Despite being launched in 2020, LG’s V60 ThinQ remains a standout for audiophiles, thanks to its dedicated 3.5mm headphone jack and high-fidelity Quad DAC, offering a rare blend of flagship features and superior wired sound in a market moving away from wired connections.
I still keep an LG V60 ThinQ on my desk for one reason: audio. In a smartphone market that has largely treated the 3.5mm headphone jack as a relic, LG built one of the last high-end Android handsets that still made wired listening a priority. For anyone who cares about music more than fashion cycles, that alone gives the device a lasting appeal.
By smartphone standards, the V60 is old, but it is not irrelevant. Released in 2020, it arrived with a 6.8-inch OLED panel, Snapdragon 865 chip, 5G support, a 5,000mAh battery, wireless charging, IP68 resistance and an under-display fingerprint sensor. Reviewers at TechRadar, 9to5Google and Android Central all noted that it was not just an audio niche device, but a broadly capable flagship with strong battery life, competent performance and a notably refined design for LG’s final top-tier era.
Its most important feature, though, was what it did for wired sound. PhoneArena, Tech Advisor and 9to5Google all pointed to the V60’s 3.5mm jack and dedicated Quad DAC as the reason it stood out from rivals. DXOMARK’s audio review similarly highlighted its high-fidelity DAC implementation and microphone system, even while noting that other flagships could still challenge it in some areas. For listeners using lossless files and proper wired headphones, the result is a cleaner, fuller and more powerful output than most phones can manage.
That matters because the jump from ordinary phone audio to genuinely good wired playback is still easier and cheaper than many people assume. A decent pair of wired headphones and a lossless streaming service can already deliver most of the benefit. What usually gets expensive is the player itself. Dedicated digital audio players can run from modest sums to several thousand pounds, while an LG V60 often sells for far less, yet still offers both smartphone functions and audio hardware that remains credible.
There are caveats. The V60 launched with Android 10 and was later updated to Android 13, but updates can be awkward depending on the carrier variant, particularly on some AT&T models. Even so, for anyone who wants a low-cost entry into better portable sound, it remains a strikingly practical machine. In a category that has mostly moved on, LG’s last flagship still makes a strong case for keeping the headphone jack alive.
Disclaimer: This content is intended for informational purposes only. Readers are advised to exercise their own judgement, conduct due diligence, or consult a qualified expert before acting on any information provided.
