Database Users

I prefer the speaker of the s3

I noticed that during loud crashes and explosion, the galaxy s4 speakers distorts while my s3 didn't. It seems like it has much more treble which seems to be what's causing the distortion. Anyone else notice the difference in sounds or is mine damaged out of the box?
This is only with the volume maxed.

esqueue said:
I noticed that during loud crashes and explosion, the galaxy s4 speakers distorts while my s3 didn't. It seems like it has much more treble which seems to be what's causing the distortion. Anyone else notice the difference in sounds or is mine damaged out of the box?
This is only with the volume maxed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The speaker is different i know. When i put my text tones on it, they sound like its more stereo but also in like a box or hall with some echo which i think is what causes the distortion.

kyhassen said:
The speaker is different i know. When i put my text tones on it, they sound like its more stereo but also in like a box or hall with some echo which i think is what causes the distortion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, thanks for the response, if they made it that way then there is nothing I can do about it. I just wanted to make sure that mine wasn't broken.

I think the speaker phone sounds awesome.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using XDA

it does sound awesome but compared to the SIII it does sound different. mine sounds like it echos for some things and then others it sounds incredible. i think its the bass and treble settings.

I think that they only tested it out for music. It sounds great during most music but any loud explosions or crashes is where the increased treble is the culprit. I wish there was an equalizer type setting where I could lower the treble.

esqueue said:
I think that they only tested it out for music. It sounds great during most music but any loud explosions or crashes is where the increased treble is the culprit. I wish there was an equalizer type setting where I could lower the treble.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once the custom roms get going/they make them compatible with our device, I'm sure with DSP manager or Awesome Beats or any of the other sounds mods, you will be able edit the various sound options to your liking!
:thumbup:
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app

Speaker is the same as sgs3 to me
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app

I think the speakers are terrible. I switched from iPhone 4S to the GS4, and the GS4 sounds quiet and muffled.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app

Turtle Beach
I prefer the new turtle beach XO7's

Lol, are you guys actually complaining about the sound quality of the built-in speaker during movies? It's not even designed to have the frequency response of a pair of $5 headphones, much less reproducing accurate explosions and crashes. Think about it, you have a tiny speaker that is pushing out sound loud enough to where you can actually hear it well enough from far away. It's there for one reason only, to have to ability to do a hands-free phone call.

sputnik767 said:
Lol, are you guys actually complaining about the sound quality of the built-in speaker during movies? It's not even designed to have the frequency response of a pair of $5 headphones, much less reproducing accurate explosions and crashes. Think about it, you have a tiny speaker that is pushing out sound loud enough to where you can actually hear it well enough from far away. It's there for one reason only, to have to ability to do a hands-free phone call.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are going to respond to a 1 year old topic at least make sure that your response is somewhat relevant. This was made in comparison with the galaxy SIII. I was just making sure that my speaker wasn't broken. There was only one guy here comparing it to a ****ty iphone.
The guy before you doesn't even deserve a response. Since I'm commenting here, I'm sure that they messed with the sound on one of it's many updates as it doesn't distort anymore.

Earphone sound quality

Well after Sony & Handtec completly screwed everything up I purchased the Z2 off CPW with next day delivey,
I'm not impressed with the sound quality with the earphones. I've tried 3 different quality headsets and the bundled set with the phone.
unimpressive I'm afraid.

Did you try the Sony MDR-NC13EM Digital Noise Cancelling Headset?

That's the bundled headset

Not The Flong said:
That's the bundled headset
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it depends, in the UK, if you pre-ordered the phone you get the active noise cancelling earphones MDR-NC31EM otherwise you just get a standard pair of earphones.
Do yours look like this? (Make note of how many contact points there are on the plug)
{
"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"
}

Even in UK I think you can get z2 without MDR-NC13EM. OP should check the model number listed on the little tag attached to the headset wire.
I highly doubt anyone would be disappointed with MDR-NC13EM. I understand sound quality is a highly subjective matter but I still think z2 with MDR-NC13EM is the best you can get from a smartphone compared to other OEM headsets.

I found the sound awful. The "bass" simply lowered the voice and other instrumental features of a song to make the foreground bass sound bassier. When the bass parts of the song speed the voice would then become loud again.
It made some songs almost inaudible.
Tried my earphones (which I had great quality with my previous phone) and the ones that came pre bundled and both sounded the same.
Also couldn't figure out where the noise cancelling was as they where no different to my standard ear phones in terms of noise cancellation.
Gone to the s5 now and the sound was far superior before root, let alone after!
Sent from my SM-G900F using xda app-developers app

Sony's bass is usually realistic. It's not meant to be thumping like beats. It's usually a nice rounded sound. I haven't got mine yet so I can't comment too much.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk

Errm what?
These are THE BEST earphones ever on an Android device!
Here's a review of the earphones only :
http://www.digitalversus.com/headph...rphones-ever-come-with-smartphone-n33617.html

riso123 said:
I found the sound awful. The "bass" simply lowered the voice and other instrumental features of a song to make the foreground bass sound bassier. When the bass parts of the song speed the voice would then become loud again.
It made some songs almost inaudible.
Tried my earphones (which I had great quality with my previous phone) and the ones that came pre bundled and both sounded the same.
Also couldn't figure out where the noise cancelling was as they where no different to my standard ear phones in terms of noise cancellation.
Gone to the s5 now and the sound was far superior before root, let alone after!
Sent from my SM-G900F using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you've had normalisation enabled which levels the audio to the same volume - this can have a negative effect on the audio quality overall regardless of what device and headset you're using so this setting should only be active if you're in a situation where you need it (can't think of a reason you'd need it and I'd recommend leaving this setting off).
As for the active noise-cancelling, to ensure noise cancelling is active, first you have to set accessories in the sound settings to "Noise-cancelling headset", then after you've plugged in the headset, additional options should be displayed in the "Sound effects" menu where you can set when the noise cancelling is in effect and the appropriate environment you're in. You should also notice an icon that gets displayed in the notification bar to show that it is active.
You also have to remember that the active-noise cancelling isn't performed on any headset, you can't just plug in a standard 3-pole headset and expect there to be the active noise-cancelling it doesn't work like that.

TheOnlyIntruder said:
Sounds like you've had normalisation enabled which levels the audio to the same volume - this can have a negative effect on the audio quality overall regardless of what device and headset you're using so this setting should only be active if you're in a situation where you need it (can't think of a reason you'd need it and I'd recommend leaving this setting off).
As for the active noise-cancelling, to ensure noise cancelling is active, first you have to set accessories in the sound settings to "Noise-cancelling headset", then after you've plugged in the headset, additional options should be displayed in the "Sound effects" menu where you can set when the noise cancelling is in effect and the appropriate environment you're in. You should also notice an icon that gets displayed in the notification bar to show that it is active.
You also have to remember that the active-noise cancelling isn't performed on any headset, you can't just plug in a standard 3-pole headset and expect there to be the active noise-cancelling it doesn't work like that.
As I've explained, how you've described what you've done suggests that your opinion while valid has been used for the wrong reasons and when users who have read your opinion which is a stark contrast to the majority, there is no wonder that there's a backlash.
My opinion is that you're biased and incapable of understanding how to operate the technology in your hand thus in-turn creating a false or rather poor outcome to your experiences.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well that was a bit more constrictive!
I'm not biased at all though, I played around with the settings in various dodgem ways and could never reach ample sound output.
To suggest I am unable to operate the technology is a huge statement with no substance to back it up and again quite rude. You don't know my capabilities and so shouldn't assume I'm wrong and don't know how to handle the tech.
Instead give feedback like you did and then ASK politely if I had tried what you suggested instead of assuming the negative.
Sent from my SM-G900F using xda app-developers app

riso123 said:
Well that was a bit more constrictive!
I'm not biased at all though, I played around with the settings in various dodgem ways and could never reach ample sound output.
To suggest I am unable to operate the technology is a huge statement with no substance to back it up and again quite rude. You don't know my capabilities and so shouldn't assume I'm wrong and don't know how to handle the tech.
Instead give feedback like you did and then ASK politely if I had tried what you suggested instead of assuming the negative.
Sent from my SM-G900F using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since I am extremely eager to get my Z2, I have a slight OCD behavior when it comes to news about this phone.
In my info binging endeavor, I came across a similar review to yours in a swedish forum. It had the same complaints about the headset.
When I got my first Android phone, the biggest gripe I had with it was the dismal sound output when compared to the iPhone. So I am very sad to hear that poor sound still is something that haunts the Android universe. The noise canceling headset was one of the biggest draws for me with the Z2. I'll have to try for myself, but I trust your opinion since it coincides with others.

KyleSforza said:
Errm what?
These are THE BEST earphones ever on an Android device!
Here's a review of the earphones only :
http://www.digitalversus.com/headph...rphones-ever-come-with-smartphone-n33617.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fully agree, I'm using the supplied MDR-NC31EM noise cancelling headphones and the audio quality is superb...when used with the Z2.
bass strong, acoustic setting do make differences in sound and I like various forms of music from classical through pop, house and hard rock
However I did try them in my ipad and the sound was awful, really bad.

Warkman said:
Fully agree, I'm using the supplied MDR-NC31EM noise cancelling headphones and the audio quality is superb...when used with the Z2.
bass strong, acoustic setting do make differences in sound and I like various forms of music from classical through pop, house and hard rock
However I did try them in my ipad and the sound was awful, really bad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Conversely I plugged in my Audio Technica W5000's into the phone and they were plenty loud enough. I haven't had time to really compare the sound quality though but it sounded ok to me
When I plugged in the noise cancelling earphones I thought they sounded really good but again I haven't compared them to anything yet.

Let's stick to the topic here thanks and resist the urge to make this personal... Thread cleaned.

ApriliaM3 said:
Let's stick to the topic here thanks and resist the urge to make this personal... Thread cleaned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
one of the big reason i want to move to z2 is the earphone sound output... and now these mixed reviews are making my decision tough... i am currently using sony xb90ex earphones with my one x and they are good enough... i just hope the z2 upgrade is not a downgrade after all :crying:

kartoonz said:
one of the big reason i want to move to z2 is the earphone sound output... and now these mixed reviews are making my decision tough... i am currently using sony xb90ex earphones with my one x and they are good enough... i just hope the z2 upgrade is not a downgrade after all :crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I came from a One X and I used ARHD on it with all the sound mods including the additional beats profiles and EIZO DSP modifier and I can certainly say, the output of the Z2 is much better than that of the One X with the additional profiles. I think the Z2 must use a higher grade DAC or something (seems like it anyway), it is certainly more noticeable when you compare both devices without any psychoacoustic settings enabled (so listening to them flat), the One X had a noticeable hiss and crackle at low volume levels, Z2 not so much

TheOnlyIntruder said:
I came from a One X and I used ARHD on it with all the sound mods including the additional beats profiles and EIZO DSP modifier and I can certainly say, the output of the Z2 is much better than that of the One X with the additional profiles. I think the Z2 must use a higher grade DAC or something (seems like it anyway), it is certainly more noticeable when you compare both devices without any psychoacoustic settings enabled (so listening to them flat), the One X had a noticeable hiss and crackle at low volume levels, Z2 not so much
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i will most certainly not root or install any of the above mentioned profiles you mentioned... so was the default sound output good enough...did you get a chance to test it??

kartoonz said:
i will most certainly not root or install any of the above mentioned profiles you mentioned... so was the default sound output good enough...did you get a chance to test it??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you misunderstood, I'm saying the Z2 sounds better default than the One X modded.

TheOnlyIntruder said:
I think you misunderstood, I'm saying the Z2 sounds better default than the One X modded.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh i get you :silly: that's good news for me...

riso123 said:
I found the sound awful. The "bass" simply lowered the voice and other instrumental features of a song to make the foreground bass sound bassier. When the bass parts of the song speed the voice would then become loud again.
It made some songs almost inaudible.
Tried my earphones (which I had great quality with my previous phone) and the ones that came pre bundled and both sounded the same.
Also couldn't figure out where the noise cancelling was as they where no different to my standard ear phones in terms of noise cancellation.
Gone to the s5 now and the sound was far superior before root, let alone after!
Sent from my SM-G900F using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is also exactly my experience unfortunately
My previous phone was the one x with beats audio + headphones, I'm now using the beats headphones with the Z2 and the bass leaves so much to be desired... I've tried all the settings to no avail, as mentioned above the bass specific setting seems to lower mediums and highs instead of pumping bass.
Enviado desde mi D6503 mediante Tapatalk

Tip for better music quality :)

If u guys are serious in music playing, u may found that the Z1 usually got some terrible static noise in the background during music playback, especially if u use flac file. (damn even older xperias dont have such stupid problem!! hate it right??)
U may flash dreamingonmusic for better quality, but it wont really eliminate all the noises.
I guess that the noise was made because our CPU arent captable to process the music at the default volume requested by the kernel. But since it's forced to do so, it wasnt done so well and noise was made
(I'm not saying the volume we normally control by pressing the +/- button. It's believed that the max volume you can get was requested by the kernel, then u pick a volume between mute and the given max value)
So what do we have to do?? That's to turn the max volume lower!!
*Custom kernel might be required*
Steps:
1. Open Pimp My Z1
2. Sound Control
3. Turn "Headphones Digital Gain" to a value below zero. (A value that's suitable for you)
The volume will become significantly lower by then, the lower the volume the less noise there will be.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
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"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",
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}
Since everyone needs different volume, i cant tell which one you should get. But at least you can get to a volume that you'll actually need.
Well I know many of you claim that the stock volume is already too low and u guys have to boost it with the mixerpath. This method may not suit you then.
This method is actually discovered by @Chocolatetrain , thank him if you find it useful
When the hell will Sony give us a dedicated audio chip?? HTC got it and Samsung got it!!
Come on Sony starts up their business by Walkman!! So they really want to give us such crap on the "Best of the Sony in an Xperia smartphone" ??

KWOKSFUNG said:
If u guys are serious in music playing, u may found that the Z1 usually got some terrible static noise in the background during music playback, especially if u use flac file. (damn even older xperias dont have such stupid problem!! hate it right??)
U may flash dreamingonmusic for better quality, but it wont really eliminate all the noises.
I guess that the noise was made because our CPU arent captable to process the music at the default volume requested by the kernel. But since it's forced to do so, it wasnt done so well and noise was made
(I'm not saying the volume we normally control by pressing the +/- button. It's believed that the max volume you can get was requested by the kernel, then u pick a volume between mute and the given max value)
So what do we have to do?? That's to turn the max volume lower!!
*Custom kernel might be required*
Steps:
1. Open Pimp My Z1
2. Sound Control
3. Turn "Headphones Digital Gain" to a value below zero. (A value that's suitable for you)
The volume will become significantly lower by then, the lower the volume the less noise there will be.
Since everyone needs different volume, i cant tell which one you should get. But at least you can get to a volume that you'll actually need.
Well I know many of you claim that the stock volume is already too low and u guys have to boost it with the mixerpath. This method may not suit you then.
This method is actually discovered by @Chocolatetrain , thank him if you find it useful
When the hell will Sony give us a dedicated audio chip?? HTC got it and Samsung got it!!
Come on Sony starts up their business by Walkman!! So they really want to give us such crap on the "Best of the Sony in an Xperia smartphone" ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice guide, also, I'm pretty sure it's not the CPU, it's the amplifier, which in our case, is fairly low quality compared to other flagships or maybe even some mid-range phones.

Chocolatetrain said:
Nice guide, also, I'm pretty sure it's not the CPU, it's the amplifier, which in our case, is fairly low quality compared to other flagships or maybe even some mid-range phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it? I thought sound was amplified by CPU as well since we dont have the legendary s-master chip

KWOKSFUNG said:
Is it? I thought sound was amplified by CPU as well since we dont have the legendary s-master chip
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure tbh, just a guess lol

Chocolatetrain said:
Nice guide, also, I'm pretty sure it's not the CPU, it's the amplifier, which in our case, is fairly low quality compared to other flagships or maybe even some mid-range phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CPU cant generate noise...
It may be generated betwen Hexagon DSP (trought the amplifier) and headhone output. I bet on amplifier too.

zigory said:
CPU cant generate noise...
It may be generated betwen Hexagon DSP (trought the amplifier) and headhone output. I bet on amplifier too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait bro could u explain a bit more?
I thought everything was done by CPU since we dont have dedicated sound chip.
Sorry i'm a noob

KWOKSFUNG said:
Wait bro could u explain a bit more?
I thought everything was done by CPU since we dont have dedicated sound chip.
Sorry i'm a noob
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of snapdragon SoCs have the DSP co-processor which one of it's tasks is to handle encoding digital stream to analog signal. However audio data is processed by the ARM CPU, not dedicated audio chip. Interference may bring on way from Hexagon (where signal is weak) to amplifier. Also amplifier can add something bad to headphones
simple example
CPU>Hexagon>Digital to-analog (DAC) converter>Amplifier>audio output

zigory said:
Most of snapdragon SoCs have the DSP co-processor which one of it's tasks is to handle encoding digital stream to analog signal. However audio data is processed by the ARM CPU, not dedicated audio chip. Interference may bring on way from Hexagon (where signal is weak) to amplifier. Also amplifier can add something bad to headphones
simple example
CPU>Hexagon>Digital to-analog (DAC) converter>Amplifier>audio output
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe that's why flac got more noise then aac since it's more complex codec?
btw is it possible to reduce the noise by software method? maybe identify the noise and eliminate it before audio out?

KWOKSFUNG said:
Maybe that's why flac got more noise then aac since it's more complex codec?
btw is it possible to reduce the noise by software method? maybe identify the noise and eliminate it before audio out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's strange but I didn't notice any huge noise on lossless codecs were it will be bigger than non-lossless. Maybe you have ****ty FLAC files with recorded noise or player have bad libs or your device have damaged amplifier. It shouldn't matter what data is processed. What player do you use?
And FLAC is simplest than AAC, it's only carry more data and it's real-time decoded (unlike AAC).

zigory said:
It's strange but I didn't notice any huge noise on lossless codecs were it will be bigger than non-lossless. Maybe you have ****ty FLAC files with recorded noise or player have bad libs or your device have damaged amplifier. It shouldn't matter what data is processed. What player do you use?
And FLAC is simplest than AAC, it's only carry more data and it's real-time decoded (unlike AAC).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use Walkman player with dreamingonmusic mod
I'm thinking maybe the flac files I got sucks becoz they are encoded by people who bought the disc and AAC might be higher quality becoz they are official version encoded by iTunes.
(well I'm those bada** who keep download and never perchase a disc.)
But seems I got zero noise no matter AAC or flac after I lower the kernel volume gain

sorry OP but i've audiophile grade headphones and i dont hear any hiss. Sound is crisp and quiet good, just like samsung flagships. I use stereo speaker mod, it increases headphone volume too. Even at high volumes theres little to no hum while playing FLACs with PowerAMP.

Doesnt work for me

taranfx said:
sorry OP but i've audiophile grade headphones and i dont hear any hiss. Sound is crisp and quiet good, just like samsung flagships. I use stereo speaker mod, it increases headphone volume too. Even at high volumes theres little to no hum while playing FLACs with PowerAMP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good for you.... actually the noise is most obvious in the silent part of songs. It wont really mute on those part but some s**tty noise might be made. Yes, the noise seems much less significant if u use headphone with high resistance. Or maybe your headphone is so good that it can cancel noises.
Btw EX650AP is my primary earphone for this phone and I'm pretty sure this method cancel most (if not all) noises i heard in silent part of music

richmaster1o2 said:
Doesnt work for me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
U on stock kernel?

KWOKSFUNG said:
Good for you.... actually the noise is most obvious in the silent part of songs. It wont really mute on those part but some s**tty noise might be made. Yes, the noise seems much less significant if u use headphone with high resistance. Or maybe your headphone is so good that it can cancel noises.
Btw EX650AP is my primary earphone for this phone and I'm pretty sure this method cancel most (if not all) noises i heard in silent part of music
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Won't it like, decrease anything else?
Cause that noise is driving we crazy sometime.
And it worse when I increase bass, clearity, etc.
Ps.I thought I was the only one having this problem cause in samsung
It doesn't have this "thing".but, the sound quality is not so good

Tikaroz said:
Won't it like, decrease anything else?
Cause that noise is driving we crazy sometime.
And it worse when I increase bass, clearity, etc.
Ps.I thought I was the only one having this problem cause in samsung
It doesn't have this "thing".but, the sound quality is not so good
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So samsung actually has worse quality in music but it got no noise?
yea i was also pretty disappointed in the music when i first got the Z1. Need audio mod to reduce it before (even it doesnt kill them all)
Sometimes i really get mad when i hear those "shilishaglag" sound.
Seems to be the problem of the amplifier. We were supposed to be given with S-Master Amplifier but they cut it off in the final product.
Maybe sony mis-calculated it will cause noise
sucks to be guys who dont root or use custom kernel

KWOKSFUNG said:
So samsung actually has worse quality in music but it got no noise?
yea i was also pretty disappointed in the music when i first got the Z1. Need audio mod to reduce it before (even it doesnt kill them all)
Sometimes i really get mad when i hear those "shilishaglag" sound.
Seems to be the problem of the amplifier. We were supposed to be given with S-Master Amplifier but they cut it off in the final product.
Maybe sony mis-calculated it will cause noise
sucks to be guys who dont root or use custom kernel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Camera is the first thing in sony that doesn't get mess up with hardware itself
(well, instead we got the the software to mess it up for us anyway..you know [over-compression])
Orther than that they just pretty much rune everything
Good screen with yellow hue and touch problem.
Nice hardware on board with vibration issue
Out standing sound quality with weird noises, etc.
I hope Z4 will turn out good cause I really like their firmware and sony xda forum.
A lot of thing to mod

Tikaroz said:
Camera is the first thing in sony that doesn't get mess up with hardware itself
(well, instead we got the the software to mess it up for us anyway..you know [over-compression])
Orther than that they just pretty much rune everything
Good screen with yellow hue and touch problem.
Nice hardware on board with vibration issue
Out standing sound quality with weird noises, etc.
I hope Z4 will turn out good cause I really like their firmware and sony xda forum.
A lot of thing to mod
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly what i think
I really cant get what those guys in xperia software department are thinking
Xperia Z1 is so under performed without mods
btw i really think they should add a better amplifier if they insist to produce such loud sound in earphone mode

They might have done something good with Z3 already cause I heard the only "WoW!" thing is
The new chip for sound enhancement
But I won't get this one expensive device that should have been called "Z2"
They should just release flagship every year and that's it.
I'll wait for Z4 or Z4 compact.
Will not give up on them yet.

Tikaroz said:
They might have done something good with Z3 already cause I heard the only "WoW!" thing is
The new chip for sound enhancement
But I won't get this one expensive device that should have been called "Z2"
They should just release flagship every year and that's it.
I'll wait for Z4 or Z4 compact.
Will not give up on them yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wait wait there's finally dedicated audio chip??
is that true?
Calm down.... I'll use the Z1 for 1 more year at least

S6 audio quality..

It seems that we have a winner for audiophile headphones listeners...gsm arena has confirmed in audio quality test that S6 is better than last year htc m8. One drawback is the volume levels ( this is samsung registered trademark) but this is easely resolved by adding an external amplifier or by rooting and modify the volume levels.
I'm waiting for real world reviewers!!
P.S. exynox + wolfston was always a winner in this category and it seems that this time Samsung has a winner...

calinormy said:
It seems that we have a winner for audiophile headphones listeners...gsm arena has confirmed in audio quality test that S6 is better than last year htc m8. One drawback is the volume levels ( this is samsung registered trademark) but this is easely resolved by adding an external amplifier or by rooting and modify the volume levels.
I'm waiting for real world reviewers!!
P.S. exynox + wolfston was always a winner in this category and it seems that this time Samsung has a winner...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This time I agree with them, but what they writes better not to read. Look only tests results.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=56587777&postcount=17
Dynamic range (higher is better)
htc one m8 93.9
galaxy s6 91.9
Noise level (higher is better)
htc one m8 -94.9
galaxy s6 -92.6
Stereo Crosstalk (higher is better)
galaxy s6 -83.4
htc one (m8) -79.7
Smoother green line is better
galaxy s6
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htc one m8

2 points difference in dinamic range or noise level means for me nothing considering that stereo crosstalk is now the best for any phone.
Samsung with snapdragon had prapund -55 and now we have -83. The days with the sound delivered in the center of our head ar gone, now we have space in music!

So happy to see this. I still don't understand for the life in me why Samsung devices always have low volume output through headphones. Its very annoying in the gym.

borimol said:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was going to post the same.
Just for reference, dB is more like a logarithmic scale. It means 70 dB intensity is 10x more than 60 dB. Similarly 80 dB intensity is 10x more than 70 dB.
The difference here is 5.4 dB. This means that the actual sound intensity is increased by 3.46 times. For quick calculation of difference in sound intensity from dB:
- Find the difference (which is 75.9 - 70.5 = 5.4)
- Divide this by 10 (5.4/10 = 0.54)
- Find the base 10 antilog of 0.54 (use this antilog calculator link, which is 3.46 times)
And somehow GSMArena found S6 to be quieter than S5
The loudspeaker is average in loudness and quieter than the Galaxy S5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

MattMJB0188 said:
So happy to see this. I still don't understand for the life in me why Samsung devices always have low volume output through headphones. Its very annoying in the gym.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe cheap earbuds or possibly need some ear cleaning?
my S4 i rarely go past 60-70% while at the gym and it's more than loud for me. i don't like taking my earbuds off and hearing my ears ring afterwards.. it's no wonder people seem to be going deaf these days..

Gsmarena has found that speaker loudness is worst than s5, not the headphone volume...

calinormy said:
Gsmarena has found that speaker loudness is worst than s5, not the headphone volume...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And they have already been proven wrong a few times. Their review sucked

calinormy said:
It seems that we have a winner for audiophile headphones listeners...gsm arena has confirmed in audio quality test that S6 is better than last year htc m8. One drawback is the volume levels ( this is samsung registered trademark) but this is easely resolved by adding an external amplifier or by rooting and modify the volume levels.
I'm waiting for real world reviewers!!
P.S. exynox + wolfston was always a winner in this category and it seems that this time Samsung has a winner...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do u still listen to music from ur phone with the built in audio jack? like seriously? -_-
there are quite affordable audio AMPs and DACs combos available these days, and they DO make a difference. why not get the portable ones and use them to power ur music?
thats the dilemma, people are ready to spend like US $800 on a phone but cant buy a US $50 audio device to power their music and call them selves, "AUDIOPHILE"....
*SMH*

aami.aami said:
do u still listen to music from ur phone with the built in audio jack? like seriously? -_-
there are quite affordable audio AMPs and DACs combos available these days, and they DO make a difference. why not get the portable ones and use them to power ur music?
thats the dilemma, people are ready to spend like US $800 on a phone but cant buy a US $50 audio device to power their music and call them selves, "AUDIOPHILE"....
*SMH*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh gawd...one of those...
Do you really play games on your phone? That's what a PC is for..
Do you really take pictures with your phone? Buy a real camera!
Do you really watch movies? That's what a TV is for.
A smartphone is a jack of all trades master of non. So yes..I listen to music on my phone. And I expect it to do well.

Think the same. Yes, I listen music on my mobile phone, and, for me, it's something important.

If you rely on the USB DAC for audio you will lose the ability to pick up calls handsfree while listening to music, and more importantly stress the USB connector if you are listening on the go. My only concern with the headphone audio is a comment made by François Simond ( Supercurio ) about his listening to the S6, possible artifacts in resampling 44.1 to 48k on the device.

any idea if its better than the note 4?
its my current music device, carrying 15gbs of music (mp3 and under 320)

GreeleyXda said:
any idea if its better than the note 4?
its my current music device, carrying 15gbs of music (mp3 and under 320)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's almost guaranteed to be better. The Note 4 uses the built in DAC on the Snapdragon 805 chip which is considered to be fairly poor. The S6 on the other hand will use a Wolfson DAC which will sound great stock and even better when developers begin tuning the sound output.
Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

This is the main reason I'm getting the s6 (don't know if I'll get the edge or the regular. Depends on pricing t-mobile gives). Last phone with a dedicated dac was the galaxy note 2 for tmobile with the exynos chip. The dac and everything sound a great and a custom kernel by boeffla taped into the dac to unleash it's full potential. I'm not an audiophile but I do like my music to sound good on mobile. Converted all my flacs to m4a and have the vmoda m100 and that's plenty for me. Have looked at USB dac but I don't want to have to worry about anything else. Also Samsung pay has me drooling a little but. Hopefully tripping KNOX by rooting the thing doesn't Disable Samsung pay

msavic6 said:
It's almost guaranteed to be better. The Note 4 uses the built in DAC on the Snapdragon 805 chip which is considered to be fairly poor. The S6 on the other hand will use a Wolfson DAC which will sound great stock and even better when developers begin tuning the sound output.
Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I brought my mrs note 4 down to the samsung experience store with me when I tried out the s6 in headphones. The s6 is cleaner sounding but the note 4 is louder.

RCJ89 said:
I brought my mrs note 4 down to the samsung experience store with me when I tried out the s6. The s6 is cleaner sounding but the note 4 is louder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure if you tested headphone output or speaker quality but the DAC will have most of an effect on the headphone output. A great DAC can't make up for crappy speakers.
Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

msavic6 said:
I'm not sure if you tested headphone output or speaker quality but the DAC will have most of an effect on the headphone output. A great DAC can't make up for crappy speakers.
Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note 4 is louder in Headphones. I personally couldn't care about speakers that much, as long as its loud enough to hear my callas and texts thats good enough for me and the note 4 is louder than the s6 in speaker too.

msavic6 said:
It's almost guaranteed to be better. The Note 4 uses the built in DAC on the Snapdragon 805 chip which is considered to be fairly poor. The S6 on the other hand will use a Wolfson DAC which will sound great stock and even better when developers begin tuning the sound output.
Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you know this? Do you have any reviews that back this up?
Ta

Note 5 - headphone jack audio performance measurements

Hi guys,
Some hardcore audiophile data here. Measured the output of the Note 5 using AudioPrecision APx525. Some interesting facts and graphs below.
Simply put: it's an audiophile's dream!
Supports high resolution playback up to 192 kHz. Also FLAC by the way.
Extremely flat frequency response: <0.03 dB delta upto 20 kHz, <0.35 dB delta upto 96 kHz
Very good dynamic range: 98 dB at max output level, 120dB at default output level
Relatively low output level: -8dBV (400mV using a 0dBFS signal) into a 16 Ohm load (for reference, Asian iPhone 6 = -1 dBV)
Output impedance: 4.6 Ohm
NOTE: all measurements done into a 16 Ohm load (standard headphone impedance).
Graphs
Relative output level in dB
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THD+N spectrum
Red = for max output level
Blue =for default output level
UPDATE
I've done some more measurements to understand what the UHQ and Tube Amp Pro settings do. No surprises really, pure gimmicks in my opinion.
(1) Tube Amp Pro
Relative response level
THD+N spectrum
So, the Tube settings does 3 things:
EQ the low end. Less sub and more low mid range.
Add harmonic distortion in the low frequencies.
Remove very high frequencies.
Kind of expected for this kind of effect. I'll leave it up to your own subjective evaluation whether you want less bass and more distortion in your music :laugh:
(2) UHQ
I've only tested UHQ using an uncompressed file, but I think I know what it is trying to do.
RED curve = no UHQ spectrum
GREEN curve = UHQ spectrum
When using a high res file, turning UHQ ON did nothing. When I used a file which only has content up to 20 kHz ... something did happen.
It's clearly adding ultrasound content to the audio (i.e. content that was not originally there!). The test signal used here is an analytical multi tone signal. The measurement is normally very clean and sharp (see the red curve). The UHQ measurement shows (1) more distortion and (2) additional ultrasound harmonic content. The only reason I can imagine for adding this noise is to force the DAC to work in a higher sampling rate. I don't see the point to be honest, especially if it's being done by adding unnecessary noise and quite high levels of ultrasound harmonics.

Willyman said:
Hi guys,
Some hardcore audiophile data here. Measured the output of the Note 5 using AudioPrecision APx525. Some interesting facts and graphs below.
Simply put: it's an audiophile's dream!
Supports high resolution playback up to 192 kHz. Also FLAC by the way.
Extremely flat frequency response: <0.03 dB delta upto 20 kHz, <0.35 dB delta upto 96 kHz
Very good dynamic range: 98 dB at max output level, 120dB at default output level
Relatively low output level: -8dBV into a 16 Ohm load (for reference, Asian iPhone 6 = -1 dBV)
I still need to measure the output impedance, can certainly be useful for people to know.
I posted graphs on the Android Central forum, but it's not allowing me yet to have external links... I just signed up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for quantifying this in such detail. I knew the audio was impressive but these are some great insights!

eousphoros said:
Thank you for quantifying this in such detail. I knew the audio was impressive but these are some great insights!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My pleasure. I couldn't wait to get the measurement on the way, it really sounds fantastic. I would say on par with some of much more expensive dedicated headphone AMP/DAC combos I have here in my office.
By the way, I'm having my doubts if the dBV measurement is correct. It appears louder than that. It's a new AP setup for me, so I might have made a mistake. I'll measure the output level in a much more straightforward way (0 dBFS file -> load -> multimeter) and confirm or correct the result.

Willyman said:
My pleasure. I couldn't wait to get the measurement on the way, it really sounds fantastic. I would say on par with some of much more expensive dedicated headphone AMP/DAC combos I have here in my office.
By the way, I'm having my doubts if the dBV measurement is correct. It appears louder than that. It's a new AP setup for me, so I might have made a mistake. I'll measure the output level in a much more straightforward way (0 dBFS file -> load -> multimeter) and confirm or correct the result.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Output level confirmed and I've added the output impedance after measureing it just now.

Great, now I just have to find a cable that's compatible with my case. The plug on my JH-16 pros has to make contact with the phone (obviously), problem is that the plug is too wide for the case.
How does the volume level compare to an iOS device/Note 4? I ask because on the Note 4 I have to put it to at least 60% while on my iPod touch 5th gen 50% felt a little too loud?

Hiya Buddy said:
Great, now I just have to find a cable that's compatible with my case. The plug on my JH-16 pros has to make contact with the phone (obviously), problem is that the plug is too wide for the case.
How does the volume level compare to an iOS device/Note 4? I ask because on the Note 4 I have to put it to at least 60% while on my iPod touch 5th gen 50% felt a little too loud��
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends. European versions of iPhone are hard limited to around 450 mV (health guidelines). Asian iPhone 6's go up to very close to a 1 V RMS (800-1000 mV, depending on the load impedance). Worth knowing though that the last volume step of the iPhone 6 actually has internal audio clipping. I don't know what version they sell in the US.

Willyman said:
My pleasure. I couldn't wait to get the measurement on the way, it really sounds fantastic. I would say on par with some of much more expensive dedicated headphone AMP/DAC combos I have here in my office.
By the way, I'm having my doubts if the dBV measurement is correct. It appears louder than that. It's a new AP setup for me, so I might have made a mistake. I'll measure the output level in a much more straightforward way (0 dBFS file -> load -> multimeter) and confirm or correct the result.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great to know this buddy.... I cafe for good audiophile quality sound.... I have fiio x3 dedicated music played.
So you mean it sound similar to what a dedicated player would sound? Also using the UHQ sound option, does that are sound better or shall we leave it off?
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk

saj2001ind said:
Great to know this buddy.... I cafe for good audiophile quality sound.... I have fiio x3 dedicated music played.
So you mean it sound similar to what a dedicated player would sound? Also using the UHQ sound option, does that are sound better or shall we leave it off?
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have experience with the fiio's. I was doing some subjective comparisons with some pretty nice DAC/amps and a very nice dedicated player (can't say the names, without giving away who I work for) and it held its own. Not bad for a phone. The measurements are just there to back up my subjective experience. I just know I will be thoroughly enjoying listening to music on this device.
With regards to UHQ... audio engineering is my job and frankly marketing nonsense like this makes me laugh. The Note 5 plays full range high res audio without enabling this function. I don't know what it does and I'm not even sure I will be able to measure it, unless if it's just some subtle high frequency EQ-ing like I've been reading. This should be the giveaway: UHQ works with both wired connections and Bluetooth... Bluetooth is severely band-limited (yes, even the fancy APTx) and I would be careful labelling this UHQ.

Willyman said:
I don't have experience with the fiio's. I was doing some subjective comparisons with some pretty nice DAC/amps and a very nice dedicated player (can't say the names, without giving away who I work for) and it held its own. Not bad for a phone. The measurements are just there to back up my subjective experience. I just know I will be thoroughly enjoying listening to music on this device.
With regards to UHQ... audio engineering is my job and frankly marketing nonsense like this makes me laugh. The Note 5 plays full range high res audio without enabling this function. I don't know what it does and I'm not even sure I will be able to measure it, unless if it's just some subtle high frequency EQ-ing like I've been reading. This should be the giveaway: UHQ works with both wired connections and Bluetooth... Bluetooth is severely band-limited (yes, even the fancy APTx) and I would be careful labelling this UHQ.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool so do you recommend keeping the UHQ setting on or let it be off for cleaner sound ?
Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

saj2001ind said:
Great to know this buddy.... I cafe for good audiophile quality sound.... I have fiio x3 dedicated music played.
So you mean it sound similar to what a dedicated player would sound? Also using the UHQ sound option, does that are sound better or shall we leave it off?
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
saj2001ind said:
Cool so do you recommend keeping the UHQ setting on or let it be off for cleaner sound ?
Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why don't you listen and decide which one you think sounds best? It's all subjective anyway.

Willyman said:
Why don't you listen and decide which one you think sounds best? It's all subjective anyway. [emoji14]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know I just need an experts advice
Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

saj2001ind said:
I know I just need an experts advice
Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, OK. There is no need to turn it on. It will not make things more clear or higher quality.

Willyman said:
Haha, OK. There is no need to turn it on. It will not make things more clear or higher quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay cool thanks but if u can make out technically what that does pls do let us know.... I would like that some hardware sound chip tuning rather than just some crazy software eq
Also do you have any idea what dac note 5 has....is it Wolfson....
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk

saj2001ind said:
Okay cool thanks but if u can make out technically what that does pls do let us know.... I would like that some hardware sound chip tuning rather than just some crazy software eq
Also do you have any idea what dac note 5 has....is it Wolfson....
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've read it's the same Wolfson as in the Galaxy S6, but don't quote me on that.
Also, I've uploaded the graphs now since I hit 10 posts :laugh:

Willyman said:
I've read it's the same Wolfson as in the Galaxy S6, but don't quote me on that.
Also, I've uploaded the graphs now since I hit 10 posts [emoji23]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool you got to thank me and my questions for completing ur 10 posts
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 08:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:16 PM ----------
Can I also ask which played on phone u used while measuring. .was it Samsung music player or some other music app ?
Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

Willyman said:
Why don't you listen and decide which one you think sounds best? It's all subjective anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The UHQ setting is greyed out for me. Does anyone know why? Thanks
roger1955
SM-N920T
32 gb Black Sapphire

roger1955 said:
The UHQ setting is greyed out for me. Does anyone know why? Thanks
roger1955
SM-N920T
32 gb Black Shappire
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
U got to plug in a headphone to activate it
Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

Willyman said:
I don't have experience with the fiio's. I was doing some subjective comparisons with some pretty nice DAC/amps and a very nice dedicated player (can't say the names, without giving away who I work for) and it held its own. Not bad for a phone. The measurements are just there to back up my subjective experience. I just know I will be thoroughly enjoying listening to music on this device.
With regards to UHQ... audio engineering is my job and frankly marketing nonsense like this makes me laugh. The Note 5 plays full range high res audio without enabling this function. I don't know what it does and I'm not even sure I will be able to measure it, unless if it's just some subtle high frequency EQ-ing like I've been reading. This should be the giveaway: UHQ works with both wired connections and Bluetooth... Bluetooth is severely band-limited (yes, even the fancy APTx) and I would be careful labelling this UHQ.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't work with Bluetooth though. I read that it enables some higher frequency on the sound chip or something like that
---------- Post added at 12:28 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:23 AM ----------
So I have a question... Should I enable the "adept sound" like what is it, it supposedly does? Does it dirty up the sound and how about the tube amp pro? Does that introduce more noise to the signal? For best results in a professional opinion should I leave everything off when using a wired connection. And Bluetooth for that matter. I'm using the Samsung level OVers so I listen both ways. I know the sound alive makes music sound bad in my opinion.... I actually made a post asking this stuff in the T-Mobile forums.

nique0201 said:
It doesn't work with Bluetooth though. I read that it enables some higher frequency on the sound chip or something like that
---------- Post added at 12:28 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:23 AM ----------
So I have a question... Should I enable the "adept sound" like what is it, it supposedly does? Does it dirty up the sound and how about the tube amp pro? Does that introduce more noise to the signal? For best results in a professional opinion should I leave everything off when using a wired connection. And Bluetooth for that matter. I'm using the Samsung level OVers so I listen both ways. I know the sound alive makes music sound bad in my opinion.... I actually made a post asking this stuff in the T-Mobile forums.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://global.samsungtomorrow.com/s...eadphones-for-a-premium-listening-experience/
UHQ Audio: With the new Level On Wireless Pro, Samsung introduces Ultra High Quality Audio (UHQA) that
gives listeners a rich, high definition sound experience. UHQA transmission is possible with both wired and wireless device options. UHQA’s sound quality is higher than that of a CD, providing an almost live listening experience. The Level On Wireless Pro headphones also feature premium dual layered diaphragm, helping to create a more balanced sound.
HIgher than CD quality over Bluetooth? Bull****.
How I think the UHQ upscaler might work is through a principle called upsampling. It will force the DAC to work at higher sampling rates, even if the original file is not high res. This allows the filters used in the digital to analog conversion to be smoother, less prone to errors. We're talking very very subtle differences here though. In this use case, I doubt anyone will be able to reliably identify the UHQ version in a blind test.
RE: Adeptsound. It will use a simplified audiology test go get a view on your hearing deficiencies and then tune the sound to compensate. Example: if your a 50 year old man who's losing sensitivity for the high frequencies, this test will pick up on that and add high frequencies in the music signal. I think this might have benefits for sure... if you are going slightly deaf. Otherwise, your brain is perfectly adapted to the little deficiencies in your hearing, there is no need to compensate for them. But, don't take my word for it. Give it a try. If you think it makes your music sound better, excellent.

Willyman said:
http://global.samsungtomorrow.com/s...eadphones-for-a-premium-listening-experience/
UHQ Audio: With the new Level On Wireless Pro, Samsung introduces Ultra High Quality Audio (UHQA) that
gives listeners a rich, high definition sound experience. UHQA transmission is possible with both wired and wireless device options. UHQA’s sound quality is higher than that of a CD, providing an almost live listening experience. The Level On Wireless Pro headphones also feature premium dual layered diaphragm, helping to create a more balanced sound.
HIgher than CD quality over Bluetooth? Bull****.
How I think the UHQ upscaler might work is through a principle called upsampling. It will force the DAC to work at higher sampling rates, even if the original file is not high res. This allows the filters used in the digital to analog conversion to be smoother, less prone to errors. We're talking very very subtle differences here though. In this use case, I doubt anyone will be able to reliably identify the UHQ version in a blind test.
RE: Adeptsound. It will use a simplified audiology test go get a view on your hearing deficiencies and then tune the sound to compensate. Example: if your a 50 year old man who's losing sensitivity for the high frequencies, this test will pick up on that and add high frequencies in the music signal. I think this might have benefits for sure... if you are going slightly deaf. Otherwise, your brain is perfectly adapted to the little deficiencies in your hearing, there is no need to compensate for them. But, don't take my word for it. Give it a try. If you think it makes your music sound better, excellent.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Should I use tube amp pro or sound alive? What do they do or are they gimmick that mess up the sound in the long run?