Just like the LG CAM Plus, the B&O PLAY audio module snaps straight into the bottom of the G5, featuring its own dedicated 3.5mm jack, along with the same USB Type-C connector and bottom speaker grill that you find on the regular G5. As an immediate bonus, this second jack means that you can conveniently plug your headphones into the bottom of the phone. Interestingly, the regular LG G5 headphone jack continues to function while the external DAC is plugged, although obviously without any of the benefits offered by the modular component.
LG G5’s Bang Olufsen audio module may not reach U.S.
We can only assume there has been a hold up getting FCC certification for the module or that there has been a disruption in the supply chain. Either way, if you were planning on ordering an LG G5 specifically so you could enjoy the superior audio the Hi-Fi DAC affords, you might want to hold off a little.
Inside that module you'll find the standard USB-C port and loud speaker you expect to find on any G5 module (we have no indication that this speaker's any better than the default speaker), along with a new 3.5mm headphone jack powered by an integrated digital-to-audio converter.
You'll be doing this a lot if you want to swap between your G5's additional "Friend" modules, and the process can involve a certain amount of terror. See, swapping Friends sometimes involves removing the G5's 2,800mAh battery from one module and snapping it onto another. The best way I've found is the "removing a Band-Aid" approach -- a quick, decisive jerk while holding the battery in your left hand and the module in your right. Don't think about it -- just do it. It took me a good 15 minutes to figure out the process, because I was so worried I'd break something, but so far I've managed to avoid destroying either of our review loaners. Still, I'm curious about how long these things will last before some poor piece of plastic snaps. Beyond that, I'm frustrated that the G5 doesn't have some tiny auxiliary battery inside so that it doesn't have to restart every time you want to start using the camera grip or the audio DAC.
Meanwhile, the G5 has a single speaker wedged into its bottom, and it's one of the better ones through which I've listened to My Brother, My Brother and Me lately. It's surprisingly loud and does a fine job keeping the soundstage clear. You'll need some headphones (and maybe one of LG's HiFi audio modules) for long-term listening, but the G5 is a more capable audio machine out of the box than you might expect.
Then there's the Hi-Fi Plus module, which LG developed in tandem with Bang & Olufsen (and which doesn't seem to be coming to the US). Audiophiles will appreciate the fact that it upscales just about any audio -- be it from Spotify, YouTube, whatever -- to 32-bit quality. I'm currently on the hunt for the perfect earbuds, but none of the in-ears I tried with the Hi-Fi Plus sounded dramatically better than before. Best-case scenario, a track I had listened to hundreds of times in the past felt a little deeper. Other times, songs just sounded different. Not better, not worse, just different. In fairness, music buffs with more elaborate rigs will probably get more use out of this DAC than I did, especially since you can hook it up to other audio devices with an included cable.
The LG G5 is an Android smartphone developed by LG Electronics as part of the LG G series. It was announced during Mobile World Congress as the successor to the 2015 LG G4.[3][4][5] The G5 is distinguished from its predecessors by its aluminum chassis and a focus on modularity. Its lower housing, which holds the user-replaceable battery, can be slid from the bottom of the device, and replaced by alternative add-on modules that provide additional functions. Two modules are available: a camera grip, and a high-fidelity audio module with DAC. A lower-spec variation, dubbed the LG G5 SE, is available in some markets.
So, does the LG Hi-Fi make your audio sound "better"? I mean, if you like the way it sounds from the module better than the headphone jack, subjectively speaking, it could. But it's worth noting that a third-party music app with a few effects and an EQ could probably get you pretty close to doing the same thing, and with the knowledge that you are actually actively shaping the audio in a way that differs from the source. You could also turn it on and off (the Hi-Fi DAC offers no such feature - it is utterly opaque).
Admittedly, whether you'll actually want to carry around extra modules is another matter entirely. What's more, there are currently only two modules available for the G5, and it doesn't look like LG's going to be following them up with more anytime soon. There's the 80 Cam Plus, a camera grip that adds physical buttons and a zoom wheel, and the 150 Hi-Fi Plus, a Bang & Olufsen-made portable Hi-Fi DAC with a built-in amplifier that supports 32-bit 384KHz high-definition audio and B&O Play, but that's it.
The LG G5 was a Mobile World Congress highlight as the company showed it was daring to innovate. The company behind the digital logic inside of LG Gi-Fi Plus audio module had a word with us to show us the difference in quality.
The LG G5 Hi-Fi Plus audio module for G5 phone with its Bang and Olufsen speakers includes the ES9028 SABRE Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) and SABRE 9602 Headphone Amplifier. The idea is to provide selected to provide a superior Hi-Fi audio experience. This is the technology that usually finds its way into higher end home amplifiers and receivers and LG has seen the need to use the High resolution audio and offer the SABRE to its audiophile customers.
ESS's audiophile technology supports the industry's most popular high resolution and lossless audio formats including FLAC, ALAC, AIFF and WAV. The LG HiFi Plus supports 32-bit, 384KHz high definition audio playback and can be used either as a module with the LG G5 or as a separate HiFi DAC by connecting to any smartphone or PC.
You then snap the battery into place on the module, and slide the module into the phone. You need to give it a good bang to lock it in, as I discovered the hard way when testing the CAM PLUS module and it kept slipping out in my bag and making the phone turn off.
The LG Hi-Fi Plus is a module developed in partnership with B&O Play, offering a 32-bit DAC and amp, designed to give you an audiophile experience from your handset. Again, you simply swap the bottom module of the phone for the Hi-Fi Pro module and you'll be ready for better quality audio. It will cost 149. 2ff7e9595c
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