[Android] Support USB Audio directly - bypassing the Android Driver

[ZorkII]

USB DAC/amps are less impressive on Android Spotify because the standard Android driver is up-sampling. The Dragonfly Red runs at 44.1kHz with Spotify on my PC but on Android it up-samples to 96kHz causing glitching. Other DACs have similar issues. The proposal is for Spotify to access USB DACs directly, bypassing the Android driver.

Audiophile music players already take this approach, e.g. USB Audio Player PRO (UAPP) and Neutron. Tidal works with UAPP.

This idea is a version of "Support USB Audio through the USB Audio Player PRO driver" without the 3rd party partnership. It was written in response to @meahtenoha's review. Both ideas originate from the USB audio out OTG support thread.

External USB headphone DAC/amps for Android phones are becoming a thing. What Hi-Fi has a Best DACs page that mainly lists portable audiophile kit. I would prefer to carry a phone and a DAC rather than a phone and a portable music player because it is more fun to have access to the whole Spotify catalogue.

[chedemefedeme]

This is critical to those of us who are locked in by Android's terrible usb audio system but enjoy Spotify's incredible library. Right now I tend to restrict my Spotify listening to home because the audio output on the droid sounds terrible by comparison. Please implement direct USB audio support in Spotify for Android. Many other apps by much smaller devs have managed this. It would be a one week project for the team at Spotify to get going with existing frameworks.

[Badist505122208]

It's really not a new idea is it? This request has been around for at least a year. I really like the Spotify service, but the Spotify team really needs to man up on this one in my view. Thanks in advance for your consideration to fill this gap in capability. Regards, jon

[starfly]

Another argument for implementing this feature is that with the advent of new Android smartphones without 3.5mm headphone jacks, probably the use of external DACs will become more ubiquitous as people will have to start using adapters to listen to music through their phones with analog headphones.  And if people are using adapters, they may as well use an external DAC to improve the sound quality (and external DACs come in all shapes and weights).

Would be great to have Spotify support for external USB DACs.

[bryanevil]

Do it or either i am going to start doing dodgy things like hacking, rm drm or move on with other stream providers.

This is not a "new idea", it is a feature that any excellent music provider must included in their pocket.

[bryanevil]

 you know what? I just find a better stream provider Ti__al , they provide much much better music quality 320kbps, and accessible by UAPP, which mean I can use my Mojo directly. So, Cya Spotify. 

[Jake-Grabowski]

Similar as: https://community.spotify.com/t5/Live-Ideas/Android-Connect-Support-USB-Audio-directly-bypassing-the...

Please VOTE

[Snowmanworld]

Is love to be able to connect my android phone to my oppo bdp 203 as any music from that is great but no possibility as of yet

[Swesko]

I dont understand why its not being done already. We buy expensive phones with expensive dacs and headphones and pay for subscription but we cant enjoy our music the way its supposed to be. 

[scrutex]

Status should be marked as "good idea" 🙂

[quadracik]

Dear Spotify Team, did you even take a look at this? Any change this would be implemented in near future? This definitely should be marked as a "good idea"...