This is my 1st Android phone Overall the phone is simply superb esp cam and the screen and the looks - I am using the silver version and its the best looking phone as per me.
Coming from Iphone 3GS I think Sound Quality through headphone is not good enough.Its OK for casual listening but not good to use as a MP3 player.I have tried multiple headphones - Hippo VB, Nuforce NE7 and found overall quality of music is lacking. Even with PowerAmp, results were same. GSM arena test indicated distortions after connection headphone.
What DAC is used by the Xperia Arc ? Is there any chance that firmware update would improve the Sound quality ?
That's interesting. I come from SE c905, which I used as an mp3 player the whole time and was almost blown away by the sound quality of Xperia Arc.
But then, I guess I don't count as an audiophile anyway. ^^
1235sam said:
This is my 1st Android phone Overall the phone is simply superb esp cam and the screen and the looks - I am using the silver version and its the best looking phone as per me.
Coming from Iphone 3GS I think Sound Quality through headphone is not good enough.Its OK for casual listening but not good to use as a MP3 player.I have tried multiple headphones - Hippo VB, Nuforce NE7 and found overall quality of music is lacking. Even with PowerAmp, results were same. GSM arena test indicated distortions after connection headphone.
What DAC is used by the Xperia Arc ? Is there any chance that firmware update would improve the Sound quality ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also come from a iPhone 3GS and I'm quite pleased with the sound
here is GSM arena result (headphone attached)
Xperia Arc
THD : 0.179
IMD + Noise : 0.314
Stereo crosstalk: -46.6
Iphone 4
THD : 0.0036
IMD + Noise : 0.092
Stereo crosstalk: -68.4
Xperia Arc lacks in these 3 areas compared to Iphone.
I read Galaxy S with Vodoo driver is best audio output ever seen. Can anyone compare the output with Vodoo ?
cherryfish said:
That's interesting. I come from SE c905, which I used as an mp3 player the whole time and was almost blown away by the sound quality of Xperia Arc.
But then, I guess I don't count as an audiophile anyway. ^^
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bartbla said:
I also come from a iPhone 3GS and I'm quite pleased with the sound
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Overall Sound quality is good - it is just not audiophile grade IMO . I think only with decent headphones you can find the difference.
Which headphones have you used?
I'm very critical of sound quality and think that my Arc sounds better than my ipod and my daughters ipod touch.. I don't really pay much attention to stats.. they're mostly meaningless..
Sent from The Arc!
Stereo crosstalk is the only problem you can hear when you're using headset (and that's only if you try to listen L and R discrete audio with only 1 earplug attached). Every other stats is pretty much good (inaudible, if there's imperfection)
Not an audiophile, so maybe you can catch all the tiny little noise by your ear that I can't
I switch phones quite often and have had samsungs, motorolas, and ofcource once upon a time an iiphone.
This is the first time I have a SE, I must say I think it has the best audio compared to all other brands out there. I use it with my klipsch headphones and while its not the best, I like it alot.
The samsung with Voodoo is much better than stalk, but I think my arc is still marginally better than Sam+Voodoo
Don't wish to start an argument but surely if you're an audiophile, you wouldn't be using a phone to listen to music on.
I also have an iphone 4 and to be honest i cant tell a different at all between the sound quality, so its just as good if not better than the iphone 4. The phone also has easy to access equalizers within the music app..
Its ok, I would put it next to an iPod.
I think it lacks overall, giving a ... medium experience.
Im using Phonaks Audeo PFE.
It cant compare against a Cowon E2 though and thats probably the cheapest of Cowons line.
Also the placement of the headphones jack is so stupid, since I use a phone bag, I cant put it inside the bag while listening music ...
If I want quality I use my Cowon, for random music listening I take my Arc.
Im not an audiophile yet, but I do care about clearness and detailed sound. Those youtube rips give me goosebumps when I hear them
wow majority of you are pleased with the sound quality It will be interesting to know on which setup you have tested the music . Lets start a template to compare Sound Quality(SQ)
Headphone used :
Your previous SQ benchmark :
Music Player Used on the Arc:
(Stock, powerAmp etc)
Music files used:
Equalizer used :
Overall SQ impression:
I will start
Headphone used : Hippo VB
Your previous SQ benchmark : Iphone
Music Player Used on the Arc: Stock player
(Stock, powerAmp etc)
Music files used : MP3 all encoded at 320kbps
Equalizer used : Flat(very less energetic) , Hip pop (boosts the bass and treble but it suits music I hear - Trance)
Overall SQ impression:
Decent enough but overall clarity is not top notch. Bass is not as deep. Treble is smooth. Loudness is not a problem at least for me . I would rate SQ 7 out 10. ( Iphone 9 out 10 )
I use power amp with equal bass and trebble. With sennheiser mm70i soldered to Arc stock cables. The sound quality is as good if not better of iPhone.
The mm70i was designed for iPhone of course
Sent from my LT15i using XDA Premium App
Does DPS Manager from CyanogenMod works? Maybe you could improve the sound quality using that. I used to have HTC Wildfire so SE is far more best.
Headphone used : stock
Your previous SQ benchmark : SE C905
Music Player Used on the Arc: stock
(Stock, powerAmp etc)
Music files used: stock ones, some of my own (now I actually hear a difference in the quality, lol ^^)
Equalizer used : Normal, Rock
Overall SQ impression: I was pretty impressed by the sound, especially the bass, especially in Rock mode. Not at all an expert, though. ;-)
1235sam said:
here is GSM arena result (headphone attached)
Xperia Arc
THD : 0.179
IMD + Noise : 0.314
Stereo crosstalk: -46.6
Iphone 4
THD : 0.0036
IMD + Noise : 0.092
Stereo crosstalk: -68.4
Xperia Arc lacks in these 3 areas compared to Iphone.
I read Galaxy S with Vodoo driver is best audio output ever seen. Can anyone compare the output with Vodoo ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before my iPhone 3Gs I used a Galaxy S with stock software, the sound was overdone (to much mid and distorted) by the standard samsung eq settings and they could not be disabled...
This was one of the reasons to go back to a iPhone 3Gs, but now the sound on my Arc is as good or better.
The SQ of the Arc is good but not perfect. Even with high quality iems (I use my Sennheiser IE8 and Sony EX700's) the soundstage isn't that great either. If you want good sound quality, go for a standalone mp3 player from Sony, Cowon or Samsung. I still use my Sony X Series Walkman and I must say that the sound quality is brilliant.
I am curious to know which DAC is used in the Arc.
1235sam said:
I am curious to know which DAC is used in the Arc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
anyone ?
Related
Hey guys, I don't know whether ur scared of the topic but no one has found ways to better the sound quality of the phone . Everyone is able to port stuff and create roms but never anything about sound improvement like porting dolby from other android mobile.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
when is say sound quality, i mean music quality through earphones. i got a pair of sennheisers cx400
Mine plays very good. Comparable to iriver T60.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
I'm using Sennheiser CX 300 II and the quality is fine. Better then my creative zen.
Audio from the speaker is dreadful.
drew2d1 said:
I'm using Sennheiser CX 300 II and the quality is fine. Better then my creative zen.
Audio from the speaker is dreadful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ditto....listening to them as I type....there is a slight hiss when sound goes quite...but still nice enough sound.
But I would like to experience better quality if its possible.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Why are there 2 of the same threads going on? Mods, remove the one in Dev section...
My 2p regarding headphones, mine is fine with Sennheiser HD25 Mk2s
whats this dsp manager thing about
The Desire sound quality is fine, its your earphones that are the problem.
I made the mistake of buying some cx400s after owning some cx300s that broke. The cx400s were more expensive and thought the sound would be better but they sounded flat compared to the cx300.
Now I use some £80 kipsch earphones and the difference between the cheap sennheisers is amazing. So I suggest buying a decent pair of earphones ie £60+ to hear what the Desire can do.
paulruk> earphones sounding flat (=linear) does not mean they are bad at all. All monitoring speakers and stage earphones have flat output. Use a software DSP before the output (for instance DSPManager) if you want louder low's and high's. Flat output is usually best when you want to get all the mediums in classical music.
I've got westone UM2, linear output, DSP Manager does wonders on house / rock music.
what is dsp manager. any pics. pls. anything would be helpful. is it anything like equalisers on mixzing or astro player.
phentex said:
paulruk> earphones sounding flat (=linear) does not mean they are bad at all. All monitoring speakers and stage earphones have flat output. Use a software DSP before the output (for instance DSPManager) if you want louder low's and high's. Flat output is usually best when you want to get all the mediums in classical music.
I've got westone UM2, linear output, DSP Manager does wonders on house / rock music.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok sorry , what I meant was that the cx400s sounded like they had no bass, and no treble. It was all in the middle.
I find the sound quality on the desire great. I am currently using Sony Ericsson mw600...
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
when i plug my Ultimate Ears Triple-fi 10 vi into my desire, the sound is not good as iPhone 4, the sound in desire is 'no bass no triple'. it like a inverted "U".
is there any solution instead of install another music player?
Guys have you tried PowerAMP music player, which has a good equalizer with pre-amp + separate bass and treble knobs that can be enabled/disabled. Also I am using Sony
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
... Sony MDR-EDL12LP Bass Boost headset (costs abt 20-25 eur) 108 dB, 8-22000 kHz I know this is not a top notch stuff at all but imo that's a very good combination, I'm pretty satisfied and pleased with the sound quality.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
PowerAMP is indeed a great if not from far the best music player available on android. It has most of the stuff you would need (except online podcasting stuff) such as an equalizer with common presets and flac support
Now when we are at it, how does the Desire stack up against higher-end DAP's? Using a iAudio 7 with some Etymotic MC5's right now, but would like to know if the Desire is just half as good as the iAudio
Everybody use sony mdr- ex 57lp earbuds this is the best and cheap read test about it.
Their cannot be the best warphone for everyone (personal preferences). Furthermore, I am pretty sure there are better ones than the ones you suggested.
TouchPaled from Oxygen with Transparent XDA App
I also have a cx300s and compare to the sony mdr- ex 57 that sound like ****
hey guys,
I am a happy owner of the new HTC DHD (about 5 days now and never had problems like the sensor) and I love to listen to music on my phone, but when you listen you (kinda must) choose between SRS and Dolby mobile. I don't know what tecnical is better but (on the standard htc earphones) I like the SRS more (it's has more bass in my oppinion) but I was wondering what you guys think of it.
greetz, niels
(keep up the good work on developing!!)
Not using the bundled headphones but SRS is definitely my preference!!
If it sounds better with either of those on than just stock with no EQ, its sound quality must be truly terrible, and I'll await the GSMarena review with interest for objective measures.
NZtechfreak said:
If it sounds better with either of those on than just stock with no EQ, its sound quality must be truly terrible, and I'll await the GSMarena review with interest for objective measures.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to be honest and say that I was surprised at how poor the 'stock' sound quality was considering the marketing spiel regarding the Dolby/SRS enhancements. My cynical mind led me to the thought they purposely left the standard sound so unrefined as to make you laud the qualities of the Dolby/SRS enhancements!
i never used the stock earbuds but i can say for sure that with dolby mobile my music (hardstyle) sounds a lot better, i have really great bass!!
Are the headphones that come with it better than iphone/ipod headphones?
I'm don't want to walk around in public with my Sennheiser HD555s
I may have overstated the lack of quality of the enhancement free playback setting, tried it out a little longer today and it's not that bad. Guess listening to the enhanced sound constantly made it seem that way!
NZtechfreak said:
If it sounds better with either of those on than just stock with no EQ, its sound quality must be truly terrible, and I'll await the GSMarena review with interest for objective measures.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
**Mod edit - insulting content removed***The sound quality with SRS on is EXCELLENT, the other modes are quite rubbish. I'm using Sennheiser HD 555's with a Auzentech Forte 7.1 soundcard with a very good headphone amplifier and the quality on DHD with SRS on is comparable to the computer, even when playing FLAC files.
E: Only with max volume the DHD clearly lacks the required power output to run the Sennheisers, but at that level you're seriously risking your ability to hear so it is quite sufficient in overall.
mazzuli said:
**Mod edit - insulting content removed***The sound quality with SRS on is EXCELLENT...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahum... I use the Shure SE 500 series - in my opinion the best earphone on the market today - but I have to say that SRS Wow HD (like Dolby) on the DHD is not an option for me. Although I like the surround effect, the bass is way (and I mean way) to loud. Pitty that there's not an option to change the bass setting (like there was/is on the good old WinMo devices).
I think SRS and Dolby really aren't an option for head- or earphones with a pronounced bass. HTC should look into this. The SRS/Dolby option on their WP 7 devices has the same problem btw.
For me the only option is the EQ ...
appelflap said:
Ahum... I use the Shure SE 500 series - in my opinion the best earphone on the market today - but I have to say that SRS Wow HD (like Dolby) on the DHD is not an option for me. Although I like the surround effect, the bass is way (and I mean way) to loud. Pitty that there's not an option to change the bass setting (like there was/is on the good old WinMo devices).
I think SRS and Dolby really aren't an option for head- or earphones with a pronounced bass. HTC should look into this. The SRS/Dolby option on their WP 7 devices has the same problem btw.
For me the only option is the EQ ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah the DHD could use an EQ while SRS is enabled, but that doesn't change the fact that with my HD 555's the quality is excellent. The HD 555's have a very neutral sound so I think they are quite good for comparing amplifiers. Maybe SRS on the DHD originally outputs way more bass than it should, but on my headphones it sounds perfect, possibly because not enough power is output from the phone to make that over loud bass. I mean surely a fine headset requires way more power to run than two earplugs.
If HTC adds an EQ while SRS is enabled it will be perfect, but even if I don't it's still perfect for _me_.
I got SRS on, it has the most bass in my opinion, I use the Apple earphones for it.
I mostly listen Hardstyle, euro/harddance, and music like coldplay on my DHD, and SRS is definitely the best! my earphones even vibrate of the bass lol
mazzuli said:
You should just shut up when you don't know what you're talking about. The sound quality with SRS on is EXCELLENT, the other modes are quite rubbish. I'm using Sennheiser HD 555's with a Auzentech Forte 7.1 soundcard with a very good headphone amplifier and the quality on DHD with SRS on is comparable to the computer, even when playing FLAC files. So please, just be quiet when you clearly don't know anything about it.
E: Only with max volume the DHD clearly lacks the required power output to run the Sennheisers, but at that level you're seriously risking your ability to hear so it is quite sufficient in overall.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, you're really aggressive and rude. You might want to check that attitude if you plan on being a member of the community here for any length of time.
I prefer the SRS over the Dolby Mobile, but I don't really like either that much.
The Dolby does some really weird things that make music sound completely different and artificial. It does wonders for bass, but at the risk of completely distorting the rest of the sound (particularly vocals).
SRS is a good "enhancer" of sound, but again it alters the music in a way I'm not really comfortable with.
Much prefer the Equaliser at this point.
Really like the Dolby Mobile because at the moment there are no seperate enhancements that match the atmospheric enhancements this gives when watching films or music Gives it depth IMO)
Still waiting for an Android Dev to attempt to transfer over Sony's "MegaBass" or "Clear Bass" enhancements.
my friend says SRS for music, Dolby for videos.
i tried both, and honestly they give unrealistic sound imo. i keep them off.
SRS is best for music
Umm where can I find these settings? Looked all over my phone, sorry for been noob!
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
power amp is the way forward
cattleprod said:
power amp is the way forward
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you can help me out here?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=867053
Hi guys, am using £70 Bose headphone's with very good reviews .
http://www.comet.co.uk/p/Headphones/buy-BOSE-IN-EAR-Headphone/371840
Problem I have got is the sound is too low, I like loud music so i bought these headphones with great bass, anybody know why my sound isnt very loud?
music sounds great, lots of bass just not loud enough.
thanks,
MIUI ROM <--
A you need to search question asked and asked + sound fixes posts .
Of note SGS2 does not play low end stuff that well so if you want exaggerated bass you need another phone or try the multitude of fixes .No idea if they work or not as i aint got no boom boom music .
FWIW stock player or Mixzing player stock headphones and or not very expensive Sennheisers no problem with my sound .In fact volume over 7 is far to loud for most .
http://www.appbrain.com/app/equalizer/com.smartandroidapps.equalizer
Might be worth a look
jje
Hmm. Bose eh. So sound quality probably isn't that big of a concern for you. There is a way for you to increase the sound volume by using a function called boost. Search the market for volume boost. Now while most of this apps work in increasing sound volume, it does so at the expense of distortion. It does increases the signal output while degrading the signal at the same time too. But since you're here for volume, I guess that should do the trick well.
I also have these headphones and they are super low for me as well. I used volume+ and that helped a bit. To the guy saying Bose blows they were 90 dollar headphones and look at the reviews of them on best buy. I know auduophiles hate Bose but these are actually pretty decent.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Try the app in my sig. Works perfectly with Miui (I'm using GM 2.2.1).
Use voodoolouder developed by a very known developer, supercurio. It's in the android market. From my experience it works as described and is worth every dollar. Much louder. I used siyah kernel to get the app working although he does list others. Good luck!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Buy a entry level headphone amp would help. S2 maximum output level is very low, making it imposible to deliver enough power to give enough loudness (me as well having this problem with Tf 10)
If you a audiophile, S2 is clearly not a choices for music. The internal amp is so **** up that most of the time you find some clipping here and there.
Must say my £39 Brainwavz M2's sound very loud and clear with the stock player. What about buying an mp3 player? Sansa clip zip rockboxed sounds awesome and you can turn up the volume as loud as you want lol (Not recommended for obvious reasons)
^^ Mind explaining what a "Sansa Clip Zip Rockboxed" is? I tried Google-ing it, but didn't get me the expected results..
Hi,
No.1 - Buy better headphones. (Yes, harsh but true - sorry). Money is not equal to quality especially in the headphone world.
No.2 - If I have to use headphones (being a headphone fanatic) the sound quality unfortunately is bad but when I use Samsung SGS2 -> Fiio E7 Amp it is a bit better but not as good as my Cowon S9. Please dont expect too much from the SGS2 if you want quality.
I did a review here with some fairly nice earphones - Go to: http://www.head-fi.org/t/575703/galaxy-sii-which-iems
(aman p is me)
EDIT: The bass response and impact on your headphones is also not good (rubbish really), sell them and buy Meelec A151's. They are cheap and miles better Than the Bose's that you have.
---------- Post added at 06:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:18 PM ----------
SufiSam said:
^^ Mind explaining what a "Sansa Clip Zip Rockboxed" is? I tried Google-ing it, but didn't get me the expected results..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rockbox is basically putting a custom firmware and interface on your device.
Sansa clip is famous because it is VERY CHEAP, reasonably powerful and with rockbox firmware you can use eq very effectively.
Rockbox is available for Android but i've never tried it.
Sound, bass and treble is perfectly with my klipsch S4, with Voodoo it boosts it to a level in which I get distortion as it is going over the levels which the earphones can handle.
SufiSam said:
^^ Mind explaining what a "Sansa Clip Zip Rockboxed" is? I tried Google-ing it, but didn't get me the expected results..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
amandeepphull explained this right. got my sansa clip for £33 4gb version. Added a 32gb sandisk memory card to it from amazon for £22. Rockbox basically allows you to mold the music to your tastes. The m2's don't have the greatest treble in the world so adding a subtle amount of eq to the highend does wonders. It does add other features as well (gapless playback) and my god ReplayGain is a godsend . For some reason I wasn't impressed with the rockbox on android, could put that down to the poor audio on the phone though
Get voodoo louder, support supercurio!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Does anyone have settings for good bass in Rockbox? I tried messing around, but didn't understand a thing.. I'm not an audiophile, you know...
If volume output is an issue then you should try Voodoo Louder from Supercurio (available in the Market). Significantly boosts loudness.
Just buy yourself a Fiio E5 Amp http://www.fiio.com.cn/product/index.aspx?ID=6&MenuID=020301
Ideal for any headphones that need a bit more power to them and they cost hardly anything. It also has a Bass Boost switch.
I am considering switching from the SGS2 to the X. The sound quality while listening to MP3's on the S2 was average at best even with tampering with all the settings etc.
What is the quality of the sound like on the X ? Anyone know what DAC is inside ? I have a set of Shure E535's and want to make best use of them. If the quality is the same as the SGS2 i think i will use the bit i have saved and buy a Cowan Z2 and keep the SGS2.
Thanks for any advice
I'm interested in this myself. I've already ordered the phone though, as I need a new one.
I'm hoping I finally can put away my mp3-player, but I guess it will still be some years until a phone reach Cowon sound quality. :--/
finduz said:
I'm interested in this myself. I've already ordered the phone though, as I need a new one.
I'm hoping I finally can put away my mp3-player, but I guess it will still be some years until a phone reach Cowon sound quality. :--/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The original Samsung Galaxy S and any other device with a Wolfson DAC came close, with Supercurios Voodoo app. Best sound on a mobile device! But SamsUng dropped the Wolfson for a Yahama DAC on the SGS2! Wonder what DAC the HOX has!
i'm no mod, but i already made a thread about this.
---------- Post added at 12:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:58 AM ----------
finduz said:
I'm interested in this myself. I've already ordered the phone though, as I need a new one.
I'm hoping I finally can put away my mp3-player, but I guess it will still be some years until a phone reach Cowon sound quality. :--/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i don't think a phone is ever going to include good audio. the amount of people that actually use expensive headphones and lossless files are too small for the companies to care. i sold my Cowon D3 because they messed up trying to use Android 2.2 with insufficient hardware. i'm looking at the S9, J3, or X7 now. i'll use the beats audio eq bs until i have the spare 250-280.
brent8577 said:
i'm no mod, but i already made a thread about this.
---------- Post added at 12:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:58 AM ----------
i don't think a phone is ever going to include good audio
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My good ol' Sony Ericsson w950 had a fantastic sound quality!
As a user of an iPhone with high end multidriver in ear monitors (Westone UM3x and Shure SE420) sound quality ranks very high in my list.
Thus i would appreciate if some owner of multidriver iems could chime in with an opinion on the headphone out sound quality. With all effects turned off. If the audio hardware is any good (low output impedance, low distorsion and low crosstalk) the sound should be very good (Just as it is off the iPhone headphone out) and no need of audio tweaking would be necessary.
elfary said:
As a user of an iPhone with high end multidriver in ear monitors (Westone UM3x and Shure SE420) sound quality ranks very high in my list.
Thus i would appreciate if some owner of multidriver iems could chime in with an opinion on the headphone out sound quality. With all effects turned off. If the audio hardware is any good (low output impedance, low distorsion and low crosstalk) the sound should be very good (Just as it is off the iPhone headphone out) and no need of audio tweaking would be necessary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On every iPhone/iPod I've tried since their inception the DAC hasn't been the talking point, and flaked out when the eq is modified, even with a decent pair (sennys/shures) of 'phones.
I think buying a phone to replace a (good/non-ipod) portable player is a bad idea.
It's also entirely subjective; you could have a Cowon S9 and top-end in-ear sound-cancelling headphones, but if you're listening to 192kbps CBR mp3s you may as well be using your phone and a pair of £20 Porta-Pros - in most situations the source is the bottleneck, then the headphones, then the DAC. (IMO, of course)
qpop said:
On every iPhone/iPod I've tried since their inception the DAC hasn't been the talking point, and flaked out when the eq is modified, even with a decent pair (sennys/shures) of 'phones.
I think buying a phone to replace a (good/non-ipod) portable player is a bad idea.
It's also entirely subjective; you could have a Cowon S9 and top-end in-ear sound-cancelling headphones, but if you're listening to 192kbps CBR mp3s you may as well be using your phone and a pair of £20 Porta-Pros - in most situations the source is the bottleneck, then the headphones, then the DAC. (IMO, of course)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just asked for an opinion from a high end iem user about the HTC One X headphone out. Honestly I don't need your view on portable audio. But thanks for enlightening me.
Parameters like the impedance output impedance are nothing but subjective. iPhones output impedance is lower than 2 so they will always get a linear signal to your multidriver iem where a high z source like the galaxy S2 will get a pretty skewed signal that will ruin the frequency response of the iems.
Sound and electricty are sciences even if some people find it hard to believe and prefer esoteric approaches to the matter (That's specially true amongst Cowon fans
elfary said:
As a user of an iPhone with high end multidriver in ear monitors (Westone UM3x and Shure SE420) sound quality ranks very high in my list.
Thus i would appreciate if some owner of multidriver iems could chime in with an opinion on the headphone out sound quality. With all effects turned off. If the audio hardware is any good (low output impedance, low distorsion and low crosstalk) the sound should be very good (Just as it is off the iPhone headphone out) and no need of audio tweaking would be necessary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is way more to those 3 factors for sound quality, plenty of things have those but don't sound good.
Anyways for most multidriver IEMs to make the most out of the IEM you will want some sort of amperage, even my Cowon C2 isn't powerful enough to make some IEMs shine (power doesn't always need to equal volume, but power to drive with authority)
My Soundaudio Rocco-P however, at the same volume, blows the Cowon out of the water, and there was a time you could of gotten it only for $1 + shipping on head-fi
But the SGS > SGS2 that is IMO but neither hold a candle to the C2 or the Rocco.
To the OP the cowon is a fine DAC but if you just need music playback (and if you need FLAC) there might be better options in your budget
I'm still looking for portable setup that doesn't involve carrying a brick around that will power my modded Fostex T50RP
---------- Post added at 03:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:39 AM ----------
qpop said:
On every iPhone/iPod I've tried since their inception the DAC hasn't been the talking point, and flaked out when the eq is modified, even with a decent pair (sennys/shures) of 'phones.
I think buying a phone to replace a (good/non-ipod) portable player is a bad idea.
It's also entirely subjective; you could have a Cowon S9 and top-end in-ear sound-cancelling headphones, but if you're listening to 192kbps CBR mp3s you may as well be using your phone and a pair of £20 Porta-Pros - in most situations the source is the bottleneck, then the headphones, then the DAC. (IMO, of course)
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First of all, many ipods and the iphones sound great, their EQ sucks but their SQ is quite good, really good if you pass the headphone out, and use the line out into an amp via a LOD.
They are not the end all of players though.
Porta pros are amazing IMO, they are one of my fav headphones under $100
Any update on DAC? Audio Quality?
Personally waiting for GSM Arena to do their audio test. Below from The Verge's review:
AUDIO
Audio quality on the One X is superb across the board. The earpiece offers clear, loud calls, and the rear-mounted loudspeaker does as well — for whatever reason, HTC's managed to make this placement of the loudspeaker work far better than Samsung did with the Galaxy Nexus, which produces exceptionally quiet, easy-to-muffle sound. Callers reported that I was easy to hear even in significant background noise and wind, a good sign that this phone's dual-mic noise canceling system is really well tuned.
The 3.5mm headphone jack outputs clean, noise-free music — clean enough that I was easily able to pick out the depressingly low bitrate of Rdio's tracks. Of course, the One X carries the Beats Audio branding, as most HTC devices are now expected to (HTC owns 51 percent of Beats, after all). I find it ironic that the One series' tagline is "Amazing Camera, Authentic Sound" when Beats' audio processing is anything but authentic — in fact, if anything, it intentionally diverges from the artist's intentions. Every time I hear music with Beats enabled, it just sounds like bass boost to me, which is a trick we've seen in various forms in portable audio products for at least 30 years.
I'm not saying some users don't appreciate Beats — it definitely makes music more "exciting" sounding — but if you're looking for "authentic" music reproduction, Beats definitely isn't the answer. Personally, I'll be leaving it turned off. And fortunately, it's easily toggled either from Settings or from the notification tray while music is playing. It should also be noted that Sense 4.0 (and Sense 3.6 as found on HTC's Android 4.0 upgrades for older devices) makes Beats processing compatible with any audio app, which is a big improvement; previously, it only worked with HTC's baked-in apps.
Now that a few people are receiving their One X's can anyone answer my question please
Daemos said:
To the OP the cowon is a fine DAC but if you just need music playback (and if you need FLAC) there might be better options in your budget
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Yeah its just music playback i want if i have to get another device. What do you think of the Cowon J3 ??
I agree nikzDHD about waiting for the GSM Arena review. I read the Verge review earlier and it sounds good though i would prefer a more detailed review on the subject.
darrenjdoc said:
Now that a few people are receiving their One X's can anyone answer my question pleaseYeah its just music playback i want if i have to get another device. What do you think of the Cowon J3 ??
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Honestly, I wouldn't trust the verge's gsmarena's or most other techsite's for their "audio quality" reviews.
just FYI. having fancy bar charts, graphs etc isn't the end all, having someone be able to compare it to another device, with tons of experience, using high end audio gear is MUCH more important.
Unfortunately phones usually don't get tested in audiophile type things and you are better at looking at audiophile forums and seeing if experienced members have used them.
I'm just saying for SQ, cowon isn't the best there is, but their EQ system is one of the best, but EQ can't replace energy, soundstage, or detail reproduction, all it does is emphasize certain regions of the sound changing the "sound signature" like I said my RoCoo P is superior to the Cowon but is far cheaper, but the UI sucks, and it's missing features, but I use it almost every day when I need to walk somewhere.
I suggest reading here: http://www.head-fi.org/f/15/portable-source-gear then after reading through there potentially asking your question there, but please do list your headphones, source type, type of music, and if you *need* eq or not.
It all depends on your budget and how large of a device you want to carry. I can recommend things like the ibasso DX100 or hifiman HM-801 which are basically almost as good as you can get in a portable audio player, but they cost more than a new phone, and they are very bulky.
um.. no disrespect/no intended banter to the above poster
but we simply just want to find out if the audio quality is sufficient for use of mp3s
in comparison to say the S2, which everyone knows has disappointing sound quality . Yes we all know the S1 had a good DAC etc, this thread is more so about the phones sound quality and not about how much of an audiophile we are etc.
I need to know as if it's good enough, I don't have to bring my Cowon J3 with me everyday to work as well : )
darrenjdoc said:
Now that a few people are receiving their One X's can anyone answer my question pleaseYeah its just music playback i want if i have to get another device. What do you think of the Cowon J3 ??
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I can't recommend the sansa clip enough. Cheap, good battery, flac support and even better with a portable amp! One of the best sounding players I've had.
thanhson87 said:
um.. no disrespect/no intended banter to the above poster
but we simply just want to find out if the audio quality is sufficient for use of mp3s
in comparison to say the S2, which everyone knows has disappointing sound quality . Yes we all know the S1 had a good DAC etc, this thread is more so about the phones sound quality and not about how much of an audiophile we are etc.
I need to know as if it's good enough, I don't have to bring my Cowon J3 with me everyday to work as well : )
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What is "sufficient"? What is "good enough"? It varies for different people.
If you want to know if it plays music, yes it'll play mp3s. If it's good enough to you or not, I can't say.
I can tell you this, in terms of SQ I'd rank what I've used as this SGS2 << SGS1 < rockboxed Sansa Clip/fuse (first gen) < Rockboxed earlier ipod < Cowon players < RoCoo P
This is of course FLAC, if we add mp3 playback I'd say the iphone/ipod touch fits in better than the SGS1 but can = sansa clip/fuse
These are also only what I'd consider portable DAPs.
The OP wanted to know if they should keep the SGS2 and get a J3 or get a one X instead and was focused on audio quality.
I just happened to say I think he could get better than the J3 for better SQ for the money. I'm just trying to help the OP.
Most people just want to carry one device, I've also got a rockboxed Sansa Clip its small enough to take anywhere and sound quality is very good. Again to OP Sansa Clip is the cheapest way of getting some good sound but good sound is only good if you pair it up with a good set of headphones to take advantage of it.
If only Supercurio lived in the UK I would of let him borrow my phone his analysis is very good.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
I have a Sansa clip+ lying in a box that i haven't used in a long time and just rockboxed it. Teamed with my Shure E535's and a few flac albums this little guy sounds heads and shoulders above my SGS2. Actually shocked how such a small player can sound so good. Going to get a portable amp and this will save me a few quids. Many thanks for the replies
nice! Yeah a rockboxed clip+ is definately the way to go for small awesome sound. They are also basically impossible to beat at the price you can get a clip+ and fuze for
if you want my help, let me know how much you want to spend on an amp and i'll point you in the right direction
But basically in terms of portable (and affordable amps) ibasso, jds labs and fiio (if you get their higher end stuff)
Good luck with your search, hopefully you can find a good amp that pairs well with the 535's
I'm looking to buy a new phone. The audio quality is an important aspect for me..
Right now I have a Galaxy S6 which is OK. Not the best,not the worst.
Would it be a downgrade or an upgrade?Also,if anyone can compare it with the OP3(which is mediocre) ..that would be great.
Robert- said:
I'm looking to buy a new phone. The audio quality is an important aspect for me..
Right now I have a Galaxy S6 which is OK. Not the best,not the worst.
Would it be a downgrade or an upgrade?Also,if anyone can compare it with the OP3(which is mediocre) ..that would be great.
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I cant speak for a comparison to the OP3, but I've heard very good things about the headphone jack (if thats the kind of audio quality you're looking for) on the moto z play, and I have actually used it with my ATH-M50x headphones and it works very well. Headphone jack plays loud and clear with no background hissing. Speaker quality, I think its pretty good, its fairly loud and sounds pretty good. If you really want amazing audio quality you can use the jbl moto mod which will give you very good sound and be really loud (I own one and I love it).
jon7701 said:
I cant speak for a comparison to the OP3, but I've heard very good things about the headphone jack (if thats the kind of audio quality you're looking for) on the moto z play, and I have actually used it with my ATH-M50x headphones and it works very well. Headphone jack plays loud and clear with no background hissing. Speaker quality, I think its pretty good, its fairly loud and sounds pretty good. If you really want amazing audio quality you can use the jbl moto mod which will give you very good sound and be really loud (I own one and I love it).
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I have some nice Momentum In-Ear ...I just hope it's loud enough .
Thanks
Anyone having issues with music sound quality through the headphone jack should try making sure the equalizer in the stock google play music app is completely off, and then disabling the app in settings. After that reboot the phone. For me it was a night and day difference...
metalmike6 said:
I didn't even have a chance to test this nor did I think about it until you asked. but I have a pair of Shure SHR440's they are amazing reference headphones. The sound coming out of this phone is well, it's... sound. Honestly if you're an audiophile look elsewhere. So far that's the only thing I really don't like about the phone. Like it's so bad I may return the thing. My ears are telling me that the sound is heavily compressed for some reason. The cymbals in every song sound all washy and weird like when you download a ****ty MP3 by mistake. The bass has no punch and the mids sound like your listening through a metal garbage can. For me personally it's near unlistenable but I enjoy good quality sound in my music and have a tough time listening when it doesn't sound the way it's supposed to. My LG G3 has better sound to a degree that's almost hard to imagine... I'm gonna keep running tests but I think it's the DAC in the phone itself. It just sucks. Like yeah it's loud. But that's all.
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Idk what you are talking about. I am coming from a z3 and I like the sound quality from the 3.5mm. Have you tried using poweramp?
I was using player pro... I'll give Poweramp a try. But I will say this even on YouTube the sound difference through the jack is crazy noticeable between this and the LG G3 I literally just tested it. Also what lind of music are you listening to? Because if it's dance or hip-hop or any kinda pop you're not gonna notice much of a difference.
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So weird discovery? ... Rebooted the phone out of frustration but prior to rebooting I went into the google play music app disabled all the equalizer settings then disabled the app in settings. Upon reboot the sound quality seems better? Like a lot better? I have no idea why or how? But that seems to have done it. Also I did download Poweramp just for kicks and it's nice, I'll give it a shot for a while and see if it's worth buying.
Robert- said:
I'm looking to buy a new phone. The audio quality is an important aspect for me..
Right now I have a Galaxy S6 which is OK. Not the best,not the worst.
Would it be a downgrade or an upgrade?Also,if anyone can compare it with the OP3(which is mediocre) ..that would be great.
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So far the best smartphone I owned in the audio department was the HTC One M9, with its frontal dual speakers, as they were stereo, loud and clear, it always blew me away whenever I saw YouTube, Netflix or listened to music (without phones). Listening to music using the audio jack (or Bluetooth phones) it was an OK experience, nothing extraordinary, compared to the previous smartphones I owned (obviously with improvements phones have over the years).
As the HTC One M9 is last year's phone, I'd be logical to look into HTC One M10 (or better), as it should have better processing and screen configurations (and if HTC is smart enough, they kept or improved the already awesome frontal speakers).
The Moto Z Play has just one frontal speaker and (for me) is good enough, nothing compared to the HTC, but packs a decent punch if you want to see a video or listen to an audio, but to really listen to music or videos out loud, I'd advise you buying the JBL Mod, I personally do not own one but I've read good reviews about it, and you'd have a little more battery, I guess this Mod also comes with its own battery to power the speakers
Sorry not to compare with the OP3, but I don't have enough knowledge with this phone to have a relevant comparison.
Hope this helped! Cheers!
metalmike6 said:
I was using player pro... I'll give Poweramp a try. But I will say this even on YouTube the sound difference through the jack is crazy noticeable between this and the LG G3 I literally just tested it. Also what lind of music are you listening to? Because if it's dance or hip-hop or any kinda pop you're not gonna notice much of a difference.
---------- Post added at 04:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:46 AM ----------
So weird discovery? ... Rebooted thej phone out of frustration but prior to rebooting I went into the google play music app disabled all the equalizer settings then disabled the app in settings. Upon reboot the sound quality seems better? Like a lot better? I have no idea why or how? But that seems to have done it. Also I did download Poweramp just for kicks and it's nice, I'll give it a shot for a while and see if it's worth buying.
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Some software glitch maybe.
I listen to metal and classical mostly, with a bit of jazz and blues. Opeth, Dt, Tool, The Aristocrats Yada Yada.
arides said:
So far the best smartphone I owned in the audio department was the HTC One M9, with its frontal dual speakers, as they were stereo, loud and clear, it always blew me away whenever I saw YouTube, Netflix or listened to music (without phones). Listening to music using the audio jack (or Bluetooth phones) it was an OK experience, nothing extraordinary, compared to the previous smartphones I owned (obviously with improvements phones have over the years).
As the HTC One M9 is last year's phone, I'd be logical to look into HTC One M10 (or better), as it should have better processing and screen configurations (and if HTC is smart enough, they kept or improved the already awesome frontal speakers).
The Moto Z Play has just one frontal speaker and (for me) is good enough, nothing compared to the HTC, but packs a decent punch if you want to see a video or listen to an audio, but to really listen to music or videos out loud, I'd advise you buying the JBL Mod, I personally do not own one but I've read good reviews about it, and you'd have a little more battery, I guess this Mod also comes with its own battery to power the speakers
Sorry not to compare with the OP3, but I don't have enough knowledge with this phone to have a relevant comparison.
Hope this helped! Cheers!
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I only care about audio quality through the jack . How is that compared to your M9?
Robert- said:
I only care about audio quality through the jack . How is that compared to your M9?
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The HTC One M9 is better equalized, the bass in the Moto Z Play is more noticeable, but if you get a third party app that best equalizes the Moto Z Play it'll be just as great.
I haven't downloaded such app yet, but it shouldn't be hard to find. And use your own phones, the one that comes with the Moto Z Play sucks big time (at least for me).
I'd also be better for you to have more feedback from other users of the Moto Z Play, as audio is a very particular subject which varies from person to person.
I would like to add that the Z Play doesn't support every audio format out there. The hardware decoder is weak therefore I'd strongly recommend the "Neutron" music app which comes with its own software decoder. Or even the JetAudio or basically any app with a S/W decoder.
metalmike6 said:
Anyone having issues with music sound quality through the headphone jack should try making sure the equalizer in the stock google play music app is completely off, and then disabling the app in settings. After that reboot the phone. For me it was a night and day difference...
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Do I need to disable the Google Play Music app or Equalizer app?
Warkratos said:
Do I need to disable the Google Play Music app or Equalizer app?
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Hey man, what I did was go into the google play music app under settings and then equalizer, make sure its all set to OFF. then go and disable the Google Play Music app in system settings and then reboot...
Robert- said:
I only care about audio quality through the jack . How is that compared to your M9?
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ya agree , i am using z play rooted with viper4android installed. & it sounds Best with 3.5mm jack it can beat any device if configure proper
Quickly tested the audio quality of my new Z Play against my old Note 4 910C with Wolfson audio chip.
I use a pair of Ultimate Ears Triple FI 10. (IEM's which costed about 300€ some years ago.) Listened to some fast Punk songs.
I would not call me an Audiophile - I can't hear a difference between 320 KBit MP3 and Flac. But of course between 128 kBit and 320 kBit.
So I do care about good audio quality.
I could not notice a significant difference between the Note and the Moto. Even if there was one I wouldn't be able to tell which one was better. Different headphones or a heavily compressed audio file will for sure make way much more of a difference.
To be sure I ordered this external DAC: http://hifimediy.com/tiny-dac
It's an external Sabre DAC with improved Jitter and noise level at a very tiny size. Curious to see if I find a difference, but I don't expect very much.
I think the Moto as all recent phones delivers a very neutral and loud enough sound output at pones that don't need to much pwer.
its good but not the best
Coming from the V10, it's definitely a step down but not bad. For over-ear or on-ear portable headphones that are designed to be efficient,it's not bad at all. For sensitive IEMs, the signal isn't clean enough, you can hear a background hiss and interference from the cell radio, etc. And of course driving higher impedance headphones well like the V10 can do is out of the question.
how is the external speaker? I have seen some reviews that say its average.. I know I want to make sure its decent...
I understand it can't compete with dual front facing speakers... but how does it compare to other similar speaker setup phones? I am glad it is at least front facing!
noisyriver said:
Quickly tested the audio quality of my new Z Play against my old Note 4 910C with Wolfson audio chip.
I use a pair of Ultimate Ears Triple FI 10. (IEM's which costed about 300€ some years ago.) Listened to some fast Punk songs.
I would not call me an Audiophile - I can't hear a difference between 320 KBit MP3 and Flac. But of course between 128 kBit and 320 kBit.
So I do care about good audio quality.
I could not notice a significant difference between the Note and the Moto. Even if there was one I wouldn't be able to tell which one was better. Different headphones or a heavily compressed audio file will for sure make way much more of a difference.
To be sure I ordered this external DAC: http://hifimediy.com/tiny-dac
It's an external Sabre DAC with improved Jitter and noise level at a very tiny size. Curious to see if I find a difference, but I don't expect very much.
I think the Moto as all recent phones delivers a very neutral and loud enough sound output at pones that don't need to much pwer.
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Did today also a small comparison with the 180 $ Sony walkman of my GF: Could not find a difference.
With high impedance headphones the Hifimediy Android DAC http://hifimediy.com/tiny-dac did a very good job to me. Tested it with 600 Ohm AKG K 141 - was still loud enough. Didn't seem to influence my battery.
So I have no concerns any more using the Moto as my portable audio device.
The sound signature thro' headphone jack is better than average. However, please don't buy moto z play if you love listening to music at lower volume thro' headphone jack. The background static, crackling sound is much higher as the radio antenna band is located very close to it ( a white band over usb type c port). Better the headphone quality more prominent is the static. I tried multiple in-ear headphones ( shure se 125 , Sennheiser cx 275s). It is design flaw.