LG G6 to have better audio than V20 thanks to upgraded Quad DAC

The LG V20 provided one of the best audio experiences of any smartphone on the market thanks to its Quad DAC (digital to analog converter) audio system. And LG may be set to better it with its LG G6, as the South Korean company has just issued a press release detailing the upgraded Quad DAC confirmed to appear in its upcoming flagship.

The DAC is the audio component which converts the code of digital music into the analog signal sent through your headphones — providing they are connected via an audio cable and not operating wirelessly. This conversion process creates audio artifacts like noise and distortion, but Quad DACs comprise of four of these processors on a single chip, which combine to reduce the unintended effects of the process.

The improved Quad DAC of the LG G6 controls the right and left audio channels separately, which LG says should provide for an improved stereo image, comparable to hearing audio in a concert environment. The speed at which this audio conversion takes place is also said to have been improved —potentially providing smoother playback — and the distortion level could now be as low as 0.0002% (which I suspect would be imperceptible to the human ear).

All told, LG’s developments mean the LG G6 could offer the best audio you’ll get on an Android phone. But don’t get carried away: the way in which music is typically listened to on a phone, like on the commute, during exercise, or walking outside, will reduce the perceivable benefit of the technology. In other words, it might be the best audio quality in the world but if you’re on the train listening through $15 headphones, you may not notice it.

For everything you need to know about Quad DAC, hit the link.