Android 10 USB output quality?

[CorvusCorax]

Has the audio USB output quality increased with the release of Android 10?

 

I've read online that Android limits the audio output through USB to 16/44. But then I found this Android open source project Article that suggests that now with Android 10 audio is allowed  to 24+/192. 

 

I listen to headphones with an ifi Hip-dac. When I listen to a 24/192 track on Primephonic, the dac lights only light up green, indicating a stream of less than 192. My phone is running Android 10. There doesn't seem to be a way on the Hip-Dac to indicate the bit depth.

[seeteeyou]

 

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/best-smartphone-for-audiophile-part-ii-updated-jan-2020.853115/page-32#post-13766166

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A little tip for those with rooted device and want to have bit perfect playback. You can download the Ainur SAURON MK I.IV.II mod from XDA, which promises direct acces to the dac, without any oversampling/resampling bypassing the android system and its and optimizing for each case trough "AI installer"(should be working on most devices).

 

https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/guide-magisk-dolby-digital-plus-stock-custom-miui-pie-and-q.3924197/page-4#post-81600111

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Ainur Narsil (i use it to remove Android mixer n take advantage of DAC)

 

https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/ainur-audio-sauron-mk-iii-paused-narsil-mk-i-upd-01-01-2021.3450516/#post-68427401

https://4pda.ru/forum/index.php?showtopic=744922&st=16240#entry103048447

http://ainuraudio.ru/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ainur_narsil.zip

https://github.com/Magisk-Modules-Repo/ainur_narsil

http://ainuraudio.ru/ainur-narsil-android-audio-mod/

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Knowing about android downsampling problem, we want to give people an ability to control over Codec, DAC or hardware DSP parameters, so that you can force desired audio bitsize and discretization, in order to overcome that problem.

 

Ainur seemed to require Magisk

 

https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-install-magisk/

 

Other than that, only a few apps could bypass Android's audio stack

 

https://community.roonlabs.com/t/automatic-resampling-to-48khz/86916/5

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I’m curious how USB Audio Player Pro and Neutron player get round this?

 

https://www.spill.hk/glossary/android-src-sample-rate-conversion/

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如果想要做到 bit-perfect，將音訊以原生 Hi-Res 的方式輸出的話，就需要一些特別的處理。常見的做法就是通過 USB 輸出原生音訊，來繞過 Android 系統的音效處理架構。USB Audio Player Pro 就是最早採用這種設計的播歌 App，其後免費的 Hiby Music 也支援這種功能，Onkyo HF Player、Neutron Player、PowerAmp 等音樂播放 App 也陸續支援。

 

https://www.extreamsd.com/index.php/products/usb-audio-player-pro

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When connecting an Android phone or tablet to a USB DAC, USB Audio Player PRO will unleash the full power of the DAC, by using our custom developed USB audio driver. This bypasses the Android audio system completely, meaning that Android's limitations regarding bit resolution and sample rate (16-bit/48kHz) are made irrelevant and high quality audio streams are fed directly to the DAC, making playback up to 32-bit at 384kHz possible (depending on the DAC capabilities) or even DSD.

 

Unfortunately not all streaming services could be supported by those apps, therefore we'll need something else that's only available on a limited number of Android devices

 

https://store.hiby.com/products/hiby-r6-2020

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Systemwide Direct Transport Audio Architecture

Bypasses Android's sample rate conversions at the system level for bit-perfect audio output.

 

https://en.cayin.cn/products_info?itemid=123

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Direct Transport Audio (DTA) bypassing Android SRC, resampling free playback from all applications

 

There's also another thread started here not too long ago, though nobody specifically talked about the version of Android

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/qobuz/comments/jtvqce/any_point_in_streaming_in_high_res_on_android_app/

 

No easy solutions for previous releases of Android, and the status for Android 10 / 11 etc. might be unclear at the moment.

[CorvusCorax]

Thanks you for the reply.  I've rooted Android phones in the past.... do I have the guts to root my Moto G7?  If I do, I'll post back. 

[m.i.c.k.e.y]

The key to Android audio on using external DACs are using players that bypasses Android's Sound Layer and directly communicate your device. Thus not limiting you to 24/192 and enjoying what your dac/amp is capable of. Neutron MP and USB Audio Player Pro has been doing this for the past 8 years already. Recommending the later.

 

USB Audio Player Pro: TRIAL   BUY

Neutron MP: TRIAL  BUY

HibyMusic (Free): INSTALL

Onkyo HF: TRIAL BUY

(Best SQ IMO but limited to local playback and DSD128. Does upsampling)

 

Need an OTG cable connecting your phone to your DAC/Amp to work.

[CorvusCorax]

Thanks for the suggestions.  Sadly, those Android apps that bypass the OS's limitations don't support Primephonic, my streaming service of choice. The search for classical music on Primephonic is so much better than Tidal (which is supported by UAPP).

[m.i.c.k.e.y]

Sorry, was not familiar with Primephonic.

 

I am old school. Still prefer local or if at home NAS playback. 

[richard_crl032]

On 2/9/2021 at 7:55 AM, m.i.c.k.e.y said:

The key to Android audio on using external DACs are using players that bypasses Android's Sound Layer and directly communicate your device. Thus not limiting you to 24/192 and enjoying what your dac/amp is capable of. Neutron MP and USB Audio Player Pro has been doing this for the past 8 years already. Recommending the later.

 

USB Audio Player Pro: TRIAL   BUY

Neutron MP: TRIAL  BUY

HibyMusic (Free): INSTALL

Onkyo HF: TRIAL BUY

(Best SQ IMO but limited to local playback and DSD128. Does upsampling)

 

Need an OTG cable connecting your phone to your DAC/Amp to work.

Other than the critical failure of these available drivers being active only within each app, other android apps will fail to have sound as even if each app release back audio driver control, android does not take it back control with its android audio driver e.g. phone calls, googlemaps etc. will hv no audio output.

 

Seems simple to poll back android driver but no available true solution till date 🤥

 

Cheers.