LG’s spirited defense of the headphone jack is futile
I wrote this in my LG V30 review, but it bears repeating and expanding upon: LG has crafted the best-sounding headphone audio in any smartphone yet. The V30’s quad-DAC audio system is a legitimate technological advancement that delivers real joy and a tangible upgrade over every other phone out there. And it doesn’t matter.
It pains me to type these searing words of dismissal, but we all have to face the facts. At no point in smartphone history has audio been a meaningful differentiator. HTC tried it with a long series of flagship phones, including the Beats-branded One X, the BoomSound-carrying One M7 and M8, and the One A9 with its extra powerful headphone amplifier. LG’s V30 predecessors, the V10 and V20, both had upgraded DACs…
