Sorry for the jokes. I tried to blow off some steam but I shouldn't do that in public. Glad the issue is resolved.
TticklemyIP
- Joined Jan 14, 2024
freezet every serious repair shop will use diagnostic software to troubleshoot issues and guarantee QA after completed repairs with said software. Since it only runs on the Stock image, there's no way around it.
Your best option might be to wait for the Pixel 9. There are rumors / leaks that they will go with a different fingerprinter type, specifically an ultrasonic one (rather than the optical one they have been using since the Pixel 6). I guess we will know in a couple of weeks.
Other than that, a lot of comments online said the fingerprinter on the Pixel 8 is much better than the Pixel 6. It might be the case, but I am switching from a 4a to an 8 and I already hate the fingerprinter. It's not like it doesn't work at all, I'd say I can unlock the phone 70% of the time, but it's just not as reliable as the old backprinters, so I feel you.FBI used Cellebrite and they confirmed that it was a Samsung device.
Using FLAC to play back directly is probably pointless if you're asking these questions. For purchasing and archival, fine. But Pixels have limited storage capacity, it's better to convert to a high quality lossy format like MP3 320 Kbps (Android) or AAC 256 Kbps (iPhone). If you think you can perceive the difference between lossless and high quality lossy, please do a blind A-B-X test to check before you waste your storage space. https://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_abx
- Edited
There's lots of snake oil and placebo in the "audiophile" community. The main things to look for are (1) an acoustically transparent DAC and (2) enough power to drive the monitors at your desired listening loudness, including peaks. You don't need an expensive or fancy DAC; something simple like the Apple USB-C to 3.5mm* DAC works very well. For power, check the specs for your IEM and plug its numbers into a headphones power calculator** to see if the Pixel is capable of driving them. IEMs are typically very sensitive with low impedance, so there should be no issue.
For example, the Sennheiser HD 800 S headphone is actually drivable on an older smartphone at up to 100 dB, which is loud enough that you can experience hearing loss after 15 minutes of exposure. It's mostly more niche and exotic headphones that require dedicated amps, like planar magnetic and electrostatic headphones which typically have ridiculously high impedance.
- https://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/lightning-adapter-audio-quality.htm This is a review of the Lightning to 3.5mm, not USB-C to 3.5mm, but I doubt it changed in any meaningful way. Lightning is basically USB 2.0.
** https://www.headphonesty.com/headphone-power-calculator/
More reading, if you're interested: