I listened to my sisters ipod a couple days ago and realized that I was missing out on good quality music. So I purchased a Zune. I use skullcandy headphones. I compared the sound of the same tracks on my Xperia and on the Zune and the sound from my Zune rocked.
Hence my poll. How many of you carry an alternate media player, ipod, zune iriver etc and have an Xperia?
I do, I carry my xperia for phone calls, text messages and internet and my creative zen V plus just for the music
i carry my walkman player.. sony walkman nwz-a728
Funny this post came up, now that its warmer and i'm not using my jacket to store my x1. I just literally started to charge and load up my zen vision m with my music for listening. Ill probably buy a hip case thingy for my xperia or just stash it in my bag.
ummm.... am i the only one wondering why everyone bought a pda if your just gonna use it for phone/internet? THEN getting an ipod for music? this seems totally ridiculous to me, the X1 is a big enough device without having an extra mp3 player in your pocket! may as well just carry an old nokia 3210 with your ipod for music, digital camera for photos, and laptop for internet
In my opinion my X1 sounds with good earphones like my Sennheiser CX500 or my Creative EP633 even better than every iPod with the same earphones. last year I bought a Creative ZEN and I just gave it back because my W960i sounded better. Even if the Xperia doesn't sound 100% as good as my W960i, it still sounds too good for me to take some other device with me...
SamAsQ said:
ummm.... am i the only one wondering why everyone bought a pda if your just gonna use it for phone/internet? THEN getting an ipod for music? this seems totally ridiculous to me, the X1 is a big enough device without having an extra mp3 player in your pocket! may as well just carry an old nokia 3210 with your ipod for music, digital camera for photos, and laptop for internet
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From a logical point of view your comment is valid. However sometimes life is not black and white. Windows Mobile devices have been able to play music from day 1 aka PPC2000. However, if sound quality or media player functionality is not a concern or issue for you then definitely play your jams with the X1 or any other windows mobile device.
However you've got to realize that PMP are specialized and offer more than just playing music with shuffle and repeat functions.
I thought I'd just list some reasons why I like using my Zune 120 over my X1 for music.
- Space: I have a large music library
- Battery life: I commute an average of 4 hours everyday
- Sound quality:It's not all about headphones; the device has to produce the frequencies
- Bit rate :X1 cannot play lossless 320kb audio
- Screen size :This is trivial but I like the big screen
- Sync speed : Even though the X! is USB 2.0 capable you have to switch it to USB mode else it take forever to sync files. I had a 16GB sdhc card
- Seamless : The Zune just works. It's seamless and doesnt get bogged down. I can even sync it wirelessly and has tons of features.
Mind you, a lot of the reasons I listed can be recreated directly or with 3rd party apps on most WinMo devices ie sound improvement with SRS WOW HD or Conduits pocket player for more functions but my point is that my Zune just works. It does what it does best without any hacks or 3rd party purchases or freeware.
Now I'm not trying to sellup my Zune because I'm sure the same goes for an ipod or Iriver or Creative device. Until MS integrates such seamless functionality into WinMo device PMPs will do the job.
No longer since I have the X1. Battery life is still okay. I charge every night and listen to music about 6 to 8 hours a day. But now I might consider switching back to carrying a MP3 Player because I bought Sennheiser MX W1 wireless (in-ear) headphones and it might be that the Kleer Wireless Audio @ 2.4 Ghz interferes with WCDMA @ 2.1 Ghz. At least the signal is interrupted quite often compared to bluetooth connections, also over short distances < 1m "through" a human being. I will definitely experiment with that. Sound quality is awesome.
Firefall! said:
No longer since I have the X1. Battery life is still okay. I charge every night and listen to music about 6 to 8 hours a day. But now I might consider switching back to carrying a MP3 Player because I bought Sennheiser MX W1 wireless (in-ear) headphones and it might be that the Kleer Wireless Audio @ 2.4 Ghz interferes with WCDMA @ 2.1 Ghz. At least the signal is interrupted quite often compared to bluetooth connections, also over short distances < 1m "through" a human being. I will definitely experiment with that. Sound quality is awesome.
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Music quality on new generations of MP3 Players, Phones, and Computers is just a placebo effect. Music quality is a "lie". What determines music quality = head phones or speakers. What mp3 player you use is just plain old placebo BS.
I mean seriously people have done tests in which you see listeners who listen to high fidelity and low fidelity and they couldn't find any difference. This includes music producers and artists, and even the producers who claim th be able to tell the difference between a .wav and a .mp3 is straight up BS.
We humans can only hear a certain amount of frequencies.
poetryrocksalot said:
Music quality on new generations of MP3 Players, Phones, and Computers is just a placebo effect. Music quality is a "lie". What determines music quality = head phones or speakers. What mp3 player you use is just plain old placebo BS.
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LOL! You obviously have no idea what you are talking about. However that's ok! The media is crucial when it comes to sound quality. You can have the best and most expensive media player but if the media player cant output the frequency nor process at the bit rate then you are screwed.
Windows Media Mobile cannot process lossless audio. The difference in disparity between media encoded in 192VBR/F and 320KB /f is ridiculously clear regardless of headphones.
Please utilize the internet before quoting "false" facts. Nice try though.
Sony NWZ A818 is my music player.
I carry y Xperia for messages, telephone etc,
and my iphone for music.
i hate it to use the xperia for music with the headset, because i cannot skip the music with the headset, just like with the iphone
ash969 said:
I carry y Xperia for messages, telephone etc,
and my iphone for music.
i hate it to use the xperia for music with the headset, because i cannot skip the music with the headset, just like with the iphone
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That's pretty unique
I use my X1 for phone internet and videos and music/podcasts but also have a Meizu M6sl... pretty much because I had that before I got my loverly X1... I still use both though...
poetryrocksalot said:
Music quality on new generations of MP3 Players, Phones, and Computers is just a placebo effect. Music quality is a "lie". What determines music quality = head phones or speakers. What mp3 player you use is just plain old placebo BS.
I mean seriously people have done tests in which you see listeners who listen to high fidelity and low fidelity and they couldn't find any difference. This includes music producers and artists, and even the producers who claim th be able to tell the difference between a .wav and a .mp3 is straight up BS.
We humans can only hear a certain amount of frequencies.
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BS
Everything factors into sound quality from your headphones, the bitrate, the quality of the MP3 conversion software, to the amplifiers in the listening device. The chain is only as good as the weakest link.
On cheap equipment (most consumer stuff), it is hard to tell the difference between a good .mp3 and a .wav. On professional equipment, the difference is night and day. A professional sound engineer/mixer can probably tell the difference even on cheap equipment.
So there probably is a difference in the sound circuitry of a standalone media player as opposed to a do-it-all smartphone.
poetryrocksalot said:
Music quality on new generations of MP3 Players, Phones, and Computers is just a placebo effect. Music quality is a "lie". What determines music quality = head phones or speakers. What mp3 player you use is just plain old placebo BS.
I mean seriously people have done tests in which you see listeners who listen to high fidelity and low fidelity and they couldn't find any difference. This includes music producers and artists, and even the producers who claim th be able to tell the difference between a .wav and a .mp3 is straight up BS.
We humans can only hear a certain amount of frequencies.
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Depends. Arguably an audiophile would argue that a portable source in general is compromised when compared to a home source as the former doesn't have the space for a proper amp output stage. Though I get what you're saying.
Moreover the nature of the amplifier used in the output stage of the digital audio player can have adverse or preferable effects on the final sound (I hesitate to say "sound quality" as this is more of a "sound signature"). Hence why some players might sound comparatively warm and mellow, with rounded-out midrange and toned-down treble (my old Cowon iAudio X5, Meizu M6 MiniPlayer SP, and Nokia N86, for example). Conversely, other players might sound a bit colder, trading a rich midrange for some more emphasized treble. And of course there is always the sterile ground of neutrality that some may prefer (I think my iPod Video 5.5G 80GB fell under here).
I can't quite figure out where the sound signature of the X1 belongs. It doesn't sound like it offers as much body compared to the N86, but its bass is around the same level. Regardless, I believe the sound signature of the Zune is what the OP might prefer. Although all modern players are capable of reproducing the full audible spectrum audibly, many reproduce them in subtly different ways.
Plus there are externalities such as hiss, which is prevalent on my X1 (and on my M6 SP, but less so) but wasn't a concern on my N86 or X5 or iPod.
But the components between a high-end smartphone and a dedicated portable media player are negligibly different. Due to the size of their components and the compromises that are made for that portability, they are both in the same range of circuit quality. You'd have to get something like a $500 Kenwood Japanese import MP3 player to get an amp output stage that is noticeably superior, and even that difference is arguable.
I've read much speculation on the head-fi forums (admittedly before the "Sound Science" forum was created) and most people there concluded that for all but perhaps two or three portable media players (the Kenwoods I mentioned above), 192kbps MP3 is virtually lossless. On the home front it was generally believed that 320kbps performs the same effect, being indistinguishable from FLAC, ALAC, WAV, WMA-L, et al. As your bitrate strays down from these values in the respective setups, you (depending on your level of hearing) are prone to hearing more compression artifacts.
Then there were a few that claimed they could hear stark differences. These few were the kinds that invested upwards of ten thousand U.S. dollars on audio cables. I'd like to scream "snake oil" but I can't, as I haven't tried such extravagant setups myself.
I used to care a lot about this, and spent so much time debating on sound quality that I forgot what was really important: the music. I sold all my MP3 players, stuck to the X1 and my Sennheiser HD25-1s, and I couldn't be happier for it. Much better to appreciate what's great than to worry about what little is wrong and could be improved.
alabij said:
LOL! You obviously have no idea what you are talking about. However that's ok! The media is crucial when it comes to sound quality. You can have the best and most expensive media player but if the media player cant output the frequency nor process at the bit rate then you are screwed.
Windows Media Mobile cannot process lossless audio. The difference in disparity between media encoded in 192VBR/F and 320KB /f is ridiculously clear regardless of headphones.
Please utilize the internet before quoting "false" facts. Nice try though.
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According the the wikipedia page WMA lossless does play on windows media player mobile http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Media_Audio#Windows_Media_Audio_Lossless
I just downloaded a sample file and it played on my xperia - or am I missing something? Arn't there 3rd party players that will play FLAC and other formats too?
Personally I think the media and headphones matter the most, whats in between makes little difference to all but self confessed audiophiles who will claim that using gold plated oxygen free cable makes a difference too. (ie BS)
scote said:
According the the wikipedia page WMA lossless does play on windows media player mobile http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Media_Audio#Windows_Media_Audio_Lossless
I just downloaded a sample file and it played on my xperia - or am I missing something? (ie BS)
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Hmm . . . You've got me there. I wish you would post a link to this sample file. Last I checked WMP Mobile 10 could not and does not support WMA 320Kb/s F Lossless. Mind you this is not the same as .wav which is supported by the hardware though playing/loading a full song 03 3 mins r above in .wav might take a min or two and probably freeze your device.
???? 320kbps != lossless.
Lossless = FLAC, ALAC, APE, WMA-L, WAV, et al.
WAV is generally 1411kbps, the rest are inherently VBR as there is a variable amount of lossless information in a track per time. I think FLAC is around ~700 ABR for most of my tracks.
Regardless, 320kbps and lossless are transparent to most people (regardless of setup) anyway so it doesn't really matter. Lossless arguably doesn't benefit portable sources, which are generally transparent to 192kbps.
Also I am unsure that WAV would freeze a device, especially if it is in solid-state memory. In hard disks it generally requires a lot of seeking and consequent power consumption, but hard disk players are phasing out anyway. The point is that WAV requires no decompression as it isn't compressed at all, and therefore uses the least processing power. WAV is less taxing on non-hard drive portable media players than even MP3s.
hey i want to buy the blackstone but i am worried abt the music quality as i will be using it as my main music player. Can any1 give me comments on the music quality. Also is there any audio enhancement programs that work on the HD that you guys can recommend?
Thanks!
i find it better than my Sony S639 mp3 player, stronger, clearer and sharper sound :/
here are some numbers that don't tell me much, but you might make some sense of it
http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_touch_hd-review-300p6.php
I honestly recommend using SRS WOW HD (look it up, its free and its here on XDA). With it listening to music on blackstone is real pleasure.
I'll jump ship to Android when these bastards start shipping in HTC devices. I could have a full third of my FLAC library on my phone at any one time.
http://gizmodo.com/5565944/imagine-toshibas-128gb-nand-flash-memory-in-your-next-phone
flac= the ****.... however on a phone, there would not be a noticible difference because it would be played out of headphones or a small speaker.... when i synce music to my ipod i just auto convert flacs to 320 kbps.... on my home theatre system it saounds freakin incredible though lol
hibby50 said:
flac= the ****.... however on a phone, there would not be a noticible difference because it would be played out of headphones or a small speaker.... when i synce music to my ipod i just auto convert flacs to 320 kbps.... on my home theatre system it saounds freakin incredible though lol
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How many versions of your music library do you want to keep?
How crappy are your headphones?
I use Meridian which supports FLAC, but it still skips on my Hero. Kernel support doesn't have this problem, and it CAN be baked in to a custom kernel... Usage is slightly lower than OGG or M4a... I also use UE SuperFi 5 pro IEM's, and let me tell you - the difference can audible. I can hear the noise scatter caused by interacting with the touch-screen (which was *really* bad on the OC kernel ) A lot depends on the type of music, too.
That said. 128GB still is short of my collection, so... why carry it all at once? It'll be fun to have that much storage on the phone still.
cjdalessio said:
How many versions of your music library do you want to keep?
How crappy are your headphones?
I use Meridian which supports FLAC, but it still skips on my Hero. Kernel support doesn't have this problem, and it CAN be baked in to a custom kernel... Usage is slightly lower than OGG or M4a... I also use UE SuperFi 5 pro IEM's, and let me tell you - the difference can audible. I can hear the noise scatter caused by interacting with the touch-screen (which was *really* bad on the OC kernel ) A lot depends on the type of music, too.
That said. 128GB still is short of my collection, so... why carry it all at once? It'll be fun to have that much storage on the phone still.
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lol i have skullcandy full metal jackets and I use media monkey to manage and sync and foobar to play. media monkey converts them while syncing so i dont have to keep multiple collections. i do need better headphones though...
Keep in mind that higher bit rate music file also require more CPU processing to play them. If you are playing a lot of music, you'll find that your battery life will be much better with lower bit rate files.
So I'm not completely satisfied with Vibrant's default music player and its EQ. I tried Astro Player but the EQ on that is crap. I found out MixZing has THE EQ I'm looking for and it sounds quite amazing but the app itself is not ideal as a music player and the EQ taxes the CPU = lower battery. Is there another player with a similar EQ or is there a program I can use to force a EQ over the ENTIRE phone (not just music player) so that I can then use any music player. I don't care if I have to root the device to get such an app to work.
I'm new to Android coming from Nokia XpressMusic series (which sound amazing with their EQs) so looking to replicate that. It's a HIGH priority for me being an audiophile.
would like to know this as well
No one has an idea?
If you were an audiophile you wouldn't use an EQ.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
I just use the stock music player since it plays all my FLAC music. I messed around with the EQ and sounds pretty good with me. Other than Mixzing I haven't really using anything else.
couped said:
If you were an audiophile you wouldn't use an EQ.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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That's baloney.
Anyway... what's wrong with the Vibrant's EQ? I don't particularly like the range of adjustments for the low and high end but it's fine for the most part and it's not very clippy.
its frustrating that i have to select bass enhancement every time i go to use the music player. it won't remember it. i know that feature won't work without headphones, but still.
also the whole Android community has been in need of an EQ for a long time. lots of threads out there for people such as Droid users. They will be jealous when they find out the Vibrant has one.
I've tried everything to improve the horrible sound on the Galaxy s II (poweramp,equilizer,etc.)...nothing beats the combination of Cyanogen Music Player and DSP Manager...just installed both on my S2 and its FINALLY sounding like a decent music player! Download and install from here:
www.theandroidsoul.com/galaxy-s-ii-s2-gets-cynogenmod-7-music-app/
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Tell me what you guys think
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
I guess I'm ignorant, I listen to music every day with headphones and the music sounds all right. Stock 2.3.3 unrooted, using Ubermusic and google music as players.
zkyevolved said:
I guess I'm ignorant, I listen to music every day with headphones and the music sounds all right. Stock 2.3.3 unrooted, using Ubermusic and google music as players.
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same here with stock player
+1 stock music player user. I'm kinda ignorant about this too. Maybe its because the SGS2 audio quality is already far better than my nexus one, therefore I'm quite satisfied with my upgrade.
Sent from my non-Apple device via XDA App
Likewise same as last two post . But with an enormousness variation in hearing and music played its only to be expected that some need adjustments .
Crap music is crap music no matter how you try to improve the sound .
Worth a look/try anyway .
jje
Combined with Poweramp equalization and an AKG K319 my stock SGS2 with 2.3.3 sounds quite good ... no need for further hassle.
PS: It might be worth mentioning, that I only play Ogg in 224 Kbit ... MP3 is junk even at 320 Kbit
I for one thank you sir for posting this. I actually despise the sound of music on this device without an EQ as when you turn up the bass the preamp maxes out and the sound distorts. DSP manager does a MUCH better job (had it on my HTC Hero with CM7) at managing that and I had no idea it could be installed as an APK. I thought it was integrated into CyanogenMod. YIPPEE!
Aymara said:
Combined with Poweramp equalization and an AKG K319 my stock SGS2 with 2.3.3 sounds quite good ... no need for further hassle.
PS: It might be worth mentioning, that I only play Ogg in 224 Kbit ... MP3 is junk even at 320 Kbit
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Possibly why my music is not a problem Encoded as AAC+ at 192 KBps and no need to distort my music by ramping up the bass .
Noticeable that many who complain are looking at false bass sounds .
jje
Actually to my ears it isn't just music on this phone that sounds bad. When I play Gun Bros and things explode, the explosions distort as well.
I suppose I also use the expression of sounding "bad" as a relative term. Music doesn't sound "bad" I guess but I prefer mine to have much more bass and clarity, and I just don't get that with straight up stock. I do with DSP Manager however.
IMHO, Cyanogen Music Player has much better output than stock. The sound is also much clearer. Power Amp is a very good music player and the equalizer is top notch, but it just doesn't provide the punch I like in my music, I find myself playing with pre-amp a lot, but it tends to distort the sound to a high degree. For now, DSP Manager combined with Cyanogen Music player has been the solution to my problem. Sound is clear, punchier than stock player and PowerAmp, and gives a fuller/bolder music experience. Any one try it out??
I will give it a try. I had been using poweramp on my HTC Hero, with no EQ, just tone, plus DSP Manager with EQ. Sounded perfect for me, but I will give CM player a try and see if I like it as much as you do.
I got excited when I saw DSP Manager and got too lazy to try the music player too right away.