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Moto G 2014 Headphone Out Quality

While I don't totally trust GSMArena's reviews, they are one of the few review sites that offer loaded headphone out measurements, and the Moto G 2014 caught my eye in that it seems to have a vastly improved headphone out compared to past models, which seems to be on par with the Quallcomm solutions used in LG G2, Nexus 5, while maintaining somewhat lower IMD.
A lot of times implementation is more important than the silicon, and I love to use my mobile as a portable music player, hence I am still hanging on to my old i9000, but I think it may be about time to move on.
So the question for this community is, how do people think this phone sounds? There are things like spurious processor noise and radio noise that won't show up on common measurement methods, but are obvious and annoying as heck (Nexus 7 1st gen's random buzzing comes to mind)
This affordable phone with a promising looking headphone out as well as SD card expansion capacity seems like a probable new music phone for me, any thoughts?

It doesn't sound as good as the i9000, unsurprisingly (I'd still be using one if it had a flash...), but for the price, it is pretty damn good. Mine doesn't exhibit any audible interference via the headphone jack; it's really clean compared to some China brand budget phones I've tried... The same cannot be said of the earpiece speaker, which picks up the radio when it is working hard due to poor reception. Hopefully it isn't radiating excessively at frequencies that would harm your health... I spoke to Motorola about it and they refuse to deny or confirm the issue, but I'm certainly not the only one.
Let's just say the output is good enough to merit using decent headphones. I found the quality was high enough to warrant buying a better pair of portable cans, and to be honest, I find the AKG K481s I subsequently bought have more obvious deficiencies than the Moto G, itself. I rather suspect that on a limited budget, the Moto G paired with decent headphones would definitely be up there with most flagships paired with cheaper headphones.
The headphone output of the Xiaomi Redmi 1S is also supposedly surprisingly good for a budget device. Either way, if you want to do more critical listening, Android 5.0 supports USB DACs...

@rufflove: Thanks for the detailed reply. By picking up radio you mean it's picking up on the local AM/FM radio?! That's rather interesting... If money was no subject LG G3 or Samsung Note 4 looks rather good in the headphone out department, but those are too rich for my blood. I am only interested in a well built phone with moderately good specs, but good headphone out and perhaps a okay camera.
USB DACs may be an option, but I am really not a fan of lugging another piece around, attached by wire. Similar quality to i9000 can be obtained through a Sansa Clip for a rather low cost.

Sorry, no, I mean the cellular radio interferes with the earpiece, especially when signal strength is poor...
If money were no obstacle, I'd be tempted by a Vivo Xshot or the LG G3 in particular for the best camera and audio.
Yeah, my housemate had a Sansa Clip -- incredibly good for the money. I used to have a Rio Carbon and was mortified when I lost it abroad... I'm not convinced any of this expensive new high sample rate kit is anything more than another way of fleecing people... On the USB front, I use a cheap Behringer UCA202 USB audio interface at home. They're unbelievably good value for money, though they have problems driving low impedance headphones... Great for hooking up portables to hifi gear.
I checked the GSM Arena review before getting an XT1068 and was still not convinced about how good headphone output would be, based on past experience of budget devices. But all I can say is that I was pleasantly surprised by the Moto G. The Redmi 1S seems to be the only other worthy competitor atm, but reports of the screen being too reflective put me off. That and the fact that I would have more confidence in Motorola than Xiaomi when it comes to build quality. There are a couple of very capable developers working together on the 1S, though.

Sound quality is not that good compared to previous phones (e.g Galaxy Ace 2 and Experia Mini). E.q makes little difference.

I take moto g2 because got more chance to get lollipop than sgs3. Some people says moto got better speaker than samsung. Camera i think better in s3. i use cameramx app.
Now about headphone sound quality. Its not what i needed. Too loud and sound is not clean at max volume. But i use playerpro and is ok. So if you need better quality find phone with dedicated audio chip, i mean like sgs3,4,5 or htc one m7,8. Some of them is my next phone when they will be still in store and get lollipop

I was blown away by Moto G's 2014 sound quality paired with decent headphones - I doubt any other device could do any better.

squidlr said:
I was blown away by Moto G's 2014 sound quality paired with decent headphones - I doubt any other device could do any better.
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Which headphones do u use...?

ifu said:
Which headphones do u use...?
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Sony ZX310
Sent from my XT1068 using XDA Free mobile app

nereis said:
While I don't totally trust GSMArena's reviews, they are one of the few review sites that offer loaded headphone out measurements, and the Moto G 2014 caught my eye in that it seems to have a vastly improved headphone out compared to past models, which seems to be on par with the Quallcomm solutions used in LG G2, Nexus 5, while maintaining somewhat lower IMD.
A lot of times implementation is more important than the silicon, and I love to use my mobile as a portable music player, hence I am still hanging on to my old i9000, but I think it may be about time to move on.
So the question for this community is, how do people think this phone sounds? There are things like spurious processor noise and radio noise that won't show up on common measurement methods, but are obvious and annoying as heck (Nexus 7 1st gen's random buzzing comes to mind)ual
This affordable phone with a promising looking headphone out as well as SD card expansion capacity seems like a probable new music phone for me, any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would put the sound quality of the Moto 2014 on the very good side. It may not deliver enough punch for demanding headphones (It's not a Cowon, like all smartphones) but the sound is very clear, noise free.
I use it as my main listening device coupled with a Graham Slee Voyager headphone amp and the sound is very very good.

Hmm. My ears must be failing me. My Moto G doesn't sound that good through any of my head/ear phones. For reference I use Senn HD 480, AKG K450 headphones and Shure E2c in ears. The in ears sound the best with the right material.

@V4lve
true dat but you should try furnace kernel and app for increasing volume
Also does anyone have a flashable zip for viper4android or beats bass which works with bluetooth

Audio on the note 4

Morning all, I've always had an android phone, more recently I've joined a well known financial firm and obtained a brand new iPhone 6 for literally nothing, which is essentially the anti Christ in my eyes, to my dismay I realised that not only was this phone everything I thought it wasn't it's also got superb battery life and is ridiculously louder than my note 4 with far better bass, my question is this, can lollipop sound be boosted, I'm currently on echo pop Rom, the audio with ael kernel doesn't work as it should by all accounts. But having owned an S3, I know Samsung phones are toned down when it comes to the audio.
My iPhone is pure stock, it's audio is amazing, both on headphones, Bluetooth and speaker volume.
All help appreciated.

@dladz IPhone? You know that santan will come for your soul tonight, right? But to get back on the subject, I have to agree on the sound, I personally think that with the same Headset the iPhone sounds better then the stock Note4. Battery life of the iPhone is the same or a little less then the Note4. Regards

My dogs names marley, weird. But I agree, the audio is superior. Samsung shouldn't hold their audio back, think they've always done that though. .

Hi, I would say that the audio from the note 4 is better than the iphone, but only when you are using google play music. This is because it is one of the few apps that doesn't use Samsung's software equaliser, The DAC on the snapdragon 805 is better than that of the iphones cirrus logic chip, plus it supports 24 bit 192 khz audio decoding on the chip. I'm surprised that there hasn't been more praise for the note 4's audio.
P.s. The Note 4 (SM-N910F) & SoundMagic E10 are a stunning combo.
Sent from my SM-N910F using XDA Free mobile app

I all bull****. Iphones audio quality is rubbish. No equalizers, viper audio is far superior.
Sent from the first Samsung Galaxy ever

I'm sure theres a few thread knocking around in the apps and themes section. They will probably up the default volumes by a bit by altering the default values in the system, then I would use Viper Audio, which I also agree is superior.
I literally could not believe the difference once Viper was installed and configured it blew me away.
Samsung may have a better way of decoding the audio but what good is that with a small shi**y speaker.
I think personally if you want a phone for its audio quality its HTC one all day.

Brava27 said:
I all bull****. Iphones audio quality is rubbish. No equalizers, viper audio is far superior.
Sent from the first Samsung Galaxy ever
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Did you actually read what I wrote ? I have always hated apple. I got this phone for next to nothing, the only reason I chose it is because I've never has one, that being said I didn't start this thread to spark a debate, that's not what this is so if you want to come in here and moan on about apple and say the audio is terrible then don't, I asked a question, if you do not have an answer then kindly either remove your comment or don't write anything.
Viper audio is a good mod, as is acid sound mod too. However, at stock levels the iPhone is miles ahead. Even with the note 4 tweaked the iPhone was ahead. I haven't tried acid mod as I don't think it's available for the note 4 as of yet but besides that I think it's a lost cause.

jshq97 said:
Hi, I would say that the audio from the note 4 is better than the iphone, but only when you are using google play music. This is because it is one of the few apps that doesn't use Samsung's software equaliser, The DAC on the snapdragon 805 is better than that of the iphones cirrus logic chip, plus it supports 24 bit 192 khz audio decoding on the chip. I'm surprised that there hasn't been more praise for the note 4's audio.
P.s. The Note 4 (SM-N910F) & SoundMagic E10 are a stunning combo.
Sent from my SM-N910F using XDA Free mobile app
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Click to collapse
Agree with the chip, we know from HTC that great things can be done with it, however this isn't HTC it's Samsung and the speaker is tinny and low (at stock) I just compared the two devices with the same song..please try it next time you're in a phone shop, the difference is undeniable.
Haven't used sound magic, but I do own the 910f, at least until the M9 comes out anyway.
If acid mod comes out on the note 4 I have no doubt that the audio will vastly improve, last time I used this (or even needed it) was on my galaxy S3, the audio on that phone was similarly shocking, with that mod it was one of the loudest phones I've ever heard.
On your second point. I completely disagree with it, Google play makes no difference in this comparison.
I have tried, I also use power amp which is undoubtedly the best player to ever grace android.

mklass said:
I'm sure theres a few thread knocking around in the apps and themes section. They will probably up the default volumes by a bit by altering the default values in the system, then I would use Viper Audio, which I also agree is superior.
I literally could not believe the difference once Viper was installed and configured it blew me away.
Samsung may have a better way of decoding the audio but what good is that with a small shi**y speaker.
I think personally if you want a phone for its audio quality its HTC one all day.
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Click to collapse
There are a few threads, not the one I was looking for (acid mod) but again like you said it's a terrible speaker, also if you think about it, with HTC (besides the speakers) you have an active eq, software that adapts and adapts well, that's literally what the iphone has, they also own beats now too which is essentially what the eq was on HTC devices, I'm guessing that they might have used some code from the beats software for boomsound.
With viper , as much as it may help , it's not an active eq, it doesn't mould to the music the way the other two do, neither does acid.
Louder ? Maybe. Better audio quality ? I'm not so sure.

dladz said:
Agree with the chip, we know from HTC that great things can be done with it, however this isn't HTC it's Samsung and the speaker is tinny and low (at stock) I just compared the two devices with the same song..please try it next time you're in a phone shop, the difference is undeniable.
Haven't used sound magic, but I do own the 910f, at least until the M9 comes out anyway.
If acid mod comes out on the note 4 I have no doubt that the audio will vastly improve, last time I used this (or even needed it) was on my galaxy S3, the audio on that phone was similarly shocking, with that mod it was one of the loudest phones I've ever heard.
On your second point. I completely disagree with it, Google play makes no difference in this comparison.
I have tried, I also use power amp which is undoubtedly the best player to ever grace android.
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I do like HTC for their boom sound speakers, but when I have my headphones on I'm more of an audiophile. It may be a selective carrier thing or just software variations but with play music (actually, after some testing, all non samsung audio player apps) have a much more natural and slightly louder sound. There must be some software sound enhancement trickery on the touchwiz side.
I do understand that sound is subjective, so what I hear others may hear differently. These are just my obeservations

jshq97 said:
I do like HTC for their boom sound speakers, but when I have my headphones on I'm more of an audiophile. It may be a selective carrier thing or just software variations but with play music (actually, after some testing, all non samsung audio player apps) have a much more natural and slightly louder sound. There must be some software sound enhancement trickery on the touchwiz side.
I do understand that sound is subjective, so what I hear others may hear differently. These are just my obeservations
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Try audiotechnica w5000's never heard anything quite like them before. Cost you an arm and a leg but the audio is phenomenal.

the solution is
doing a root an install Walkman player fuul ported from its Z3
really amazing Sony is with its sound technology
---------- Post added at 04:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:28 PM ----------
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2730431

crazydeepman said:
the solution is
doing a root an install Walkman player fuul ported from its Z3
really amazing Sony is with its sound technology
---------- Post added at 04:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:28 PM ----------
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2730431
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Click to collapse
Haven't tried that before but I did own a Z1 which i rooted, the audio for me wasn't out of this world, the iPhone still has much better audio i'm afraid, htc definitely better audio.
Sony does have some plus points but don't think the audio is better mate.

The audio quality on this thing melts my face

Picked this phone up today despite the complaints. The first thing I noticed is the sound. The included head phones sound pretty good, but on my bose head set it feels like my face is melting. I don't know what they changed between the S6 and the note 5 yet but holy cow. Keep giving it to me.

So it sounds better?

svengalis said:
So it sounds better?
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I wouldn't say I have a "golden ear" but it definitely has better high's, better lows, and more drool coming out of my mouth from the sound. So I would say yes.

eousphoros said:
I wouldn't say I have a "golden ear" but it definitely has better high's, better lows, and more drool coming out of my mouth from the sound. So I would say yes.
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the next update for the s6 and the edge has the audio improvement update in it

Totally agree...i use Gear circle and Gear level U wireless buds and the sound is amazing and so much louder with my note 5 compared to my Note Edge...love it

Any idea if the boosted headphone sound works for bluetooth enabled headphones like the JayBird X2?

what about the call quality? In ear speaker loudness, loudness over speakerphone etc. I don't understand why these things are always almost not mentioned in any reviews, it is a phone first of all, right?

I also noticed that the sound in my via Bluetooth is much louder and clearer. I'm very happy with it.
Sent from my SM-N920T using XDA Free mobile app

yes the new note five will be running a higher bit rate for audio which will make audio sound better. More so if you have higher quality music files. Makes me happy you posted about this because I heard about the improved audio and now I know its true if others are posting about it

The.sound is excellent
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using XDA Free mobile app

Yes just got my Note 5 yesterday also and did some testing between my iPhone 6 plus and LG G4 and the Note 5. The Note 5 is definitely the clear winner. The LG G4 is definitely sounding compressed, not sure why LG did this as the LG G2 had superb audio and was known for that. I honestly think the king now is the Note 5! ?
Sent from my LG-H815 using XDA Free mobile app

Anyone comparing the sound to the S6 or S6 edge? I have the S6 edge and the audio quality is not good, especially over bluetooth. Using the bletooth in my car or over my bluetooth speaker sounds hissy and pretty terrible while the same car and speaker sounded great with the htc one m8.

rx7boy22 said:
Yes just got my Note 5 yesterday also and did some testing between my iPhone 6 plus and LG G4 and the Note 5. The Note 5 is definitely the clear winner. The LG G4 is definitely sounding compressed, not sure why LG did this as the LG G2 had superb audio and was known for that. I honestly think the king now is the Note 5!
Sent from my LG-H815 using XDA Free mobile app
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I agree with everything you said and I had those same devices. The only one that comes close to the Note 5 for me is the Sony Z3+, but I have so many complaints about that device that I'm not going to keep it. Anyway, my findings match yours and I couldn't be happier.
Wrathor said:
Anyone comparing the sound to the S6 or S6 edge? I have the S6 edge and the audio quality is not good, especially over bluetooth. Using the bletooth in my car or over my bluetooth speaker sounds hissy and pretty terrible while the same car and speaker sounded great with the htc one m8.
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Not sure if this helps you since I don't use BT, but with IEMs via the headphone jack I find the Note 5 to be warmer and fuller sounding with less emphasis on treble like the S6 Edge I have. Also, while I initially thought the "UHQ Upscaler" was going to be a gimmick, it adds a surprising amount of punch to the audio! Overall, I'm like a kid in a candy store with this thing. I should also mention I use several high-end pairs of IEMs (Sony XBA-A3, MDR-EX1000, Dunu DN-2000j, etc.).
-Collin-

Sound is noticeably better but after using m8 and Nexus 6 nothing to write home about
---------- Post added at 12:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:11 AM ----------
Why must Samsung insist on putting the speaker grill on the side where it covers it up.

Love the audio quality I am so happy. So happy.

The UHQ setting is actually enabling 192khz hardware output on the audio chip.

CollinFX45 said:
I agree with everything you said and I had those same devices. The only one that comes close to the Note 5 for me is the Sony Z3+, but I have so many complaints about that device that I'm not going to keep it. Anyway, my findings match yours and I couldn't be happier.
Not sure if this helps you since I don't use BT, but with IEMs via the headphone jack I find the Note 5 to be warmer and fuller sounding with less emphasis on treble like the S6 Edge I have. Also, while I initially thought the "UHQ Upscaler" was going to be a gimmick, it adds a surprising amount of punch to the audio! Overall, I'm like a kid in a candy store with this thing. I should also mention I use several high-end pairs of IEMs (Sony XBA-A3, MDR-EX1000, Dunu DN-2000j, etc.).
-Collin-
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Click to collapse
hey buddy you seems like an audiophile....do you think note 5 sound matches those of some dedicated players like fiio x3 ?
and do you know exactly what is done internally when we switch on the UHQ Upscaler ?
and do you or anyone knows what DAC is used this time in Note 5 ?

saj2001ind said:
hey buddy you seems like an audiophile....do you think note 5 sound matches those of some dedicated players like fiio x3 ?
and do you know exactly what is done internally when we switch on the UHQ Upscaler ?
and do you or anyone knows what DAC is used this time in Note 5 ?
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Click to collapse
Hi there - I'm not an audiophile, but I do appreciate a good, quality output. I actually haven't used a dedicated player; the most I've done is got an E17 DAC/Amp for headphones, but it wasn't worth the trouble for me personally.
The DAC is anyone's guess, but it should be Wolfson (as were most, if not all the Samsungs before it with Exynos processors).
Cheers,
-Collin-

CollinFX45 said:
Hi there - I'm not an audiophile, but I do appreciate a good, quality output. I actually haven't used a dedicated player; the most I've done is got an E17 DAC/Amp for headphones, but it wasn't worth the trouble for me personally.
The DAC is anyone's guess, but it should be Wolfson (as were most, if not all the Samsungs before it with Exynos processors).
Cheers,
-Collin-
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Click to collapse
Hey buddy it's good u use E17. ..so compared to ur E17 does the note 5 sound better or same quality?
I had E18 but like you I found that too combursume
Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

saj2001ind said:
Hey buddy it's good u use E17. ..so compared to ur E17 does the note 5 sound better or same quality?
I had E18 but like you I found that too combursume
Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
I haven't tried the E17 with the Note 5 yet, but I suspect it will only make it louder. I'll give it a try tonight. E18 would be the better choice for the Note 5, but oh well
-Collin-

Wired headphones audio quality

I have not found any reviews on audio quality. I only use the flac format for my audio collection so it would be nice if the mate 9 delivers good quality output.
Any ideas, links to specific audio reviews?

There was one review on YouTube that mention the audio quality of the mate 9 but as far as I know there is no significant improvement from the mate 8 which produced excellent clarity and lowest noise.

I'm pretty sure that they upgraded the dac

blackspp said:
I'm pretty sure that they upgraded the dac
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I assume so. Let us wait for audio reviews.

blackspp said:
I'm pretty sure that they upgraded the dac
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Emerald Core said:
I assume so. Let us wait for audio reviews.
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Check this out:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Huawei-Mate-9-Phablet-Review.182825.0.html
:good:

That's extensive. One needs a master in smartphone sciences to comprehend all that

If you are really into audio get a portable DAC. Lg or ZTE.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

https://www.youtube.com/results?q=Huawei+Mate+9&sp=EgIIAkgA6gMA

intruda119 said:
https://www.youtube.com/results?q=Huawei+Mate+9&sp=EgIIAkgA6gMA
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Thanks for sharing that link.
That's seriously **** if audio's important. For me it is so now what...
What makes it worse is the LC V20 will come to Europe in midget form. Sheit!!

However, going back to the extensive gsmarena test:
Audio output is solid
When plugged into an active external amplifier, the Huawei Mate 9 posted excellent scores top to bottom, hinting at perfectly accurate audio reproduction. Its loudness was just above average so no real reasons for complaining here.
Headphones only cause a small drop in volume so it’s only average and a contained hike in stereo crosstalk. Overall the output remains very clear and while it’s not quite the best performer out there the Mate 9 certainly won’t let you down in any significant way.
http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_mate_9-review-1520p7.php

Let me tell you that it wouldn't replace my external DAC/AMP. Mate 9 is a very good sounding compared to current competition. I wished if they could integrated a branded dac. The phone simply excels in every other aspect.
I think V20 is still the best in headphone quality as a stand alone. I haven't tested the V20 but I guess the specs say it all ?

blackspp said:
Thanks for sharing that link.
That's seriously **** if audio's important. For me it is so now what...
What makes it worse is the LC V20 will come to Europe in midget form. Sheit!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
blackspp said:
However, going back to the extensive gsmarena test:
Audio output is solid
When plugged into an active external amplifier, the Huawei Mate 9 posted excellent scores top to bottom, hinting at perfectly accurate audio reproduction. Its loudness was just above average so no real reasons for complaining here.
Headphones only cause a small drop in volume so it’s only average and a contained hike in stereo crosstalk. Overall the output remains very clear and while it’s not quite the best performer out there the Mate 9 certainly won’t let you down in any significant way.
http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_mate_9-review-1520p7.php
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Exactly what I was going to say, GSMArena made a deep test and the audio part seems "decent", which for me is more than enough. If you really care about audio, maybe LG V20 or Axon 7 would be the way to go.

Big phone small sound..
https://youtu.be/3Gb9OicXcTo

cultofluna said:
Big phone small sound..
https://youtu.be/3Gb9OicXcTo
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I saw that as well, but I have read some other reviews and the say that audio is pretty good, and stereo sound is as well.
Is the only review that says that audio is crap on Mate 9, besides is known that PocketNow, The Verge and BGR are Apple fans. If it's not Apple, is not good enough.

Vivi Xplay 6 is potentially going to be one of the best sounding smartphones this year

cultofluna said:
Big phone small sound..
https://youtu.be/3Gb9OicXcTo
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Emerald Core said:
Vivi Xplay 6 is potentially going to be one of the best sounding smartphones this year
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"The Mate 9's audio capabilities are equally beefy — up to a point. The phone combines a rear-firing loudspeaker with the main earpiece in a dual-speaker setup, similar to the HTC 10 or Huawei P9 Plus. At max volume level, the output is louder than you'd ever want it to be, which is great if you're showing someone a video in a crowded bar. But above around 50 percent volume, playback becomes increasingly tinny, with some distortion creeping in.
Fortunately, we've found that wired audio output is excellent with this phone. The 3.5mm jack (yep, it has one of those) is capable of driving demanding studio headphones with just as much power as the HTC 10."
http://www.androidcentral.com/huawei-mate-9

Galaxo60 said:
"The Mate 9's audio capabilities are equally beefy �¢?? up to a point. The phone combines a rear-firing loudspeaker with the main earpiece in a dual-speaker setup, similar to the HTC 10 or Huawei P9 Plus. At max volume level, the output is louder than you'd ever want it to be, which is great if you're showing someone a video in a crowded bar. But above around 50 percent volume, playback becomes increasingly tinny, with some distortion creeping in.
Fortunately, we've found that wired audio output is excellent with this phone. The 3.5mm jack (yep, it has one of those) is capable of driving demanding studio headphones with just as much power as the HTC 10."
http://www.androidcentral.com/huawei-mate-9
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Click to collapse
I know all of that because I owned a Mate 9. It sounds excellent in both headphones and speakers. Speakers sound louder than ip7 but less detailed. As for headphones, it sounded better than my HTC 10.

blackspp said:
I have not found any reviews on audio quality. I only use the flac format for my audio collection so it would be nice if the mate 9 delivers good quality output.
Any ideas, links to specific audio reviews?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i test with my pi audio mr2
it still carry the huawei signature sound
-full body
-bassy but not bloated
-frontal vocal
-kinda remind me of what makes fiio x5 different than x3
my only complaint:
-theres lack of decay or reverbation.for example, snare drum or any hollow instrument doesnt sound as hollow as it should
like many review such as gmarena said; its no dap replacement, but its one of the best offered by smartphone
lg v10 or v20 might be better
and imo, dap like fiio x3 sound better

According to this review, the Mate 9 is at the bottom of the barrel for flagship devices:
I mean for most people it will be good enough but no DAC/amp replacement. It won't be able to drive demanding headphones. One thing that I can say is that the measurements made by the reviewer does not match what the audio codec in the Kirin 960 is capable of. So unless there is a hardware bottleneck somewhere it would be possible to improve it through software if Huawei wanted to. High performance audio usually results in higher power consumption so the current state of the audio quality might be a compromise between performance and battery life.

Trixanity said:
According to this review, the Mate 9 is at the bottom of the barrel for flagship devices:
.
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Well, whatever the reviewers say or measure, my M9 sounds pretty good on my Bose cans, no complaints whatsoever!

How is the sound quality in the NON QUAD DAC version?

Hi guys, just want to know how is the sound quality in the NON QUAD DAC version. Is it good enough? Maybe like the HTC 10, Axon 7 or Galaxy S7 sound quality? I know it must be worse than the QUAD DAC version, but how much worse? Is it still worth it or if i'm looking for a good sound smartphone i should look for another one? Where i live the version being sold is the 32GB H870.

Same as like LG G4. Over compressed weak output.
My only hope:Root-custom kernel.soundmode (Imperium G4 rom included)

kabirjedi said:
Same as like LG G4. Over compressed weak output.
My only hope:Root-custom kernel.soundmode (Imperium G4 rom included)
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It's that bad? It doesn't has a more simple DAC? It's using the Qualcomm one?

Mate! The HTC 10 sound quality is worlds apart from this phone. I have the g6 and am returning it due to the weak audio output. Don't know why LG gave us Europe nothing. Oh well.
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godofpornings said:
Mate! The HTC 10 sound quality is worlds apart from this phone. I have the g6 and am returning it due to the weak audio output. Don't know why LG gave us Europe nothing. Oh well.
Sent from my LG-H870 using Tapatalk
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That's sad to hear. I'm not going to buy it then.

I think it sounds pretty good.
General consensus is that it sounds just a bit worse than the V20's Quad DAC and better than Galaxy S7, close to HTC M10's quality. Most users and reviewers are impressed.
I believe it does have a DAC. At least i've read that somewhere but i'm not 100% sure.
Offcorse it all depends on headphones. If you have cheap, ****ty headphones no amount of DAC can help you.

WstrKuNoužč said:
I think it sounds pretty great.
General consensus is that it sounds just a bit worse than the V20's Quad DAC and better than Galaxy S7, very close to HTC M10's quality. Most users and reviewers are impressed.
I believe it does have a DAC. At least i've read that somewhere but i'm not 100% sure.
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Its not anywhere near HTC 10 audio quality.
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godofpornings said:
Its not anywhere near HTC 10 audio quality.
Sent from my LG-H870 using Tapatalk
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I don't own HTC 10 so i can't know that BUT i did see a lot of ppl on forums saying and agreeing it's pretty close to it quality wise.

WstrKuNoužč said:
I don't own HTC 10 so i can't know that BUT i did see a lot of ppl on forums saying and agreeing it's pretty close to it quality wise.
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No no no. The HTC 10 has a built in DAC and a amp which really makes the music stand out compared to any other phone I have ever owned. Too bad I sold it after a year and upgraded to the g6.
The g6 is a amazing phone only let down by the audio output. If they put the quad DAC in all units then that would of made this phone godly.
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godofpornings said:
No no no. The HTC 10 has a built in DAC and a amp which really makes the music stand out compared to any other phone I have ever owned. Too bad I sold it after a year and upgraded to the g6.
The g6 is a amazing phone only let down by the audio output. If they put the quad DAC in all units then that would of made this phone godly.
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As i said i think it does have DAC. It is true that the output volume is not as high as M10's BUT that also depends on headphones.
If you got a pair of good headphones it's gonna sound great and loud. The headphones that come with G6 are pretty crappy tho...
All-in-all M10 is an audiophile phone so it's probably designed for high and low quality headphones meaning even crappy headphones sound okay-ish or at least a lot better than on other "normal" phones.

WstrKuNoužč said:
As i said i think it does have DAC. It is true that the output volume is not as high as M10's BUT that also depends on headphones.
If you got a pair of good headphones it's gonna sound great and loud. The headphones that come with G6 are pretty crappy tho...
All-in-all M10 is an audiophile phone so it's probably designed for high and low quality headphones meaning even crappy headphones sound okay-ish or at least a lot better than on other "normal" phones.
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Yeah that's true. I'm using the hi Res headfones I got from the HTC 10. The g6 has no DAC. The sound quality is very poor for a flagship phone for £600 I must say. But each to there own.
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I use the free vlc player and the 10 level equalizer along with my library of flac music. I run it onto my fender audio system (jetta) via Bluetooth and the sound is incredible. Deep bass, great mids and vocals. The sound with the headphone jack into the aux port isn't noticably better. I highly recommend vlc's free player, I had no idea that it would sound so good. Just play around with each equalizer level till your music sounds the way you want it to. Make sure you start with the levels flat, then go from there. I also put my music on a 128gb Samsung microsdxc card which I purchased on Amazon for only 30.99 I also highly recommend this card. Not as fast as more expensive cards but sound quality can't be beat. Model MB-MP128D. Peace..

Sound is OK it's not bad. But compared to my V10 the sound pales. Not as clean output or wide/deep sound signature.
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LOL. Every digital device that outputs sound has to have a DAC (Digital to Analog Converter), it just converts those 1 and 0 binary codes to electric signal. It's just the quality differs due to price. Some DACs have enough power on their own to drive small headphones, what sets "audiophile" smartphones apart is the addition of an Amp, it takes the electric signal from DAC and amplifies it to drive more power to large headphones with high impedance.

Is there any point in keeping my g5 for its b&o dac or not I have a s8 now well law has had it 6months

Can I use Google headphone adapter from Pixel 2 on my LG G6? Dac and Amp inside Google's headphone adapter is pretty good and powerful, same as Iphone 7 headphone adapter. I bought G6 few days ago (version without Quad DAC) and I think this should be one of possible alternatives for great sounding headphones quality.

Windforce0511 said:
Can I use Google headphone adapter from Pixel 2 on my LG G6? Dac and Amp inside Google's headphone adapter is pretty good and powerful, same as Iphone 7 headphone adapter. I bought G6 few days ago (version without Quad DAC) and I think this should be one of possible alternatives for great sounding headphones quality.
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Yes,
I use the adapter from an Essential PH-1

Normal one doesn't sound very good but with quad-DAC it is outstanding IMO.

quadacless g6 sound big nothing....

tech_head said:
Yes,
I use the adapter from an Essential PH-1
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How is it compared to Google's one? I know adapter from Google is sounding 99% same as one from Iphone. I haven't tried Google one yet, but one from Iphone is very powerfull and have wide sound stage. I don't know where tu buy it btw..