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Hi all,
Just wanted to put a thread together to talk around the audio capabilities of the HTC 10. From what I can see, the audio is split up into a couple of different areas:
1) Good quality internal hardware (DAC and separate amps for speakers and earphone),
2) Powerful two way speaker setup,
3) Better than normal earphones to take advantage of the hardware, and
4) Good quality software with the Personal Audio Profile System.
5) There is also Airplay support for those with 3rd party airplay speakers.
What hardware are people currently using (earphones, headphones, portable amps, portable usb DAC's)? When the phone is released, it will be good to get peoples impressions and reviews. Also to understand how different hardware affects those experiences (ie. different earphones work better or worse with this phone)??? Also, could this phone be good enough to take you away from dedicated hardware you might have (proper portable music players)?
One thing that I have noted which I haven't seen noted anywhere else is the Personal Audio Profile System being the same as what Aumeo has/is coming out with with their device (click here).
I personally have a couple of pairs of AKG over ear headphones and a pair of Flare R2Pro in-ear phones. Once I get my HTC, I will compare them with the hi-res ear-phones they come with and share my thoughts.
Open questions:
1) What DAC's are being used? What is inbuilt from Qualcomm or specialist 3rd party hardware?
2) What type of 3.5mm connector is being used (AHJ or OMTP), we believe AHJ based on previous HTC phones but could do with confirming)
rav101 said:
Hi all,
Just wanted to put a thread together to talk around the audio capabilities of the HTC 10. From what I can see, the audio is split up into a couple of different areas: 1) Good quality internal hardware (DAC and separate amps for speakers and earphone), 2) Powerful two way speaker setup, 3) better than normal earphones to take advantage of the hardware, and 4) Good quality software with the Personal Audio Profile System. Over these, there is the point that it works with Airplay which has a lot of support in terms of the 3rd party speaker market.
Just curious to see how people feel about the Audio capabilities of the 10 and whether that might be enough to take you away from dedicated hardware if you current use that?
One thing that I have noted which I haven't seen noted anywhere else is the Personal Audio Profile System being the same as what Aumeo has/is coming out with with their device (click here).
I currently have a couple of AKG over ears which I can't drive directly from my LG G4 without having a portable amp in the middle. I also have a pair of Flare R2Pro in ear phones that are quite hard to drive. Can't wait to test these out with the 10 when it comes out!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 10 recognizes that you have plugged (wired) earphones into the jack and offers you two options for customization, a 'quick question' method and a more detailed method that requires listening to tones on left then right in different frequency ranges. You then have the option to 'save' the audio profile for those earphones. If you plug a different set of earphones in, the device recognizes it and offers you to use the existing profile or create a new one (you can store multiple profiles). This does not work with BT earphones, by the way.
The sound is superior to anything I've ever heard on any audio device. It can make cheap earphones sound good (although I recommend at least midrange earphones), and with decent earphones (I use a Shure pair) it's terrific.
hgoldner said:
The 10 recognizes that you have plugged (wired) earphones into the jack and offers you two options for customization, a 'quick question' method and a more detailed method that requires listening to tones on left then right in different frequency ranges. You then have the option to 'save' the audio profile for those earphones. If you plug a different set of earphones in, the device recognizes it and offers you to use the existing profile or create a new one (you can store multiple profiles). This does not work with BT earphones, by the way.
The sound is superior to anything I've ever heard on any audio device. It can make cheap earphones sound good (although I recommend at least midrange earphones), and with decent earphones (I use a Shure pair) it's terrific.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's awesome news that it does this for wired earphones!
Which pair of Shure earphones do you use? And other than these headphones, have you had a chance to try them with any other different sets of earphones?? Have you had a chance to try them with any over ear headphones, ones that might be harder to drive?
Whilst I have your attention. Have you had a play around with different audio formats / qualities? MP3 vs 24bit FLAC to see how much of a difference this makes on this setup?
Regards,
Ravi
rav101 said:
That's awesome news that it does this for wired earphones!
Which pair of Shure earphones do you use? And other than these headphones, have you had a chance to try them with any other different sets of earphones?? Have you had a chance to try them with any over ear headphones, ones that might be harder to drive?
Whilst I have your attention. Have you had a play around with different audio formats / qualities? MP3 vs 24bit FLAC to see how much of a difference this makes on this setup?
Regards,
Ravi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't drive with earphones on (that's illegal here).
I have used the Personal Audio Profiles on 3 different pairs of earphones; a test set supplied with the test phone, Shure e3c's and an over-the-ear Audio-Technica pair. The Shure's and the test earphones are the best. The test earphones are my current daily (and may well be what comes in the box for some models, but I don't know because they don't tell us).
How do the speakers sound? As good as HTC One M7/8/9? Better?
hgoldner said:
I don't drive with earphones on (that's illegal here).
I have used the Personal Audio Profiles on 3 different pairs of earphones; a test set supplied with the test phone, Shure e3c's and an over-the-ear Audio-Technica pair. The Shure's and the test earphones are the best. The test earphones are my current daily (and may well be what comes in the box for some models, but I don't know because they don't tell us).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, to clarify when I say 'harder to drive' I mean over ear headphones that have a higher impedance. In this case, on other less powerful music players (or other phones), the headphones sound quiet even at max volume.
Trying to find out if it will have aptx hd enabled but no info. Also air play to aiport to dac should sound pretty decent
Sent from my LG-H901 using XDA-Developers mobile app
I am excited to see the phones response ranges in a test.
Would be cool to have my vinyl rips playing as good as it can get without a $1000 DAP.
Locklear308 said:
I am excited to see the phones response ranges in a test.
Would be cool to have my vinyl rips playing as good as it can get without a $1000 DAP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that the embargo has lifted, I presume we will start seeing more in depth reviews and those should hopefully include more detailed audio tests.
I use a fiio e12 to amp my current phone (LG G4). Nothing fancy but pretty sure the HTC 10 will do much better than that setup now. :victory:
madcowintucson said:
Trying to find out if it will have aptx hd enabled but no info. Also air play to aiport to dac should sound pretty decent
Sent from my LG-H901 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am curious about this too as i will be buying the new lg bluetooth headset.
The audio is one of the main reason why I want this beast!
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Me too! I own a pair of mid-to-top range RHA T10 and I am really anticipating how these will sound with the HTC 10. I am a audiophile and the sound quality is really important to me.
My last two phone's have been the HTC M8 and LG G4. I have found that I use my phone less for music now that I'm using the G4 than the M8 and its because I just enjoy it less. Can't wait to hear how these sound with a good pair of earphones.
Audio Jack
Does anyone know what kind of audio jack standard the HTC 10 will use? Is it AHJ or OMTP?
Then i'll know if I can use the inline controls of my RHA T20i's as currently with my HTC m8.
Edit: Btw - I strongly advise using the Neutron app if you want high-end music. Already supports FLAC but last update also added DSD support for the SACD fanatics
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.neutroncode.mp
Hopefully USB Audio works as well! Have they mentioned that at all?
Heretic Infidel said:
Does anyone know what kind of audio jack standard the HTC 10 will use? Is it AHJ or OMTP?
Then i'll know if I can use the inline controls of my RHA T20i's as currently with my HTC m8.
Edit: Btw - I strongly advise using the Neutron app if you want high-end music. Already supports FLAC but last update also added DSD support for the SACD fanatics
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.neutroncode.mp
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Found this.
http://forums.windowscentral.com/wi...87-note-headset-standards-omtp-ahj-apple.html
Says HTC uses AHJ...
rav101 said:
Found this.
http://forums.windowscentral.com/wi...87-note-headset-standards-omtp-ahj-apple.html
Says HTC uses AHJ...
Click to expand...
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Why on EARTH is there more than one? This would be standardized now days like USB...
Is the audio upconversion/upsampling BS something that can be disabled from settings?
I am happy with the sound quality of the 10 through the speakers as well as through the jack
What type of DAC is in the HTC 10? Because just amping the Qualcomm native DAC won't result in clean awesome audio, just louder. I'm hoping is cirrus/Wolfson or Ess Sabre premium DAC's
Title says it all. Post your suggestions and experiences with headphones that maximize the audio potential of this phone.
That quad DAC when wired and APTx when on BT.
CHH2 said:
Title says it all. Post your suggestions and experiences with headphones that maximize the audio potential of this phone.
That quad DAC when wired and APTx when on BT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm listening to my Sennheiser HD 598's right now using the quad DAC (high impedence). It is definitely driving them very well, I get my Audioquest Dragonfly black in tomorrow so I can try A&B comparisons with that vs the internal audio. I've also enjoyed using it with my Backbeat Pros but those do not have aptx.
I'm using my Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 250 Ohm headphones, it's amazing. It's a step up from the V10, including the volume department (especially with high impedance headphones).
I'm currently listening music with the AKG K712s. No doubt an improvement from the V10. The best phone yet that truly brings out the detail in
WAV and FLAC formats. I swear this quad DAC reincarnated my cans
Should be getting my V20 some time today, I hope. I don't have anything truly God-tier, but I'm going to try to do a few comparisons if I can. I've got Shure SE215s on one hand (triple-flange tips) and Samsung earbuds for a baseline, compared to whatever LG's included in the box. In a few weeks, I can add the H3s to that list, but not until they arrive, and they won't arrive until I sign up for them on the 28th, so...
In the world of full-size cans, I don't have a solid baseline, and I'm not looking forward to the idea of spending $20 so I can have a pair of cheap cans I will never listen to again. So instead, all I've got are my Koss ProDJ100s and my V-Moda M100s.
But I'll try to give my thoughts when I can. (Also, posting so I make sure I remember that this thread exists.)
---
I didn't get to really sit down and do heavy listening. Phone arrived pretty late and my fiancee was a little sad so I didn't want to have my headphones blasting for an hour or two straight without being able to hear a word.
Noticing that there is a little more clarity (at least) between the on-off settings. Might be some EQ going on as well, though, which is not what I want. EQ is an easy way to make something sound more "clear" without actually making it clearer. My last car literally had a setting that I used that I considered the "clear" setting, and for everything other than podcasts. The bass was deeper, and yet more articulated, and the highs had sparkle. Every other setting was muddy.
So EQing to a muddy sound, and then having a "hi-fi" EQ that clears up the mud isn't good. Still, like I said, I don't actually know that to be what's going on. It's just a possibility I'm keeping my ears open for.
Audio technica ATH-M50x Have to say, I can't hear a difference at all toggling on and off using Poweramp/Spotify/USB Audio Player Pro or Car with Bose speakers setup. What can be the reason? I was thinking it would sound better (or as good) as V4A. Not close for me. Maybe my phone's defective?
vibrantliker said:
Audio technica ATH-M50x Have to say, I can't hear a difference at all toggling on and off using Poweramp/Spotify/USB Audio Player Pro or Car with Bose speakers setup. What can be the reason? I was thinking it would sound better (or as good) as V4A. Not close for me. Maybe my phone's defective?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure if they fix the issue were the DAC was only able to be used by the stock music player. On the PlayStore there's an app that allows the DAC to work with all music players. I think it's called lgv10fix something like that. You can tell when you turn the DAC when your music skips or mutes for a second.
j0a0a7 said:
Not sure if they fix the issue were the DAC was only able to be used by the stock music player. On the PlayStore there's an app that allows the DAC to work with all music players. I think it's called lgv10fix something like that. You can tell when you turn the DAC when your music skips or mutes for a second.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I found that and installed it but it's the same.
Sony MDR-EX800ST with Tape Mod via External (AUX) Audio Mode with adapter.
vibrantliker said:
Audio technica ATH-M50x Have to say, I can't hear a difference at all toggling on and off using Poweramp/Spotify/USB Audio Player Pro or Car with Bose speakers setup. What can be the reason? I was thinking it would sound better (or as good) as V4A. Not close for me. Maybe my phone's defective?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's probably nothing wrong with it.
Sound is an incredibly subjective topic.
?
Andrew025 said:
There's probably nothing wrong with it.
Sound is an incredibly subjective topic.
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So used to V4A nothing comes close.
I prefer PowerAmp Alpha...
Especially with my Sony MDR-100AAP in External Mode.
dragion said:
I prefer PowerAmp Alpha...
Especially with my Sony MDR-100AAP in External Mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's external mode, something on your headphones?
All Hi Res iem or headphones will do the job, but it's up to your ears to know what is best, as all headphones/iem all have their own sound stage, for me I use the Sony list in my sig.
I was actually considering getting a pair of the A-T 50x's but those Senn's look nice too. (I'm a big fan of over the ear.)
vibrantliker said:
What's external mode, something on your headphones?
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Click to collapse
By plugging in the detachable headphone cable into the LG V20's headphone jack first before connecting the cable to the headphones, causes the Hi-Fi DAC to go into "An External Audio Device Is Connected" mode which produces a higher output compared to "Normal" mode.
dragion said:
By plugging in the detachable headphone cable into the LG V20's headphone jack first before connecting the cable to the headphones, causes the Hi-Fi DAC to go into "An External Audio Device Is Connected" mode which produces a higher output compared to "Normal" mode.
Click to expand...
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I did not know that and will try it.
So excited to use my Custom Art Harmony 8 Pro, custom headphones with these. The V10 did a good job, I bet the v20 will be better!
For reference, here's the playlist I used to compare. I didn't want to spend all day doing tests, so this is mostly stuff I can listen to while I work, but trying to hit as many different sound signatures as I could. I don't have any classical in my collection, though probably I could have used some. I listened to most of the playlist (skipped around a little getting details) on my laptop for a little while before picking up the phone. Probably going to do some listening with the S4 mini I've got on loan from my wife, too. Would have been nice to compare the Note7, but it's already back in T-Mobile's hot little hands. Played using the
Acoustic Guitar
Leo Kottke (FLAC)
Vaseline Machine Gun
Watermelon
The Fisherman
Earl Klugh (MP3 320)
Alice in Wonderland
Moon River
Autumn Leaves (VBR V0)
Country/Folk
The New Lost City Ramblers (MP3 320)
Talking Hard Luck
Don't Let Your Deal Go Down
Old Fish Song
Charlie Daniels Band (MP3 320)
The Devil Went Down To Georgia
Uneasy Rider
Anais Mitchell (M4A VBR)
Epic, Part I
Hey, Little Songbird
Epic, Part II
Pop
The Killers (MP3 VBR, not V0)
Mr. Brightside
When You Were Young
Sia (FLAC)
Chandelier
Eye Of The Needle
Elastic Heart
Electronic
Super Eurobeat Presents: Initial D Special Stage Non-Stop Mega Mix (FLAC)
Killing My Love
Running In The 90s
Grand Prix
Kavinsky (MP3 320)
Night Call
Night Runner (OGG VBR)
After Hours
Nuclear Countdown
Hip-Hop/Trip-Hop
KA (MP3 320)
Just
Wax Tailor (FLAC)
Exordium
From the Dark
As for my thoughts:
First, I was surprised that as far as I can tell, LG hasn't included any headphones. That seems weird. I'm glad now that I have a million bajillion of the things lying around because if I just bought this off the shelf, it would be a long wait for LG to send me my "only" wired headset option. At least a few weeks. Disappointing, but not a deal-breaker by any means.
Started with the Samsung headset, Hi-Fi DAC off. It's not super comfortable, not at all isolating. I'm still listening to the last couple tracks and I can easily hear myself typing with the volume at around... well, in the Hi-Fi volume it would be 45. I should note that it goes much higher (I believe the highest is 65 or 75) but 45 is where I would typically listen to music. Louder than that started to strain my ears a little. Louder is generally better for detecting little things in a song, but I don't want to suffer, and I certainly don't want to suffer for the time it takes to listen to a 90 minute playlist 4 times at painful volume.
(Incidentally, someone above complained that it wasn't as good as V4A--I haven't listened to V4A in a long time, but my recollection was that it does 2 things: EQ and boost. All their stuff comes down to highly advanced adaptive EQ and a volume boost. Essentially an Instagram filter for your audio. That's all you really can do with a software solution, so I don't blame V4A's team, but what we're looking for with a hi-fi hardware DAC is closer to putting your glasses on if you're near-sighted: increased clarity without changing or coloring the sound any more than necessary, including volume changes. That's what your choice of headphones and your EQ settings are for, not your DAC.)
Moved to the Shures next. The SE215 has a slightly bassy sound, IMO, much better for dance music than e.g. the Koss cans. Not quite basshead cans. I was impressed by performance, and volume. I felt "comfortable" for the first half of the playlist before checking the volume and discovering it wasn't at 45, where I'd wanted it--I had it at 30! Turned it up to 45, and I was at a point where it wasn't quite uncomfortably loud. Which is to say, these things can push power to a pair of headphones no problem.
Equally surprised that the Koss cans didn't have an equivalent bump in volume from what I'm used to (which is maxed out on the Note7, and remember that I'm nowhere near maxed out on the V20). Oh, sure, I could have turned them up, but I didn't. Clarity was as-expected. Much better, I think, than the SE215s.
What I'm looking for here is silence and separation. On the country tunes, in particular, you end up with a mandolin, banjo, and guitar all fighting for 'space' on the recording, so I was listening to make sure I could make out guitar chords from banjo rolls from mandolin... whatever mandolin players do. I'm sure they're very important musicians. The other part I listened to carefully was the intro to Chandelier; There's an etremely isolated snare in the beginning, and it should fade to nothing, not fade to sort-of-nothing. I didn't get that with the Shures as much as I wanted, but I did get it with the Koss headphones.
V-Modas don't do much to change my opinion. The bass is defined, clear, not boomy. I'd say the V20 seems to have a fairly balanced sound signature, which makes sense because that more-or-less matches what I've heard about the B&O sound signature. If the V20 DAC was developed with their input, that would make a lot of sense.
So in the end, I'd agree with kms108:
kms108 said:
All Hi Res iem or headphones will do the job, but it's up to your ears to know what is best, as all headphones/iem all have their own sound stage, for me I use the Sony list in my sig.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TheJesus said:
I'm using my Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 250 Ohm headphones, it's amazing. It's a step up from the V10, including the volume department (especially with high impedance headphones).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't wait to try my beyer's. Have exact same ones and custom one pros. Cop's are a more fun sounding headphone and a burning can push it. The 770's and cop's can put out mind rattling bass, and by that I mean rattle your chest, with the right content and amp. Can't wait to hear the sound signature of the 9218 with my assorted cabled gear.
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
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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.
---------- Post added at 04:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:46 AM ----------
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Coming from Lenovo p2 which has similar designs ( both are from lemoto and the headphone jack and antenna seems to be in similar position). Lenovo p2 has this annoying static noise while using in-ear headphone, yes I say in-ear headphone because it won't happen on earbuds, only iems. I guess that's because earbuds have higher impedance? It's extremely audible when playing music at low volume. Anyway back to my original question, does such issue exists on moto z play? I did some Google there seems to be people complaining about this but I want confirmation from you guys. Try listening to some music at low volume using IEM and tell me if there is any hissing noise please. Thanks in advance
Yes it does - more so if you enable the stock equalizer. It is quite obvious if you listen to audio book or speeches in low volume.
Nougat update does have minimized it. Listening to music in low volume is cleaner.
However - the sound signature thro' audio jack is excellent - deep n solid feel to it
No static on any of my IEMs at volume steps 0,1 and 2 playing through Apple Music and PowerAmp.
Sam_kaks said:
Yes it does - more so if you enable the stock equalizer. It is quite obvious if you listen to audio book or speeches in low volume.
Nougat update does have minimized it. Listening to music in low volume is cleaner.
However - the sound signature thro' audio jack is excellent - deep n solid feel to it
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They really need to fix this stupid design flaw. Doesn't this bother you? I think I need to invest in a Bluetooth headphone
Mine dose this too really annoying
Yes good decision. I almost always use my jaybird X3 to do away with that irritant.
No it doesn't. I have never experienced any hissing/static with my earphone. soundmagic e50.
vietkao said:
No it doesn't. I have never experienced any hissing/static with my earphone. soundmagic e50.
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Yea e50 has high impedance that's why, try an earphone with lower impedance
linkzex said:
Yea e50 has high impedance that's why, try an earphone with lower impedance
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How low?
uberano26 said:
How low?
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It happens to my 16ohm IEM, 16ohm belongs to the majority of IEM you should be able to find one with 16ohm easily
linkzex said:
It happens to my 16ohm IEM, 16ohm belongs to the majority of IEM you should be able to find one with 16ohm easily
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Again no static on any of my IEMs with an Impedance range from of 16 to 32Ω. The only little static i get is when i initially plug them in.
Yes you may get hiss with low ohm headphones, use better headphones.
Sam_kaks said:
Yes it does - more so if you enable the stock equalizer. It is quite obvious if you listen to audio book or speeches in low volume.
Nougat update does have minimized it. Listening to music in low volume is cleaner.
However - the sound signature thro' audio jack is excellent - deep n solid feel to it
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Click to collapse
Hey I have a favor to ask you can you try using over ear headphone and see if there is hiss? Tell me the headphone nameif you do so
linkzex said:
Hey I have a favor to ask you can you try using over ear headphone and see if there is hiss? Tell me the headphone nameif you do so
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Click to collapse
These are my work arounds:
1. Installed Poweramp app
2. I use Poweramp in-built equalizer
3. I don't use default equalizer while using headphones.
My headphones:
1. audio technica ath-m50x (headphones)
2. shure se 215 (in ear type)
3. jaybird X3 ( blue tooth)
If you root it (I have not rooted this moto) Arise viper4A is an excellent option.
Please note the sound signature and audio output via headphone jack is excellent. It can even drive audio technica ath-m50x, which has heavy drivers with ease. If you don't use the system equalizer, post nougat update the hiss is almost not there.
This phone is an excellent value for money. I am using it for more than 6 month. It has a heft to it but feels solid in-hand. Buttery smooth, insane battery and zero heating (except while charging). I am very happy!
Jimi Mack said:
Yes you may get hiss with low ohm headphones, use better headphones.
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Click to collapse
Sam_kaks said:
These are my work arounds:
1. Installed Poweramp app
2. I use Poweramp in-built equalizer
3. I don't use default equalizer while using headphones.
My headphones:
1. audio technica ath-m50x (headphones)
2. shure se 215 (in ear type)
3. jaybird X3 ( blue tooth)
If you root it (I have not rooted this moto) Arise viper4A is an excellent option.
Please note the sound signature and audio output via headphone jack is excellent. It can even drive audio technica ath-m50x, which has heavy drivers with ease. If you don't use the system equalizer, post nougat update the hiss is almost not there.
This phone is an excellent value for money. I am using it for more than 6 month. It has a heft to it but feels solid in-hand. Buttery smooth, insane battery and zero heating (except while charging). I am very happy!
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Huh why does equalizer matters... are you saying with ath m50 there is still hiss?
Jimi Mack said:
Yes you may get hiss with low ohm headphones, use better headphones.
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How about with 18 ohm impedance...sennheiser urbanite on ear
Hi,
I notice that the audio quality of the Galaxy S22 is poor versus Galaxy S9 (my old phone).
I tested with the same earphones model.
Even the power of the sound is smaller and quite bad...
I made the same settings of both phones to listening the same song on YouTube.
dinamo1975 said:
Hi,
I notice that the audio quality of the Galaxy S22 is poor versus Galaxy S9 (my old phone).
I tested with the same earphones model.
Even the power of the sound is smaller and quite bad...
I made the same settings of both phones to listening the same song on YouTube.
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Click to collapse
Activate Dolby and choose Movie from there. The sound is noticeably different and actually really good. Not to mention the stereo separation and pretty cool sound stage, depending on what you're playing.
dragos281993 said:
Activate Dolby and choose Movie from there. The sound is noticeably different and actually really good. Not to mention the stereo separation and pretty cool sound stage, depending on what you're playing.
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I listen to a lot of music and activating Dolby does not improve the audio experience. It actually ruins the music.
gonsa said:
I listen to a lot of music and activating Dolby does not improve the audio experience. It actually ruins the music.
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Choose Music then. I personally haven't heard about someone listening to music on their phone's speakers. You're the first. And that's probably the reason most companies don't focus on that or not anymore. One thing's very clear for me though. This S22 sounds better than the iPhone 13 Pro I used before this. That one was good too but not this "spacious" and so well balanced. The S22 is better for my ears. But again, I listen to music on my PC on my headphones and DAC/Amp combo and on earbuds on my phone.
dinamo1975 said:
Hi,
I notice that the audio quality of the Galaxy S22 is poor versus Galaxy S9 (my old phone).
I tested with the same earphones model.
Even the power of the sound is smaller and quite bad...
I made the same settings of both phones to listening the same song on YouTube.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It could be the 3.5 mm jack which is there in Galaxy S9 but now we don't have it in any new phones it became so rare and the sound quality is always better with 3.5 mm jack phones! Maybe this could be the issue with the sound.
shanicejohnson said:
It could be the 3.5 mm jack which is there in Galaxy S9 but now we don't have it in any new phones it became so rare and the sound quality is always better with 3.5 mm jack phones! Maybe this could be the issue with the sound.
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To understand: the 3.5 mm jack it is better versus USB type C jack?
I made the comparison using the following earphones: https://www.spares.se/samsung-usb-c-headset-svart
dinamo1975 said:
To understand: the 3.5 mm jack it is better versus USB type C jack?
I made the comparison using the following earphones: https://www.spares.se/samsung-usb-c-headset-svart
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Click to collapse
A good read about usb-c quality:
How to improve your phone's audio with a portable DAC
The wire wars are still going strong
www.androidpolice.com
Listening to music over phone speakers in a pinch like travelling light is always there. On those ground nothing beats apple products where the sound is more fuller and flat. In S22 it's suppressed specially the low frequency and it's not flat at all.
It's the same for me as well. S9 had epic sound quality output and better adjustments. I was hoping that with the latest Android 13 update things would be better, but no such luck. This issue exist since the release and is still not addressed. I had to purchase PowerAmp EQ to bring audio quality to some acceptable level. Sadly I don't think this phone justifies "flagship", at least for me.