Weird phenomena when using a dongle on my smartphone

[FTB]

Hi there !

A few days ago I received the recent Sennheiser HD480 Pro.
To me they are better than the K371 (the price tag is not the same yes...) with tighter, more controlled bass and no audible dip in the midrange. In comparison, the AKG sound colder due to the 4 kHz dip and with less controlled bass.

All this when I am using these headphones on my computer with my audio interface (Steinberg UR22) which could drive the Sennheiser (130 Ohms).

My main usage of headphones is to use them on my smartphone for mobile use.

Of course, the 130 Ohms of the Senn. is a bit tough for the audio output of the smartphone so I tried the Fosi Audio DS2 dongle in both asymetrical or symetrical use (Sennheiser sells a symetrical cable for the HD480/HD490 for 40 €).

And yet, even with this dongle the Senn. is not properly driven, not in terms of loudness but bass level which is lower than with my audio interface on my PC.
When I tried the Fosi DS2 on my computer, the result is as good as the audio interface with a proper bass level.

So I guess the USB port of my phone is the problem to drive correctly the Senn. in the bass even with the dongle.
Not enough current ?

Did you already encounter this phenomena ?

Have a nice day

 

[Redacted]

Buy some cheaper phones for use with the phone, that are easy to drive, and keep the nicer ones for PC, perhaps?
IEMs are great with phones.

 

[Somafunk]

Did you already encounter this phenomena ?

Have a nice day

My Sennheiser HD490 (very similar to 480) are perfectly fine whilst being used with my iPhone 17 and Jcally JM20max dongle so I dunno what going on with your setup as the DS2 should easily drive the 480's.

What is your phone/age ?, like you say, perhaps it is an issue with your phone and if it is an android phone then perhaps there is some setting to play around with, I've been iPhone for 19 yers so cant help

can you try someones else's phone?

 

[Redacted]

No obvious settings for USB or DAC on any Android phone I've ever owned, but I stick to "stock as poss.." Maybe Samsung phones are different - they seem far-from-stock Android and may have a proprietary setting (it's why I avoid them).

 

[FTB]

Buy some cheaper phones for use with the phone, that are easy to drive, and keep the nicer ones for PC, perhaps?
IEMs are great with phones.

Sure I can do that, I have a pair of Truthear Zero Red and the K371 is suitable for the phone.

Just curious to understand why the Fosi DS2 don't drive the Sennheiser the same way with my phone and my computer.

My Sennheiser HD490 (very similar to 480) are perfectly fine whilst being used with my iPhone 17 and Jcally JM20max dongle so I dunno what going on with your setup as the DS2 should easily drive the 480's.

What is your phone/age ?, like you say, perhaps it is an issue with your phone and if it is an android phone then perhaps there is some setting to play around with, I've been iPhone for 19 yers so cant help

can you try someones else's phone?

I have also the JM20Max, it can drive the HD480 at a sufficient volume but still the bass level problem.

My phone is Nokia G42 from March 2024. The cool thing is it has pure Android but I still can't change anything about the USB port.

Such a shame, without this problem I would stick to the HD480.

 

[Somafunk]

Sure I can do that, I have a pair of Truthear Zero Red and the K371 is suitable for the phone.

Just curious to understand why the Fosi DS2 don't drive the Sennheiser the same way with my phone and my computer.


I have also the JM20Max, it can drive the HD480 at a sufficient volume but still the bass level problem.

My phone is Nokia G42 from March 2024. The cool thing is it has pure Android but I still can't change anything about the USB port.

Such a shame, without this problem I would stick to the HD480.

Hmmm, sorry can't help much but is this below any good?


Try this,

Fixing USB Audio Issues
If your USB-C audio device or adapter is not working properly on your Nokia G42, you can check your developer settings:

• • Open Settings on your phone.
  • Go to Developer options (if hidden, tap Build number 7 times under About phone).
  • Scroll down to the Media section.
  • Look for Disable USB audio routing and make sure it is turned off.

or

• • Enable Developer Options: Go to Settings > About phone, then tap Build number 7 times until it says you are a developer. [1]
  • Check USB Audio Settings: Search your system settings for Developer options, open it, and scroll down to find settings related to USB audio. Ensure that options like "Disable USB audio routing" are toggled off. [1, 2, 3]
  • Bypass Android Resampling: Standard streaming apps route sound through the internal Android mixer. Try a dedicated bit-perfect app like USB Audio Player Pro (UAPP) or Neutron Player which talks directly to external USB DAC hardware. [1, 2, 3]
  • Power Draw Issues: Some unpowered dongle DACs draw too much power or fail to trigger the USB On-The-Go (OTG) state correctly. Try turning on your DAC/amp (if it has a battery) before plugging it into the phone, or test with a powered USB-C hub. [1, 2]
  • Check OTG/Cable Integrity: Ensure your USB-C cable or adapter supports data transfer and OTG functionality, as charge-only cables will not transmit audio data. [1]

 

[Redacted]

Sure I can do that, I have a pair of Truthear Zero Red and the K371 is suitable for the phone.

Just curious to understand why the Fosi DS2 don't drive the Sennheiser the same way with my phone and my computer.


I have also the JM20Max, it can drive the HD480 at a sufficient volume but still the bass level problem.

My phone is Nokia G42 from March 2024. The cool thing is it has pure Android but I still can't change anything about the USB port.

Such a shame, without this problem I would stick to the HD480.

I assume the DS2 doesn't have the output voltage & current needed. But I don't know.
Nokia G42 - one of the best recent phones for the cash! My son has one, having ditched his fixation with Samsung spy-ware!
I have G60. I have not seen any stock Android phone that has USB settings that might affect a DAC, only the dev options are visible to me (e.g. default use like tethering or file transfer). Disabling audio routing should default as off - unlikely that this would have changed, and it would mean no DACs work.

 

[Somafunk]

I assume the DS2 doesn't have the output voltage & current needed. But I don't know.

Doubt it, there must be something else going on

Fosi Audio DS2 Portable DAC & Amp Review

This is a review, detailed measurements and listening tests of Fosi Audio DS2 portable DAC and balanced headphone amplifier. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $55. Well, it looks like a dongle. :) The LED seems to indicate the sample rates. What I like is inclusion of 4.4mm...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Redacted]

Doubt it, there must be something else going on

Fosi Audio DS2 Portable DAC & Amp Review

This is a review, detailed measurements and listening tests of Fosi Audio DS2 portable DAC and balanced headphone amplifier. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $55. Well, it looks like a dongle. :) The LED seems to indicate the sample rates. What I like is inclusion of 4.4mm...

www.audiosciencereview.com

that must be right.

FWIW I just pulled my Topping DX1 off this laptop and plugged into my Nokia G60 with my basic AA 'phones and it worked very well (to deafening volume) - not a relevant comparison but you made me check!... The Fosi DS2 looks like it works fine according to Amir with high impedance 'phones.

 

[FTB]

Hmmm, sorry can't help much but is this below any good?


Try this,

Fixing USB Audio Issues
If your USB-C audio device or adapter is not working properly on your Nokia G42, you can check your developer settings:

• • Open Settings on your phone.
  • Go to Developer options (if hidden, tap Build number 7 times under About phone).
  • Scroll down to the Media section.
  • Look for Disable USB audio routing and make sure it is turned off.

[...]

Thanks for the input, I didn't think about developer optons but USB audio routing was already off.

[...]
Nokia G42 - one of the best recent phones for the cash! My son has one, having ditched his fixation with Samsung spy-ware!
[...]

Yes, pure Android is a great thing ! And Nokia was not bad about ethics ( https://thegoodshoppingguide.com/subject/ethical-mobile-phones/ )

//

Yes it must be the USB output of the phone which is limiting as the DS2 works great on my computer.

Whatever, it is not that serious, when I do a direct comparison between the HD480 and the K371, the differences are not so obvious (for 2,66 time the price) at I point I really want to keep the Sennheiser.
I can continue with the AKG and their 32 ohms which are perfectly driven with the JM20 Max on my phone.

 

[Redacted]

It's the anomalies that often make ASR interesting, even if this one remains a mystery!

 

[Baldhead]

This might be a stupid question - but when you turn up the volume, do you only do it on the phone or do you do it on the dongle as well ? Android defaults to set the volume to somewhere around 50% on usb dongles.

 

[FTB]

This might be a stupid question - but when you turn up the volume, do you only do it on the phone or do you do it on the dongle as well ? Android defaults to set the volume to somewhere around 50% on usb dongles.

In fact I can't turn up the volume on the dongle, it doesn't work.
It's written in the manual, it can happen



I quit the idea of using the HD480 on my phone. I'll sell it or keep it for a computer use, I don't know yet. The fact it doesn't have the 4 kHz dip like the AKG is still a good thin.

 

[FTB]

Hi,

I returned the Fosi Audio DS2, I received the Tanchjim Space and that's it !

First, the volume buttons work and the HD480 Pro is correctly driven even with my phone !
The bass level is the same that I connect the T.Space on my laptop or on my phone but still in symetric 4.4 mm or there would no be enough headroom.

So I couldn't recommend the DS2 for android use.

It is now pretty clear that the HD480 Pro outperfom the AKG K371 (not the same price, yes). Still this sensation of tighter bass and it doesn't have a dip like the AKG in the mids.
With a direct comparison, the K371 still give me this sensation of a "hollow" sound, lack of presence (nothing surprising as presence is around these frequencies).

Professional studios should be equiped with the HD480 Pro instead of ATH-M50X or Sony 7506 or other stuff.

Can't wait to see Amir's raw and unsmoothed measurement of the Sennheiser.

 

[FTB]

The problem was finally still present with the Tanchjim Luna and I found it finally came from my phone as I bought a new one and the bass problem is gone (price of the Sennheiser + dongle + new phone = music reproduction is expensive).

I finally can't say nothing bad about the Fosi DS2 I tried at first.
The Tanchjim Luna lacks a proper volume scale, I was always stuck between two settings.

I tried the Moondrop Dawn Pro 2 with the 100 volume settings, paradoxically it was too much, changing the volume was long.

I went for the Tempotec Sonata BHD 2026, very good dongle for 40€ with shipping to Europe, three gain settings (low impedance/middle/high).

The HD480 is a killer, I won't be surprised if it measures close to some DCA headphones, close to the target...