Database Users

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.
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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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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
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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.
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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

S6 audio quality..

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Audio Quality

Better than any Smartphone I have ever used.
I have tested the S6 Edge with lossless FLAC music purchased from an online store (24 bit 96 khz). I played back using the Onkyo HF app over aptx to my Hi Fi. I am astonished at the quality of reproduction. You can also try ripping a CD in FLAC lossless format and the playback quality is great over wired or BT audiophile headphones.

Thanks for your opinion! ! This mobile is really great

Great review which also covers audio aspects in detail http://gavinsgadgets.com/2015/04/27/samsung-galaxy-s6-edge-the-review/

Info
jah said:
Better than any Smartphone I have ever used.
I have tested the S6 Edge with lossless FLAC music purchased from an online store (24 bit 96 khz). I played back using the Onkyo HF app over aptx to my Hi Fi. I am astonished at the quality of reproduction. You can also try ripping a CD in FLAC lossless format and the playback quality is great over wired or BT audiophile headphones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do u have any technical detail about S6E audio outputs? (speaker/s and headphone jack)
if i remember correctly it doesn't have stereo speaker! can u make video for comparison of S6E sound?
Thanks
:good:

Geeks Empire said:
do u have any technical detail about S6E audio outputs? (speaker/s and headphone jack)
if i remember correctly it doesn't have stereo speaker! can u make video for comparison of S6E sound?
Thanks
:good:
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Click to collapse
Please read the review I linked to above. The audio assessment is not about the speaker but the ability to reproduce audiophile level of quality for headphones and aptx devices.

I'm a bit of an audiophile myself and the S6 really is amazing. Using the Shure se846 it sounds as good as through my Macbook Pro. No amp or external DAC necessary.

SomeGuyDude said:
I'm a bit of an audiophile myself and the S6 really is amazing. Using the Shure se846 it sounds as good as through my Macbook Pro. No amp or external DAC necessary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also use the S6 Edge with my custom in-ears ( not UE Personal Reference, but it was tuned to my ears by a friend - I'm FOH engineer and also work in studio as well ). It sound as good as iphone's output. Pretty much un-colored signal. I remember there are threads about S6 Edge somewhere in this forum about audio quality with lots of debations of S6 Edge audio. Totally not true. Listen to Natalie Cole - Yo Lo Amo (And I Love Him) [feat. Chris Botti] on the S6 Edge was as enjoyable as on iphone 6 ( i owned both iphone 6 and 6 plus + ipad Air ). My S6E was rooted, no ViperFX ( ViperFX is good, but it is way too colored and not real, at least to my ears) , played with PowerAmp, Flat setting with no Samsung crappy audio FXs as well.
S6 Edge Speakers are loud but they are crappy in comparison to iphone 6...but headphone output is pretty much on par

leoaudio13 said:
I also use the S6 Edge with my custom in-ears ( not UE Personal Reference, but it was tuned to my ears by a friend - I'm FOH engineer and also work in studio as well ). It sound as good as iphone's output. Pretty much un-colored signal. I remember there are threads about S6 Edge somewhere in this forum about audio quality with lots of debations of S6 Edge audio. Totally not true. Listen to Natalie Cole - Yo Lo Amo (And I Love Him) [feat. Chris Botti] on the S6 Edge was as enjoyable as on iphone 6 ( i owned both iphone 6 and 6 plus + ipad Air ). My S6E was rooted, no ViperFX ( ViperFX is good, but it is way too colored and not real, at least to my ears) , played with PowerAmp, Flat setting with no Samsung crappy audio FXs as well.
S6 Edge Speakers are loud but they are crappy in comparison to iphone 6...but headphone output is pretty much on par
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fellow engineer here, also UE10 pro custom user for 9 years before the Logitech acquisition. Anyhow, I'll have to check this out!
I'll definitely check out some of my personal reference recordings.
I've yet to take the phone to a live gig and see how it handles transients and kick drums at 120dB! SEC in the past has been major fail. Although the camera on the Note 4 handled Ace Frehley fairly decently, right on the edge of the stage, quite loud, over 123dB! The iPhone 6 had about the same amount of distortion at that gig, FWIW. Most ALCs on these devices hard clip well before that level. The S3 was really bad, could not handle FOH levels in most venues.

cpufrost said:
Fellow engineer here, also UE10 pro custom user for 9 years before the Logitech acquisition. Anyhow, I'll have to check this out!
I'll definitely check out some of my personal reference recordings.
I've yet to take the phone to a live gig and see how it handles transients and kick drums at 120dB! SEC in the past has been major fail. Although the camera on the Note 4 handled Ace Frehley fairly decently, right on the edge of the stage, quite loud, over 123dB! The iPhone 6 had about the same amount of distortion at that gig, FWIW. Most ALCs on these devices hard clip well before that level. The S3 was really bad, could not handle FOH levels in most venues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm, the phone to a live gig to record u mean ? Pretty sure it wont stand. I mix variable genres of music. My in-ears were tuned to matched with the UE PErsonal Reference response but with less boost at 10k. I found those peaks of UE Capitol version are way too bright.
Anyway, S6 edge handles quite well even with a very loud commercial Rock track with loud RMS , eg: I'm A River - FooFighter. Its a very busy track with lots of things going on, even with string ensemble at the end but my IEM wasnt distorted, which is a good thing. I think the output on S6E was a bit low in compare to ip6 but loud enough for low impedance high sensitive headphone or IEM. My IEM impedance is around 50 Ohm but it seems to be fine with S6E. Quite transparent.

leoaudio13 said:
Hmmm, the phone to a live gig to record u mean ? Pretty sure it wont stand. I mix variable genres of music. My in-ears were tuned to matched with the UE PErsonal Reference response but with less boost at 10k. I found those peaks of UE Capitol version are way too bright.
Anyway, S6 edge handles quite well even with a very loud commercial Rock track with loud RMS , eg: I'm A River - FooFighter. Its a very busy track with lots of things going on, even with string ensemble at the end but my IEM wasnt distorted, which is a good thing. I think the output on S6E was a bit low in compare to ip6 but loud enough for low impedance high sensitive headphone or IEM. My IEM impedance is around 50 Ohm but it seems to be fine with S6E. Quite transparent.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the camera one has with them is the best camera as the saying goes.
So with that in mind I like to test these devices under all sorts of conditions.
If a device can capture the crack of a stun gun's arc without distorting, I'd be impressed.
Then again, most equipment struggles with that, it's like trying to get a speaker to reproduce a square wave.
I'm definitely not into loud (as in compressed, no crest factor) recordings. Those will fry your ears, might as well stand next to a kiloton Frick chiller running at WOT.
For rock I'm more of a Robert Fripp guy.

I am using customs Lime Ears Aether and s6 edge sounds really good but to be frank this is still thin compared to Ibasso DX90 [emoji9]
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What surprised me the most with this device is how powerful the speaker is. Quality is there too ...
But when you listen to music with your headset it's very impressive. Sound is very clear and deep. It's so cool to have many toggles to improve quality. Samsung has already been the best I think regarding sound (not talking about speaker ... HTC boomsound remains above all).

kamson said:
I am using customs Lime Ears Aether and s6 edge sounds really good but to be frank this is still thin compared to Ibasso DX90 [emoji9]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice IEM man. Looks like Noble custom IEM to me i also use a pair of Westone UM Pro 50 + AKG K812 Pro. They also sound as they are supposed to be on S6E.
DX90 bass is a bit colored dont u think ? I love tight and uncolored low end. Kinda punchy.
S6E speakers ? Bleh!
---------- Post added at 02:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:40 AM ----------
cpufrost said:
Yes, the camera one has with them is the best camera as the saying goes.
So with that in mind I like to test these devices under all sorts of conditions.
If a device can capture the crack of a stun gun's arc without distorting, I'd be impressed.
Then again, most equipment struggles with that, it's like trying to get a speaker to reproduce a square wave.
I'm definitely not into loud (as in compressed, no crest factor) recordings. Those will fry your ears, might as well stand next to a kiloton Frick chiller running at WOT.
For rock I'm more of a Robert Fripp guy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty sure S6e wont keep up with high SPL IMO. Lemme know your result. My previous ip6 wont keep up but with Sony Z3, sound was fantastic after recording full HD ( Z3 allows u to choose high or low mic recording volume ).

APT-X Support: Will It Ever Happen?

Another year, another round of Nexus' (Nexii?) without this great technology.
Is there a reason why Google continues to leave it out of their phones? One would think it is a very Nexus-appropriate feature.

ySo Jelly said:
Another year, another round of Nexus' (Nexii?) without this great technology.
Is there a reason why Google continues to leave it out of their phones? One would think it is a very Nexus-appropriate feature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cuz it's useless for them.... Quite honest I don't even know what it is.... Most don't....

Why'd they leave it out? probably the power penalty and licensing fees, plus nobody cares about apt-x.

Most likely the licensing fee. Also, how many headphones actually support apt-X? Do beats headphone support it?

I haven't heard a single Bluetooth device, aptx or no, that sounds as good as wired cans or IEMs, and I've bought the high end Parrot, Sennheiser, Bose models and returned each one. For me, that's the aptx killer. The source can be stellar, but if you play it back on stuff that sounds like crap, you're still left with crap.

Well you need aptx compatability on both ends for it to work. Otherwise your stream will default to the ****ty SBC.
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Just wondering why the Nexus line avoids this when LG/Samsung/HTC/Sony all have it. I'd really like to pair my 6P up with my headunit in the car and get some decent sq without cables.

Probably because most people who care a lot about sound quality don't use Bluetooth. Also
Android Auto
Sent from my Nexus 6

Wow, I didn't even realize the 6p didn't have apt-x
Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

I would love for it to have APT-X but it's not a deal killer for me.

Here's Google's response to your question in a Reddit AMA yesterday:
"DB> No but aptx support for Android in general is something we’re thinking about."
Fingers crossed, it might actually happen!

snapper.fishes said:
Most likely the licensing fee. Also, how many headphones actually support apt-X? Do beats headphone support it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Beats aren't exactly high end headphones despite their high price so I doubt they do. I have a few sets of Bose headphones but my hearing is pretty bad so I doubt I would notice the difference with APT-X anyway

Not a deal breaker, but I would love to have it. The Moto X sounded really good with me Sony BT headphones using Apt-X. I originally was using Viper but I quickly realized that my music quality went down hill. Disabled it, and my music quality went back to normal.

ySo Jelly said:
Well you need aptx compatability on both ends for it to work. Otherwise your stream will default to the ****ty SBC.
Just wondering why the Nexus line avoids this when LG/Samsung/HTC/Sony all have it. I'd really like to pair my 6P up with my headunit in the car and get some decent sq without cables.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
70.5bps? That doesn't even make sense. It appears the max bitrate for SBC is 345kbps. I use a OnePlus One in my car for BT audio with spotify 320kbps, and it doesn't sound much different than plugging my iPhone 5 via USB for audio with the same source.
Here's a quote from an article at bringsound.com. I don't know how credible this source is, but it seems to mirror my experience without apt-x.
"Many recent devices implement SBC at a high enough bit rate that aptX doesn’t appear to make a noticeable difference in sound quality. "
The main difference between SBC and apt-x appears to be lower latency (something I don't care about for my situation) and fewer artifacts. This isn't really something to be up in arms about, IMO.

coming off of devices that support the Apt-X protocol to see this left off is really really disappointing. So much so that it's keeping me from placing an order as I contemplate it.
Once you hear the difference, and there is a huge difference, you never want to go back to a2dp aka normal bluetooth quality again.
Is the support strictly a software limitation - meaning could it be added by an app or custom ROM?
To some this is a non-issue, but for others its huge. I don't consider myself an audiophile, nor do I think you need to be to hear the difference.

Me too. I really like Aptx and sound quality is important to me. I believe it's just a licensing issue, ie. Google has to pay CSR to include the protocol.

Very sad no Apt-X. I use it for car and headset. It's really easy to tell when Apt-X is turned off. I see what it sounds like when my 6P arrives and go from there.

gman16000 said:
Very sad no Apt-X. I use it for car and headset. It's really easy to tell when Apt-X is turned off. I see what it sounds like when my 6P arrives and go from there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lets us know

SymbioticGenius said:
Probably because most people who care a lot about sound quality don't use Bluetooth. Also
Android Auto
Sent from my Nexus 6
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, good counter argument to people who whine about using bluetooth speakers over built in Stereo speakers!
BURN
lol Kidding, but seriously I am shocked at how low the quality of BT music is... I'll be using USB audio soon so oh well.
---------- Post added at 01:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:56 PM ----------
ySo Jelly said:
Well you need aptx compatability on both ends for it to work. Otherwise your stream will default to the ****ty SBC.
Just wondering why the Nexus line avoids this when LG/Samsung/HTC/Sony all have it. I'd really like to pair my 6P up with my headunit in the car and get some decent sq without cables.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You realize that "CD Quality Sound" is garbage right? 24bit 192khz or go home. Also...the dynamic range compression... Ugh.

Does android auto not use bluetooth to transfer the audio? If it truely does pass through with usb thats a possitive for sure. However i hope the auto makers make the port you plug it into be quick charge at a high amp rate or its all for naught.
For other devices such as small bluetooth speakers or headphones my ears would not forgive me

gman16000 said:
Very sad no Apt-X. I use it for car and headset. It's really easy to tell when Apt-X is turned off. I see what it sounds like when my 6P arrives and go from there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I finally got my 6p and can give you my experience without Apt-X. Sorry this is long. Hopefully helpful.
My Setup:
Headphones: Sony MDR-10RBT
Phone #1: Galaxy Note 4 (Apt-X)
Phone #2: Nexus 6p
Source: Google Music (Audio set to High on Wifi)
Headphones:
Showing 3 blue flashes for both phones (means SBC (high quality), AAC or aptX selected automatically)
http://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/10rbt/v1/en/contents/04/01/04/04.html
"Subjective" Part:
Sorry to say that the 6p does not sound as good. I can easily hear the difference. Sorry I'm not good at describing it (I'm an engineer and not an audiophile sound reviewer), but here goes. With Apt-X and the Note 4, bass notes sound lower and the high notes sound more transparent and crisp than with the same songs on the 6p. Music sounds punchier and just more clear. Definitely not my imagination. If I had someone in the room here, I could have them randomly connect the headphones up to one of the phones and I'm certain I could bet my life on picking which phone I was connected to with 100% accuracy.
So does the 6p sound bad?? If I never heard the Apt-X version over these headphones, I would not know any better and the music would (and does) sound great. I almost wish I had not compared them side by side and I would have been happy with the 6p sound. Ignorance is bliss. But now that I know and have heard, it will make me a little crazy (I'm a bit OCC that way), but I'll live.
If this is the very small price I pay getting off that crap locked buggy Verizon Note 4, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Terrible aux audio?

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
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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 ****.