Database Users

[Q] Headphone Audio Quality

Hi All,
I'm looking for a replacement for my battered Galaxy S3.
The Sony Xperia range attracts me because of it's water resistant feature - I use my phone outdoors a lot.
I have looked at the Z1 and Z1 compact but the major thing putting me off buying is reports of poor audio quality through the earphones.
I had the original Galaxy and also now the S3 and something the both had in common was excellent audio quality (Wolfson DAC).
I have read plenty of stuff on the web about the noise cancelling abilities of the Z2 but nothing about the audio quality itself.
Anyone out there care to enlighten me?
Thanks

I am thinking same thing. My I9300 is still OK, but ... Problem is I have yet to hear a Qualcomm phone with exceptional audio. But maybe. Or maybe if there is a big iphone...

One of my gripes with sony phones since the xperia play/arc/arc s is the audio volume, on the xperia s/t/z/z1 is not loud enough atall never mind loud speaker peeformance

I'm having similar worries, also coming from SGS3. I'm just about to get the Dunu DN-1000 iems and wondering if the Z2 will give the output they deserve. Waiting to hear about this.

SuperMarioGalaxy said:
I'm having similar worries, also coming from SGS3. I'm just about to get the Dunu DN-1000 iems and wondering if the Z2 will give the output they deserve. Waiting to hear about this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm happy with the sound from my Xperia Z using Ortofon e-Q7. I think having high efficiency iems helps keep the distortion low, as there is no need to turn it up to max volume.

Earphone sound quality

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

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

That's the bundled headset

Not The Flong said:
That's the bundled headset
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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
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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.
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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:
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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
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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??
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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.
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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

Z2 headphone sound quality (with mod) vs. M8

Hi all,
I currently own the m8 and love it for its awesome sound quality, however the camera is absolute pants!
The only other phone I'd consider is the z2 but I am worried that the volume and sound quality via headphones will be disappointing. Can anyone tell me if the z2 with the sound mod will be as good as the m8?
Thanks

jimxms said:
Hi all,
I currently own the m8 and love it for its awesome sound quality, however the camera is absolute pants!
The only other phone I'd consider is the z2 but I am worried that the volume and sound quality via headphones will be disappointing. Can anyone tell me if the z2 with the sound mod will be as good as the m8?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would admit loudspeakers are not as good as M8. But with the headphones, its so much better, background noise is cancelled out thus youre getting more out of your music. Bass and stuff. And its comfortable too. Just a small tip, try listening to music on landscape while on loudspeaker, magically improves music experience. No tricks, no software magic. Just how your ear works. Try it!

jimxms said:
Hi all,
I currently own the m8 and love it for its awesome sound quality, however the camera is absolute pants!
The only other phone I'd consider is the z2 but I am worried that the volume and sound quality via headphones will be disappointing. Can anyone tell me if the z2 with the sound mod will be as good as the m8?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I first purchased the phone I was very disappointed with the sound quality coming from a Wolfson Galaxy S3. Now with RomAur (Beats + Sound Mod + Viper) and Doomkernel (Faux Sound) I am very happy.
I use a combination of Faux/Viper/Walkman settings in combination with the preinstalled Beats and Z2 Sound Mod and the audio quality now rivals my S3 and surpassed my HTC One M7 (via my Sony ZX-600 headphones). Can't speak for the M8 sadly.
TLR - Z2 sound quality stock is disappointing. With mods it's great.
Regards.

Both phones use the same DAC. The difference in sound comes from software and the headphone port. The Z2 has a nice black background, so its headphone port must be decent. It also has a very nice bass boost in its built in equalizer, which works in any music app and not just the Walkman app. The reason I like the bass boost is because it boosts the lower end more than the higher end bass, so it doesn't bleed into the mids. I don't use the Clear Audio+ option as it just increases the treble but also narrows the soundstage.
The included IEMs are also very decent for bundled earphones. They have a nice flat frequency response but can also give punchy bass when you make them. They have decent instrument separation as well. They could maybe do with a little more clarity, but that's all really. The noise cancelling also works really well.
I've never had the privilege of listening to any Wolfson DACs, but the DAC inside my Z2 sounds quite comparable to the Texas Instruments DAC inside my JDS Labs C5D. It's to do with taste more than anything at this point. Again, the DACs in the M8 and Z2 are the same, so they shouldn't sound too different with software tweaks off. Can you not just try one out in a store anyway?

jimxms said:
Hi all,
I currently own the m8 and love it for its awesome sound quality, however the camera is absolute pants!
The only other phone I'd consider is the z2 but I am worried that the volume and sound quality via headphones will be disappointing. Can anyone tell me if the z2 with the sound mod will be as good as the m8?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im using z2. Sound mod with headphones enchanting is not working for me. Its comes bugging noises. So i do prefer using sound mod without headphone enchanted. For m8 i cannot tell. But for my z2, i fully satisfy. Amazing sound with my sennheiser ie-80. Deep and detail bass. Good for easy listening. The trebles is smooth. And great Vocal too. Over all surpassing my htc one sc. Im using original rom v 314. Doomkernel v10. And yes i prefer sound enchantment than clear audio +. Ram, camera, sound, waterproof. Its comparable device for me.

Can confirm that the sound quality you get out of the box is very good, playing with the eq settings makes it even better. It's noticeable better than the Z1.
I'm using the A-Jays Three earphones and I'm really pleased although I'm wondering if getting the noice cancelling earphones would give me a even better experience.
Are they worth getting it?
Sent from my Xperia Z2

Jiyeon90 said:
Can confirm that the sound quality you get out of the box is very good, playing with the eq settings makes it even better. It's noticeable better than the Z1.
I'm using the A-Jays Three earphones and I'm really pleased although I'm wondering if getting the noice cancelling earphones would give me a even better experience.
Are they worth getting it?
Sent from my Xperia Z2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For noise canceling they are great,sound quality is OK but not the best you can buy.

Sound on my Z2 is quite decent with the official ROM, however if you flash CM and that would be gone instantly and the volume will be very low.
I prefer using headphones over loudspeaker anyways but it would be better with a Mod, can someone post a link to a thread or something?
Thanks.

Well I don't really like the sound and noise cancelling on the official Sony Rom!
You really have to tweak it to be good.
The really best wound comes when you have a CM Rom installed and the equalizer set to Rock! It's is fantastic for any type of music. And If you want it louder there is mod for that...
No noise cancelling, clear sound, Beats... whatever, can "beat" the sound that come out a CM rom... in my opinion of course...

Z2 Soundmod http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2293589 http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2293589 this i can confirm so far can be installed and works.

angerousevil said:
Z2 Soundmod http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2293589 http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2293589 this i can confirm so far can be installed and works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you need unlocked bootloader for that?
Sent from my Xperia Z2

Jiyeon90 said:
Do you need unlocked bootloader for that?
Sent from my Xperia Z2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you can have custom recovery without unlocking bootloader. The answer is no needed. Because u need to flash zip with cwmr/twrp. Try to search xda forum about that. I lost my drm key and unlocking my bootloader on the first day this phone come out the box. So i never try to find out about that. And im using doom kernel v10 now.

angerousevil said:
If you can have custom recovery without unlocking bootloader. The answer is no needed. Because u need to flash zip with cwmr/twrp. Try to search xda forum about that. I lost my drm key and unlocking my bootloader on the first day this phone come out the box. So i never try to find out about that. And im using doom kernel v10 now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I have custom recovery, thanks
Sent from my Xperia Z2

I started stock... the speakers were decent but just not loud enough for me
Then I bought the noise-canceling earphones and they made a world of difference
Still not satisfied I rooted, unlocked bootloader, and installed CM11
I just found it a little buggy and went back stock...
Then rooted again and installed SOUNDMOD by olokos
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2758189
Bought MDR-XB90EX earbuds
http://www.amazon.com/MDR-XB90EX-In...ie=UTF8&qid=1412894172&sr=8-1&keywords=xb90ex
Almost everything is perfect except for two things:
1) I get a crackling with Hangouts notifications (not all the time, comes randomly)
2) Call quality on the earpiece is SO quiet. Speakers sound great.

I dont know why. But other mod make my sq getting worse. Still using pure audio and stock now. Tried z2 mod by olokos. Got bugging noises. Tried m8 mod. Got breaking sound for sub.

Also tried sirius soundmod last night. And got same issue. Annoyingly noises came after installed.

I'm using noice cancelling headset with viper4android and fauxsound. It's enough for me.

Sound quality on earphones

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 ...
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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..
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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
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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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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 :-/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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

Audiophiles out there!

Hello all audiophile Z5 owners!
How is the headphone output on this phone?
Is the quality good and loud?
Where can I find more specifications of the headphone jack and internal amp?

TordFuglstad said:
Hello all audiophile Z5 owners!
How is the headphone output on this phone?
Is the quality good and loud?
Where can I find more specifications of the headphone jack and internal amp?
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Click to collapse
I wouldn't say I was a proper audio file but the audio on the z5 is good its really clear and louder than previous Z phones but once again sony have missed the loudness trick.
After reading GSM arenas review of the C5 ultra and the M5 saying without headphones the volume levels were 'excellently high' and with headphones they fell to below average on the C5 and fell on the M5 too but it was so high on the M5 to start off with that that it still remained a good volume. So this means that the M5 is louder than the Z5 range, I had high hopes for the Z line then they tested the Z5C and it just got a average.

According to GSM Arena.
Audio quality has its ups and downs
The Sony Xperia Z5 Compact did a very good job in the first part of our audio quality test, where it's connected to an active external amplifier. The scores it got were great top to bottom but it only matched them with an average volume level so we can't quite call it perfect.
Plugging in a pair of headphones harm the stereo crosstalk but it remained decent, but it also introduced a bit of frequency response deviation and brought the volume down a notch. Not too bad of a showing, but certainly not one worth bragging about.

I can't consider myself an audiophile but I will say the Z5 audio is an.improvement over the Z5 in both clarity and volume. It doesn't approach ZTE Axon level of quality and HTC M9 volume but it is adequate for the casual listener. I have dsee hx switched on which disables all other audio settings.

how is the volume in z5 compare to z3

entra6 said:
how is the volume in z5 compare to z3
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louder than Z3 but imo could be louder yet still

RCJ89 said:
louder than Z3 but imo could be louder yet still
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Exactly, well stated.

Coming from the Z1 it's a massive improvement on just about every level: Cleaner, wider and louder. It's very good, I'd say - I've certainly enjoyed listening to music on it very much!
"Loud enough"? How loud do you need it to be? Any louder than it is and I'm sure you'd hurt your hearing: it's plenty loud.

Timaustin2000 said:
Coming from the Z1 it's a massive improvement on just about every level: Cleaner, wider and louder. It's very good, I'd say - I've certainly enjoyed listening to music on it very much!
"Loud enough"? How loud do you need it to be? Any louder than it is and I'm sure you'd hurt your hearing: it's plenty loud.
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Tbh there are many phones alot louder than the Z5 and the whole sony range and people are not complaining. There are phones from HTC, Iphone, Note 4/5/Edge Plus and especially Xiaomi and Meizu that are alot louder.

RCJ89 said:
Tbh there are many phones alot louder than the Z5 and the whole sony range and people are not complaining. There are phones from HTC, Iphone, Note 4/5/Edge Plus and especially Xiaomi and Meizu that are alot louder.
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Of that I have no doubt but do people put those phones to max volume? Do they need to? The ability and necessity are two separate things.
The Z5 is plenty loud for just about any headphone need, so far as I can make out. I'd certainly never put it to max.

Allright, so I purchased the graphite black Z5 yesterday. I have done some quick listening to the audio out of the jack through my ATH IM50 in ear monitors and haven't broken in the hardware yet. But I can definitely hear a difference from the Z3. All over the sound is very clear, it seems like a good separation and I can definitely get some really smooth low tones and crisp higher tones as well. I haven't been fooling around with the EQ yet. But feel like I don't need to.
About the loudness, I feel it is louder than the Z3 and very much loud enough to run a pair of good IEM's like the IM50's. I am listening now and have the volume two down from maximum. Probably won't be as loud with some big headphones. But any a person with a little self respect will have a headphone amp for that purpose. :good:

Timaustin2000 said:
Of that I have no doubt but do people put those phones to max volume? Do they need to? The ability and necessity are two separate things.
The Z5 is plenty loud for just about any headphone need, so far as I can make out. I'd certainly never put it to max.
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Fair enough for me its the bigger expensive headphones that make the difference with less expensive headphones like in ear or on ear it is never loud enough, in a busy street i still can hear noise around me.
I know some people who do have them on max volume definitely. I always had my note 4 on max volume and my HTC M7 and my 6S but only with lesser expensive headphones on headphones £200 and over no need to but even when are not at max they are still louder than Z5 at Max volume. Each to their own at the end of the day but sometimes its not always practical for me to carry around my larger headphones so I use in ear ones than I can just put in my pocket.

Hi,
I'm also trying to squeeze perfect sound from android. I use this portable DAC
http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/audioquest-dragonfly-v12-usb-dac/
via USB OTG cable. For playback I use "USB audio player pro". It can stream very high resolution audio files. At the moment I'm listening music on Audio technica ATH M50x headphones.
Sound with external DAC is a way better than directly from audio jack

RCJ89 said:
Tbh there are many phones alot louder than the Z5 and the whole sony range and people are not complaining. There are phones from HTC, Iphone, Note 4/5/Edge Plus and especially Xiaomi and Meizu that are alot louder.
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Click to collapse
That's unfortunate. One of the reasons I sent back my iPhone 6s, and opted to get a Z5 Compact is because I didn't think the sound of the 6s was much of a step up from my iPhone 4s. I was hoping the Z5 would be louder and fuller, especially for in-ear headphones at the gym. Might just be the headphones I've been using though. Maybe an upgrade in that department would resolve any potential issues I might have with the Z5.

I use sennheiser mm50 ip in ear phones with poweramp set to rock preset and to me the sound is nice crisp quality at loud enough volume levels
Sent from my Xperia z5 by Tapatalk

@TordFuglstad & @Timaustin2000 I've been enjoying your camera works (on 'that' thread) very much. Maybe you guys could post on the 'regular' photo thread at times
Don't get me wrong, guys. Before dropping > $100 on a pair of cans, maybe an 'audiophile' should get a cheap $50 DAC first. But it's not very convenient - we all know. That's why I'm looking at LDAC for the first time (wireless SQ is usually terrible compared to wired). LDAC could still be over-hyped, I'm willing to give it shot for the first time. But I can't find too many LDAC headphones to choose from. Any suggestions?

I read that there is no custom DAC in the Z5 (vs. Z3), but they added LDAC support. Unfortunately, I can't find almost any headphones that support it. I was really hoping they would have added it to the SBH bluetooth line by now.

How does the audio quality compare to HTC Butterfly s (which I have now) or I9505 Galaxy S4? What about HTC M9 or iPhone 6?
I take GSMArena's results with a grain of salt. I bought the Butterfly s partly based on their review saying the volume was loud and that there was no distortion. Unfortunately, while the audio quality is great at medium-high volumes the bass distorts above 12/15, and there is hissing with IEMs.
My questions are 1) do these hiss? and 2) do they distort with bass? (test track would be Daft Punk - Touch)

I'm a hardcore SONY audiophile, and while the Z5 is fantastic, the Walkman ZX2 is still by FAR my favorite mobile music player when coupled with the XBA-Z5 in-earphones ( made in Japan ) and/or Z7 headphones ( made in Japan) by Sony,
followed in close 2nd place by the newer less pricey ZX100 Walkman, which is a step up from the A series.

Lol even the A series is stomping on the Z5. No point to compare it to the zx2/1/100
Sent from my E6653