Android mobile as AUDIO source

[kaushik]

Phone as FLAC AUDIO PLAYER with USB DAC
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I have seen USB OTG cable here .. SAMSUNG GALAXY S2 S II I9100 USB OTG CABLE ADAPTER
I Guess Samsung Galaxy S2 has USB otg (software driver required to work with external USB devices) in firmware
It will be a fun experiment to enable cheaper android cells as USB Host .

Calling firmware flashers / active mobile tweaker (any 1!?? ???) to enable this feature

Lets make Galaxy S1 as source ....so that we can use USB DAC to play audio from cell .
As I have done Gingerbread flashing changing modem/kernel of the android cells,
looking ways to enable OTG in android eclair of SGS1.


Advantages :
- Battery based playback so supply noise can be avoided
- No need to boot the source , unlike laptop as it is always ON [mobile]
- May be better /accurate playback from solid state memory
- Galaxy S has good 16GB and we can take advantage of android apps for a beautiful playback touch interface
-After all all firmware flashing is free, cable is just 348/-

 

[gopib]

I am also thinking on same lines. There are also some MP3 players with touch, wi-fi and android based. Pairing this with an dac/amp combination...how about it??

 

[iaudio]

Kaushik, can Galaxy S be made to act as Usb host? Even I am running GB based custom rom, rooted. The hp out is quite good too. It would be great if what you said could be implemented.

 

[keith_correa]

Instead of a mobile, why not a relatively inexpensive tablet?

 

[linuxguru]

The Nokia X2-01 Symbian Series 40 smartphone has a built-in music player that can play MP3, WAV and AAC formats. The DAC and analog signal path is outstanding - comparable to a high-end CD player like a Marantz CD400x/500x/600x. It has a microSD slot which supports up to 8 GB cards (enough for a lot of MP3s). It can be written to like a USB mass-storage device with a stock micro-USB cable connected to a PC.

Best of all, it costs only ~Rs.3.5k, the battery lasts forever per charge, and the audio-out is a standard 3.5mm polar jack. BTW, it's also a very nice voice, SMS and 2G phone, but I'd pay Rs.3.5k just for the quality of audio play-back. The only minor drawback is that the signal level at max volume is just about enough for IEMs, so you'll need a headphone amp for driving most large cans.

 

[jaudere]

The Nokia X2-01 Symbian Series 40 smartphone has a built-in music player that can play MP3, WAV and AAC formats. The DAC and analog signal path is outstanding - comparable to a high-end CD player like a Marantz CD400x/500x/600x.

Are you serious? I want to believe it but find it difficult to believe. Have you tried any other nokia phones. Like N series? Have you tried any other smart phones Of any company? What is so special about the model you have mentioned? Any different kind of DAC? I am looking for a secondary handset and your post is very interesting.

Is the sound better than players like cowon/i pod?

I will be connecting it to my main amp for regular listening.

 

[ukjeyaraj]

I use my Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo at times to play my collection through Pioneer VSX-521. It sounds nice. I have only FLAC collection in my Android. It took few days to find out right player for playing FLAC in the mobile. For the time being I am settled with Meridian Player. I will keep looking for better ones.

 

[linuxguru]

Have you tried any other smart phones Of any company? What is so special about the model you have mentioned? Any different kind of DAC? I am looking for a secondary handset and your post is very interesting.

Is the sound better than players like cowon/i pod?

I will be connecting it to my main amp for regular listening.

I've heard a Samsung touch-screen phone (not sure about the model) and an iPod Classic 4th Gen model - the Nokia X2-01 is audibly better.

I'm not sure about what DAC/IV conversion chips are used in the Nokia, but the whole setup is very good indeed. I ran the output to my flagship MyRef Rev E + LF01 power amp combination, driving a pair of Fostex 6" full-rangers at Gobble's place last Sunday, and it was sonically outstanding.

(I liked "Chinna Chinna Asai" from Roja played through the Nokia X2-01 better than anything that Gobble played through his $1.5k Shigaraki DACs, but that's probably just a personal preference...)

 

[jaudere]

Thanks. Thats really interesting. Memory of 8 gb is the only crib point. Doesnt matter. One can have 3 cards of 8 gb for MUSIC.

 

[iaudio]

Jaudere, I have a nokia 5130xm which has very good s.q for the price.So I dont find linux gurus x2-01 experience hard to believe.
But I find my Samsung Galaxy S even better. The SGS along with my Sansa Clip plus are my staple music players. The Sansa Clip Plus is only 30$, for 8 gb, can expand another 32 gb and has fantastic audio quality! And yes, I have owned Cowon D2, have ipod touch, nano etc on long term loans too.

 

[sups]

The Nokia X2-01 Symbian Series 40 smartphone has a built-in music player that can play MP3, WAV and AAC formats. The DAC and analog signal path is outstanding - comparable to a high-end CD player like a Marantz CD400x/500x/600x.

I'd pay Rs.3.5k just for the quality of audio play-back.

Thats good to know. Is it true for all the nokia x-series phones, like Nokia x3-02? Its costs little more, about 7.4K. But I heard its very good for music. It also has 3G, wifi etc.

Other Nokia phone which I heard to have a very good sound quality is Nokia C6-01, its bit expensive at about 13.7K.

 

[jaudere]

Jaudere, I have a nokia 5130xm which has very good s.q for the price.So I dont find linux gurus x2-01 experience hard to believe.
But I find my Samsung Galaxy S even better. The SGS along with my Sansa Clip plus are my staple music players. The Sansa Clip Plus is only 30$, for 8 gb, can expand another 32 gb and has fantastic audio quality! And yes, I have owned Cowon D2, have ipod touch, nano etc on long term loans too.

Thanks for the info. How does the nokia model 5130 compare with cowon & Sansa clip ? Can these things really go near a cd player or even a good dvd player?

 

[Cherian]

Deleting, old thread

 

[iaudio]

I feel the Clip Plus is much better than the nokia 5130. I am talking about headphones/iems thru the 3.5mm hp jack.

Now, as far as audio playback thru speaker system/ home hi fi goes, imho, none of these players come close to the cd player.
If that s the objective, an ipod with a good dock and a good set of ICs may do the job to an extent.

 

[gobble]

Are you serious? I want to believe it but find it difficult to believe. Have you tried any other nokia phones. Like N series? Have you tried any other smart phones Of any company? What is so special about the model you have mentioned? Any different kind of DAC? I am looking for a secondary handset and your post is very interesting.

Is the sound better than players like cowon/i pod?

I will be connecting it to my main amp for regular listening.

I've heard a Samsung touch-screen phone (not sure about the model) and an iPod Classic 4th Gen model - the Nokia X2-01 is audibly better.

I'm not sure about what DAC/IV conversion chips are used in the Nokia, but the whole setup is very good indeed. I ran the output to my flagship MyRef Rev E + LF01 power amp combination, driving a pair of Fostex 6" full-rangers at Gobble's place last Sunday, and it was sonically outstanding.

(I liked "Chinna Chinna Asai" from Roja played through the Nokia X2-01 better than anything that Gobble played through his $1.5k Shigaraki DACs, but that's probably just a personal preference...)

<Kaff!> <Kaff!> <Sudden bout of indigestion> Wha?!! We didnt A/B the same tracks on my Shigaraki vs Nokia

The X2 is quiet musical and clean sounding and great as a cellphone music player for sure! But I strongly suspect the Maratntz CD6002 has better Heft, Body Timbre and Tone. the listening experience was nice for relaxation and foot tapping, but I am not sure it will pass muster with a breed of neurotics that call themselves audiophiles. Esp, when we only heard low bitrate music on the X2 ... hyeah:

I would prefer a X2-01 over another tiny MP for sure.

Cheers

 

[vipul_bscity]

I am using my Samsung Galaxy 5 for playing FLACs since quite sometime. I am using a PowerAMP player downloaded from Android market. I do not want to start a debate on good DACs vs this, but when I pair this with my Sansuis, the sound quality on all the parameters are impressive.

I can say that it can even satisfy a majority of audiophiles. The PowerAMP player has got quite a few settings which you can use, even the screen layout and usability is good enough.

A wonderful setup in this price. Many a FLAC songs beats my iPod playing AAC format.

The issues although are, your phone is engaged, and it skips the audio for a sec when a msg or a mail is landed on the phone.

Cheers

 

[iaudio]

The first thing that seems to suffer with connecting a pmp/phone 3.5mm jack to your amp via a mini stereo to stereo rca cable( ipod cable, as it is known) is the gain seems to suffer. I guess it is much lesser than the 2 V signal that a CDp, DAC/DVDp outputs.

And though there is clarity and you can hear everything, what suffers is the soundstage and dynamics.
I do not get with my pmp a well defined 3D soundstage and a pitch black(silent) background and thereby separation, which I get with the CDp and to an extent with my bare bones DAC.
But as portable music players, todays phones have really caught up and are worthy replacements for the ipods, cowons etc Pair the iphone 4 or the SGS with a good pair of iems and you will find it hard to believe the sound quality.

 

[jaudere]

So the overall consensus seems that the newer phones are better than or at least equal to ipod or cowon as far as earphones are used but not a replacement for a cdp.

 

[linuxguru]

So the overall consensus seems that the newer phones are better than or at least equal to ipod or cowon as far as earphones are used but not a replacement for a cdp.

I need to do an A/B with the same CD track(s) on the CD6002 and .wav on the X2-01 before I can give a conclusive judgement on the matter - however, my instinct is that some of the newer phones (including the X2-01) can easily surpass most CDPs and almost every unmodified DVDP. The Lithium polymer batteries on the newer phones have a very clean and low noise floor.

The portability, convenience and price are other factors that make phones compelling.

 

[kaushik]

There is 'hope' for a decent player out of phones ...as like lazy me no one does real tests.
Looking for Linux gurus tests ,I dont think i will do the test in a sort period of time .
ABCD tests , killing CDp we will see later...
Can we avoid talks like while "to eat a banana u need to peel it "...eg while phone is a source it will not be a dedicated one..