that such a small footprint can host a powerful audiophile quality Wolfson WM8740 DAC (24bit/96kHz), an integrated rechargeable battery able to last up to 11hr, a capability to be connected to either Android or Apple smartphones or your laptop or computer, a set of Play/Pause and Skip song transport controls, a dedicated Power/Lock switch and a status LED indicator, and a large flush mounted volume control wheel covering the whole top of the device.
In addition to the DAC/amp, a very generous selection of accessories was provided, including micro-usb and lightning adapters, full size USB adapter which also serves as a charging cable, a beautifully crafted leather case, and a quick-start guide. In addition, a set of 3 self-adhesive rubber pads was included to help with turning of the volume wheel. Though the end of the cables attached to A200p had a proprietary connector, these are all very high quality cables and this particular connection was very secure. As a matter of fact, everything about this product screams high quality and solid build, and there is a very good reason for that. Beyerdynamic teamed up with one of the top premium portable audio equipment manufacturers, Astell & Kern, to update their award winning AK10 DAC/amp to transform it into A200p.
The operating principle of this device is very simple. You bypass internal DAC (digital to analog converter) which outputs internally to 3.5mm headphone jack on the phone or the laptop, and go straight with a digital data stream into A200p. In there, isolated from all the noisy components of your phones or computer, you convert to analog audio using one of the top quality audio DAC chips, and output to its own 3.5mm headphone jack where you plug in your headphones. The audio spec yielded some very impressive numbers with 0.008% of T.H.D. and 110dB signal to noise ratio, flat frequency response, and being able to support headphones with up to 600 ohm in impedance driven by an output level of up to 1.7 Vrms.
With such an impressive spec and design, the next step of testing was to determine how this translates into audio performance. Let me just tell you that using it with my ThinkPad T430s laptop transformed a sound quality significantly! You can have the best set of headphones and use only FLAC files - that will not overcome bottleneck of low quality hardware. Switching headphones connected from laptop to A200p felt like someone lifted a veil off the sound. The soundstage really opened up, the bass felt more detailed and faster, the midrange became crystal clear especially in upper mids (benefiting vocals significantly), and treble got more sparkle. Of course YMMV depending on your laptop hardware, but I was impressed with a change I experienced on my laptop. I also enjoyed how I was able to Play/Pause Windows Media player using A200p built in controls. Now keep in mind, this was a comparison using laptop as an audio player. Testing it with my Note 2 didn't yield the same drastic changes, but those changes were still noticeable. It had a similar impact of opening up the sound and making it a little bit brighter and detailed. Also, benefit of being able to control song playback and skipping between tracks was priceless. The included leather case was also a nice touch, but I wish they would have thought of a better way to integrate it with some attachments for your smart phone. In my opinion, it can probably work if you use a rubber or wrist band around your smartphone and attach the flap of the leather case underneath of it on the back of the phone.
Overall, I was very impressed with a design and a performance of this portable USB DAC/amp. If you have high impedance premium headphones, A200p probably going to be the smallest and very cost effective solution to connect these to your laptop or a smartphone. For a regular low impedance headphones, it's a lot easier to recommend A200p to anybody who wants to use it connected to your laptop since the sound improvement will be significant. For those with a smartphone and a typical low impedance headphones, it's all going to depend on the sound quality of your phone and being able to support digital audio output. Also, you will have to plan where/how are you going to place phone/DAC when using together. I would suggest for Beyerdynamic to include an optional longer micro-usb/lightning cable so you can keep your smartphone in the pocket with A200p clipped somewhere on your belt with headphones attached to it. But in general, this little device really deserves some consideration!
Here are the pictures.
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Btw, I just got an update from Beyerdynamic (USA), next month they will be releasing 30 pin cable for A200p. Good news for those with iPod classic, iPhone 4, and older iPads!!!

Test configuration with Note 2
Hi vectron,
thx for the test and the nice pictures.
I have a Galaxy Note 2 (GT-N7100) and I'm interested in the Beyerdynamic A200p.
However, the Galaxy Note 2 is not on the compatibility list for the Beyerdynamic A200p.
I contacted Beyerdynamic Germany and they confimed that they do not support the Note 2 with this DAC.
But it seems that you successfully tested this combination in your review.
Please can you post the test configuration for me:
Which Note 2? 7100 or 7105
Android 4.3?
Samsung or Custom-ROM?
Which player app? built-in player or a special USB player like USB Audio Player PRO or USB Audio Recorder PRO?
Connection between Note 2 and the A200p directly with the enclosed Beyerdynamic USB OTG cable?
Thanks!

wicked smattering said:
Hi vectron,
thx for the test and the nice pictures.
I have a Galaxy Note 2 (GT-N7100) and I'm interested in the Beyerdynamic A200p.
However, the Galaxy Note 2 is not on the compatibility list for the Beyerdynamic A200p.
I contacted Beyerdynamic Germany and they confimed that they do not support the Note 2 with this DAC.
But it seems that you successfully tested this combination in your review.
Please can you post the test configuration for me:
Which Note 2? 7100 or 7105
Android 4.3?
Samsung or Custom-ROM?
Which player app? built-in player or a special USB player like USB Audio Player PRO or USB Audio Recorder PRO?
Connection between Note 2 and the A200p directly with the enclosed Beyerdynamic USB OTG cable?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have Verizon version, SCH-i605. Stock Android 4.3. Plays from EVERY audio app, stock Samsung player, Neutron, YouTube, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Pandora, etc. It doesn't matter which audio player. Note 2 supports digital audio over HDMI which comes out of micro-usb connector to bypass going to internal Note 2 dac. Yep, using Beyer micro-usb cable (it has proprietary connector going to A200p and regular micro-usb going to the phone). No need for any other OTG cables, Beyer/Astell&Kern included cable has it built-in.
Everything works perfectly. You can also use a charging cable with full usb connector to plug in to your laptop to use it as an external sound card. Also, works with new iPhone using lightning cable and soon they will release 30pin cable.
Btw, I just reviewed Beyerdynamic T51i headphones and used A200p in a review as well. Here are some more pictures how to attach A200p to Note 2.

You should start your own blog.
A lot of general information, try to write more about personal experience
We also love read more about comparisons :victory:
About comparison, can you make this DAC review?
http://hifimediy.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=124

Shezoid said:
You should start your own blog.
A lot of general information, try to write more about personal experience
We also love read more about comparisons :victory:
About comparison, can you make this DAC review?
http://hifimediy.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=124
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One of these days, maybe. Too much time commitment while I still have a full time job, family/kids, and other projects... I know, comparison would be great, but I'm overloaded with review material and lately didn't have too much time to go back and to continue with analysis. What I'm trying to do now is to add a little bit of comparison in some of my new reviews.
Will check out that DAC, though you have to be realistic that $30 DIY dac is not in the same category as $300 brand name But, nevertheless, would be an interesting comparison. I will ping those guys for review sample.

I hope you will be surprised how good it is, especially for its price

Shezoid said:
I hope you will be surprised how good it is, especially for its price
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will see I dropped them an email last night and got a reply right away, a review sample will go out this week. I'm sure it's better than a built in phone DAC, and probably will make a difference on my aging Note 2, but newer phones are getting better and better. Keep in mind, you are piping digital data from micro-usb connector, bypassing internal DAC, and you are using phones internal 5V supply to power up this external DAC. The package is small, so you can't do too much filtering of power supply (not enough room for discrete capacitors). As a result, you are powering up a high quality DAC with a noisy power supply feed. A200p has it's own rechargeable internal power supply to isolate it from phones power supply. Or something like FiiO E18 has internal power battery and big caps inside for a good filtering.
But nevertheless, I will be curious to compare and will write about it here!

Would you recommend the setup Beyerdynamic t51 I and a 200 P today? I'm looking for a good setup and it seems to be pretty good

Martinjons said:
Would you recommend the setup Beyerdynamic t51 I and a 200 P today? I'm looking for a good setup and it seems to be pretty good
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Too many other choices are available now, market is flooded with decent headphones, amps, etc. Plus, a lot of the latest smartphones have out which can rival some portable DACs/amps. My A200p review was with Note 2, but my current Note 4 sounds so much better than N2. Plus, so my great budgets headphones. Jokes aside, I mean I review a lot of expensive gear with dedicated digital audio players that cost up to $2k and custom in-ear monitors that cost $1.7k, and yet I was happy to review and to share with everybody $12 KZ ED9 and KZ ATE headphones that sound very good.
Look through all of my reviews, sticky at the top of the forum. There are dozens and dozens of headphones and amps and dacs and daps
Maybe narrow it down to how much you want to spend and how are you planning to drive your headphones, and if you want on-ear or over-ear or in-ear type?

Review of FiiO E10k usb DAC and headphone Amplifier w/lots of pics!!!

This is a review of FiiO E10k usb DAC and headphone Amplifier. http://www.fiio.com.cn/products/index.aspx?ID=100000059783139&MenuID=105026003 , available now from FiiO's US distributor Micca Store (http://www.miccastore.com/fiio-e10k....html?osCsid=8560117e64b32dc5dddb51f948b5bdbb) and also from Amazon.
Not too long ago I reviewed FiiO E18 usb DAC/Amp with OTG connection to Smartphone. It was a jack of all trades, including being able to connect to laptop/PC usb port to function as an external sound card. I actually found myself reaching out quite often to use it with my laptop when watching movies or doing some music production. That made me wish for something more portable and lighter with an easier access to a volume knob. When I got A200p, I also ended up using it more as an external laptop sound card rather than smartphone DAC/amp since it's footprint was a bit awkward for pair up with my Note 2, where I actually find E18 to be more convenient. With A200p, I had an easy access to a large volume knob but proprietary cable with a finicky connector that often gets loose and Windows system volume jumping every time I have to replug it again, was a turn off. Finally, my prayers have been answered, and I got exactly what I've been looking for - E10k. Let me tell you more about it.
Arrived in a compact square flat box with an approximate size of a double-stack CD case (remember those?), I liked how the focus of the art on the cover and the back was around a circle, perhaps with a significance of analog volume dial?. Out of the box, very typical for all FiiO products, you'll find a neat packaging with a form fitting cutout holding E10k securely in place and accessories box which contained usb to micro usb cable and 6-rubber stick on feet. Also included was a warranty card and users guide. While picking it up, you can't help but to notice how small and lightweight this gadget is. With dimensions of only 79mm x 49mm x 21mm and weight of about 78g, it fits in a palm of your hand. With all brushed metal body design, it felt very solid. The front side of E10k has headphone output, on/off bass boost switch, and a large volume dial with numbering of 0 to 8. The volume dial movement has a nice tight precision and felt truly analog. On the back of E10k, you have a standard micro-usb port, L/H gain switch, and digital Coaxial and Analog Line out ports. These ports are very convenient if you want to connect E10k output for external processing with other audio equipment, basically to bypass E10k output amp.
I know a lot of people are very particular about DAC and OpAmp chipsets used in a design which usually contributes to a sound characteristics. As you can see from FiiO webpage, new E10k has been updated with a number of improvements in comparison to the original E10, and that included new DAC chip, optimization of low pass filter and bass boost, and new OpAmp selection. Since I don't have the original E10, it's a bit irrelevant for me because I can't compare these. Instead, I will use E18 and A200p as a point of reference for comparison. But to begin, in comparison to using my headphones (doesn't matter which one) from headphones jack of my laptop and with E10k - its a Night and Day difference. The change is so drastic that it's impossible to go back using any of my headphones connected directly to laptop where the sound is noisy, dull, veiled, and has very limited extension in both low and high ends of the spectrum.
Connecting E10k, which got recognized by my laptop within a minute with Windows drivers installed right away, opened up a new dimension to the sound like going between $20 mp3 player and $350 DAP The sound gets brighter, more dynamic, you get bass extended down to a sub-bass frequencies with rumble and texture, vocals comes alive with clarity, and treble gets crispy and detailed. Of course, the overall sound signature will depend on the drivers of your headphones, but relatively speaking while using the same pair of quality headphones (for example, ATH-IM03 used in my testing) - the change was drastic. I didn't require a high gain boost, and was comfortable at low gain without pushing a volume. But if you need to drive more demanding higher power phones (E10k can drive up to 150 ohm impedance), you have plenty of headroom. And if basshead inside of you wants to come out, bass boost switch will be a precise adjustment of well controlled boost without spilling into the rest of the frequency spectrum.
So how does it stacks up against E18 and A200p? Each of these DAC/amps is great on it's own, and this is just a comparison relative to E10k. In comparison to E18, E10k sounds brighter and more detailed. Between E18 and E10k, I actually found E18 to be warmer and a little bit bloated in low end, not as tight and well controlled as E10k. Also, I felt that E10k extended further in treble. A200p was a closer match, but still E10k had an advantage in being a bit more detailed and brighter. Also, A200p doesn't have low/high gain switch and no bass boost or line out output. The disadvantage, E10k has no internal battery and it's not recognized when connected to smartphone.
Overall, if you are looking for a flexible external sound card solution for your laptop or PC, and don't want to compromise on sound quality or build quality - E10k usd DAC/amp will be hard to beat at $75. With a convenience of standard usb to micro-usb cable connection, selection of high/low gain and bass boost, headphone output and Coaxial and Line out outputs, and a very solid build quality with an excellent sound quality, I would highly recommend E10k as an effective solution to update your laptop to Hi-Fi sound!
Here are the pictures.
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Awesome review, mate!

Thanks for this review. On the basis of this and a few other reviews, I have ordered one. I was looking at the E18 but I will be using it primarily for my laptop and it is half the price, so there you go.
However, I did see some comments on another review that suggested you could use this with an Android phone by installing Viper4Android, and using a USB Hub and an external battery pack. I already have a decent sized external battery, just wondering if anyone has used the E10K in this manner yet?

zan5hin said:
Thanks for this review. On the basis of this and a few other reviews, I have ordered one. I was looking at the E18 but I will be using it primarily for my laptop and it is half the price, so there you go.
However, I did see some comments on another review that suggested you could use this with an Android phone by installing Viper4Android, and using a USB Hub and an external battery pack. I already have a decent sized external battery, just wondering if anyone has used the E10K in this manner yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
V4A is not necessary to use it, as long as your phone supports OTG. Connecting it directly to phone will not work because it needs extra power, thus a requirement for usb hub cable. It was confirmed on Head-fi, actually by almighty ClieOS himself I got that usb power cable, it was a few bucks from ebay, but completely forgot about it. To be honest, it's a bit of an overkill to use E10k, extra usb power cables, and external battery together with your phone. Just too much and too bulky. Instead I would suggest getting this $30 HiFimeDIY otg dac I reviewed here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2758213 and picking up E11k or E12A headphones amp. No need for extra power cables, external supply, and you will get a top class sound! Leave E10k as usb sound card - that's what it best at!

vectron said:
V4A is not necessary to use it, as long as your phone supports OTG. Connecting it directly to phone will not work because it needs extra power, thus a requirement for usb hub cable. It was confirmed on Head-fi, actually by almighty ClieOS himself I got that usb power cable, it was a few bucks from ebay, but completely forgot about it. To be honest, it's a bit of an overkill to use E10k, extra usb power cables, and external battery together with your phone. Just too much and too bulky. Instead I would suggest getting this $30 HiFimeDIY otg dac I reviewed here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2758213 and picking up E11k or E12A headphones amp. No need for extra power cables, external supply, and you will get a top class sound! Leave E10k as usb sound card - that's what it best at!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. If I could I would purchase the HiFimeDIY but I am living in Manila, Philippines and the hassle I went through to get a package shipped recently makes it a real headache to rely on the postal service here, even just from HKG to Manila.
I can't specifically see where ClieOS confirmed it, just
"There is the possibility that the E10K might work with Android devices over OTG, but I have neither confirmed this functionality with FiiO, nor have I tested it myself."
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I have gotten it today and connected it with an OTG cable to my Nexus 10. It gives a perfect sound on a DT 770 Pro 80.
The Nexus 10 gives enough power for the DAC, there is no need for an usb hub.

I plan to buy this DAC and use it primarily with my HTC One M7 and Klipsch R6 in ear headphones. Currently the sound quality is pretty damn impressive but I just wanted to understand how much of a difference would this external DAC bring to the overall sound quality? Would it be a noticeable difference with tighter bass and a slightly wider and open sound stage?
Thanks in advance.

harkirat01 said:
I plan to buy this DAC and use it primarily with my HTC One M7 and Klipsch R6 in ear headphones. Currently the sound quality is pretty damn impressive but I just wanted to understand how much of a difference would this external DAC bring to the overall sound quality? Would it be a noticeable difference with tighter bass and a slightly wider and open sound stage?
Thanks in advance.
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E10k doesn't work with a smartphone unless you figure out a splitter with external battery connection. With Tablet, it's hit'n'miss because you need extra power to drive it.
Considering advances in the latest smartphones, their sound quality went up significantly, and small usb DAC might not improve it that much. But if you are using high impedance headphones and need extra driving power, that's where you might find advantage of these devices.
R7 is 18 ohm in-ear headphones with an average sensitivity. We are not talking about 600 ohm Senns cans You don't need usb dac.

vectron said:
E10k doesn't work with a smartphone unless you figure out a splitter with external battery connection. With Tablet, it's hit'n'miss because you need extra power to drive it.
Considering advances in the latest smartphones, their sound quality went up significantly, and small usb DAC might not improve it that much. But if you are using high impedance headphones and need extra driving power, that's where you might find advantage of these devices.
R7 is 18 ohm in-ear headphones with an average sensitivity. We are not talking about 600 ohm Senns cans You don't need usb dac.
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Just what I wanted to understand. Thanks a lot.

awesome bro!