[Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Questions & Answers] RockStar2005:
I really just pulled that number out of my a$$. lol But also since a company like Sony or Samsung has the means to buy in bulk, they could get those amp/DAC chips at a lower price too. We could say a higher amount like $200-$400 or something? But point is, I would LOVE to have that option so I no longer have to be burdened by choosing b/t camera quality (Samsung and Sony) and audio quality (LG).

Well I downsample ALL my Hi-Res and CD-Quality album purchases down to 256-512 kbps AAC because I came to the conclusion a while back the higher resolutions don't equate to better sound. AS LONG as it's above mp3, to me it's all the same. I've done blind ABX tests and have seen stats on the topic, and yeah I can tell the difference between the mp3 vs. AAC or FLAC in most cases, but not AAC vs. FLAC. Plus downsampling means less cloud storage space and phone memory space being needed. They should just continue to offer MicroSD card slots so the increased costs of an audiophile version would ONLY be associated with audio quality.

No I haven't about the devs thing. I have contacted devs in the past but except for one or two, I don't really stay in contact or follow them. And the fact is, it doesn't seem the like the Exynos version can match the V30's Quad DAC, in either audio quality (DAC) or volume (amp). That doesn't mean I wouldn't want the Exynos version if I could have both, but it doesn't make me AS anxious to jump if that option were ever to actually exist. lol I just wish Samsung would put Exynos on ALL their phones including the US versions. But once again, these Asian countries are withholding from the US for reasons I don't understand. Just like how Sony is offering 6 GBs of RAM on their brand new Xperia XZ3 to their own market, but not to the rest of the world. HTC did the same thing I believe with the HTC One M8 or 10 (or both?).

That's the thing, I refuse to sacrifice phone reception for audio quality. If that wasn't the case, I'd have the Sony XZ Premium right now vs. the LG V30. lol

Yeah $100 probably wouldn't. Perhaps they can even make TWO audiophile versions? I dunno. I just don't want to make it SO expensive that it doesn't sell well, because in reality if that's what happens, they WON'T continue to make it.

Yeah as long as wireless can't match wired, I feel the same way. But now just recently I found out (via Head-Fi, and audiophile board) about two different devices that allow for high quality BT and offer a "semi-wireless" experience. One is the Radsone ES100, and the other is the slightly newer FiiO BTR3. Both devices connect to your DAP or phone via BT, and then to your headphones via a 3.5mm connector. Several ppl on there and Amazon customer reviews for both products as well have stated that they feel that if you utilize the best audio codec out there currently, Sony's LDAC (in the highest of 3 audio modes it comes with), they say it sounds even better than their former wired setups which involved DAPs or amp/DAC devices. And every Android phone out there that has Oreo 8.0 or higher on it automatically comes equipped with the LDAC codec as well! This makes me VERY curious! lol So at some point I'd like to try these out. They say the BTR3 sounds slightly better than the ES100, though offers less options. It has a newer DAC (and all metal body vs. ES100's plastic body), but still sounds better than the ES100's DUAL DAC setup. My main concern really is about their amps. But even there I read a pro review that stated the author tried the ES100 on his 250-ohm Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro (which are the same headphones I own), and it drove them quite well. So there IS much reason to believe these would be great devices to invest in.