Help with my new Android

[NYListens]

Switching from Apple to Android, I have a LG V20 and want to load it up with music. I have both Windows and Linux based computer systems. I am used to Iphone/Itunes and loss less and haven’t a clue what software or file format to use for the best audio quality. Any suggestions?

 

[chicks]

FLAC is probably the most widely used lossless codec. It’s free from patents and the like, and open source.

 

[50nstillhifi]

If not mistaken.. the Droid phones work best with formats that use Google or Chrome apps.. sure to be gotten on their app link.

However.. I would also anticipate using a memory card to store large bits of the music on your phone thus avoiding the main memory which is used highly for navigation with these phones.

I use a Galaxy series and they have more than enough storage space for music favorites. However given the luxury of "streaming" via Pandora and now even Amazon, most music files are stored via the library they will maintain through your personal account. I'm not sure if this helps you with prior favorites you developed through Apple.. but it does provide another avenue.

It will be curious to see what develops from your query and how it will mesh with the library you have already developed.

 

[NYListens]

I appreciate the feedback, actually planning on going to the library and taking out CDs to load up my phone. I have streaming services, but I drive a lot and don’t always have good reception for them. I also like the control of playing what I want.

Thank you on the FLAC suggestion. Any advice on a player on my phone that will play this file type and some software that I can turn CDs into FLAC files?

 

[bigx5murf]

I've owned the LG v10/20/30, if you want to play files locally, FLAC is probably preferable. Although ALAC will play just fine on the stock player. Many of the 3rd party players will not play hi-res ALAC properly. I've always kept my music on a 128GB micro sd card. Do make sure the purchase the Class 10 cards. I've had most of the popular music streaming subscriptions at some point. I've since cancelled all of them.

If you want to take advantage of the LG dac/headphone amp. You need headphones over 55ohm, or else it won't trigger the high power amplification mode. You can also use an AUX adapter to trigger a slightly higher amplification mode.

 

[cpt_paranoia]

Thank you on the FLAC suggestion. Any advice on a player on my phone that will play this file type and some software that I can turn CDs into FLAC files?

BubbleUPnP for player on Android.

Exact Audio Copy for ripping to FLAC (on a PC). Or MusicBee. Or MediaMonkey. Or JRiver. Or... just about any media manager you can think of. They'll also convert ALAC into FLAC. Actually, BubbleUPnP will play ALAC files...

 

[WillVT]

Since you have a streaming service, have you tried using the offline mode? It allows you to download music to play when you don't want to stream. It also allows you to easily change what's saved. I am always adding playlists and albums, so I have a constantly changing lineup. I find the 320k mp3s to be perfectly acceptable in the car, or at work.

I also have the V20, and with the "quad dac," it is the best sounding phone I've ever had. @bigx5murf , I have never heard that the headphones have to be over 55ohm to trigger the higher mode. I have been able to switch back and forth and hear quite a difference, with all kinds of headphones and earbuds. Can you point me to some info about that?

 

[NYListens]

I have two pairs of sennheisers, one being HD 600 which I’m looking forward to trying with it. I appreciate the input everyone.

 

[bigx5murf]

Since you have a streaming service, have you tried using the offline mode? It allows you to download music to play when you don't want to stream. It also allows you to easily change what's saved. I am always adding playlists and albums, so I have a constantly changing lineup. I find the 320k mp3s to be perfectly acceptable in the car, or at work.

I also have the V20, and with the "quad dac," it is the best sounding phone I've ever had. @bigx5murf , I have never heard that the headphones have to be over 55ohm to trigger the higher mode. I have been able to switch back and forth and hear quite a difference, with all kinds of headphones and earbuds. Can you point me to some info about that?

It's been well documented since the LG V10, all of the LG improved DAC phones have 3 modes of headphone amplification, low impedance, aux mode, and high impedance mode. The v30 is the first one that won't tell you which mode it's in. It's not consistent either, I used a pair of 55ohm headphones at the gym with my v30, sometimes I have to unplug and replug the headphone in a few times before the volume suddenly gets much higher. When I had the v20, it was the same, it would show "Normal Mode" and after unplugging and replugging it would show "High Impedance mode".

https://forum.xda-developers.com/v20/themes/easy-method-to-force-impedance-mode-root-t3677342
https://www.reddit.com/r/lgv20/comments/6rah5v/high_impedance_mode/
https://android.gadgethacks.com/how...ce-mode-your-lg-v20-for-better-sound-0176383/

This was copied from the following link:https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...t-of-lg-g7-thinq-smartphone.4468/#post-101150

"All was not perfect here. LG has some screwy logic where it examines the impedance of the headphone and messes with the output level and hence power. This was not always consistent. We managed to get outputs as high as 2 volts RMS but other times, it would step down to 1.5 or even 1 volt. After a while, we managed to get consistent outputs resulting in these power numbers relative to load (just a volume step below clipping):"

 

[Dingman]

I've owned the LG v10/20/30, if you want to play files locally, FLAC is probably preferable. Although ALAC will play just fine on the stock player. Many of the 3rd party players will not play hi-res ALAC properly. I've always kept my music on a 128GB micro sd card. Do make sure the purchase the Class 10 cards. I've had most of the popular music streaming subscriptions at some point. I've since cancelled all of them.

If you want to take advantage of the LG dac/headphone amp. You need headphones over 55ohm, or else it won't trigger the high power amplification mode. You can also use an AUX adapter to trigger a slightly higher amplification mode.

Wow, this is incredible info! How did you find these things out? (probably just asking the right questions on google?)

 

[bigx5murf]

Wow, this is incredible info! How did you find these things out? (probably just asking the right questions on google?)

I've used this series of phones since they were available. Prior I was always using the google nexus phones, and samsung galaxy. All of them had weak amplification, and I was turning up volume on my IEM and headphones to max when I was at the gym, and it was barely enough. So I was excited when these were announced. At first I was a bit disappointed by the v10, it didn't seem much louder than my previous phones, and I still needed max volume at the gym. Then I researched, and found out I could use a short AUX cord (male 3.5mm on one end, and female 3.5mm on the other), and it would trigger AUX mode, which was a huge improvement, volume at 50-60 was adequate for gym use. Eventually I got some 55ohm audio technica headphones, and now 40-50 volume was adequate for gym use.

The DAC, and headphone amp feature is good enough that I've stuck with this series of phones, even though I had less than stellar experiences with the v10, and v20. My v10 was replaced under warranty twice for the bootloop issue. My v20 was replaced once for bootloop issue, and by the time I was ready to upgrade, my example had extremely short battery life, and constant screen burn in. I've had the v30 for about a year now, and so far it's proven a step up from my previous LG phones in terms of reliability. I want to add, my wife had a LG g5, where the battery expanded, and tore the phone apart.

 

[WillVT]

It's been well documented since the LG V10, all of the LG improved DAC phones have 3 modes of headphone amplification, low impedance, aux mode, and high impedance mode. The v30 is the first one that won't tell you which mode it's in. It's not consistent either, I used a pair of 55ohm headphones at the gym with my v30, sometimes I have to unplug and replug the headphone in a few times before the volume suddenly gets much higher. When I had the v20, it was the same, it would show "Normal Mode" and after unplugging and replugging it would show "High Impedance mode".

https://forum.xda-developers.com/v20/themes/easy-method-to-force-impedance-mode-root-t3677342
https://www.reddit.com/r/lgv20/comments/6rah5v/high_impedance_mode/
https://android.gadgethacks.com/how...ce-mode-your-lg-v20-for-better-sound-0176383/

This was copied from the following link:https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...t-of-lg-g7-thinq-smartphone.4468/#post-101150

"All was not perfect here. LG has some screwy logic where it examines the impedance of the headphone and messes with the output level and hence power. This was not always consistent. We managed to get outputs as high as 2 volts RMS but other times, it would step down to 1.5 or even 1 volt. After a while, we managed to get consistent outputs resulting in these power numbers relative to load (just a volume step below clipping):"

Interesting. Thanks for the info and links. I also went through a series of 3 LG g7's all replaced because of the boot loop. They finally just gave me the v20, which has been great, except for some non working sensors.

I didn't know about the high impedance mode. I guess none of my headphones are high impedance? (Sennheiser hd428, Audio Technica ath-m10, various earbuds) Does a notification pop up indicating high impedance mode? I assume this is different from toggling the "Hifi Quad-dac" button? And high impedance mode is just louder, not better quality, right?

Edit: Well, I just answered part of my own question. The headphones I mentioned are 32ohm and 40ohm respectively, so not high impedance.

 

[bigx5murf]

Interesting. Thanks for the info and links. I also went through a series of 3 LG g7's all replaced because of the boot loop. They finally just gave me the v20, which has been great, except for some non working sensors.

I didn't know about the high impedance mode. I guess none of my headphones are high impedance? (Sennheiser hd428, Audio Technica ath-m10, various earbuds) Does a notification pop up indicating high impedance mode? I assume this is different from toggling the "Hifi Quad-dac" button? And high impedance mode is just louder, not better quality, right?

I don't know about the current firmware, but when I had it, if you went into settings/sound/Hi-Fi dac, at the very top it would say "High Impedance mode" if a 55+ ohm headphone was plugged in. Otherwise it'll say "Normal Mode". If you used an AUX cable it'll say "AUX mode". The modes limit amplification power, so louder is what's most noticeable. But personally, I felt the more powerful modes sounded better even with low impedance headphones. You could run at lower volume level, and the bass just seemed more controlled. You can test this out yourself by using a 3.5mm AUX cord (male one end, female the other), and plugging your low impedance headphones into the aux cord.

As I've mentioned, the impedance sensing wasn't always good. I often had to unplug and replug to get it to kick in.