Hi-Res Audio. Do I need a DAC with this phone and headphones

[LeonjaUK]

Hello.

I have the Sony Wh-1000xm4.

My phone is a Poco Nfc x3, I don't think this has a DAC.

Is there any point me having Qobuz or Tidal?

Or should I stick with Amazon HD etc?

Thanks it's a newbie question!

 

[shipworm-archaism-recede]

There are two ways to connect the phone to your the headphones: Bluetooth or cable.

With Bluetooth the Poco sends a digital stream and the DAC in the headphones converts it to analogue so you can hear it. When you use the cable via the Poco's 3.5mm stereo jack, the Poco acts as a DAC and sends analogue signals down the wire to the headphones.

So, in answer to the question in the title of your post, you don't need a DAC, but you might find the audio quality a bit better if you connect the Poco USB port to the headphones via a DAC and audio cable. The reason for this is that phones, like any other product, are a compromise of electronics for a given price point. Many USB dongle DACs cost more than the Poco phone itself.

There isn't anything you can really do to improve on the sound you get via Bluetooth.

Regarding the music source (Amazon HD, Qobuz or Tidal), you will only get value from the Hi-Res streams via cable and a separate DAC. Even then, your ears might not even be able to tell the difference between a Hi-Res stream and a standard compressed one. I'm not being rude writing that. It's just a fact that many people can't tell the difference. Which service you choose is a personal preference based on their catalogue of music and feature set. There are endless articles comparing them all.

Edit: you might find this video useful. I'd also add that, even if you do notice improved sound quality with a separate DAC and hi-res streams, only you can judge whether or not the improvement is worth paying for.

 

[LeonjaUK]

Thank you very much for that.

Helps alot. 👍👍👍

 

[shipworm-archaism-recede]

Thank you very much for that.

Helps alot. 👍👍👍

You're welcome. Let us know what you try and what you end up deciding to do.

 

[EvShrug]

If you’re listening to digital music (IE not on vinyl or tape), you will always need a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC).

DACs are on a spectrum of quality… if your Poco phone (sorry I’m not familiar with this brand) has a headphone Jack, then it has a DAC inside, which is probably better than most desktop PCs or laptops, the $10 Apple dongle (lightning or USB-C) is probably a little better, the DAC built into your Sony Bluetooth headphones will be better still, and then the sky is the limit for external dedicated DAC components.

Apple Music, Amazon HD, Tidal, and Qobuz now all offer CD-quality resolution or better, which will sound crisp and very nice for most people, though Qobuz does offer the highest resolution streaming above CD-quality among those services you listed. I think the most important aspects of each of these services to choose from is if they have the songs you want to hear in their library, and if the app interface is easy to use.

A better DAC can still improve some aspects of compressed audio like MP3’s. Think of the hi-res music like a high res photo, and the DAC like the printer machine or projector/enlarger used to transfer the image to paper: ultimately it acts as a filter for the source information. The resolution is important, but the DAC or printer quality can determine how smooth, “vibrant” and window-like realistic the final product will be, or you can have a poor quality DAC or a smear-y poorly calibrated printer with cheap ink.

 

[Jeff Watts]

If you're going wired, a usb dac-amp will improve the Sound quality. Even the apple dongle or Hidizs sonata HD pro will be better than phone output.

 

[EvShrug]

Well, it depends on the phone, and headphones. The Apple dongle is great… for $10. Not quite up to the quality seen built into the LG V-series smartphones and some others, but those are exceptions. And an LG V40 still wouldn’t make a difference with Bluetooth headphones (because the DAC process happens after Bluetooth transmission, not inside the phone), not necessarily have a powerful enough amp for a 300 Ω or 600 Ω headphone (again, the sky is the limit for external dedicated DAC and amp components, which can be used with wired headphones).

 

[Gray]

Well, it depends on the phone, and headphones. The Apple dongle is great… for $10. Not quite up to the quality seen built into the LG V-series smartphones and some others, but those are exceptions. And an LG V40 still wouldn’t make a difference with Bluetooth headphones (because the DAC process happens after Bluetooth transmission, not inside the phone), not necessarily have a powerful enough amp for a 300 Ω or 600 Ω headphone (again, the sky is the limit for external dedicated DAC and amp components, which can be used with wired headphones).

Welcome to the WHF forum by the way EvShrug (I know of you because I've read just about every post on Head-Fi's 560S thread).

 

[EvShrug]

Welcome to the WHF forum by the way EvShrug (I know of you because I've read just about every post on Head-Fi's 560S thread).

Thanks! I try to keep my username constant across platforms. I’m new here… I see you post frequently! Do you think I’m overdoing it here? 😅

 

[Gray]

Do you think I’m overdoing it here? 😅

You can't overdo informed, helpful advice. The site often gets questions from Newbies in need of guidance.
A previous, American headphone guru no longer seems to post here, so any experience you can offer will be welcomed 👍

 

[LeonjaUK]

Thanks all for the replies I'll have a gander and get my head around it all and let you know 👍👍