LG's V40 & Apple's iPad as hi-res network streamers?

Camera: Olaf von Voss | Editor: John Darko
Streaming hi-res audio on an LG V40 smartphone is anything but straight forward, even when introducing a USB DAC. And the Apple iPad comes with its own gotchas. But we get there in the end!
Camera: Olaf von Voss | Editor: John Darko
LG V30 as a network streamer:
darko.audio/2019/10/lgs-v30-a...
LG V40:
www.lg.com/us/mobile-phones/v...
AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt:
darko.audio/2019/07/a-short-f...
darko.audio/2019/07/10-more-t...
AudioQuest DragonFly Red:
darko.audio/2016/04/audioques...
Roon:
• Roon: for connoisseurs...
USB Audio Player Pro:
www.extreamsd.com/index.php/p...
play.google.com/store/apps/de...
Apple iPad:
www.apple.com/de/ipad/
MQA:
darko.audio/2017/01/mqa-tidal...
darko.audio/2019/03/the-incon...
#hiresaudio #ipad #lgv40
__________________________________________________________________
Darko.Audio is a web magazine covering new and exciting developments in the audio world and we aren’t afraid of indie rock or techno.
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Facebook: / darkodotaudio

[@DarkoAudio]

**WARNING** There is a LOT of information in this video! Let's try something different with the comments: reply preference will be given to those who ADD to the conversation by sharing their own experience or observation.

[@BlueSpirit.]

You can get a camera kit with power from apple, then you can hook up a powered usb hub. With ios 13, you can hook up keyboard, ssd, midi, mouse, etc. You can now save files to ssd.

[@GavinHodgson]

Level of detail you provide is good - I think you’ve saved a few newbies several hours of effort. Good job

[@tomastomasek1401]

I just can not swallow price of Roon, $699.99 ...

[@jannolauri4957]

@@tomastomasek1401 Exactly! Otherwise a perfect system, but the expensive Roon. Are there any good alternatives for that?

[@shaunvickers9255]

I have gone through the same experience trying to use a Fire TV with HDMI as my primary home network streamer. It has amazing support for Tidal, Plex, Spotify etc. a nice lean back remote control and it's $35 US! But, as you also experienced, I can't get bitperfect audio out of it no matter what i do. It resamples everything to 16/48 and sounds terrible doing it. Plugging it into my AVR to listen to music is just a disappointment. Would you consider doing an episode with using a streaming media device with an HDMI output as a network streamer for good sounding digital audio? If Roku does a better job they get my money!

[@bd7190]

Mate we thank you, we love what you are doing, we are learning from you and actually you are solving many of our questions in our heads. You give us a lot of useful info so we know what and why to buy it. Thanks again.

[@Ddraig62SPD]

Very clearly explained as always. Love your videos. Great pace, well placed breaks/interludes and just the right amount of humour! The fact that you have impeccable musical taste makes the content even more enjoyable. Just off to repurpose my old iPad ... :)

[@divadgnol67]

Love everything you do Johnny Boy. Especially enjoyed the fact that you're inquisitive and are looking at music so many different ways

[@CaptainCrunch823]

Thanks John. You helped to clear up a lot of confusion that I was having about MQA/Tidal, bitrates, smart phone DAC’s.

[@davidsenior2041]

A valiant effort to explain the complexities of Hi-Res audio. I think you did still manage to get across how someone can achieve a relatively simple streaming setup. It's then up to the individual how much to venture down the Hi-Res rabbit hole!

[@rizalahmad4207]

Oooo man.. This is what I’ve been waiting for. I never gonna understand how to play MQA. This is by far the easiest way to understand rather then just reading and diving into comments in forum and fb group (which can be more confusing in the end). Really thankful for this.

[@gaza4543]

And this is why MQA will never be mainstream in my view. Qobuz just tells you what it is, then pumps it out. None of this first unfold second unfold crap. If the light wasn't on the DAC you would be 100% sure.

[@Sampardhanani]

Lovely as usual John . Always look forward for your new releases.

[@sinclabs]

Always love that you have music in your videos between scenes. just makes the videos more enjoyable when watching over KZbin in my living room. :-}

[@darreng279]

Relevant and very useful info right here. Thank you Darko. Gonna try that USB app. Can't wait to hear the difference.

[@TheDealer1228]

Please don't ever apologize for going down a rabbit hole. It's a fascinating experience to hear you find problems during the process and figure out their solutions. I had such a big smile when you finally figured out how to get the MQA light to pop up when streaming through the iPad. Keep doing what you're doing, John. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite channels.

[@AlexReusch]

I think the key in a Roon environment is, that you have to know what your attached devices are capable of. So if your DAC is supporting full MQA unfold, than you have to do the proper setup and configure Roon accordingly. It's a little bit geeky and not plug & play, but after this initial setup has been done, everything normally works rock solid.

[@dannydulai5882]

It's been a while since that hasn't been true.. release 1.5 or release 1.4... I forget which, but since that release, Roon automatically configures playback settings including MQA when Roon Tested / Roon Ready DACs are connected to Mac/PC/Linux -- in this case, the Cobalt is indeed Roon Tested. Unfortunately, this doesn't work when the USB device is connected to iOS, due to restrictions on what iOS allows us to look at. This would be fine on your Mac/Windows/Linux (and soon, Android). This video really shows the how messy the world is when Roon can't do what it needs to do. When it's not restricted, this is simply plug and play to get the best settings automatically.

[@IAmThankfulToday]

Lol. I like that you tried. You did well. This is the stuff that a lot of gearheads and audiophiles love. Many of us love switching things around, trying different permutations, even when we end up in the same place where we started and even when we get tired and utterly confuse ourselves. At least you got to a solution in the end.

[@dilbyjones]

Thankful Today yep!

[@isme86]

Super technical. And SUPER HELPFUL!

[@tedjensen8841]

Thanks for the info. Excellent, keep them coming.

[@garydaniels6950]

I say kudos to you and anyone that offers advice on budget high quality streamers. There are a lot of devices that can stream (if that is your thing) audio, but only a few that does this at high quality audio on a budget. These are great choices and you do not need to drop a load of coin to do it. The only draw back is there may be a few steps to get there but in my opinion the result are well worth the effort! My search for these type of results is what lead me to your site a the first place with the Allo Boss DAC. I bought this device and love it.

[@MarkJones-bc5vx]

Hi John. Your attitude towards audio is fantastic in my opinion. I love the fact that you don't just talk about how good a particular component sounds, you communicate the personality of each device you present to us. There is more to a component or a device than just how it sounds which you do a great job of explaining. I love the fact that you dig deep into the options and flexibility of any given product. You have me thinking about slimming down my large traditional system in exchange for a complete digital solution. I love the modern day options with the products that are out today. I have a traditional setup with CLASSE and Bowers & Wilkins which brought me years of happiness and joy. I can't deny after watching some of your videos that an all digital smaller scale system can look quite nice. Especially in a living room. I also love the fact that you advocate for Spotify and ROON. Most of my friends would never listen to those streaming services because they think they are subpar when it comes to audio quality. Based on some of your reviews, I have made it a point to audition some of the products you reviewed on your channel. Two products really stood out to me at a price point I could live with. Those two products were the Chord Qutest and the Auralic Aries G1. I'm hoping they will be in my setup in the near future. I also think you were on to something when you introduced your KALLAX FI series. I quite enjoyed that because it displayed an avenue of audio that is important but never gets any attention online. The way a component looks and fits into your room is just as important as how it sounds in my opinion. Keep up the good work John.

[@MrTendentious]

Great information here. Thanks. I’m taking the first steps into higher quality streaming and iPad-dragonfly into my Naim system seems to be a decent way to begin. Thanks again.

[@WeeWeeJumbo]

I run an old iPad as digital transport to my preamp-amp system (the preamp has a decent DAC that I hope to replace shortly.) It works perfectly and I’m super happy it spares me one equipment purchase. Someday I’ll add a proper file server and Roon and I’ll be set

[@ChrisMag100]

Really enjoying your channel and podcast John. Cheers.

[@anglo-apulian4022]

Really enjoyed that video. Very informative and inspiring for my own future set-up. 👍🏻

[@braintoosmall]

Very helpful info John. It helped me figure a few things out. Thanks!!

[@islandguy1968]

Thank you for doing this video. Total agreement about the frustratingly complex nature of high res. Making this video is a godsend to everyone who’s experienced the same complexity and wondered what trick we must be missing to encounter so many idiosyncrasies. Ultimately we all wanna listen to our music with the best possible sound but the technical hurdles of high res often detract from the experience. Much progress can be made to standardize and simplify. Though I’m addicted to the advantage digital music has regarding limitless catalog selection, it’s easy to see why vinyl and it’s inherent simplicity is enjoying an unexpected renaissance.

[@ciejaygear]

As a novice HD hi-res user I appreciate your earnest video. I learned some things as I'm listening through my Cobalt into my Mezes right now. I'm on my fourth year of being an audiophile and really appreciate the education.

[@dannyl6507]

@18:46 not only did I like it.. I LOVED it! opened my mind to some other great options. now im learning all about roon too thanks!

[@benjaminpaulh5249]

Great video as always Mr Darko! Nice to see that as a reviewer, you continue to explore different solutions to play digital audio (much more imaginative than Simply reviewing another pair for S400 / RP600M / Vanatoo etc etc like many other reviewers) I use dragonfly Red + jitterbug with Roon on my iPad for a few months now (it’s a much easier / faster solution than my Macmini... mostly down to boot-up time) keep up the good work fella!

[@stephanej.871]

If your smartphone is still used as a phone (still have an active sim card) you may, for sure, experienced interferences like I experienced using my Chord Mojo. These interferences disappeared in "flying mode"

[@Evofive]

Another great video John. I have been using USB Audio Player Pro for a couple of years now. Absolutely brilliant piece of software. I did notice that Roon now supports the Cobalt as an endpoint. I am trying to get my head around the benefit of that at the moment. Keep up the good work.

[@manbir-vy1vo]

Grrreaaat vedio john. You solved my problem, because i had my music library in my LG G7 phone. This is the way i can get nearly hi res audio from cobalt through my cxa80 integrated amp

[@davidbcg286]

John, I've really like your videos introducing your whole audio rig recently. An idea / sharing: People are re-discovering the joy of vinyl and maybe to a certain extend CD, but vinly especially. This enjoyment comes from slowing down, having a physical object, limitations that empower, bring focus. I've experienced a similar nostalgia when I started shooting film (medium format). Everything was slower, more focused, I had to shoot right, there was a physical record of my work. I brought some of that process back to my digital shooting method ; making it a little bit analog and focused : slow down, shoot less, focus, use JPEGs (work in progress). A big one was also PRINT, PRINT, PRINT. Bringing the digital files to a physical, lasting reality than I can touch and enjoy. (oh and a way to double backup: I buy cheap micro SD cards on which I copy much more Hi Res files and RAW files in case I want to re-print existing pictures or view extra pictures that were not printed). Back to music, I have been wondering. How do you bring some of the "vinyl experience" into digital audio? Could you "print your music"? Yes of course, some options - Buy good quality digital music and burn your playlist. Play it through a CD player. => Not too bad, but the CD experience is so-so and the CD will be ugly. If there is artwork, it'd be small. - The "best idea" I had so far would be to print Vinyl size artwork, stick a NFC tag in the back => have a stand/receiver to place this artwork on to start the playlist/album. => that way you remove the "I control my library with my mobile phone" (which is cool) and replace it with : I have some nice artwork to look at. I can physically go through my library of playlists and albums => swipe the NFC and it starts playing and I can take the artwork to my sofa. A guy did something similar here: www.instructables.com/id/Albums-With-NFC-Tags-to-Automatically-Play-Spotify/

[@preveenpadmanabhan7994]

Thanks for putting up with the complexities

[@AdamWarrix]

John, this is your best video yet. Not because it is a review, but it has so much information about compromise. If you don't want to spend the money for a dedicated streamer, there is a compromise when it comes to setup. I use an LG G7, which sounds okay. If I want to step up the quality with a Dragonfly, listening to music isn't as easy as just tapping on Spotify or Tidal. There are additional steps. This video explains that. Ease of use, touch screen, low price. Pick two.

[@ThatsAKill]

Thank you for taking the time to make this very specific video. New to the hifi hobby and this is the exact situation I’m looking to remedy for my streaming setup. Cheers from USA 😎

[@NeilLavitt]

First of all I’m not sure why anyone would dislike this video - highly constructive and interesting. I liked it anyway. Secondly, to add some value to the conversation. If you add a lightning to USB3 Camera adapter to the iPad you can power and use the iPad at the same time removing the concern of having to unplug and recharge it. Could be a stationary device.

[@dannoble8662]

Very nice comments. Using an old iPad as a streaming source is more than just the Roon/Spotify experience, IMO. I haven’t read the other comments, so apologize for a repeat if that is what I am doing. When I first upgraded my home stereo DAC to a Topping D70S (MQA compatible) . Streaming Apple Music from an Apple Music or Family subscription, I can stream from my home iTunes server or from Apple direct. Playlists, albums, etc are minimum CD quality and will hook in hi - rez as available. But other than hunt/peck for particular albums, for background or technical listening, Apple Music, IMO , has worked. Really well.

[@my2cents198]

Fantastic info...well done !!!

[@cobyracine8918]

Mind is down the rabbit hole, as a newcomer, as someone taking their first dip into hi-res music I found this so informative and I truly appreciate this video. I've made the first step getting my first DAP 6th gen iPod classic, modding with flash storage and most importantly to me the first wired cans. Still debating on a few to spend on but looking forward to it.

[@frankenstudio22]

Very helpful! Thank you!

[@qcole469]

Man once you went down the rabbit hole I was along for the ride man had to see the outcome lol.

[@meljove7187]

Wow! Keep them coming.

[@deputy3690]

The year is 2020 and it should not be this diffucult or confusing to enjoy hi res music! It's really all centered for retail purposes, but all in all you done a great informative job! Well done John

[@zetapal]

I really appreciated this video and your way of patiently going through and explaining everything. My newbie experience finds me with all sorts of speakers, amps and phones around my house and in my car and I need understanding and experimentation to begin to tie everything together. The cobalt looks like a good way to test and enjoy the hardware I have, also I want to get outside the 6S dac AND the cheapie bluetooth to FM converter dac I'm using in the car. Thank you.

[@rforestier]

A very sweet solution for the MQA debate. Once again nice video and excellent content.

[@axelfriberg6768]

Thank you so much for another great video! One question: When you connected the LG V40 to your Hegel amp, did the V40 work as your DAC or was it the Hegel built in one?

[@jessicantina]

Honestly thank you for this. I have a LG G7 with a similar DAC and will definitely be remembering this when it comes time to replace it as a daily driver.

[@michaelhazellful]

Yep, just $100 and you get a better dac you can take to any phone

[@manicholls1967]

Great video I enjoyed the level of detail, since watching I have resurrected an old iPhone and bought a preowned dragonfly red from eBay.

[@James7995]

I repurposed an Apple iPad as my Roon bedroom endpoint. (I also have tidal loaded just in case). I have an AQ Dragonfly Red tethered to it via the USB 3 CCK to keep it charged, then into a Reta Brio-R. I freaking love it. Just absolutely love it. It’s simple, looks super slick and sounds fantastic.

[@James7995]

*Rega (dammit)

[@stevep2111]

Much better Glasses this week much more Barker esc :) Hi Res streaming is a bit of a nightmare to explain and I think you did a great job, dont beat yourself up some things are easier to explain than others and good for you for tackling this as not many people can hold a viewer all the way through the video like you do, Ive watched others and lost the will to live 5 mins in but you not only explain things simpler but hold peoples attention longer.....Great Job!!

[@santiagodiaz5150]

Mr.Darko this is an amazing and very informative video I own the Dragonfly Red and Cobalt I also use Tidal so I bought the USB pro app and the difference is fucking crazy it only cost me $7.99 and I'm finally listening to true MQA music thanks again for a really cool video keep up the good stuff also I only use android.

[@elderinmoi1571]

I am pretty happy with the dac in my v30 and if I need to run hi res audio I just run the lg music app that is pre installed. That does output hi res to my headphones perfectly fine.

[@imarkfi]

Great video as always, very well explained. I was recently interested to know if buying a USB DAC like the dragonfly or the LG v30 which would be the better option this has answered that for me. However my last query would be, which sounds better in your opinion the dragonfly cobalt with Tidal MQA or Tidal with a chord mojo? I suspect even without the higher bitrate the mojo produces a “nicer” sound? Please let me know your thoughts or even better make a video on this subject!

[@davea3791]

Thank you Thank you Well done More please

[@thisispw]

I am learning John, thank you.

[@illialynx2592]

I like your attitude! Great videos!

[@RJ_Chicago]

John, I think it is good on your part to show us how to repurpose equipment like old phones and iPads to service a Hifi purpose. This is something that is valuable to everyone. The only thing that I think may have been limiting is the focus on having a streamer with a touch screen when you are controlling it with a portable touch screen anyway. Also I understand that through an update from AQ that the Cobalt itself is now a Roon endpoint. I am not sure how this would change the configuration of Roon on the iPad if the Cobalt is also a Roon endpoint. But you’ll be able to control your Cobalt endpoint with a portable touchscreen device with the Roon app on it. Thanks.

[@leealn]

great great video helping us understanding how to get that mqa working properly absolutely helpful ! if it is confusing for you, definitely confusing for us just wondering that 3.5mm output from the cobalt is connected to your amp? is it to RCA? does the quality music degrade at all when you use RCA?

[@ashishwadekar6395]

Great video John! I am replicating this same setup with my iPhone & my iPad. iPhone serves as a relatively compact/transportable setup. One suggestion regarding the dongle for the iPad setup, the camera dongle from Apple is better suited for your setup as you can keep listening to music & at the same time plugin the charger cable. It costs somewhere around 40CHF / 35USD. Missed your playlist this time, always looking forward to them! Thanks for educating & entertaining with MQA quality videos ;) Cheers

[@foxmmulder]

Agreed. The Apple USB 3 camera connector is recommended by Audioquest, doesn't 'pop', and allows charger to be permanently connected. I've used in car with Dragonfly/iPhone/Tidal just for a play and see...convinced me that Bluetooth is no match for cables even in a noisy driving environment.

[@victors307]

which iPad would benefit from the Roon interface the best? I don't have Roon or an iPad yet but Im thinking about getting one as a Roon controller.

[@rosswarren436]

Indeed from Audioquest's website (and explaining how to resolve the "clicks and pops" issue): "In our tests, Apple's Lightning-to-USB 3 Camera Adapter (with charging port) sounds better and is more reliable than Apple’s less expensive Lightning-to-USB Camera Adapter, while also providing the ability to charge during playback. Your mileage may vary. Some users prefer the size of the smaller adapter, while others prefer the performance of the larger adapter. We encourage experimentation. When DragonFly (Black, Red, Cobalt) is connected to an iOS device using Apple’s older Lightning to USB Camera Connection Kit, I can hear clicks and pops in the background of the music. What should I do? In some rare instances, the combination of an iOS device in conjunction with the standard CCK and DragonFly Black, Red, or Cobalt causes a clicking in the background of the music. Neither we nor Apple have been able to determine why this is, but, in circumstances where this occurs, we’ve found that using Apple’s Lightning-to-USB 3 Camera Adapter resolves the problem. In addition, this connector offers improved audio performance over the smaller unit and provides the ability to charge the attached iOS device while listening to music."

[@grayfool]

Aggghhh! I get the idea of wanting the best quality from our gear but, wow, it's a pain. I've been trying various combinations of kit like this too. I've realised that my ears are no longer able to hear the difference after a certain point now. I'm getting on a bit so no surprises there really. I do like the challenge of getting stuff to work though. It's become a bit of a hobby or maybe obsession? Reusing older tech for this kind of thing is great. I hope your videos will inspire others to at give it a try John. Thanks.

[@blade1535]

I bought an audio quest dragonfly cobalt a few weeks ago and went through this exact same experience but worked out streaming off iOS was easier with Roon and Spotify ad you stated. USB audio player pro on my android phone seems to take over and take priority of the dac. When you go to KZbin and try and use it USB audio player pro still owns the USB driver. I know I have to manually swipe left and exit the app fully for it to let go. Overall loving the new DAC and got my head around how I want to use it on either device.

[@musaziz1948]

I'm still trying to get to grips with all these streaming things, but hopefully will get there by watching vids from you. Cheers John.

[@chrisellison9460]

Hi John, love your videos. I have been thinking along the same lines and currently have an iPad Air2 connected to a Chord Mojo. It sounds great and overall I'm pleased. The only downside is that I'm not using Roon or Spotify (using Glider to play local music and Apple music for streaming) so remote controlling the iPad is a problem. Any suggestions?

[@Chimera78]

Another geat video John. I used a AQ Dragonfly red on Android with the USB Audio Player Pro with the the MQA add on as my portable solution and it works great. I do think the DF works better on iOS as you dont need any additional drivers like you do on Android. I did try using my ipad like you and my phone as the remote, but prefer using the ipad as the remote, so now use an old laptop as the roon player and the ipad as the controller. Love Roon as well. Keep those videos coming. I really enjoyed your RPI/Allo videos, so much I have a USBridge Signature Player coming.

[@brochg]

Eric Rowe Hi Eric, do you mind if I ask you how you are controlling your iPad with your iPhone?

[@TheAlexingram]

When I use UAPP and a USB DAC from my phone life is good. When I switch to another APP for podcasts I get no sound:( any ideas ??

[@cliveangel5729]

Hi John, thanks for another imformative video. I've been thinking about using the same setup e.g iPad/Cobalt. using the Amazon Ultra HD service , and was wondering about the sound quality from this setup as you haven't mentioned this ??

[@ericseverance7761]

I think I found the best balance of high-quality content with ease-of-use, - after having tried all sorts of different set ups and hardware and software. I’m now using a fourth generation Apple TV, with an iPad as my interface/control device wirelessly streaming Qobuz Hi-Res via airplay to the Apple TV, which in turn is hardwired to a DAC/preamp, and then on to the amplifier. This also allows me to stream all my digital content off my home network iMac. I also use Apple Music to explore, as I believe it has one of the most extensive library‘s, great interface, and ties in with my years of content stored in iTunes.

[@n3v3rmor33]

AirPlay is limited to 16bit/44.1khz I believe, so technically it's not hi-res. However, this is a nice and flexible solution, as you can play anything (any app) through it :)

[@JanStraube]

Very extensive review. Thanks for the detailed information. I almost forgot i have an Audioquest Dragonfly Black laying around. Includes MQA-purple ;) The iPad is in this setup indeed a very good streamer. Just started an MQA Playlist - already 700 songs inside. The missing remote app is my obly complaint. No need for Roon in my setup - I do not own hi-res files, Tidal is enough for me. Really enjoying some MQA tracks right now. Thanks.

[@thanehtike]

New fan... you have good useful information on your channel. I've always been a tinkerer so I love this kind of stuff! As a teen, I plugged my electric guitar into my grandpa's hifi reel to reel recorder's microphone jack and used that as an amp ( he was not happy about that... lol). Honestly, I never concerned myself with bitrates and kHz when it comes to music. I just enjoy what I'm hearing and call it day. Because of watching PS Audio videos, your videos, etc I recently got the Schiit Modi 3. That plugs into my Emotiva integrated amplifier that powers my bookshelf ELACs. I connect the USB C output of my LG V35 to the DAC . Since Mike and Jason don't care about MQA, I am not getting Tidal 's full potential. Am I really missing out? My system is not revealing enough even to hear an improvement with the Schiit plugged in. I am happy with what I'm hearing so I guess that's really what matters.

[@gaganonyoutube]

Awesome video bro. Also I have a V30+ in Australia I have received the android 9 update

[@doopisday]

Being fond of fiddling, I’ve tried a few different combinations including an iPad, iPhone and an old MacBook. If you’re using something like Tidal then it makes sense having the screen but if you can control Roon from another device then the second screen doesn’t really matter. For all the setups I have the device going through USB into a Cambridge Audio Dacmagic plus (not as elegant as the dragonfly), using Qobuz and local 44.1/16 files stores on a Mac mini (also Roon core). After experimenting, I have to say the MacBook sounds the best, but I have no idea why. It could be the better processor, or stronger WiFi, who knows? But the sound is sparkling enough that I don’t really feel motivated to get a dedicated network streamer. With so many configuration options, it can get complicated fast talking about this, so I thought this was a courageous video!

[@mantapdjiwa9768]

Old exynos phones by samsung has wolfson dac, its good like my note 4. Any other than apples 3.5 jack is shit, except lg tho.

[@wonnyfon]

I'm very interested in this type of set up. I'd love to learn more about the various formats and configuring Roon. Thanks! ... always learning.

[@joyoo72]

It was (as always) a very enjoyable video. Complicated and somewhat messy but still enjoyable! 👍

[@sunglingwang]

Wonderful video as always John! Do I have to have Roon in order to remotely control iPad using iPhone? Thank you.

[@tariqaziz6551]

As a non-headphone user I recently purchased two headphones. The first was the Campfire audio comet based reviews John's reviews. The other was the over ear Audioquest Nightowls Carbon. I wonder how the sound quality of these would compare to those mentioned in this video ? I would seriously recommend everyone to try using a balanced connections with their high end headphones. There is significant improvement in the sound separation and tonality of the music after spending a bit more cash the balanced cables or balanced plugs

[@hermanvisser4034]

I enjoyed the video very much. I just bought a Woo Audio WA11 DAC headphone amp and will have similar frustrations.

[@rodneycornelius8653]

Thanks John - you made it perfectly clear why I haven’t explored HiRes streaming. I keep looking at the Hegel Mohican as an infinitely more elegant way to achieve a very high level of digital playback.

[@michaelreading9296]

John life is to short to put yourself through this, when I want to listen to music I just put in a cd. But I just love your videos, always interesting and informative.

[@87togabito]

For some of us, if we had our songs on CD, we would literally need the length of a song just to find the CD to load into a player. And I’m not talking about streaming. I know some folks who literally have 10, thousand albums in flac stored on their network storage, and not a single physical CD. Or rather he used to, for that short amount of time it takes for him to rip the CD, digitise the album booklet, and then toss the CD and album case away.

[@mpitogo]

cool, thanks for the tips. One tip, Apple also sells a lighting adaptor with a lightning port so you can charge and play at the same time.

[@Grizzly1644]

I might give the iPad a try. Thanks Darko. Quite a helpful video. Personally for me, I would use my RME DAC 2 to provide sampling and bit depth info. The apple USB camera adapter should allow this to work.

[@rageshgr]

Great video! I use a similar setup in my car. But here I don't need remote. So it's TIDAL on phone=>fiio X3 as dac=>aux in of HU

[@demibarton4271]

thank you for your candor.

[@prateek070782]

Thanks for another great video. I absolutely love your presentation and content. This video actually opens the doors to potentially more elegant solution for a network streamer. I am currently using airport express connected through optical to my built in dac on rotel rc1532 preamp that outputs to my rotel amp playing LS50. As you can tell by my setup that I am at the very start of audiophile journey. I am mostly happy with 16/44.1 which is a majority of what I listen to from Apple Music and tidal and steaming through airplay to my airport express using iPhone is very convenient as all my set up is in the basement and the speakers in my family room. Based on your findings if we can add the dragonfly cobalt to airport express and then feed into the pre amp that will potentially lift the 16/44.1 limitation. The only problem will then be that I can’t use the Dac in my rotel pre amp which is actually pretty good, at least to my amateur ears. The reason I shared this is because I feel like this could be a very elegant solution for at least a lot of iPhone users which is a big majority of households, at least in North American market. I know your Chanel is more focused around high end gear but I still feel this would be worth sharing as it’s a unique solution that is super convenient and does not cost much. Not applicable to seriously audiophiles but people like me who just appreciate good quality music reproduction.

[@prateek070782]

Sorry, with some more thought and research, I realized it won’t work as airplay limits to 44.1 so adding dragonfly cobalt won’t change anything unless there is a wired connection. Sorry, I thought I may have thought about something that can be helpful for people.

[@bfdpkave1]

I love your videos John and as a result of your previous videos now operate the following : Outside the home system = Tidal via USB Pro app LG V30 with Cobalt and Campfire Comet Inside the home system and = Tidal via IPadPro with either Cobalt or Mojo and Sennheiser ie80 or Campfire Comet I am interested in incorporating some active speakers to my home set up but also like the look of the JohnBlue JB3 blue speakers which will require an amp Would welcome your thoughts on any other improvements I can make at a reasonable small costs

[@brochg]

Hello John, and thank you so much for your incredible videos! I’m a regular guy, who until finding your KZbin channel was about to dump a lot of money into a traditional turntable based 2 channel system. In the pursuit of convenience and quality, I have thrown that to the wind. I now have a Tidal subscription, and am loving the quality, just running through my iPad and a cheap pair of Grado SR60 headphones. After seeing this video, I’m going to add a cobalt to the mix, and am curious to find out about controlling my iPad from my iPhone. Is this possible?

[@robmaxwell3678]

John, I'm using a v30 , dragonfly red, and USB audio player pro with an old pair of powered quad bookshelf speakers (some day the Elac Nevis bookshelf speakers). Before I signed up with Tidal, i had downloaded some iTunes, and some flac music files onto the v30 mini sd card. USB audio pro let's me play both, including the mqa on Tidal and some hi-res on the sd card. Not a Roon setup but still very serviceable, and a very small footprint for desktop audio. With the v30 and dragonfly I can have great sound on my headphones too, so awesome multi-use bang for the buck as well.

[@markussorrentino]

Hi John, thanks for this video. Explanation is really good, but i had to see it again and again to remind all the information. Honestly i am a beginner to all this audio stuff and i just bought now this USB Audio Player Pro app with the MQA package as i have Tidal Hifi/ Masters. And what i really recognized is that with that simple app on my smartphone and using a cheap cinch Y-cable on my amplifier i hear the music kinda bit more lively or maybe its better to say with bit more dynamic. I have to listen to it more and more but i actually think it is bit better than with my logitech squeezebox touch which i connect via optical cable to my amplifier. I am really thinking now to get this usb-dragonfly cobalt from AudioQuest and to see how much it will improve the sound quality. And i also like the idea to use a tablet and a smartphone as remote control, the tablet is really a nice option as you can see all the info on a big screen. Thanks again for this and all the informative videos :-).

[@alfagtv533]

Lovely video John, even if it was a bit whimsical! :) But somehow it depicts the complexity and compromise we accept when it comes to streaming! I also tried the Cobalt, having had a Red previously, but i felt the Cobalt needed a better power supply than my iPhone could provide, hence the Audio Quality (see what i did there? ;) ) suffered. But, DAC choice aside, both Android and Apples can make excellent streaming transports, if you aquire the knowledge and hardware to connect them to your stereo. And at a very reasonable cost too! I'd say neither of them competes with a Raspberry Pi and an ESS Sabre 9038Q2M HAT though, you can even get 8-12hours of music with a power bank.

[@thewebart]

Good video. Thanks!

[@califmike2003]

Great video John I enjoy following your Channel I got a question or two for you I hope you'll be able to answer me? You said the Cobalt dragonfly sound better than the LG 40 by itself which I'm guessing you're probably going to say the red dragonfly sounds better than the LG 40 by itself also? How big of a difference in sound are we talkin lgv40 alone with some decent headphones plugged in versus running it through the red or Cobalt dragonfly?

[@NajibBennani]

Thank you John for this excellent Video , I have learn a lot as an audiophile with all your videos in general I have already a dragonfly Cobalt and I want to buy a second hand iPAD , don't know if for best results is better an iPAD PRO , iPAD Air or just an iPAD is enought ? As Tidal is not present in my country do you think Roon is usefull for my Spotify and Deezer suscription ?

[@felipefinsterbusch3984]

the output headphone jack in the iPhone is limited to 16/44.1 when Tidal App is used in Master mode, if you want go to 24/96 you must connect through lightning port, probably in Android phones you have to use the usb connector to get more audio resolution.

[@MartinLeschinski]

Very cool Video! With my solution I can load my phone wireless while connected to the DAC ;) My old Samsung S8+ or my new Samsung S10 to (with OTG cable) ifi xDSD with USB Audio Player Pro running mqa Tidal Masters and get the full mqa unfold the xDSD is connected to my THX AAA 789 headphone AMP A remote function is on the way with my Tablet or Notebook for Tidal For Apple there is the Camera Connection Kit 3 - so you can use lightning out to the DAC, while loading at the same time ;)

[@howardskeivys4184]

Yeh, I do like your videos John. I find them interesting, informative and articulate. Just an observation with using your LG or iPad as a streamer, why not invest in a good Bluetooth keyboard, preferably with a trackpad and use that as you’re remote?

[@MAELOB]

thanks for the video i didn't know i could use iPad as roon endpoint. You can also use the USB3 CCK adapter that will charge your iPad at the same time.

[@gavinguy148]

Another great video! I managed to find an audio quest dragonfly Black on amazon warehouse for under £50 lovely upgrade. Might be worth looking at warehouse deals on your budget hifi series. Thanks

[@kenwuk]

John, which model of iPad are you using in this video? There is an Apple / Dragonfly / Roon issue with the iPad that I use (2018 model), so I’m on the hunt for whatever you’re using 😎

[@CostJensen]

Wow, this is really an eye opener. I have a Hegel H90 and is using AirPlay with it, but wanting to get Better Sound quality and is close to buying a Bluesound Node 2i but maybe your video can change my mind? I have an old iPad and a Dragonfly Red, also want to try Qobuz and Tidal insted Of Spotify. A few questions: What DAC is running? The Dragonfly or Hegel - I assume The Hegel will be Best? And what cable is to be used from Dragonfly to The amp?

[@danm203]

I have a V40 and Tidal and the Audio Player Pro app and it works great for getting hires digital to an external dac. I just wish it could do it with the Tidal "downloads" I have on my phone because I often go to my camper, which is in a remote location with bad cell reception. Of course I still have 100s of gigs of owned music on my V40 so I guess not that big of a deal.

[@TorToroPorco]

USB Audio Pro is a great app especially when you stream from your phone to an external DAC. It is the only one I know of with tweaks for the USB output such as buffer & packet sizes which can be useful for reducing jitter. Their developers do a decent job of maintaining compatibility with phones & DACs. It did take a few iterations before they got Tidal MQA working properly on my LG 7 One. Also be aware that it might take a bit of playing around to get your Android phone to play nicely with an external DAC.

[@lgoler]

It would be helpful if you showed how you are wiring in to your Dac from the Dragonfly. Is it 3.5mm to RCA? My BelCanto DAC also accepts USB mini but then I would probably need yet another adaptor?

[@bjornsuppes5700]

Hi John, thank you very much for your really informative video. Did you think about using a shiit modi 3 and USB-C instead of your dragonfly cobalt?

[@DarkoAudio]

Not really. The Modi 3 doesn't tell us about sample rates and doesn't do MQA.

[@johnvalatos4073]

I like these videos. So a recent email from Roon states that the Audioquest DragonFly Cobalt is Roon tested and you can turn your phone into a Roon end point. Is that what you were showing us here. Or can you now control the Cobalt itself to be the end point, if so can you show us how you can do that.