Database Users

Audio SQ Stock vs CM10?

Hello there, is there any diference between audio qualify from headphones out stock vs cm?

This is the big question for me since I own a pair of NuForce NE-700M and plan to upgrade to Yamaha EPH-100, and roughly 90% of my smartphone usage is just listening to music. GSMArena shows stock playing with enjoyably low THD (I know some of you aren't too fond of their review process, though).

Deadeye* said:
Hello there, is there any diference between audio qualify from headphones out stock vs cm?
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Click to collapse
Stock has workarounds for the cheap buds that come with the Oppo - but Dirac HD is unnecessary for decent headphones and in fact ruins the audio quality if used with good headphones. So if you use decent wired headphones you should not hear much difference if any. Some A2DP (stereo Bluetooth) devices have issues with 4.2 due to the new Bluetooth stack, however I can't reproduce this with any of my A2DP headsets.

I listen often music at home and sometimes I have to use my headphones (Fidelio)
Tested CM on Oppo which I preferred used on my HTC Sensation, but on the Oppo I am especially due to the sound quality back to Stock because in my opinion is the overall sound much better, especialy with MP3 320 kbps which I normally use. Only issue is that Stock in combination with the Faux Kernel causes sometimes a few problems.. However I have clearly to recommend the Stock for Music Lovers.. but try it - because ears and sound preferences are different
And by the way DiracHD is not only to improve cheap earphones, don't forget you have not the power of a High-End Amplifier in your pocket therfore is such a sound improvement a good way to have a much better sound on good headphones as well....

Nelson Hawker said:
I listen often music at home and sometimes I have to use my headphones (Fidelio)
Tested CM on Oppo which I preferred used on my HTC Sensation, but on the Oppo I am especially due to the sound quality back to Stock because in my opinion is the overall sound much better, especialy with MP3 320 kbps which I normally use. Only issue is that Stock in combination with the Faux Kernel causes sometimes a few problems.. However I have clearly to recommend the Stock for Music Lovers.. but try it - because ears and sound preferences are different
And by the way DiracHD is not only to improve cheap earphones, don't forget you have not the power of a High-End Amplifier in your pocket therfore is such a sound improvement a good way to have a much better sound on good headphones as well....
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Click to collapse
No, DiracHD only works with cheap headphones - more specifically, *only with the cheap headphones included with the device* - it is an EQ preset that offsets the deficiencies of the OEM earbuds. Use it with anything that doesn't have the exact same frequency response and you correct for problems that aren't there - effectively creating new problems that didn't exist.
Effectively it's an audio form of RF predistortion - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predistortion - Applying predistortion to anything with distortion characteristics different from what the predistortion algorithm was designed for results in increased distortion.

Well, then you agree that there is a differece between..and it depends on the headphones!
This was finally the question..
There was also somewhere a previous discussion ongoing that not each headphone works well with DIRAC due some reasons you stated before which is clear and nothing new..
But as I said, for me personally it sounds much better. Maybe are my 180 Euro headphones made of cheap quality, my ears need a doctor or I'am a promotion victim

Nelson Hawker said:
Well, then you agree that there is a differece between..and it depends on the headphones!
This was finally the question..
There was also somewhere a previous discussion ongoing that not each headphone works well with DIRAC due some reasons you stated before which is clear and nothing new..
But as I said, for me personally it sounds much better. Maybe are my 180 Euro headphones made of cheap quality, my ears need a doctor or I'am a promotion victim
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Click to collapse
I got rid of my stock firmware before I had a chance to try the Dirac stuff, but it sounds like it's very similar to Beats Audio, where a lot of the lower spectrum and possibly some of the highs are boosted. This generally makes a more "fun" sound for the casual listener but a lot of more analytical listeners will feel like it ruins the sound, especially if they own earphones that already have their preferred sound signature.

So basically: If your earbuds share a similar signature to the Find 5 included buds, you'll appreciate Dirac HD's effects. Elsewise, if Dirac happens to shape your buds' signature into something you enjoy, then more power to it.
Meh. My NuForce NE-700Ms are already plenty V-shaped (my only complaint being that I have to run 4khz into the ground because it can be harsh. I still recommend them to you out there looking for a quality pair of IEMs at a decent price)

Only for information:
With the Stock Music App, which is not really bad you can switch between DIRAC, Dolby or turn every sound improvement off. But you must plug your headphone in otherwise you have in the speaker mode only a possibility to select Dolby or turn everything off..
So you can compare a little bit better how it works for you...

M8 - Audiophile thread

We seriously need a sound quality-related thread for this phone.
I'll start first.
I think this phone's audio is OK, best I've seen by far, but not as detailed as I'd like it. I seldom change phones, so I will compare it (very neutrally) with my previous phone: Note 3.
The Note supports 24-bit/192 kHz, while this phone's international model supports 24-bit/96 kHz.
This phone's Boomsound software is actually a pretty good feature and raises just the right frequencies to the right extent, without distorting the authentic experience. But it was so loud/wild that it started to blow even my studio monitor Audio-Technica M50, which was something purely related to not up-to-the-mark coding, blowing off relatively neutral headphones.
But I just updated to 4.4.3 firmware, and they have actually improved a lot on that software deficiency. The headphones do not feel blown even at full volume, which is a giant leap considering how "sensitive" audio equalizers like BoomSound are to reach perfection. Sure, they still haven't reached perfection; audio loses detail nearly last 2 steps of volume, but it's nice to see they are actually improving on that.
Of course, I can turn off Boomsound anytime and be as authentic as anything, but for me boomsound is just a priceless software I'm yet to find in any mobile yet.
Note 3 had Adapt Sound, which is a great equalizer to tweak sound to the best too. But I like how you don't have to take an audiometry-like test just to improve sound on your phone in M8. (Not bashing Note 3's audio at all, just my preference).
I think I read in the official features of Android L that external DAC will be natively supported (correct me if I'm wrong), so I'm really looking forward to the future of audio in this phone.
P.s. I would give an arm and leg to try out Harmon Kardon mod for this phone, but I can't because of no S-Off. I really can't wait to hear the difference between Boomsound and Harmon Kardon myself. Well, until the day I can get the mod!
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Pay the 25 dollars...

OP, I think this thread is a good idea :good:
I hope that we will get some good input and development info here
P.S. HK on 4.4.3 is awesome!
Link: http://forum.xda-developers.com/htc...-harman-kardon-conversion-htc-one-m8-t2827439

erapmicks said:
Pay the 25 dollars...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Willing to pay, even tried all I could to pay them in *any* way but my country has no PayPal, and even a live chat with the developers could not find a workaround for the issue
I'm just refreshing their page everyday to see if new payment methods become available.
09Ram said:
OP, I think this thread is a good idea :good:
I hope that we will get some good input and development info here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As a really really really enthusiastic audiophile who is trying all his can to learn music and stuff, I wanted views of everyone, pro or not, on this phone's audio. Can't wait to see how the feedback/discussions help us!!!
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Good stuff, you sound like you know your stuff What is your opinion of the stock earbuds that come with the phone?

WarCow said:
Good stuff, you sound like you know your stuff What is your opinion of the stock earbuds that come with the phone?
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Just like HTC's previous ear buds which came with M7, they lean towards a more bass-y sound. The sound is hence easier on the ears, and the best point about these earplugs is that they are at least able to playback all (OK, not all, but a lot more than any I've seen come from any phone) frequencies. This is most noticeable as the lower frequencies, the bass, is actually *booming* at lower volumes with these earplugs. Which is relatively hard to attain in earphones.
But apart from bass being good (which targets a more encompassing audience which likes bass-y music), the sound maintains its balance. It's not obsessively bass-y, and not too peaked at higher frequencies too.
The new 4.4.3 update made the audio more "muddier/bass-y/low frequency-focused", than I'd like though. It is, in my opinion, a downgrade from previous version. But yes, an upgrade in the part that the crucial frequencies aren't "blown" like the previous one.
Let me give you my point of view. How *I* like my music. I like it as authentic as possible. I'm what you might call an audio purist/fundamentalist person.
One last point about the earphones. The earphones are a bit fatiguing. They fatigue my ear more than other earphones I've tried, despite the easier, softer audio focus.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Great thread! I do really enjoy good audio myself!
What I regret is that I converted my phone to Google Play Edition and that really changes how boomsound works. I am going back to Sense.
In my case, and I do not know why I am the only one that notices, but the soundstage goes on and off when listening to music and touching the home button. Stay away from GPE people.
In regards to the headphones I think they're pretty good too considering they're $6 earbuds. Lots of people say "Hey this earbuds suck" but what they do not know is that the plug size really MATTERS!!! If you don't choose the correct plug size any earbuds sound like crap.
I would really like to test the V-Moda Crossfade m-100 headphones on my phone, but I spent the money on a Samsung Gear Live I had the V-Moda Crossfade LP2s and sold them, they are great but bass-y (I don't have much time to use headphones), I use my car audio and my home theater system (MartinLogan speakers + Denon A/V receiver).

I converted my m8 to EU stock rom so I haven't tested it thoroughly yet. I did like the sound on .2 minus boomsound. BS was OK on some hip hop but overpowering on other genres. I've been working too much OT to test but has the mono USB audio out been fixed? I don't think many people noticed that that use external DAC s. Output through my JDS labs CD5 was mono but headphone out was still awesome. Has anybody noticed if it's been fixed?
Sent from HTC One_M8 using hofo app.

Sry in advance, too long post :<
Jamal Ahmed said:
This phone's Boomsound software is actually a pretty good feature and raises just the right frequencies to the right extent, without distorting the authentic experience. But it was so loud/wild that it started to blow even my studio monitor Audio-Technica M50, which was something purely related to not up-to-the-mark coding, blowing off relatively neutral headphones.
But I just updated to 4.4.3 firmware, and they have actually improved a lot on that software deficiency. The headphones do not feel blown even at full volume, which is a giant leap considering how "sensitive" audio equalizers like BoomSound are to reach perfection. Sure, they still haven't reached perfection; audio loses detail nearly last 2 steps of volume, but it's nice to see they are actually improving on that.
Of course, I can turn off Boomsound anytime and be as authentic as anything, but for me boomsound is just a priceless software I'm yet to find in any mobile yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How can you call this an Audiophile thread with these claims? (no offense tho).
Boomsound is the by far most horrible crap, you can use for headphones, if you truly want a high audio quality.
And i am not talking about, that you might "like" the different sounding, when the bass/treble is raised, and the mids are lowered.
I talk about the PURE quality of the sound. Its worse. It is. Noise and distortion are by worlds higher. With my Beyerdynamic T90 (yes, treble peak.. but still) and also with my pretty neutal Logitech UE 900 it was not listenable. The treble distorted in alot songs, it hurts in the ears etc.
I still DO think, if Boomsound would do the same, but NOT raise the treble, if would be by miles better as a "fun-setting". But like this, its not usable, tbh.
Also, if you want a sorce besides my ears: http://www.anandtech.com/show/8078/smartphone-audio-testing-htc-one-m8-and-samsung-galaxy-s5/2
Scroll down.
Comparing the THD+N ratio of BoomSound On to Off shows far more noise and distortion as well. If you want boomy bass, a harsh top-end, and no midrange, then use BoomSound. A better choice is to find headphones that suit your listening preferences more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jamal Ahmed said:
I think I read in the official features of Android L that external DAC will be natively supported (correct me if I'm wrong), so I'm really looking forward to the future of audio in this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I am not mistaken, this feature is supported by Android from version 4.3 onwards. So, witha Fiio E07k, E18~ you should be able to use it as a DAC. In the M8 audio quality thread on head-fi.org, one User uses the E18 with this, and can't disable Boomsound, while using an external DAC.
Jamal Ahmed said:
P.s. I would give an arm and leg to try out Harmon Kardon mod for this phone, but I can't because of no S-Off. I really can't wait to hear the difference between Boomsound and Harmon Kardon myself. Well, until the day I can get the mod!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even if i do absolutely not share your opinion about Boomsound via Headphones, you might still be interested in my opinion in this comparison.
Boomsound:
Just a cheap EQ setting. Works well together with the external speakers, but is pretty crap for Headphones (maybe its fine with dull headphones, which dont have good treble/clarity. Maybe Shure SE 215, or some other basshead headphones).
I truly cant recommend it. And like i said, its NOT because the EQ setting changes the "true sound" (i like the Use of EQs to do some fine tuning if needed), but because using this raises the noise AND distortion by a good bunch. You can hear that strongly. At least i can.
PLUS, theres one big thing: This is just ONE strong agressive Preset of an EQ. Bass below 120 hz gets +5db, lower mids (120-1000 Hz) gets lowered by up to -5 dB, while the frequencies from 2000 up to 10k+ Hz) gets raised by 4,5db. Above 10k Hz its even above 5 dB).
This makes the difference Bass/treble, to the Mids from 0 dB to 10 dB, since +5 and -5 adds to 10. Thats a really hard difference.
So, in conclusion: Depending on headphones, this might sound better, or actually MUCH worse.
Bassy headphones, lets take your M50s, already have strong bass. Depending on frequency response, that bass could even "overlap" the mids, if the bass is too strong. you can see that on beats headphones. With Boomsound, the bass gets even more stronger, and the mids will get even more back in the background. Alot Headphones, that have a V-curve (and so naturally weaks in the mids) gets even weaker mids.
Also, depending on your headphones also as with the Audio files, the distortion gets raised by a little, or maybe by A LOT.
If you are not happy with your Headphone sounding, you should maybe try another Headphone.
If you just need some fine tuning, then you are by MILES better, if you just use PowerAmp, and its Equalizer, since it can react like a million times better to the individual frequency response of the headphones, and to your own personal taste. Boomsound here is more like "boom in your face. be happy with it, or cry"
Harman & Kardon Soundmod:
Now, this thing is alot different. This is actually Not an Equalizer, like Boomsound. H&K's "Clear-Fi" technology tries to take a strongly compressed Audiofile, and tries to recreate the missing parts.
So, it tries to raise the pure "compressed" audioquality of bad audiofiles.
I personally have mostly 256+ kbit/s MP3s, and Flacs. So, this technology wont help much. it sounds almost the exact same --> not really usefull. You just wont hear much of a difference, unless your Files have a bad quality. And if they do, then get better quality files, instead of such a software, that might not even work well enough.
But, this Soundmod disables Boomsound. Yes, you can find a "trick", where you change the Boomsound parameter from false to true in a script, and enabling it back in the menu. But, it will NOT be active. its like just menu decoration. The "boomsound" sign in the task bar will not be there - Not even with external speakers.
Boomsound is made ONLY for the External speakers, they work together quite well. Without Boomsound (ergo, with H&K soundmod flashed), the External speakers will sound much more thin/tinny. I have yet to find a way to have Boomsound for the speakers, and H&K Soundmod for headphones. Unless theres something new here, this is not possible together.
Lets go a bit deeper into the Audiophile theorycrafting:
H&K's "Clear-Fi", and its purpose might sound awesome. But it has its negative sights:
- It only helps on Crappy Audiophiles. Someone, who cares about audio quality will not use <128 kbit/s mp3s. At LEAST 192, but more 256-320 Kbit/s or even flac. So this will not help you, as the compression on 256+ is not strong enough, to make a difference (also, because most songs have a crappy quality from beeing badly mastered)
- The thoughts behind clear-fi are adressing the "problem" at the totally wrong spot. On most songs, it just does not matter, what file quality (bitrate etc) you use, because most songs are just really really crappy mastered in the studio. Its because alot people dont care about audio quality. so they use cheap crap, like beats headphones, logitech speakers for 30 bucks, and 10 bucks earphones etc. Crappy mastered/produced music sounds better on cheap devices, than a high quality master.
I mean, how are you supposed to "guess" the higher quality, if the artists arent producing high quality music?
I think, the following is a perfect comparison:
You create a 480p Movie, and try to upscale it into 1080p using a cheap software... Do you honestly think, that will raise the quality? I personally don't..
So, to make it pretty short: The worse your File quality is (and higher the file compression), the more "Clear-Fi" might make a difference.
The higher the file quality, the less difference this will make.
To get a high audio quality into your ears, you need a different priority:
1. The Song must be produced in a good/high quality. Much more important, than Bitrate. For example: Michael Jackson's Thriller album at 128 kbit/s will sound much better, than the new Linkin Park Album in 320 kbit+. (i like linkin park, but the new album has such an incredible low quality... its like zero fun listening to it, when you have really good headphones)
2. You need good headphones (Besides the master quality headphones are responsible for like 70-90% of the Audioquality. The REST comes from the DAC/AMP)
3. DAC / AMP Quality
The "Chain" is important. If just one part of it has a low quality, the whole chain will sound low.

good thread, I like quality audio too and use my M8 for music player, stream music at home etc
have a few high quality headphones like Sennheiser On Ear momentum, shure se215, hifiman re 400 and NAD HP50
with boomsound turned on, headphones sound awefull then I realised that it can be turned off with headpohone is connected, and with that off, sound quality is clean and crisp
I like neutral sound, true to source but maybe a bit high on treble....so far sound quality is good and is comparable to my previous note 3...note 3 was the best clean souding phone I hear so far though
any other suggestion to get a clean sound would be much helpfull

Long post (Darkseth), but ultimately just regurgitated from other audiophile nonsense. Boomsound is fine, and it's just elitist to claim it is anything else.
Most people like more bass in their music, most artists sound crap when played back without EQ. You can like it how it's meant to sound but artists want what THEY like, not what I like.
My favorite sound is poweramp music player with bass and treble cranked up, the mid tones almost removed as they sound rubbish with almost all music, and boomsound on top.
I am A1 qualified audiophile with qualifications from the school of knowing what I like
/bowing out and sorry if I derail anything.

The main reason for flashing the H/K mod is that it updates the adsp firmware to support 24bit 192kHz instead the 16bit 96kHz of the standard M8. Loaded up with hi-res flac files and through my Westone 4r's, the difference is night and day to me.

WESBAR said:
The main reason for flashing the H/K mod is that it updates the adsp firmware to support 24bit 192kHz instead the 16bit 96kHz of the standard M8. Loaded up with hi-res flac files and through my Westone 4r's, the difference is night and day to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do you hear any difference bwn 192kHz and 96kHz ? tried myself but no difference in quality and head-fi also has many reviewers say no difference but file size just increase a lot

Hey everyone, I'll say I'm an audiophile just because I like good quality, not because I have any knowledge, so this being said what do you guys have to say about ProjectERA?

HtcOneJon said:
Long post (Darkseth), but ultimately just regurgitated from other audiophile nonsense. Boomsound is fine, and it's just elitist to claim it is anything else.
Most people like more bass in their music, most artists sound crap when played back without EQ. You can like it how it's meant to sound but artists want what THEY like, not what I like.
My favorite sound is poweramp music player with bass and treble cranked up, the mid tones almost removed as they sound rubbish with almost all music, and boomsound on top.
I am A1 qualified audiophile with qualifications from the school of knowing what I like
/bowing out and sorry if I derail anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sarcasm? If yes, then thx for that giggle mate
thecrab93 said:
Hey everyone, I'll say I'm an audiophile just because I like good quality, not because I have any knowledge, so this being said what do you guys have to say about ProjectERA?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like a good thing. I also had it flashed for a short time... Cant really claim, i heared a difference. But when you reboot into recovery, flash and reboot, thats too much time passed, to be able to really compare it.
You would need 2 devices, one with, one without ProjectERA mod, to really be able to compare it i think.
soo.... difficult to say.

Darkseth said:
Sry in advance, too long post :<
How can you call this an Audiophile thread with these claims? (no offense tho).
Boomsound is the by far most horrible crap, you can use for headphones, if you truly want a high audio quality.
And i am not talking about, that you might "like" the different sounding, when the bass/treble is raised, and the mids are lowered.
I talk about the PURE quality of the sound. Its worse. It is. Noise and distortion are by worlds higher. With my Beyerdynamic T90 (yes, treble peak.. but still) and also with my pretty neutal Logitech UE 900 it was not listenable. The treble distorted in alot songs, it hurts in the ears etc.
I still DO think, if Boomsound would do the same, but NOT raise the treble, if would be by miles better as a "fun-setting". But like this, its not usable, tbh.
Also, if you want a sorce besides my ears: http://www.anandtech.com/show/8078/smartphone-audio-testing-htc-one-m8-and-samsung-galaxy-s5/2
Scroll down.
If I am not mistaken, this feature is supported by Android from version 4.3 onwards. So, witha Fiio E07k, E18~ you should be able to use it as a DAC. In the M8 audio quality thread on head-fi.org, one User uses the E18 with this, and can't disable Boomsound, while using an external DAC.
Even if i do absolutely not share your opinion about Boomsound via Headphones, you might still be interested in my opinion in this comparison.
Boomsound:
Just a cheap EQ setting. Works well together with the external speakers, but is pretty crap for Headphones (maybe its fine with dull headphones, which dont have good treble/clarity. Maybe Shure SE 215, or some other basshead headphones).
I truly cant recommend it. And like i said, its NOT because the EQ setting changes the "true sound" (i like the Use of EQs to do some fine tuning if needed), but because using this raises the noise AND distortion by a good bunch. You can hear that strongly. At least i can.
PLUS, theres one big thing: This is just ONE strong agressive Preset of an EQ. Bass below 120 hz gets +5db, lower mids (120-1000 Hz) gets lowered by up to -5 dB, while the frequencies from 2000 up to 10k+ Hz) gets raised by 4,5db. Above 10k Hz its even above 5 dB).
This makes the difference Bass/treble, to the Mids from 0 dB to 10 dB, since +5 and -5 adds to 10. Thats a really hard difference.
So, in conclusion: Depending on headphones, this might sound better, or actually MUCH worse.
Bassy headphones, lets take your M50s, already have strong bass. Depending on frequency response, that bass could even "overlap" the mids, if the bass is too strong. you can see that on beats headphones. With Boomsound, the bass gets even more stronger, and the mids will get even more back in the background. Alot Headphones, that have a V-curve (and so naturally weaks in the mids) gets even weaker mids.
Also, depending on your headphones also as with the Audio files, the distortion gets raised by a little, or maybe by A LOT.
If you are not happy with your Headphone sounding, you should maybe try another Headphone.
If you just need some fine tuning, then you are by MILES better, if you just use PowerAmp, and its Equalizer, since it can react like a million times better to the individual frequency response of the headphones, and to your own personal taste. Boomsound here is more like "boom in your face. be happy with it, or cry"
Harman & Kardon Soundmod:
Now, this thing is alot different. This is actually Not an Equalizer, like Boomsound. H&K's "Clear-Fi" technology tries to take a strongly compressed Audiofile, and tries to recreate the missing parts.
So, it tries to raise the pure "compressed" audioquality of bad audiofiles.
I personally have mostly 256+ kbit/s MP3s, and Flacs. So, this technology wont help much. it sounds almost the exact same --> not really usefull. You just wont hear much of a difference, unless your Files have a bad quality. And if they do, then get better quality files, instead of such a software, that might not even work well enough.
But, this Soundmod disables Boomsound. Yes, you can find a "trick", where you change the Boomsound parameter from false to true in a script, and enabling it back in the menu. But, it will NOT be active. its like just menu decoration. The "boomsound" sign in the task bar will not be there - Not even with external speakers.
Boomsound is made ONLY for the External speakers, they work together quite well. Without Boomsound (ergo, with H&K soundmod flashed), the External speakers will sound much more thin/tinny. I have yet to find a way to have Boomsound for the speakers, and H&K Soundmod for headphones. Unless theres something new here, this is not possible together.
Lets go a bit deeper into the Audiophile theorycrafting:
H&K's "Clear-Fi", and its purpose might sound awesome. But it has its negative sights:
- It only helps on Crappy Audiophiles. Someone, who cares about audio quality will not use <128 kbit/s mp3s. At LEAST 192, but more 256-320 Kbit/s or even flac. So this will not help you, as the compression on 256+ is not strong enough, to make a difference (also, because most songs have a crappy quality from beeing badly mastered)
- The thoughts behind clear-fi are adressing the "problem" at the totally wrong spot. On most songs, it just does not matter, what file quality (bitrate etc) you use, because most songs are just really really crappy mastered in the studio. Its because alot people dont care about audio quality. so they use cheap crap, like beats headphones, logitech speakers for 30 bucks, and 10 bucks earphones etc. Crappy mastered/produced music sounds better on cheap devices, than a high quality master.
I mean, how are you supposed to "guess" the higher quality, if the artists arent producing high quality music?
I think, the following is a perfect comparison:
You create a 480p Movie, and try to upscale it into 1080p using a cheap software... Do you honestly think, that will raise the quality? I personally don't..
So, to make it pretty short: The worse your File quality is (and higher the file compression), the more "Clear-Fi" might make a difference.
The higher the file quality, the less difference this will make.
To get a high audio quality into your ears, you need a different priority:
1. The Song must be produced in a good/high quality. Much more important, than Bitrate. For example: Michael Jackson's Thriller album at 128 kbit/s will sound much better, than the new Linkin Park Album in 320 kbit+. (i like linkin park, but the new album has such an incredible low quality... its like zero fun listening to it, when you have really good headphones)
2. You need good headphones (Besides the master quality headphones are responsible for like 70-90% of the Audioquality. The REST comes from the DAC/AMP)
3. DAC / AMP Quality
The "Chain" is important. If just one part of it has a low quality, the whole chain will sound low.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree with you
best: H / K for MP3 and Boumsound for speakers
the speakers do have a bad sound without boumsound
Viper4Android is very good to improve the quality but I did not try on the M8

saj2001ind said:
do you hear any difference bwn 192kHz and 96kHz ? tried myself but no difference in quality and head-fi also has many reviewers say no difference but file size just increase a lot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can hear the difference. 192kHz has a little more sparkle to me, especially the highs. Probably an exagerration to say night and day but I can hear it.

I like 24 bit 192 kHz more because it is easier to use hi-end equipment on it, and still be as authentic as possible. Logically, low resolution would sound worse to worst as the quality of your equipment goes higher. Hi-res has one advantage, if any, that it assures you that if you have invested more in your equipment, it won't go to waste all the time you are listening to audio on mobile.
and AFAIK 24 bit 192 kHz is the max supported resolution by headphones of even a pretty high caliber.

Hey OP. What else did you notice out of the 4.4.3 updpate that is so diff from 4.4.2? Sorry for changing topic lol

I can't stand BoomSound as it makes the music sound horrible and unrealistic (it works for the external speakers though). It does very weird things with the sound with headphones. I did not like the Harman Kardon mod either. It just pumped up the highs and has too low bass. Ironically it too sounded very bad in my Harman Kardon CL headphones. Though better than BoomSound.
I rather go flat than use any of those mods and any "audiphile" would agree. It might be good for cheaper heaphones though.
However Viper4Android is another story. With it you can customise the sound without destroying it and give it a richer character. I am extremely happy with it.

[Q] Anyone know of a working speaker sound level booster?

Viper seems to boost sound only at lower volumes but has no affect at full volume.
Has anyone run across a mod to boost overall speaker output that works at full volume?
I listen to talk radio while walking my dog and need a bit more sound.
Viper worked great on all my Samsung phones but isn't getting the job done on the MXP.

Was gonna say xtrememusic but now that I think about it, it might not fit your exact criteria. I mean the stock levels of this phones speakers are pretty loud I'm wondering if boosting loudness would get close to running the risk of blowing the speakers? I don't know enough. Would def be interested but does it exist Idk
See when I consume media its via the front facing speakers, so when I flash a sound mod the main reason is to boost the loudness first, andQuality as well but loudness 1st.
Last year I used a version of Dolby Atmos for the Htc one m7, and it def did make things louder. But I can't remember exact which version or who made it. I know there are versions of Atmos floating around but who knows of its the same or not.
Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

I wonder also. Xtreme had no noticeable change to me. Tried Viper and it became full volume at 50% but not any more louder after.

I'm not too concerned with overdriving the speakers.
I did this mod to all my Samsung phones and they all got like an extra ~5% more volume level and never killed the speakers.
But then I'm just listening to sports talk radio and vocals aren't pushing the speaker cones too hard.
It's when listening to music with bass that you have to watch out you don't kill the speakers.

Well dang, I tried editing the mixer_path.xml but none of the changes I made had any effect on overall volume.
I was testing by playing white noise and had my SPL meter about 5 inches away.
Was getting 95dB no matter how many times and places I edited the XML at.
I attached the stock XML if anyone wants to look it over.
It's unmodified since none of my changes affected anything.
This article will get you started, though it's not exactly applicable to our file.
http://android.stackexchange.com/qu...-changing-the-mixer-paths-xml-increase-volume
I have to wonder if Motorola has what we need somewhere else other than the mixer file. I'm too tired to go looking around ATM though.

Waves MaxxAudio Idol 4S Edition
Using on my Moto X Pure and sounds better and louder than stock, just be careful with the MaxxBass toggle as it starts clipping Recommend also overclocking the minimum CPU to 864 to avoid distortion

How to test whether your Axon 7 (on custom ROM) actually uses the Hi-Fi DAC properly?

Hello,
I've had the following ROMS on my Axon 7:
MiFavor Stock OS (Android 6.0)
CyanogenMod OS (Android 6.0)
Lineage OS (Android 7.1.1)
Resurrection Remix OS (Android 7.1.2)
AEX OS (Android 8.1.0)
However, with all these ROMs I was never really able to tell whether audio is processed through the Snapdragon 820 DAC or the AKM/AK4490/AK4491 DAC.
I've been active on XDA to follow updates on audio and ROMs.
With the stock ROM's I do think the 'super HiFi' option really made the phone use the AKM/AK4490/AK4491 DAC.
Also the audio playback through the built-in phone speakers was amazing (but limited in loudness because European ROM)
On LOS 14.1, it was said that the ROM used the HiFi DAC but 'distorted audio playback' was still mentioned as a bug.
Audio playback through the built-in phone speakers was poor (especially mids would give a cracking noise)
On RR OS (Nougat), I basically has the same as on LOS 14.1 (mainly because RR OS used LOS as base).
Now I'm on AEX OS and I do think the audio sounds much better than before.
(I flashed the AK4490 patch (not sure if this does anything... I've also read that custom ROM's have the Hi-FI DAC enabled by default) and I also flashed Hell'sGate Kernel (which seems to contain the CAD Audio Driver).
Audio playback through the built-in phone speakers seems really good again.
However, I'm still actually confused whether my phone actually uses the AKM/AK4490/AK4491 DAC.
I've read stuff in this forums about 48 kHz vs 192 kHz playback.
AK4490 patch is supposed to enable the AK4490 DAC but I'm still a bit skeptical whether it really does use the DAC properly.
CAD Audio Driver (included in Hell'sGate Kernel) oversamples to some maximum frequency or something.
And then there's this thread https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/how-to/stock-roms-best-dac-t3650231 , so yeah, skeptical.
So far, I do think the audio playback sounds good... but what if it could be better, right?
Is there a way to test whether the HiFi DAC is being used and being used properly?
Also, does Dolby Atmos and Viper4Android have a negative (or maybe positive?) impact on the output signal?
I thought Viper4Android had a max. processing frequency of 48 kHz..?
TL;DR: See the title of this thread
Cheers.

Dunno how to find out if its truly being used. But i got a question.
I read so many times now that the european version (A2017G) is lacking in terms of loudness for the speakers which i cannot really believe since my axon 7 (which is the G version) with stock rom (also G version) is the loudest phone i ever had. Its really loud. And also on maximum loudness the sound cracks a little depending on what you're playing (usually on high pitch sounds). So how can the us version be even louder? Wouldn't that break the speakers quite fast?
Sent from my ZTE A2017G running V1.2.0B08 using XDA Labs

Abiram26 said:
Hello,
I've had the following ROMS on my Axon 7:
MiFavor Stock OS (Android 6.0)
CyanogenMod OS (Android 6.0)
Lineage OS (Android 7.1.1)
Resurrection Remix OS (Android 7.1.2)
AEX OS (Android 8.1.0)
However, with all these ROMs I was never really able to tell whether audio is processed through the Snapdragon 820 DAC or the AKM/AK4490/AK4491 DAC.
I've been active on XDA to follow updates on audio and ROMs.
With the stock ROM's I do think the 'super HiFi' option really made the phone use the AKM/AK4490/AK4491 DAC.
Also the audio playback through the built-in phone speakers was amazing (but limited in loudness because European ROM)
On LOS 14.1, it was said that the ROM used the HiFi DAC but 'distorted audio playback' was still mentioned as a bug.
Audio playback through the built-in phone speakers was poor (especially mids would give a cracking noise)
On RR OS (Nougat), I basically has the same as on LOS 14.1 (mainly because RR OS used LOS as base).
Now I'm on AEX OS and I do think the audio sounds much better than before.
(I flashed the AK4490 patch (not sure if this does anything... I've also read that custom ROM's have the Hi-FI DAC enabled by default) and I also flashed Hell'sGate Kernel (which seems to contain the CAD Audio Driver).
Audio playback through the built-in phone speakers seems really good again.
However, I'm still actually confused whether my phone actually uses the AKM/AK4490/AK4491 DAC.
I've read stuff in this forums about 48 kHz vs 192 kHz playback.
AK4490 patch is supposed to enable the AK4490 DAC but I'm still a bit skeptical whether it really does use the DAC properly.
CAD Audio Driver (included in Hell'sGate Kernel) oversamples to some maximum frequency or something.
And then there's this thread https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/how-to/stock-roms-best-dac-t3650231 , so yeah, skeptical.
So far, I do think the audio playback sounds good... but what if it could be better, right?
Is there a way to test whether the HiFi DAC is being used and being used properly?
Also, does Dolby Atmos and Viper4Android have a negative (or maybe positive?) impact on the output signal?
I thought Viper4Android had a max. processing frequency of 48 kHz..?
TL;DR: See the title of this thread
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a huge mess ?
Look, you're overreacting to the whole hi-res audio thing. I'll tell you what we know, what I think, and what we don't. After that you can simply draw your own conclusions.
First of all, ZTE told us that the DACs used in this phone are the AK4490, and a low power one inside the AK4961 (this one is a codec, but it has a DAC too for some reason). If the ROM is not well configured, it will default to the AK4961 in theory.
Now, you may or may not believe me, but there is an audible difference with soundstage and bass between the 4490 and 4961. Let's keep this away from the hi-res talk for now.
If you use MiFavor (6.0, 7.1, 8.0, doesn't matter) you'll have the audio switch. If you toggle it while listening to music (Not poweramp because it'll crap out and you'll have to reboot) you'll find a huge difference in soundstage, and the bass is much more defined on the 4490. You can listen to both DACs one after the other on stock only, but if you used this phone for a while, you'll know when the audio coming out of it is crap or not.
About the old AK4490 patch: It's only for Nougat ROMs, and it's been integrated in many ROMs since it came out.
"Distorted audio playback" was about the speakers and it was because the driver was badly implemented. On stock the AK4961 is used for the speakers always.
I'm not sure if the "CAD driver" is in Hellsgate, where did you read that? Last time I checked we were asking Kranoner to add it but idk. But it doesn't oversample. It simply modifies some filters on the DAC driver.
And Atmos is designed for the speakers, so while it actually does work on headphones, it'll add a crapton of noise - i'd say avoid if possible. also it obviously won't work with hi-res. Viper4Android will add some noise if you crank up the highs too much, otherwise it won't be that bad. Both of them at the same time will make a noisy mess but it's possible to do.
And why do you care about the 48KHz sampling rate? Are you using files with more than that? Oversampling is just worse.
So now the Hi-res talk: Unless you really hear a difference, and unless you actually have huge 192kHz files, you should not give a crap about it. It's not like "if it's there then sound has to get better with it".
To check hi-res you can use dumpsys media.audio_flinger while playing something via Neutron or a couple more players (Not poweramp, again).

GodOfPsychos said:
Dunno how to find out if its truly being used. But i got a question.
I read so many times now that the european version (A2017G) is lacking in terms of loudness for the speakers which i cannot really believe since my axon 7 (which is the G version) with stock rom (also G version) is the loudest phone i ever had. Its really loud. And also on maximum loudness the sound cracks a little depending on what you're playing (usually on high pitch sounds). So how can the us version be even louder? Wouldn't that break the speakers quite fast?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was on Marshmallow

GodOfPsychos said:
Dunno how to find out if its truly being used. But i got a question.
I read so many times now that the european version (A2017G) is lacking in terms of loudness for the speakers which i cannot really believe since my axon 7 (which is the G version) with stock rom (also G version) is the loudest phone i ever had. Its really loud. And also on maximum loudness the sound cracks a little depending on what you're playing (usually on high pitch sounds). So how can the us version be even louder? Wouldn't that break the speakers quite fast?
Sent from my ZTE A2017G running V1.2.0B08 using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Back in the Marshmellow days, I was told that loudness was limited on the G-device software-matically since EU laws don't allow too loud phones or something. (I'm not sure if Nougat removes this software-limit but hardware-wise the U-device and G-device version are the same). I doubt the speaker would break but I don't know...
Source: https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/help/eu-low-headphone-sound-problem-fix-t3470962
Choose an username... said:
This is a huge mess
Look, you're overreacting to the whole hi-res audio thing. I'll tell you what we know, what I think, and what we don't. After that you can simply draw your own conclusions.
First of all, ZTE told us that the DACs used in this phone are the AK4490, and a low power one inside the AK4961 (this one is a codec, but it has a DAC too for some reason). If the ROM is not well configured, it will default to the AK4961 in theory.
Now, you may or may not believe me, but there is an audible difference with soundstage and bass between the 4490 and 4961. Let's keep this away from the hi-res talk for now.
If you use MiFavor (6.0, 7.1, 8.0, doesn't matter) you'll have the audio switch. If you toggle it while listening to music (Not poweramp because it'll crap out and you'll have to reboot) you'll find a huge difference in soundstage, and the bass is much more defined on the 4490. You can listen to both DACs one after the other on stock only, but if you used this phone for a while, you'll know when the audio coming out of it is crap or not.
About the old AK4490 patch: It's only for Nougat ROMs, and it's been integrated in many ROMs since it came out.
"Distorted audio playback" was about the speakers and it was because the driver was badly implemented. On stock the AK4961 is used for the speakers always.
I'm not sure if the "CAD driver" is in Hellsgate, where did you read that? Last time I checked we were asking Kranoner to add it but idk. But it doesn't oversample. It simply modifies some filters on the DAC driver.
And Atmos is designed for the speakers, so while it actually does work on headphones, it'll add a crapton of noise - i'd say avoid if possible. also it obviously won't work with hi-res. Viper4Android will add some noise if you crank up the highs too much, otherwise it won't be that bad. Both of them at the same time will make a noisy mess but it's possible to do.
And why do you care about the 48KHz sampling rate? Are you using files with more than that? Oversampling is just worse.
So now the Hi-res talk: Unless you really hear a difference, and unless you actually have huge 192kHz files, you should not give a crap about it. It's not like "if it's there then sound has to get better with it".
To check hi-res you can use dumpsys media.audio_flinger while playing something via Neutron or a couple more players (Not poweramp, again).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hahaha, yeah sorry, I guess I was kind of bored when I wrote this; but I'd like to thank you for your extensive reply!
Honestly though, there's so much confusion and contradiction around the forums when it comes to (Hi-Fi) audio playback.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/how-to/patch-enable-ak4490-hifi-dac-custom-rom-t3707738
That's the thread of the AK4490 patch, and initially I thought the same as the guy in post #2.
Soooo I never really understood the point of this patch...
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ax...zte-axon-7-t3545679/post70971002#post70971002
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ax...zte-axon-7-t3545679/post71472324#post71472324
I mean here it's kind of said that 7.1.x ROMs already uses the AK4490 DAC, right?
And then there are multiple people flashing the AK4490 patch on an Oreo build, some even claiming they notice an improved soundstage..?
https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/development/kernel-t3664743/post76244484#post76244484
And here's Kranoner saying the CAD thing was added to Hell'sGate Kernel.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/development/cad-project-modified-audio-driver-axon7-t3761666
That's the thread of the CAD Project Kernel, option #1 in post #1 seems to say it oversamples..?
Nah, I don't use FLAC's or huge 192 kHz audio files (just simple Spotify premium actually...) but I was curious to know what these discussions on the forums on 48 kHz vs. 192 kHz were all about.
'dumpsys media.audio_flinger' reports 48.000 Hz for me.
EDIT: What about 16-bit vs. 24-bit?
I only upgraded to AEX Oreo yesterday but I do have to say I find the audio playback (through headphones) MUCH better than on any custom 7.1.x ROM I've had (with the same audio mods setup).
I actually already found audio playback really good on the 7.1.x ROMs (through headphone) but the improvement from 7.1.x to Oreo is just too noticable to let it slip by.
So it made me wonder if it can get even better than this

Choose an username... said:
That was on Marshmallow
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh i see.well thanks for the answer ^^ Still weird that it was like that on marshmallow since the european law stuff about the maximum loudness is only meant for headphones, not for speakers
Sent from my ZTE A2017G running V1.2.0B08 using XDA Labs

GodOfPsychos said:
Oh i see.well thanks for the answer ^^ Still weird that it was like that on marshmallow since the european law stuff about the maximum loudness is only meant for headphones, not for speakers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well I'm not sure if that's the case, but I can assure you that the speakers got much louder after Nougat. Headphones have always been exceedingly loud, especially with the stock low impedance IEMs (with Poweramp I had to use them at volume 2 or maybe 3, so I just made it have about 50 volume steps to get at least a little granularity). Since Nougat I have been using the volume level at 1/3 with my 32 ohm over-ear headphones, so i'd say it's too freaking loud...
Now, I wouldn't be surprised if the volume limitation is just not working with Poweramp's sound engine, because everything else is much quieter. For example I have to crank the volume up to 2/3 on youtube to have comparable volume.
Supposedly if you installed US firmware back in the day you would get rid of the limitation. but installing firmware from another model was not that common, and i never tried it.
---------- Post added at 05:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:43 AM ----------
Abiram26 said:
Back in the Marshmellow days, I was told that loudness was limited on the G-device software-matically since EU laws don't allow too loud phones or something. (I'm not sure if Nougat removes this software-limit but hardware-wise the U-device and G-device version are the same). I doubt the speaker would break but I don't know...
Source: https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/help/eu-low-headphone-sound-problem-fix-t3470962
Hahaha, yeah sorry, I guess I was kind of bored when I wrote this; but I'd like to thank you for your extensive reply!
Honestly though, there's so much confusion and contradiction around the forums when it comes to (Hi-Fi) audio playback.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/how-to/patch-enable-ak4490-hifi-dac-custom-rom-t3707738
That's the thread of the AK4490 patch, and initially I thought the same as the guy in post #2.
Soooo I never really understood the point of this patch...
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ax...zte-axon-7-t3545679/post70971002#post70971002
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ax...zte-axon-7-t3545679/post71472324#post71472324
I mean here it's kind of said that 7.1.x ROMs already uses the AK4490 DAC, right?
And then there are multiple people flashing the AK4490 patch on an Oreo build, some even claiming they notice an improved soundstage..?
https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/development/kernel-t3664743/post76244484#post76244484
And here's Kranoner saying the CAD thing was added to Hell'sGate Kernel.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/development/cad-project-modified-audio-driver-axon7-t3761666
That's the thread of the CAD Project Kernel, option #1 in post #1 seems to say it oversamples..?
Nah, I don't use FLAC's or huge 192 kHz audio files (just simple Spotify premium actually...) but I was curious to know what these discussions on the forums on 48 kHz vs. 192 kHz were all about.
'dumpsys media.audio_flinger' reports 48.000 Hz for me.
EDIT: What about 16-bit vs. 24-bit?
I only upgraded to AEX Oreo yesterday but I do have to say I find the audio playback (through headphones) MUCH better than on any custom 7.1.x ROM I've had (with the same audio mods setup).
I actually already found audio playback really good on the 7.1.x ROMs (through headphone) but the improvement from 7.1.x to Oreo is just too noticable to let it slip by.
So it made me wonder if it can get even better than this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Back at it again:
1- nope, custom ROMs weren't using the AK4490 even after about a couple weeks or even a month of the creation of that post. Of course they weren't, otherwise why would the patch exist :silly:
2- It just didn't work. Now it would work even less since they should use the DAC properly.
I've used AEX from the build previous to the Oreo DAC fix (at least the first one, now there's another one seemingly) and the difference was there. AEX also has better sound than any other ROM overall (even stock mifavor).
3- Thanks, I didn't know. I mean I'm using hellsgate 2.0 right now xd
4- There's very little info about this. I guess it actually does oversample, but I was talking about upsampling on the music player app.
From what I've read around, most modern DACs oversample to a ridiculous frequency, in order to make output filters simpler and to have better highs (non-oversampling DACs have lots of harmonics on the highs). But it's not related to upsampling, say, an MP3 to 192kHz. Just take my word, doing that is bad.
5. Hi-res is discussed everywhere. I believe there's a noticeable improvement in the high frequencies but not important enough to use Neutron player.
16-bit vs 24-bit is actually quantifiable though. 24-bit audio has less noise than 16-bit.
And of course audio_flinger will report 48k ? you need to play special 192kHz FLAC files on a special Hi-Res player (e.g. neutron) with special configuration and on non-Oreo ROMs to be able to use hi-res

You'll need root and a terminal app.
Type:
su
tinymix
Now look at line 1912.
I need to know this result in two scenarios. Once when playing music (eg a YouTube video) with headphones plugged in and once with nothing plugged in.
When playing music we know our HiFi DAC is being used if the line reads "HiFi switch sel ak4490" and if it's using the standard DAC it shows "ak4961".

Dodgexander said:
You'll need root and a terminal app.
Type:
su
tinymix
Now look at line 1912.
I need to know this result in two scenarios. Once when playing music (eg a YouTube video) with headphones plugged in and once with nothing plugged in.
When playing music we know our HiFi DAC is being used if the line reads "HiFi switch sel ak4490" and if it's using the standard DAC it shows "ak4961".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
getting:
sh: tinymix not found

docentore said:
getting:
sh: tinymix not found
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which ROM version, bootstack version and kernel?
Treble or gsi used at all?

Dodgexander said:
Which ROM version, bootstack version and kernel?
Treble or gsi used at all?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Havoc O GSI, vendor by Nfound 1.1, Shwifty V4, universal LOS bootstack

Audio quality

Hi experts,
I'm a long time Xiaomi user coming from Mi A1 thinking to buy this Mi 9T in US.
I'm not to happy with the A1 audio quality, especially over the headphones. I tried different brands, but not much luck. My GF has a note6pro, my family 5a..
Looking at the gsmarena site they are not impressed too with headphone test on this model, not sure it can be trusted though.
My main concern is the microphone and echo/noise canceling.
Can you guys give me a "real life review"?!

Check other thread, there many other (me included) confirm audio quality is suprisingly good, contrary to rumors. Maybe updates improved it?
I can say it is just as good as my amazing LG V20 with quad DAC! And the LG V series are the bechmark when it comes to android audio quality.
Only my problem is that volume is low, but AFAIK that is EU regulations, and should be easy to hack/fix, and would not apply anyway AFAIK for US version.
Just got my Mi 9T, and it is just STUNNING! A piece of art. I still catch myself staring at its beauty.

I would like to know about this too. And once again, there is NO EU regulation limiting volume. Manufacturers are meant to warn users when the volume is getting loud so they can confirm they want to proceed. If the phone companies can't read the rules, that's not the EU's fault. Enough with the fake news.

There's two modes of audio in the 9t "hi-fi" or regular.
I think that the option it's meant to switch from the audio chip modes, regular or performance (I think it's the best chip it has Qualcomm for audio, or at least they made it sound like that).
This performance mode uses more power, like 5 times more, and I am almost certain that gsmarena reviewed it without this setting on, that's why the poor results.
Look at this for more info of the chip.
https://www.qualcomm.com/products/wcd9375

Interesting for the consuption I didn't know ! and I can confirm that the sound quality is very good.
For the volume mine is very loud, impossible to put at max but it depend of your earphones impedance and many others things. (you have to play good quality sample music like FLAC and a good player like "AIMP" or "Poweramp" that can be "bit perfect"

Yes, I did a blind test against my creative Sound Blaster E1 (the phone supports DACs over USB C as well) and it is indistinguishable from that nice and proper DAC, IN THE HI-FI MODE. The source was lossless stuff from Tidal and the earbuds used were my trusty HiFiMan RE400a earbuds. I can verify that one has to listen at like two clicks below the full volume for everything to come through (i.e. the volume is a bit low, but baseline audio performance is excellent)

soumen08 said:
Yes, I did a blind test against my creative Sound Blaster E1 (the phone supports DACs over USB C as well) and it is indistinguishable from that nice and proper DAC, IN THE HI-FI MODE. The source was lossless stuff from Tidal and the earbuds used were my trusty HiFiMan RE400a earbuds. I can verify that one has to listen at like two clicks below the full volume for everything to come through (i.e. the volume is a bit low, but baseline audio performance is excellent)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's nice to hear.

mic
razielmcr said:
That's nice to hear.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would be also interested in the microphone handling in the topic of Audit quality. On Mi A1 ppl always complained when I was using a headset as the noise canceling part did not work. Same for Speaker mode..
Also why "Hi-Fi audio" is not on by default as it claims to increase audio quality.

Regarding the phone calls I can tell that my factory set 9T is poor. I cannot hear and understand what people say when calling. (Never had this on any phone before) Weird sound and some echo. And nowhere any audio settings in phone.

marko-mb said:
Regarding the phone calls I can tell that my factory set 9T is poor. I cannot hear and understand what people say when calling. (Never had this on any phone before) Weird sound and some echo. And nowhere any audio settings in phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have that problem. Phone calls are clear

Regarding audio quality over a headphone jack = it is worst audio quality I have ever tested from any smartphone be honest. I also know people who see it the same way. I went to Mi9T from Pocophone and never had this issue there - poco is still in my house, I gave it to my wife so I can really compare between the two. Tried both normal and hi-fi modes on Mi9T.
Audio over BT is fine on other hand - thats most important for me
I was testing audio quality on SONY WH-1000MX3
What could be the reason for this I dont know. The audio chip should be great. I have tried many versions of MIUI as well.

Tested right now with Beyerdynamic dt770 Pro 250 Ohm version. My source file is from deezer to have a better idea of an average quality of a song someone might listen to.
Hi-Fi is enabled and i can say that audio quality is pretty good. I wouldn't compare it to LG Quad Dac but the phone is powering 250 Ohm studio headphones very well.
People usually evaluate audio quality by the amount of bass. IMO its good enough.

@Nexus5-32GB I have the same impression. I came from a Zuk Z2 Pro and audio quality is poor. Bass is OK but mids and treble are too high. I'm using the same Senheiser MX-30G as always and the difference is noticiable even in Hi-Fi. My wife's Redmi 4A have better sound.

I am using poweramp music player to listen to music, and the audio quality is just superb! Previously I used google play music with mi sound enhancer and the audio quality is pretty mediocre compared to poweramp.

I tested hifi with AudioTechnica M50. It does make a difference and I feel it is a lot louder so much that I'm afraid of pushing volume to max. I like my hearing very much. You don't need portable amps with this phone for the most part. It's probably not audiophile approved or something like that but it sounds very full.

billiken_27 said:
@Nexus5-32GB I have the same impression. I came from a Zuk Z2 Pro and audio quality is poor. Bass is OK but mids and treble are too high. I'm using the same Senheiser MX-30G as always and the difference is noticiable even in Hi-Fi. My wife's Redmi 4A have better sound.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What player are you using?
Using Google play the sound it's ****.
Using Tidal it's heaven, don't know why.

Exactly, if you use it right the sound is very good but if you listen mp3 with googlemusic, sure the best earphones can't do anything for you

razielmcr said:
What player are you using?
Using Google play the sound it's ****.
Using Tidal it's heaven, don't know why.
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I don't think it's a player issue 'cause I always use the same player. I always compare the sound using Spotify. I use Spotify on all my family devices.

billiken_27 said:
I don't think it's a player issue 'cause I always use the same player. I always compare the sound using Spotify. I use Spotify on all my family devices.
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Yeah, it doesn't make any sense, I know, but in my case that happend, playing throug play music was horrible and understandable that people complain about it, but with Tidal it's beyond anything i've heard.
Other users have notified that they too notice when playing through play music.

actually is awesome
brombadeg said:
Hi experts,
I'm a long time Xiaomi user coming from Mi A1 thinking to buy this Mi 9T in US.
I'm not to happy with the A1 audio quality, especially over the headphones. I tried different brands, but not much luck. My GF has a note6pro, my family 5a..
Looking at the gsmarena site they are not impressed too with headphone test on this model, not sure it can be trusted though.
My main concern is the microphone and echo/noise canceling.
Can you guys give me a "real life review"?!
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Coming from a zte axon 7 I was really doubtful about the sound quality, but I'm impressed about it, it has a hifi logo on the box and sounds really good, with a couple of good headphones I can't listen no difference with the zte axon 7, also had a poco f1 and it sounds a thousand times better than the poco