Database Users

Quality audio

Hello to all!
does any body has done a deep review about the sound quality in s4?
is it good with earphones?
s3 was not so good and i use the mod beats.
in s4 is there an upgrade ?
bass are good?
really thanks!

marci4na said:
Hello to all!
does any body has done a deep review about the sound quality in s4?
is it good with earphones?
s3 was not so good and i use the mod beats.
in s4 is there an upgrade ?
bass are good?
really thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The volume is higher than both S3 and N2, but my personal opinion is that there still is missing some "Ompfff Ompfff Ompfff" comparing to other phones in my collection.

dondavis007 said:
The volume is higher than both S3 and N2, but my personal opinion is that there still is missing some "Ompfff Ompfff Ompfff" comparing to other phones in my collection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
with poweramp?
have you set equ properlY?

I have been trying out different songs on the S4 I9505X on both bass boost and custom mode and normal mode with different songs vs my HTC one with beats on/off using ur beats earphones.
I tell you what the HTC is louder with beats on/off vs the S4 in bass boost/custom but the S4 has way more bass and is better to listen to imo.
With the S4 is normal mode the s4 is about three notches off being as loud as the htc one, so I dont know where on earth GSM arena get average volume levels from as the S4 is a beast for music I was so shocked at not only the loudness but the clarity as I have to listen to my htc one now with power amp to get proper bass but on the s4 i dont. It is far better than the S3/Note 2 aswell the note 2/s3 with power amp sucks imo its too distorted.
*The things I prefer on my htc one are
the screen but the difference isnt like it was with the one x vs the s3, as the screen on the s4 is nice.
*I prefer the fact i can send ten page messages where as on the s4 its only three page messages, also I prefer HTCs keyboard and spelling.saving words better
*I think video and defo video audio is better on the One
*Speakers on the one are better
*weather widget/clock
*the one is generally quicker as well
But there is alot of great things about the S4 and I cant wait to get one.

r89HTC said:
I have been trying out different songs on the S4 I9505X on both bass boost and custom mode and normal mode with different songs vs my HTC one with beats on/off using ur beats earphones.
I tell you what the HTC is louder with beats on/off vs the S4 in bass boost/custom but the S4 has way more bass and is better to listen to imo.
With the S4 is normal mode the s4 is about three notches off being as loud as the htc one, so I dont know where on earth GSM arena get average volume levels from as the S4 is a beast for music I was so shocked at not only the loudness but the clarity as I have to listen to my htc one now with power amp to get proper bass but on the s4 i dont. It is far better than the S3/Note 2 aswell the note 2/s3 with power amp sucks imo its too distorted.
*The things I prefer on my htc one are
the screen but the difference isnt like it was with the one x vs the s3, as the screen on the s4 is nice.
*I prefer the fact i can send ten page messages where as on the s4 its only three page messages, also I prefer HTCs keyboard and spelling.saving words better
*I think video and defo video audio is better on the One
*Speakers on the one are better
*weather widget/clock
*the one is generally quicker as well
But there is alot of great things about the S4 and I cant wait to get one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks dude! so it's ok!
i am wondering why someone says that it has got orrible quality without basses...

marci4na said:
thanks dude! so it's ok!
i am wondering why someone says that it has got orrible quality without basses...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have tried 6 different I9505Xs in the last 3 days in different shops the audio is the same, clear, loud and great bass. great phone the only things I would change is the keyboard, the text message limit of 3 pages, camera/video FOV and the audio mics and most importantly price lol.

Is there any background static at all? I will be connecting this to my car though and AUX jack and if there is any background noise it is amplified and thus very noticeable when no songs are playing.

geofox784 said:
Is there any background static at all? I will be connecting this to my car though and AUX jack and if there is any background noise it is amplified and thus very noticeable when no songs are playing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I havent noticed any background static on the S4, I notice it in some songs on my HTC though

geofox784 said:
Is there any background static at all? I will be connecting this to my car though and AUX jack and if there is any background noise it is amplified and thus very noticeable when no songs are playing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get some noise but my s3 did too. Think it's more to do with my wire/stereo. Thinking of buying a ground loop isolater to see if that helps. Its only noticeable in quiet parts though.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium

skibadee said:
I get some noise but my s3 did too. Think it's more to do with my wire/stereo. Thinking of buying a ground loop isolater to see if that helps. Its only noticeable in quiet parts though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does it sound electrical? Like if the you do something on the phone (scroll a page, load something, etc.) does the sound change? If yes, then its the phones fault and it will be much more noticeable.
Here is an example where someone else had a problem with a computer: http://www.sevenforums.com/sound-au...und-noises-my-headset-plugged-sound-card.html

geofox784 said:
Does it sound electrical? Like if the you do something on the phone (scroll a page, load something, etc.) does the sound change? If yes, then its the phones fault and it will be much more noticeable.
Here is an example where someone else had a problem with a computer: http://www.sevenforums.com/sound-au...und-noises-my-headset-plugged-sound-card.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's like an electrical/static whine. It happens all the time, even with the phones screen off just playing tunes.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium

r89HTC said:
I havent noticed any background static on the S4, I notice it in some songs on my HTC though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I noticed a lot of noise on the HTC One, but it went away when I turned off Beats. Is this the same behavior you are seeing?

Voltage Spike said:
I noticed a lot of noise on the HTC One, but it went away when I turned off Beats. Is this the same behavior you are seeing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will do a test today, as i normally listen to music via power amp. I know i get distortion in some songs on power amp with beats on havent tried it with beats off. Tbh I do miss having a standard music player with customizations like on the S4.
I am very impressed with the S4s overall audio its better than the HTC for clarity, bass and its not far off the loudness either, for me to get the same sort of bass the s4 has I have to use power amp, I can only imagine how power amp sounds on the s4.
I mean I was so tempted to swap my HTC One for a S4 but there is still things i prefer on the htc, like messaging (especially as I often send very long messages (s4 limits you to 3 pages) and send messages to mutliple contacts (s4 limits you to 10 contacts), video/video audio, speakers, can watch videos when in a phone call using stock video player but the S4 does have a hell of a lot of easier to use features, like notification toggles and the gesture stuff and the fact u can use any gloves on the screen.

Audio quality is pretty okay, but take note of this if you use low impedance earphones:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2258831

Voltage Spike said:
I noticed a lot of noise on the HTC One, but it went away when I turned off Beats. Is this the same behavior you are seeing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Having been listening to loads of songs on my One, I have tried the phone with stock music player with beats on/off the sound is defo clearer with beats off on most songs other songs its about the same and then others beats audio on is better.
On power amp songs are defo clearer with beats audio off.
I also tried a few of the same songs on the S4 and didnt have the same problems in normal mode of bass boost or custom.
Btw I have found something interesting about the I9505X , the white models (and I have tried about 5 now in loads of different shops) have lower volume than the black version and I have done black/white side by side comparisons and the white version definately has lower volume wtf is up with that. Not that is concerns me as I am going for the black anyway but I find that strange.

r89HTC said:
Having been listening to loads of songs on my One, I have tried the phone with stock music player with beats on/off the sound is defo clearer with beats off on most songs other songs its about the same and then others beats audio on is better.
On power amp songs are defo clearer with beats audio off.
I also tried a few of the same songs on the S4 and didnt have the same problems in normal mode of bass boost or custom.
Btw I have found something interesting about the I9505X , the white models (and I have tried about 5 now in loads of different shops) have lower volume than the black version and I have done black/white side by side comparisons and the white version definately has lower volume wtf is up with that. Not that is concerns me as I am going for the black anyway but I find that strange.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so btw s4 and htc whats do you prefer?
i use poweramp with sennheizer cx300 and full bass and treble equ.
with s3 i had beats mod...do you thik i will hear differences with my s4?
thanks

marci4na said:
so btw s4 and htc whats do you prefer?
i use poweramp with sennheizer cx300 and full bass and treble equ.
with s3 i had beats mod...do you thik i will hear differences with my s4?
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Defo prefer the S4,
The sound quality on the s4 is far better than that on the s3. Music is the third most used thing on a phone for me after calls and texts, then its watching videos, then taking pics and videos.
out of those things the S4 wins on calls, music, watching videos, taking pics (in most situations) aldo video quality imo is as good as the HTC but HTC has better sound and I could really do with the longer battery life and memory card slot now seeing as I am rapidly eating into the 25gb that came with the phone

r89HTC said:
Defo prefer the S4,
The sound quality on the s4 is far better than that on the s3. Music is the third most used thing on a phone for me after calls and texts, then its watching videos, then taking pics and videos.
out of those things the S4 wins on calls, music, watching videos, taking pics (in most situations) aldo video quality imo is as good as the HTC but HTC has better sound and I could really do with the longer battery life and memory card slot now seeing as I am rapidly eating into the 25gb that came with the phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hello! have you heard about this?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2258831
do you know anything?
i am terrified...my s4 is not yet arrived....

marci4na said:
hello! have you heard about this?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2258831
do you know anything?
i am terrified...my s4 is not yet arrived....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep I had seen that before I got my s4 and was not worried atall and now i have my s4 i am not worried now as I have no issues with my s4

marci4na said:
hello! have you heard about this?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2258831
do you know anything?
i am terrified...my s4 is not yet arrived....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The CX300 supposedly has issues with the S4. But it may have been solved with later batches. Do report back whether it sounds fine at higher volumes!

[Q] Note 2 vs Note 3 Headphone Jack Audio Out

So, I download the same songs on both devices (same source)
I have the International Version of the Note 2 n7100
and I have the Canadian Version of the Note 3 Snapdragon
My headphones are JVC HA-FXT90 ( http://www.head-fi.org/products/jvc-ha-fxt90 )
I set the volume to 10 on both devices... and I do the snap test near the ear to see if I can here the snap
on the note 2 I can't hear the snap or claps
Note 3 I am disappointed being such a premium device with a high price the sound via the headphones is not where it should be.
ANyone else feel that way? I know there is posts about speakers etc.. but this is just about the headphone out only.

habs101 said:
So, I download the same songs on both devices (same source)
I have the International Version of the Note 2 n7100
and I have the Canadian Version of the Note 3 Snapdragon
My headphones are JVC HA-FXT90 ( http://www.head-fi.org/products/jvc-ha-fxt90 )
I set the volume to 10 on both devices... and I do the snap test near the ear to see if I can here the snap
on the note 2 I can't hear the snap or claps
Note 3 I am disappointed being such a premium device with a high price the sound via the headphones is not where it should be.
ANyone else feel that way? I know there is posts about speakers etc.. but this is just about the headphone out only.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nope mine sound pretty dam good to me

jaythenut said:
nope mine sound pretty dam good to me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
are u comparing it to the note 2?

habs101 said:
are u comparing it to the note 2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep using poweramp

jaythenut said:
Yep using poweramp
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeh that is weird.. I need to go in store and try a different note 3 and see if it just mine..

habs101 said:
So, I download the same songs on both devices (same source)
I have the International Version of the Note 2 n7100
and I have the Canadian Version of the Note 3 Snapdragon
My headphones are JVC HA-FXT90 ( http://www.head-fi.org/products/jvc-ha-fxt90 )
I set the volume to 10 on both devices... and I do the snap test near the ear to see if I can here the snap
on the note 2 I can't hear the snap or claps
Note 3 I am disappointed being such a premium device with a high price the sound via the headphones is not where it should be.
ANyone else feel that way? I know there is posts about speakers etc.. but this is just about the headphone out only.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you complaining about the audio quality (as most people will be assuming), or do you mean it doesn't play loud enough to drain out outside noise? The Note 3 audio quality seems excellent, as you can also read in the gsmarena review, accompanied by beautiful graphs etc. The output level of the audio jack is on the low side, depending on the recording. Hope this answers your question.

Damn... yes my note 3 sound very very good.
And it is clearly superior to my old note 2, but a lot of people have a different opinion.
Inviato dal mio SM-N9005 con Tapatalk

Ettepetje said:
Are you complaining about the audio quality (as most people will be assuming), or do you mean it doesn't play loud enough to drain out outside noise? The Note 3 audio quality seems excellent, as you can also read in the gsmarena review, accompanied by beautiful graphs etc. The output level of the audio jack is on the low side, depending on the recording. Hope this answers your question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, when using the note 2 + headphones at volume 10 it drains outside noise with my headphones
When using the note 3 + the same headphones and same track.... to get the same effect I have to have the volume at 13..
it seems the via the headphones the note 3 is not as good as the note 2

habs101 said:
Yes, when using the note 2 + headphones at volume 10 it drains outside noise with my headphones
When using the note 3 + the same headphones and same track.... to get the same effect I have to have the volume at 13..
it seems the via the headphones the note 3 is not as good as the note 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To not ruin your ears I would suggest some closed headphones or good in-ear earphones. At my office me and several of my colleagues use some inexpensive Sennheiser HD201's, which are excellent for this. I would prefer using some high end head phones, like I have at home, but the best ones are not closed (so everything can be heard by you and people hear what you are listening to).

while i agree that note 2 sounded better than note 3, it didnt do so out of the box.
i had a custom firmware with a custom kernel supporting direct control and optimization for the wolfson dac in exyos note 2.
out of the box note 2 sounded lame.
note 3 snapdragon version isnt as good as custom kernel note 2 but with a lot of playing around with equalizer it does sound good (not great though)
i should point out that i have 9 IEMs and 7 full size cans including he400 hd650 and LCD 2 (version 1) with a few fiio amps/dacs and one top end burson audio dac/amp combo, so my views might be biased.
to the OP:
root your phone and install this:
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2470890 (for snapdragon sm-n9005 only, exynos has a different version)
i recommend the moderate version. the audio will be plenty loud enough and speaker will be very loud as well

[Q] Improving the N9005's Volume Levels / Techy Audiophiles' Assistance Needed

Hello all. Just recently purchased the Note 3 (upgraded from a Nexus 4, which was an upgrade from a Motorola Atrix) and one of the things that I've been missing is good audio quality. At the moment, the best sound from any mobile device in my experience was that of the Atrix running CM7.2. Yes, it even beat the original Galaxy i9000 with the Wolfson chip, and even all of the iPhones. To this day I don't know what the DAC was that was running off of the Atrix's Tegra core.
Anyway, the Nexus 4's audio was... forgettable. Samsung did a good job with the Note 3, unfortunately the volume levels are still poor. Much improved from the Nexus 4, but still nowhere near where I would like it to be.
For comparison, I mostly listen to my music on a FiiO X3, although I don't like that the X3 can't read HE-AAC v2 (fantastic compression, especially for audio books), and the X3 doesn't have Last.FM scrobbling features. I still use it since the Wolfson chip really delivers and it sounds beautiful.
Software-wise on the N9005, the N9005 built in player delivers the best playback options. WinAmp sounds okay, but PowerAMP actually performs worse. Enabling the effects in PowerAMP and the volume... goes down? Weird. So the built-in player and the DSP effects are really great, except for the volume levels.
The volume of the FiiO X3 goes from 0-60. The Note 3 goes from 0-15. The X3's volume at 30 (half) is almost the same as the Note 3 on MAX volume!
Now I'm not expecting the Note 3 to have the same power as the X3, but I feel like it could at least go a further 20% more.
Anyway, I'd appreciate any tips or recommendations will be most appreciated!

The.Opethian said:
Hello all. Just recently purchased the Note 3 (upgraded from a Nexus 4, which was an upgrade from a Motorola Atrix) and one of the things that I've been missing is good audio quality. At the moment, the best sound from any mobile device in my experience was that of the Atrix running CM7.2. Yes, it even beat the original Galaxy i9000 with the Wolfson chip, and even all of the iPhones. To this day I don't know what the DAC was that was running off of the Atrix's Tegra core.
Anyway, the Nexus 4's audio was... forgettable. Samsung did a good job with the Note 3, unfortunately the volume levels are still poor. Much improved from the Nexus 4, but still nowhere near where I would like it to be.
For comparison, I mostly listen to my music on a FiiO X3, although I don't like that the X3 can't read HE-AAC v2 (fantastic compression, especially for audio books), and the X3 doesn't have Last.FM scrobbling features. I still use it since the Wolfson chip really delivers and it sounds beautiful.
Software-wise on the N9005, the N9005 built in player delivers the best playback options. WinAmp sounds okay, but PowerAMP actually performs worse. Enabling the effects in PowerAMP and the volume... goes down? Weird. So the built-in player and the DSP effects are really great, except for the volume levels.
The volume of the FiiO X3 goes from 0-60. The Note 3 goes from 0-15. The X3's volume at 30 (half) is almost the same as the Note 3 on MAX volume!
Now I'm not expecting the Note 3 to have the same power as the X3, but I feel like it could at least go a further 20% more.
Anyway, I'd appreciate any tips or recommendations will be most appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There a re a couple of sound boost mods around, but most distort it quite badly IMO.
VIPER4 is probably the better one to choose if you are rooted.

Note 4 speaker quality?

Any words if the Note4 speaker is louder and have more bass than the Note3 speaker?
I'm hoping the speaker is at least as good as the Note2 speaker... if that's the case it's time to upgrade my Note2. If not I might hang on to my Note2 yet another year.

hahahahahaha your username. oh dear god. horrible, awful memories.
but i heard the speaker at best buy. it's pretty tinny sounding. nothing that viper4android can't fix though!

Any words if the Note4 speaker is louder and have more bass than the Note3 speaker?<br />
<br />
I'm hoping the speaker is at least as good as the Note2 speaker... if that's the case it's time to upgrade my Note2. If not I might hang on to my Note2 yet another year.<br/
I have a note 2 and I went to best buy and checked out the note 4. Speaker sound was even better than my Note 2.

Tubgirl said:
Any words if the Note4 speaker is louder and have more bass than the Note3 speaker?
I'm hoping the speaker is at least as good as the Note2 speaker... if that's the case it's time to upgrade my Note2. If not I might hang on to my Note2 yet another year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortanetelly I can't tell you regarding the bass but according to two or three reviewers is definitely louder.

It sounded pretty loud when I heard it playing a video

i can attest that its louder but it gets distorted at max level. simply there is no upgrade in clarity or fidelity in comparison to older models.

Played with it yesterday can tell you its definitely louder than the note 3 speaker and sounds more bassy imo

At BB guy had note 3 and note 4 side by side, max vol and playing through notification sounds....note 4 was definitely louder! Noticably so...looking forward to the improved volume.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

So conflicted. After moving from Samsung to the M8, I've gotten so spoiled when it comes to sound. Not sure if I should go for the Note 4, but that screen is so tantalizing. Heck, even the iPhone 6 is tempting me these days, until I read the specs again, and then I just can't justify the price any more.
Oh well, I guess I'll just buy the Note 4 and then decide which to keep.

RCJ89 said:
Played with it yesterday can tell you its definitely louder than the note 3 speaker and sounds more bassy imo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks... maybe it's the same speaker as on the Note2 since it's been moved back to the rear side of the phone?
I never purchased the Note3 due to the speaker being worse than on my Note2.

Tubgirl said:
Thanks... maybe it's the same speaker as on the Note2 since it's been moved back to the rear side of the phone?
I never purchased the Note3 due to the speaker being worse than on my Note2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not think it is the same speaker as the note 2, as that was one hell of a great speaker. What I can say it is noticeably louder than the note 3,and quite possibly louder than the note 2. The note 2 to me has a "deeper" sound, and the note 4 doesn't quite get to that level of bass. Much more clarity than the note 2 and 3. I think with Viper4android or any other speaker and sound mods on xda, the note 4 could have the best speaker of all samsung phones (despite my dislike for the back positioning)

I really like my note 2 speaker. I hope the note 4 will be better. Planning to get one next week.

Speaker comparisons
The Note4 speaker is the only thing I'm not convinced is an upgrade over my great Note2 speaker that can sound good at max volume while the two times I tested out the Note4 its speaker sounded terrible at max volume (while it sounds louder the quality of sound from the Note4 seems worse-definitely at max volume but didn't test extensively on lower volumes where it may be comparable or perhaps even an upgrade as long as the volume is more regulated than the Note2 that typically sounds good on all volumes). I did notice the Note4 speakers sound good with certain high quality recordings like certain 1080p movie trailers while other YouTube videos sound significantly less enjoyable. Of course I do have various bluetooth speakers but I'd like not to have to carry them when I want to show something to a few people when mobile. The Note3 speaker was so bad it was a deal breaker for me so I didn't get it (definitely seemed worse than the Note2 speaker) but I hope not to have to wait for the Note5 for decent speakers so please owners-reviewers let us know your experience with the Note4 speaker vs Note2&3 speakers & I hope Samsung focuses more on speaker quality next time as it's such a great multimedia handset otherwise.
Below were my comments after the first time with a Note4 at BestBuy (2nd time was last night) in response to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VArmujW0hEI:
I finally had a chance to see the Note4 in person at BestBuy on Oct 1 (just after I saw the iPhone 6/+Plus again for my dad & left even more unimpressed with the iPhone6s) while the Note4 screen is stunning. It is so much brighter & crisper with pleasing colors (not so obviously oversaturated in a nauseating artificial cartoony way as in some prior amoled displays) compared to my dimmer 720p Note 2 but also the comparatively duller iPhone 6 screens I'd just seen.
The camera shots ability to zoom in the 16MP photos was amazing so in that sense more pixels really is helpful compared to iPhone's 8 MP & the quality was excellent although some shots looked hazy yet the lighting was not great at the time so will need to keep testing. The front facing 3.7 MP camera may be too wide angle for many potential uses but you can adjust the modes some it seems.
I too had been obsessing somewhat on the slow mo quality & not having sound like the iPhone (although I tested slow mo quickly on iPhone6+ & the sound recording was weak but still better than no sound). I remember the slow motion & fast motion video options on my Note2 was fun (before the iPhone had slow mo) but Samsung hasn't really advanced much there (although slow motion now seems FHD where only fast motion was FHD on my note2). My Note2 also had many of the same video effects like cartoonify but noticed other cool ones like Oil Pastel & Moody etc that should be fun along with its dual camera mode (like the Note 3 but with better cameras) recording both the front & rear facing camera simultaneously that I'll likely use more than a slow mo that still records without any sound in Note2,3,4.. maybe Note5 will have slow motion audio capture with front facing speakers..
I'm disappointed that Samsung does not focus more on sound as while the Note4 speaker is very loud at max volume it sounds terrible requiring a volume lowering to sound acceptable while my Note 2 speaker is solid mostly even at max volume & the Note 3 speaker was so bad I couldn't "downgrade" to it. Samsung is more known for their display technology than sound technology but I was hoping for at least as good as my Note2 speaker & I'm not convinced it is although it is definitely louder but I wouldn't keep it at higher volumes due to sounding so strained & unpleasing. Note 4 speaker is definitely better than the Note3 speaker where it was a deal breaker for me but Samsung should do better. Also noticed the iPhone 6 no longer has 2 speakers like in the iPhone 5s rather one smaller speaker at the bottom in the new thinner iPhones that seemed unimpressive but don't remember distortion at loud volumes like with the Note 4 so would recommend staying away from those louder volume settings when avoidable in the Note4. The Nexus 6 is supposed to have dual front facing stereo speakers so curious about it & its other specs but don't know yet if it will have removable battery functionality like the Note line. I simply pop in a new inexpensive replaceable battery on my Note2 daily & thus no need to be a wall hugger like iPhoners (or no longer have to put up with so called "range anxiety" that many current electric car owners describe).
The Note 4 feels much more dense & solid in the hand like a weapon compared to plastic making it feel more premium but no longer get that feather light feeling that some may be used to. BestBuy only had the white model which is better looking with metal frame+accents & more premium feeling than the noticeably taller white iPhone 6 Plus. I'd like to see the Note4 in black like my Note2 but the display definitely pops on the white display with its metal accents yet I'm still leaning toward black with cases to change its looks (typically get http://www.seidioonline.com/samsung-galaxy-note-4-surface-kickstand-case-black-p/csr3ssgt4k-bk.htm (plus removable http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EVFO1G ) but may get http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MAWQKIW & open to suggestions as cases have spared me from damage. After seeing this drop test I'm considering a screen protector for its gorgeous screen but previously have preferred naked gorilla glass screens with cases providing a protective barrier lip from direct (but admittedly not indirect angle hits).
What's ridiculous is that BestBuy can not manage to supply consistent wifi so during the 2 hours of testing had about 8 minutes of WiFi to stream 1080p content on YouTube & no chance to stream 4K YouTube content. Because it was in display mode it would (eventually) see my android tether but would not connect to it. I mentioned to the Samsung rep that if BestBuy can't manage to provide WiFi to them that Samsung should supply their own private WiFi to properly showcase-sell Samsung products otherwise many people just walk away frustrated.
I'm hoping when I go back to BestBuy I'll be able to properly test whether 480p-720p-1080p content looks worse upscaled on a 2K screen of the Note4 compared to Note3's native 1080p screen or Note2's native 720p screen. Most of my & YouTube's videos are 480p-720p-1080p & not yet 4K so would like someone to try to settle the debate of whether the Note4's native 2K display is a less practical resolution for legacy videos despite its brighter more vivid display..
Look forward to checking it out again soon..
Update: On my 2nd visit last night I was able to stream 4K YouTube videos which was cool but not mind blowing on the 2K screen (native 4K recording on its screen seemed more impressive to me visually for some reason maybe because it was self enpowering & less passive) & in limited tests upscaled 480p-720p-1080p didn't look problematic but did not have the opportunity to do side by side testing where native resolutions matching content without upscaling typically looks best (e.g. blow up lower resolution photos to a higher resolution & it looks less sharp) so I'm still curious if 2K resolution is the most practical resolution for most legacy videos but the main issue leaving me feel underwhelmed & dissatisfied is its speaker that I'm not convinced is better & actually worse sounding at max volume than the Note2 so I had to keep it at least 1-3 levels below max depending on the recording I was listening to.
Interested in more discussion of the Note4 speaker from owners-testers compared to Note2.:highfive:

Note 4 Speaker Quality
I have a Note 2 and just upgraded to the Note 4.
I have compared both with the same file in Sound Player and could not detect Note 4 being louder.
Slightly sad that in 2014 Samsung hasn't added stereo speakers yet.

harb2 said:
I have a Note 2 and just upgraded to the Note 4.
I have compared both with the same file in Sound Player and could not detect Note 4 being louder.
Slightly sad that in 2014 Samsung hasn't added stereo speakers yet.
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Please try more than one file, watch various identical YouTube videos (e.g. movie trailers, music, tech reviews) & comment on quality-volume levels. The Note4 sounded louder but terrible at max volume vs Note2 that typically sounds good at all volumes but the environment was loud & included at times three Note4's blasted at once so not the best test environment.
I just comment the following at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UYwfonN2hM
Thanks for this video Michael but anyone who has heard the Note4 speaker knows it's better than the terrible Note3 speaker which isn't saying much..the comparison has to include the solid Note2 speaker & showing how the Note2 can typically sound good at max volume while the Note4 sounds terrible on max volume sadly. Most markets including US (where it's only available to demo in BestBuy-not purchase until Oct 17th), we haven't had the chance to test extensively the Note2 speaker vs the Note4 which frankly is the more common upgrade scenario (& people including myself refused to upgrade to the Note3 because the speaker was so inferior to the Note2) & we'd greatly appreciate if you compare to Note2 speaker. If the Nexus 6 rumors prove true likely next week then it may be as fast as the Note4 (with a larger 5.9 QHD screen yet ~same size) with dual stereo front facing speakers & Android L at a significantly lower cost so please do the test vs Note2, if it's as good as the Note2 & just have to keep it away from max volume many would upgrade given the pen & other enhancements but if the Note4 speaker is actually worse than the Note2 speaker people may have to look to the Nexus 6 until the Note5 catches up. Please compare the Note4 speaker to the Note2 speaker. -Thnx
BTW, I know The Daily Note YouTube Channel has the Note2 to compare it to: " *Note 2 Tips & Tricks Table of Contents: http://tinyurl.com/b64yfs2 " & hope it didn't neglect to compare The Note2 speaker because it would make the Note4 look like a downgrade..still have my fingers crossed that the Note4 speaker isn't a downgrade from the Note2 speaker..
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Moto...e-screen-size-is-questioned-no-longer_id61536
http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/0...-battery-dual-front-facing-speakers-and-more/
https://www.google.com/webhp?source...&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Nexus 6 dual speaker photo

nvm..

SMARTPHONEPC said:
Also noticed the iPhone 6 no longer has 2 speakers like in the iPhone 5s rather one smaller speaker at the bottom in the new thinner iPhones that seemed unimpressive but don't remember distortion at loud volumes like with the Note 4 so would recommend staying away from those louder volume settings when avoidable in the Note4.
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Pretty sure the 5s also has only 1 speaker. Sure it has 2 seperate speaker grills at the bottom...but if you cover one of them....the sound doesn't change at all.

SiNJiN76 said:
Pretty sure the 5s also has only 1 speaker. Sure it has 2 seperate speaker grills at the bottom...but if you cover one of them....the sound doesn't change at all.
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True that the image at https://www.apple.com/iphone-5s/specs/ suggests the larger grill is for the built-in speaker while the other smaller grill is actually for the microphone but sadly that doesn't translate to the Note4 having a pleasing speaker to match its pleasing screen. I'd be satisfied if it matched the Note2 from 2 years ago but I'm not convinced it does as it definitely sounds terrible at higher-max volumes while the Note2 doesn't. Hoping to hear from people who upgraded to the Note4 from the Note2 for their perspective but if the Note4 had a better speaker I wouldn't be so interested in the Nexus6 expected to be announced on 10/15.

I returned my note 4 speaker was horrible whilst it was louder than note 3 as it was back firing it sounded lower when watching stuff going to get a nexus 6 never going samsung again till they fix their speakers otherwise was a nice phone.

blair287 said:
I returned my note 4 speaker was horrible whilst it was louder than note 3 as it was back firing it sounded lower when watching stuff going to get a nexus 6 never going samsung again till they fix their speakers otherwise was a nice phone.
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I did the same! Ordered it direct from Samsung on the Monday,, they had mine back by Thursday . I lodged a complaint, was told it would reach the right people.
I am incensed that Samsung released the Note 4 with such an embarrassingly bad speaker. It's awful. Even my Note 3 sounds wonderful compared to it!
I tried many players, none could save it.. It's gone back.
Did you state speaker quality as your reason for return as well?
If those bafoons used the Note 2 speaker the 4 would be a killer phone, you made a mistake there Samsung.

Galaxy Note 3 N9005 Sound Processor Mods ?

Hi people do you listen to music on your Note 3 via headphones ? i know most of you do and it's a dum question but what do you think of the music playback quality ? As i'm a bit disappointed with the sound playback, why im saying this i use to own a Samsung Galaxy S4 E300S Korean version and music playback was simply amazing on that device the deep bass and clear treble simply was unrivaled for example if im listening to music on my Note 3 i have to turn it all the way up im at one or two clicks away from full volume and it don't sound that good with the S4 E300S. i would only need to turn it up 3 to 4 clicks and it sounds frigging awesome. Any more clicks up i would go deaf i mean its so dam loud it's simply astonishing how much more powerful the sound card is in the Galaxy S4 E300S. Right my question is i don't think im gone deaf is there anyway i can tweak the sound card on my N9005 ? i am rooted ? Thanks people

Never mind people it was the gay Samsung headphones I was using that didn't preform too my standard as I found some old iPhone 3GS headphones they sound awesome with the N9005
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Free mobile app

An alternative is VIPER4Android. Great sound mod with great bass
N9005 NH1 32GB Stock debloated rooted ROM