ARC bit-perfect in Android phone! [To External USB-DAC]

Sure, except by only playing 96 kHz albums :slight_smile:
I also doubt it is a relevant problem when using a lossy codec, even LDAC. Just saying that ARC works just fine for me to use LDAC’s supported sample rate. Not sure what’s going on on @RoonFan’s phone

Possible it doesn’t support the highest rate LDAC or is just misreporting to ARC . BT is dependent on conditions for all Bluetooth transmission rates and not all switch them automatically you have to often force it in the developer options.

Thanks for sharing your results. When I get home later, I will try multiple files and different headphones to see if there is a pattern in the signal path.

Did you check in the phone’s BT connection settings when the cans are connected that it really uses LDAC?

@CrystalGipsy @Suedkiez yes I have done all of the following:

  • enabled developer options
  • verified via Sony own app it’s connected using LDAC
  • verified in phone Settings, it’s using LDAC protocol

But I still get this:

I guess there is some kind of weird limitation on my Moto G Stylus 5G phone? That it support LDAC 96 kHz but its internal DAC is forcing Roon ARC to downsample everything?

So it seems like if I don’t want to buy a new phone, then a DAP like M11 is the next best thing to get 24/96 on my LDAC headphones?

I have same issue on a Google pixel 5 and the sony headphones. LDAC is enabled both on headset and developer options but ARC only plays at 48 max . I think it’s a limitation of android system.

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Initially I thought the same, ie. limitation of Android system, but then @Suedkiez showed a screenshot above for his Samsung tablet that can play at 96khz for his Sonys, so I am now wondering if the limitation is specifically on Android phones only, not Android in general. Unless it’s up to the individual manufacturers to overcome this limitation?

Does anyone here have a Samsung phone here to test and confirm?

There is no limitation in the app as it’s the same across devices and it hasn’t a clue if its phone or not it’s just Android Os to it. As I have said the internal DAC on a phone or DAP has nothing to do with Bluetooth.

It’s likely something is misreporting what your BT stack is capable of and ARC is believing it. Or your devices are not setting to the highest bitrate and depyh it’s using best effort and capping it on your device to 48khz, this is the case for Pixel 5 reading up you have to manually force it to highest rates in developer mode. LDAC is variable and not guaranteed to always be 96/24 it’s down to environment and the devices own settings.

Tbh I really would not swap a device because of LDAC is not getting 96 the BT Chip will be up sampling or downsampling to that rate anyway. The difference between 48 and 96 isn’t really noticeable to me on my main Hifi or headphone rigs let alone on a portable system with lossy wireless connection. Stop worrying and just enjoy the music.

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Just tried something and it worked on my Google pixel 5.

Got into arc settings and disable . Auto select best quality option and then select original on both wifi and cell.

Now I get up to 96khz @ 24 bit on my LDAC connection between phone and sony headset

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If your on cellular and auto it will use opus which is 48khz

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If you need specific report : Topping G5 firmware 1.5 working at 44khz no sound for other frequency
Edit: it is working with UAPP
Edit2: beta version from today is working better: it stop sound output when frequency change but restarting app and hit play restart sound output. It seems that setting change between track is not working.

Can’t get to work my Topping G5 either. Very weird since it uses an XMOS as usb bridge which is quite popular.

Topping G5 and Apple does not works well. you need to power down ans up to be detected, gain is also lower using USB than android ans windows.
Topping is aware but did not provide a fix.

Apple?
I have the problem on Android, using Usb audio player pro works flawlessy, with Roon arc I get the drvice recognized but without any sound

Edit: the g5 works with no problem only with DSD. With pcm I don’t get any sound at all

USB beta driver worked with Focal Bathys with cable and DAC mode enabled on a Oneplus 8 Pro.

Unfortunately ARC crashes after start when enabling USB Beta driver on Google Pixel 7 Pro with Focal Bathys (with cable in DAC mode). I already deleted ARC’s cache and app data, but did not help :frowning:

Do you think that this is related to the Bathys driver in ARC?

I run a couple of, USB DACS (mainly FIIO KA2) on my Pixel 7 Pro with no issues.
Have you tried any other DACs on your Pixel?

Good advice, thanks. I am in the office right now, but I will check with a Lotoo Paw S2 and another dongle DAC tonight when I am at home again.

Still a pity, because ARC with Bathys worked with the Oneplus :confused:

Hopefully they can fix this.
I have recently moved from a OnePlus 9 pro (which landed face down on a patio slab :disappointed:) to a Pixel 7 Pro (I already had a 6A).

So far Roon and ARC have acted well after I disabled optimisation for the apps.
And yes the Bathys are very desirable with the built-in DAC in the Cable.

I just tested the Pixel 7 Pro with Lotoo Paw S2 dongle DAC: it worked.

So there seems to be a problem with the Pixel 7 Pro and the Focal Bathys in DAC mode.

@brian Maybe someone from the team can look into this? I believe the phone and the cans are not that niche. Many thanks.