Pops/Clicks in audio when using iPhone X with an external Lightning DAC

Question

Pops/Clicks in audio when using iPhone X with an external Lightning DAC

(Disclaimer: I found a similar thread but I had to start a new one, as the previous thread is outdated, as the Apple communities website tells me: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7685241)

Have you experienced pops/clicks in audio when using any iPhone with an external Lightning DAC? I have.

I had been using the following combo for a while and it worked flawlessly until the end of 2017:

iPhone SE + Lightning to USB Camera Adapter + AudioQuest DragonFly Red = flawless

By the turn of the year, I changed my phone to iPhone X, and it has been giving me pops/clicks randomly. I read somewhere on the Internet that a 'Lightning to USB3' would help, so I tried. I does not give me pops/clicks but the sound stops coming for random 1/4 or 1/2 sec silence although the music keeps playing.

iPhone X + Lightning to USB Camera Adapter + AudioQuest DragonFly Red = pops/clicks

iPhone X + Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter + AudioQuest DragonFly Red = random silence with music going

I went back to iPhone SE, it works flawlessly, I tested it with iPad Pro, and it works flawlessly. It seems to be a hardware problem of some sort, combined with the recent OS updated – maybe specific to iPhone models.

iPad Pro + Lightning to USB Camera Adapter + AudioQuest DragonFly Red + an in-ear headphone = flawless

I also have tried the following combination, and it had produced a flawless result:

iPhone X + Lightning to USB Camera Adapter + Chord Hugo = flawless

iPhone X + Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter + Chord Hugo = flawless

Chord Hugo has its own battery (and perhaps current stabilising and/or electric noise filter), so that might be that. Or, it could also be the voltage output of the Lightening of certain iPhone models.

Please share your experiences/experiment results.

iPhone X, iOS 11.2.6, null

Posted on Mar 7, 2018 10:40 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

jimmypowder

Level 1

28 points

Mar 18, 2018 1:20 PM in response to Seungho-from-Helsinki

Turn off True Tone under Settings , Display and Brightness and the Audioquest Red will work flawlessly .

The Red works fine with my IPhone 6 Plus and IPad but there must be an Apple bug when it comes to the IPhone X

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Answer 2

Ian1204

Level 1

9 points

Mar 19, 2018 9:24 AM in response to Seungho-from-Helsinki

Effectively: my wife has an 8+ with True Tone enabled and I tried my dragonfly red on it when I was having clicks/dropouts on my X. It worked just fine on the 8+ with True Tone enabled. My old phone was a 7+ and it worked great there, too. So:

7+ with usb 3.0 adapter and DFR - works great

8+ with True Tone, usb 3.0 adapter and DFR - works great

X with NO True Tone,

usb 3.0 adapter and DFR - works great

X with True Tone enabled,

usb 3.0 adapter and DFR - clicks/dropouts.

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Answer 3

Mar 20, 2018 5:06 AM in response to Ian1204

@Ian1204 Awesome!

I tested today: I confirm my iPhone X (with the True Tone feature off) when paired with Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter and DragonFly Red works flawlessly.

Thanks so so much!!

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Answer 4

Apr 4, 2018 8:39 AM in response to Seungho-from-Helsinki

iOS 11.3 seems to have fixed this issue, so no need to use the workaround. I have tested with a Cyrus Soundkey and a Chord Mojo, both of which were causing me clicks and pops before on my iphone x.

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Answer 5

Ian1204

Level 1

9 points

Mar 18, 2018 9:44 PM in response to jimmypowder

Thanks! I’ve been listening for over an hour while using my phone and I haven’t heard any issues. I wouldn’t have guessed True Tone was the issue, and I didn’t have issues when using an 8+ with True Tone enabled, but there must be a bug with True Tone on the X that causes the dropouts.

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Answer 6

Ian1204

Level 1

9 points

Mar 18, 2018 9:58 PM in response to Seungho-from-Helsinki

You state in your initial post that you’re using an Apple lightning to USB adapter - is it the newer 3.0 version that includes a lightning port for charging? If not, switching to a 3.0 adapter might solve your remaining issues (see http://www.audioquest.com/dragonfly-series-faq/, scroll down to Mac OSX and iOS issues - they say to use usb 3.0 to avoid clicks and pops). I haven’t been able to replicate my issue after turning off True Tone as jimmypowders recommended and I’m using the 3.0 adapter.

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Answer 7

Ian1204

Level 1

9 points

Mar 13, 2018 11:48 PM in response to Seungho-from-Helsinki

I have the same issue with my iPhone X using an Apple USB 3.0 adapter with a dragonfly red. I used it for a year with my iPhone 7+ and never had an issue, but I’ve never been able to get the same combination to work well with my iPhone X. Regardless of the source, I get regular breaks in music when using the dragonfly with my iPhone X. I emailed Audioquest about it a couple of months ago and they informed me that it was an issue with Apple’s updates for the iPhone X. Subsequent updates have not fixed the issue, and I’ve stopped trying to listen to music on my iPhone using the dragonfly.

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Answer 8

Mar 19, 2018 8:53 AM in response to Ian1204

Thank you. I've had the newer 3.0 version but then returned it to Apple as it did not solve the problem – and back then I did not know the True Tone function could be the reason. I will buy it again and try out tomorrow, and report back.

Thanks!!

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Answer 9

Mar 13, 2018 11:48 PM in response to Ian1204

Me, too. I have stopped trying.

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Answer 10

Mar 18, 2018 1:30 PM in response to jimmypowder

@jimmypower that is really cool, that removed about 80% of all the pops and clicks for me. Not perfect yet, but it has become a lot more bearable. Thank you!

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Answer 11

Mar 19, 2018 8:55 AM in response to Ian1204

Ha! Intersting. So if I got it right, you recently changed from iPhone 8 to X and you had True Tone enabled in both devices, but the problem emerges only on the X?

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Pops/Clicks in audio when using iPhone X with an external Lightning DAC

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