Reddit mentions of EarStudio ES100 MK2-24bit Portable High-Resolution Bluetooth Receiver/USB DAC/Headphone Amp with LDAC, aptX HD, aptX, AAC (3.5mm Unbalanced & 2.5mm Balanced Output)

ES100


EarStudio ES100-24bit Portable High-Resolution Bluetooth Receiver/USB DAC/Headphone Amp with LDAC, aptX HD, aptX, AAC (3.5mm Unbalanced & 2.5mm Balanced Output) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078H4YD2L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ReGPDbH9K2TWK

No, bluetooth is not a proper replacement for the analog jack. AptX-HD and LDAC are nice, and would suffice (at least for on the go listening) IF they could handle a stable connection. But they can't. Especially when you're outside.

I looked into it. If I wanted to go bluetooth with AptX-HD/LDAC I'd need a setup thats FAR more inconvenient than a simple 3.5 jack cable - A small portable bluetooth DAC/Amp that supports the codecs (Example), still a 3.5 jack cable and my IEMs, connected via bluetooth to my phone. Wow, where do I put the additional device now? Fucking clip it on my damn jacket?

All convenient "audiophile" solutions cost 150 bucks or much more, AND ONLY support normal AptX. For example the Plussound cables. Normal AptX is pretty damn horrible if you have good earphones, y'know. And no it's definitely not proper 16bit lossless.

So then there is the obvious solution. Do what many others do and buy some bluetooth headphones. But there is NO DAMN CHOICE of good headphones. All bluetooth headphones are midrange AT MAX, but already cost a shitload for the cheap quality.

Bluetooth is not, and will never be a proper replacement. There must be a new and proper music streaming standard before we can ditch the headphone jack for real.

Visitor from /r/headphones here.

You better believe I still use mine. Even if Dongles and external solutions are better than most integrated solutions, LG's Quad DAC designs are still decent, and some of the best integrated solutions available.

That being said, when I bring out more demanding headphones, or more sensitive in ears, I'll generally hook them to a portable dac/amp or a very low output impedance Dongle (for the IEMs).

That being said, I still use my headphone jack when I get into most cars, as there's the simplicity of one wire and you're good to go. Sure, it's not wireless, but there's never any drop outs, or weird latency, and/or compatibility issues. Arguably those issues depend on implementation, but still. Less moving parts so to speak.

Also, it's good to have for times when you want to plug into a friend's speaker or system and not blow out their BT settings.

Edit: added links.

I am not a professional, but I can say this much... I have a pair of Audio Technica Pro 700 MK2's and listening to them plugged into my Pixel 2 vs listening to them plugged into my Onkyo receiver fed audio from my PC via optical cable is an ENTIRELY different experience.

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I've been considering picking up an es100 to be able to use my 700MK2's wireless with my phone and I'm hoping that it offers a similar experience as I get with my Onkyo.

> are there bluetooth headphones that actually sound good?

I've been on a quest for actually good sounding bluetooth headphones myself recently, and the conclusion I came to was - no...not without some help.

Get this: ES100. Clip it to something (it's incredibly tiny and lightweight) + whatever headphones you want (if the cables are swappable, then look for some short ones... Fiio makes some short MMCX cables for instance). Bam, any headphone you want is now bluetooth at basically its full potential. It drives everything I've tested it with amazingly well (quite a bit better than my Schiit Fulla, at any rate) and sounds amazing.

If you will also be using the headphones for gaming or movies/TV, then instead get the BTR3 ... the ES100 is slightly better (more gain, more firmware updates, more configurable options, etc) overall for AptX-HD music playback (or LDAC, or AAC), but it doesn't support AptX-LL (low latency) mode, which is important for anything interactive. BTR3 supports all of those including AptX-LL. In low latency mode, I can just barely perceive a slight delay in terms of lip synchronization, but only just barely if I'm doing my best to look for it, and I might just be imagining it. For any casual media consumption or gaming bluetooth via AptX-LL, at least with the transmitter I'm using and this receiver, is good enough.

I've tested both of these with my Fiio FH5 and Etymotic ER4XR IEMs (both of which are quite resolving IEMs), and in both cases it sounds 100.00% indistinguishable to my ears compared to just plugging them into my smartphone. On the other hand, when I connected them via SBC codec using a USB bluetooth dongle, I could easily tell. Though, actually, even via SBC things still sounded better than I figured they would....goes to show that the default SBC codec isn't the only problem with most bluetooth headphones. Decent headphones via SBC still sound fairly decent, if not at their absolute best.

Oh, and the ES100 has an optional "high gain" mode, but even with that disabled, it gets me significantly higher volume if I pump it up to painful max levels (as a test) compared to the BTR3. The BTR3 was never too quiet at max volume for me, but if I had headphones that were hard to drive then that might sometimes be an issue.

An audiophile buddy recently ditched the 3.5mm with his current phone. Here's what he recommended to me (he's tried 4 of various price levels, etc.): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078H4YD2L

What you need is a good Bluetooth receiver, that will turn any pair of wired headphones or IEM’s into Bluetooth headphones/IEM’s. Since you’re using a decent pair of IEM’s you want something that can drive them, so your best option would be one of these Bluetooth receivers specifically made for audiophile equipment.

FiiO BTR3 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FVN14FH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_piKSCbYM45MSS

EarStudio ES100 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078H4YD2L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_imKSCbYR6VXN2

I have both and they are amazing the quality difference between wired and Bluetooth is almost indiscernible. I also use them both to drive my
IE80S IEM’s and believe me you will be surprised by the quality of these devices. They both are small and can easily be carried in a pocket.

Yes, it's the Radsone ES100. You can find it on amazon here.

No red tint display. The white balance on my phone is even better than the Huawei P30 I switched from.

Camera is very competent indoors too compared to the P30. P30 only excels in darker environment while being able to take quick pictures.

My Bluetooth is working fine, but I don't connect directly to my car but to an EarStudio Es100 via the aux input. No problems there connects as soon as the car is on.

I'm using it with the es100, which is $99. Huge improvement over the dongle (if you have a iPhone 7 or newer), extremely convenient because it's bluetooth, and one of the few dac/amps that don't produce ANY hiss (and the andromeda is EXTREMELY sensitive to hiss). It's also competitive in quality to my ha2se. Highly recommend it - you can buy it on amazon.

Depends what where you want the audio out.

For the speakers?
not much i can help you there, as i disable the speakers in the bios

For headphones?
The noise floor on the 3.5mm port on the laptop is the worst, if you have sensitive iems you will always hear it.
instead you need to grab a usb dac like

dragonfly

• 24bit/96hz
  
• usb only
  
• $124.88
  
  earstudio
  
  
• 16bit/48hz (on usb) up to 24bit/96hz(BT ldac)
  
• BT/USB
  
• has both balanced and unbalanced outputs
  
• $99
  
  btr3
  
  
• 16bit/48hz (on usb) up to 24bit/96hz(BT ldac)
  
• USB/BT
  
• $69
  
  m6
  
  
• 384kHz/32bit(usb)
  
• BT/USB/Onboard (its it own music player)
  
• $99.99
  
  any of these will give you great sound from whatever headphones you have

This is what I use to bridge that gap. https://www.amazon.com/EarStudio-ES100-24bit-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-Unbalanced/dp/B078H4YD2L

Edit: I care about the headphone jack too Jesus, but the ES100 is awesome to have in addition to a headphone jack

Most if not all of the high end smartphones have very respectable DACs. Seeing as you're more into IEMs at the moment, a dac/amp combo is not gonna have much of an impact. Mostly due to extra bulk being super annoying.

If/when Samsung removes the headphone jack, a dongle would probably be more than enough for your use case. If not, you should take a look at the Earstudio ES100. It's a $100 Bluetooth dac/amp that many people are recommending. Being Bluetooth (i.e wireless) and the fact that it's really small makes it super convenient to carry around.

In addition, it has a really good app that has a equaliser built in for you to create your preferred sound profile.

I read a lot about separate amps and DACs but I wanted something portable and cheap and easy. I'd been looking at the the EarStudio ES100 which is $99 but while at the Brooklyn aloft hotel one night after getting tipped at King's Theater, my phone popped up that it was on special for $74.25 and I went ahead with the purchase

I hadn't realized this at the time the ES100 started as a kickstarter to have studio level quality and it exceeded my expectations. My only gripe is that every time I plug it in or unplug it, it turns on and I have to hold down a little button to turn it back off. I miss old fashioned on/off toggle switches

There's an iPhone app where I can EQ it to take advantage of my headphones (lots of BASS)

I still have a wire from my headphones to this little thing and I also have a conversion cable 1/4" to 3.5mm or whatever. Ideally a high quality bluetooth receiver like this would be built into my headphones but I'm guessing that professionals don't take headphones seriously if they come with bluetooth built in

anyway, I highly recommend if to anyone that loves music without any sound limitations

cheers

Oh, and what's the ES100? This bluetooth DAC?

I would recommend an Amp/dac as I find the headphone out sounds terrible even when compared to a super cheap usb dac.

I personally use https://www.amazon.com/EarStudio-ES100-24bit-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-Unbalanced/dp/B078H4YD2L. It’s small, versatile, and provides a decent amount of power for its size. I use it with all of my portable devices with a variety of headphones.

Yes you could use this or this you'd still have a wire from the headphones to the device though.

yes you should bother.. There are amazing headphones that are easy on the ears!! Headphone examples: Koss Porta Pro X & AFK Khans.

You'll hear the difference trust me.. Def purchase an AMP though.

You could pickup an ES100 DAC/AMP. It should be a very noticeable upgrade!

The AFK Khans cannot be powered by the ES100 just forwarning.. Def pickup a Koss Porta Pro X by Massdrop for your first purchase! :)

https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-koss-porta-pro-x-headphones

ES100 bluetooth DAC/AMP - https://www.amazon.com/EarStudio-ES100-24bit-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-Unbalanced/dp/B078H4YD2L/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=ES100&qid=1570060944&sr=8-1

If you need a pad upgrade get these - https://www.amazon.com/YAXI-EARPADS-PORTAPRO-Yellow-Orange/dp/B07L869LJL/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Yaxi+pads&qid=1570060964&sr=8-1

Just like removable batteries and physical keyboards, there’s basically no chance of it coming back. The truth is that the general public doesn’t care, just look at the sales figures from the Note 10/10+ despite the Internet and reviewer outcry about it not having a headphone jack.
Also... there is not much difference (if at all) in sound quality between most onboard DACs and a decent pair of Bluetooth headphones specially while streaming (of course there is exceptions like some older iPhones an the LG V series) and most people wouldn’t care anyway, and those who care like the audiophile community have been using external DAC/AMPs for a while and are moving more and more towards 2.5/4.4mm balanced.

As for options, you can get the EarStudio ES100 so you can use your favourite wired headphones again.

If you are completely against Bluetooth, and since you listen to 18+ hours a day of music, maybe getting a DAP is a better option for you.

Or get an “older” phone, the S10/S10+ still have the headphone jack.

Well, I don't know a lot about the various home audio Bluetooth receiver models. But the es100 combo USB DAC headphone amp bluetooth receiver is very popular in the audiophile headphone crowd https://www.amazon.com/EarStudio-ES100-24bit-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-Unbalanced/dp/B078H4YD2L. Supports many different codecs, and even has an app for IOS and Android so that you can eq the output.

It's true that the cheapest Bluetooth adapters have lower quality DACs. They can also have lower power transmitters and lack the latest bluetooth features.

The quality of the DAC isn't as important for Bluetooth as it is for wired connections, as Bluetooth audio codecs are lossy, but the codecs have improved. Look for APT-X HD.

This receiver is highly regarded, and it can be used as a desktop or portable device:

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B078H4YD2L/

>what's out there these days as far as high quality Bluetooth audio for around $100

earstudio ES100.

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here is a link its a great and pretty tiny receiver that can do aptx, aptx HD and lower (aac,sbc) . its small enough to clip on a shirt collar and has a standard and balanced audio jack and works great as a portable receiver/headphone amplifier so you can use your favorite headphones with it.

these and these dacs and what's your budget?

I got one of these. I love it to death.

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https://www.amazon.com/EarStudio-ES100-24bit-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-unbalanced/dp/B078H4YD2L?keywords=es100&qid=1540761087&sr=8-1&ref=sr_1_1

I’ve been surprised at how much I like the Earstudio ES100 It gives basically headphone, stereo system or powered speaker Bluetooth connectivity! The app is nice too.

Found this post :https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/beg98w/2pin_short_length_iem_cable_for_es100/


EarStudio ES100
https://www.amazon.com/EarStudio-ES100-24bit-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-Unbalanced/dp/B078H4YD2L

FiiO Short Replacement Cable LC-3.5AS (40CM/16inch) (3.5mm to MMXC)
https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-LC-3-5AS-Headphone-Cable-Connector/dp/B07HN1474D

LINSOUL TIN T2
https://www.amazon.com/TIN-T2-Dynamic-Earphone-Headphones/dp/B07DL2FPBL

Case Closed?

earstudio es100 with their companion app has it.

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https://www.amazon.com/EarStudio-ES100-24bit-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-Unbalanced/dp/B078H4YD2L

Definitely. I used to disregard Essential for the lack of headphone jack but after I heard about this thing I don't care about it anymore. Probably worth the money if you have decent headphones and an AptX HD compatible phone.

why is that ive read a couple things about this. but im planning on getting a dac that is self-powered not powered by phone. alot of people i asked was against rooting the 7t simply for v4a. and i need a 10 band equalizer, parametric preferably or one where i can atleast see the numerical value of gains as i cant do equalizing by ear, just not good enough

edit: also been told on someone whop has the dac im getting they are planning on a firmware update to make the eq parametric


https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B078H4YD2L/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yeah I actually really enjoy bass but not when the mids and highs are suffering from it. But yeah on the 18s 100% would say to not hesitate to pick these up. Overall they feel on the flat side which is a good thing to me, very authentic. I feel like I'm hearing exactly what the recording engineer intended for me to hear in incredibly clear detail. With none of the bass issues I felt with the 11's even though the bass and sub do show up when they should. Love Them!

Also I use the Ear Studio Es-100 because I really wanted a decent wireless option. Good Luck picking a pair of monitors! Post them when you get them!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078H4YD2L/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use the EarStudio ES100 Bluetooth adapter.

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Works very well with the 7Pro and paired with a quality sets of the buds, sounds absolutely amazing.

It's actually available for $95 (+5 shipping) on amazon.com. Waiting for mine but the initial impressions are quite positive.

Check out the Earstudio ES100. Supports aptx HD

EarStudio ES100 - 24bit Portable High-Resolution Bluetooth Receiver/Headphone Amp/DAC with AAC, aptX, aptX HD (BLACK) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078H4YD2L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_5ut7AbZZ51TTX

https://www.amazon.co.uk/EarStudio-ES100-24bit-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-unbalanced-black/dp/B078H4YD2L

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Its a portable headphone amp, generally regarded by Head-Fi users as the best bluetooth can give at the moment.

Assuming you're talking about audio quality... there are virtually no wireless headphones that provide "high quality audio". That being said, the Sony WH-1000XM3's are pretty much the best in the wireless/noise cancelling audio world right now.
 
What audiophiles do in order to get audiophile quality, with wireless, is they use their wired-audiophile grade headphones (like the HE4XX) and plug it into one of these: https://www.amazon.com/EarStudio-ES100-24bit-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-Unbalanced/dp/B078H4YD2L .

Headphone jack! (There isn't one on the P3)

So I ordered this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078H4YD2L but haven't tested it yet.

Get a Bluetooth DAC for those headphones, your phone's amp isn't powerful enough for those cans

New: EarStudio ES100 MK2-24bit Portable High-Resolution Bluetooth Receiver/USB DAC/Headphone Amp with LDAC, aptX HD, aptX, AAC (3.5mm Unbalanced & 2.5mm Balanced Output) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078H4YD2L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_hbl2Db4XZEW9T

So I've recently go the momentum 3 and thinking about trading them in for HD599s, thought these would be a do it all headphone but a bit disappointed. Not sure if I want something like a "travel" headphone or just rock a pair of closed back 598s with https://www.amazon.co.uk/EarStudio-ES100-24bit-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-unbalanced-black/dp/B078H4YD2L?th=1&fbclid=IwAR3xYGXyDC4V9OMRWKkFmSQEBUP1QvWjAaNgzmD2YtTfwv5_muiwZml_mpQ

It may not be the best solution but I use my LG G6 with my Earstudio ES100 over aptx hd bluetooth with a 3.5mm to rca cable and it sounds phenomenal with my two channel system just like it does with my ibasso IT01s. It sounds awesome over aac also so if you have an Iphone you're good too.

https://www.amazon.com/EarStudio-ES100-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-Headphone/dp/B078H4YD2L

You could by a Bluetooth dac/amp like the ES100 , which has that feature. That way you could use that feature with any headphone or earphone you like in the future.

The firmware updates and mobile app for the device allow you to customize the amount of transparency, and you can set it so if you hold a certain button it turns on/off. That way you don’t need to be in the app to activate it.


Not to mention, it also runs balanced and has clean power for most portable IEMs/Headphones.

It's not difficult to make a wired pair of headphones wireless. You can get a Bluetooth DAC/Amp that sounds better than any phone for relatively cheap, or you can get something amazing for $100 or less (I recommend this). A solid Bluetooth DAC/Amp paired with a decent pair of IEMs (Which are getting cheaper and cheaper thanks to Chinese companies getting into the HiFi audio space) will outperform any off the shelf wireless set.

If it were me, I'd go for something really versatile/nice like the ES100: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078H4YD2L

But that might be overkill... still, it's a very nice little device with some amazing audio capability due to its built in DAC and great software. Lots of folks really like this device and for good reason.

A more budget friendly receiver (pretty plain and more utilitarian) would be something like: https://www.amazon.com/TaoTronics-Bluetooth-Transmitter-Receiver-Simultaneously/dp/B01EHSX28M

Do you have a USB port next to it in the centre console like in e90s? If so I use one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/EarStudio-ES100-24bit-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-Unbalanced/dp/B078H4YD2L

Charged/powered by the USB port and has a setting to turn it off when the USB powers down. It's also compatible with LDAC bluetooth codec for high resolution audio and the app has an equilizer built in which was absolutely invaluable in improving the factory sounds.

You could go with the ES100 since it's Bluetooth and offers features that more expensive, non-BT desktop amps don't while also leaving room for a future upgrade if you choose. When you do upgrade, ES100 won't go out of style. HE4XX are kinda bright while this leans neutral/warmish and gives you the option to save EQs to your liking. Someone else could help you better with the tube and solid state amp differences, but I've heard that planars don't do well with tube.

Well us luddites are in luck! For the low price of one hundred dollars you can buy a Bluetooth headphone jack! /s

I'm super tired and maybe misunderstanding, but would something like the Earstudio fit your needs? It has an Android/iPhone app for EQ as well.

I have a secondary system in my living room (Bifrost/CTH + HD600 & PM-3 atm), I drag out the 1/4" extension when I'm alone or just listening to music on a lounge chair at the far end... And I opt for BT whenever I'm watching TV and need to use headphones. Lag becomes more of a priority when doing that cause having audio out of sync sucks.

For that reason, I'm using a MEE transmitter (with optical input) along with a Fiio BTR1 I bought on a whim at one point... They both support AptX-LL which should minimize lag at the expense of some SQ. If it was strictly for music I'd grab my EarStudio ES100 tho, which is what I use for listening to music on the go with IEM and on ears. It has a nicer analogs stage, LDAC support, a useful app, etc. I'm not sure if there's any transmitters with LDAC support yet but the ES100 does AptX HD too. Really useful device, can be used as a USB DAC too.

Looking for a portable DAC to use with my phone in the car. Probably somewhere in the range of $100 - $150 unless there some very good ones for under that, I have no idea.

Edit: I forgot I was looking at this device cause I'm interested in the freedom of Bluetooth but will I lose quality because of that? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078H4YD2L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Qod.BbR2MY27Q

> would say having a sd card is preferable then security.

I think this is because normally when we say "security" we don't mean "tracking". Most people I've talked to would prefer not to be tracked over having more space, but perhaps my Silicon Valley sample of people is biased. Perhaps yours is too - perhaps it just depends on who you are and what your beliefs are.

I don't agree with you about the whole headphone jack thing, and I think history definitely proves otherwise. This isn't Apple's first rodeo dealing with removing well-loved and commonly used ports, and every reply in those incidents sounds exactly like yours. I'll hold my breath and wait and see what happens.

Now, audiophile-to-audiophile, aside from all this nonsense, if you ever want a Bluetooth DAC look at the EarStudio ES100 - it's an incredible portable Bluetooth amp/dac that outperforms even decent desktop-class DACs. Definitely worth a look.

Maybe I didn’t spell it out easy enough for you or explain it well enough for you, or maybe you simply didn’t actually read what I wrote. So, let’s try this again.

There is NO quality loss with the es100 or any of the FiiO Bluetooth receivers. Quite the opposite. They have a built in AMP(this AMPLIFIES the sound and outputs more power to drive the headphones better), and on the es100 a DAC chip(Digital to Analog Converters that increases the sound quality). So it takes the Bluetooth signal and enhances it greatly. It sounds significantly and noticeably better and louder, than if you were to take the same set of headphones and plug them directly into the phone with the provided lightning to 3.5 headphone jack dongle. It also sounds way better than a set of Bluetooth headphones. Believe me, I have 4-5 different high-end Bluetooth sets, and have tried out all these different situations. Some of them sound ok, but don’t really get loud enough, and you lose a lot of detail in the music. There is no comparison to the es100 or Fiio Bluetooth receivers. They sound amazing! And you still have your phone wire free. The only thing that is wired is your headphones to the tiny Bluetooth receiver which you can just clip to your shirt or put in pocket.

Plugging directly into most phones sounds like shit. Phones don’t output enough power to really drive a decent set of headphones. So they also does not get loud enough for me personally.

If your someone that is content listening to music with the set of pods that come with the iPhone, then these devices are probably not for you. I myself have quite a few sets of headphones that require a cable, and I was pissed that I was basically being forced to use one of these dongles to keep plugging them directly into the phone, or use Bluetooth headphones. The dongles I kept losing/misplacing because they are so damn small and they are expensive to keep replacing, and I didn’t want to use Bluetooth headphones as the sound quality isn’t the best. Especially since Apple uses only the AAC codec and not better ones like aptx, aptx hd, or LDAC. So it forced me to look at different options and the es100 was the answer. I didn’t know how much I didn’t like plugging directly into the phone via dongle until I used this thing for a few weeks. Music that I have been listening to for years, all of the sudden sounded better, more alive. I was hearing micro details and sounds that you just usually couldn’t hear. It’s amazing!

Best $100 I ever spent. I know that that could be too much money for some folks, but it’s about the cost of a few of the Apple dongles! If $100 is too steep, the FiiO options uBTR is $28, the BTR1K is $50, and the BTR3 is $70. They can all be found here:

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-BTR3-Bluetooth-Receiver-Portable/dp/B07FVN14FH/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549717742&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=fiio+btr&dpPl=1&dpID=31GuLdGu5jL&ref=plSrch

Es100:

https://www.amazon.com/EarStudio-ES100-24bit-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-Unbalanced/dp/B078H4YD2L/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1549717742&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=fiio+btr&dpPl=1&dpID=31e1njGDDpL&ref=plSrch


Just so people know, I have no affiliation at all with either of these companies. Just products that have helped me get over the lack of a headphone jack on iPhones. And not having your phone connected to any wires is amazing. But you still get amazing audio quality which is important to me. Hope this helps some and clarified what I was trying to get across in my first post. Or not...

Seems like it would be annoying to be plugged into a phone dock and not be able to move too far for fear of jostling it and knocking your phone off. If you don't want to deal with the battery anxiety of bluetooth headphones, seems like a wireless charging pad + usb C headphones would be the most convenient option.

I'm also aware of this product if you like wired headphones but hate dongles.
https://www.amazon.com/EarStudio-ES100-24Bit-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-Unbalanced/dp/B078H4YD2L

Buy a DAC.

You were right, this was the link from Radsones official site:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B078H4YD2L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_Y48-AbXF78T6P

£157...

Drop.com recently had it for $80 but I saw it was sold through now. Aight, hope it works out!

Well, I don't know enough about amps to recommend you a perfect one. That's pretty cool that the E17K and K5 can dock. But you are pretty much absorbing the price for a portable DAC with a Desktop AMP.

You might do better with recommendations on /r/headphones though they don't really recommend Schiit much.

I myself, have an Earstudio Portable Amplifier. Basic 100 dollar, Bluetooth up sampling from 16 bit to 24 bit with 3.5mm Jack + 2.5mm Balanced Jack DAC/AMP portable combo.

However best part, for a 100 dollars you get a portable DAC/AMP (USB to USB including your phone/PC) and bluetooth to boot as well. I pretty much only got it for dual usage, it's connected to my PC right now via USB and if anyone calls me or play video from my phone, while connected, it diverts audio via bluetooth. Using it with the AKG K7XX, powers loudly to my PC and phone. Also has App control on smartphone, which almost no other portable dac/amp does except creative I think.

Anyways, whatever you choose, hope it goes well switching to new headphones. I have gaming headphones and pretty much just bought AKG for the experience. Everything sounds better at least.

I started out in search of a wired Bluetooth cable for my ibasso's and ended up getting This one off ebay. For $30 i'm quite happy with it. Build quality is good, memory wires are great and battery life is excellent, but the bluetooth calling has some static glitches when adjusting volume and the call quality is shrill at times, this could be my Ibasso's though. The Mic seems to work well even when it's behind my ear. The manual says there is an AI voice, but mine just beeps. If i didn't know better i'd say this cable has the same chipset and software as Taotronics TT-BH026US I returned before I started focusing on sound quality ;-) It beeps between songs, when adjusting the volume and between chapters of Audiobooks, which is annoying, but not a deal breaker. Also, I just purchased the EarStudio ES100 It sounds fantastic!! The sound quality is almost indistinguishable from a wired connection using ibasso it01's and UE Tri-Fi 10's and it sounds much better than wired directly in to my iphone 7 plus via lightning to 3.5mm. It supports (AAC, AptX, AptX HD etc. and it's tiny. The app is also pretty awesome, shows streaming bitrates and which codec is in use. There's also a feature to allow ambient noise in via the mic on the unit. My only issue with it is where to place it on my body so the mic is close enough to use for phone calls.

Not a cable, but you should look into/try this which supports aptX-HD.

>BTR5

Here:

https://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/shop/Digital_Audio_Players.463/FiiO.406/FIIOM5-BLACK/FiiO_M5_Portable_High-Resolution_Music_Player.15367.html

"Due 9th August"

Although it doesn't seem to have a balanced connector. If you are looking for balanced, I'd recommend the Earstudio ES100:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/EarStudio-ES100-24bit-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-unbalanced-black/dp/B078H4YD2L

https://www.amazon.com/EarStudio-ES100-24bit-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-Unbalanced/dp/B078H4YD2L

Earstudio es100 for 79€. https://www.amazon.de/dp/B078H4YD2L/

[EarStudio ES100 è al momento il migliore ricevitore BT] (https://www.amazon.it/EarStudio-Ricevitore-bluetooth-risoluzione-amplificatore/dp/B078H4YD2L), sia per qualità generale sia per i codec che implementa (se hai android dall'8.0 in su puoi trasmettere in LDAC ed avere una qualità audio notevolmente superiore al classico codec SBC).

Diversamente, c'è il FiiO BTR3, un po' meno caro e con una build diversa ma decisamente competitivo, in particolare per la presenza del codec AptX-Low Latency (AptX-LL).

Di seguito una breve sinossi (in inglese) presa in prestito da u/PragmaSG (thanks dude!):

>in terms of internal specs, FIIO says BTR3 uses a Qualcomm Bluetooth 5 low powered chip. Didn't find anything about the ES100.

>Codecs (from website): ES100 - aptX Classic/HD, AAC, MP3, SBC; BTR3 - AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX Low Latency, aptX HD, LDAC, and LHDC

>Both use Asahi Kasei dacs, but the dac in BTR3 is a newer one: AK4376A vs AK4375A. I found a comparison between them here.

>ES100 has a 350mah battery (14 hours) and BTR3 has a 300mah one (11 hours).

>ES100 has balanced output.

> That would have meant that third party, HIFI USB-C DACs would be showing up. But that's not what happened.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but it looks to me that is what happened, though. We now have options like the NextDrive Spectra X, a dongle solution that I've been using on my Note9 with my wired JH Audio Roxannes and it's been nothing but an improvement over directly connecting to the headphone jack. I also picked up an EarStudio ES100, a wireless solution that uses aptX HD, which sounds fantastic and lets me use my wired IEMs and plan on using that with the Note 10+ that just showed up for me yesterday.

To me, the fair gripe is that these are extra things you need to buy and carry around, but that's not been a problem for me in practice and it's why I gave up on caring about the headphone jack as a heavy user and mild audiophile.