Out of all my devices that I have and have used my Surface Pro has the most quiet external speakers of them all.
Try to play a Netflix movie or show and have anything else going on around you and you won't even be able to hear it.
It's great with head phones on but I use this all the time for watching shows and movies while working out. Its so quiet I have to use headphones when I am on the treadmill or I cannot hear it playing while the treadmill is on.
I hope Microsoft addresses this on the next model.
Love my Surface Pro, it is by far the best device I have used so I can easily live with the sound issue.
If your are thinking about buying it, stop reading this, go to a store or order from their site and get one NOW.
I own a network technology company and handle IT support for a lot of companies and I can do everything on this (using it to type right now) that I could do with a full blown PC setup. I have also owned every tablet, laptop, and device that has ever come out so trust me when I say it is great.
This unit has replaced my Lenovo Yoga 13, and my Samsung Ativ 500 and 700 with no issues. I have also had every Samsung and Asus tablet and this is a bad boy. This also includes the Tab and Note series.
Hey not sure if this will help you but it works well on things that are low volume at the source.
Go to your sound settings in the control panel, go to speaker properties, then enhancements, then enable "Loudness Equalization" and click settings and set the "Release Time" to shortest.
This might actually make your videos sound worse through headphones but when using the external speakers it normalizes the volume so that extremely low sounds are louder and extremely loud sounds are softer.
Also this might not work well with applications that have built-in sound normalization like MPC-HC so you might want to only enable it when you're watching netflix or youtube or other flash based media that doesn't have built in normalization.
IMO the sound's loud enough, louder than all my tablets and my old dell laptop. But definitely softer than my brother's MSI gaming laptop.
RT is the same. Bummer, but oh well. I use a Belkin bluetooth receiver with my old computer speakers, works GREAT! :good:
C-Lang said:
RT is the same. Bummer, but oh well. I use a Belkin bluetooth receiver with my old computer speakers, works GREAT! :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, sounds like a good idea for me actually. Might have to invest in one.
dinan said:
Hey not sure if this will help you but it works well on things that are low volume at the source.
Go to your sound settings in the control panel, go to speaker properties, then enhancements, then enable "Loudness Equalization" and click settings and set the "Release Time" to shortest.
This might actually make your videos sound worse through headphones but when using the external speakers it normalizes the volume so that extremely low sounds are louder and extremely loud sounds are softer.
Also this might not work well with applications that have built-in sound normalization like MPC-HC so you might want to only enable it when you're watching netflix or youtube or other flash based media that doesn't have built in normalization.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You sir.. where do I send beer money.. My Surface is finally louder than a mute mouse.. YAY
For what it's worth, if you have an original Surface Pro or the Pro 2, you may be able to use Ears (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1463948377/ears-for-the-surface-tablets). They're not on sale yet (and the Kickstarter project has ended) but they should be available for purchase after the KS backers receive theirs.
I don't know if the Surface Pro 3 will be supported though.
You ROCK!!! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much! You have no idea how much grief that has caused. That is something that has driven me crazy since the day I got my Surface! Now I love my Surface
The same would go for the (new) Microsoft Surface Pro 3 as well. The sound is truly NOT loud enough at its max volume and "loudness" setting.
Solution:
- Get a portable USB headphone DAC amp like the FiiO E18 or something comparable for your SP3 and/or phone/mp3 player that's smaller if a smaller size is your forte.
FYI:
I always use my Shure SE846 IEM's for earphones with my SP3 and phone... as they will blow your mind to smithereens. At $1000 retail, I expected nonetheless and I was highly pleased when I upgraded from the Shure SE215 earphones to these professional-grade IEM's. Before buying my SE846's, I read at www.head-fi.org that these IEM's NEED an external amp I bought the Fiio E18 Kunlun. After listening to the same songs WITH the FiiO USB DAC amp... I was truly dumbfounded. At times, when using my SP3 with the Fii0 amp I have to turn the volume down at the start of some songs because it gives me a headache from some of the songs being a little bit too bass heavy. So to whoever reads this... pass along the info to everyone you know with tablets, home theater systems (with separate receivers), laptops, desktops, and ALL versions of the Microsoft Surface tablets that you WILL NEED an external USB amp! DAC amps are technically better but a regular USB-powered or external portable built-in rechargeable earphone amp will work. The FiiO E18 gives me like 16 hours of hi-fi music when fully charged too.
Worked for me +++++
dinan said:
Hey not sure if this will help you but it works well on things that are low volume at the source.
Go to your sound settings in the control panel, go to speaker properties, then enhancements, then enable "Loudness Equalization" and click settings and set the "Release Time" to shortest.
This might actually make your videos sound worse through headphones but when using the external speakers it normalizes the volume so that extremely low sounds are louder and extremely loud sounds are softer.
Also this might not work well with applications that have built-in sound normalization like MPC-HC so you might want to only enable it when you're watching netflix or youtube or other flash based media that doesn't have built in normalization.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Followed your advice and cleared a myriad of sound issues. THANK YOU!
On my tablet I always get a slight static hiss/background noise during and a couple seconds after the tablet plays any sound.
This seems very odd to me since it's not affected by how loud the volume is (as long as sound is on, not at 0).
I don't have this on any other outputs (HDMI/BT/USB OTG/build-in speakers, all fine)
Every headset/speaker I use outputs this from cheapo Samsung in-ears to a quite expensive 2.1 setup.
I'm used to having a bit of noise at the highest volume levels (which for ex. my Note 3 has) and consider this normal.
But this is very annoying, especially when navigating the UI as I always have to endure this hiss for a couple of seconds.
I'm not sure if it's a hard or software issue, since normally static hiss always occured to me on lower-end devices with higher volume, and if it were a software issue should it not also do this on all outputs (including digital).
I haven't come across anyone with a similar issue.
Yep, this happens for me as well on my LTE version. It also happened on the Nexus 7 2013. The noise is from interference from the other board components in close proximity to the audio chip.
jaredmorgs said:
Yep, this happens for me as well on my LTE version. It also happened on the Nexus 7 2013. The noise is from interference from the other board components in close proximity to the audio chip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I also have the LTE version.
Bleh, that's no fun and really annoying. I have never had anything from a reputable brand do this.
The next test would be to see if it does it through USB Audio or Bluetooth Audio. I have a Microsoft LifeChat 3000 headset that I have successfully connected to the tablet, which doesn't seem to have the hiss. It could be due to the impedance of the speakers of this headphone compared with my Shure SE425 IEMs that I notice it more. I also use Tri-flange tips on my IEMs which makes everything more pronounced.
jaredmorgs said:
The next test would be to see if it does it through USB Audio or Bluetooth Audio. I have a Microsoft LifeChat 3000 headset that I have successfully connected to the tablet, which doesn't seem to have the hiss. It could be due to the impedance of the speakers of this headphone compared with my Shure SE425 IEMs that I notice it more. I also use Tri-flange tips on my IEMs which makes everything more pronounced.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did, My USB headset doesn't have this issue (plugged into the shield with a USB OTG cable), my 3.5 mm headphones and cheapo IEMs don't have the issue when plugged into a Sony SBH50 connected to the Shield (via Bluetooth), but they do have the issue when directly plugged into the Shield. Meh.
So that proves that it is the shielding on the 3.5mm jack.
Unfortunately, that's case closed. If it's any consolation, you get used to it after a while.
An update:
I tested with my PC's line-in input, and when I put it in any 24bit mode sound is crystal clear 24/7, I don't get any issues.
mic-in sounds garbage but that's to be expected (I can hear the tablet's internals cause distortion all the time.), it also doesn't always get detected by the tablet.
Is this of the lower impedance that the static noise gets filtered out? I'm not an audio expert.
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
I have a passive 3.5mm adapter (one without DAC or amp) and looking for a wired headphone. However, I cannot find detailed audio specs of OnePlus 7 Pro, especially regarding to output impedance (ohms).
VE Monk Plus is what I want to buy but since I don't know how much impedance OnePlus 7 Pro can drive, I wonder if it can drive the headphone well (able to get it loud enough). It needs about 64 ohms to work best.
Anyone has experience with high-ohm headphones? What is the upper limit I should consider an active adapter instead?
How loud they will be, it depends on many factors, not only the output of the phone. I would say, if you want really loud, don't go higher then 32Ohm's. Also, look for headphones which have higher sensitivity "XX dB/mW".
I'm not a loud listener but if a headphone requires me to crank the volume up all the time that would be pretty annoying. VE Monk Plus boasts 64 ohms and 112dB/mW. Do you think it can work well without active DAC or amp?
Thanks