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

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.

Updated on 2019-09-18

Hey folks,



 

Thanks for coming to the Community, and adding your vote to this idea!



 

We're setting this idea to 'Not Right Now', as this isn't something we have any immediate plans to implement. We appreciate you sharing your thoughts.

 

If we do have any new info to share, rest assured we'll check back in here with a new status.

 



Thanks

Comments
matttheazn

BEEN 5 YEARS........ PLEASE FIX THIS!!!!!!!  I guess spotify hifi is never coming and you dont want more money for us.  Seriously fix this.....  I guess tidal has a future.......

lowr1der007

This makes Spotify unusable with USB DAC as I unfortunately found out today with my Chord Mojo 2, as more phones lose their headphone jacks and people move over to external DACs this is going to big problem.  

Lehmussaari

I'm buying a new phone. So the situation is that if I buy phone without headphone jack, I possibly (or definetely?) can not listen spotify with wired 3,5 mm headphones? 

misterTTT

@Lehmussaari:


The application discussed in this ticket is listening to wired headphones via a DAC/Amp (e.g. Dragonfly Red/Black) which is connected to an Android phone/tablet with a USB OTG cable.


Even if you are in the above situation, it will still work, but with disturbing crackles, squeaks and pops, while on a different OS (iOS, Windows, Mac OS) the sound would be perfect.


You could try to test your USB DAC with the Android phone and if there is too much noise, either buy a phone with iOS or Windows (if that still exists) or get a Bluetooth DAC/headphone amp, which is what I got to avoid the above issues. Here are my favorites, in the order of my preference:


- iFi xCAN

- Topping BC3

- Qudelix-5K

- Earsound ES100 Mk2

Ado225

My local and country wide hifi shop smirked when I said I use Spotify and confirmed they only use quobuz due to the superior sound, anyway I decided to stick with Spotify and I have just purchased a hi end amp and discovered Spotify doesn't support the external dac.

No wonder Quobuz and tidal are basically making uses move to them.

gvl

Spotify repeatedly showed it doesn’t care about advanced user’s needs because this is not the audience they need to please.

Stephan_

Spotify has 456 million Users but only 804 user voted for this. Do the math and you maybe understand why Spotify doesn't care about this.