Will this DAC/headphone-amp dongle work with *your* phone? [Fosi Audio DS2]

I thought that any DAC/headphone-amp dongle would work with any phone. But sometimes there can be a few hoops to jump through first. Here's how to make sure that the Fosi Audio DS2 and other DAC/headphone-amp dongles will work with your phone.
Product page - fosiaudio.com/pages/dac-headp...
Purchase link - amzn.to/49q1Fpl
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Disclaimer: Videos on this channel may include affiliate links and may feature software that has been received free of charge with an NFR (not for resale) licence, equipment that has been loaned or donated by a manufacturer or distributer, or equipment that has been bought for less than full retail price.

[@philipkershaw7918]

I bought a dongle so small that it was carried off by ants!

[@athathsonty2925]

Never knew Ants are interested in HiFi Products.

[@philipkershaw7918]

@@athathsonty2925 Pesky creatures will make off with anything if it isn't nailed down!

[@Af1st1]

Hopefully they have a good taste in music!Could be Adam Ant fans!

[@philipkershaw7918]

@@Af1st1 I see what you did there.

[@athathsonty2925]

@@Af1st1 ha ha !

[@verdedoodleduck]

Always love the unboxings! Just a hint of sarcastic aplomb. :)

[@barlow2976]

It was a Fiio dac dongle that opened my eyes, or rather ears, to what's possible. I still use it with my IEMs in the gym, I would now find it impossible to listen without it. No problems with my six year old mid-range Samsung Galaxy. As a result of that £40 dongle I've spent nearly £1k updating my gear , which comprises some vintage, but all used gear. My Mojo is the star of the show, but these little dangle things represent the biggest improvement in hifi per quid, by a huge amount.

[@1jfmurray]

Using the Khadas Tea at the moment with IEMs as my goto gym rig. Cleanest set up I've used so far.

[@nickmoranis2865]

I bought a cheapo usb-c to headphone jack for my iPhone and it sounds great. I’m assuming there’s a dac in there.

[@SteveHuffer]

Fiio LT-LT2 cable will do the job.

[@obsprisma]

More expensive dongle DAC's have both cables inside. But yeah, Apple has also escaped their lightning shit into USB-C. There's finaly light(ning) coming into the heads of Apple

[@edwinsanchez4889]

I tried the LT-LT2 and LT-LT3 to connect my Fosi DS1 to my iPhone 11. A complete bust. No sound whatsoever.

[@karlos543]

Any idea if you can get the 4.4 to RCA or is it just as good from the smaller one to RCA's? Modern listening is very confusing for me now!

[@paulstubbs7678]

The 'OTG' function allows a phone to output power to run external devices, like this.

[@dave91863]

What about daps v dongles ? Is the sound quality noticeable ? For the amount you spend on a dap you can get 10 dongles with different dacs so i would assume dongles are a better option

[@andymouse]

Fascinating as I had no idea what DSD was and I believe it happened in the 80's or around then when I only cared about volume and musical enhancements weren't electronic at least not at the user end, they were much more organic. I can see why DSD is niche it is interesting to me the concept of streaming a load of bits that say whether or not its louder than the last bit, anyhow thanks for that ! I also had a look at the datasheet for the ' CS43131 ' thats also a fascinating bit of kit with it's 156 pages of goodness and graphs, a good read if you like datasheets. I do hope the manufacturers of balanced headphones get in touch soon and not to highlight the point but just to inform me who are makers of these headphones please ?.....cheers

[@tye0125]

does the bose qc ultra support this on iphone

[@joselabastida6744]

The FiiO LT-LT3, purchased from Amazon at $39.99 USD, works fine with my iPhone 12 Pro and all the dongles and not so dongle DACs I have (FiiO, HiBy, Shanling, Tempotec, Chord Mojo2 and iFi xDSD Gryphon). Cheers!

[@izak001]

All hedphones that have 2x connector to driver is possible convert to ballanced - for example hifiman sundara etc. ... cable cost about 30$ - of course, same is possible buy over 200$ ... but about 30$ is hi Quality connectors and good wire ... all price up is only paying more for .... ehmmm brand ?

[@joewlodynski3521]

The only thing that the Balanced Connector did for me with my DS1 DAC is the DS1 ran cooler to the touch.

[@ghostjacker]

All my phones (past to present) have a headphone jack so that I don't have to deal with this dongle scam.

[@barlow2976]

It's not a scam, or perhaps you are content with the awful audio that comes out of that jack?

[@Nutz0]

@@barlow2976 i know people complain about 3.5 mm audio but i think it depends on the phone. i have the original iphone se which has a burr-brown chipset and i think it's just fine.

[@maxtrue9744]

An "Apple Lightning-to-USB Camera Adapter" is required with a Audio Quest DrangonFly DAC

[@peters7949]

As this type of dongle is likley to be used “out & about”, knowing how well the cables & adapters “lock” in place would be useful to know. Headphone jacks need a little force to pull them out, most USB connectors in my experience come out much to easily, this can be a problem with phone usage, especially where multiple adapters all plugged together,

[@AudioMasterclass]

I didn't mention it in the video but a lot of OTG adapters come with a tether. That kind of tells me it's the wrong way to go.

[@rhodaborrocks1654]

In the old days we had RS232 serial links, you bought a couple of DB9/25 connectors, decided whether you were using hardware or software flow control and wired them up accordingly, linking out the RS232 signals you weren't using, then you matched the data and stop bits and baud rate at each end and your equipment simply worked, every time. However, many people struggled to understand all that, so along came USB to simplify it, simply plug your device in and everything was taken care of, but then along came the myriad of different connectors, USB 1.0, 2.0, 3.x gen 1, 3.x gen 2, superspeed, superspeed+superspeed, TPLs and so it goes on, I'd not heard of OTG until today, try this cable with that adaptor but only with these devices otherwise use that cable without an adaptor except on the devices that won't work at all, silly you for trying it. This is easier to understand? 😂

[@AudioMasterclass]

Audiophiles with a passion for vintage equipment are turning to SCSI.

[@izak001]

This is similar as FIIO KA13 ... but fiio is 2x stronger - yep this drain mobile battery on full level

[@fredbloggs1472]

For iPhone with lightning, use Apple CCK model #A1440 or model # A1619 . Other non apple connectors may/may not be reliable. Thanks for the vids, sir.

[@berndtlindstrom830]

In Sweden, we had a consumer information program on television. can't remember the name, but the presenter's name was Sverker. Wicked Ringing in everyone's ears. Good program that checked the manufacturers' "performance" against reality. He also had a dustbin in the studio, where the products of the biggest liars ended up. Just a tip.

[@Nutz0]

the big question - does it sound significantly better than the small cheap apple branded iphone dac?

[@AudioMasterclass]

Ah, typical of those eternal questions that no audiophile has ever been able to answer to the satisfaction of other audiophiles.

[@Wuppie62]

Depends on whether you have significantly better ears. ;) There are iPhone lightning to 3.5mm headphone cable reviews online, if you want to get an idea. I own an original OnePlus usb-c to 3.5mm cable (built-in DAC) which costs around 10 bucks for my OnePlus Nord phone, and a more expensive (around 100 bucks) Hidisz S9 Pro dongle DAC: the Hidisz dongle sounds better (which it should). But when I'm outdoors and walking around, I don't use annoying portable devices or ear-/headphones with cables. I just carry my phone in my backpocket and wear 'true wireless iems'. It's about the music ánd convenience, and I don't want to walk around anymore like I'm still in the 80's with my Sony Walkman on my hip and wired headphones. :)

[@dvmaanen]

What I miss here is: How does this thing sound?

[@AudioMasterclass]

It sounds good. Did I not say that?

[@marxman00]

firewire to usb adapters have the best stnr and distortion figures by far

[@artysanmobile]

If so, a fact that helps virtually no one.

[@marxman00]

@@artysanmobile as do firewire to usb adapters

[@artysanmobile]

@@marxman00 Sorry i missed the gag.

[@tam8197]

none of these dongle dacs work with google pixel android phones, but strangely enough do work with samsung android phones.

[@mobilgin]

Product page states, dynamic range 108 dB . Manual ,in video, states 130 dB......?

[@AudioMasterclass]

Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.

[@grandadgamer8390]

I heard some geezer back in the day had an idea called blutooth 😂

[@artysanmobile]

I look ONLY for DACs with battery. Can anything make more sense?? This frees the device from literally every compatibility issue and takes advantage of the wonderfully low power consumption of the device. I wouldn’t dream of buying a non-battery portable DAC. Portable=battery=portable.

[@Andy-xn9zn]

Could you review the Homage by JDS labs and ZMF?

[@AudioMasterclass]

If they approach me then I probably will.

[@marxman00]

Balanced heaphones ....balanced vs what exactly? where in the circuit is this mystical impedance fulcrum? And ...Where are all the balanced speakers in the world ........yet!

[@peters7949]

Just like headphones, loudspeakers can be driven unbalanced (normal amplifiers with ground return) or balanced. Balanced LS amplifiers are usually referred to as working in “Bridge” mode, where one power amp drives the LS +ve terminal & another the -ve terminal, the two amplifiers’ signal being 180deg out of phase, so when one output is +ve voltage the other is -ve. Thus doubling the voltage across the speaker, which results in 4 times more power being fed to the speakers. In professional audio (eg PA systems) this is very common. Many Professional stereo power amplifiers are switchable to be stereo or mono bridged, but the minimum loudspeaker impedance in bridged mode is generally double the stereo mode.

[@marxman00]

@@peters7949 but define balanced .bridged is no more "balanced" than " single ended". Voltage is always available between any potential difference. Positive negative and ground are just labels and are no more special than each other. Zero volts is a time domain when refering to any alternating current

[@peters7949]

@@marxman00 hopefully KZbin will allow these links. Wikipedia on balanced audio en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balanced_audio Wikipedia on Bridged & parallel power amplification en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridged_and_paralleled_amplifiers

[@marxman00]

@@peters7949 Thanks for that ..but unless you have a center tapped voice coil it is not "balanced"..and you would not dirive one half of that coil inverse to the other ...unless you wanted silence Bridged mono is for convenient and efficient impedance matching to voice coils , there is no more actual power developed from the power supply

[@peters7949]

@@marxman00 no, a center tapped coil is not required. Loudspeakers react to the voltage difference on each terminal, the point about Bridged Power Amplifiers is that while one amplifier output is going negative, the other is going positive and visa versa, so at any one time the voltage across the speaker terminals is double that which one of the amplifiers can provide. It works in exactly the same way as balanced audio cables, but to achieve a different outcome. It was always a tricky subject to get across to students when I used to teach it, but if you get your head around how Balanced audio works, it all becomes clear.

[@tubefreeeasy]

You need a new iPhone. They’re all USB-C since the 15.

[@AudioMasterclass]

"Since the 15". You have a 16?

[@tubefreeeasy]

@@AudioMasterclass iPhones are still on 15. No 16 yet.

[@AudioMasterclass]

@@tubefreeeasy If there were a 'flippant' emoji I should probably have included it in my previous reply. Never mind, the world has had one more opportunity to learn that the current iPhone is the 15 and it has a USB-C connector.

[@tye0125]

@@AudioMasterclasslmaooo

[@EricIolo]

Hello again! Which do you prefer? This one, or the IFI GO bar? Can you quickly do a A/B test, and declare which is the winner in terms of sounding better? Which bringsa out the nuances more in the music? Better Bloom from one pehaps? Is one more forward than another? Sibilant difference? Sound stage maybe? Timbre? Weight, perhaps in the the testing? Its not all about the numbers! Please start being subjective in your reviews if poosible. BTW, are you going to introduce DM Merch? Mug shots of you on mugs and t-shirts etc?

[@AudioMasterclass]

You do know that a lot of so-called experts are just making it up? Merch, rest assured, is on the way.

[@ac81017]

I want an Audiophile Phil t-shirt please.

[@thexfile.]

DSD is Sony proprietary. 😠

[@tomasinacovell4293]

Your music is far too loud, you have no respect for the audio-chain or us!

[@AudioMasterclass]

Just click the dislike button. I'm not going to change anything.

[@ac81017]

There's always that one idiot, and we've found him.

[@barlow2976]

No, we haven't.

[@maidsandmuses]

I'm sorry, but "USB Type C cable", "OTG function", "Lightning to Type-C OTG cable", "some devices may not have volume control in exclusive USB audio access mode" 🤣😂 Dongles 🙄😵‍💫 . Dropping the standard headphone jack + decent built-in DAC from phones and tablets IMO was one of the most boneheaded decisions ever made. All so they could sell you new headphones and/or accessories. And lots of Dongles.

[@barlow2976]

Did they ever have decent built in dacs? Not in all the Android phones I've had.