[Huawei Mate 20 Pro Questions & Answers] kentajalli:
Hi

Just like the rest of you guys, I could not get any data on the phone's DAC spec. sound quality etc.

So now that I have my own, I can report on the matter. Hopefully it will be of use to others.

Equipment:

- Huawei Mate 20 Pro 128GB on Three mobile UK

- Q-Jays ear buds new version ( https://www.jaysheadphones.com/q-jays )

- Ultimate Ears 700 ( https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/ultimate-ears-700-noise-isolating-earphones )

- Neutron music player ( https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.neutroncode.mp&hl=en_GB )

- LG G6+ ( https://techaeris.com/2018/02/10/lg-g6-prime-exclusive-review )

- Supplied Huawei USB-C to 3.5mm pass-through adapter

DAC capability

For those of you not familiar with Neutron music player, I have to say that it probably is the definitive Android Hi-Res music player.

It can detect and connect directly to a device DAC, by-passing the operating system. It is capable of playing DSD formats in DOP - and just about any bitrate and bit depth (16bit to 32bit).

Neutron reports that the DAC is a Hi-Res version!

Through experimentation I have concluded that it is capable of the following:

- 16bit - 24bit - 32bit resolutions.

- 44.1 KHz - 48KHz - not 88.2KHZ - 96KHz - not 176.4KHz - 192 KHz - 352 KHz sampling rates.

- It has no native DSD capability - if not resampled, the DAC resamples it to 48 KHz and plays it back.

technically enabling DSD in DOP inside Neutron, manages to play back a DSD track, but checking the output stream shows 48 KHz.

Disabling the Dolby Atmos, renders a better sound and a few dB's louder.

Sound Quality

First impressions were of a good volume, full sound.

The resolution of higher bitrate tracks shines through. DSD sounds very good .

I did not have any mp3's - so the findings are from lossless FLAC recordings or DSD tracks.

Perhaps the absolute highest frequencies were a little hard, but then again THIS is where many reviewers of my earphone agree it could be the earphones, .

Comparison to LG Quad-DAC capable LG G6+

The G6+ has the legendary Quad-DAC arrangement coupled to a high output amplifier, it is capable of sampling frequencies up to 192 KHz but no native DSD.

The sound of G6+ was a bit softer than Mate 20 Pro, volume was about the same, but the highest frequencies were not as hard, nor as loud! Huawei sounded a little fuller past 12 kHz. Bass was also a little fuller on Mate 20 Pro also.

Conclusion

I liked Mate 20 Pro a little better! you could hear a little more detail - was it the treble? I don't know!

But to hold it's own against the legendary LG's Quad-DAC and high output amplifier, is one hell of an achievement by itself - beating it is a WOW.

Incidentally I had tried a Samsung Note 9 also.

The Note 9 does have native DSD capability, but it does not sound any better than the LG - they sound very similar.

So there is no need for an external USB DAC as such, specially the cheapo ones built in a USB-C cable.

Huawei pass through adapter is enough , but for the most discerning Audiophiles, with deepest of pockets and bat-like ears!

Sobering Monday Morning thoughts

So I had the weekend to play a bit more with the device.

After listening to various tracks, it became obvious that the treble "issue" was troublesome!

it makes listening for more than 20 mins tiring on the ear. At first the extra treble gave the sound a sparkle, a false sense of detail but it wasn't to be.

So I dug out my trusted Fiio E18 Kunlun out of storage and tried to hook it up.

It does connect through the USB port, so no problems there.

Fiio shows where Mate 20 Pro fails! not until you listen to something better, would you know what was missing.

Fiio is a lot better, smoother and un-fatiguing.

Take "Paolo Nuttini's album Caustic Love" for example. On track " Diana" within the first few seconds, listening through Fiio, you can clearly hear start of a mix tape on the right, when a Valve Guitar amplifier is added, and although guitar player is yet to play anything, you still get to hear the distinctive Tube-amp signature noise and feedback. The slightest handling of the guitar body is also clearly heard through. This is something you can not focus on using the phones output. It is possible to listen for hours through Fiio and want some more.

Compared to Fiio , Mate 20 Pro's sound is distorted, specially at treble - I am not trying to praise Fiio here, I am just saying a good few year-old external DAC does a better job.

So perhaps a decent Hi-res external DAC is needed after all - I do hope Huawei would address this issue.

I reckon this is why Huawei has been so tight-lipped about it's phones audio capabilities after all !

Assuming we all gonna use bluetooth earphones is a bit short-sighted.

Mobile phones are trying to be all things to all men, One device to do it all with, from simple call making to organizing your digital life, social media to emails and photography - How could they miss music entertainment is beyond me.

So I take back some of the praises I had given before.

It is not as good as I hoped it would be.