Database Users

Raising the VOLUME on SGS2

Hi There,
I am new here, but have noticed a lot of people around the web having problems with the output volume of the SGS2's headphone port. I am told that this is because of a European Union Volume law for Portable Electronics. Whilst this is great for stopping kids burning out their eardrums, some of us use their phones in high-noise environments and/or use external speakers with the phone.
I have found that whenever I am riding my moped with headphones in and music playing on my Galaxy S2, I have been barely able to hear the music, let alone when I plug in my X-MINI II external speaker (which is usually extremely loud for it's size) the sound output has been disappointing.
TO fix it, you simply need to go to the Dialer and key in "*#*#197328640#*#1", then click on the following options:
[5]AUDIO
[1]NB (VOICE CALL)
[2]HEADSET
[1]VOLUME
[1]SRS Speech RX Volume
Then change the values of all those properties to between 88 & 100; do this by tapping one of them, pressing the menu key and pressing the "Key Input" softkey.
This solved the problem in my case, however I don't know if it works for everybody.

K1ngsk1n said:
riding my moped with headphones in and music playing on my Galaxy S2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This forum just get worse every day.

K1ngsk1n said:
Hi There,
I am new here, but have noticed a lot of people around the web having problems with the output volume of the SGS2's headphone port. I am told that this is because of a European Union Volume law for Portable Electronics. Whilst this is great for stopping kids burning out their eardrums, some of us use their phones in high-noise environments and/or use external speakers with the phone.
I have found that whenever I am riding my moped with headphones in and music playing on my Galaxy S2, I have been barely able to hear the music, let alone when I plug in my X-MINI II external speaker (which is usually extremely loud for it's size) the sound output has been disappointing.
TO fix it, you simply need to go to the Dialer and key in "*#*#197328640#*#1", then click on the following options:
[5]AUDIO
[1]NB (VOICE CALL)
[2]HEADSET
[1]VOLUME
[1]SRS Speech RX Volume
Then change the values of all those properties to between 88 & 100; do this by tapping one of them, pressing the menu key and pressing the "Key Input" softkey.
This solved the problem in my case, however I don't know if it works for everybody.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has already been posted. Now fyi, that setting will be reset if you reboot the device.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1069015&highlight=Volume+Boosting
Regards.

Whats wrong with riding your moped with your headphones on, the wind and engine noise is enough to not allow you to hear toffee, plus most drivers in cars are either texting there buddies in one hand, chatting with there missus with the other and scratching there arse with there other, whilst trying to circumnavigate a round about ridden hell hole in rush hour, then complain that there isn't enough road to swerve all over.
Only thing I would say "ONLY THING I WOULD SAY" shall I shout louder, but I had many of years riding an old moto guzzi which was louder then a loud thing, with my music blasting out megadeath ever day on my commute for three hours a day, has made me a little mutton Geoff to say the very least.

THUDUK said:
Whats wrong with riding your moped with your headphones on
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everything. If you'd seen as many moped/cycle/motorbike users as I have who have had to have their earphones surgically removed from their temporal and parietal bones, you would agree.

I'm sorry, I thought this was supposed to be a forum about phones, not Health and Safety. I really don't care what your opinion is about riding with headphones is, I do it and will continue to do so regardless of your opinion on the subject, just like the countless others like me. If you are going to go on about how unsafe it is to ride with headphones in you might as well speculate that all cars should have radios removed too.
Perhaps if we can keep this on subject, instead of having people trolling with their unneeded opinions.

K1ngsk1n said:
I'm sorry, I thought this was supposed to be a forum about phones, not Health and Safety. I really don't care what your opinion is about riding with headphones is, I do it and will continue to do so regardless of your opinion on the subject, just like the countless others like me. If you are going to go on about how unsafe it is to ride with headphones in you might as well speculate that all cars should have radios removed too.
Perhaps if we can keep this on subject, instead of having people trolling with their unneeded opinions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Impressive condescension for a 2-post wonder. And your "fix" has been posted several times here - the "search" button is your acquaintance.
Don't try to patronise me, I'm not trolling, and my opinion is as valid as yours.

im having the same problem with volume. it seems that fix is rather complicated but i will try it..
and so what if its been posted before. your comments on moped/mc/bike is irrelevant
certainly not needing a 'thanks' button. get us a uselessness button. im on vacation in asia, and theres a gazillion of bikes, and samsungs too. thats sheer numbers.
btw dr. dre's 'beats' doesnt put out much volume either, with the price tag on those the sensitivity could/should be better.
there must be some easier way to get volume boost/gain ? my headphones sennheiser mx-060 has a pretty good output sensitivity, only its like 10000km away atm. and dr. dre's beats are a waste of 500 dollars imo. but thats opinion again..

Try the app in my sig. Boosts headphone/headset volume considerably (doesn't work with speaker tho). You can also try Voodoo Louder from the Market for a 6dB boost.

back on PC. thanks mistabungle, i will check the sig and that voodoo louder app sounds like a +6db will quadruple the volume (+3db = double volume?) just hoping it wont be taken out on potential distortion.
btw, the dr. dre's 'beats' DO have ok quality, as i tried them on an ipod, theres nice volume and all. they're a bit overpriced, but the looks (red color) speak for themselves.
you might like these two awesome fanmade videos
pink cigarette
retrovertigo

On topic - subjective of course, but I find the beats dreadful.
And I've no distortion at all with Voodo Louder.

oh i forgot i dont use the sennheiser mx-060 (neckband headphones) anymore, they 'were' great but i guess i wore them out, the min jack connector started making problems too. The mx-060 had an awesome output as for volume/sensivity. At present I use philips SHE6000 (small earbuds) and those are great, slightly louder volume and ok quality for a cheap price.
as for those volume apps, is seems they all cost money? im running cyanogenmod 7 rom, and now im thinking there MUST be some roms that have increased volume? there's some talk about 'volume+ and other apps, but theres different 'reviews' on these volume increasing apps, some work some dont..
well, 'voodoo Louder' app that mistahbungle recommends, definitely seem to ask for money at first. hehe, its just very unlikely i'd pay for a thing like that.
--
off topic but.. I would like to point out that EVERY danish mobile network provider has an insane price on data when out of europe (and the out of the country prices are pretty unfair as well)
100 crowns per megabyte (thats 20USD per megabyte). Should be forbidden, and it has to end its been like that for years. so the only real choice is to jump around on different wifis from airports, hotels, cafe's, libraries etc. or consider the SGS a camera or a MP3 player that really sucks, I hope other countries doesn't have a totally unfair pricing like that.

{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
EDIT: these pictures were grabbed using 'screenshot ER' app, saved in JPEG format and uploaded using 'tapatalk' app and picking 'hosted by tapatalk'.
Flashing your galaxy, press Y to continue..

Aerobotix said:
o
as for those volume apps, is seems they all cost money?
Volume + is free and i find that it raises the sound level by about 3 on the volume scale .
But its not something i need as volume is loud at 50% on my phone .
jje
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Aerobotix said:
well, 'voodoo Louder' app that mistahbungle recommends, definitely seem to ask for money at first. hehe, its just very unlikely i'd pay for a thing like that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If £0.50p bothers you (to support a developer) , then the low volume isn't bothering you enough.
I suggest you do nothing as your happy with how it is.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

Aerobotix said:
100 crowns per megabyte (thats 20USD per megabyte). Should be forbidden, and it has to end its been like that for years. so the only real choice is to jump around on different wifis from airports, hotels, cafe's, libraries etc. or consider the SGS a camera or a MP3 player that really sucks, I hope other countries doesn't have a totally unfair pricing like that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope I don't make you cry, but we get 6 Gigabytes of data here for 20 US Dollars. Sorry.

Voodoo Louder works great. Thanks

chrisjcks said:
If £0.50p bothers you (to support a developer) , then the low volume isn't bothering you enough.
I suggest you do nothing as your happy with how it is.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
are you a developer of paid apps . trhy im happys as is, i mean at the rate the battery drains, i think louder volume would cost some more battery.
okey in the context of data price half a pounds doesnt bother me. what bothers me i dont like to buy potential crappy paid apps. just because they're paid for doesnt mean they're any better than a free app. i tried some partly free volume apps that really sucked or were kinda buggy.
karendar, i dont cry, i carve teeth and stomp my feet in here we have 6gb (or was it 10) per month for 100USD. but when you cross the border we get ripped, so its like a grounding
looks like i should be updating firmare soon anyway, then i will try another volume app from bazaar

Aerobotix said:
are you a developer of paid apps . trhy im happys as is, i mean at the rate the battery drains, i think louder volume would cost some more battery.
okey in the context of data price half a pounds doesnt bother me. what bothers me i dont like to buy potential crappy paid apps. just because they're paid for doesnt mean they're any better than a free app. i tried some partly free volume apps that really sucked or were kinda buggy.
karendar, i dont cry, i carve teeth and stomp my feet in here we have 6gb (or was it 10) per month for 100USD. but when you cross the border we get ripped, so its like a grounding
looks like i should be updating firmare soon anyway, then i will try another volume app from bazaar
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Voodoo louder is by fellow xda developer supercurio, if it's sound related - trust this guy.
Unlike free apps, voodoo sound increases volume without distortion or weird sound. (such as just increasing bass whilst actually lowering mid-highs)
I can't force you to try it, but it's 0.50p & there are countless reviews to prove its efficiency.
It offers a 6db increase, & is not comparable to rubbish sound apps such as volume+
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

K1ngsk1n said:
Hi There,
I am new here, but have noticed a lot of people around the web having problems with the output volume of the SGS2's headphone port. I am told that this is because of a European Union Volume law for Portable Electronics. Whilst this is great for stopping kids burning out their eardrums, some of us use their phones in high-noise environments and/or use external speakers with the phone.
I have found that whenever I am riding my moped with headphones in and music playing on my Galaxy S2, I have been barely able to hear the music, let alone when I plug in my X-MINI II external speaker (which is usually extremely loud for it's size) the sound output has been disappointing.
TO fix it, you simply need to go to the Dialer and key in "*#*#197328640#*#1", then click on the following options:
[5]AUDIO
[1]NB (VOICE CALL)
[2]HEADSET
[1]VOLUME
[1]SRS Speech RX Volume
Then change the values of all those properties to between 88 & 100; do this by tapping one of them, pressing the menu key and pressing the "Key Input" softkey.
This solved the problem in my case, however I don't know if it works for everybody.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what do these settings (0_lvl, 1_lvl, 2_lvl, ... ) actually mean ? Thanks~
---------- Post added at 02:20 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:06 AM ----------
I want to increase the volume of ringtone, what setting should I change? Thanks~

Recommend me headphones for the Note.

I spoilt my included earbuds.

not too sure about headphones but I mainly use earphones.
I am using the Klipsch S4A (~100$) designed for android compatibility as well as it works for the Note since some/most of the mic bundled with the 3rd party earphones(which may label to work with ipod/iphones) does not get recognized by the galaxy series.
also have an app to customize the button gestures (tho dont expect it to be as seamless as earphone controls with the ipod/iphones)
technical aside, the earphones are very comfortable, while the base is good.
I mainly use it to listen to some FLAC, mp3, podcasts, movies, audiobooks etc

Sony Ericsson HBH~IS 800 stereo headset.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

rogconnect said:
Sony Ericsson HBH~IS 800 stereo headset.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm cleaning my keyboard when I get home!

if you use them solely for Galaxy Note, anything not too expensive will do, never ever buy expensive buds for Galaxy Note(or other smartphone), totally not worth it. I tried to use my Shure SE425 and Westone 4R on Note and pufff...sounds like turd, the output of the Note just not sufficient for higher end earphones, the sound lost a lot of focus and punch and clarity.
Westone 4R and Shure SE425 are already pretty easy driven earphones among the other higher end earphones.
maybe get something around or under $70, if you want the earphones with mic cord, I suggest you try Ultimate Ears UE600vi or Klipsch S4A are pretty good.

If you want bluetooth headphones, I can't recommend the Motorola S305's enough. I absolutely LOVE them, and having them be wireless really gives you a wonderful sense of freedom and simplicity. They aren't going to match high end Klipsch of course, but they still sound pretty darn good, and they have great battery life.

Phonak PFE 122
I seriously didn't think that type of clarity was possible from the S2 or the Note. Only thing lacking was a bit of base but with a decent seal on the ear piece, it provides enough for my music taste
Soundstage, instrument separation, etc were literally one of the best i've heard and i've had plenty

I'm using Klipsch Image S4 (Standard). I want to use it across all of my gadgets. The sound is awesome, still trying to burn them in. Without doubt, S4 is the best!

Thanks for the reply everyone. Do you think it's a good idea to get an external amp to say if I get a Westone UM3x?

SAlmighty said:
I'm using Klipsch Image S4 (Standard). I want to use it across all of my gadgets. The sound is awesome, still trying to burn them in. Without doubt, S4 is the best!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i had the S4 prior to PFE 122 and there is no comparison between the two.
Bass is a bit punchier but muddy compared to PFE122 but anything higher is a night and day between the two

Livewings said:
Thanks for the reply everyone. Do you think it's a good idea to get an external amp to say if I get a Westone UM3x?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no, as Note don't have line out port, if you use headphones amp, it would be amplifying after the phone's preamp, which already sucked out all the goodies. not worth it.
it sound like turd with my W4R, can't think of a reason it would sound good on UM3x.
if you really want high quality playback, use a better source, like iPod classic

darkinners said:
no, as Note don't have line out port, if you use headphones amp, it would be amplifying after the phone's preamp, which already sucked out all the goodies. not worth it.
it sound like turd with my W4R, can't think of a reason it would sound good on UM3x.
if you really want high quality playback, use a better source, like iPod classic
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
suggesting an ipod over cowon players for a high quality playback is quite interesting for someone with um3x or w4r

IPod classic is pretty good and it's has large capacity. At least good enough to drive my se425 and w4r.
Your argument is like why get cowon while you can get hifimam? and this argument goes on.
I just saying iPod classic is not bad. Won't let your easy driven buds down, that's all.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App

darkinners said:
IPod classic is pretty good and it's has large capacity. At least good enough to drive my se425 and w4r.
Your argument is like why get cowon while you can get hifimam? and this argument goes on.
I just saying iPod classic is not bad. Won't let your easy driven buds down, that's all.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol at hifiman
I had the 602 and sold it and got the j3 in its place
You prefer hifiman over colorify? At those price tags, colorify seems a little better
specially for a digital music player, no one seems to be better at features sets than cowon

darkinners said:
no, as Note don't have line out port, if you use headphones amp, it would be amplifying after the phone's preamp, which already sucked out all the goodies. not worth it.
it sound like turd with my W4R, can't think of a reason it would sound good on UM3x.
if you really want high quality playback, use a better source, like iPod classic
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ahhh. in that case, i'll just get the Brainwavz B2 or UE700.

i the sound output is fine with poweramp + equalizer with SE530.
Majority of senns worked fine with the sgs2 and note. and btw cowon is the best.
Sent from my Galaxy Note using XDA App

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-H800-Wireless-Headset-Mac/dp/B005FY619K/ref=pd_sim_sbs_ce_46
these serve me pretty well for my note.
---------- Post added at 07:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:12 PM ----------
Featherbeard said:
If you want bluetooth headphones, I can't recommend the Motorola S305's enough. I absolutely LOVE them, and having them be wireless really gives you a wonderful sense of freedom and simplicity. They aren't going to match high end Klipsch of course, but they still sound pretty darn good, and they have great battery life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
are they really loud? i got the http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-H800-Wireless-Headset-Mac/dp/B005FY619K/ref=pd_sim_sbs_ce_46
but seem like they not loud enough plus need neck bands

Anyone thinking their Note isn't loud enough, try using Poweramp, install voodoo louder and you'll be in for a nice surprise.
I use this setup with my Shure 415 in ear with custom molds.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App

What are you talking about?
I thew away the iphone when I listened to S2 and Note with my precious Senhhs MM-550.
Iphone cannot drive them and the listening experience is.. well.. mediocre.
I plugged them then to the Galaxy S2 with Poweramp as a music player with full eq, gain and vol bas settings and it blew mind and ears!!! Best sound ever!!
Please believe me. I was about to give the 550s back when S2 appeared..
Now I'm using the note and the music experience is exactly the same: PERFECT!!

Once you go bluetooth, you don't want to go back.

[Q] Should I take N4 profit & get iPhone for better audio?

What do you think? With early trade-up deal at AT&T, profit from selling N4 and selling GS II, I could get an iPhone 5 for free. Only reason I would consider doing it is for better headphone audio. OK, maybe camera too. But I really don't like Apple.
Any thoughts?

What a strange question to ask in this particular forum.

I know. I'm sorry. I feel like a turncoat for even suggesting it.
But high audio quality is something many are interested in. And @supercurio has not heaped praise on new Nexus.

BaronInkjet said:
What do you think? With early trade-up deal at AT&T, profit from selling N4 and selling GS II, I could get an iPhone 5 for free. Only reason I would consider doing it is for better headphone audio. OK, maybe camera too. But I really don't like Apple.
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my opinion, and many many others, the sound quality of apple products is not the best. You would honestly be better off getting an equaliser for your N4 (or whatever device your using, i'm not sure from your post) and a good set of earphones/headphones. :good:

{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
''We all commit crime simply by paying tax''

BaronInkjet said:
I know. I'm sorry. I feel like a turncoat for even suggesting it.
But high audio quality is something many are interested in. And @supercurio has not heaped praise on new Nexus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not that there's anything wrong with suggesting it, but I would think it'd be tough to get unbiased advice here.
I hadn't actually listened to any music yet, so I gave it a shot. My test set was my standard for new earbuds, trying to capture a range of frequencies that get emphasized: "Jupiter" from The Planets, "A Movie Script Ending" by Death Cab for Cutie, "Outside" by Childish Gambino, and an ESPN podcast. I listened via my Shure SE215s that I use for, well, everything. I tried both streaming w/Google Play Music and playing locally with Doubletwist, and for comparison also listened on my 6th-gen 160GB iPod and my Realtek-equipped Dell laptop.
First: I couldn't tell any difference whatsoever between streaming and playing locally.
Jupiter: Compared to the iPod and laptop, the biggest difference was a lack of "sparkly"ness in the highs. It didn't sound quite as crisp on the phone. However, this was only really evident when playing at a really loud volume; at normal volumes, it sounded fine.
Death Cab: The lack of crisp highs came through clearly here, especially in the intro, though I know this song better than probably any other song out there. Once it got to the more orchestrated sections, there was enough good mid-stuff going on that it sounded good to me.
Gambino: With such a strongly bass-focused song, I noticed a *tiny* bit of muddiness in the low end. If I wasn't trying to listen for every little detail, I'm not sure I would have. Good otherwise.
Podcast: totally normal. No comments at all.
Bottom line: the more of an audiophile you are/you consider yourself to be, the less you'll probably like this phone's sound (but then, why are you listening on a phone?). If you're a big hip-hop/rap fan and like a lot of bass in your music, and also listen with the volume cranked, it might sound a little mushy to you. For general use, though, at reasonable volumes, it sounds pretty good, and you could probably EQ away any issues you have. If you like the other features the phone has, or just want to stick with android in general, the sound should not drive you away from this phone.

BaronInkjet said:
What do you think? With early trade-up deal at AT&T, profit from selling N4 and selling GS II, I could get an iPhone 5 for free. Only reason I would consider doing it is for better headphone audio. OK, maybe camera too. But I really don't like Apple.
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you want sound quality, then go for an international SGS3, if now dont get anything else, the Nexus is from what ive read not to bad just has some strange results on the objective tests (probably software related).
i have an SGS3 and it sounds just as good as my Cowon S9 so in that regard ive been quite happy with it but im switching to a nexus cause of other issues im having with the device (ie case cracking issue).
with the Nexus 4 try maybe using an external amp

If you're looking for Audio Quality, you're best bet is to quit looking at phones altogether. Grab a nice Turntable (I personally use a Technics 1200MK2), a good set of speaks, and a good receiver (I personally dig on Marantz).
Good luck finding and putting that together for less than 350. Not saying the phone is remotely capable of churning out hifi sound. I do say a phone is a great source for music on the go, and its just that. I'm satisfied with having a phone that produces marginal audio while I have a dedicated system at home to enjoy. Kind of like having a desktop for serious games and having a phone or tablet for the simple stuff.
If you are truly concerned with getting an idevice for music, why not take the savings after buying an n4 and get an ipod or itouch or whatever they're doing these days.

killerbicycle said:
If you're looking for Audio Quality, you're best bet is to quit looking at phones altogether. Grab a nice Turntable (I personally use a Technics 1200MK2), a good set of speaks, and a good receiver (I personally dig on Marantz).
Good luck finding and putting that together for less than 350. Not saying the phone is remotely capable of churning out hifi sound. I do say a phone is a great source for music on the go, and its just that. I'm satisfied with having a phone that produces marginal audio while I have a dedicated system at home to enjoy. Kind of like having a desktop for serious games and having a phone or tablet for the simple stuff.
If you are truly concerned with getting an idevice for music, why not take the savings after buying an n4 and get an ipod or itouch or whatever they're doing these days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's not exactly a portable solution, but i agree if audio quality is primary concern get a dedicated player like a Cowon and get the best sound quality in the portable market

chinly43 said:
Bottom line: the more of an audiophile you are/you consider yourself to be, the less you'll probably like this phone's sound (but then, why are you listening on a phone?). If you're a big hip-hop/rap fan and like a lot of bass in your music, and also listen with the volume cranked, it might sound a little mushy to you. For general use, though, at reasonable volumes, it sounds pretty good, and you could probably EQ away any issues you have. If you like the other features the phone has, or just want to stick with android in general, the sound should not drive you away from this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, chinly and all! I'm not looking for home setup, just on the fly (gym, car, etc.) Not a "owns 12 pair of different headphones" guy, but played for many years and have a pretty good ear. Have been using Neutron Player/Klipsch S4s. Have several of the player apps and NP is my fav so far. There are some spots where GS II is just a little rough though. What is the word... noise? :crying:
I appreciate everyone's feedback. I will let share mine as well when I get it in a few days.

I'm using the same headphones as you do (shure 215) because I really love good sound quality but if it had to be THAT good I would have bought another pair (less bass, more expensive) and use a mp3 player - maybe even with a portable amp.
But for me (I don't even know why I am writing this because I'm not you) that is just enough - Pretty decent headphones with my SGS = perfect for me (at least with eq) since I listen while riding my bike or travelling with a train you know. I don't put all my focus on the music so it doesn't has to be "perfect".
Yeah I just wanted to share my point of view so you can maybe think this over?
PS I like the iPhone or at least some things about it. Build Quality, speed and battery lifetime. But the OS is just too boring and .. too bull****ty.

just thought id add i used an iphone 5 today with my Shure SE535's and compared against the SGS3 ............iphone sounds so flat, bass had like no punch at all.
no doubt ill be missing the sound of the SGS3 when i change over to a nexus i might need to buy a new Cowon myself the Z2 looks nice

I have a ipod classic 6th gen 80gb for music, the only reason I bought it is because I don't want to spend a extra $50 to get double the memory which kinda sucks, so I found a good deal on it lol. I don't really like using my phone for music, since it drains the battery a lot and I like to listen to music a lot.
if you really want a good quality music device go look at some Cowon pmp's.

BaronInkjet said:
What do you think? With early trade-up deal at AT&T, profit from selling N4 and selling GS II, I could get an iPhone 5 for free. Only reason I would consider doing it is for better headphone audio. OK, maybe camera too. But I really don't like Apple.
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you will regret it if you dont really like apple. you can change eq settings for audio on the N4, as far as camera goes id consider a Lumia 920 over that

Funny, I was just thinking about 920. Check this out:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/635554/nokia-lumia-920-sound-quality
I got my N4 today. After first quarter:
GS II - 14
N4 - 0
Letting it play a while to see how it does, but ... Other than headphone audio, phone truly is spectacular.

Pebble Watch + Car Bluetooth?

I am thinking about purchasing the Pebble SmartWatch. I am curious to if I will be able to connect the watch to my phone while my phone is connected to my truck's bluetooth radio or Bluetooth headset (one at a time). All the reviews i have seen shows it just playing through headphones or the phone's speaker, not through another bluetooth device. Anyone have any experience w/ the pebble watch? 150.00 is alot without confirming that it works.

jason.hamilton said:
I am thinking about purchasing the Pebble SmartWatch. I am curious to if I will be able to connect the watch to my phone while my phone is connected to my truck's bluetooth radio or Bluetooth headset (one at a time). All the reviews i have seen shows it just playing through headphones or the phone's speaker, not through another bluetooth device. Anyone have any experience w/ the pebble watch? 150.00 is alot without confirming that it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think the phone can maintain more than one bluetooth connection at a time. Though my car stereo can so I guess it is possible and just a software issue. Maybe there's an app out there or maybe a Dev could figure it out. BUT since a car stereo connects as a headset MAYBE it could connect to a second device as a data connection (Watch)?
I don't think it's available for the public yet, only shipping to "backers" at this point. Still says "Pre-Order"

My car doesn't have A2DP so I run 2 simultaneous connections and it works perfectly fine. One connection to the car's phone and another for audio through an A2DP device connected so I can listen to music as well as take calls from the car. The phone hands each off just fine. The N4 is perfectly capable of handling multiple Bluetooth connections at a time.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

setzer715 said:
I don't think the phone can maintain more than one bluetooth connection at a time. Though my car stereo can so I guess it is possible and just a software issue. Maybe there's an app out there or maybe a Dev could figure it out. BUT since a car stereo connects as a headset MAYBE it could connect to a second device as a data connection (Watch)?
I don't think it's available for the public yet, only shipping to "backers" at this point. Still says "Pre-Order"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Th phone can be connected to two things at once. I have my Parrot Minikit Neo and also the HTC stereo stick connected at the same time. So when a call comes in, the Parrot will pick up the call and then when ended, my HTC Stereo stick will continue to play/stream from my phone.
I'm just running PA 3.1 and no audio add-ons/hacks. Using Poweramp and sometimes N7 player to play from my phone.
And I am a backer as well. I have the Grey one on order, and from my understanding, will be one of the last ones to be shipped because they begun shipping only the black pebbles at this point and is approx 30% done with it's backer rewards. So I'll probably get it in May lol.

kpjimmy said:
Th phone can be connected to two things at once. I have my Parrot Minikit Neo and also the HTC stereo stick connected at the same time. So when a call comes in, the Parrot will pick up the call and then when ended, my HTC Stereo stick will continue to play/stream from my phone.
I'm just running PA 3.1 and no audio add-ons/hacks. Using Poweramp and sometimes N7 player to play from my phone.
And I am a backer as well. I have the Grey one on order, and from my understanding, will be one of the last ones to be shipped because they begun shipping only the black pebbles at this point and is approx 30% done with it's backer rewards. So I'll probably get it in May lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know that the phone can handle multiple connections at once!
I just added one of the watches to the cart to see ship time and it's stating a ship time of April-May. I think as a backer you will get it sooner. I'm not getting one, $150 is quite a bit but my wife cannot use her phone at work. It's tough for me to get a hold of her so I was thinking for her. She's an Apple user though so she may just wait and see what Apple releases this year.

setzer715 said:
Good to know that the phone can handle multiple connections at once!
I just added one of the watches to the cart to see ship time and it's stating a ship time of April-May. I think as a backer you will get it sooner. I'm not getting one, $150 is quite a bit but my wife cannot use her phone at work. It's tough for me to get a hold of her so I was thinking for her. She's an Apple user though so she may just wait and see what Apple releases this year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am a backer and I don't expect to see mine until April. lol
They are putting off color orders and producing more black than anything. Their production isn't where they planned on it being either. I expect that April-May shipment for pre-orders to become June-July.

setzer715 said:
Good to know that the phone can handle multiple connections at once!
I just added one of the watches to the cart to see ship time and it's stating a ship time of April-May. I think as a backer you will get it sooner. I'm not getting one, $150 is quite a bit but my wife cannot use her phone at work. It's tough for me to get a hold of her so I was thinking for her. She's an Apple user though so she may just wait and see what Apple releases this year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a kickstarter called Embrace+ a notifying bracelet. I don't think it will get funded. It has a lofty goal of $250k and it's about 22k into it with 25 days to go lol. Good idea! But sadly won't get made.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/embraceplus/embrace-1
---------- Post added at 10:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:01 AM ----------
diablos991 said:
I am a backer and I don't expect to see mine until April. lol
They are putting off color orders and producing more black than anything. Their production isn't where they planned on it being either. I expect that April-May shipment for pre-orders to become June-July.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What color did you get?

kpjimmy said:
There's a kickstarter called Embrace+ a notifying bracelet. I don't think it will get funded. It has a lofty goal of $250k and it's about 22k into it with 25 days to go lol. Good idea! But sadly won't get made.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/embraceplus/embrace-1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just remember people, Kickstarter is not a store. These investments potentially have much more risk involved.
kpjimmy said:
What color did you get?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gray.

diablos991 said:
Just remember people, Kickstarter is not a store. These investments potentially have much more risk involved.
Gray.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool! Yes I know it's not a store. I have backed quite a few

For the love of everything that is holy I have been trying to find this solution for so long...
I'm basically looking for an Android compatible version of something like the Kensington LiquidAUX setup. For older cars that don't have built in bluetooth but DO have an auxillary in cable, this solution lets you plug the aux in cable into a bluetooth receiver and also gives you a remote that attaches to your steering wheel that can change music tracks. You can see what I mean from these pictures:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
I have been searching and searching and searching and have never found anything that will accomplish this with an Android phone. I had privately always wondered if a Pebble watch could achieve this.

I got my pebble on Friday and have been playing with it all weekend :laugh:. I do love it! I slapped on a skin protector and matte black. Oh and for those who reads the entire thread, I did initially order the grey one, but the colors especially the grey was going to take longer than the black ones, which were produced in abundance and was the first to be produced. Pebble offered to switch to black, which I did and I decided I wanted matte black skin which look awesome IMO. The glossy face looks off with the band. And I am looking at a few cuff bands to house this sucker!
Back to topic. So far the bt plays well with the phone. I can now control my music tracks using my V-Moda M-100's, and also my bt setup in my truck using an HTC Car Clip, which is plugged into my aux port on my head unit. That is paired up with my N4 for playing my tracks. Now I can use my Pebble to skip through tracks! Love it!! No need to wake the phone to swipe.
Also my parrot minikit neo works as well. No conflicts with any of them so far. I will report back if something happens lol.

irishtexmex said:
For the love of everything that is holy I have been trying to find this solution for so long...
I'm basically looking for an Android compatible version of something like the Kensington LiquidAUX setup. For older cars that don't have built in bluetooth but DO have an auxillary in cable, this solution lets you plug the aux in cable into a bluetooth receiver and also gives you a remote that attaches to your steering wheel that can change music tracks. You can see what I mean from these pictures:
I have been searching and searching and searching and have never found anything that will accomplish this with an Android phone. I had privately always wondered if a Pebble watch could achieve this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ran across this old thread randomly while reading about the Pebble, I know it's blatant necromancy but I felt compelled to post and mention that Kensington made a standard Android compatible version of that device, same name and everything. Only difference is that instead of having the 20 pin cable sticking out it has a USB port down there that will charge any old phone...
The thing is old as dirt and it's actually discontinued I think so good luck finding it, wasn't even meant for Android per se, I've been using mine for the better part of three years! Worked fine with my last dumb phone (a Sony Ericsson) as well as my last three Android phones. The only occasional issue is that it'll lose power if wiggled but that could just be the fault of my 2007 Civic's janky 12V port (never bothered to try it in another car). The brilliant part about this thing is really that wireless remote, I didn't even use that wheel bracelet it comes with, just Velcro'd it to a slot on my Civic's steering wheel and it damn near looks stock. I've no idea what kinda wireless protocol they use or whether it communicates with the phone or directly with the base, I'm pretty sure it's the latter...
There's lots of Bluetooth devices like this one meant to sit in the dash or discretely below it, some might even be better suited if your aux jack and 12V port aren't immediately adjacent (I've seen smaller devices) or if they're pretty hidden (the mic on the LiquidAux isn't great), but I've NEVER seen one with a wireless remote like this (they often don't even have any kinda music playback controls)... And I've looked around occasionally too cause I've got several friends with semi recent 2009-2011 cars without BT built in for whom this would be an awesome gift (plus I'd kinda like a backup, I'm gonna be stuck with my Civic for a few more years still!).
If anyone knows of an alternative I'm all ears, I guess something like the Pebble (not necessarily a $150 smartwatch) that can control playback while another device handles BT streaming would sorta work but it seems like a workaround... I've no idea why Kensington stopped making this thing, it was kinda ahead of it's time IMO since piping music over BT wasn't anywhere near as common or popular when it came out, Android was barely catching on and iOS BT support lagged dumb phones...
In fact I remember being mildly annoyed that my Sony Ericsson dumb phone fully supported the playback controls on the remote yet iOS on my IPod touch (2nd gen) only allowed play/pause but no track skipping (things like that soured me on iOS, that was the one and only Apple device I owned, tho I'm glad to have tried it out). There's tons of BT-less cars on the road for which this would be a perfect solution. Someone oughta petition Kensington to bring it back or put out a rip off thru Kickstarter... I remember paying like $45 for it during a CompUSA sale (before they first closed, yes it's really that old, pretty sure it preceded the iOS version), beats the heck out of replacing your stereo deck just for BT IMO.

Only MAIN issue I have with Axon 7.

The bottom 3 touch buttons in the black strip just over the speaker on the phone are NOT backlit.
These buttons are the back button, home button and overview button.
Im OFTEN having to look at where my finger is tapping vs where the middle, lower section of the screen is because I will tap on what I think is a back button or home button but its NOT. And therefore I tap more than once, 2 or even 3 times to guess the right spot for the location of these dam buttons...
I know there is NO fix for this because Axon did not make these backlit at all.
But I gotta tell ya, its aggrivating... big time..
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

Thats why i send it back
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers mobile app

I got used to it within a day or so. The home button is in the very middle, so you can easily eyeball where you're supposed to hit (even in a dark room). The other two just became muscle memory.

Put a little sticker under each button?

I dont get it...why are there so many people buying this phone and keep crying about something that was clear upfront.

Diplodocus123 said:
I dont get it...why are there so many people buying this phone and keep crying about something that was clear upfront.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, but it's annoying because ZTE could have done it right. People buy the phone because of the awesome hardware specs, then something like this shows ZTE seems to have rushed design/manufacturing or didn't test thoroughly. Capacitive buttons need backlighting. As long as a manufacturer is putting them on the phone, why not do it right?
The Chinese version (pictures below) doesn't have the capacitive buttons, so the problem seems to be due to a rush job. Maybe they'll fix it in the next version?
I have capacitive buttons on my 2014 Moto XT1225 (5.2'" 1440P AMOLED -- basically the 5.2" version of the Moto Nexus 6) and they're great. I thought I would hate capacitive buttons, but they're actually OK. Of course, Motorola put in backlighting...

ChazzMatt said:
Yes, but it's annoying because ZTE could have done it right. People buy the phone because of the awesome hardware specs, then something like this shows ZTE seems to have rushed design/manufacturing or didn't test thoroughly. Capacitive buttons need backlighting. As long as a manufacturer is putting them on the phone, why not do it right?
The Chinese version (pictures below) doesn't have the capacitive buttons, so the problem seems to be due to a rush job. Maybe they'll fix it in the next version?
I have capacitive buttons on my 2014 Moto XT1225 (5.2'" 1440P AMOLED -- basically the 5.2" version of the Moto Nexus 6) and they're great. I thought I would hate capacitive buttons, but they're actually OK. Of course, Motorola put in backlighting...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Two models were released in China before the US/Global launch: a 64GB/4GB variant with on-screen buttons, and a 128GB/6GB variant with a force-touch screen and capacitive buttons. Like the U/G models, the capacitive buttons on the Chinese model were not backlit. The U/G models were going to just get on-screen buttons like the the Chinese 64GB/4GB variant, but focus groups (outside volunteers) preferred having capacitive buttons, so ZTE delayed the U/G release and restarted production in order to incorporate the capacitive keys from the higher-end Chinese model (this is why some early reviewers have US models with no capacitive keys).

Hi everyone! Well, for me its no big issue. Since I've come from the Zenfone 2 and those capacitive buttons aren't backlit either it was easy. Even in the dark I can tell were the buttons are, its all muscle memory. I understand it would have been a better touch to have included backlit capacitive buttons. Hopefully when ROMs become available this issue can be addressed with on screen buttons instead.

I can hear it now... "I hate the large bottom bezel where there is nothing... why didn't they put capacitive buttons there instead of on-screen ones??" Old argument over something that was done last minute to appease those who wanted it. I like them the way they are. I had back-lit ones on another phone and I got so tired of them lighting up every time I touched the phone that I turned off the back light anyway. They are also spaced correctly for one hand/thumb operation.

I returned it.... I have no patience for such ridiculous nonsense like this simple errror ZTE did..... Maybe some of you guys and gals can deal with it but I am ALWAYS hitting the wrong part of the screen.
Also I found out it dont have Apt-X for bluetooth. You think ZTE would have implemented these cheap, simple things into such a nice, powerful device.... but they didnt... thus, they failed... I returned it...
Ill probably get a Xperia XZ.

nickcaper said:
I returned it.... I have no patience for such ridiculous nonsense like this simple errror ZTE did..... Maybe some of you guys and gals can deal with it but I am ALWAYS hitting the wrong part of the screen.
Also I found out it dont have Apt-X for bluetooth. You think ZTE would have implemented these cheap, simple things into such a nice, powerful device.... but they didnt... thus, they failed... I returned it...
Ill probably get a Xperia XZ.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is apt-x even?
EDIT: Looked it up, its a qualcomm proprietary codec. It probably cost extra to get a license for aptx. Plus it's only 16 bit at 44 kHz. The AKM chip does 32 bit at 768 kHz.

xtermmin said:
Two models were released in China before the US/Global launch: a 64GB/4GB variant with on-screen buttons, and a 128GB/6GB variant with a force-touch screen and capacitive buttons. Like the U/G models, the capacitive buttons on the Chinese model were not backlit. The U/G models were going to just get on-screen buttons like the the Chinese 64GB/4GB variant, but focus groups (outside volunteers) preferred having capacitive buttons, so ZTE delayed the U/G release and restarted production in order to incorporate the capacitive keys from the higher-end Chinese model (this is why some early reviewers have US models with no capacitive keys).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually 3 models - 64gb/4gb, 128gb/4gb and 128gb/6gb... Both 128gb versions have the capacitive buttons...
I have the 128gb 4gb variant...

Well when CM get release that won't be a problem....can switch on the fly from Captive to On-screen, beside if not mistaken next update will have such option using Stock...(check Image)

DrakenFX said:
Well when CM get release that won't be a problem....can switch on the fly from Captive to On-screen, beside if not mistaken next update will have such option using Stock...(check Image)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Am I the only one that likes the capacitive buttons? I like how they don't take up too much space.

awsomjgp said:
Am I the only one that likes the capacitive buttons? I like how they don't take up too much space.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No you are not alone , i love the captive keys, i. Got used to it the next day i got the device.

awsomjgp said:
What is apt-x even?
EDIT: Looked it up, its a qualcomm proprietary codec. It probably cost extra to get a license for aptx. Plus it's only 16 bit at 44 kHz. The AKM chip does 32 bit at 768 kHz.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apt-X is for bluetooth audio.
If you like listening to Pandora or whatever from your phone and stream it over to your home stereo or car stereo with an Apt-x bluetooth reciever, APt-X allows for the best audio quality from bluetooth. There is a difference is sound trust me.

nickcaper said:
Apt-X is for bluetooth audio.
If you like listening to Pandora or whatever from your phone to your home stereo or car stereo, APt-X allows for the best audio quality from bluetooth. There is a difference is sound trust me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since ZTE was going for a cost-effective flagship, they probably didn't get a license from QC. Shaves off money.

nickcaper said:
Apt-X is for bluetooth audio.
If you like listening to Pandora or whatever from your phone and stream it over to your home stereo or car stereo with an Apt-x bluetooth reciever, APt-X allows for the best audio quality from bluetooth. There is a difference is sound trust me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The AKM DACs are better than APT-X, so you'll get better sound if you hook up directly instead of using bluetooth.

xtermmin said:
The AKM DACs are better than APT-X, so you'll get better sound if you hook up directly instead of using bluetooth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. The only use I have for Bluetooth is my watch. After listening to the DAC, all other music sounds crappy on other phones.

xtermmin said:
The AKM DACs are better than APT-X, so you'll get better sound if you hook up directly instead of using bluetooth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Them AKM dacs also send the audio to the Bluetooth processor to process it into a wireless signal... Apt-X allows the hit bit rate to stay at cd quality. Well, since this phone doesnt have Apt-X it sends it to a lesser quality bluetooth processor that is well below CD quality.
but hey.... why dont we all go back to wired phones cause this genius thinks wired is better!
Look man.... Just stop giving your opinion cause you dont know wtf your even talking about.