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So I've gone to several concerts with my Samsung Galaxy S3 and I've noticed... Every single video recording with the stock app is absolutely terribad. The video portion is okay (Great for a smartphone) but the audio is absolutely horrendous. I've lately been wanting to find an external microphone that could possibly connect via the 3.5mm jack and serve as the primary mic for picking up sound.
I've scoured the Interwebs for little success on a good external mic that fit my needs. Here are my findings - correct me if I'm wrong in an area:
1. The mic, in order to be recognized by the SGS3 as a mic, needs to have an impedance of over 1000 omegas and has a TRRS 3.5mm jack.
2. There are actually very few compatible mics that would work with the SGS3. One example is the Edutige ESM 01O, which is overpriced and the specs and reviews do not show that it's a good live music recorder.
3. All other vaguely compatible mics are also not good at recording live music, especially bass heavy music (Which is what I frequent). The compatible lavalier mic I found is not what I need.
4. I actually found a mic that is designed for recording live music - the Edutige EIM-004 - BUT it's not compatible with the SGS3, to my dismay. It also costs $80.
So here's my problem - I need a good external microphone that's compatible with my SGS3 that is capable of recording live music with little distortion. Preferably, I'd like a low cost (Ballpark of $20-$50)I've already got the software covered, there are a few apps that I've looked up that fit my needs.
Here's my phone specs:
AT&T Samsung Galaxy SIII i747 running Cyanogen Mod 10.0.0
I'd really appreciate any help. Posting here is probably the last thing I can try, considering how there's almost nothing out there to help me resolve my situation. Thanks guys.
I really need an answer, guys. Above & Beyond is coming to town in a few days and I'd really like to record them with my SGS3.
Mecronmancer said:
I really need an answer, guys. Above & Beyond is coming to town in a few days and I'd really like to record them with my SGS3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also interested. :good:
I'm still looking for a solution myself as I also do concerts recording with my S3. The audio recording sounds much better when you aren't as close up to the speakers. I know it would also help if we could block some of the sound coming in. Like ear plugs to block some of the dB.
Agent3 said:
I'm still looking for a solution myself as I also do concerts recording with my S3. The audio recording sounds much better when you aren't as close up to the speakers. I know it would also help if we could block some of the sound coming in. Like ear plugs to block some of the dB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've heard of a few apps that reduced the mic's gain and applied a few filters to clean up the sound, but I don't know how much the sound quality improves.
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=390-810
Here's a calibration mic might work.
I like this mic, David. The only problem is the impedance. The mic is 200 ohms but the SGS3 needs a mic of at least 1000 ohms in order for the mic to be recognized as a mic. Otherwise it'll only be recognized as a headset.
For concert recording try the negative mic gain in Boeffla kernel.
I9300XXEMD3, Boeffla 2.12, Earsonics SM3v2
i know this isnt going to help much, but i simply cover the mic's slightly with my hands. when i have my phone in the air recording something, phone horizontal, i place my hands in front of the mic holes, so it only records sound from behind my hands. this helps ALOT.
and what do you know...i'm also an A&B fan. recorded last weekend with the above trick:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q11VCIyLB3g
ExTREmE99 said:
i know this isnt going to help much, but i simply cover the mic's slightly with my hands. when i have my phone in the air recording something, phone horizontal, i place my hands in front of the mic holes, so it only records sound from behind my hands. this helps ALOT.
and what do you know...i'm also an A&B fan. recorded last weekend with the above trick:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice! Hope you had a good time at the show haha. I think this is going to be my temporary fix to the problem (Considering how A&B is coming to town tomorrow I've lost all hope of finding a mic in time), but I'll still need a solution for when I go to Ultra... Because their Funktion One systems are definitely too powerful for this fix.
Mecronmancer said:
So I've gone to several concerts with my Samsung Galaxy S3 and I've noticed... Every single video recording with the stock app is absolutely terribad. The video portion is okay (Great for a smartphone) but the audio is absolutely horrendous. I've lately been wanting to find an external microphone that could possibly connect via the 3.5mm jack and serve as the primary mic for picking up sound.
I've scoured the Interwebs for little success on a good external mic that fit my needs. Here are my findings - correct me if I'm wrong in an area:
1. The mic, in order to be recognized by the SGS3 as a mic, needs to have an impedance of over 1000 omegas and has a TRRS 3.5mm jack.
2. There are actually very few compatible mics that would work with the SGS3. One example is the Edutige ESM 01O, which is overpriced and the specs and reviews do not show that it's a good live music recorder.
3. All other vaguely compatible mics are also not good at recording live music, especially bass heavy music (Which is what I frequent). The compatible lavalier mic I found is not what I need.
4. I actually found a mic that is designed for recording live music - the Edutige EIM-004 - BUT it's not compatible with the SGS3, to my dismay. It also costs $80.
So here's my problem - I need a good external microphone that's compatible with my SGS3 that is capable of recording live music with little distortion. Preferably, I'd like a low cost (Ballpark of $20-$50)I've already got the software covered, there are a few apps that I've looked up that fit my needs.
Here's my phone specs:
AT&T Samsung Galaxy SIII i747 running Cyanogen Mod 10.0.0
I'd really appreciate any help. Posting here is probably the last thing I can try, considering how there's almost nothing out there to help me resolve my situation. Thanks guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A quick answer for yah Mecronmancer.
- otg usb cable (couple of bucks)
- Digital to Analogue converter with USB (Appr $30) Behringer UCA222 is what I have.
- USB recording app...USB Audio Record or Audio Evolution. Both apps from Same guys.
- Microphone or analogue stereo inputs (Sky is the limit here)
- a rom that supports this arrangement. My i747m S3 with Stock ICS 4.0.4 works flawlessly with this arrangement.
You will get 16bit, 44.1k Stereo recording quality. Will it record while another app is recording Video? That I don't know. Thiis may be your one caveat. I might give it a shot sometime this week and report back.
UPDATE:
I simultaneously recorded USB Audio with the USB audio app and Video+mic audio with the built in ICS video app successfully. So if it was me, I would combine the 2 source recordings using a PC app and have HQ audio with Video. You just need to time align the 2 in sync very easily since you would have lofi mic audio and hifi usb audio sources.
themadproducer said:
- Digital to Analogue converter with USB (Appr $30) Behringer UCA222 is what I have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is the power source for the ADC?
Can anyone comment on the audio quality recording stereo to a phone with this setup?
guy48065 said:
What is the power source for the ADC?
Can anyone comment on the audio quality recording stereo to a phone with this setup?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@guy48065
The UCA222 can be powered from your Smart Phone, in my case, the SGS3. I had to buy a female-A-USB-to-Male-micro USB plug. They are inexpensive. I can't remember if this cable had to be an OTA version. (On The Go)
In my car, if my memory serves me well, I had the USB split with one end going to the SGS3 and the other into my USB cigarette lighter charger. I didn't end up using it in my car because it didn't interact well with the phone call audio stream etc. Lots of glitching.
RE-Recording Sound Quality
Unless your a professional audiophile or sound engineer with impeccable trained ears, the recording quality is flawless and blows away what I could do without it. An app like Audio Evolution Mobile is a great combo, especially if you have a larger and fast tablet.
Ok so it doesn't get power from the phone and it has no batteries. Darn. ..I was hoping it could be a handy mobile recorder.
A splitter usb + battery supply is borderline too cumbersome.
Price is great though -- I might tinker with it as a means to dub vinyl to files.
Does anyone make a $30 adc that includes a phono preamp? Lol.
guy48065 said:
Ok so it doesn't get power from the phone and it has no batteries. Darn. ..I was hoping it could be a handy mobile recorder.
A splitter usb + battery supply is borderline too cumbersome.
Price is great though -- I might tinker with it as a means to dub vinyl to files.
Does anyone make a $30 adc that includes a phono preamp? Lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@guy48065
You miss read.
YES...it CAN definitely be powered from the smartphone.
Read my reply post again.
I didn't think phones were capable if supplying usb power so when you wrote about the OTG cable *and* the splitter with power I assumed you needed both.
guy48065 said:
I didn't think phones were capable if supplying usb power so when you wrote about the OTG cable *and* the splitter with power I assumed you needed both.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem. It's a very small investment for what it can offer.
So i'm curious if anyone has tested the output of any of the windows 8 or 8.1 devices to see if there is any roll off in the mid-bass / sub bass frequency range?
I know my old android tablet used to roll off around 100hz and I'm curious if the windows devices do the same, or if anyone has found a way to bypass the internal DAC or trick it into letting you have a full 20hz - 20khz range of frequency
daigled said:
if anyone has tested the output of any of the windows 8 or 8.1 devices to see if there is any roll off in the mid-bass / sub bass frequency range?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I did test it on my DELL Venue 8 Pro. I opened Windows Media Player in 8.1 and played a standard test file that I usually use. The software equalizer was then manually adjusted to remove (negative gain) all frequencies above 200KHz. As I started going below 150Khz, I realized there was nothing audible coming from the mono speaker.
I'll leave you to deduce your own conclusion from my DELL Venue8Pro. It's not a deal breaker for me, since I use headphones when I want to listen to audio. However, the Venue8 Pro does not come with a built in amplifier to pump any serious bass into my studio quality headphones. Even the battery operated beats headphones didn't sound good when I had plugged them in. Only the "mid" region had a good quality sound. When I plug the same headphones in my Samsung Galaxy Note2 or HTC oneX, I get the bass I want.
I generated a sine wave sweep in Audacity on my Toshiba Encore tablet, played it out the headphone hack and recorded it on my computer's line in jack in Audacity. I used a range of 20Hz to 200Hz over 20 seconds. The overall amplitude of the waveform received on my computer looks the same over this range, there may be a slightly lower amplitude from around 20 to 40Hz, but its only slight. Not sure if this is being caused by the audio cable, the tablets DAC output or my computer's DAC input. When played on the tablet's speaker you can barely hear anything. I hooked it up to my stereo system which has speakers that go down to 50Hz and the sweep sounded fine from 50 to 200Hz.
So I found a Behringer UCA202 DAC online for really cheap and thought why not try it just for fun. Everything I've read says having one can help a bit and I figured at the least it would sound the same, but I plugged it into my Nexus 5 via OTG then plugged the AUX cord to my Jeep into the DAC and all bass and pretty much any other level of detail is gone from my music whether it's from Pandora, YouTube HD, or FLAC audio files. Audio sound quality is equal to listening to music over old mono bluetooth, you hear it fine but any highs and lows are removed. Has anyone else used this DAC that could give some suggestions?
Otherwise it's just as I assumed, DACs are pointless on good quality phones and that's why I can't find any DAC threads with the Nexus 5 involved.
herqulees said:
So I found a Behringer UCA202 DAC online for really cheap and thought why not try it just for fun. Everything I've read says having one can help a bit and I figured at the least it would sound the same, but I plugged it into my Nexus 5 via OTG then plugged the AUX cord to my Jeep into the DAC and all bass and pretty much any other level of detail is gone from my music whether it's from Pandora, YouTube HD, or FLAC audio files. Audio sound quality is equal to listening to music over old mono bluetooth, you hear it fine but any highs and lows are removed. Has anyone else used this DAC that could give some suggestions?
Otherwise it's just as I assumed, DACs are pointless on good quality phones and that's why I can't find any DAC threads with the Nexus 5 involved.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ummm, it's not a DAC. It's an interface.
theesotericone said:
Ummm, it's not a DAC. It's an interface.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, with a DAC in it. You need a DAC to get audio output through USB, there is no analog audio output through USB/USB OTG...
herqulees said:
Yes, with a DAC in it. You need a DAC to get audio output through USB, there is no analog audio output through USB/USB OTG...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it has a DAC but it's not meant as a stand alone DAC. It's an interface or soundcard. Does your phone have enough juice to even operate the thing? Also for a device that sells for less than 30 bucks what exactly where you expecting? Get a real DAC. You will notice a huge difference. Until then do some more research on what you have and see if your meeting it's power requirements.
This is actually a pretty good review of the unit with lots of technical info.
http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/behringer-uca202-review.html
theesotericone said:
Yes it has a DAC but it's not meant as a stand alone DAC. It's an interface or soundcard. Does your phone have enough juice to even operate the thing? Also for a device that sells for less than 30 bucks what exactly where you expecting? Get a real DAC. You will notice a huge difference. Until then do some more research on what you have and see if your meeting it's power requirements.
This is actually a pretty good review of the unit with lots of technical info.
http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/behringer-uca202-review.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I can't see power being an issue I suppose I'll test with my Nexus 7 and laptop. I know it's a cheap DAC but I've read many reviews using this DAC with tablets and phones for car audio, along with the nwavguy in-depth review and testing showing how it's not a multi-hundred dollar unit but still does amazingly well. My issue is it doesn't even sound decent. It sounds like I'm playing rap/hip-hop through an old Nokia on speaker phone, you can hear it clearly but there's no depth.
So I tossed this DAC in a closet after I got bored of trying to make it work right and forgot about it for a year or so till earlier today when I found it while cleaning. My Nexus 5 has been retired and serves no purpose other than a security camera now. I now have a Samsung Galaxy S5 and an RCA Maven Pro tablet. The RCA Maven Pro is an 11.1inch 2-in-1 Android tablet with detachable keyboard for around $120. You'd assume it's horrible thanks to the brand and price but they managed to cut corners in all the right places it seems. Downsides are no GPS, 1GB of RAM, terrible cameras, and a horrible speaker. Other than that it has faithfully replaced my $1200 laptop with zero issues other than adjusting to ditching Windows.
Now back on track when I listen to music I'm either using an aux cord plugged into my work truck or bluetooth when using headphones or in my new car. When doing a side by side comparison bluetooth, to no surprise, shows no difference between my Maven and S5. However when using an aux cord the RCA doesn't put out as much bass and highs are... I guess not as clear? I think audiophiles are insane most of the time so it's hard for me to describe when I do notice a difference. Anyways I plugged the UCA202 into the RCA's USB port (no OTG here, it has a full size USB port) and plugged my Sony MDR-XB950BT headphones in to it with an aux cord (these headphones are 100% passive when wired, no bass boost or other enhancements) and sound quality is just as great as my S5, all bass and highs are restored. Just to further the test I plugged it into my S5 and did the same test with the same results. These are the same FLAC song files from the same network location that my Nexus 5 was playing a year ago.
The whole time the issue was something in my Nexus 5. What it was I don't know and sorry you guys I don't plan on investigating, I just wanted to inform everyone that the Behringer UCA202 is in fact a quality budget DAC since this thread is a top Google result for "Behringer UCA202 Android". If you have a cheap device that you want the audio to be on par with the high end phones this will do it, and for my original purpose of at the same time giving a bit of amplification for a weak head unit without distortion it does that decently too. To finish this off I am NOT an audiophile. Just a human with human hearing that likes songs with bass on car head units that weren't always designed for it (I glued a 80mm CPU fan to the back of the HU in my Jeep ) So take my finer details however you'd like.
the DAC works great for my Nexus 7 2013 model.
maybe otg cable is sh1tty
Sent from my D820 CAF using Tapatalk
I use my n5 as my mp3 player in my car but the sound sucks. I'm thinking of getting a dac to fix this.
I have a otg cable to plug in my usb key that contains my mp3 library. So first I know i will need a y otg, have some all ready but not sur I have the right one but that is a detail. I dont really care about simultaneously charging my phone.
So what good dac do you suggest. Keep in mind I don't have a lot of money, not to sure what kind of budget yet.
Thanks
Please
nitramus said:
I use my n5 as my mp3 player in my car but the sound sucks. I'm thinking of getting a dac to fix this.
I have a otg cable to plug in my usb key that contains my mp3 library. So first I know i will need a y otg, have some all ready but not sur I have the right one but that is a detail. I dont really care about simultaneously charging my phone.
So what good dac do you suggest. Keep in mind I don't have a lot of money, not to sure what kind of budget yet.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure you have not a faulty cable/ nexus 5 connector or bad regulated equalizer on nexus 5?
I ask you cause I m not an audiophile but nexus 5 sound great to my ears, almost like nexus s which feature one of the best DAC on portable devices
nitramus said:
I use my n5 as my mp3 player in my car but the sound sucks. I'm thinking of getting a dac to fix this.
I have a otg cable to plug in my usb key that contains my mp3 library. So first I know i will need a y otg, have some all ready but not sur I have the right one but that is a detail. I dont really care about simultaneously charging my phone.
So what good dac do you suggest. Keep in mind I don't have a lot of money, not to sure what kind of budget yet.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try dragonfly by Audioquest or Cambridge Audio USB DAC. They sound awesome. I prefer the latter one. =)
Thanks for the reply. Everything I get gives me more info to search and get informed.
If you want a good dac at reasonable money try fio,get from Amazon
Sent from my Nexus 5
"Sucks" is a subjective term, but I agree with Axel85. If you're currently getting terrible sound, a USB DAC is a costly hail-mary that likely won't solve your problem. USB OTG DACs are great way to salvage an aging phone as a media player or to bypass a damaged the 3.5mm output. Otherwise, they're a way to turn already "great" sound into "exceptional." I can say with complete confidence that, even over bluetooth, the Nexus 5's built-in audio is impressive. If it "sucks" on your setup, then you definitely want to ensure that the problem doesn't lie elsewhere before investing in a DAC. If it is, in fact, the Nexus 5, ship that sucker back to Google, because a DAC definitely won't help. Just be sure there aren't other elements in your setup putting the constraints on your sound reproduction.
Now if you're truly blessed (cursed?) with golden ears and an audiophile's insatiable desire for perfection, then "sucks" probably has a different meaning for you; Otherwise, it's best to rule out everything else before plopping down substantial cash on a USB DAC. On that note, the Nexus' internal DAC crushes any entry-level/ low-end ($30-$50 DAC), so you'd really only want to consider the next step up, and it is a big step in price. Great units from $120-$200 from Fiio or Cambridge Audio. I've heard the Audioengine D3 on a laptop and it was fantastic, the form factor is great, as well, but I haven't investigated whether it plays nicely with lollipop OTG. There are a lot of issues to consider -some are legitimate headaches. Aside from the additional clutter of more cables and another powered device, the effect on your phone's battery is not one to take lightly. You may be able to currently stream pandora all day long, but with your phone acting as a USB host, you have to be conscious of the potential power draw from any USB DAC. A big amplifier can drain that battery quickly without its own power source to supplement. Many DACs are even equipped with their own internal batteries, but regardless, the power question is not something to minimize. Depending on the unit, powered USB hubs and the right cables can provide an easy fix.
But before you go pulling the trigger on a DAC, let me suggest a few things and some troubleshooting steps...
On the software side:
Play with built-in equalizer/AudioFX/DSP (it may do nothing at all with your ROM & kernel). I also highly recommend that you try playing your media through an app called PowerAmp. If that doesn't give you the fidelity boost you're looking for, then give Viper4Android a whirl. It requires a slightly more complicated installation (depending on the ROM), and the tweaking can get advanced, but the results are truly impressive with the right music. "FauxSound" is a custom kernel I'm yet to experiment with because it's (currently) incompatible with CM12.1 CAF, but the reviews in the forums seem overwhelmingly positive. When it comes to sound, perceptible differences vary from person to person.
As to troubleshooting the phone's output:
It should go without saying, but if your factory head unit and speakers and are junk ...if music has never sounded good on your system, a USB DAC isn't the miracle worker you need. Spend the money on a decent head unit and/or upgrade your speakers. An underpowered, factory installed head unit can turn otherwise decent speakers into muffled distortion makers, so take stock of the equipment you're working with and manage expectations. If you're an audiophile, you can likely ignore much of this, but for the sake of anyone else in a similar boat, considering a DAC to improve audio, lets go down the troubleshooting checkbox:
1) First and foremost, check your source files. If you're streaming, make sure it's high quality. You may need to go into the app's advanced settings. For most people's ears, there are diminishing returns above 320kbps MP3 /256AAC vs. the storage requirements. With the right gear and the right source though, "lossless" music can bring out elements you never heard on your favorite tracks: fingers lifting and moving along frets, or a half-note you never caught. If your ROM is capable of natively playing 96000Hz 24-bit FLAC, by all means, give it a go (or any other lossless).
2) Test your 3.5mm headphone connection with decent pair of actual headphones. Still sucks? Spray the jack with compressed air and see if it helps. Try with another set of headphones. Try with a friend's car, try on your home stereo. Then connect to your car and compare. If it's worse, swap out the cable before anything else. Quality matters here. The difference between the the $0.99 cable you buy at the gas station and the $12 cable at BestBuy can be huge. A quality cable means one sheilded for interference with wiring and connectors made of materials that optimize conductivity (often a thin gold plating). Many are even cut specifically to ensure a solid connection through the narrow opening of an aftermarket case/protector. A better connection means better sound.
3) If all is well with the 3.5mm, plug it into your mobile charger. Audio still clean? If not, try another charger. Still sounding crappy? Is this limited to the car or did you hear it on your headphones? How about over bluetooth? If it's only in the car, and sound gets worse on the charger, there might be a ground loop somewhere in the car's electrical system (often this manifests as a high frequency whine that increases as you accelerate, or changes frequency when you turn on the A/C, headlights, etc). This could be as simple as something plugged into the cars cigarette lighter, or a bad connection somewhere in the vehicles electrical system... The problem is the "somewhere" part, and tracing it down can mean pulling fuses all day long.
3) If you connect over bluetooth (not optimal) perform the same tests. If bluetooth degrades audio quality significantly, then your car stereo may be on an older standard that simply can't operate at the bandwidth capabilities for high-bitrate audio. Aside from just not using bluetooth, there's no simple fix for this. If you dont get a drop in audio quality when connecting to another bluetooth device, then your in-car options are limited: connect via 3.5mm out, replace the head unit with a newer one, or install a bluetooth 4.0+ adapter to the car stereo's auxillary inputs. It's worth at least mentioning that, although unlikely, interference from other devices could be an issue. Anything that operates within the same wireless spectrum as bluetooth could be a source of interference. A bluetooth obdii reader, a wireless transmitter from a rear view camera, even other phones in the car that have been paired with the stereo.... Anything on 2.4ghz Normally, there's a preamble before transmission that keeps devices operating on these frequencies from interfering with each other, but if there's a bluetooth device in the vehicle on an early standard, that may not be the case. Also, if there's any USB 3.0 connection (powered hub, thumb drive) in close proximity to bluetooth, get rid of it or buy a shielded extension cable -noise emitted at the connection crushes bluetooth throughput and connection reliability.
Regardless, just make sure that the rest of your system is up to the task before investing in a DAC. Don't get me wrong, they are fantastic with the right gear, but each component of your setup can improve output as much as it can act as a bottleneck on the quality of the sound it reproduces. Make sure the investment is worth it by ensuring your system is ready for it. If not, put your money towards the fundamentals: Head unit + speakers.
mborzill said:
If your ROM is capable of natively playing 96000Hz 24-bit FLAC, by all means, give it a go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you aware of any such ROMs?
Well, some clarification is necessary... even stock kitkat should *play* a 24/96FLAC, but "Natively" isn't the correct terminology. If that were true 24/96 on the N5, this thread wouldn't exist. The Nexus 5 downsamples significantly, but the better the source, the better the sample. Quality will be great coming from a lossless 24bit/96khz source, but its not gonna be true 24/96 if its coming from the Nexus 5's internal DAC. It'll be downsampled to its hardware and software limitations. I know with kitkat this was 16bit/48khz, but I can't speak to whether or not this ceiling *actually* increased with Lollipop. In theory, the N5's Qualcomm Wolfson wcd9320 DAC supported up to 192khz, and Lollipop bumped support up to 96khz, but if I recall, it's the Snapdragon 800 that isn't capable of 24/96. Without a DAC, and downsampled to 16bit/48khz, you might get an imperceptibly lower noise floor, but other than I doubt you'd hear a difference between lossless sources.
Personally I think it's total overkill to use up that kind of space without having a DAC capable of reproducing it (or freakin golden ears) but if you're going for the most accurate reference track you can find for problem-tracing, have at it. Even Downsampled, that FLAC will sound much better than an encoded mp3.
If there's a ROM with true "native" 24/96khz reproduction on the N5 I certainly don't know about it... Or need it.
As to specific ROMs and compatibility: Cyanogenmod is my go-to. I prefer Viper4Android over AudioFX, but with major tweaking (specific to my headphones). Out of the box, AudioFX is great.
Lollipop, in general, has vastly improved audio performance. Raised sampling resolution from 16 bit PCM to 24bit and sampling rate from 44/48khz to support 96khz (if the phones hardware can support it, else USB DAC). Lower i/o latency gives the closest thing android has seen to real-time audio since the start (which has been a major issue for musicians,DJ, game developers, even VoIP). Floating point sampling is new too, which, in theory, reduces clipping, improves headroom and dynamic range.
Do I need to use a custom ROM with an external DAC like the Fiio E18 or other DAC's? Could I simply purchase any external DAC? If not what do I need to look for when shopping for external DAC's that work with the Nexus 5?
My Nexus 5 is stock currently on 5.1.
Thank you for any advice.
Viper 4 android.
it was only after ordering that I realised these things can come with a DAC chip inside.
this is the one I ordered
iNassen USB C to 3.5mm Jack Headphone Adapter Type C to 3.5mm Aux Earphone Audio Mic Adapter, for Huawei P40/Mate30/30Pro,Samsung Galaxy Note20/20 Ultra 5G/S20/S20 Plus/Note 10,Google Pixel 4XL-Gray: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo
Shop iNassen USB C to 3.5mm Jack Headphone Adapter Type C to 3.5mm Aux Earphone Audio Mic Adapter, for Huawei P40/Mate30/30Pro,Samsung Galaxy Note20/20 Ultra 5G/S20/S20 Plus/Note 10,Google Pixel 4XL-Gray. Free delivery and returns on eligible orders.
www.amazon.co.uk
since quite a few of us are likely to buy one it might help others out if you've found one you think is a real winner.
when mine arrives I'll report back on what I think, but I'm also curious how good they'll be ultimately with v4a!
also whether having a DAC chip will affect the VDC support for headphones.
please share what you've got and what you think.
3mel said:
it was only after ordering that I realised these things can come with a DAC chip inside.
this is the one I ordered
iNassen USB C to 3.5mm Jack Headphone Adapter Type C to 3.5mm Aux Earphone Audio Mic Adapter, for Huawei P40/Mate30/30Pro,Samsung Galaxy Note20/20 Ultra 5G/S20/S20 Plus/Note 10,Google Pixel 4XL-Gray: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo
Shop iNassen USB C to 3.5mm Jack Headphone Adapter Type C to 3.5mm Aux Earphone Audio Mic Adapter, for Huawei P40/Mate30/30Pro,Samsung Galaxy Note20/20 Ultra 5G/S20/S20 Plus/Note 10,Google Pixel 4XL-Gray. Free delivery and returns on eligible orders.
www.amazon.co.uk
since quite a few of us are likely to buy one it might help others out if you've found one you think is a real winner.
when mine arrives I'll report back on what I think, but I'm also curious how good they'll be ultimately with v4a!
also whether having a DAC chip will affect the VDC support for headphones.
please share what you've got and what you think.
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I have 2 different ones. One I bought when I got my Tablet S5E:
Amazon.com: andobil USB C to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Charge Adapter, Hi-Res USB C to Auxiliary Audio Dongle with DAC Chip, Support Phone Calls, and Music Control Compatible with Google Pixel 2 2XL 3 3XL,and More : Electronics
Buy andobil USB C to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Charge Adapter, Hi-Res USB C to Auxiliary Audio Dongle with DAC Chip, Support Phone Calls, and Music Control Compatible with Google Pixel 2 2XL 3 3XL,and More: Adapters - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
And one I bought when I got my Note 10+:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KXPMF1T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_t1_C92M40AM2FNJ2H8AYV0X?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
The only difference between the 2 is one has 2 usb-c and the other has a 3.5 mm jack.
Both are interchangeable in both devices and work great.
hmm I just went for the straight 3.5mm jack on its own. I saw myself using it outside more (whenever that happens again) so never considered charging too. do you have headphones with a USB-c cable on them ?
3mel said:
hmm I just went for the straight 3.5mm jack on its own. I saw myself using it outside more (whenever that happens again) so never considered charging too. do you have headphones with a USB-c cable on them ?
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Yes, they came with my Note. The Note doesn't have a 3.5 mm jack for a headset. Like my tablet, the charging port doubles as the headset jack also. Realizing that this cenario could potentially cause an issue if I Iistened to music for too long, I researched if there was a combo headset/charging adapter and there was.
the adaptor mentioned in my first post really delivers the bass. can't say if it's the chip inside (mediatek) or not because I've got nothing else to compare it to. my headphones (Sony MDR-V55) can handle bass but they're not really tuned that way.
3mel said:
the adaptor mentioned in my first post really delivers the bass. can't say if it's the chip inside (mediatek) or not because I've got nothing else to compare it to. my headphones (Sony MDR-V55) can handle bass but they're not really tuned that way.
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The ideal DAC should have a flat curve ie true to the input values.
The only one I've tried is the Samsung one.
Because of it being tied to the C port I rarely use it.
Recent firmware upgrades for the Buds+ make them sound much better. Low bass on them starts at 27 hz and 35 hz has a noticeable presence. So I stick with the Buds+ for convenience and to avoid the C port inconvenience.
Stupid Samsung...
I too chose to get buds but decided against Samsung's on the mere principle that at the time they weren't the slightest bit waterproof, not even sweatproof. Why is that a big deal you ask? First, no, I'm not going to wear them in the shower or go swimming with them, although they do make ones that you can do that with. Second, I do live in Florida the state known for high humidity and enormous amounts of rain. I have been screwed by the "your phone has water damage" clause several times when my phone has never seen a drop all because of a stupid little sticker due to humidity (no not cause I sweat like crazy, lol) So, I went with the Jabra Elite Active 75t which are similar to the Samsung buds pro but $70 less, are water & dust resistant, they have ANC and pass through, 4 microphones, 28 hours of battery life, wireless charging, and while the Samsung rating is IPX 7 the Jabra is IP57. They have a built in EQ. You can custom set them to your specific hearing ability, like a hearing test, going through a series of beeps, to get optimum sound quality. They have a GPS locator so if you set them down and forget where, pull the app up on you cell and find them. They have a focus mode to play ambient sounds in the background. Don't get me wrong, I am a Samsung die hard through and through, but these Jabra buds beat Samsung hands down. Just my 1/2 cents.
HyperChick said:
I too chose to get buds but decided against Samsung's on the mere principle that at the time they weren't the slightest bit waterproof, not even sweatproof. Why is that a big deal you ask? First, no, I'm not going to wear them in the shower or go swimming with them, although they do make ones that you can do that with. Second, I do live in Florida the state known for high humidity and enormous amounts of rain. I have been screwed by the "your phone has water damage" clause several times when my phone has never seen a drop all because of a stupid little sticker due to humidity (no not cause I sweat like crazy, lol) So, I went with the Jabra Elite Active 75t which are similar to the Samsung buds pro but $70 less, are water & dust resistant, they have ANC and pass through, 4 microphones, 28 hours of battery life, wireless charging, and while the Samsung rating is IPX 7 the Jabra is IP57. They have a built in EQ. You can custom set them to your specific hearing ability, like a hearing test, going through a series of beeps, to get optimum sound quality. They have a GPS locator so if you set them down and forget where, pull the app up on you cell and find them. They have a focus mode to play ambient sounds in the background. Don't get me wrong, I am a Samsung die hard through and through, but these Jabra buds beat Samsung hands down. Just my 1/2 cents.
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Never had a water issue with the Buds+... I live in the desert but it's a dry heat.
The problem about not using them is you lose SSC support. A LDAC supporting device is the only other option or your stuck with inferior bt codecs.
LDAC and SSC are on the top of the bt codec heap.
blackhawk said:
Never had a water issue with the Buds+... I live in the desert but it's a dry heat.
The problem about not using them is you lose SSC support. A LDAC supporting device is the only other option or your stuck with inferior bt codecs.
LDAC and SSC are on the top of the bt codec heap.
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I have to admit I didn't know much about bluetooth codec codes until today. Your post prompted me to do research which threw me into a 3 hour wild goose chase. I finally found this chart that simplified it for me:
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Because you mentioned the code SSC. I opened my Developer settings and I don't have that option. So, I had to learn more. The aptX HD is at the top of the food chain. Unfortunately, Jabra made a conscious decision not to incorporate that code in their buds. Not sure why? Here is a website where you can look up a full list of products that do Products | aptX
HyperChick said:
I have to admit I didn't know much about bluetooth codec codes until today. Your post prompted me to do research which threw me into a 3 hour wild goose chase. I finally found this chart that simplified it for me:
View attachment 5217381
Because you mentioned the code SSC. I opened my Developer settings and I don't have that option. So, I had to learn more. The aptX HD is at the top of the food chain. Unfortunately, Jabra made a conscious decision not to incorporate that code in their buds. Not sure why? Here is a website where you can look up a full list of products that do Products | aptX
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Unfortunately it's not that simple. Maximum bitrate doesn't necessarily mean overall better sound Q. SoundGuys have a pretty good write up.
AptX-HD has issues as well.
All bt codecs suffer to some degree*. The best ones for Samsung devices are SSC and LDAC.
Samsung's propiatory SSC is found only on its phones and a limited number of it's audio listening products, 5 total I believe.
Samsung also supports LDAC but depending on the bitrates as well as which codec is better makes comparisons almost impossible.
The listening devices supporting LDAC are limited as well but greater in number. Panasonic makes a few and of course Sony.
I haven't sample any LDAC headsets and only sampled the Buds and Buds+ so can't comment on that or which codec sounds better.
Of the other codecs available on the 10+ which are the same as all current models, SSC is the best.
No bt codec sounds better than a wired headset though, hardware not withstanding*.
With the Buds+ the low bass cutout is at 27 hz and 35 hz it's solid; probably about were it starts to roll off. That's pretty good.
For music listening I use Poweramp's equalizer and the bass from 250 hz down is heavily boosted. I never use the Wearables EQ but without Poweramp music listening be a lot less enjoyable. Vocals on music are surprisingly clear.
Guess it's time to compare the original Buds to the Buds+ but once I tried the +'s I didn't look back. Both have had major firmware updates, the most recent + updates was about a week ago.
The Buds+ are light and even partially inserted they simply never fall out. You can run, jump whatever, they stay put. Seamlessly couple with Samsung phones. Sound great on calls. Great battery life.
A lot of bang for the buck.
The Buds+ are the best bet for bt listening on a Samsung phone. An odd niche that Samsung has curved out for themselves.
For $270 more you could upgrade to Sony's best LDAC headphones. The drivers are certainly better but that's a steep price and lost is the ease of wear. Be fun to hear what's is or isn't there though
So now you know, in part, why bt audio gives me a headache
*all bt sucks, lol
blackhawk said:
Unfortunately it's not that simple. Maximum bitrate doesn't necessarily mean overall better sound Q. SoundGuys have a pretty good write up.
AptX-HD has issues as well.
All bt codecs suffer to some degree*. The best ones for Samsung devices are SSC and LDAC.
Samsung's propiatory SSC is found only on its phones and a limited number of it's audio listening products, 5 total I believe.
Samsung also supports LDAC but depending on the bitrates as well as which codec is better makes comparisons almost impossible.
The listening devices supporting LDAC are limited as well but greater in number. Panasonic makes a few and of course Sony.
I haven't sample any LDAC headsets and only sampled the Buds and Buds+ so can't comment on that or which codec sounds better.
Of the other codecs available on the 10+ which are the same as all current models, SSC is the best.
No bt codec sounds better than a wired headset though, hardware not withstanding*.
With the Buds+ the low bass cutout is at 27 hz and 35 hz it's solid; probably about were it starts to roll off. That's pretty good. For music listening I use Poweramp's equalizer and the bass from 250 hz down is heavily boosted. I never use the Wearables EQ but without Poweramp music listening be a lot less enjoyable. Vocals on music are surprisingly clear.
They're light and even partially inserted they simply never fall out. You can run, jump whatever, they stay put. Seamlessly couple with Samsung phones. Sound great on calls. Great battery life.
A lot of bang for the buck.
The Buds+ are the best bet for bt listening on a Samsung phone. An odd niche that Samsung has curved out for themselves.
For $270 more you could upgrade to Sony's best LDAC headphones. The drivers are certainly better but that's a steep price and lost is the ease of wear. Be fun to hear what's is or isn't there though
So now you know, in part, why bt audio gives me a headache
*all bt sucks, lol
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If I want to listen to THAT kind of bass, I just jump in my car..... Kenwood head unit, 2-12" subs, yup definitely jump in my ride, that's my only escape
question, does Dolby Atmos on this phone make an almost insignificant difference to the output you get if you listen to something while toggling it on and off ?
not sure what the deal is there but what's my experience of it so far.
3mel said:
question, does Dolby Atmos on this phone make an almost insignificant difference to the output you get if you listen to something while toggling it on and off ?
not sure what the deal is there but what's my experience of it so far.
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It should alter it considerably. I generally keep it disabled for music but occasionally use it.
I'm using a Note 10+.
3mel said:
question, does Dolby Atmos on this phone make an almost insignificant difference to the output you get if you listen to something while toggling it on and off ?
not sure what the deal is there but what's my experience of it so far.
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Dolby Atmos was supposed to give you the cinematic surround sound effect. That being said, the "S" series did a better job at it than the Note did from what I've read. Personally, I haven't thought to try. Now, I'll have to
HyperChick said:
Dolby Atmos was supposed to give you the cinematic surround sound effect. That being said, the "S" series did a better job at it than the Note did from what I've read. Personally, I haven't thought to try. Now, I'll have to
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Generally it adds distortion to music as it's a flawed algorithm. If memory serves me if works by manipulating the phasing and changing the weighting of selected frequency ranges ie psychoacoustics*.
Dolby encoded movies and music are a different animal and it works best with these. I don't think phones are capable of supporting this version though.
*In an open listening area that is acoustically suitable you only need two speakers and a stereo image to reproduce the sound stage of where the image was recorded. Without the open air (buds, headphones) for the audio waves to interact the sound stage effect is destroyed. Dolby attempts to create the illusion of this sound stage.
@blackhawk to be specific I'm only talking about the Atmos app baked into the settings of this phone, I don't know if it's featured in other Samsung models. I've tried the Dolby Atmos that's a flashable / installable add-on on other phones and that's fantastic, especially when combined with v4a.
now that I've been able to use my headphones again I've been very underwhelmed by the Samsung inclusion of Atmos, I'm curious what others make of it now.
3mel said:
@blackhawk to be specific I'm only talking about the Atmos app baked into the settings of this phone, I don't know if it's featured in other Samsung models. I've tried the Dolby Atmos that's a flashable / installable add-on on other phones and that's fantastic, especially when combined with v4a.
now that I've been able to use my headphones again I've been very underwhelmed by the Samsung inclusion of Atmos, I'm curious what others make of it now.
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In a closed driver system ie headphones, buds the best you can do is a clean distortion free stereo image.
Without an open room there is no interaction between the different acoustic images coming from 2 or more stereo (or higher) drivers. These interactions are in order of many tens, hundreds etc of thousands per second.
If a audio wave at 20khz* meets with one at 19khz* a second wave at 1khz is created. These secondary waves collide with still more through out the 3D listening area to recreate the sound stage of were it was recorded. If done right you are there, electro-acousticly coupled.
Any attempt to create the illustration of that listening area tends to be feeble and add distortion to the music. The magnitude of the acoustic interactions in a open air listening are nearly infinite. It's impossible to faithfully recreate.
So if you like the way it sounds use it. It can be used to "center" vocals are increase their volume and clarity at the cost of suppressing other instruments in that recording. Tends to boost volume and bass.
*the 19 and 20khz are beyond most people's hearing range but the 1khz sound is not.
This is why in an open air listening area frequencies you can't hear become important to reproduce as they are needed to recreate the sound stage. Without them the sound stage is diminished.
Earlier today I stumbled on https://smile.amazon.com/Creative-Blaster-External-VoiceDetect-Cancellation/dp/B08SH5TNLV
I wonder how they compare to the Chinese-made no-name shovelware.
Being Creative Labs one would expect at least some quality. And the price is relatively reasonable..
the previous version ''play 3'' seems to aimed at gaming headphone users
I tried out the free version of the Wavelet app last night and as I suspected it seems to be the DAC in the adaptor that's detected as the connected device rather than the headphones.
I had intended to restart using V4A once I've rooted but now I'm wondering even more about DDC optimisation or whether it'll count as a USB connection now.
getting a quality, recognised brand name might matter more than I thought.