Hi-Res audio USB-C Xperia xz premium

[SonyfanDude]

Hello. A few days ago i bought a usb-c cable to 3.5mm to my phone, Xperia XZ Premium but nothing happened. But when i put my usb-c to 3.0 cable it shows up alternatives, and when i swish cable to 3.5mm audio cable bothing happened, So i wrote to support and they say " XZ Premium have support for Hi-Res Auido from USB-C port Provided that the connected device supports Hi-Res" So i whonder which cable i'm gonna need. I have look at this from

amazon. But i don't wana buy somthing that it's not gonna work. So i need all you'r help https://www.amazon.com/dodocool-Certified-Headphone-Earphone-Converter/dp/B0753H3WXR

[Sensination]

@SonyFanDude

It's really difficult to say without trying. I know for the fact that some work well and some don't. If you can return it after you buy it I'd advise to test it and let us know if it worked

[Lord_viridis]

How can a Usb-C to 3.5mm improve quality?

I mean it's louder yeah but that's just a byproduct of turning off all the audio enhancements, which it does.

[Qatrium]

@Sensination

You're asking for free exotic stuff to be included with your "Premium" so Sony doesn't look "too cheap" so I thought they might as well bundle those for your satisfaction. 

[Sensination]

@Quester

I think that you're completely missing the point here I'm afraid.

DAC and Amp is not some exotic addon it's something that EVERY phone has a built in. However as with everything you can include higher or lower quality components. To make it easier to understand think of DAC and Amp as a screen (DAC=resolution and AMP=brightness/quality). You can have 720p screen, 1080p, 2160p or 4k. On top of that each screen can have different quailty i.e. better colours, brightness etc. In case of XZ Premium, Sony decided to use lower quality DAC and Amp (thus saving them money at the cost of lower audio quality for the consumer). 

By using a dongle with built in DAC and Amp that uses better quality components than the DAC and Amp included in the phone, you bypass the lower quality built in ones and use the higher quality ones that are in the dongle thus improving your audio. Going back to our screen example, it is the same as if Sony included a screen in XZ Premium which is the same quality as for example included in budget phone for let's say £300. 

Basically the whole issue is that the quality of DAC and Amp that are INSIDE your and mine XZ Premium is lower in comparison to other flagship phones offered by the competition and even few other cheaper ones. This is the whole issue. The quality of DAC and Amp does not match the price and the expectations of audio quality that consumers have when choosing Sony. It's also embarassing when some budget Chineese phone has better audio quality than Sony flagship.

Hope that helps but if you don't believe me here's XZ Premium audio test from GSM Arena LINK. And the qoute that summarizes what I just wrote:

"The smartphone delivered excellently clean output when used with an active external amplifier, getting top marks across the board. Its output loudness was only average though - most of the other flagships out there do better.

Clarity degradation caused by headphones is very reasonable too - a very well contained hike in stereo crosstalk and a little intermodulation distortion is all we got. However add the drop in loudness to even lower levels and you get a performance that, while decent on its own, is not exactly flagship-worthy."

I rest my case

[Sensination]

@Viridis

Why do you think it turns off all the audio enhancements? This is simply not true. It will improve audio quality if DAC and Amp are better quality components than the ones included in the phone.

The signal still is processed by the phone but sent to now external DAC and Amp not internal and all enhancements are preserved. When I turn off enhancements I do hear the drop in quality so it does work.

Do you have any evidence that enhancements are disabled when using the dongle or is it just your personal claim?

[Lord_viridis]

I have the HTC cable.

When using it if you go into audio options none of the enhancements changed the sound.

Which enhancements are you turning off to hear this drop in quality?

[Stakyr]

Hello guys,

My audio jack is quite dead, so I tried to find a cheap solution to use the usb-c port for my headphones. I had a usb-c to 3,5mm audio adapter at home, which came with my wife's Huawei phone, so I tried it and it didn't work, whatever I tried and I tried a lot(turning on and off my phone, holding volume up and power, different options in developer's menu). 

Searching the net, I realised that there are some cheap adapters in the 0.5 to 3 euro price range and some others which cost 6-30 euros. The difference between them is a Realtek chip which gives Hi-Res audio output to the second category, thats why they are more expensive. So if you try to find a compatible adapter for XZ Premium, try to get one with the Hi-Res chip.

I bought two, in order to be sure and both work like a charm, just plug and play:

XIIVIO Audio Adaptor Type C to 3.5 mm

HTC USB-C Digital to 3.5mm adaptor

The first one is cheaper but its connection isnt as dense as the second one. Works fine but it gives you the impression that it will disconnect. Hope these help.

[JohnW1981]

The Razer phone USB C to 3.5mm adapter works really well on my XZ1 

[THE_KLAW]

Maybe because the headphone jack is not working. Mine too, thats why I'm looking for alternatives.