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)
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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
Related
I remember discussing the Atrix video quality on the forums when it was first released. One thing that immediately caught my attention was the audio quality. I'm a musician and I do believe in my ears listening to sounds. I even mentioned how the Atrix should do good recording loud concerts. All of that was few days before I got hands on my Atrix.
Yesterday, I had the fortune of seeing Kyuss Lives play in Minneapolis, I took some videos and it just amazed me how the microphone in the Atrix did not choke in that huge walls of noise.
This is the only phone I owned which could do this. I know exactly what usually happens if you try taking footage in concerts of this loudness using your cellphone.
This is a clip from the same show, recorded using an iphone:
I hope my next phone would be as capable of audio when I upgrade
Its not just the mic, The whole phone is amazing. Its hardware is just too good. Yes there is some "better" phones but compared to this one they are nothing. The build quality on this phone is outstanding, im a huge dropper so i tend to drop my phone alot and all my previous phones couldn't stand it. This one is still in one piece! This phone would be much better if we would be able to access the tegra 2 inside, just think of the possibility, they are endless.
i went to call of duty XP to see kanye west perform and i recorded most of the concert using my atrix before it ran out of batteries. the quality, both audio and video, was great. i used my friends iphone 4 for one song then i had to switch to a crappy old point and shoot camera late in the show. the iphone 4 sounds a little muffled compared to the atrix and my actual camera is just horrible.
atrix recording:
iphone 4:
old pos camera:
I don't have any comparison videos but I'll throw my video up there for further proof quality.
alkaline trio with smoking popes covering violent femmes - I held her in my arms.
West Hollywood. troubadour.
woot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpVJr8abLl4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
cachookaman said:
i went to call of duty XP to see kanye west perform
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait, you *WANTED* too see Kayne West?
OP:
Kyuss bumps some remarkly classy tunes bro.
You have good taste.
Actually, that is all (and I'm glad this isn't another complaining thread).
xyrovice said:
OP:
Kyuss bumps some remarkly classy tunes bro.
You have good taste.
Actually, that is all (and I'm glad this isn't another complaining thread).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you.
and here is another video from the show in celebration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jZN3BsWFd8
there are a lot of factors that can influence this.
1. whenever recording, there is something called "gain". it basically controls the
amount of amplification that occurs coming off of the mic's signal. with regards to our phones, this could be controlled by the software used to record the app.
if the gain is set too high, then you would hear cracking and distortion. so really, if the iphone used recorded with a lower gain (via an app/setting whatever), that could fix the problem.
2. both clips are recorded at completely different areas of the venue. we dont know how it sounds like where the iphone user was standing...but we can make some assumptions. first off he's a lot closer to the stage = generally closer to the speakers = generally exponentially louder.
second, listen to how much bass he's picking up. that amount of bass alone could clip (cause distortion) in any of our phones if the gain isn't set correctly.
the atrix example in comparison doesnt have that much bass...
in regards to something sounding more muffled than something else, that can be controlled by a number of things, from where both mics are, to where both mics are pointed, to software settings (eq and/or noise reduction)...
Strangely nobody has mentioned that the Atrix 4G has TWO microphones.
That appears to be the reason why you can clearly hear the Atrix samples with stereo sound whereas the iPhone's sound is mono and dull.
The Atrix is such a beast!
Cheers
first off the dual microphones are primarily used for noise cancellation purposes...and secondly
the iphone4 has dual mics as well for noise cancellation purposes as well. and if the noise reduction was left on by design it would make an ambient room recording sound dull and lifeless.
again you really cant do a fair comparison until you take control of the variables. such as mic position, mic gain, sample rate, bit depth, compression, use of eq...etc
con_ritmo said:
first off the dual microphones are primarily used for noise cancellation purposes...and secondly
the iphone4 has dual mics as well for noise cancellation purposes as well. and if the noise reduction was left on by design it would make an ambient room recording sound dull and lifeless.
again you really cant do a fair comparison until you take control of the variables. such as mic position, mic gain, sample rate, bit depth, compression, use of eq...etc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are correct about noise cancellation, but afaik that's only on voice calls, not video recording.
In any case, I'm not just talking about quality, your theory does not explain why iPhone video samples on this thread sound flat, not stereo.
@con_ritmo you must be a blast at parties...
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Some recordings of Portishead I did with my Atrix:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDCSnm_X1v0
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzzBRascIiA
con_ritmo said:
there are a lot of factors that can influence this.
1. whenever recording, there is something called "gain". it basically controls the
amount of amplification that occurs coming off of the mic's signal. with regards to our phones, this could be controlled by the software used to record the app.
if the gain is set too high, then you would hear cracking and distortion. so really, if the iphone used recorded with a lower gain (via an app/setting whatever), that could fix the problem.
2. both clips are recorded at completely different areas of the venue. we dont know how it sounds like where the iphone user was standing...but we can make some assumptions. first off he's a lot closer to the stage = generally closer to the speakers = generally exponentially louder.
second, listen to how much bass he's picking up. that amount of bass alone could clip (cause distortion) in any of our phones if the gain isn't set correctly.
the atrix example in comparison doesnt have that much bass...
in regards to something sounding more muffled than something else, that can be controlled by a number of things, from where both mics are, to where both mics are pointed, to software settings (eq and/or noise reduction)...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a musician and do some home recording/mixing on my own. I totally dig what you're saying about high/low gain and proximity effect. I did not mean the iphone in specific when I compared the Atrix audio record quality, I meant all phones I tried before. My brother's girlfriend shot some clips right from were I stood there too using an iphone 4, the sound was muffled enough not to upload it on youtube for the fans to see (hear) and enjoy. I know I'm not just "imagining" this. The audio quality of the Atrix caught my attention even before I received mine when I was watching people's reviews and youtube samples uploads.
psolovyov said:
Some recordings of Portishead I did with my Atrix:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDCSnm_X1v0
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzzBRascIiA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Portishead! nice!
see?! ripping audio from those video clips can make an A/A+ quality bootleg mp3's!
Since I remember one of Atrix clips I saw back then was by someone recording a short clip of his dog named "drummer". I just used google to search for and find the clip.
Without crediting myself for having some sort of an ear for music or sounds, I think anyone would agree the audio quality is superb for a cellphone:
CyberPunk7t9 said:
Portishead! nice!
see?! ripping audio from those video clips can make an A/A+ quality bootleg mp3's!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yup...if i fixed the exposure level the 720p vids would be even crisper looking.
There are different camps, some would stand for what it is, others stand for what they belive it to be.
In any case, I am impressed with the mic of the Atrix, and you can test this yourself.
I was at home in a hot afternoon and was standing right infront of fan at high speed, you can imagine the fluttering noise. I made a call to my friend on my Atrix and was having a little difficulty hearing him because of the fluttering from the fan, so I asked my friend if he could hear me properly. To my surprise, he mentioned that he heard me perfectly. I asked if he hears the fan's noise, he said no, and did not even noticed that there are anything moving near me. I was like huh? Impossible, but true. Try it.
CyberPunk7t9 said:
I'm a musician and do some home recording/mixing on my own. I totally dig what you're saying about high/low gain and proximity effect. I did not mean the iphone in specific when I compared the Atrix audio record quality, I meant all phones I tried before. My brother's girlfriend shot some clips right from were I stood there too using an iphone 4, the sound was muffled enough not to upload it on youtube for the fans to see (hear) and enjoy. I know I'm not just "imagining" this. The audio quality of the Atrix caught my attention even before I received mine when I was watching people's reviews and youtube samples uploads.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
on the flip side what might pass for "clear" vs "muffled" could also simply mean a large high frequency boost. which may/may not be good depending on your application. for example, there are some pretty credible rta/fft apps on the iphone...good enough to.use in the field. so really u wouldnt want a mic with a hf boost in that application (although it can/is corrected in the app)
so in any case a large hf boost would make micing things from a distance sound better....but not necessarily be good for micing things close up (sibilant shrill etc)....which is the distance most phones operate from. for example if i stuck a schoeps or dpa flat omni there it would sound muffled as heck too...but theyd be the better mics (goes without saying) and u could correct somewhat with eq. however if the bass is rolled off and nonexistant youd never be able to eq that back in. all the atrix recordings to me sound thin....whereas my other makes "decent" rehearsal takes on the ip4...close distancd though.
again it's hard to compare things without a controlled test....so many factors...aside from how things were actually recorded....theres also the issue of different phone cases, dirty clogged mics, etc..u just dont know.
i was actually going to do a transfer on the atrix mic to calibrate it for an fft app....never got around to it yet...one day ill do it so so we can all see exactly what he mic is doing and can actually compare it to an iphone mic with hard data...
Took a quick video of the piano face off at the Trans Siberian Orchestra this past weekend. Didn't realize that the Atrix had such an amazing mic on it. when I upload the video ill post a link.
Sent from my MB860 using xda premium
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.
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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
DISCLAIMER: I'm no audiophile, but I have very good pitch, and a brain.
I also recommend against using ClearAudio+ (I'll explain why at the end) but instead using equalizer settings to tune music for a specific headset.
Hi everyone! When I first received my Sony Xperia Z2, I had just lost my favorite pair of in-ear headphones, a set of Kramer-modded JVC HA-FX35, and were stuck with the stock MH410c earbuds. Needless to say, these were very poor sounding, and only marginally improved with the Sony 5-band equalizer. I found the Digital Noise Cancelling MDR-NC31EM could be of use to me, so I ordered a pair.
________________________________________________
What I found in these two headsets is as follows:
MH410c - extremely forward, boxy (think cheap speakers playing in a cardboard box) and congested / stuffy sounding midrange, lacking bass extension below ~200 hz and heavy treble fall off after 8 khz, with instruments and voices bleeding over top of each other with cloudy attack (beginning of sounds are not sharp)
MDR-NC31EM - very bass heavy, full sounding, otherwise relatively flat from ~1khz into the upper midrange but lacking definition in sounds above the vocal range such as hi-hats and symbols with a smothered type sound. Some users prefer this kind of experience (think Dr. Dre Beats) but I'd rather stray away. Once I bought the noise cancelling headset, I proceeded to work on an equalizer to balance out the sound on Android 4.4.2. The old earbuds, I packed up in case I would need it someday. I found that even though I could correct the frequency response pretty well, but highs (hi-hat) were somewhat grainy and lacking true detail.
________________________________________________
Here's where the new update comes in. With the 4.4.4 update, Sony incorporated a new set of audio settings. Included with the new build, are preset equalizers for several Sony headsets.
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These are designed to give each headset a more flat frequency response curve to enhance the accuracy and sound quality. They work pretty well, however I found that both the MH410 and MDR-NC31EM presets make the headsets sound grainy and gritty in the highs due to the distortion created by heavily boosting these frequencies. Noise Cancellation is not available without selecting the MDR-NC31EM preset.
________________________________________________
The MH410 preset flattens sound out pretty well. Lower midrange is still a bit prevalent and there is some lingering harmonic distortion in the midrange with grainy highs above 12khz. I found the following equalizer settings to work well over top of the preset:
400 hz: -2
1 khz: -2
2.5 khz: -1
6 khz: +1
16 khz: -2
Clear Bass: +2
This helps further control the midrange and removes some grain out of the upper highs. Some depth is added to the sound without too much sibilance at 6 khz. Adding more bass is worthless, as it muddies the sound because Sony is already heavily boosting the bass in the preset.
The MDR-NC31EM preset instantly adds clarity and treble extension to the headset. Treble is increased, and treble now extends up closer to top-end 20 khz much better than it did before, albeit with some distortion and grain. The bass is very slightly reduced, and tightened up somewhat. The overall sound feels much less sloppy and more like something I would enjoy listening to, though mostly still feels full and warm.
My equalizer settings applied over the preset:
400 hz: -2
1 khz: +1
2.5 khz: +1
6 khz: +2
16 khz: -2
Clear Bass: 0
This helps bring out the midrange which felt somewhat recessed to me, and slightly reduces the grainy upper treble.
________________________________________________
ClearAudio+: Why not use it? It's supposed to optimize sound settings, but often does the opposite. ClearAudio+ I've found helps in only one situation, when you need to boost front-facing speaker volume in a loud area.
Regardless of what headphones you have plugged in, ClearAudio+ typically does two things: Boosts upper midrange and treble, and automatically reduces the stereo width (stereo sound) which you can also do separately by applying similar settings in the equalizer and setting the "Surround sound (VPT)" settings, specifically the "Studio" option.
ClearAudio+ in my opinion is nothing more than a gimmick, some people perceive extra treble as extra clarity, but this is not the case. You lose definition in lower voices such as guitars, trombones, baritone voices, or what else you may be listening to with this option enabled.
________________________________________________
In conclusion, I hope this thread helps other Xperia Z2 (as well as Z3, Z3v users, if they read it!) understand the new audio settings and the optimal way to use them. My example equalizer settings are nothing more than examples and what I prefer, you have different ears that were made a different way and you may prefer something slightly different. I'm a little deaf anyway from years of trumpet playing and concerts though I still have a pretty good ear.
I hope you find this helpful, and if you do or don't, feel free to input your thoughts and hit the thanks button!
Excellent post, shame that my Z2 doesn't work with my MDR-NC31EM anymore. My Z3TC does though so I will definitely use these settings on here!
Any idea whether the Newly implemented DSEE HX audio feature actually help the quality of the music playback or cause more harm instead?
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app
Stalkalainen said:
Excellent post, shame that my Z2 doesn't work with my MDR-NC31EM anymore. My Z3TC does though so I will definitely use these settings on here!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there an issue with your Z2? That stinks.
chaud said:
Any idea whether the Newly implemented DSEE HX audio feature actually help the quality of the music playback or cause more harm instead?
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't use the Walkman app or play MP3s. I use Spotify on their highest quality setting, which is a 320 kbps Ogg Vorbis file at near-lossless quality. Get ready for a long, detailed and technical response, though.
The DSEE HX audio function is designed to replace lost information in low bitrate MP3 and AAC files.
MP3 is the most common compression codec as well as one of the worst in efficiency, though many are moving away from it.
AAC files are the standard compression format for iTunes downloads, for example. It has somewhat better sound at the same bitrate as MP3.
Before getting too much into the technical talk, it's important to understand that during music compression, information is lost or distorted. It's very similar to same as JPEG compression-
Obviously, the compression saves lots of space but reduces quality of the image. Audio compression works in pretty much the same way. Where JPEG compression loses detail in fine lines and details, audio compression, especially MP3, loses lots and lots of high treble and can muddy and distort sounds from base to midrange especially with attack. You end up with loose sounding bass notes, and a sort of metallic-ringing with midrange sounds.
For example, here's a listening comparison.
64 kbps MP3 / AAC
http://nigelcoldwell.co.uk/audio/mp3vbr/abr064.mp3
http://nigelcoldwell.co.uk/audio/aacs/aac-064.m4a
128 kbps MP3
http://nigelcoldwell.co.uk/audio/mp3vbr/abr128.mp3
320 kbps OGG (lets pretend this is the lossless source file)
http://nigelcoldwell.co.uk/audio/oggs/ogg-09-11(320).ogg
Source: http://nigelcoldwell.co.uk/audio/
You can tell that the compressed files don't actually sound too bad, but if you pay attention, you'll notice the 64 kbps files sound kind of sloppy in general and in all three compressed files, the drum track at 20 seconds, and the following clip too, sound very deflated because they're lacking the treble extension of the high bitrate file. The whole idea of DSEE HX is to reclaim this treble extension and bring the frequency response of the file back closer to the original lossless file. To be honest, there isn't much Sony can do with the rest of the distortion. Once data is totally lost, or, say, disfigured, it's pretty much there to stay. Trying to fix all of this might seem like a good idea in theory, and it makes a nice selling point for their marketing team, but I don't think it really helps anything.
First off, if you can't hear the difference in the files, or say, maybe you can't hear a difference between the 64 kbps MP3 and 320 kbps OGG Vorbis files, or possibly, you don't even care, then it's probably not going to make your entire collection of low bitrate MP3s sound any better to you.
Second, if you can hear the difference in the files, and you prefer the high quality audio, DSEE HX is not going to magically make the 64 kbps MP3 sound anything like the high bitrate file. What the software is going to do, is essentially listen to your music playback and plot out a frequency response graph. It will then say, "Hey, I think this is compressed too much because there is almost no treble beyond 14 khz." ... it will then take the almost-no-treble and boost it to a level it thinks would be closer to a high bitrate file. This sounds nifty, but I'd say "it's trying to make something out of nothing". What's left of the treble extension that would normally be in a high bitrate file is usually left very quiet and very distorted in a low-bitrate MP3. You just end up with lots of harsh metallic grainy sounds because it's trying to boost the treble from ridiculously silent to audible again.
Plus, the issue compounds on itself. The more compression you've used, the more DSEE HX has to compensate (read then see the 128 kbps MP3 graph below, It has almost zero information above 16 kHz...), and the less it has to work with. If you've got an entire library of 192 kbps MP3s or 160 kbps OGG / AAC with less dramatic compression artifacts and information loss, maybe it will help reclaim a little, but that's subjective and the scenario is unlikely. TL;DR, So no, DSEE HX will not help.
Here are some visual graphs that also explain what happens -
These are basically heat graphs of the frequencies over the length of the song. Y axis is frequency, X axis is time (song playing, beginning to end). Deep red means there is a lot of that frequency playing, purple is a little bit, and black is nothing.
(Source: http://www.torrentech.org/index.php?act=Help&CODE=01&HID=56)
FLAC (I Feel You, Depeche Mode) 31.2 MB filesize
As you see here, treble extends up to 21 kHz and there is a gradual fade from bass to top end treble. This is normal and corresponds with the way the music was meant to be heard. Nobody wants to hear a constant and harsh drone of noises in the 16-22 kHz range, because that's unnatural. However, it's important that those are there because sounds that we hear are typically made up of many harmonic frequencies that blend together to give the sound of whatever object. Hi-hats are good examples of an instrument that sounds much different without treble even though most of the sound from them occurs in the midrange.
Here's a 128 kbps MP3 file of the same song -
LAME mp3 128 kbps (I Feel You, Depeche Mode) 4.3 MB filesize
As you can see, even at 128 kbps, you've already lost almost all treble extension above 16 kHz. This is a trademark "feature" of the MP3 codec. DSEE HX tries to reclaim what you saw from the FLAC graph from this graph. How well do you think that works? If you look closely too, you'll see the graphs don't even look the same in the midrange and bass range. There is distortion due to the compression.
________________________________________________________
Also-
The High Resolution Audio function in the sound settings, only upsamples the system audio from 44.1 (CD standard) / 48 kHz (DVD standard) sampling rate to 96 / 192 kHz. This is useless unless you have a dedicated USB headphone amp and your source files are something like lossless FLAC encoded at 96 kHz.
What about Sony MDR-XB60/NC In Ear Earphones (Gold)? Anyone having it? Are they too noise cancelling?
any Equalizer setting for MH750 ? I had this when bought Z Ultra, now my zu damaged. Im comfortble using this earbud headset since earphone that inside Z2 box make my ear pain
try these silicon ear tips if you're using in ears
http://www.my-ear.com.tw/spinfit-tips/
i use them on my UE900 and they fit like a glove -- and sounds brilliant too thanks to better seal
The sound quality is truly amazing on 4.4.4
I bought the NC in ear headphones and yes they get the job done when it comes to canceling background noise, but I felt like I could get better audio quality with better earphones so I bought the supra nitro earphones and now I can finally say that the sound is superb!
So if you truly want to get a great audio experience get a pair of highend/decent headphones.
I must say that the MDR 10RC that came with the Z3 in some regions give you a rich sound experience too.
Btw thanks for the useful tips, I'll give my NC earphones another chance with your EQ settings.
Sent from my Xperia Z2
vikrant7027 said:
What about Sony MDR-XB60/NC In Ear Earphones (Gold)? Anyone having it? Are they too noise cancelling?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They seem to be discontinued. They aren't Digital Noise Cancelling but they might reduce background noise some like most in-ear and over-the-ear headphones.
nazzier5463 said:
any Equalizer setting for MH750 ? I had this when bought Z Ultra, now my zu damaged. Im comfortble using this earbud headset since earphone that inside Z2 box make my ear pain
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the preset should help a lot. I don't like the stock MH410 / MH410c either, I just wore them some when I first got the phone and for this analysis. The preset setting should make it so you only have to make smaller changes to arrive at an optimal setting for your MH750. The preset for MH410 and MDR-NC31EM were pretty good.
zegun said:
try these silicon ear tips if you're using in ears
http://www.my-ear.com.tw/spinfit-tips/
i use them on my UE900 and they fit like a glove -- and sounds brilliant too thanks to better seal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! For anyone that likes foam tips too, Comply Foam Tips are brilliant. I'm currently using the stock silicone tips because my old Comply don't fit, but I intend on purchasing new ones.
Jiyeon90 said:
The sound quality is truly amazing on 4.4.4
I bought the NC in ear headphones and yes they get the job done when it comes to canceling background noise, but I felt like I could get better audio quality with better earphones so I bought the supra nitro earphones and now I can finally say that the sound is superb!
So if you truly want to get a great audio experience get a pair of highend/decent headphones.
I must say that the MDR 10RC that came with the Z3 in some regions give you a rich sound experience too.
Btw thanks for the useful tips, I'll give my NC earphones another chance with your EQ settings.
Sent from my Xperia Z2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I was rather disappointed with the sound quality of the MDR-NC31EM too but the noise cancelling feature was good. Now I have pretty good sound quality as well. It's not magic, but definitely passable and finally enjoyable listening.
What to choose between MDR-XB60/NC and mdr-nc31em? I'm music lover and want a good headphones...but attracted towards noise cancelling feature of mdr-nc31em...please tell me...You can also tell other headphones with superb music quality...
vikrant7027 said:
What to choose between MDR-XB60/NC and mdr-nc31em? I'm music lover and want a good headphones...but attracted towards noise cancelling feature of mdr-nc31em...please tell me...You can also tell other headphones with superb music quality...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah go with the NC31EM, for the price they give you pretty good sound and if you use the Walkman app you can turn DSEE HX on which improves the sound quality if you use these NC headphones. Oh and their mics used for cancelling the noise also work as regular mics so you can use them to make calls although they could have included an 'answer button'
Jiyeon90 said:
Yeah go with the NC31EM, for the price they give you pretty good sound and if you use the Walkman app you can turn DSEE HX on which improves the sound quality if you use these NC headphones. Oh and their mics used for cancelling the noise also work as regular mics so you can use them to make calls although they could have included an 'answer button'
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you own them?Many people are saying that the quality is average...
vikrant7027 said:
Do you own them?Many people are saying that the quality is average...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is average. On 4.4.4, the preset I talked about in the first post helps some, and makes them sound pretty good. They're not excellent, but passable...somewhat decent. For the price though, not too bad when you consider the noise cancellation. DSEE HX really doesn't help anything...
The Sony MH1 and MH1C are very good if you can find them, but they won't have the noise cancellation. They are considered to be a great buy and one of the best IEM with in-line microphone around.
Other than that, for the best sound just for music listening, I'd personally stick to big circumaural full size headphones, such as the Audio Technica ATH-M50. :good:
sam_conrad said:
It is average. On 4.4.4, the preset I talked about in the first post helps some, and makes them sound pretty good. They're not excellent, but passable...somewhat decent. For the price though, not too bad when you consider the noise cancellation. DSEE HX really doesn't help anything...
The Sony MH1 and MH1C are very good if you can find them, but they won't have the noise cancellation. They are considered to be a great buy and one of the best IEM with in-line microphone around.
Other than that, for the best sound just for music listening, I'd personally stick to big circumaural full size headphones, such as the Audio Technica ATH-M50. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MH1 are too old,must be discontinued by company...any other option?
vikrant7027 said:
Do you own them?Many people are saying that the quality is average...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are pretty good for a walk outside where you want portability and the NC is pretty awesome. However if you are at home use more high-end headphones, I use a pair of akg on-ear at home and the NC ones outside.
vikrant7027 said:
Do you own them?Many people are saying that the quality is average...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I do, I was kinda dissapointed because my expectations were quite high when I bought them since everyone was praising them but if you look at the price you actually get the sound quality you pay for (they are not bad at all, they are quite decent) the noice cancelling and the mic are just free bonuses.
I ended up getting another pair of headphones which have noticeable better audio quality but I had to pay almost 3x the price of the NC ones.
I'd say, for under 40$ the the NC earphones are the best choice, if you have a higher budget there's definitely better options
vikrant7027 said:
MH1 are too old,must be discontinued by company...any other option?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are old, and probably discontinued. But they are great IEMs at a very low price.
If you want to pay a little more, the Hifiman RE400 might be a good buy.
Could U compare Mate 7 sound output on earphones to Galaxy note 2 or Xiaomi Mi4? The first one had very good sound quality but Mi4 has disappointed me in this field.
Yary12 said:
Could U compare Mate 7 sound output on earphones to Galaxy note 2 or Xiaomi Mi4? The first one had very good sound quality but Mi4 has disappointed me in this field.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh god yeah when I heard Mi 4 video on youtube, recorded sound I almost vomited ...
Simona Simmy said:
Oh god yeah when I heard Mi 4 video on youtube, recorded sound I almost vomited ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use Beyerdynamic DT1350, and I am not at all impressed with the sound of M7...it is one of the weakest things about this device..
blackinfinity said:
I use Beyerdynamic DT1350, and I am not at all impressed with the sound of M7...it is one of the weakest things about this device..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try turn DTS on
Simona Simmy said:
Try turn DTS on
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do.. it just sound fake...
my old Galaxy note sounded better..
blackinfinity said:
I use Beyerdynamic DT1350, and I am not at all impressed with the sound of M7...it is one of the weakest things about this device..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no phone will push headphones that good buy 1 of these will sound ALOT better http://www.ebay.com/itm/Audiophile-...794?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ae79a6f22
The sound is not good at all and its not very loud.
Im using Hidizs AP100
leo5111 said:
no phone will push headphones that good buy 1 of these will sound ALOT better http://www.ebay.com/itm/Audiophile-...794?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ae79a6f22
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have plugged in my headphones to many other devices and phones without an extermal headphone amp.
I can say for instance, I was quite impressed with the sound of my LG G2.
Mate 7 compared to my LG G2 is big difference...
My DT1350 headphones sounds very well without a headamp of course.. I have plans to buy a good USB DAC for my phone when I get the money
Like this one http://www.headstage.com/Arrow-5TX/....html?XTCsid=d99628f16e91ce69c9d50b1b0173b532
It is small enough to have in my backpocket in my jeans.
Further I try to avoid listening to headphones as much as possible since it will cause a big strain on your ears due added sound pressure (I have mild tinitus)
But when I am on vacation or travel to a different city and not at home it can be nice to have a good portable sound.
At Home I have an Antelope Eclipse AD/DA converter and Trident HG3 speakers.
But yes... this DTS "bull****" Mate 7 is just a marketing term just like this braindead "retina sound" for people who do not know or care much about audio..
DTS have a good effect on the Phone speakers since it adds more bottom and richness to the sound but with headphones it just adds "fake sound"
it is not a sound I would "trust" . With that said I bought this phone knowing it was not perfect, I drop my Lg G2 in the floor..I was desperate to get a new phone was and I did refuse to buy the Note 4 because of the insane price, plus I admire good screen to body ratio, a big smart phone today is NOT smartphone if there has been no focus to slim down the dead area, I want as much screen area as possible otherwise it's simply and idiotic construction, Huawei and LG are one of the few who understand screen to body ratio is important.
Blackinfinity, you only THINK your Headphones sound good with other phones, TRUST ME, i got into audio and i for instance was using these http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-...id=1428598957&sr=8-2&keywords=beyer+dt+770+80 which are 80 ohm,s like yours and i thought the headphones sounded OK, then i got a headphone amp, and it became VERY apparent that the headphones want alot more current to sound good then what comes out of your phone,seriously when i plugged em into the amp, i thought i had seriously upgraded my headphones, sounded ALOT better
I have the d880 too... They are hard to drive and react to amplification a lot more..
Dt1350 are made to sound good unamplified since that his how most people use headphones these days... However I still want a good portable headphone amp.
your headphones are 80 ohms they will improve with a amp
Sent from my Z987 using XDA Free mobile app
guys.. i was on OPPO find 7a till few weeks ago..
trust me audio on opo find7a was so so much better than mate 7 !
I'm not an expert in audio/sound.. but even my ears could tell the big difference! I'm not talking just about the LOUDNESS.. but the richness of the quality of the sound!!
I don't use smartphone essentially for music but.. it's such a pity that this nice mat 7 lack in the audio so much :-/
leo5111 said:
Blackinfinity, you only THINK your Headphones sound good with other phones, TRUST ME, i got into audio and i for instance was using these http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-...id=1428598957&sr=8-2&keywords=beyer+dt+770+80 which are 80 ohm,s like yours and i thought the headphones sounded OK, then i got a headphone amp, and it became VERY apparent that the headphones want alot more current to sound good then what comes out of your phone,seriously when i plugged em into the amp, i thought i had seriously upgraded my headphones, sounded ALOT better
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Whos gonna carry bloody amp it is like have brick in pocket then...
simika said:
guys.. i was on OPPO find 7a till few weeks ago..
trust me audio on opo find7a was so so much better than mate 7 !
I'm not an expert in audio/sound.. but even my ears could tell the big difference! I'm not talking just about the LOUDNESS.. but the richness of the quality of the sound!!
I don't use smartphone essentially for music but.. it's such a pity that this nice mat 7 lack in the audio so much :-/
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Audio is not as easy as you say, impedance synergy pairing and headphone / IEM play a large role in the perception you have, for me with my IEM's collection the Mate 7 sound realy good, better than my old Wolfson Note2 using Viper4Android or Boeffla kernel.
Here the audio test part on GSMARENA to compare between both:
Find 7
The Oppo Find 7 put in a stellar performance in the first part of our audio quality test. It had excellently high volume levels to go with its very clean output. Barring for the slightly high IMD reading this is one of the best score sets we've seen lately.
However, the smartphone faltered quite a bit when we plugged in a pair of headphones. Its frequency response started missing the mark now and then, the IMD rose further and the stereo crosstalk hiked quite a bit. It's not as bad as the stereo crosstalk disaster that was the 7a, but elsewhere the more premium member of the pair lagged behind its stablemate. Volume level dropped as well, adding up to what was a good, but not quite flagship-worthy performance here.
Find 7a
The Oppo Find 7a audio output is certainly among the cleanest we have seen when the smartphone is connected to an active external amplifier. Posting excellent scores top to bottom in the first part of our test, the Find 7a was also nicely loud, producing one of the best performances out there.
Plugging in a pair of headphones tells a different story, however. The stereo crosstalk increases way beyond the point where it can be considered as good, or even acceptable. The other readings remain great, but the high cross-channel leakage has the potential of damaging the whole audio experience for more exacting users and put the Oppo Find 7a below the current crop of flagships as far as audio output is concerned.
Mate 7
The Huawei Ascend Mate7 did excellently in the active external audio test, posting great scores and showing no weaknesses to its performance. The only thing to potentially frown at is its sub-par volume, but quality-wise it's right up with there with the best.
Impressively enough, plugging in a pair of headphones causes a very minor increase in stereo crosstalk - in this scenario the Ascend Mate7 ranks even better compared to the competition, which often see more degradation. Alas, the volume is below average here too, so we can't really say it's the best phablet for audio playback, but we can certainly promise you it will play every track the way its authors meant it to sound.
With my sensitive InEar SD3 I have plenty of volume, I listening beetween 3-5 most of the time, I dont want to end up deaf
---------- Post added at 09:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:28 AM ----------
Simona Simmy said:
Whos gonna carry bloody amp it is like have brick in pocket then...
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Audiophile
The sound quality for me on headphones is the best I have ever heard from the Mate 7.
Thoroughly impressed.
Migou67 said:
Audiophile
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I am a bit of audiofile but NOT crazy one..
But guyyzz if u want TRULLY amazing audio quality FROM smartphone I'll tell you which phone to get ..
It is called Vivo X5 ..
There is studio version u probably NEVER seen packaging like this !
The phone uses audio chip
Yamaha YSS205X-CZE2,
Cirrus Logic CS4398 DAC
and headphone amplifier Maxim Integrated MAX97220
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^ lol, now that is packaging
Man, I'm really enjoying my S8+, but the auxiliary output sounds terrible. Really muddled and overpowering bass. The adapt sound helps the ear buds for sure, but when I connect in my car, the adapt sounds worse than if it were off. Anyone have advice/similar experience? Id hate to buy a whole new head unit for a freaking headphone jack lol it sounds much worse than the LG G5, and even the G4 imo.
Yes indeed, the aux quality is a insolence. I'm wondering how all the young people with their stylisch and overpriced Beats Headphone accept this rubbish quality. The S8 is my frist Samsung.
However without AudioMod you cant enjoy music with the S8.
I use AryraMod - Viper4Android:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/s7-edge/themes/mod-aryamod-aio-soundmod-v3-t3552824
hannsheinz said:
Yes indeed, the aux quality is a insolence. I'm wondering how all the young people with their stylisch and overpriced Beats Headphone accept this rubbish quality. The S8 is my frist Samsung.
However without AudioMod you cant enjoy music with the S8.
I use AryraMod - Viper4Android:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/s7-edge/themes/mod-aryamod-aio-soundmod-v3-t3552824
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Click to collapse
Ah, guessing you need root? Haven't even checked if that's possible for Verizon phones. Man, now I'm not sure if I actually want to return my V30. I'm not sure which is worse- a poor screen in low light, or bad audio.
Yes you need root.
Actualy I had decide that the S8 is my first phone that I dont root - because of Samsungs warrenty regulation. I even buy a mobile headphone amplifier but this only make the sobering sound louder.
Viper4Android or similar is the only way to improve the quality, sginificant.
S8 has actually a good output. Check GSM Arena tests. I have a pair of Sennheiser IE80 and they sound as good on my S8 than on my OP5, and better than my Pixel.
Also, no such thing as over powering bass. The frequency response is one of the flattest seen on a phone.
Sorry but I must dissent.
I demonstrate a few friends the difference between pure Samsung and Viper Sound via bluetooth and with the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 and one from Teufel.
Everone shows the same reaction "wow - what a difference. Like day and night"
When I look in sveral forums is the unanimous opinion is that the Samsung Aux qualtiy is awful and this since many years.
hannsheinz said:
Sorry but I must dissent.
I demonstrate a few friends the difference between pure Samsung and Viper Sound via bluetooth and with the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 and one from Teufel.
Everone shows the same reaction "wow - what a difference. Like day and night"
When I look in sveral forums is the unanimous opinion is that the Samsung Aux qualtiy is awful and this since many years.
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Click to collapse
Sadly there is a difference between one's feeling of how it sounds like and the actually way it actually sounds, proven scientifically, with defined tests in a proper testing environment.
I tested a lot of phones with my pair of IE80, and the S8 sounds on part with all the comparative smartphones. And actually tests are showing it being actually a tad better than the pack. V30 being undoubtedly the best.
Paradoxxx said:
S8 has actually a good output. Check GSM Arena tests. I have a pair of Sennheiser IE80 and they sound as good on my S8 than on my OP5, and better than my Pixel.
Also, no such thing as over powering bass. The frequency response is one of the flattest seen on a phone.
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All I know is that it sounds worse than the LG G5 through Beats headphones, and when plugged into the aux jack of my car, it sounds horrible- my girlfriend noticed right away. Worse than her iPhone 6S. It's cool that Samsung lets you tweak audio settings, but they seem to sound completely different depending on what you're listening to them through (If I adjust to make it sound tolerable over headphones, it sounds like muddled garbage plugged into a car stereo, and vice versa). It seems you can either get it really tinny so you can hear every aspect of the song, or so much bass that it drowns out the clarity and treble - it's really difficult to find a balance :\
I think it's about time I finally replace my 8 year old car stereo that I've been ripping out and putting into my new cars for something that has bluetooth..
ryanpm40 said:
All I know is that it sounds worse than the LG G5 through Beats headphones, and when plugged into the aux jack of my car, it sounds horrible- my girlfriend noticed right away. Worse than her iPhone 6S. It's cool that Samsung lets you tweak audio settings, but they seem to sound completely different depending on what you're listening to them through (If I adjust to make it sound tolerable over headphones, it sounds like muddled garbage plugged into a car stereo, and vice versa). It seems you can either get it really tinny so you can hear every aspect of the song, or so much bass that it drowns out the clarity and treble - it's really difficult to find a balance :\
I think it's about time I finally replace my 8 year old car stereo that I've been ripping out and putting into my new cars for something that has bluetooth..
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Let's compare scientifically gathered numbers here :
Apple iPhone 6s (headphones attached) +0.10, -0.06 -93.8 93.9 0.0030 0.101 -68.2
LG G5 (headphones) +0.05, -0.01 -92.2 92.3 0.0029 0.037 -50.7
Samsung Galaxy S8+ (headphones attached) +0.03, -0.03 -92.5 92.5 0.0024 0.046 -77.3
And to quote GSM Arena :
"Stellar audio output
The Samsung Galaxy S8 matched its Plus sibling for clarity, delivering perfectly accurate output both with an active external amplifier and headphones. Even the increase in stereo crosstalk with headphones was barely noticeable and exceeding our expectations.
Somewhat surprisingly the smaller member of the flagship duo outdid its sibling in terms of loudness. The Plus was not quite itself, but the Galaxy S8 is among the loudest handsets out there, rounding up a great performance."
Let's see the frequency response now :
iPhone 6S :
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LG G5 :
Galaxy S8 :
As we can see here, LG G5 is the worse of the pack, with a cut-off way before S8 and iPhone even if it has the flattest frequency response. However such a different is not audible by human ears.
The iPhone has quite a wobbly frequency response, but manages to have a high frequency cut-off.
The Galaxy S8 is beating both of them, with almost perfectly flat frequency response and higher frequency cut-off, but it has a slight wobble across the whole frequency which makes it less studio-like than the G5.
Noise level wise, the iPhone is the clear winner, with a dB more than the others.
Dynamic Range, the iPhone is again the winner, with more than a point better than the two others, with the G5 being the worse.
Now comes the interesting part, harmonic distortion. For these who don't know what THD is :
"Total harmonic distortion (THD) and the inter-modulation distortion (IMD) measure the unwanted altering of the original audio signal. When an audio signal passes through a non-ideal, non-linear device (such as your smartphone), additional content is added to the original frequencies in the form of interference, which results in distortion. Distortion is the name given to anything that alters a pure input signal in any way. So, as you might have guessed, the lower the number in either of these fields, the better the audio output of your device."
The galaxy S8 has a THD of 0.0024, being the best among all the devices previously mentioned.
The stereo cross-talk on the iPhone is absolutely horrible, while the G5 and the S8 maintain a score close to 93.
I could compare other phones, but I'll just add one more, the One Plus 5 :
OnePlus 5 (headphones attached) +0.15, -0.08 -94.0 94.0 0.0033 0.139 -59.9
We can see that this phone has actually a worse frequency response than the phones we were taking about today, with, however a better noise level, and dynamic range than the others but worse THD and stereo crosstalk. Therefore it might not be the best when it comes to reproduce your song to the way it was actually recorded (even though if +0.15 and -0.08 across the whole range is probably not that noticeable) but it goes louder, and the sound differential is actually bigger, which could give a better feeling of quality than the two others.
So to make a long story short, and hopefully close this topic once and for all, no, the S8 does not have a worse output than the previously mentioned phones. It does NOT have muddy output, or over-powered bass. It has an excellent stereo cross-talk and the lowest Harmonic Distortion across the board. It's probably the best phone to reproduce your songs the way they are meant to be.
So why someone's opinion is different than the actual scientific results ?
Some may say placebo, but I tend more to think that it's related on how we actually listen to music, our equipment, and possible ear damage.
I have a pair of IE-80 which are quite high-end Sennheiser IEMs. They sound fantastic with my S8, however I cannot stand any stock sound anymore. Not because the stock output is bad, and as we've seen previously it is far from being so, it's just that I listen to a lot of EDM songs, and I like my bass a little punchier than what the stock output provides, or that any other phone provides for that matter. So I'm using ARISE on all my devices. Regarding the max noise level, I have a custom mixer_gain.xml that I'm using on my S8 which allows for much louder output, with the only downside is to add a bit more noise on quiet songs. But that's the way I enjoy my music.
If you really want to know more I invite anyone that is interested to check GSM Arena analysis, and compare the numbers on phones you might be interested in purchasing.
Hope this ends the "this phone has a terrible aux audio" story.
Peace !
I mean, scientific numbers are cool and all and I don't doubt them, but as a listener, it sounds muddled. I like to hear all the small, intricate details of each instrument in a song. That isn't easily accomplishable with this phone with the stock settings, and it takes a bit of playing around with those settings to get it to sound right. Searching around more, it sounds that others have found the same results. Maybe it's because I'm not listening to punch edm. I like ambient rock music with lots of guitars bass and percussion going, and sometimes the drums even sound like they're being smacked right against the microphone, leaving a kind of staticky sound as if the recording needed better pop filtering.
hannsheinz said:
Sorry but I must dissent.
I demonstrate a few friends the difference between pure Samsung and Viper Sound via bluetooth and with the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 and one from Teufel.
Everone shows the same reaction "wow - what a difference. Like day and night"
When I look in sveral forums is the unanimous opinion is that the Samsung Aux qualtiy is awful and this since many years.
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Click to collapse
I agree, the sound on this thing is low quality! I have also tried different phones and this is worse or as bad as the LG G5.
ryanpm40 said:
I mean, scientific numbers are cool and all and I don't doubt them, but as a listener, it sounds muddled. I like to hear all the small, intricate details of each instrument in a song. That isn't easily accomplishable with this phone with the stock settings, and it takes a bit of playing around with those settings to get it to sound right. Searching around more, it sounds that others have found the same results. Maybe it's because I'm not listening to punch edm. I like ambient rock music with lots of guitars bass and percussion going, and sometimes the drums even sound like they're being smacked right against the microphone, leaving a kind of staticky sound as if the recording needed better pop filtering.
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I listen to Phil Collins and this kind of artists as well, and I can hear the separation between every instruments perfectly, and I'm rediscovering music through that phone/iem combination.
The thing is, everyone's hearing is different, however it has been proven that this phone does sound good, and there is no deniability on that, the numbers are there.
Someone saying that this phone sounds bad is invalid. I'm not sure how I can make my point more than saying that I'd rather believe scientific results than someone's hearing.
Paradoxxx said:
I listen to Phil Collins and this kind of artists as well, and I can hear the separation between every instruments perfectly, and I'm rediscovering music through that phone/iem combination.
The thing is, everyone's hearing is different, however it has been proven that this phone does sound good, and there is no deniability on that, the numbers are there.
Someone saying that this phone sounds bad is invalid. I'm not sure how I can make my point more than saying that I'd rather believe scientific results than someone's hearing.
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I mean, my hearing is just fine. I can hear every single beep in the personalized adapt sound feature, so idk. I'll admit, I got to messing with settings even more and I got it to the point where it is sounding very good in my car. Still not *as* good as other phones, but I'll take it.
I don't know the correct terms, I'm not an audiophile, but it still seems like a bit of a "flat" sound at this point. There's a part in one of my favorite songs that has 3+ voices talking over each other simultaneously, and on other devices, I can hear the individual voices very clearly. It's a bit more difficult to differentiate between them now, even with my Beats headphones. But, hey, it's a 3.5mm, I'll take it and finally take the plunge into bluetooth soon.
Do you at least agree that the thing sounds bad unless you actually do go play with those EQ and adapt settings? Because I cannot stand the stock sound for the life of me, and I've never had to make adjustments in other phones before. To me that's a fail- it should at least be passable out of the box. Also- I'm a bit curious what you meant when you say the G5 sounds more "studio-like". Maybe that's the subtle difference bothering me? Idk, those numbers are gibberish to me, lol. I'm a musician but I know nothing about audio tech.
ryanpm40 said:
Do you at least agree that the thing sounds bad unless you actually do go play with those EQ and adapt settings? Because I cannot stand the stock sound for the life of me, and I've never had to make adjustments in other phones before. To me that's a fail- it should at least be passable out of the box. Also- I'm a bit curious what you meant when you say the G5 sounds more "studio-like". Maybe that's the subtle difference bothering me? Idk, those numbers are gibberish to me, lol. I'm a musician but I know nothing about audio tech.
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I do not listen to the phone stock, and I actually believe I have never used any android phone that did not have DSP manager or Viper4Android installed.
However since my HTC Desire, that is definitely the best listening experience I ever had on a phone.
I need a more bassy experience, and the stock EQ thing just cannot do that.
Thus, the tests that GSM Arena, and the data pulled from these tests are all done using the stock settings. without anything enabled.
Regarding the G5, it has the flatest frequency response (means that a sound at 25hz wont be louder than one at 1khz) which is what studio headphones, and studio components usually targets. But tbh, the difference is so small that I am not sure a human ear can discern that...
I am no musician however my father has a studio and wrote/produced sounds on Studio hardware, so I had the occasion to test out studio headphones, mics, speakers etc, so hopefully I got a good clue on what a good sound should "sound" like.
But there is something that troubles me here, is that the scientifically obtained results are proving by analysis and datas that the S8 is definitely good. So where does the issues lays out ? I guess we will never know.
If useing the s8 with aux make sure it isnt charging. I figured this out after a while. If you plug into the headphone jack first you will get louder and much clearer sound. If you plug your charger in first it will sound like ****.