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Review: Apple vs Google USB-C Headphone Adapters

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Get a Apple USB-C dac to my Google Pixel 2 XL and it works but the max output volume a way too low, and this thread indicate that. Are that any fix to increase the volume? ( My Pixel are a EU unit ) Or any budget good line amplifier with high gain?

BR, Lennart

I found this post using alsa_mixer: https://redd.it/4ry1iz It requires root though.
I'm quite sure the information is sound but I'm not sure if it's applicable now. I'll try it with my OP5T soon.
 

Roy

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I connected the Apple USB-C dac to my laptop (windows 10) and to my Amp.
Works great, but the volume output is very low.

How can i fix it?
Thanks. Roy.
 

edechamps

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I connected the Apple USB-C dac to my laptop (windows 10) and to my Amp.
Works great, but the volume output is very low.

I assume you tried simply raising the master volume control in Windows?

Otherwise, if you're using the European version of the adapter, its output is limited to 0.5 Vrms (as measured in Windows 10 at full volume). That's low, but it's not "very low".
 

Makahl

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Guys, in my country the apple dongle model is the MU7E2AM/A. Is that model the non-European version, right? I think that 0.5 Vrms wouldn't drive my IEMS besides the BAs based ones to enjoyable levels.
 

Roy

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I assume you tried simply raising the master volume control in Windows?

Otherwise, if you're using the European version of the adapter, its output is limited to 0.5 Vrms (as measured in Windows 10 at full volume). That's low, but it's not "very low".
Thank you :)

How do i know that it is the European version?
 

divid3byzer0

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I've been using this dongle with an android phone (Xiaomi Pocophone with LineageOS) and I had the same problem as everybody else regarding volume, until I used Neutron Music Player. Through it, the volume is no longer a problem so I'm guessing it has to do with the drivers the application uses. There is an option to give it exclusive control of the USB device.

No other app worked as good as Neutron (low volume or no sound at all), and I've tried several of them: USB Audio Player, Onkyo Player, Hibi Music, etc...
 

daftcombo

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I've been using this dongle with an android phone (Xiaomi Pocophone with LineageOS) and I had the same problem as everybody else regarding volume, until I used Neutron Music Player. Through it, the volume is no longer a problem so I'm guessing it has to do with the drivers the application uses. There is an option to give it exclusive control of the USB device.

No other app worked as good as Neutron (low volume or no sound at all), and I've tried several of them: USB Audio Player, Onkyo Player, Hibi Music, etc...
Did you try Foobar for Android?
 

tomli747

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Thanks for your recommendation. Neutron Music Player is much louder than Onkyo player. However, Windows is still much louder than Neutron.
 

Makahl

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I assume you tried simply raising the master volume control in Windows?

Otherwise, if you're using the European version of the adapter, its output is limited to 0.5 Vrms (as measured in Windows 10 at full volume). That's low, but it's not "very low".

Hey,
I'm just raising the volume control and even though it's not "very low" like on Android, it's "mild low". So is there any way to change the gain in Windows 10 besides rising the volume control?
 

matt3421

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I assume you tried simply raising the master volume control in Windows?

Otherwise, if you're using the European version of the adapter, its output is limited to 0.5 Vrms (as measured in Windows 10 at full volume). That's low, but it's not "very low".
do you get the full 1V if you're using the US version? (for windows)
 

Veri

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Is there a way to make the Apple dongle become Line Out on Windows? I want to use it as a DAC with the JDS Atom without double amping.
The amp will be active in any case, no way around that. All you can do is set windows to 100% volume to get "live level" output. Note that you will definitely need to put Atom in high gain for typical headphone driving requirements.

Nothing inherently wrong with "double-amping" btw, I feel like this is another audio myth. Unless you are driving either stage into clipping levels there should be no particular consequence in practice.
 
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The amp will be active in any case, no way around that. All you can do is set windows to 100% volume to get "live level" output. Note that you will definitely need to put Atom in high gain for typical headphone driving requirements.

Nothing inherently wrong with "double-amping" btw, I feel like this is another audio myth. Unless you are driving either stage into clipping levels there should be no particular consequence in practice.

Why do you say I need to put Atom in high gain? Right now I have the Atom hooked up to my mobo. Mobo is at 80% volume, Atom is on low gain at 10'o clock and is running my HD600 to comfortable levels. Also, wouldn't setting it to 100% with the dongle (or mobo) be worse because the hardware will be performing at its limits? Wouldn't it be better to have it in a "safe" zone from 20-80%?

Isn't double-amping a "bad" idea? Because you're amplifying the gear (dongle) before the final amp (Atom) and thus elevating it's noise floor? I guess for a lot of things it doesn't matter in practice but that's why we're here on ASR right :D
 

Veri

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Why do you say I need to put Atom in high gain? Right now I have the Atom hooked up to my mobo. Mobo is at 80% volume, Atom is on low gain at 10'o clock and is running my HD600 to comfortable levels. Also, wouldn't setting it to 100% with the dongle (or mobo) be worse because the hardware will be performing at its limits? Wouldn't it be better to have it in a "safe" zone from 20-80%?
The dongle will likely output a lot less than your mobo. In EU apple's dongle was capped at like 0.5Vrms? 1Vrms might do in low gain for some headphones but it's not much, hence the recommendation for 100% volume, which is how amir did his test of the apple dongle. Performance is fine at this level, there's no sign of clipping or reaching any hardware limits.

Isn't double-amping a "bad" idea? Because you're amplifying the gear (dongle) before the final amp (Atom) and thus elevating it's noise floor? I guess for a lot of things it doesn't matter in practice but that's why we're here on ASR right :D
Maybe it's not ideal but in a dac/amp dongle you can't really bypass the amp anyway, and at higher volume the SNR will likely be better anyway.
 
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The dongle will likely output a lot less than your mobo. In EU apple's dongle was capped at like 0.5Vrms? 1Vrms might do in low gain for some headphones but it's not much, hence the recommendation for 100% volume, which is how amir did his test of the apple dongle. Performance is fine at this level, there's no sign of clipping or reaching any hardware limits.


Maybe it's not ideal but in a dac/amp dongle you can't really bypass the amp anyway, and at higher volume the SNR will likely be better anyway.

The dongle outputs just as much or a bit more than my mobo. Testing with HD600, dongle alone is able to run comfortably loud at 25% Windows volume.

As for your second point, that was what I originally hoping for. To bypass the amp for only the DAC portion so the Atom can fully take over the output volume without the additional noise from the dongle.
 

IFPMaximus34

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im finding in my country this version MU7E2ZM/A writing on google finds uk version so gessing its 0.5vrms,will it be enought for coolermaster mh751(a takstar pro 82 rebrand) with sensitivity 97dB and 26oms impediance,will be using on windows 10 also will buu adapter to connect to pc?
 
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matt3421

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i have the US version of the apple dongle and just tried it with my JDS Atom amp. it gets plenty loud for my HD598 and powered speakers in low gain

edit: but i can hear ground loops from my speakers now. guess i can't use it for that.
 
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I used the Apple Dongle (US version) with my Pixel 3 today and it seems like there's a lot more volume on tap than there was the last time I used it. I used to have to max out my volume control to get a barely adequate listening volume, but now max volume is uncomfortably loud. Tested with Spotify Premium on "Normal" volume normalization.
 

Jimster480

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I used the Apple Dongle (US version) with my Pixel 3 today and it seems like there's a lot more volume on tap than there was the last time I used it. I used to have to max out my volume control to get a barely adequate listening volume, but now max volume is uncomfortably loud. Tested with Spotify Premium on "Normal" volume normalization.
Volume normalization absolutely destroys quality with spotify. You have to have it off in order to compare music quality at all.

As for me, I would like to do for Apple as I listen to Apple Music and sometimes would like to transfer Apple Music to other portable devices for offline playback. And to make Apple Music play on those devices, it is a little bit hard due to the audio format of it. But to make it possible, I found a tool called Apple Audio File Converter. It works well and help you convert Apple Music so that I can stream them for offline listening.
Can't you just use itunes?
 

Degru

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Edit: should clarify I'm talking about apple dongle

Just went out and bought one of these. It sounds as transparent as I'd expect, and seems to pair well with my etymotic er4b. No weird upper mids harshness like with my shanling m0. Borrowing the USBC to USBA adapter from my hidizs dongle it works wonderfully with my computer as well, which is primarily what I bought it for.. Though for more dynamic tracks UAPP's volume scale is a bit too imprecise, since the dongle is *just* strong enough to really drive my er4b properly. Neutron solved that issue I suppose, though annoyingly it does not bind to the volume buttons properly. Can't have everything, I guess.
 
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