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NZtechfreak

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#97091 10-Feb-2012 12:45
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Hi everyone,

Thought I would post about an Android issue that is bugging me - the fact that despite USB Host functionality being present in ICS, USB DACs (digital audio converters, external sound cards if you will) do not work with our devices . 

If they did work then we could use relatively cheap USB DACs with our Android phones and enjoy great music sound quality, no matter which cheap DAC/DSP the manufacturer has seen fit to include. Ever since I sold my Galaxy S, which has an excellent Wolfson DAC and can produce awesome sound quality with Voodoo Sound, the sound quality of my subsequent devices has rankled. Now with ICS this is a simple software fix, which makes it all the more irritating (someone has managed to add support for these in a Nook Colour kernel that works with CM9). To be honest I'm seriously considering buying an iPhone for the first time ever because they have this functionality out of the box.

Fortunately there is something we can do about this besides making ineffectual unhappy noises and waiting for customs ROMs etc to fix this - vote the issue up here: http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=24614&sort=-stars&colspec=ID%20Type%20Status%20Owner%20Summary%20Stars

To vote just star the issue.

This issue needs 1200 votes to enter the top ten, which doesn't seem a big ask given the hundreds of millions of Android users out there... 

Please star this and share this out to your social networks - help save me from having to continue think about getting an iPhone!

[UPDATE: Since starting to campaign for this issue 45 stars received so far, issue raised 11 places - thanks all who have voted so far - lets keep going!]




Twitter: @nztechfreak
Blogs: HeadphoNZ.org


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dontpanic42
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  #579700 10-Feb-2012 12:55
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This sounds like a great idea.
The issue has been starred!!

As an aside, I wasn't aware that iPhones had this capability "out-of-the-box".
Do iPhones allow for USB OTG via an adaptor or something?



NZtechfreak

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  #579702 10-Feb-2012 12:57
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They have line-out capability, so it doesn't function via USB (bit unclear in my original post about that). Naturally being the iPhone you need a special adapter, but once you have it you're good to go with stuff like the FiiO E7.




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dontpanic42
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  #579704 10-Feb-2012 13:00
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Is that Digital line-out, or just regular analogue?

Some of those FiiO DAC headphone pre-amps look amazing!! Why have I never come across these awesome devices before?!?! 



Linuxluver
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  #579761 10-Feb-2012 13:53
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Done. 




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Jaxson
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  #579776 10-Feb-2012 14:05
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Isn't the other one the Android lack of native Proxy support?
(Hard to utilise the work network you know?!)

NZtechfreak

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  #579779 10-Feb-2012 14:10
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Jaxson: Isn't the other one the Android lack of native Proxy support?
(Hard to utilise the work network you know?!)


Check the issues list - it is probably there too! 




Twitter: @nztechfreak
Blogs: HeadphoNZ.org


NZtechfreak

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  #579782 10-Feb-2012 14:13
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dontpanic42: Is that Digital line-out, or just regular analogue?


Not sure, didn't look much into beyond ample confirmation they work!

dontpanic42:Some of those FiiO DAC headphone pre-amps look amazing!! Why have I never come across these awesome devices before?!?! 


Yeah, have recently gotten into this stuff a bit. I have an E17 on order, combined headphone amp and DAC. Many of their cheaper models like the E7 have excellent reputations though.

I do actually have one at home, the HiFiMan HM-101 - only $40 USD. Sadly not self-powered so not really a go with portable devices, but great with my PC (vastly better than it's inbuilt sound card).




Twitter: @nztechfreak
Blogs: HeadphoNZ.org


 
 
 
 

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stevenz
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  #579807 10-Feb-2012 15:11
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NZtechfreak:
Jaxson: Isn't the other one the Android lack of native Proxy support?
(Hard to utilise the work network you know?!)


Check the issues list - it is probably there too! 


It does have it, sort of. It's a semi-"hidden" option, if you press the "settings" button in the wireless setup menu you can go to the "advanced" menu and select a fixed proxy which affects _all_ wireless connections and change wireless ranges.

In ICS the option is under advanced settings in the configuration for each individual wireless connection which is much more versatile.

I may well be misunderstanding your intent however.

 




stevenz
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  #579810 10-Feb-2012 15:13
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NZtechfreak:
dontpanic42: Is that Digital line-out, or just regular analogue?


Not sure, didn't look much into beyond ample confirmation they work!

dontpanic42:Some of those FiiO DAC headphone pre-amps look amazing!! Why have I never come across these awesome devices before?!?! 


Yeah, have recently gotten into this stuff a bit. I have an E17 on order, combined headphone amp and DAC. Many of their cheaper models like the E7 have excellent reputations though.

I do actually have one at home, the HiFiMan HM-101 - only $40 USD. Sadly not self-powered so not really a go with portable devices, but great with my PC (vastly better than it's inbuilt sound card).


Have a look at the Maverick Audio DAC (www.mav-audio.com), I had a D1 and it's a fantastic unit. 




Jaxson
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  #579820 10-Feb-2012 15:31
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stevenz:
It does have it, sort of. It's a semi-"hidden" option, if you press the "settings" button in the wireless setup menu you can go to the "advanced" menu and select a fixed proxy which affects _all_ wireless connections and change wireless ranges. 
  


I'm running 2.3.3 on an LG P500 but that option is not available in that area.  You can get right to the end but Proxy is not in that menu, so I think some manufacturers have included it and others haven't. 

NZtechfreak

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  #579854 10-Feb-2012 16:36
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stevenz: Have a look at the Maverick Audio DAC (www.mav-audio.com), I had a D1 and it's a fantastic unit. 


Looks nice as a non-portable solution, I went with the E17 since this issue is mostly about portability for me (sure I will at some stage look for something for home like the D1).




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Stu

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  #580047 11-Feb-2012 00:14
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Done

NZtechfreak

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  #580049 11-Feb-2012 00:22
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Cheers mate! Now had an additional 65 votes and moved 16 places up the ladder!




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Stu

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  #580053 11-Feb-2012 00:33
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At least it's moving in the right direction!

kiwitrc
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  #580058 11-Feb-2012 05:29
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For those of you who are blind buggers like me, the star is near the top left hand side next to the title (spent 2 minutes looking for it :)

357 stars now.

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