Old Man's LG V50 First Impressions

OK, I'm really just 47, which may seem old, but I remember back in the days when smartphones had headphone jacks and it was rad.
+++
+++
+++
Audio Gear

Camera/Video Gear:
Computer:
+++
Twitter: @jasontlewisPHT

☑️ This video and description contain affiliate links which means that if you click on one of the product links I’ll receive a small commission.

[guitardltn]

a dac is a digital to analog converter...Be Blessed !!!

[MisterWhatWhat]

I just love watching LG devices debut at a high price then 3 months later they’re priced where they should be.

[blackistheword]

Glad to see you give lg respect.. Don't sleep on lg .

[oberonmeister]

Well, I can tell to those who is interested what Quad Dac stands for in short. You see, it has an audio scheme based on 4 parallel individual blocks of DAC and amplifier. The phone recognizes the resistance of the audiogear you connect to the 3, 5 mm interface and activates either 1, 2 or all 4 blocks according to given resistance. It doesn't really work all that well with planar-magnetic headphones which usually have low resistance but also low sensitivity but if you absolutely must make it work, just connect the cable to the phone first and then connect your headphones so that the phone recognizes infinite resistance and activates the most powerful output mode with all 4 blocks active. 
Parallel scheme despite being complex and costly, has some amazing advantages compared to normal amplification scheme. You see, when you raise the amplification in the normal scheme, you also amplify the noise level. But the parallel scheme avoids it because you don't amplify the signal normally, but instead you add more parallel DAC/amp blocks which all calculate their signal individually resulting in noise level remaining as low on the highest gain as it is on the lowest. In the end we have the best measuring, cleanest, most powerful DAC/amp and the most enjoyable listening experience available on the cellphone market. Really, you can only get better sound off some really good digital player which itself costs about the same money as V50 but it wouldn't have those connectivity functions and comparable hardware. Also, as someone mentioned before, you can have it for way less money with G8 or even G7 which is still a good phone to this day.
Really, Quad DAC is the engineering marvel made by ESS and it's a shame nobody except LG thinks sound quality is important so they don't use high-quality audio hardware in their phones.

[isamtoon]

Who else kept hearing "the LG V55 G"?

[JamesWilkinson]

Some girls are bigger than others. Some girl’s mothers are bigger than other girl’s mothers.... nice Smiths reference.

[campnou]

Congrats on your LG adventure. I hope you find a new love in the V50. I own the V30 and think it is a great device. 1.5 years of no lagging, very few hiccups, awesome headphone music quality, great camera controls and photo editing in RAW and videos in LOG outputs, expandable storage for all my videos, FLAC files, movies, etc., first phone with awesome wide angle photos for my vacations and trips. Thinking about upgrading... Let us know if how it goes.

[rhaibi]

LG making the sleeper best phones of every year. The G8 has the current best camera on the market, coming from a guy who owns an S10 Plus, XS Max and Pixel 3 XL. This phone is phenomenal. Amazing camera, beautiful display, quad dac, super fast, sleek design. This phone has it all.

[highendcheaptech]

Nicely done! Nice to see someone giving an LG phone proper respect.

[aprilknight]

Love LG phones, ever since the V10. My V35 just got Pie and it’s soooo nice now.

[Immolate]

No offense Jason, but you can't use old man until you're 55, and then with discretion until you're 65. Continued use by an ineligible person such as yourself may result in fines and citations. You have been warned.

[crft-k]

The thing that really sets the LG headphone jack apart isn't so much the DAC; in my opinion the real linchpin is the headphone amplifier that is very powerful. Any modern DAC will produce a great conversion, but few phones out there has a truly clean and powerful headphone amp. So yeah, LG is pretty much the only game in town in that respect, the G phones also do it, like the latest G8.

[joshfranklin]

So this old man was outside yelling at kids to get off my lawn when I got a notification that you posted a new video. The neighborhood thanks you!

[hoppysport]

Looking forward to your full review of the LG V50. I never owned an LG phone until I purchased the G8, switching from the most excellent Samsung Galaxy s8 Plus. T-Mobile had the G8 for a very reasonable $619. Then I ordered a much-needed extra line of service and received an additional $310 off. Final cost for my G8 was $309. Then I sold my Galaxy s8 Plus in new condition for $350.


There is no perfect phone...just the perfect phone for what you want or need. The Hi-Fi Quad DAC is absolutely incredible. I listen to music and podcasts with my Bose QC20 headphones, and the sound quality is night & day from my s8 Plus. The audio is so much more immersive.


The LG Boombox speaker feature is the real deal. In most cases, I don't need to deal with a Bluetooth speaker. The 3D face unlock is as good at the iPhone's. Haptic engine is the best in the business...a true benefit if you're using haptic vibration during typing. Makes my Swiftkey experience better than even my old Blackberry.


As for 5G? I live in Manhattan, where 5G will be implemented sooner than later. My current download speeds are pretty quick...about 75 mbps. I download podcasts and some movies, never games. I feel that when I make the jump to 5G, I will buy a preowned V50 for $400-$500. One benefit having T-Mobile is that they won't upcharge for 5G.

[curtg-oibp]

That battery is crazy. Definitely a top tier flagship. I want to know about the knock code features and how they implemented split screen, multiwindow and floating apps into the LG V50.

[c.c.vineyard]

I bought the LG V30 after our Painfully Honest J here reviewed it. When I took my daughter to a Hootie & the Blowfish Concert a couple days ago, I put it to the test recording and taking pictures. It did FANTASIC! I even had a lady who was sitting behind me ask what phone I was using! (Damn proud moment for a LG owner- I must say) My point? I appreciated J's review- and he literally sold me my V30- I'm anxious to see how the V50 does.

[johnblaws]

Just got the v30 I'm Good for awhile 😁😁😁😁

[onemat]

I bought the V40 last December. I'm very happy with it...

[degeneratewinners]

Tried to get one today. Not many stores have them today. But looking forward to it

[notapplicable]

WHO told the phone manufacturers that ditching the headphone jack was a good idea..?