Database Users

Sound output quality

http://pic.gsmarena.com/vv/reviewsimg/htc-hero/gsmarena_a001.png - this frequency responce graph doesn't look promising. I know that there are ways to correct it a bit on the Dream (where it is a little bit better to start off), but how about the Hero? I'm really considering of buying this phone, and the sound quality stuff could be a real deal breaker for me.
So I would appreciate any feedback on this, thanks.

honestly, ive never really noticed anything bad about the but ill check against a mates iphone 3g and report on the results, but i may not see him till next week

If you are not an audiophile like me, you could miss the points. What I am interested in, is the highs - close to 20KHz.
I would like to believe that the frequency responce graph I mentioned earlier does not represent how Heroes sound like. It's so choppy and lacks highs - they cut of at like 15KHz or so. Also, why is that graph so choppy? iPhones are just invincible in this aspect..
So I was just wondering if someone had managed to fix this with software modifications, especially after seeing threads like this.

Connected my hero to a decent separates system and it sounded great. It blew my friend's N95 away comparing the same tracks!

1. Check out the vertical axis on that graph. Considering that 3dB is about the smallest increment/decrement in intensity that the human ear can readily distinguish, that frequency response is actually impressively flat for a consumer device.
2. Check out the frequency response of your earphones. Or, if you hook it up to your expensive hi-fi sound system, your speakers. Your frequency response is NOT going to be limited by this device but by the speakers/headphones. To see what I mean, compare that graph, which for the most part stays within +/- 0.5 dB, with this one of a pair of good quality earphones, or this one of some excellent speakers. Note the peaks and troughs in excess of +/- 7dB in the earphones, and +/- 3dB or so in the speakers.
3. From the look of the graphs, I doubt they've used the same method to test both. I don't think you'd find them that different. Maybe one is a manufacturer's stated frequency response and the other isn't, or they were tested with different types of equipment.

Although not an audiophile myself I am pretty keen on getting the best sound quality I possibly can. Before I purchased the Hero I plugged in my own cans to check frequency response. I was actually pleasantly suprised how much depth was in the music.
Not immediately noticable however was a strange noise audible at the start and end of tracks, and in quiet sections - kind of like a hiss. Although this would probably only be audible in a decent set of cans (with a wide frequency response), as an audiophile where only the best sound will do this would surely annoy the hell out of you.
The other point to note is the lack of EQ on the Hero's music player, but as an audiophile I'm sure you would frown upon using EQ anyway.

g00nerz said:
Not immediately noticable however was a strange noise audible at the start and end of tracks, and in quiet sections - kind of like a hiss. Although this would probably only be audible in a decent set of cans (with a wide frequency response), as an audiophile where only the best sound will do this would surely annoy the hell out of you.
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I noticed that on my previous S60 Nokia but don't notice it on my new Hero. It's possible that differences in impedance or sensitivity between headphones might make this affect more noticeable on some headphones than others.
The other point to note is the lack of EQ on the Hero's music player, but as an audiophile I'm sure you would frown upon using EQ anyway.
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Absolutely right!
I wouldn't call myself an audiophile (who would?) but I do have a keen interest in the technical aspects of audio and equipment.

this is the only phone where i can say the audio is really bad. i have yet to try more than one set of wired headphones but the bt headphones i have make it sound much worse. i have had a few htc phones and this is the worst by far. mono actually sounds better than stereo. Maybe im just used to my e71's sound quality.

Oh Lol.
Audiophiles listening to music on their phones. There's absolutely no way anyone who genuinely has a critical ear would expect anything like high end (as in quality) reproduction of audio on a phone.
Either way, the Hero's got a crappy signal to noise ratio so best you move on before you get offended.

I wonder how accurate the test was for the 3GS because I have never seen a frequency response graph that flat (even my HiFi tube amp has more variations).
And if you examine the hero graph more closely, you can notice that it's really very good. It has minimal gain loss in low freq. and it spans almost linearly up to 16kHz. And that's like very good. I noticed myself that the sound quality was far better then on the iPhone. But that is just my subjective opinion. But you can take in consideration that I used some HiQuality AKG headphones to test them both.
LP
B

flexte said:
this is the only phone where i can say the audio is really bad. i have yet to try more than one set of wired headphones but the bt headphones i have make it sound much worse. i have had a few htc phones and this is the worst by far. mono actually sounds better than stereo. Maybe im just used to my e71's sound quality.
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Any audio quality problems with bluetooth headphones/headsets have nothing to do with the hero, because the Hero is not actually producing the sound you hear, it's just following the Bluetooth spec, so it's not relevant to the graphs posted at the top of this thread.
Just so we're clear. You may already have known this.
oblika said:
And if you examine the hero graph more closely, you can notice that it's really very good.
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Just as I said above. I think the 3GS graph there is bogus; there's no way that was measured using the same equipment. Most likely it is the 'theoretical' frequency response and the Hero's is 'measured'. And when you look at the Hero graph and pay attention to the Y axis, it is actually a very good, flat frequency response.

media player with equalizer?

need one. standard media player is flat as all get out. recommendations?

flat? really. i jam mine in my truck and its bassy as hell lol. have to turn down my sub somtimes to make it sound right.

Will this player handle .wav music files? or is there one that will?

extra bass doesn't mean extra good. perhaps your speaker setup is appropriate for the onboard equalizer. mine isn't. i want adjustability

timothydonohue said:
need one. standard media player is flat as all get out. recommendations?
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I dont think there is anything decent out there as I wouldnt mind an equalizer though I would describe the output from the device as punchy and really quite dynamic. What sort of headphones or system are you plugging into it? The headphones it comes with are somewhat weak....

The Jones said:
I dont think there is anything decent out there as I wouldnt mind an equalizer though I would describe the output from the device as punchy and really quite dynamic. What sort of headphones or system are you plugging into it? The headphones it comes with are somewhat weak....
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i haven't tried my closed circumaural (sennheiser 280 pro), but my sennheiser in ear buds usually sound decent enough, and are a lot less cumbersome. however, everything on this sounds completely flat. my zen has an equalizer that allows me to set everything up perfectly. much more dynamic, and appropriate for me. i have partial hearing loss :/

No EQ . Not possible with androids sdk from what i understand.
There is one application that tries this but it is horrible.
Definitely ones of my biggest peeves of android.

galaxys said:
Will this player handle .wav music files? or is there one that will?
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i can confirm that the music app on board the nexus one handles wav files.
until (and if) andless handles flac files, I'm going to listen to wav files. sure, they take up quite a bit of space, but man do they sound sweet.
for what it's worth, i like the sq. that said, i use custom iems and can max out the volume with no discomfort. that definitely means that the n1 isn't the loudest dap ever.

aleitry said:
i can confirm that the music app on board the nexus one handles wav files.
until (and if) andless handles flac files, I'm going to listen to wav files. sure, they take up quite a bit of space, but man do they sound sweet.
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Very Cool...that makes me a very happy camper!

There is an equalizer program on the market.
It's something like Platinumeq with audio player.
It works very well and has about 15 sliders to adjust as well as 30 or so presets.
However it is £18!! but worth a download and try to see if the sound can be improved, I find it pretty damn good actually.

Amdathlonuk said:
There is an equalizer program on the market.
It's something like Platinumeq with audio player.
It works very well and has about 15 sliders to adjust as well as 30 or so presets.
However it is £18!! but worth a download and try to see if the sound can be improved, I find it pretty damn good actually.
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You mean this?
http://www.androlib.com/android.application.jp-cyberfort-audioplayerwithgeqplatinum-ztCm.aspx
http://www.androidzoom.com/android_applications/multimedia/audio-player-witheq-platinum_bdli.html

Rashkae said:
You mean this?
http://www.androlib.com/android.application.jp-cyberfort-audioplayerwithgeqplatinum-ztCm.aspx
http://www.androidzoom.com/android_applications/multimedia/audio-player-witheq-platinum_bdli.html
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Those are the only ones Im aware of and they most certainly did some ass backwards hack. The sound is absolutely terrible , random skipping in songs , a resource hog even on the N1 after a day or two.
Unless you are just using stock or cheap-o earbuds the sound will get distorted badly.
Anything remotely close to quality headphones and youre going to hear alot of distortion. Wouldnt recommend at all.

dont need EQs. stock headphone are junk (sound flat). use better headphones and it will be like night and day difference in sound quality. i have like $30 dollar headphones which is cheap and they already make huge difference.

That's the one.
I found it worked rather well on my Hero?
Maybe I'm lucky or easily pleased..

kolyan said:
dont need EQs. stock headphone are junk (sound flat). use better headphones and it will be like night and day difference in sound quality. i have like $30 dollar headphones which is cheap and they already make huge difference.
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Quite the contrary.
The better the headphones the more the need for an EQ.
Every headphone (and speakers for that matter) have there own characteristics. The more expansive the sound range becomes the more EQ can come into play. On top of that every user has there own preferences and there own sources of music.
Thats like saying every TV should have the same stock video presets regardless of the source.
For low end and budget headphones theres not much range to work width making EQ barely noticeable.
Amdathlonuk said:
Maybe I'm lucky or easily pleased..
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lol Perhaps.
Meltus here and the guys from coreplayer among others have been adamant that Google hasnt given access to the sources needed for a proper EQ.
What sucks is that Coreplayer also got shunned by Apple for the same reason. Those guys do great work yet are limited to WinMo.

I tried my set of high quality headphones with my N1, and the N1's sound is simply terrible no matter what music player is used. No dynamic range, incredibly flat sounding, no bass what so ever. This is in desperate need of an EQ no matter what. At least bluetooth stereo is better.

told ya, lol

I agree the nexus one isn't fantastic with my Ultimate Ear triple FI's, but hey it's a phone. The iphone is horrid too. When i am home I just use my Sansa Fuze to get some solid sound. If i use the nexus one(which I do), I just remember it's a phone and tolerate the worse sound. I honestly tend to use my cheaper headphones to compensate as well.
If you care about sound this much, I am sure you already have a high quality mp3 player. If you not, 75 bux will get you a 8gb fuze+16gb micro sd card, and this should suffice with limited pocket space taken!

Tried to listen to some music for the first time now, just to check out the horrid flat sound with no bass.
Launched Spotify, put on my Boss Quietcomfort 2's (granted, not the most neutral headphones around...) and selected a song with some bass etc.
Plenty of bass for my ears, even with Spotify which doesn't exactly have the highest bitrate around (160kbps mp3 or ogg, can't remember). Decent sound which couldn't be called flat even if you threw a rock at it.
Might be pre-EQ'ed a bit for all I know, but it doesn't sound bad at all.
Couldn't check out the built in media player since I deleted all the mp3's that were pre-installed on the SD-card

Even the G1 sounds better over headphones than the N1. Kinda sad.

Audio quality with headphones vs Iphone Z3C/Iphone 6s

Since I´m fairly interested in buying the X Compact, could anyone or did anyone compare soundquality (with headphones) of those phones?
I´m listening to music with my phone a lot, so this is one of the most important criterias. I would really appreciate some input about the quality with headphones plugged in and also connected with Bluetooth.
I know this is a really subjective matter, but maybe someone can figure out some differences there and try to describe it.
Also plz note that this is about actually testing, listening and using the phones WITHOUT an external AMP.
You can comment comparsions with similar phones ofc, too. thx!
Edit: damit can someone plz edit the title and delete the "Iphone" in fron of Z3C thx..

I havent tried this phone yet...but overall sound quality in Xperia phones is always better due to the sound enhancement options available in stock sony music app(walkman)

Kianush said:
I havent tried this phone yet...but overall sound quality in Xperia phones is always better due to the sound enhancement options available in stock sony music app(walkman)
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Well thats what you might think.., but Sony also produces way better cameras than those they put into their own damn phones.
So just because of some marketing "enhancement" options it does not mean the quality actually is better. I already read product descpretions myself, im really about actually testing. If anyone can find some serious test and not just some well placed product advertising you can also link it. I could not find more than 2 and they didn´t really describe how they tested it.
*Edit: Also already found tests of older Sony Xperia smartphones and those clearly proof that the quality is worse than in the Iphone and many others in the same pricing range.

Also considering that CD quality music (only got arround 2 FLAC albums yet xP) is beeing played. Sony obviously supports Highres-Audio, which the 6s does not.

majus22 said:
Well thats what you might think.., but Sony also produces way better cameras than those they put into their own damn phones.
So just because of some marketing "enhancement" options it does not mean the quality actually is better. I already read product descpretions myself, im really about actually testing. If anyone can find some serious test and not just some well placed product advertising you can also link it. I could not find more than 2 and they didn´t really describe how they tested it.
*Edit: Also already found tests of older Sony Xperia smartphones and those clearly proof that the quality is worse than in the Iphone and many others in the same pricing range.
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look I said I havent used x compact but I actually have used other phones as SP z2 z5C and I can assure you that that enhancement option is not just for marketing
I even port sony sound enhancements and walkman to my other phones like HTC e8 and galaxy s6 to use it when listening to my hard rock albums!

Looks ok to me
majus22 said:
Since I´m fairly interested in buying the X Compact, could anyone or did anyone compare soundquality (with headphones) of those phones?
I´m listening to music with my phone a lot, so this is one of the most important criterias. I would really appreciate some input about the quality with headphones plugged in and also connected with Bluetooth.
I know this is a really subjective matter, but maybe someone can figure out some differences there and try to describe it.
Also plz note that this is about actually testing, listening and using the phones WITHOUT an external AMP.
You can comment comparsions with similar phones ofc, too. thx!
Edit: damit can someone plz edit the title and delete the "Iphone" in fron of Z3C thx..
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Click to collapse
Hi,
I have actually tested the X compact with the headphones. To me, the experience is pretty much the same as Z5 (which I currently own). The sound quality seems to be very nice. I do not use any sound extensions cause to my ear they distort the sound drastically. I only play FLACs and WAVs through PlayerPro app. There is one concern with the sound though - loudness. With the sensitive in-ear headphones all is ok, but I own several headphones and, for example Sony MDR-10RC are not as sensitive and in some circumstances I would prefer more power. Also some German Maestro headphones which are not as sensitive would benefit from more power. It is a minor concern, though, most of other people would be absolutely satisfied.
Now regarding the iPhone. I do have an iPhone 6 (not s) and 7. Both play comparatively well with the headphones. I wouldn't distinguish any quality advantages of either the iPhone or the X compact. However, the file management with the iPhone is complicated. And it does not support external DAC's as Sony does with an OTG cable.
Regarding the external speakers - iPhone wins hands down. Even the iPhone 6, which is mono, provides a much fuller sound with noticeably better low end (deeper bass (if you can call it bass).
I am also not sure how Sony plays the "hi-res" files. The Music app did not play my FLACs so what is that "hi-res" then? I might lack some research in this area.

my xc plays flac files fine with the music app so does my z5c and even my old arc/anzu (2011) plays flac files using the same updated music app from sony.
it also plays ogg, acc, raw wav files, and whatever except wma, although I found references to enable experimental support in the media profiling files, I dont remember exactly which but I can find it again if anyone with root would like to try and uncomment it.
High-Resolution Audio refers to a collection of digital processes and formats that allow the encoding and playback of music using higher sampling rates than the standards used in CDs.
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There is no single standard for High-Resolution Audio, but the most commonly used specifications are 24 bit/96 kHz (3.2x more data transmitted than CD) and 24 bit/192 kHz (6.5x more data transmitted than CD).
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in short sony and others will start selling highres 'rips' of the mastertapes which is recorded in much higher quality than cd.
imho sony has always been in front with audio in particular portable versions, heck they invented walkman, minidisc, the cd (along with phillips) and now possibly the next 'standard'. we will see heh. I dunno if iPhone can playback 24bit/192KHz? apple does have .aiff which is capable of hi-res, and supported by sony too.
https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/hi-res-audio

Kianush said:
look I said I havent used x compact but I actually have used other phones as SP z2 z5C and I can assure you that that enhancement option is not just for marketing
I even port sony sound enhancements and walkman to my other phones like HTC e8 and galaxy s6 to use it when listening to my hard rock albums!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Allright thx for the information!
povilkami said:
Hi,
With the sensitive in-ear headphones all is ok, but I own several headphones and, for example Sony MDR-10RC are not as sensitive and in some circumstances I would prefer more power. Also some German Maestro headphones which are not as sensitive would benefit from more power. It is a minor concern, though, most of other people would be absolutely satisfied.
Now regarding the iPhone. I do have an iPhone 6 (not s) and 7. Both play comparatively well with the headphones. I wouldn't distinguish any quality advantages of either the iPhone or the X compact. However, the file management with the iPhone is complicated. And it does not support external DAC's as Sony does with an OTG cable.
Regarding the external speakers - iPhone wins hands down. Even the iPhone 6, which is mono, provides a much fuller sound with noticeably better low end (deeper bass (if you can call it bass).
I am also not sure how Sony plays the "hi-res" files. The Music app did not play my FLACs so what is that "hi-res" then? I might lack some research in this area.
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So Sony has problems with the higher electrical impedance of real headphones or just loudness? What do you mean by more sensitive.
About the Filemanagement: I just figured out that I can Import all my Windows Media player playlists to Itunes so thats not too much of a problem.
But you can´t play FLACS on IPhones do you?
Since I have 98% of my music in CD quality yet, I don´t think it will make a big difference.

The Xperia might have better Bluetooth quality though.. anybody tried that?

majus22 said:
Allright thx for the information!
So Sony has problems with the higher electrical impedance of real headphones or just loudness? What do you mean by more sensitive.
About the Filemanagement: I just figured out that I can Import all my Windows Media player playlists to Itunes so thats not too much of a problem.
But you can´t play FLACS on IPhones do you?
Since I have 98% of my music in CD quality yet, I don´t think it will make a big difference.
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It is just the loudness. All my headphones are low impedance so I am not sure if the Senheiser HD-600 would be appreciated. I could test those if there is interest and I would need to buy a 6.3mm to 3.5mm adapter.
Regarding the BlueTooth I have noticed that it played much better in a car than the iPhone6 (haven't tried the 7). Full bodied sound vs very lean. Specifically it was noticed with VW navigation system. With a Plantronics handsfree car device there was no notable difference. With Pioneer N-50 network player Sony has a noticebly more open and transparent sound.
Not sure about FLACs on iPhone because I gave up after a couple of atempts And I am not entirely sure what you mean by CD quality? As far as I understand its the format that matters, doesn't it? Else you just use the Cloud services (Spotify, Mixcloud), which tend to be far away from CD quality. Or is that iTunes?

povilkami said:
It is just the loudness. All my headphones are low impedance so I am not sure if the Senheiser HD-600 would be appreciated. I could test those if there is interest and I would need to buy a 6.3mm to 3.5mm adapter.
Regarding the BlueTooth I have noticed that it played much better in a car than the iPhone6 (haven't tried the 7). Full bodied sound vs very lean. Specifically it was noticed with VW navigation system. With a Plantronics handsfree car device there was no notable difference. With Pioneer N-50 network player Sony has a noticebly more open and transparent sound.
Not sure about FLACs on iPhone because I gave up after a couple of atempts And I am not entirely sure what you mean by CD quality? As far as I understand its the format that matters, doesn't it? Else you just use the Cloud services (Spotify, Mixcloud), which tend to be far away from CD quality. Or is that iTunes?
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Thx for the Bluetooth testing
Sadly you can not play FLACs with Itunes, you have to convert it to some other format, that´s supposed to be equal.
Cd quality is Wav/Wave for me, so that is way better than Itunes downloads, I didn´t and I won´t ever download anything form poor quality itunes store.
But as it stands right now, I´ll get a friends Iphone anyways, since it is cheaper and I really can´t get along with the easy scretched plastic of a 400$ phone, which still bothers me way to much. With an aluminium case I wouldn´t even think about getting another phone..

Anecdotally, XC is much better than iPhone (my experience). Also, using MDR-NC31 headphones from Amazon makes this phone fantastic. I get reasonable noise cancelling without a high price or the need to charge the headphones themselves.

JenItols said:
Anecdotally, XC is much better than iPhone (my experience). Also, using MDR-NC31 headphones from Amazon makes this phone fantastic. I get reasonable noise cancelling without a high price or the need to charge the headphones themselves.
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Does the MDR-NC31EM headset noise canceling function work correctly in the X Compact? Do you listen well?
Because I have seen on the Sony website, which is compatible with Z3 Compact models, but does not mention the X Compact model.
I want to buy an in-ear headset that works and plays well with this smartphone.
Thanks!

Stupid mistake I made choosing Bluetooth Dac/Amp

I was looking for a relatively cheap Bluetooth DAC that could do the job for me. One of my friends were using a AK XB10, which I tried a few years ago when he first got it. The DAC performs great when paired with most of the phone I was using. But I forgot Aptx HD are a Qualcomm IP and it didn't work with my G950N with Exyons SoC (but strangely Aptx works)
I only found out the problem after I use the DAC for 15 minutes. the sound quality is really disappointing. And I started to google a bit and learn the Exynos don't have Aptx HD, and all the way the xb10 is using Aptx. The difference was so huge that my 24bit flac sounds worse than 192kbps MP3. And sadly the AK xb10 didn't support LDAC.
So now I have to buy another Bluetooth DAC now.

Type2501 said:
I was looking for a relatively cheap Bluetooth DAC that could do the job for me. One of my friends were using a AK XB10, which I tried a few years ago when he first got it. The DAC performs great when paired with most of the phone I was using. But I forgot Aptx HD are a Qualcomm IP and it didn't work with my G950N with Exyons SoC (but strangely Aptx works)
I only found out the problem after I use the DAC for 15 minutes. the sound quality is really disappointing. And I started to google a bit and learn the Exynos don't have Aptx HD, and all the way the xb10 is using Aptx. The difference was so huge that my 24bit flac sounds worse than 192kbps MP3. And sadly the AK xb10 didn't support LDAC.
So now I have to buy another Bluetooth DAC now.
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Check out the FiiO BTR3, it supports LDAC which should work regardless of processor since it's in base android and also theoretically higher quality than aptx.

TheTofu said:
Check out the FiiO BTR3, it supports LDAC which should work regardless of processor since it's in base android and also theoretically higher quality than aptx.
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I bought the earstudio ES-100 from Amazon, now waiting for it to arrive. It is slightly more expensive than the BTR3 and xb10 , but reviews suggested it should sounds better.
Speaking of LDAC, I read a article online about LDAC vs aptx HD, turn out that most of the time LDAC is default at 660kbps, not the advertised 990kbps. And the sound quality when using 660kbps is not necessarily better than atxp HD.

Type2501 said:
I bought the earstudio ES-100 from Amazon, now waiting for it to arrive. It is slightly more expensive than the BTR3 and xb10 , but reviews suggested it should sounds better.
Speaking of LDAC, I read a article online about LDAC vs aptx HD, turn out that most of the time LDAC is default at 660kbps, not the advertised 990kbps. And the sound quality when using 660kbps is not necessarily better than atxp HD.
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While true, you can also go into developer options and pick a specific bitrate to use, and considering it's going to be in a car with maybe 2-4ft of range i don't see 990kbps having issues.
The article makes it sound like it's a great big hassle for regular users, but I posit that regular users won't notice any difference in quality if they're just playing "high quality" Spotify, and if you do care enough to play files at high res you should be familiar enough with tinkering to tap a few buttons.
Now the better argument is whether the earstudio actually sounds better than the FiiO, and basing off of reviews that compare the two directly that answer seems to be that it's not better but a little different, though it does have some nifty features that the FiiO lacks.
Then again with it being in a car it likely won't matter since they're more useful for headphones.
What I wish someone would do is make something like either of those devices but without a battery so that it doesn't stay connected when the car is off.

TheTofu said:
While true, you can also go into developer options and pick a specific bitrate to use, and considering it's going to be in a car with maybe 2-4ft of range i don't see 990kbps having issues.
The article makes it sound like it's a great big hassle for regular users, but I posit that regular users won't notice any difference in quality if they're just playing "high quality" Spotify, and if you do care enough to play files at high res you should be familiar enough with tinkering to tap a few buttons.
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I first found out the problem with XB10 after I dig into the developer menu and found no aptx HD. I think that article is for those who don't really knows what Bluetooth audio should perform in the real world. And also a informative read for me, since I only had a rough idea of Bluetooth audio standard before.
Now the better argument is whether the earstudio actually sounds better than the FiiO, and basing off of reviews that compare the two directly that answer seems to be that it's not better but a little different, though it does have some nifty features that the FiiO lacks.
Then again with it being in a car it likely won't matter since they're more useful for headphones.
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Think in a bit more on that, it might be just down to which amp works better with which iem. Since I had no where to test the earstuio, I can only cross my finger and hope it works well with my Westone w4r.
BTW, I wish my car is quiet enough so I can care about bluetooth audio quality. The tyre noise is just bad that it doesn't matter anymore. And only two door speaker doesn't help ether.
What I wish someone would do is make something like either of those devices but without a battery so that it doesn't stay connected when the car is off.
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I think some sony head unit already support LDAC and didn't cost much more than your FiiO, if car audio is all you want. And you don't have to amplify the signal twice (or is there a line out on the FiiO? Idk)

Type2501 said:
I first found out the problem with XB10 after I dig into the developer menu and found no aptx HD. I think that article is for those who don't really knows what Bluetooth audio should perform in the real world. And also a informative read for me, since I only had a rough idea of Bluetooth audio standard before.
Think in a bit more on that, it might be just down to which amp works better with which iem. Since I had no where to test the earstuio, I can only cross my finger and hope it works well with my Westone w4r.
BTW, I wish my car is quiet enough so I can care about bluetooth audio quality. The tyre noise is just bad that it doesn't matter anymore. And only two door speaker doesn't help ether.
I think some sony head unit already support LDAC and didn't cost much more than your FiiO, if car audio is all you want. And you don't have to amplify the signal twice (or is there a line out on the FiiO? Idk)
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Fair enough about road noise, I'm hoping to fix some wind noise at some point. Tires are already as good as can be pretty much, without being wasteful, you always want the best you can get though, it's arguably the most critical part of your car in emergency situations (having enough grip to break and stop, emergency lane change, or accelerate and gtfo)
Issue with the head unit is that most modern cars are notoriously hard to put head units in. My car is a 2012 and I need like 2-3 different adapters that add an additional 80-120 to the cost, plus the time to install, all to get a piece of my dash to stick out like a sore thumb since it's not a factory look.
And even then, the head unit itself would cost at least 100, whereas a simple USB powered dongle with just line-out and minimal processing I think could easily be made and sold for maybe 50 to max out bluetooth quality, and it would be easy to take with me to another car rather than having to break down the dash just to get the head unit out.
Personally I'm eagerly hoping and awaiting for SBC HD (aka SBC Dual Channel Audio) to be merged into AOSP and released as part of either Android Q or whatever comes next, as this would increase the max bitrate to 512kbps for all bluetooth devices made since 2007 whereas devices made after 2015 would have effectively any birate they want while using the SBC Codec. Free audio quality upgrade for pretty much all devices, especially those not supporting AptX or better.
For more info see: https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software-hacking/improve-bluetooth-audio-quality-t3832615
I will likely attempt patching the library myself if rooting ever becomes available for the S9+

Crap Sound over BT

I'm kinda stumped. I know most phones have tinny, crappy sound out of the box no matter how good the headphones are. The 9T is not different in that regard. Since I won't live with that, I still root just to install V4A (it's a scandal this tech hasn't been bought up and is being put into phones by default).
Now, with V4A installed and working the 9T gives off fuller sound but it sounds terribly processed on the verge to distorted. As if the CPU struggled somehow to keep it up. Which is, of course, not possible because V4A has worked flawlessly since the times of yore and Kitkat.
I know for a fact my Jabra 65T can do better, very much better. The buds shouldn't be the problem. I have yet to try with wired ones but I'll need to find my good pair.
Additionally, the BT connection doesn't have a problem with a wall at my home but becomes unstable when I carry it on the left side of my body (the BT receiver being in the right bud). I'm not a fat cyborg full of metal parts.
What gives? Any ideas?

Not just Bluetooth, even pistons through the jack are very poor. For comparison, I played the same track on BT and Pistons on my 9T and on my wife's OPO6 and hers is significantly better.

dancress said:
I'm kinda stumped. I know most phones have tinny, crappy sound out of the box no matter how good the headphones are. The 9T is not different in that regard. Since I won't live with that, I still root just to install V4A (it's a scandal this tech hasn't been bought up and is being put into phones by default).
Now, with V4A installed and working the 9T gives off fuller sound but it sounds terribly processed on the verge to distorted. As if the CPU struggled somehow to keep it up. Which is, of course, not possible because V4A has worked flawlessly since the times of yore and Kitkat.
I know for a fact my Jabra 65T can do better, very much better. The buds shouldn't be the problem. I have yet to try with wired ones but I'll need to find my good pair.
Additionally, the BT connection doesn't have a problem with a wall at my home but becomes unstable when I carry it on the left side of my body (the BT receiver being in the right bud). I'm not a fat cyborg full of metal parts.
What gives? Any ideas?
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That's long talk. I'll try to explain it in short. Honestly Xiaomi MI9t performs great sound through earbuds, I just googled your earbuds you are misleaded in information with earbuds and phone relations, your Dynamic drivers are 6mm for Jabra 65T that's poor actually, it depends on kind of music though if you'd listen to Heavy Metal that won't work much because they are too weak. Secondly, electrical resistance for your earbuds is 16 Ohm, what that means? That means higher sound but with more distortion possible depending on dynamic drivers of your headphones which are too small and they cannot handle such a big electricity stream perfectly, also less Ohm reflects on your phone battery devastation. For example my Bluetooth earbuds Huawei AM61 Sports are 32 Ohm in electrical resistance that is optimal it is not recommended more than 32 Ohm for basic use and they include 11mm Dynamic drivers, in conclusion they are x2 cheaper than your earbuds but x2 more powerful, I listen to Heavy Metal with no distortion at all. For the future I'll give you a hint, look for headphones specifications inside but not the price.

hwandroid said:
That's long talk. I'll try to explain it in short. Honestly Xiaomi MI9t performs great sound through earbuds, I just googled your earbuds you are misleaded in information with earbuds and phone relations, your Dynamic drivers are 6mm for Jabra 65T that's poor actually, it depends on kind of music though if you'd listen to Heavy Metal that won't work much because they are too weak. Secondly, electrical resistance for your earbuds is 16 Ohm, what that means? That means higher sound but with more distortion possible depending on dynamic drivers of your headphones which are too small and they cannot handle such a big electricity stream perfectly, also less Ohm reflects on your phone battery devastation. For example my Bluetooth earbuds Huawei AM61 Sports are 32 Ohm in electrical resistance that is optimal it is not recommended more than 32 Ohm for basic use and they include 11mm Dynamic drivers, in conclusion they are x2 cheaper than your earbuds but x2 more powerful, I listen to Heavy Metal with no distortion at all. For the future I'll give you a hint, look for headphones specifications inside but not the price.
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You might be onto something. I do listen to Metal mostly, but I have tried Minimal Techno etc for reference. It sounds much better. Clearer. More defined bass instead of the muddle actual music sounds like (sorry Techno fans )
Anyway, I come from the very midrange Samsung A50. The only completely positive thing I can say about that one is that it sounded quite OK even without V4A. Not sensational but very much into the 'acceptable' field.
Guess it's time for the big can sound-off. I also have very good RHAs with cables (stupid at the gym) and cheap-ish Sony BT ones.

Price is not what defines quality of headphones - for example Dr. Dre - specification and physics are what you should look after.

Well did some further testing with my other headphones and another phone.
Cheap Sony BT cans? Cool, very bassy which I like.
Wired RHA super cans? Very cool, audio bliss.
Jabra Elite 65T? Crap no matter what I do
Different phone, older Samsung whatthehellever:
RHA cool, Jabra cool, Sony cool -> all as far as their individual quality goes of course, so the RHAs win easily here too. BUT the Jabras produce good sound, something I know they can do because it worked with every other phone I ever connected them to.
It's obviously a problem between the Xiaomi and the Jabras. And here I thought BT is a mature standard

In case anyone is interested: the solution is to activate the AAC codec in BT/Jabra 65T. How the hell is this not active by default?! Why would you, as a phone maker, default to the worst possible way to send music to headphones?

dancress said:
In case anyone is interested: the solution is to activate the AAC codec in BT/Jabra 65T. How the hell is this not active by default?! Why would you, as a phone maker, default to the worst possible way to send music to headphones?
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That is because not all headphones support AAC for more details you may check this article https://www.soundguys.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-bluetooth-headphones-aac-20296/

By the way you can check compatibility for your device headphones and codecs here https://bluetoothcheck.com/compatibility/xiaomi-mi-9t