S.M.S.L IDOL - USB DAC - Android mobile - Compatibility issues - Plz help

[elangoas]

Hi All,

Recently picked up an USB DAC (S.M.S.L IDOL) from Malaysia for 4K from Malaysia for my brother to use along with Android phone for his car stereo..

Some pics of the DAC

Per the specs, the DAC supports Android 4.0 and above...

I used Hibymusic (Free) application from playstore..

I own a YU Yureka Plus mobile which runs on Android 4.4.2.. When i plug the DAC to the mobile, it gets detected and the hibymusic application prompts me with popup to use the device.. The device gets powered up, a small LED lights up on the DAC..

I just couldn't get the outpt on mobile headphones..

I used it on my wifes mobile Infocus M530 which runs on Android 4.4.2 and my brothers Xolo Q 700 which runs on Android 4.2.. All these phones support OTG... No Audio output thru mobile headphones...[emoji17]

When i connect the DAC to my moms phone, ASUS Zenfone Laser which runs on Android 5.0, am able to get output on headphones thru this DAC..[emoji1]

So i thought this device is compatible only with Android 5.0 and above.. So tested it on Moto X play which runs on Android 6.0.. There is output only sometimes..[emoji1]

Also tried connecting to Lava Pixel V1 on 6.0 and Huwaei Honor 6x also on 6.0.. No audio ouput...[emoji19]

Finally tested it on laptop running on Win 7.. No output..[emoji17]

Am i missing any setting? Juz can't figure the issue... Appreciate your inputs...

Sent from my YU5510A using Tapatalk

 

[all4music]

on windows laptop you might need drivers for it to work.

for mobiles it seems strange: can you try running it with Rocket Music player - i know many would recommend their own favorite players but this works just fine for me [on hifimediy android DAC]

 

[elangoas]

on windows laptop you might need drivers for it to work.

for mobiles it seems strange: can you try running it with Rocket Music player - i know many would recommend their own favorite players but this works just fine for me [on hifimediy android DAC]

This DAC supports only 96 khz/24bit, which i think should easily ouput on any USB on Win 7 Pc.. Do they still need drivers?

Sure will try the Media player and update..

Sent from my YU5510A using Tapatalk

 

[krishtrinity]

i got the fiio k1 and it doesn't work when connected directly to my one plus one,what i did was connect a usb hub in middle and then connect dac,it works fine after that.In windows go to advanced audio settings and change to 24 bit 96hz

 

[krishtrinity]

In android 6.0 use the developer option there is option to change USB mode to midi,after that you connect USB hub and DAC you can listen without application like hibimusic.
https://www.amazon.in/gp/aw/d/B010SXQY3A/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This is USB hub I uses.I use it to connect my modi DAC to smartphone too extra cables help to give external power to dac.DAC is not working because the phone is not sending enough power to DAC.Connecting a USB hub makes the phone think it needs extra power that is why DAC with usbhub works

 

[akstorm]

That is strange.

For windows did you change the default playback device to Usb?

For the phone - what are you using to connect the phone to the dac? I use my fiio q1 with a moto x play, mi3 and mi pad and i have never had any issues. i use a otg cable followed by a normal data cable.

 

[elangoas]

Thanks for all your inputs.. Tried rocket player & neutron player too.. Didn't work..

However tried the USB Audio Player Pro (UAPP) Trial app and it works flawlessly both on my Mobile (Yu Yureka +) and my wife's mobile (Infocus M530)..But the time was limited to only 20 mins of playback...

Will try the trial app on my brothers Xolo Q700 mobile during the weekend and update here...

The UAPP app costs a ridiculous Rs 600 on play store Would be happy to pay Rs 100 and download the app...

Is there a workaround for the app to make it work without paying money

 

[elangoas]

Finally found that 16-bit output was the issue with Foobar.. Changed it to 24-bit and it works perfectly fine...

I had used an Encore mDAC earlier, but that didn't have any issues like this.. It was straight plug & play anywhere...

 

[elangoas]

IDOL features:??

1.USB audio source specification:24bit/44.1kHz-96kHz
2.Low power-consumption design,Driven by phone power directly
3.High-quality LDO power IC,purified USB power.
4.Extremely low clock jitter,Using two pieces independent high accuracy crystal.
5.3.5mm headphone output and digital audio opticcal output.
6.Using the newest high end DAC chip PCM5122 from TI company.
7.Using asynchronous transmission chip TAS1020B from TI company.
8.High power output,Low THD headphone amplifier

Input Level: 2.5 Vrms
THD+N: 0.003%
Dynamic Range: 108dB
SN: 105dB
Headphone output power: 100mW + 100mW (32ohm @ THD = 0.1%)
Output Jacks: headphone output, Optical output
USB audio source specification: 24bit/44.1kHz-96kHz
USB transmission way: asynchronous
USB compatibility : Windows, Mac OS iOS, Android 4.0 or above

I would like to use this with Win 7 PC,.. So thinking of connecting the USB DAC to Sonodyne stereo power amplifier that has RCA Inputs using 3.5mm to RCA connectors..

- Would the headphone output of the DAC be able to supply the signal to stereo power amplifier ?
- Would i be damaging the power amplifier (or) the speakers if i connect the above way ?
- There is volume control button on the USB DAC.. Should i use the DAC's volume (or) PC's volume to control the stereo power amplifier?

Appreciate if someone could someone help me with connectivity...

 

[Audiodoc]

No you can connect the dac headphone output to any amplifier. Keep the pc volume at full and use dac volume control. There is no problem in controlling volume at the level of DAC or Amplifier. At the pc a lower volume may limit fidelity of high resolution audio.
Most amplifiers need around 2v at input as is the case of most cd players otherwise one needs an integrated amplifier so 2.5v in this case is more than enough.

 

[elangoas]

No you can connect the dac headphone output to any amplifier. Keep the pc volume at full and use dac volume control. There is no problem in controlling volume at the level of DAC or Amplifier. At the pc a lower volume may limit fidelity of high resolution audio.
Most amplifiers need around 2v at input as is the case of most cd players otherwise one needs an integrated amplifier so 2.5v in this case is more than enough.

I just connected the USB DAC's headphone output to stereo power amplifier directly...

When playing 2 channel music on Foobar, PC Volume pot has no effect on volume of DAC.. Only DAC's volume button's are functional..

Foobar volume control is functional.. So i set the DAC's volume to full and controlled with Foobar volume slider.. But slightly difficult to control over mouse..

When playing movies thru Kodi, only DAC's volume control is functional.. Didn't get to the volume control of Kodi... Will try that too...

 

[Audiodoc]

The volume control on the dac is a digital volume control between the analog output of the dac chip and headphone amplifier chip. Ideally there should have been a line output after this volume control to give 2v fixed output to the power amplifier without adding or subtracting anything to the original signal which the headphone amp may introduce.

For some dac a lower volume in the pc player like foobar or wmp may decrease the audio quality of 24 bit music so it is preffered to keep it fixed at full and use the digital volume control on the dac for miniscule better results.

Otherwise there is no night and day difference of using either volume controls.

 

[greenhorn]

you might want to run this test on your android phones
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.chainfire.usbhostdiagnostics&hl=en

 

[elangoas]

At present am using this USB DAC directly with a stereo power amplifier connected to BS speakers..

All this while i was thinking that BS (Sonodyne Sonus 1501) lacked low bass.. This DAC is really capable of pushing real low & i could feel the BS rumble which i have never heard...The bass from this DAC is really beautiful.. If i had a really capable FS, i could exploit the DAC fully..

Anyways i have a question..

This USB DAC is an headphone amplifier too, which requires the user to control volume using the physical keys on the DAC..

Is there a possible mod that we can do to disable the headphone amplifier and get only lineout? If this is possible, i could use my PC's volume pot to control my Stereo power amplifier..

Please let me know if this is a complex (or) simple mod ? Also would i be screwing the DAC's output.. If so i will refrain doing it..

 

[regeHA]

At present am using this USB DAC directly with a stereo power amplifier connected to BS speakers..

All this while i was thinking that BS (Sonodyne Sonus 1501) lacked low bass.. This DAC is really capable of pushing real low & i could feel the BS rumble which i have never heard...The bass from this DAC is really beautiful.. If i had a really capable FS, i could exploit the DAC fully..

Anyways i have a question..

This USB DAC is an headphone amplifier too, which requires the user to control volume using the physical keys on the DAC..

Is there a possible mod that we can do to disable the headphone amplifier and get only lineout? If this is possible, i could use my PC's volume pot to control my Stereo power amplifier..

Please let me know if this is a complex (or) simple mod ? Also would i be screwing the DAC's output.. If so i will refrain doing it..

To my knowledge (and personal experince with SMSL) the volume knob kicks in only for headphones and not when used as a DAC.

At least that's the case with the SMSL DACs I've used (SD793-II and Sanskrit). In pure DAC mode the volume knob has no bearing on the volume... and its always at zero. Never used the headphone amp. I use the amp for volume control.

 

[elangoas]

To my knowledge (and personal experince with SMSL) the volume knob kicks in only for headphones and not when used as a DAC.

At least that's the case with the SMSL DACs I've used (SD793-II and Sanskrit). In pure DAC mode the volume knob has no bearing on the volume... and its always at zero. Never used the headphone amp. I use the amp for volume control.

Am not sure if i overlooked this feature here.. I will try setting the volume of the DAC to 0 and try to use the PC's volume to control the power amplifier directly if it is feasible and update here...

BTW am using the DAC as Pre-amp too..

But PC's volume control has not effect on the DAC is what i observed sometime back..

 

[elangoas]

To my knowledge (and personal experince with SMSL) the volume knob kicks in only for headphones and not when used as a DAC.

I set the volume control on the DAC to 0, there was no output to speakers.

Also PC's volume pot had no effect on the volume..

 

[elangoas]

This USB DAC is an headphone amplifier too, which requires the user to control volume using the physical keys on the DAC..

Is there a possible mod that we can do to disable the headphone amplifier and get only lineout? If this is possible, i could use my PC's volume pot to control my Stereo power amplifier..

Please let me know if this is a complex (or) simple mod ? Also would i be screwing the DAC's output.. If so i will refrain doing it..

 

[regeHA]

This USB DAC is an headphone amplifier too, which requires the user to control volume using the physical keys on the DAC..

Is there a possible mod that we can do to disable the headphone amplifier and get only lineout? If this is possible, i could use my PC's volume pot to control my Stereo power amplifier..

Please let me know if this is a complex (or) simple mod ? Also would i be screwing the DAC's output.. If so i will refrain doing it..

Why not set the DAC volume to 100% and control the volume via the amp remote (or headphone amp in your case)? PC/mobile media player works too... but in all my setups (via digital/mostly Toslink output) the source is set at 100% and volume control is via amp.

This is for both audio and video... even TV is set at 100% as well as all apps and intermediary gadgets. Volume control is always via stereo amp/receiver or AVR.

Mod can always be done, but I'd refrain unless you really know what you are doing and are into DIY. Better to have someone more knowledgeable look into it for the mod. Honestly not worth it considering what the DAC costs... the mod might actually cost more.

 

[elangoas]

Why not set the DAC volume to 100% and control the volume via the amp remote (or headphone amp in your case)? PC/mobile media player works too... but in all my setups (via digital/mostly Toslink output) the source is set at 100% and volume control is via amp.

This is for both audio and video... even TV is set at 100% as well as all apps and intermediary gadgets. Volume control is always via stereo amp/receiver or AVR.

Mod can always be done, but I'd refrain unless you really know what you are doing and are into DIY. Better to have someone more knowledgeable look into it for the mod. Honestly not worth it considering what the DAC costs... the mod might actually cost more.

I have connected the DAC to stereo power amplifier directly, which leaves me with an option of volume to be controlled from PC(which isn't possible) or from physical keys on DAC..

Had i connected to stereo amplifier, i would have set the volume to 100% on the DAC and controlled the volume using the amplifier's remote control.

I don't have the expertise of doing the mod on the DAC.. If any FM could help me do that, i am happy to risk the mod..

But anyways you have suggested the mod is not worth it taking the DAC cost into account..