The Dark Side; Digital audio equipment recommendations and setup.

No no, just listening to Tidal on my phone but new phone has no headphone jack. So looking for the best highest quality option, hence the DAC dongle out of the USB C port.
Ok, just Tidal app (selection with highest rez/MQA) and best Bluetooth speaker or earbuds.
I think your dongle is unnecessary IMO.
 
I just took a chance on a pair of Nura True Pros on Kickstarter which are claiming to be the first pair of Lossless Wireless Buds. Don’t know if that’s of any interest of you but thought I’d chime in in case it saves you all the dongle and cord drama. Always been impressed by Nura products
Maybe I’m reading the Kickstarter wrong but they are only wirelessly lossless when connected to devices with qualcomm Aptx, right? The phones that currently support lossless via AptX are few and far between (Products | aptX). I have an iPhone and would be a bit surprised if Apple pays to license aptX anytime soon.
 
You'll re
Dude hahaha... READ UP! I have new ones that I bought early this week, they're literally pictured above!
I saw them on Disney +.

JK. Really give the wireless a shot. I think you'll be surprised.

Plus charging the phone, your dongle is in the way.
 
Lossless on an earbud is as relevant as a one step on a Crosley.
But each to their own.
If you’re using a good DAC and the quality of the headphones is solid, lossless on earbuds could be a nice feature. I don’t have any aptX products to test it with though but they are claiming to have bit perfect lossless audio via wireless ear buds
 
I’m not an earbud kind of guy, but I have heard good things about the THX Onyx and the Hidizs S9. The THX Onyx and Hidizs XO model both support MQA; the S9 does not.


 
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If you’re using a good DAC and the quality of the headphones is solid, lossless on earbuds could be a nice feature. I don’t have any aptX products to test it with though but they are claiming to have bit perfect lossless audio via wireless ear buds
Yeah my main concern wasn't even really lossless, it was just getting the best quality audio via the USB C port, but I'll definitely get a DAC that can do it because hell why wouldn't I? I spend several hours every day on public transit so honestly getting the best quality audio I can possibly get for those rides is a very important part of putting up with spending several hours every day on public transit.
 
Here is food for thought, my E.N.T. says the bighest cause he see's in ear infections, hearing loss, and damage in younger people is due to earbuds and headphones. Something to keep in mind. Keep you ear buds clean daily, and always turn it down no matter what you are using.
I'm pretty proud of the fact that I've been using buds for decades and I've got hearing that's about on par with a 20 year old. So I'm pretty good with low volumes. But good advice nonetheless.
 
In my case, the ear infections were all the time when I was a little kid in the 80s, and left me with lifelong tinnitus... I didn't realize hearing a high-pitched whine all the time is abnormal until I was older. I've always been careful about headphone volume because of that.
 
In my case, the ear infections were all the time when I was a little kid in the 80s, and left me with lifelong tinnitus... I didn't realize hearing a high-pitched whine all the time is abnormal until I was older. I've always been careful about headphone volume because of that.
The thing that really drives me nuts with my current phone is the volume control increments are way too big. So it's a constant battle between not loud enough, and deafening. It's the dumbest thing and it's the only phone I've ever had this issue with. So I always default to not loud enough. But I hate it.
 
The thing that really drives me nuts with my current phone is the volume control increments are way too big. So it's a constant battle between not loud enough, and deafening. It's the dumbest thing and it's the only phone I've ever had this issue with. So I always default to not loud enough. But I hate it.

Part of why I like Poweramp is it lets me choose if I want 50 or 100 volume steps instead of Android's usual amount. If I'm using Apple music or something else, I can start it playing and open Poweramp, then change the volume there and it stays at that level.
 
Part of why I like Poweramp is it lets me choose if I want 50 or 100 volume steps instead of Android's usual amount. If I'm using Apple music or something else, I can start it playing and open Poweramp, then change the volume there and it stays at that level.
Oh really, so you don't play through Poweramp but it still lets you set the volume level through it for a different player?
 
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