Internal cellphone/tablet DAC vs. external...still very confused..

[Cahudson42]

Read everything I could find - still confused. Let's go with an example: the 2019 Fire 7" tablet - $30 on sale. Measure the 3.5mm output @ 60hz. 33 ohm load. Anemic. 0.16 v at full volume. Ok. No problem adding something like the NX 3 with my HE 400i. But should I go with a simple amp like the NX3? Or bypass the internal DAC with a DAC/Amp combo?

Using Amazon Music HD it reports the internal DAC as 24/48. Sounds good to me.

I try an es100 and Fiio BTR 3, not in bt, but USB. I can get neither to work. Audio to the tablet shuts off with the es100, and the track selection works, but no sound whatever from HP. (Help appreciated here!) BTR3 worse - audio still coming from tablet..

So my question is - is it really worth it to keep fighting to bypass the internal DAC? How bad is it?? Where do I find measurements for it's DAC performance? (Amp performance irrelevant to me. I will add an external amp anyway..)

All thoughts, suggestions, 'educational references' - whatever, greatly appreciated!

Chris

 

[bravomail]

So my question is - is it really worth it to keep fighting to bypass the internal DAC? How bad is it?? Where do I find measurements for it's DAC performance? (Amp performance irrelevant to me. I will add an external amp anyway..)

All thoughts, suggestions, 'educational references' - whatever, greatly appreciated!

Chris

Try searching-asking on Fire tablet forums. Try using HiBy Music Player - it is free and supports USB audio output. There are paid USB players too. If that doesn't work - NX3 might be your best bet, or use ES100 in bluetooth mode, or get bluetooth headphones.

 

[Cahudson42]

Try searching-asking on Fire tablet forums. Try using HiBy Music Player - it is free and supports USB audio output. There are paid USB players too. If that doesn't work - NX3 might be your best bet, or use ES100 in bluetooth mode, or get bluetooth headphones.

Thanks @bravomail

Since the original post I decided I would focus on going 'lossless' 16/44.1 with Amazon music HD/UHD. No bt, if I can at all avoid it. Thus I returned the es100 and BTR3. Bt functions (and cost) I didn't need.

I never did find DAC specs anywhere on the Fire 7. So I tried the $9 Apple dongle. Ran into the 'anemic Android output' issue with it. Though it works ok with my Liquid Spark and older SHP9500, not enough volume with new HE400i.

Got a D10. Now using it with Fire upstream and LS. Plenty of undistorted (to me anyway) volume with HE400i, even in low gain LS mode. I'm happy with this desktop setup, but still looking for a portable solution. Mulling going with an LG V20 and NX3. But not yet..

Without ASR and everyone here, I would never have gotten this far. Maybe one day I'll have something completely 120db SINAD, but for now I'm really enjoying 100, with enough power from the LS to experience it..

Thanks everyone!