[SOLVED] Is it worth getting a DAC for my Android phone with 1More Triple Driver Over-Ear headphones?

Rodion15

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I'm thinking of getting these nice $200 1More Triple Driver Over-Ear wired headphones. I intend to use music with Spotify or Youtube Music, nothing too audiophile.
I wonder if it's worth getting a DAC to attach to my Android OnePlus7T. Or maybe these headphones aren't really high-end to deserve it?

Any advice much welcome
 
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This is quite interesting, but leaves me puzzled: for example: the FiiO BTR1K doesn't have a headphone jack, it receives the bluetooth signal and seemingly amplifies it. But how does this work? the bluetooth transmitter in the phone isn't that good, as bluetooth compresses and decompresses the signal (uses lossy compression so the audio reaches the DAC with some loss of quality). I guess this would be a good option for some player with a very good bluetooth transmitter.
The ones with a headphone jack equally receives the bluetooth signal from a phone with a doubious bluetooth transmitter.
The IFI Hip DAC I mentioned should do a better job as it takes a pure digital audio signal from whichever app and injects it to the...
Two things need to happen for a DAC to work on a smartphone:
  • said smart phone must support OTG;
  • said smart phone must have built-in drivers for external audio cards (which is what DAC is).
On top of that, that DAC needs power as well, another unknown. I'd say - for streamed music ("nothing too audio-phille"), direct connect to the phone is the best.
 
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I have not heard them to comment. I have heard they're quite good for the price but they're more on ear rather than over ear and I don't like on ear fitment. I believe they're also rather hard to drive. You'd need to be looking at an amp/DAC combo for them and not just a DAC.
 

Rodion15

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I have not heard them to comment. I have heard they're quite good for the price but they're more on ear rather than over ear and I don't like on ear fitment. I believe they're also rather hard to drive. You'd need to be looking at an amp/DAC combo for them and not just a DAC.
I was thinking of the $180 IFI Hip DAC, almost as expensive as the headset. Maybe not worth for Spotify/ YouTube music...
 
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I'd start elsewhere with a $350-$400 budget rather than the One More's and the IFI.

Total budget?

What kind of music do you like?

Where are you using them and what source? PC, laptop, phone? Home use or portable?
 

Rodion15

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I'd start elsewhere with a $350-$400 budget rather than the One More's and the IFI.

Total budget?

What kind of music do you like?

Where are you using them and what source? PC, laptop, phone? Home use or portable?

Music I like: some classical: Schumann. Pink Floyd. Pat Metheny. Some jazz. I like a lot good bass music: Funk, DJ tiesto.

I'd rather use my OP7T Android with Youtube Music or perhaps Amazon Music HD (which offeres better bitrates).

I wonder if there's some over-the-ear headphones that include a DAC+Amplifier. I'd like bluetooth but I heard they offer less quality so I'd go wired if needed.

Thanks
 
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Well there's no headphone jack on that phone so yes you'll have to use Bluetooth headphones if you want that as a source.
 
Since that phone is either bluetooth or usb dac/amp, you can use a good bluetooth adapter for headphones. https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-BTR3K-B...=fiio+brt&qid=1602997528&s=electronics&sr=1-8 or higher end that can drive more headphones https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-BTR5-38...dp/B07ZK3M6XK/ref=psdc_13880161_t1_B085XT3V3X

I own the BRT1K which is not a current product but you can still buy it, I like the size and the fact it has a clip on it https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1455109-REG/fiio_btr1k_portable_high_fidelity_bluetooth.html/?ap=y&ap=y&smp=y&smp=y&lsft=BI:514&gclid=CjwKCAjwrKr8BRB_EiwA7eFapp2n8IDEjRpdEXv_nzuIDW9-T6r9PdMz1CfJ2Fvqho5MMbiA0Jff8xoChd4QAvD_BwE It also acts like a DAC and a smaller power amp you can stick on a computer, and may work on a phone also. I actually run it quite a bit on my laptop and had it setup as a car input for AUX in till I got a radio with bluetooth build in.

Using one of those things, or the EarStudio ES100 which is another great option, you can use many headphones, not just those with bluetooth built in. There is a newer product that I have not tried or read about also but aside from the size/clip it does not have much advantage over the other ones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088F7C97...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl
 
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Rodion15

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Sep 11, 2011
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This is quite interesting, but leaves me puzzled: for example: the FiiO BTR1K doesn't have a headphone jack, it receives the bluetooth signal and seemingly amplifies it. But how does this work? the bluetooth transmitter in the phone isn't that good, as bluetooth compresses and decompresses the signal (uses lossy compression so the audio reaches the DAC with some loss of quality). I guess this would be a good option for some player with a very good bluetooth transmitter.
The ones with a headphone jack equally receives the bluetooth signal from a phone with a doubious bluetooth transmitter.
The IFI Hip DAC I mentioned should do a better job as it takes a pure digital audio signal from whichever app and injects it to the DAC-Amplifier which won't degrade the signal as there's no bluetooth compression (it's intended for wired headphones with a 3.5mm jack).

Thanks for your answer
 
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This is quite interesting, but leaves me puzzled: for example: the FiiO BTR1K doesn't have a headphone jack, it receives the bluetooth signal and seemingly amplifies it. But how does this work? the bluetooth transmitter in the phone isn't that good, as bluetooth compresses and decompresses the signal (uses lossy compression so the audio reaches the DAC with some loss of quality). I guess this would be a good option for some player with a very good bluetooth transmitter.
The ones with a headphone jack equally receives the bluetooth signal from a phone with a doubious bluetooth transmitter.
The IFI Hip DAC I mentioned should do a better job as it takes a pure digital audio signal from whichever app and injects it to the DAC-Amplifier which won't degrade the signal as there's no bluetooth compression (it's intended for wired headphones with a 3.5mm jack).

Thanks for your answer

There is a 3.5 mm headphone jack on the BTR1K, and it's a bit amplified as well. It won't be as clean of a signal as a USB DAC and amp on the phone, but it is good enough that it is not easy to tell the difference. It also has the benefit of making any headphone wireless, or really anything you can connect to the 3.5 mm jack. Really can come down to if you want a DAC hanging off the phone, or an adapter at end of the headphone cable.
 
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