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[Q] connecting USB headphones to microUSB

ok so if i would like to connect my USB headphones (logitech G35)
to ANY android device/tablet that has a microUSB port, how would i accomplish that? (if it is even possible..)
p.s or if not, can it be somehow connected to a 3.5mm jack in?
So, engineers, tell me if the above mentioned is possible.
Thanks!

Xxul said:
ok so if i would like to connect my USB headphones (logitech G35)
to ANY android device/tablet that has a microUSB port, how would i accomplish that? (if it is even possible..)
p.s or if not, can it be somehow connected to a 3.5mm jack in?
So, engineers, tell me if the above mentioned is possible.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure about the USB part, but how much experience do you have a soldering iron?

AFAIK, this is not possible with the current Android Operating systems, however it might be possible with future platforms supporting the new Android Open Accessory support.
edit : As for connecting a standard 3.5mm jack, you should be able to do this if you bypass the USB sound card part and connect it directly to the wires coming out of the headphones. But depending on the headphones the USB soundcard circuitry (where the signal is converted from Digital to Analog) could be inside the headphones, somewhere in the middle of the cable or in the USB plug itself; you have to figure out where it is and attach the audio jack to the wires after the soundcard (where the signal is analog).

Parastie said:
Not sure about the USB part, but how much experience do you have a soldering iron?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HAHAHAHAH maaaaaaaaaann i haven't used those since childhood
PhoenixFx said:
AFAIK, this is not possible with the current Android Operating systems, however it might be possible with future platforms supporting the new Android Open Accessory support.
edit : As for connecting a standard 3.5mm jack, you should be able to do this if you bypass the USB sound card part and connect it directly to the wires coming out of the headphones. But depending on the headphones the USB soundcard circuitry (where the signal is converted from Digital to Analog) could be inside the headphones, somewhere in the middle of the cable or in the USB plug itself; you have to figure out where it is and attach the audio jack to the wires after the soundcard (where the signal is analog).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, i think i know what i would need to do..
however since they costed a little fortune i won't try to experiment on em' in that matter

Connecting an android phone to a car with a MOST optical audio system. Help needed!

Hi all,
I have an interesting problem to pose to the techies amongst you.
I have just managed to get my dream car and now need to integrate my phone without paying the huge sums being asked for by the car manufacturers and some aftermarket electronic suppliers (car ICE specialists too). My phone is currently a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the car has MOST optical audio and satnav systems.
I'm after 3 distinct, yet simultaneous, solutions, which are : -
A/ power supply to the phone
B/ HDMI or RCA output to a dash mounted 5 inch lcd screen for satnav purposes
C/ audio output to link into the car's current MOST audio system (head unit in the dashboard, also running the car's hvac, and the amplifiers are in the boot)
My first thought was to open up the USB 3 cable and to run individual wires to 3 separate plugs for each of the 3 solutions listed above. At this point many of you may be laughing at my clearly very poor understanding of modern electronics, particularly USB, and I would not argue that at all - I'm a complete dimwit here! Obviously (I think...) the clear solution is in the fact that USB can run different objectives simultaneously.
So... I run my USB 3 CABLE from the phone to a (presumably powered?) USB 3 hub and have 3 appropriate cables plugged in and running respectively to A/ a USB cigarette lighter socket, B/ an hdmi (or RCA, or composite?) plug and C/ to a standard stereo headphone jack or socket.
I don't think A/ will work because I don't see power going from the socket back through the hub and into the phone. Suggestions welcomed as I can't see how to get power to the phone at the same time as having a USB cable supplying data out. Or is there power over USB through a hub available?
B/ seems straightforward enough.
C/ the audio then needs to go to an analog to digital / wired to optical adapter and then a 2 into 1 optical switch (so I can still have the existing output from the head unit) before plugging into the amplifiers. These 2 adapters are easily available through eBay, Amazon or Maplins as far as I can see. The issue I foresee here is will the head unit still be able to control volume, fade, etc of the signal coming from the phone? If the control of the amplifiers happens via the optical cables then presumably that won't happen if I've used a switch to change the source? Would taking the output from the phone's headphone socket be of any benefit? I doubt it as the output power from there may be quite a bit higher than from the USB port...
So you can see that I clearly need some knowledgeable direction here or I will be forever going round in ever decreasing circles!
Many thanks in advance for any help given. Cheers, Mark

DAC Options for our new Type-C connector?

I'm hoping that with the new USB Type-C connector and Power Delivery 2.0, someone will finally make my ideal type of DAC for phone use in the car:
USB input for powering DAC from cigarette lighter adapter (2.1A)
USB input/output for connection to Type-C jack on phone - phone sends digital audio to DAC, and phone simultaneously charges at (relatively) high power thanks to Power Delivery 2.0
3.5mm audio line out - connect to car AUX input
Currently the DACs I find that come closest to meeting this are the FiiO E18 and the Creative Labs E5, but both add a lot of expense and complexity in trying to be everything to everyone (internal battery for portable use, headphone amp with volume control, etc.). Reviews also state that using them with a phone while also charging the phone can be very touchy.
Is anyone else looking for something like this, or have ideas about where it can already be found? I'm not averse to using a portable DAC in the car, but I want the phone charging to be pretty bulletproof. :good:

I use this with my Nexus 5 and a USB OTG Host cable. I have a Nexus 6P on the way, and I'm hoping it will still work with a just a micro-USB to USB-C adapter for the Nexus 6P. It works very well now, with the downside that the phone doesn't charge when used this way . I read that that was a hardware limitation in the Nexus 5. Maybe the Nexus 6P will charge while sending USB audio, I don't know.
DAC:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0036VO4X4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
USB HOST CABLE:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C452XFO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Techno Trousers said:
snip
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know of a product that matches what you described. I have the OPPO HA-2, but in terms of inputs and functionality, it's much the same as the SoundBlaster and FIIO DACs. I don't see how you can charge your phone at the same time you USB output the audio to one of these devices. Using the analog jacks defeats the purpose.
While I think the setup you described would be good, I think we are probably a year or two away from anything like it. I've noticed a trend in the audiophile world of slow adoption of new things such as USB Type-C. If the market proves me wrong, I'm OK with that! I just don't have high expectations for something like this anytime soon.
Also, I think a better alternative would be an aftermarket deck for your car with a USB input for simultaneous charging / USB audio connectivity straight to the sound system. Skip the external DAC and analog headphone jacks all together. Maybe something with Android Auto on it. Again, adoption of Type-C is probably going to be very slow in this product category, but that would be something I'd like to see!
Besides, audio always seems to limited by the weakest link in the chain. Factory car speakers are just terrible, although I'll admit they've gotten better in the last 4 or 5 years. Why go through the pains of setting up an extravagant DAC setup when the speakers won't make it sound any better? Unless you DO have better speakers, in which case, never mind.

May I ask why the 3.5mm analog out from the phone is not sufficient if your car already has an analog input? What is this buying you?
I have an old 2005 Acura TL with a kickass stereo (DVD-A), but no external inputs. I just installed a Grom Audio AND2 that gives me USB stick, Android and a 3.5mm Analog capability. Mine is running in Satellite Radio Emulation mode to give me Song, Album and Artist info in the display.
As newbie, I can not be helpful and add a link but you can Google Grom Audio and click the compare kits link.
The holy grail for me is automotive systems that will take USB or SD cards and actually have as much functionality as a free app on the play store! Most automotive entertainment system developers are so clueless, they should have their balls crushed in a vice and then be fired! The whole naming audio files "01-Artist-Album-Title" came about because automotive systems won't read metadata tags and support playlists.
Techno Trousers said:
I'm hoping that with the new USB Type-C connector and Power Delivery 2.0, someone will finally make my ideal type of DAC for phone use in the car:
USB input for powering DAC from cigarette lighter adapter (2.1A)
USB input/output for connection to Type-C jack on phone - phone sends digital audio to DAC, and phone simultaneously charges at (relatively) high power thanks to Power Delivery 2.0
3.5mm audio line out - connect to car AUX input
Currently the DACs I find that come closest to meeting this are the FiiO E18 and the Creative Labs E5, but both add a lot of expense and complexity in trying to be everything to everyone (internal battery for portable use, headphone amp with volume control, etc.). Reviews also state that using them with a phone while also charging the phone can be very touchy.
Is anyone else looking for something like this, or have ideas about where it can already be found? I'm not averse to using a portable DAC in the car, but I want the phone charging to be pretty bulletproof. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

dwswager said:
May I ask why the 3.5mm analog out from the phone is not sufficient if your car already has an analog input? What is this buying you?
I have an old 2005 Acura TL with a kickass stereo (DVD-A), but no external inputs. I just installed a Grom Audio AND2 that gives me USB stick, Android and a 3.5mm Analog capability. Mine is running in Satellite Radio Emulation mode to give me Song, Album and Artist info in the display.
As newbie, I can not be helpful and add a link but you can Google Grom Audio and click the compare kits link.
The holy grail for me is automotive systems that will take USB or SD cards and actually have as much functionality as a free app on the play store! Most automotive entertainment system developers are so clueless, they should have their balls crushed in a vice and then be fired! The whole naming audio files "01-Artist-Album-Title" came about because automotive systems won't read metadata tags and support playlists.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a 05 TL in Blue with the tan interior and the GPS.
My dad got the 12 TL and the seats are not as comfortable
Sent from my Nexus 5

gwertheim said:
I have a 05 TL in Blue with the tan interior and the GPS.
My dad got the 12 TL and the seats are not as comfortable
Sent from my Nexus 5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My 05 TL is also Navy Blue with British Tan leather. Now it has a Grom Audio and I am a fairly happy camper. I used to burn DVD-A discs with about 7 CDs on each and use the "Group" feature. So the 6 disc changer gave me about 42 CDs. BTW, I used Cirlinca DVD-Solo to make and burn DVD Audio Disks.

dwswager said:
My 05 TL is also Navy Blue with British Tan leather. Now it has a Grom Audio and I am a fairly happy camper. I used to burn DVD-A discs with about 7 CDs on each and use the "Group" feature. So the 6 disc changer gave me about 42 CDs. BTW, I used Cirlinca DVD-Solo to make and burn DVD Audio Disks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We have the exact same car
Sent from my Nexus 5

Hi, everyone. Thanks so much for the responses, I really appreciate it. To answer some questions and hopefully clarify things:
Why do this? In my 2007 Honda Civic, I upgraded the speakers just after I bought the car (Boston Acoustics) but left the head unit alone, to get maximum sound quality bang for my buck. I currently have a Galaxy S4, and can take advantage of analog audio out via USB with a special iBolt cable (It operates very similarly to the old 30-pin iPod to analog out cables, if you can picture that).
Via experimentation, I've found that increasing order of sound quality is:
Connection from headphone output to AUX in
Connection from USB analog audio out to AUX in (via iBolt cable)
USB digital out over OTG cable to external DAC, DAC AUX out to car AUX in
Option 3 is far and away the best sound quality. It's a very noticeable difference--as good as playing a CD in the head unit. I will use this option with the Nexus 6P no matter what, but I'd like to be able to charge the phone at the same time, especially on long road trips while using navigation and playing audio. Both the USB Power Delivery specification 2.0 and Android Marshmallow make reference to being able to charge USB host devices, so the missing link is what the best DAC would be to achieve that. It may be that the phone itself will be able to decide whether to draw or output power, which would be ideal if the DAC recognizes and respects that choice.
As for the question about why not get a new head unit? This is an older car, and it's frankly not worth the expense and effort to do that at this time. I'll definitely be looking for Android Auto as a feature in any new car I consider down the road, however.

Techno Trousers said:
Connection from headphone output to AUX in
Connection from USB analog audio out to AUX in (via iBolt cable)
USB digital out over OTG cable to external DAC, DAC AUX out to car AUX in
Option 3 is far and away the best sound quality. It's a very noticeable difference--as good as playing a CD in the head unit. I will use this option with the Nexus 6P no matter what, but I'd like to be able to charge the phone at the same time, especially on long road trips while using navigation and playing audio. Both the USB Power Delivery specification 2.0 and Android Marshmallow make reference to being able to charge USB host devices, so the missing link is what the best DAC would be to achieve that. It may be that the phone itself will be able to decide whether to draw or output power, which would be ideal if the DAC recognizes and respects that choice.
As for the question about why not get a new head unit? This is an older car, and it's frankly not worth the expense and effort to do that at this time. I'll definitely be looking for Android Auto as a feature in any new car I consider down the road, however.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The GROM kit I bought allows me to play music from USB stick, connect the phone via USB and drive it from the car interface, and aux in. The USB3 kit allows you to add a Bluetooth. I prefer the music on the USB stick. Better connecting a $5 stick than a $500 phone.
The 6P is not USB-PD compliant in that it does not support the PD profiles. 15W (5V/3A) is not a PD spec. It is a Type C spec. Supposedly it uses the control channel in the type C cable/connector but no one knows how far it goes. Some suggest that it will allow reversing power flow. It should allow both data flow and power flow, but it is not a full implementation of USB-PD and is still only USB 2.0 compliant. It should allow charging while connected as long as the host it is plugged into will provide power. At what rate is the big question. Most assume it will drop to legacy 5V 1.5A.

Thanks, dwswager, that's good info. I have a Grom Audio unit in my wife's Mazda, which lacks an AUX in. I'm not 100% happy with it because it tends to lose the ability to get digital audio from the phone, and she needs to reload a config file from a USB stick to reenable that.
I do tend to think that all of this will get worked out in the end. I'm a bit of an edge case, I admit. I do have some good stopgaps now, at least for the non-charging case. That Turtle Beach mini DAC is quite intriguing at only $20. At that price it's worth taking a chance.
I hope we can keep this thread alive as we start to discover what works and what doesn't. November can't get here soon enough!

Techno Trousers said:
Thanks, dwswager, that's good info. I have a Grom Audio unit in my wife's Mazda, which lacks an AUX in. I'm not 100% happy with it because it tends to lose the ability to get digital audio from the phone, and she needs to reload a config file from a USB stick to reenable that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Assume you have spoken to GROM. Also will assume you flashed the latest firmware update to your wife's unit. The downside on the AUX input is that it uses a proprietary DIN-4 connector and the cable they supply has a male 3.5mm end. So if you want to mount a female 3.5mm jack in the dash you have to use an extra F/F adapter because the jacks are all wired with 3.5mm male ends. They also make an aux cable with both 3.5 and USB female so you can charge and output analog audio at the same time. You also get standard 5V 1.5A via the USB port in the AND2, USB3 and the ipod only number.
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Techno Trousers said:
Thanks, dwswager, that's good info. I have a Grom Audio unit in my wife's Mazda, which lacks an AUX in. I'm not 100% happy with it because it tends to lose the ability to get digital audio from the phone, and she needs to reload a config file from a USB stick to reenable that.
I do tend to think that all of this will get worked out in the end. I'm a bit of an edge case, I admit. I do have some good stopgaps now, at least for the non-charging case. That Turtle Beach mini DAC is quite intriguing at only $20. At that price it's worth taking a chance.
I hope we can keep this thread alive as we start to discover what works and what doesn't. November can't get here soon enough!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In terms of audio quality, the Turtle Beach DAC is a serious improvement over just using the 1/8 in. out of the phone. I will say that the Bass response is HUGE coming out of the Turtle Beach, so I usually eq the bass down a couple notches on the car stereo. That said, it really is an amazing improvement in sound quality for very little investment. (I'm a musician, so I tend to fixate on these things.)
By the way, I bought this cable to extend the reach of my OTG / Host cable,
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HAOKCE8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00
It's interesting that the seller says USB OTG cables do not support charging.
"This cable is what is known as an OTG, or On-The-Go cable. USB On-The-Go is a specification that allows USB devices such as digital audio players or mobile phones to act as a host, allowing other USB devices like a USB flash drive, digital camera, mouse, or keyboard to be attached to them. These cables do not support charging or syncing of devices. "

bump.
Has anyone found a portable solution to charge phone and offload digital audio to a DAC?
I'm happy to say that the phone works great with my Sony UDA-1 dac/amp (both audio and charging), but it runs off of mains voltage.
I'd even be happy with any single cord solution for simultaneous charging and audio output.

Alright, lemme clear some stuff up here.
For most phones, yes a USB DAC provides better quality than what comes out of the headphone jack and also more volume (doubters can just live on in ignorant bliss :good
On my LG G2, at least, the OTG Y-cable linked earlied charged the phone (although it didn't actually seem to indicate it was charging) and worked with the DAC at the same time
The same cable, when converted from micro USB to USB C and used with the 6P, seems to only be providing charging, the DAC is not working
I will see if I can find anything in the logs or whether there's anything else I can do, maybe bypassing the Y-cable to see if the DAC works at all with the 6P.

Yeeesss yes please, if you or anyone else happens to get a DAC working with the Nexus 6P, please let us all know. I love my 6P, but I definitely miss my setup with my OnePlus One + USB DAC to car AUX...

Is anyone else noticing that audio is downsampled to mono when using Nexus 6p + USB DAC?

mcnoggin said:
Is anyone else noticing that audio is downsampled to mono when using Nexus 6p + USB DAC?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, not at all.
There's also noticeably less noise through the DAC compared to my old Galaxy Note 3.
Which DAC are you using?

Bri81 said:
No, not at all.
There's also noticeably less noise through the DAC compared to my old Galaxy Note 3.
Which DAC are you using?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this
http://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Beach-Advantage-Digital-Adapter/dp/B0036VO4X4
it worked fine with my nexus 5.
what are you using?
---------- Post added at 06:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:27 PM ----------
Bri81 said:
No, not at all.
There's also noticeably less noise through the DAC compared to my old Galaxy Note 3.
Which DAC are you using?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
also, I installed the trial version of USB Audio Player Pro , and I was able to get stereo sound (though limited to the interface of that app and only local files). So there is something really weird happening software wise . . .

Well I tried a USB C to A converter, and my DAC is working fine with the 6P with that. But no charging at the same time, of course.
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Adapter-Chromebook-MacBook-Compatible/dp/B00WJSPWRM/

Zorloo is making their earbuds for type C soon. They have built in dacs.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

USB Type C to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter

My issue
Hi everyone, I have a Nexus 6P and want to route my audio through a USB type C converter to 3.5mm headphone Jack. I have purchased one online, but it doesn't seem to be working. I have seen that the Moto Z has this adapter and I assumed one I found online would be compatible with my 6P. The reason I want to do this is because I prefer for the AUX jack to come out the bottom of my phone.
What I have tired
Changed 'Select USB Configuration' to all the different options and tried playing music.
Tried 'audio routing' apps from the app store
What I would like to know
Is this because I need to change a setting in my phone to route music out of the USB C?
Do I need to get some kind of DAC to allow support for this?
Has anyone else tried this with their phone?
Thanks
broj0nes

Subscribed. Interested in the solution.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

If you don't mind my asking, why bother?

eregev said:
If you don't mind my asking, why bother?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One reason is that to me it makes more sense to put your phone upside down into you pocket. I've always done this at least. So when listening to music I have to put it the other way round. I have also heard the USB C port offers better sound quality.

brotherj0nes said:
One reason is that to me it makes more sense to put your phone upside down into you pocket. I've always done this at least. So when listening to music I have to put it the other way round. I have also heard the USB C port offers better sound quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Re:sound quality, you'd possibly see a quality increase if you use an external Digital to Analogue Converter or fully usb-c headphones. BUT, if you're using a little dongle (if it's possible), then the phone is still managing the analogue conversion and, thus, a very similar quality of audio output. Now I don't know of the 6p's ability to pipe it straight out iPhone 7 style through a dongle, but short of buying a DAC and going whole-hog on an audio upgrade, I'd just flip your phone the other way in your pocket and go the standard route.
Just my $.02

I have been looking for a solution to this too and I seem to have found one. I poked around on Amazon and I think I finally found adapters that work, here's the link https://goo.gl/QT2ith This the only one with positive reviews so when it comes in on the 30th I'll let all of you know.

sgandy2989 said:
I have been looking for a solution to this too and I seem to have found one. I poked around on Amazon and I think I finally found adapters that work, here's the link https://goo.gl/QT2ith This the only one with positive reviews so when it comes in on the 30th I'll let all of you know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks quite similar to the one that I got. Hopefully it works for you! Let me know how it goes

I read recently that the current implementation of audio over USB-C isn't very efficient or battery friendly. There's a new spec being ratified to provide audio like the iphone can. Hopefully that's a firmware change and not a hardware one.
http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/17/12519936/intel-usb-type-c-headphone-jack-replacement-idf-2016

I don't think it's possible on the 6P, not without using a USB DAC anyway.
As far as I'm aware, the adapter you have is for a USB 3/3.1 interface. While the 6P has USB-C it is USB 2.

I'm able to get audio out of my USB C port, but it's with a USB headset. Haven't tried it with a 3.5mm headphone adapter, but havd no reason to try it either.

This is weird. Because i have a pair of Sennheiser Urbanites (Wireless edition), and i can use bluetooth, aux, and usb (like for a computer) audio. I once tried to turn off the headsets (bluetooth off, aux and usb still works if connected), and turned off bluetooth on my phone. Then i used my USB type C to USB type A Female adapter (from the google store), and connected the usb-cable from the headsets into the type c adapter. it did output audio through the usb-cable.

Mgrev said:
This is weird. Because i have a pair of Sennheiser Urbanites (Wireless edition), and i can use bluetooth, aux, and usb (like for a computer) audio. I once tried to turn off the headsets (bluetooth off, aux and usb still works if connected), and turned off bluetooth on my phone. Then i used my USB type C to USB type A Female adapter (from the google store), and connected the usb-cable from the headsets into the type c adapter. it did output audio through the usb-cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bluetooth headphones usually have their own DAC, so the audio for all but the Aux is still being sent through the DAC first, which is supported by older USB standards.
The new USB 3.1 Audio standard can pass through analogue audio from the internal DAC, which is what I believe phones such as the Moto Z utilise. Otherwise the adapter would require it's own DAC, which would make it far larger and more expensive.

Not sure if you will find a good solution at the moment since they just created a standard for audio over usb c http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160927006252/en/USB-IF-Announces-USB-Audio-Device-Class-3.0

Did the amazon converter end up working for you?

My experience so far.
Hi, I ordered some usb c to 3.5mm & out of the box so far they aren't working. I tried Neutron and tried to force the audio to usb but unsuccessfully with phone not recognizing the USB connection.
On the other hand the type C to usb-a adapter worked beautifully using mixplorer. If I get working, will update. Thanks.

How to connect Pixel 2 to Fiio DAC/AMP?

Looks like the bundled male USB-C to female USB-A adapter's intended purpose is to help users transfer their data from old phone to new Pixel.
However, I have a Fiio Q1 Mark II DAC/AMP that has micro USB as input so I used the bundled USB-C to USB-A adapter to connect my Pixel 2 to this DAC but audio still comes out from the phone's speakers.
How can I output the audio through USB-C? In developer options, I select USB Configuration to "Audio Source" but nothing changed. Or I need to use a USB-C to micro USB cable?
To clarify things, here is my configurations: Pixel 2 <-> bundled USB-C to A adapter <-> normal micro USB cable <-> Fiio DAC <-> Headphones (3.5mm jack)
Thanks.

You should be able to use the combined line-in/line-out port instead of the micro-USB, though this would require you to first use the bundled USB-C to 3.5mm adapter. This is problematic if you're not rooted since the Google DAC has terrible distortion, and can only be fixed with root. The setup would be:
Pixel 2 -> Google USB-C to 3.5mm DAC (digital gain <75%) -> 3.5 male to 3.5 male -> Fiio Q1 DAC using 3.5mm line-in -> Headphones
A USB-C to micro-USB cable may work.

Telperion said:
You should be able to use the combined line-in/line-out port instead of the micro-USB, though this would require you to first use the bundled USB-C to 3.5mm adapter. This is problematic if you're not rooted since the Google DAC has terrible distortion, and can only be fixed with root. The setup would be:
Pixel 2 -> Google USB-C to 3.5mm DAC (digital gain <75%) -> 3.5 male to 3.5 male -> Fiio Q1 DAC using 3.5mm line-in -> Headphones
A USB-C to micro-USB cable may work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply.
I have finally made it work. USB-C peripherals must be connected in order. You need to power on the DAC first, connect the micro USB input then connect the USB-C to the Pixel last so the Pixel would recognize the device on the other end.
Another question raised. I have also tried connecting Fiio DAC to iPhone via micro USB to Lightning cable. It worked instantly. iPhone wouldn't let me adjust volume on the phone. Everything was handled by Fiio. Which I think is the correct way to do it since iPhone is just sending digital signal to the DAC and let it do all the work.
But with the Pixel, I'm still able to adjust volume on the phone. I wonder why the phone could do it since it should not do anything with the digital audio signal. I also would like to know how loud should I set the volume at phone and adjust the rest at the AMP.
Also, Pixel's battery is draining fast! Because USB-C supports charging connected devices. I'm not able to disable USB-C power output. The LED light on Fiio indicates that it's charging. The reason that I didn't want to use Google's USB-C to 3.5mm DAC is because the distortion issue. I believe Fiio DAC is much more powerful and audio quality is better.

BlackMiracle said:
Another question raised. I have also tried connecting Fiio DAC to iPhone via micro USB to Lightning cable. It worked instantly. iPhone wouldn't let me adjust volume on the phone. Everything was handled by Fiio. Which I think is the correct way to do it since iPhone is just sending digital signal to the DAC and let it do all the work.
But with the Pixel, I'm still able to adjust volume on the phone. I wonder why the phone could do it since it should not do anything with the digital audio signal. I also would like to know how loud should I set the volume at phone and adjust the rest at the AMP.
The reason that I didn't want to use Google's USB-C to 3.5mm DAC is because the distortion issue. I believe Fiio DAC is much more powerful and audio quality is better.
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Apple I believe uses a line level, the Pixel's is amplified so you can still control it on the phone.
I'd recommend hopping over the the Pixel 2 XL forum, there are technical details that might answer your question. Objective sound measurements.
Regarding the Google DAC, the distortion goes away below about 75% digital gain. In that chained setup, you'd be looking to send as pure a signal as possible with little to no digital gain to the Fiio, which would then cleanly amplify it for playback.