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When it comes to headphone jacks, the LG V30 will be the anti-iPhone

When it comes to headphone jacks, the LG V30 will be the anti-iPhone

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The return of the Quad DAC will be accompanied by digital filters and more sonic customization

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ESS Sabre ES9218P DAC
ESS Sabre ES9218P DAC
Photo: LG

The final piece to LG’s V30 puzzle — after the bezel-starved 6-inch OLED display and amped-up camera capabilities — was always going to be a return to LG’s strength of audio processing. Today LG has confirmed that the widely lauded Quad DAC system of the predecessor V20 is returning in the V30, now with an upgraded set of customization options. Powered by the ESS Sabre ES9218P digital-to-analog converter, LG’s audio system can rival dedicated portable music players, and it marks the diametric opposite to Apple’s “go wireless or go home” approach to portable audio.

New digital filters will give V30 users an even better sound by improving the arcane-sounding “pre- and post-ringing of the impulse response.“ Basically, the sound should be that extra bit more precise and faithful to the music. LG is also adding preset options for tuning the sound to your liking. The default is “Enhanced,” because, well, LG’s audio really does sound better than that of any other smartphone out there. The other choices are Detailed, Live, and Bass modes, each tuned slightly differently to account for your desired output.

Premium B&O Play earphones will come bundled in the box

In among LG’s V30 upgrades is the not insignificant addition of MQA file decoding. MQA, short for Master Quality Authentication, is among a multiplicity of formats vying to be the standard for audiophiles looking to move beyond compressed MP3s. It was recently added to Tidal Premium subscriptions, and the V30 will be the first smartphone to support it. LG is also boasting about the quality of the V30’s microphone, which is said to be able to “record a wider dynamic range of sounds, from a whisper to a thunderstorm, without distortion.”

Finally, LG is reviving its partnership with B&O Play by including a pair of premium B&O Play earphones in the box with the V30. LG is officially launching the V30 on Thursday morning at IFA in Berlin, where we’ll be covering the event live and giving our first impressions of the company’s new flagship Android phone.