Develop Bugs

[Q] Omnia 7 Poor Audio?

Is it me or is the audio quality from the omnia poor? or is it the headphones which are supplied with the handset? i wanted to try some headphones from a shop but they wouldnt let me...hygiene issues. anyone else have this problem. if headphones are the cause which pair are recommended no more than £30 for in ear.

I am very satisfied with the sound of Zune on my Optimus 7.
I suppose that with Zune all WP7 devices will approximately have the same sound quality.
The Omnia 7 is one of the best WP7 device, so I think you should not worry.
Try some AKG earphones for instance. I've got the K319 and they are simply amazing.
http://www.digitalversus.com/akg-k319-p374_5037_170.html
For an in-ear version, AKG K370.
Otherwise I find Sennheiser quite good also.

According to GSMArena, the Omnia has like 10dB less dynamic range than the Galaxy S, plus stereo crosstalk like hell.

And no equalizer?

The equalizer is a HTC specific feature. Since Microsoft ostensibly supplied all drivers, I suppose the DAC used in the HTC devices has a hardware DSP that can do all the SRS and EQ stuff, controlled by the HTC sound application.

I did read a review somewhere stating the Omnia sound quality is not as good as other WP7 phones.
It feels like every manufacture has cut corners on the first generation of WP7 phones.

Phone quality and earphone quality seem fine to me. The external speaker though tends to struggle only when watching videos and sometimes games with the volume set to low (about 1/30 - 3/30), what I mean by struggle is some sounds dont get through, it just mutes at some parts. Playing music seems find though.

davidebanks said:
Is it me or is the audio quality from the omnia poor? or is it the headphones which are supplied with the handset? i wanted to try some headphones from a shop but they wouldnt let me...hygiene issues. anyone else have this problem. if headphones are the cause which pair are recommended no more than £30 for in ear.
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Pick up some good in ear headphones. MEElec M6s are what I use.
And yeah, don't ever use the supplied headphones from your devices. They will almost always let you down.

Audio OMNIA 7
High quality audio and good volume level !
(after one week with it)

thanks for the feedback guys, most appreciated. ive managed to get hold of 2 pairs of headphones (whilst at work) and they are both much better than the ones supplied with the phone, even though they are not very good headphones. the only small issue now is that the omnia 7 isnt very loud at all. are there headphones that can improve this? the ones i used were 100db.

agp64 said:
I did read a review somewhere stating the Omnia sound quality is not as good as other WP7 phones.
It feels like every manufacture has cut corners on the first generation of WP7 phones.
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The review (Engadget) said the supplied headphones were no good (they really were nitpicking), if you put in a good pair of headphones it will sound great.

davidebanks said:
the only small issue now is that the omnia 7 isnt very loud at all. are there headphones that can improve this? the ones i used were 100db.
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Yes, as said before the AKG K319 definitely make the volume louder. No comparison.

Tom Servo said:
The equalizer is a HTC specific feature. Since Microsoft ostensibly supplied all drivers, I suppose the DAC used in the HTC devices has a hardware DSP that can do all the SRS and EQ stuff, controlled by the HTC sound application.
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Well yes, but my point was "you aren't buying a phone that doesn't have an equalizer for quality sound, are you?". If they didn't build it in they didn't really care to make it a good music player.
I know that true kosher audiophiles don't believe in equalizers and only listen to flac on Cowon players and such, but that's religious stuff I don't want to touch. In reality, with crappy headphones (and that means everything that costs less than $300), and even with decent tolerable ones an EQ is a must have thing. Especially with the kind of crap hardware OEMs like HTC and Samsung put in their phones.

I can't totally agree.
Good music players don't use Equalizer (but I can understand that people like to use it)
Samely a good motor does not need a turbo.

Well, like I said, if you listen to lossless audio on perfect hardware using high end headphones, and also have perfect hearing - sure, you don't need an EQ. With mp3s on HTC and Samsung phones it's a must have feature. It won't make miracles and won't make those phones decent players but can at least make the sound somewhat tolerable.

thanks for the input, ill definately be getting a new pair of headphones, engadget were right to nitpick because it really does show up as being a quiet phone.

By the way, did anybody try the in-ear Sennheiser CX 400-II on its phone?
http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheise...ssic-line_cxseries-in-ear-earphones-cx-400-ii
I heard they are pretty amazing. I am willing to purchase them, but if somebody could give me its feedback it would be nice

funny you should mention that, i was looking at getting a pair of the sennheiser CX 300 II but if 400 is better then i will do that instead.

Nice,
I will be happy to get your opinion on it.
PS: Don't buy it on the Internet. There are a lot of fake of this earphone.

arturobandini said:
I can't totally agree.
Good music players don't use Equalizer (but I can understand that people like to use it)
Samely a good motor does not need a turbo.
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Not sure how you work that out, given it makes an engine far more efficient, however that's a debate for a different type of forum!

[Q] Is sound quality dependent on hardware or software?

I have to say my Omnia 7 doesn't sound nearly as good as my Zune HD. I know nothing beats a dedicated player but I would have thought something about the Zune technology would have played a role in making my phone a decent music player.

There has been a topic on this before, the Omnia 7 is terrible for audio. It severely lacks any bass. I have tried with low end phones like Senheiser CX300, midrange Shure SE210's ) and high end Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10's and the only ones which produce any reasonable bass are the Ultimate ears, but they have their own dedicated bass drivers, so either they are doing some extra work or the Omnia is not distributing the bass frequently properly to standard headphones. Not really sure what can be done about it but it's definitely making me want to drop my omnia for a HD7 or something else.

wrong. sorry pezley but i have to disagree, peew971, i made a thread a while ago and this is what i discovered. in short, the supplied headphones are rubbish. you need to buy a better pair. it really is as simple as that. i borrowed 2 different pairs of headphone from a friend, one was in ear and the other was over the ear and the sound is Incredible! you just need a decent pair. unfortunately, the headphones i borrowed were very expensive, but it proved to me that the omnia 7 is a very capable audio player. the bass and treble were fantastically balanced, great thumping bass and crystal clear treble. dont make the same mistake i did, try, headphones out before buying a pair. the overall volume output on the omina is quite low, ( but it can be changed) so when getting a new pair of headphones look at their DB rating and go for a loud pair as well. it is highly advisable to find a store who `might` let you use their headphones as a test. i bought the sennheiser 400 CX II for £40 and althought the bass is awesome the mid and treble arnt that great. but anyway, the sound coming out of the omnia 7 is great but to get that great sound you must get a DECENT pair of headphones.

Actually yesterday I got a pair of Beats Solo HD that I tested on a iPod Nano. The Nano sounded 10 times better so I doubt it's just about headphones. Has anyone compared the sound on other WP7 and is the issue really specific to the Omnia? Could be sonething with the OS, no?
Sent from my Omnia 7 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

Peew971 said:
Actually yesterday I got a pair of Beats Solo HD that I tested on a iPod Nano. The Nano sounded 10 times better so I doubt it's just about headphones. Has anyone compared the sound on other WP7 and is the issue really specific to the Omnia? Could be sonething with the OS, no?
Sent from my Omnia 7 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
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I listen to music on my HD7 quite a lot and my headphones (in ear from sony) were quite cheap. Something around 25 Euros. But I have to say the sound is great.

Peew971 said:
Actually yesterday I got a pair of Beats Solo HD that I tested on a iPod Nano. The Nano sounded 10 times better so I doubt it's just about headphones. Has anyone compared the sound on other WP7 and is the issue really specific to the Omnia? Could be sonething with the OS, no?
Sent from my Omnia 7 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
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thats very interesting peew971, something i will have to check up on. i tried my headphones on a different mp3 player and the sound was maybe a bit louder but definately not better. but thats just in my case. my headphones (sennheiser 400 CX II) on both my phone and mp3 player is bassy with average mid and treble. still im convinced the the sound from the omnia 7 is brilliant if you have a good pair of headphones. perhaps spending another small fortune is the way to get the best out of it i honestly dont think that i could get a better sound from any other device if the right headphones are used. the headphones i tested them on were Shure E530PTH, and Grado SR80.... and both produced amazing quality on the omnia 7, i really dont think anyone would complain with these.

I own both a LG Optimus 7 and an Omnia 7.
I use one of the best bud headphones available: AKG K319 (I find them far better than the Shure or Senn CX400 for instance, especially for medium and bass).
I have to say that the sound of the LG Optimus 7 is indeed better. It's actually pretty good for a smartphone.
There is something wrong with the bass on the Omnia 7. They are not dynamic enough.
I would be glad to get Samsung's feedback on this.
...
Also (but this is another problem) the Omnia never displayed the Album art of my records (it appears in the Collection menu but not when playing). Weird. There are the same music files as on my LG Optimus 7 and have been properly tagged.

Just to add from a technical perspective, there are different qualities of headphone amps built into various smartphones and media players. A device with a lower-quality headphone amp will not sound that good even with the best headphones.
Unfortunately, this sort of thing doesn't show up in reviews too often.

Thank you guys... So is this something Samsung can improve with an update or is it pretty much a hardware issue?

Peew971 said:
Thank you guys... So is this something Samsung can improve with an update or is it pretty much a hardware issue?
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i suspect it is both however i must stress that you need a good pair of headphones for the Omnia 7. sadly, good headphones can be quite expensive. like i said before , the standard headphones are rubbish, the pair i bought (Sennheiser 400 CX II, £40) had fantastic bass but the treble and midtones were not great. i was a bit worried about the sound coming out of the omnia 7 after that was considering swapping it for a HD7, but that was until i tried these two headphones Shure E530PTH (£300) and Grado SR80 (£100) on my phone. These headphones made my omnia 7 audio sound awesome with great bass and crystal clear treble extreemly well balanced. what i really need to do now is to use those same headphones on another player of some sort, i know for a fact that the omnia 7 is generally but again a louder pair of headphones will help.

pezley said:
There has been a topic on this before, the Omnia 7 is terrible for audio. It severely lacks any bass. I have tried with low end phones like Senheiser CX300, midrange Shure SE210's ) and high end Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10's and the only ones which produce any reasonable bass are the Ultimate ears, but they have their own dedicated bass drivers, so either they are doing some extra work or the Omnia is not distributing the bass frequently properly to standard headphones. Not really sure what can be done about it but it's definitely making me want to drop my omnia for a HD7 or something else.
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The HD7 is just as terrible as far as sound is concerned. I think it may be a driver issue. Through the headphones they sound okay, but the phone speakers are just borderline useless...

What about the HTC sound enhancer? I got a Focus, but I've never seen anyone mention it.

interesting point about the hd7, i heard it was susposed to be very good. Yesterday i decided to try my sennheiser 400 CX II headphones on an mp3 player of mine, and sure enough it was louder than the omnia 7 but not better in terms of sound quality, unfortunately, i now believe that to get the best sound out of the omnia 7 you must buy a decent pair of headphones otherwise it wont sound good. heres a strange twist to the original omnia 7 poor sound question. perhaps the omnia 7 sound is so good that it shows up how poor some headphones really are? perhaps someone else out there has a high quality pair of phones to confirm. the two i tried were Shure E530PTH, and Grado SR80 and and omnia 7 excelled with these to, but then again, 1 cost £100 (grado) and the other cost £300 (shure) low end headphones just dont cut it on the Omnia 7, mine £40 have great bass but that it. another pair of Sennheiser cost £80 and sounded pretty good and much clearer than mine..so basically, you get what you pay for. an pair of £20 headphone will sound rubbish on the omnia 7. get the hint?

If you read my earlier story I used £170 Beats on the Omnia 7 for poor result. On an iPod/iPhone the sound is amazing. I wish I still had my Zune HD to compare but the bottom line is the sound on the Omnia 7 isn't good.
Now if we start getting the same stories on HTC phones maybe the issue lies deeper in WP7 itself. We need more input from HTC, LG and Dell users.
Sent from my Omnia 7 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

davidebanks said:
interesting point about the hd7, i heard it was susposed to be very good.
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It actually IS good, N8ter talks about "phone speakers". You wouldn't listen to music via the speaker intended for ringtones, would you?
The HTC HD7 did very well in our audio quality test. There are no notable flaws when you use it with an active external amplifier - the frequency response is great and so are the noise level, dynamic range and stereo crosstalk readings. The total harmonic distortion is pretty low too and generally the intermodulation distortion is the only thing about the HD7 ouput that was not particularly impressive (though it's still acceptable).
As you could expect things get a bit worse when you plug in a pair of headphones, but the HD7 still maintains a very good performance. As a matter of fact the degradation is so subtle that the device ranks higher up in this scenario, than in the previous. The stereo crosstalk increases and that's about that. There's no extra intermodulation distortion or ferquency response deviations. Now add the fact that the HD7 is pretty loud too and you get the idea that the HD7 is a pretty good music player indeed.
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http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_hd7-review-542p6.php
Omnia 7 is considerably worse, although note that it's on par with SGS and way better than, say, Desire HD which is total unusable crap due to horrible crosstalk:
Samsung I8700 Omnia 7 did well in our traditional audio quality test. It's among the quietest handsets we have seen but it makes up for that with nicely clean output with audio tracks sounding just the way they were meant to. When attached to an active external amplifier (i.e. your car stereo or your home audio system) the device is doing an impressive job with the cut-off extreme bass frequencies the only thing to frown at.
When headphones come into play, the Omnia 7 remained a pretty solid performer and the worsened stereo crosstalk and intermodulation distortions are the only things that changed.
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http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i8700_omnia_7-review-522p5.php
Basically, the major problem here is that there's no equalizer. Since the audio is quiet, you need sensitive headphones to hear everything that the phone outputs, and can't compensate that by EQ settings.
Overall, it's ultimately amazing to see HTC outperform Samsung in this area. Samsung is the company that supplies audio chips to Apple for iPhones and iPods.

Samsung have a lot of buggs on there WP7 device, so maybe the sound is also a issue. Luckely for me i have expensive headphones so i feel i have good audio. Got Beyerdynamic's DT 77p Pro 250 OHM.
Sent from my Omnia 7 using Board Express

Peew971 said:
Now if we start getting the same stories on HTC phones maybe the issue lies deeper in WP7 itself.
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You can check out the gsmarena links in my post above to see that it's not the case.
Actually, I tried WM, Android and WP7 on my HD2. I had previously thought that software can't make a huge difference apart from some limited equalization and volume level tweaks and that it was all down to the DAC and the analog amp.
However, installing WP7 on HD2 was a true shocker, it sounded very well, while with both WM and Android I thought it was utterly useless as a player.
I have no idea why though. Basically, codecs can't really change anything with regard to mp3 playback. Since HD2 had a hacked custom ROM there were no device-specific tweaks. Go figure.
I'm fairly happy with my Mozart (using Westone 3 as the headphones). iPhone 4 is better but its equalizer is much more limited so your ability to adjust sound to your particular taste isn't that great.

HP is licencing the Beats technology for their devices. Not everyone will agree about the quality of that tech (I personally think it's great) but I wish a WP7 OEM would come up with the same sort of deal.

Well HTC licenses SRS, so if you're into this type of sound embellishments you can have them on WP7. It's hard to make available on all phones because it is hardware dependant.

nakazul also agrees with me, you need Decent headphones! heres another test you could try. Connect your omnia 7 to a Proper stereo system via a 3.5 male to male connection, and see what it sounds like. ( yes it will be quiet we know that but what about the quality. again, the sound system needs to be a good one. let us know how you get on. or someone else try it. i have a £15 set so my speakers are rubbish. all i know is that good headphones make a huge difference.

Sound quality - DAC ??

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. :--/
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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.
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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. :--/
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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
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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
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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

High End Earphones (IEM) with remote controls for SGS3

Hi Guys,
I'm not prepared to compromise any more on sound quality than I have to and I like to use good IEMs and MP3 players.
Recently, like the rest of the world, I've started to use my mobile phones as my daily audio driver more and more.
I’ve never had a serious pair of earphones with pause/play/RR/FF controls, this would be a godsend and I would like to know if there are there high quality earphones with this feature out there that actually work on Android?
I will use them with my mobile phones Galaxy Nexus & Samsung Galaxy S3
I saw this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1695717 about high end IEMs but they aren't discussing android controls and I'm following AndrewWilley http://goo.gl/eclr4
I'm also checking out the http://goo.gl/4jBfc as an option and I will be able to plug these into my Denon C710's but I cant tell just how much they will impact the sound quality.
I'm also talking about quality IEMS above the Beats by Dr Dre range or the a-jay One+ headphones.
I'll be happy to know if anyone has any ideas

I am an avid record collector. I think regardless off what we use we are still at the mercy of our dsp. Headphones become uncomfortable, while earbuds offer very little low frequency response. I downloaded an app simply called equalizer and use the LG HBS 700 Bluetooth headphones. Not bad for 69 bucks. Just another avenue.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

I've opted for a custom iem - (JH Audio) which also comes with a cable with Mic and one button control. I'll pair that with the Jays Headset Control app and that will be job done.
Sent from my GT-I9300 running Pardus S4 Rom using xda premium

Have you ruled out all the ones on this thread? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2104171
Tapa.

Just to widen the choices the new T-Peos H200 comes with a secondary, single button mic equipped cable. You have to order them straight from T-Peos in Korea though, or though one of their online resellers.
A bit lower on the totem pole would be the cheapo yet good Brainwavz R1 or the upcoming R3.
The new Meelec twin hybrid might work too, but not so sure it has a mic or not.
Lastly the Belkin iPhone controller adapter works well without compromising much on the SQ side IMHO.
Good luck.

JustSomeDude said:
Have you ruled out all the ones on this thread? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2104171
Tapa.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a good thread, thanks for the heads up.
I'm currently using the Etymotic HF2 which is listed on it:
The sound is clear but they really need a headphone amp to increase the volume which without can get lost to background noise when commuting.
I also had the Puresound ClarityOne (not listed on that thread) which developed a frayed cable after only 4 months.
The cable is thin and the connection point to the 3.5mm jack is the point of failure.
The customer service from that company was so ignorant I would NEVER recommend them to anyone to cough up over £100 on them.
I'm stepping up into the CIEM arena and see what the fuss is about.
Thanks again.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

eiraku said:
Just to widen the choices the new T-Peos H200 comes with a secondary, single button mic equipped cable. You have to order them straight from T-Peos in Korea though, or though one of their online resellers.
A bit lower on the totem pole would be the cheapo yet good Brainwavz R1 or the upcoming R3.
The new Meelec twin hybrid might work too, but not so sure it has a mic or not.
Lastly the Belkin iPhone controller adapter works well without compromising much on the SQ side IMHO.
Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the T-Peos H200 look good and I read a positive review of them here http://www.headphiles.org/index.php?t=msg&goto=265151&
I will have a detachable mic/single button cable with my CIEMs when they arrive which will also please me as they apparently will not have any discernable loss in quality.

Do i need an amp for my headset?

Hey Guys,..
I just ordered a new headset from sennheiser.
I red somewhere that smartphones and mp3 players might not have enough power to make your headphones sounds nice at higher volume.
I cant seem to find any figures for the note 2 that i can use to do the math, so does any one know what the output is of the note 2?
Or perhaps someone has already tried this?
I bought the sennheiser 449, and was looking to add a FiiO E6 IF needed.
Thanks.

The phone should power the headphones, as it has a Wolfson DAC like some of the older model iPods, and a lot of people in the audiophile community claim the iPods with the Wolfson DAC were the best sounding (a little bit warmer and they give an overall better sound in comparison to the audi chips Apple are using nowadays from Cirrus Logic.
Try the stock player when they arrive and play about with PowerAmp and Jet Audio has loads of extra controls for sound settings etc, adding an extra headphone amp would boost the volume and give you a little more bass but at the cost of adding extra bulk, which sometimes isn't a good thing if your on the go all the time! Also apparently in the future BBE may be porting their SoundMax app from iOS to Android
I have been looking into getting a Note 2 for daily use and music, (trying to find an app that will play apple lossless!) and I also want to try and avoid adding the extra bulk of a headphone amp, the phone is big enough as it is Headphone wise, if your a bass head there is the newly released V-Moda M-100 which have been getting rave reviews, there is also the older V-Moda M80's which as still really good for the money (about the same you paid for your new Sennheisers). I have been looking at the AKG K550's a real nice set of headphones, they certainly look the part, and they are apparently great being powered by a Mobile, they are also closed back, so not much sound leak when your out and about. Hope this helps.

the only thing you should look at when buying new cans is the impedance (measured in ohm). in your case the impedance of the sennheiser 449 lies between 35 & 45 ohm. so, no problem to drive them without a dedicated headphone amp on smartphones and mp3 players respectively. to give you comparison, there are headphones with several hundered ohms of impedance. for these a headphone amp is highly recommended

right thats what i wanted to know because one youtube vid said that you DO need an amp if you are going to use it on your smartphone.
but i will give it a try without.
thanks.

Nope it doesn't require.... I have gaming stereo headset... Big in size, it works well in my nexus s... And must be working in note 2... Note 2 is using newer version of Wolfson chips
Accidentally sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2

I guess, you don't really 'need' it, but if you have a portable AMP, it always make your headphones sound better.