Samsung USB-C Headphone Adapter Review

[bobbooo]

Well, from the picture they publish, it pretty much looks like a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 to me.

I meant equipment, settings and method. I doubt the 2i2 is anywhere near the accuracy of Amir's analyzer anyway.

 

[bobbooo]

If it's the CS47L93 and the audio circuit remains mostly the same then performance should be similar to the Exynos S8, which 0db tested here

I wouldn't be too sure of that. Here's a measurement of the Exynos S10 by Anandtech:

 

[bravomail]

I'm glad I bought the apple usb-c dongle

me too. Apple's dongle is very good. Speaka dongle is very bad.

 

[bravomail]

https://www.soundguys.com/best-smartphones-for-audio-16373/

That is very good article. I didn't know Pixel 3a XL had headphone jack, and that it was very good! Still, Pixel doesn't have microSD slot. Hmm. Google? Are you listening?

 

[bobbooo]

That is very good article. I didn't know Pixel 3a XL had headphone jack, and that it was very good! Still, Pixel doesn't have microSD slot. Hmm. Google? Are you listening?

Unfortunately, along with the lack of a microSD slot, the 3a XL has relatively high IMD and stereo crosstalk with headphones, which could be audible:

https://www.gsmarena.com/google_pixel_3a_xl-review-1928p3.php#aq

 

[bobbooo]

me too. Apple's dongle is very good. Speaka dongle is very bad.

Have you done a blind ABX comparison test with the help of a friend to confirm this difference in impressions?

 

[Makahl]

Actually using Apple dongle on Xiaomi phone. Select usbHQ in HibyMusic to avoid power limit. I can also get volume control with my old iPhone compatible Sony earbuds

Thanks for the tip! It's working flawlessly now!

But my Samsung dongle doesn't work on Spotify, do you know any fix for that?

 

[elfary]

When Apple ditched the Jack and rolled out the Lightning to 3.5 dongle it was clear right out of the gate in which devices it would work: on any running iOS 10 or later.

As usual on Android dongles compatibility not only is not clear but seems to be a casino. Hit or miss.

Thus it might help to list each Android handset that can operate the Samsung dongle with no issues or workarounds.

 

[bakker_be]

When Apple ditched the Jack and rolled out the Lightning to 3.5 dongle it was clear right out of the gate in which devices it would work: on any running iOS 10 or later.

As usual on Android dongles compatibility not only is not clear but seems to be a casino. Hit or miss.

Thus it might help to list each Android handset that can operate the Samsung dongle with no issues or workarounds.

This "casino" has nothing to do with Android in itself, but with the USB Audio Device Class 3.0 specification (https://www.usb.org/document-library/usb-audio-devices-rev-30-and-adopters-agreement ). Manufacturers, be it of smartphones, tablets or computers, can choose to either send audio in digital form over the USB C connector (thus enabling the use of the Samsung and other similar dongles) or to send an analog audio signal (as is the case with my Huawei P20 Pro, making it the single biggest flaw I've yet to find in it). Both streams at once seems to be impossible or not reliable at the least ...

 

[Loki]

Can anyone help me?
Is this the same thing as reviewed https://www.samsung.com/in/mobile-accessories/charger-type-c-uc10ju/EE-UC10JUWEGIN/
meaning dac+amp dongle not some passive thing.
I want to use it with a laptop(via otg) and android if possible with my Sony mh1c(15Ω, mip-67mW ).
Is it going to be enough for 15Ω or I need something like meizu hifi pro?

 

[tobes]

I just replaced my 3yr old Galaxy S8 with an S20+ and got one of the Samsung dongles to allow use of my wired headphones. Hard to believe that this dongle has a dac/amp squeezed inside - this thing is very compact.
The S20+ comes with some USB-C earbuds - but they are awful tinny sounding crap IMO (as were the buds that came with my S8).
I only use my phone for casual listening, but even so the SQ with the cheap Koss KSC75x (60ohm) ear clip phones is really good - silly good considering the price of dongle + KSC75's.
Of course the KSC75's are crazy good headphones at their low price - I can't understand how people can stand listening to low cost earbuds when these exist.

 

[Asylum Seeker]

This "casino" has nothing to do with Android in itself, but with the USB Audio Device Class 3.0 specification (https://www.usb.org/document-library/usb-audio-devices-rev-30-and-adopters-agreement ). Manufacturers, be it of smartphones, tablets or computers, can choose to either send audio in digital form over the USB C connector (thus enabling the use of the Samsung and other similar dongles) or to send an analog audio signal (as is the case with my Huawei P20 Pro, making it the single biggest flaw I've yet to find in it). Both streams at once seems to be impossible or not reliable at the least ...

I don't quite follow. Are you saying that digital audio output to, say, a DAC is not possible via USB-C on your Mate 20 Pro?

 

[tobes]

With budgets like Samsung's this should have been better.

Yeah, if you're ticking off specs there is nothing special here. But this thing is tiny, low cost, and the bottom line is it sounds quite good and isn't cumbersome to use.
In Australia the Galaxy Buds+ are are free with S20 pre-orders. I'll be interested to see how they compare with the dongle/KSC75's which are a much cheaper combo.

 

[bakker_be]

I don't quite follow. Are you saying that digital audio output to, say, a DAC is not possible via USB-C on your Mate 20 Pro?

That is indeed what I'm saying, and no, it isn't broken This is a design choice made by Huawei, and open to any constructor to decide how they want to implement audio over USB-C.

 

[Asylum Seeker]

That is indeed what I'm saying, and no, it isn't broken This is a design choice made by Huawei, and open to any constructor to decide how they want to implement audio over USB-C.

That's remarkable and hard to believe because I get digital audio output to a DAC via the USB-C port on my Huawei Mate 20X, the Pro's bigger sibling (and on all other Android phones I have ever--Asus, Oppo, Samsung, Xiaomi--used going back to Android 7). And I can do out of the box, without having to tinker with Developer Options. Plug-and-Play with UAPP.

Yet another reason, perhaps, why the best of the Mate 20 triad has always been the X model. The X is a monster.

 

[bakker_be]

That's remarkable and hard to believe because I get digital audio output to a DAC via the USB-C port on my Huawei Mate 20X, the Pro's bigger sibling (and on all other Android phones I have ever--Asus, Oppo, Samsung, Xiaomi--used going back to Android 7). And I can do out of the box, without having to tinker with Developer Options. Plug-and-Play with UAPP.

Yet another reason, perhaps, why the best of the Mate 20 triad has always been the X model. The X is a monster.

Mate 20 <> P20 Different hardware, different design choices ...

 

[Asylum Seeker]

Mate 20 <> P20 Different hardware, different design choices ...

My bad - you have the P20. Nevertheless quite unusual, irregular even. I wonder - what was the upshot of that odd design choice? Even Android 7 devices were outputting audio via micro-USB years ago. I think you are being too generous with the "different design choice" bit.

 

[tobes]

FWIW the Samsung dongle drives my 150 ohm Sennheiser HD58X headphones very well.
Not surprisingly, the SQ from the HD58X far exceeds the cheap Koss KSC75X I mentioned above - so the dongle scales well with better headphones.
I'm waiting on a Meizo Pro dongle as I'm curious to see if the better technical performance brings discernible SQ gains.
For those thinking wireless may be the way to go with newer phones like the S20 - I was very disappointed with the SQ from the complementary Samsung Buds+. Mine are back in the box. YMMV.

 

[Asylum Seeker]

FWIW the Samsung dongle drives my 150 ohm Sennheiser HD58X headphones very well.
Not surprisingly, the SQ from the HD58X far exceeds the cheap Koss KSC75X I mentioned above - so the dongle scales well with better headphones.
I'm waiting on a Meizo Pro dongle as I'm curious to see if the better technical performance brings discernible SQ gains.
For those thinking wireless may be the way to go with newer phones like the S20 - I was very disappointed with the SQ from the complementary Samsung Buds+. Mine are back in the box. YMMV.

That's surprising. The Buds+ are tuned to Harman Target (now that Samsung owns Harman) and get good reviews for SQ.

I find the Anker Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro quite good.

 

[tobes]

That's surprising. The Buds+ are tuned to Harman Target (now that Samsung owns Harman) and get good reviews for SQ.

Yes, that's why I was looking forward to receiving them.
With any buds the SQ is super dependent on the seal - so perhaps its just that none of the supplied tips worked for me(?).
I really don't put much stock in the AKG branding.
My second thought is that perhaps they're OK for casual listening when compared to wireless alternatives, but just don't compare well to decent wired headphones(?).
In any case they just didn't work for me, I preferred the cheap KSC75X with the dongle. However the later, being an open headphone, offers no isolation so only suitable for quiet environments. Same goes for the much superior HD58X HP's.