Database Users

YAMAHA Codec - NO bad news after all ! (at least for me)

I am no developer, but I got good musical ears and some good hardware and software...Here under my last post on that other Yamaha dac thread:
betoNL said:
Ok people hereby my 2 cents.
Went back to the showrom this time armed with the Fiio E5 amplifier and my AKG K430 headphones (not in-ear).
Got very good results just by playing with the built-in equalizer of the STOCK music player !
No need for Poweramp or the Equalizer app...really
But if you guys do want a 3rd party music player with a built-in equalizer and more options I would rather go for Neutron or my favourite: Mixzing Player.
But the good news are that after so many tests (on my part) , I am convinced that the Yamaha codec is somehow better implemented on the Note.
And all I need is playing with the equalizer and replace the stock headset with a kickass one.
And you dont need to go bankrupt in order to purchase a real good headset:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1190205
Some nice tips over there and the thread got only 6 pages...
And if you want to to try to get even more from the Note, just get the Fiio amplifier...it's small( clipable) and unexpensive, around 14 euros:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/FiiO-E5-HEA...ltDomain_0&hash=item484252e339#ht_2980wt_1014
What counts for me is that I dont hesitate anymore in purchasing the Note even after getting used with the sound of my sgs1 powered by Wolfson & Voodoo...
But....the Nexus Prime is just around the corner...hesitation is coming back to me........decisions. decisions
is bad news maybe only for the sgs2 owners but not for the Note ones
« »
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Feel free to prove me wrong....I didnt order the Note yet .... Still gotta feel that nexus Prime.....
EDIT: 26-nov-2011:
If gsmarena is not reliable, let's try the Sweeds: Originally Posted by Fredag
Swedroid did a test on sound quality:
(To bad I can not post links yet, had to remove it)
They conclude the test by saying it's the best result they ever measured. It comes very close to their reference MP3 standalone player Sandisk Sansa+
They are a bit surprised to see it perform so much better than SGSII. I guess I am a bit surprised too...
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​Thanks for the info...Here is the link:
http://www.swedroid.se/test-av-samsung-galaxy-note/
And here the translation (sound part):
We connect a pair of better headphones, we note an audible difference for the better in comparison with the Samsung Galaxy S II. The whole record is perceived as wider and the music feels more alive, not to mention that we can play a lot higher than in most of our reference headphones. We certainly do not have a real audio file at the office, but this is probably the closest we have come for a while if we compare with a dedicated MP3 players such as Sandisk Sansa +. For those who are very keen on a good sound, we recommend as always that you take with your favorite headphones and a microSD card loaded with your favorite music to the store and perform a trial listening.
In this subsection we connect the phone to a 3.5mm stereo Y-adapter that we in turn connects to both line-in jack on an Audigy Xifias sound card in a computer behind a UPS and a pair of AKG 420 headphones ( 32 ohm, 125 dB / mW). We then play a sound clip that we, in turn, recording and analysis using software RightMark Audio Analyzer .
The graph above illustrates the frequency response that indicates with precision what sound frequencies represented - particularly interesting is the range from 20Hz to 20KHz, since human hearing stretches between these bands. The ideal curve is in this case completely flat and lies at +0 dB. Note Galaxy performs surprisingly, a result that is anything but especially like the Galaxy SII despite according to specification sheet is based on the same platform and therefore should have the same audio chip / DAC. In fact, the result is not far from what our reference unit, Sandisk Sansa +, performs for the figures.
The noise level is under RMAA at 89 dB, which is one of the best results we have measured up. The other part is looking very good with some reservation for stereo crosstalk / noise leaks left and right audio channel between; Note that lands on a last place. The value is so close to the other and still so low that in any case we do not experience any problems during the test listening to a pair of better headphones.​__________________
« »

deleted, I posted info that is already posted

Tip bout the Fiio already mentioned on first post...and you get it cheaper from Ebay
«»

RMXO said:
deleted, I posted info that is already posted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks...
And thanks for your headset tips on the other thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1190205

Hi
Please read these tests on the sound quality of the Note :
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note_n7000-review-676p8.php
same as the SGS 2 so why do we (sgs 2 users) get such crap sound, it would they have improved the software... can this be ported to SGS 2?

BenG7 said:
same as the SGS 2 so why do we (sgs 2 users) get such crap sound, it would they have improved the software... can this be ported to SGS 2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It could be a better designed circuit than sgs2, therefore it's the hardware issue however I might be wrong.

BenG7 said:
Hi
Please read these tests on the sound quality of the Note :
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note_n7000-review-676p8.php
same as the SGS 2 so why do we (sgs 2 users) get such crap sound, it would they have improved the software... can this be ported to SGS 2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When reading those tests I noticed:
betoNL said:
I dont know if those are improvements or not but all the values :
Frequency responseNoise levelDynamic rangeTHD IMD + NoiseStereo crosstalk
Are different from the sgs2 with the same Yamaha thing....
And today I took my headsets to the showroom again...and indeed the Note sounds way better than the sgs2.....almost as good as the sgs1 without Voodoo app......
Comparison tests applied with same songs and same settings from stock music player...
« »
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Gonna add this to first post::
Originally Posted by Fredag
Swedroid did a test on sound quality:
(To bad I can not post links yet, had to remove it)
They conclude the test by saying it's the best result they ever measured. It comes very close to their reference MP3 standalone player Sandisk Sansa+
They are a bit surprised to see it perform so much better than SGSII. I guess I am a bit surprised too...
​Thanks for the info...Here is the link:
http://www.swedroid.se/test-av-samsung-galaxy-note/
And here the translation (sound part):
We connect a pair of better headphones, we note an audible difference for the better in comparison with the Samsung Galaxy S II. The whole record is perceived as wider and the music feels more alive, not to mention that we can play a lot higher than in most of our reference headphones. We certainly do not have a real audio file at the office, but this is probably the closest we have come for a while if we compare with a dedicated MP3 players such as Sandisk Sansa +. For those who are very keen on a good sound, we recommend as always that you take with your favorite headphones and a microSD card loaded with your favorite music to the store and perform a trial listening.
In this subsection we connect the phone to a 3.5mm stereo Y-adapter that we in turn connects to both line-in jack on an Audigy Xifias sound card in a computer behind a UPS and a pair of AKG 420 headphones ( 32 ohm, 125 dB / mW). We then play a sound clip that we, in turn, recording and analysis using software RightMark Audio Analyzer .
The graph above illustrates the frequency response that indicates with precision what sound frequencies represented - particularly interesting is the range from 20Hz to 20KHz, since human hearing stretches between these bands. The ideal curve is in this case completely flat and lies at +0 dB. Note Galaxy performs surprisingly, a result that is anything but especially like the Galaxy SII despite according to specification sheet is based on the same platform and therefore should have the same audio chip / DAC. In fact, the result is not far from what our reference unit, Sandisk Sansa +, performs for the figures.
The noise level is under RMAA at 89 dB, which is one of the best results we have measured up. The other part is looking very good with some reservation for stereo crosstalk / noise leaks left and right audio channel between; Note that lands on a last place. The value is so close to the other and still so low that in any case we do not experience any problems during the test listening to a pair of better headphones.​ __________________

[Audiophiles] Note 2 DAC quality

Calling all audiophiles.
What do you think of the quality of the digital analogue converter (DAC) on the Note 2? Is it good enough to justify buying an expensive high end set of headphones? I've been burned before by HTC's supposed focus on audio and the deal with Beats, only to find the sound quality utter garbage.

I'm not an audiophile, but a crystal clear sound is a must for me. I'm pretty happy with Note's 2 performance, but i think you might need to just check for yourself cause this is very subjective. But i completely agree on HTC Beats audio - garbage sound with ridiculously high amounts of enchancements and low boosts does not mean good audio quality ( beats fans, dont eat me alive pls, its just my opinion )

I think that most true audiophiles would not be caught dead listening to music using a Samsung phone. To me, that word means people who are willing to spend thousands of dollars on cables. Some audiophiles have cables at home that cost more than my car.
The definition of the word audiophile may of course vary...
With that said, I work full-time as a musician and audio quality is very important to me although I would never call myself an audiophile. My Note II with the PlayerPro player listening to FLAC files has been a truly pleasant surprise. I don't even use an EQ anymore because I love the sound of the hardware a lot.
What is a high end set of headphones to you? My Note II sounds fantastic with my Sennheiser HD-25-1 II cans. Sounds really great! I also have a pair of Beyerdynamic DT1350 and they also sound great with my Note II, but the comfort isn't quite to my liking so I usually keep the Beyerdynamics on my nightstand and use them when I watch videos or listen to music in bed for short periods of time. The HD-25-1 II is what I carry around with me on the go and I am more than pleased with this as my portable listening rig. Actually I'm incredibly satisfied. I had my Note II for a month before I even tried listening to music with it, so I wasn't aiming on using it as a portable player when I bought it. Since the day I finally tried it though I have been using it to listen to music nearly every day. I sold my iPod video 5.5 gen and Sansa clip zip. I still have my Cowon J3, not going to sell that.
I also have a pair of Shure SRH940 that I use in my home recording studio, they are amazing with the Note II also, but I only use the Shures at my desk, I don't take them out of the house.

ozaghloul said:
Calling all audiophiles.
What do you think of the quality of the digital analogue converter (DAC) on the Note 2? Is it good enough to justify buying an expensive high end set of headphones? I've been burned before by HTC's supposed focus on audio and the deal with Beats, only to find the sound quality utter garbage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's more or less the same as the chip in the I9300. Just make sure you use a kernel that supports Voodoo Sound aka Scooby Doo aka Eargasm, such as RedPill or Perseus.
Sound without it is pretty flat, but once you turn it on you will be pleasantly surprised! I use Sennheiser HD439

victorator said:
It's more or less the same as the chip in the I9300. Just make sure you use a kernel that supports Voodoo Sound aka Scooby Doo aka Eargasm, such as RedPill or Perseus.
Sound without it is pretty flat, but once you turn it on you will be pleasantly surprised! I use Sennheiser HD439
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is not the same chip like in I9300. Note2 uses Yamaha sound chip, while S3 has Wolfson. The difference is hearable between those two devices. S3 wins with deeper bass and clarity of high frequencies. I own Note2 and S3, and I like listening to music on my S3 more.

tehaerpl said:
It is not the same chip like in I9300. Note2 uses Yamaha sound chip, while S3 has Wolfson. The difference is hearable between those two devices. S3 wins with deeper bass and clarity of high frequencies. I own Note2 and S3, and I like listening to music on my S3 more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. The Note II has a Wolfson DAC. See here, straight from the horses mouth.
http://www.wolfsonmicro.com/media_c...dio_to_samsung_galaxy_note_10.1_and_samsung_/
Audio output with my Creative Labs Aurvana In-Ear3's is absolutely top notch with Perseus kernel eargasm setting.

tehaerpl said:
It is not the same chip like in I9300. Note2 uses Yamaha sound chip, while S3 has Wolfson. The difference is hearable between those two devices. S3 wins with deeper bass and clarity of high frequencies. I own Note2 and S3, and I like listening to music on my S3 more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, where are you getting your news from ? The note 2 has a wolfson chip
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium

KyleDevlin12 said:
Dude, where are you getting your news from ? The note 2 has a wolfson chip
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that's strange, as I work at Samsung's R&D and every engineer says it is Yamaha in N2

If you work at Samsung do you know if they are working on a fix for the audio skipping, ect. When the Note 2's screen is off.
I've tried different players and it keeps happening. I've heard others talking about this and saying the same thing.
I'm just wondering about it as it really is a major issue if you ask me.
Thanks.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2

tehaerpl said:
It is not the same chip like in I9300. Note2 uses Yamaha sound chip, while S3 has Wolfson. The difference is hearable between those two devices. S3 wins with deeper bass and clarity of high frequencies. I own Note2 and S3, and I like listening to music on my S3 more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tehaerpl said:
Well, that's strange, as I work at Samsung's R&D and every engineer says it is Yamaha in N2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's definitely got a Wolfson WM1811 Audio Hub. STweaks and Voodoo apps both pick up and can configure the chip. Also mentioned on iFixit tear down. Added to the above posted Wolfson news bulletin, this is kind of overwhelming evidence

Onemoa said:
If you work at Samsung do you know if they are working on a fix for the audio skipping, ect. When the Note 2's screen is off.
I've tried different players and it keeps happening. I've heard others talking about this and saying the same thing.
I'm just wondering about it as it really is a major issue if you ask me.
Thanks.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I work at European R&D, we request only international projects (N7100 for example) so I cannot answer your question.
---------- Post added at 01:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:08 PM ----------
mitchelln said:
It's definitely got a Wolfson WM1811 Audio Hub. STweaks and Voodoo apps both pick up and can configure the chip. Also mentioned on iFixit tear down. Added to the above posted Wolfson news bulletin, this is kind of overwhelming evidence
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I just googled it. Well, maybe the engineers were referring to old H/W version. There's a lot of hardware changes when the project is in "ongoing" phase. Sorry for my mistake.

Well its all cool as long as the final result is the right answer
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium

I keep mi iPhone and my Bose Mie2i sounds much better on iPhone. But SGN2 still have an amazing audio quality, just keep away the stock earphone also the Monster are a myth, best experience on Sennheiser ie80 or Bose Mie2 (w/o "i").
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium

The galaxy note 2 sound output is more than enough for me
Sound alive + scoobydoo sound = best sound ever
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

Thanks for all the replies. I didn't really think about the definition of audiophile before, and I guess it varies greatly. I am not a musician, nor do I know how to play any instrument. I can however tune many instruments only using my ear. My current music setup is the newest ipod with a set of Sennheiser IE60. However my cat chewed through those, so I was considering buying the IE80, but didn't want to do it if the Note 2 didn't have a good DAC. It seems from all the replies that the DAC is good enough to justify the $460 for the IE80.

victorator said:
It's more or less the same as the chip in the I9300. Just make sure you use a kernel that supports Voodoo Sound aka Scooby Doo aka Eargasm, such as RedPill or Perseus.
Sound without it is pretty flat, but once you turn it on you will be pleasantly surprised! I use Sennheiser HD439
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for sounding noobish, do I need to root to use those kernels? Do they come with a rom? I'd really rather not have to root and risk voiding warranty, and from previous experience with a One X the custom roms didn't add much to my experience. Is it possible to get Voodoo Sound or Sound Alive without rooting?

ozaghloul said:
t seems from all the replies that the DAC is good enough to justify the $460 for the IE80.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not $460 USD I hope! They can be had from Amazon for sub $300.

mitchelln said:
Not $460 USD I hope! They can be had from Amazon for sub $300.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're RIGHT! I was checking the price on the Sennheiser website.

ozaghloul said:
Is it possible to get Voodoo Sound or Sound Alive without rooting?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sound Alive comes in the stock ROM. Check out the settings in the Music Player app.
---------- Post added at 05:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:19 PM ----------
ozaghloul said:
You're RIGHT! I was checking the price on the Sennheiser website.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Blimey, that's a mark up and a half! You have $160 to spend on something else now

ozaghloul said:
Sorry for sounding noobish, do I need to root to use those kernels? Do they come with a rom? I'd really rather not have to root and risk voiding warranty, and from previous experience with a One X the custom roms didn't add much to my experience. Is it possible to get Voodoo Sound or Sound Alive without rooting?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sound alive is Stock music player enchantments
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for Voodoo sound u need non stock kernel like Perseus or Redpill but trust me it really make difference
and forget about one x cuz Rooting and installing kernels - Roms are so easy on Samsung devices

APT-X Support: Will It Ever Happen?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No Bluetooth Apt-X HD support for GS7E

Just found out no Apt-X HD for S7E.
http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/what-is-aptx-hd
I was thinking of getting the LG tone platinum and Apt-x HD is one of its selling points. Apparently the new LG phones will have it.
You would think since Qualcomm owns the technology we would have it in our phones or at least the Qualcomm versions.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

TBH, I would not worry or make it a buying point of a phone. The codec sounds good (although unnecessary for wireless listening and most probably inflated) but with the compression required over BT there is always going to be a trade off.
If you want good fidelity listening then a phone and Bluetooth cans is not the way to go anyway.
Oh and on top of that, after a quick search I could only find a single pair of headphones that allegedly support it which were on Amazon and no reviews about them etc...

chippyuk said:
TBH, I would not worry or make it a buying point of a phone. The codec sounds good (although unnecessary for wireless listening and most probably inflated) but with the compression required over BT there is always going to be a trade off.
If you want good fidelity listening then a phone and Bluetooth cans is not the way to go anyway.
Oh and on top of that, after a quick search I could only find a single pair of headphones that allegedly support it which were on Amazon and no reviews about them etc...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As an audio engineer, and music composer who works with various forms of audio codecs, the difference between 16 and 24 bit in .wav files is almost unnoticeable, and that's with proper studio equipment. That's not to undermine that with apt x the extra headroom might provide a higher quality stream, but for streaming to your colored car audio system, regular old aptX is 100% fine.

I was hoping for more headroom in the dynamic range with Apt-x HD and now with the lackluster wired headphone performance on the SGE7. It's just a bit of a letdown
I ordered the SanDisk 200 gig. The goal was to finally replace my Ipod Classic 160.
Thanks for your input.
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I have Bluetooth UHQ on the S7 activated and paired with Samsung Level One Pro that support the Bluetooth UHQ. It does sound better but needs more resources.

Shame, no 2016's technologies, no Quick Charge 3.0, no Apt-X HD, no USB Type-C... and you know what ? S8 will have all of this but the S8 will not have the 2017's technologies so , no very mega Quick Charge 4.0, no Apt-X Ultra HD, no USB Type-D . Ok I trolled the last phrase, but maybe my troll will be realistic.

minoch said:
Just found out no Apt-X HD for S7E.
http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/what-is-aptx-hd
I was thinking of getting the LG tone platinum and Apt-x HD is one of its selling points. Apparently the new LG phones will have it.
You would think since Qualcomm owns the technology we would have it in our phones or at least the Qualcomm versions.
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I had the LG Tone which are identical minus the "HD". Nothing special TBH. I hope the new version is better!

Does the Exynos supports apt-x?
Update : yes, it does But does it support aptx HD?

It doesn't support Aptx-HD, then again, I don't think there is any current headset that do.

calm your tits
For get apt-x HD, the only important part is APT-X itself.
This is already CD quality with no lags (almost), HD is 8 bit more yes, but you most likly not even notice the difference between 16 and 24 bit.
well if youre an audio professional you might be able to tell the difference, true but this is a science on its own.
but for this you need capable equipment and the audiosource too.
both you probably aint gonna have mobile neither do you really need it.
the HD addition is in first line a marketing thing, and given that there only a handful , and i mean literally a handful, useable mobile apt-x headphones and headsets out there it wont matter at all. hell the best around ear set unter 500$ is sennheiser which means it looks very grim for high soundquality mobile devices anyway.
important is only that apt-x finally get distributed and lets hope headset and phone manufacturer finally put it in by default. then again most wont profit much due to their poor builds anyway - looking at bose here
btw those heaedset that already support HD - forget it. they may technically able to transfer the data but their audio hardware including drivers wont cut it to really use it

minoch said:
Just found out no Apt-X HD for S7E.
I was thinking of getting the LG tone platinum and Apt-x HD is one of its selling points. Apparently the new LG phones will have it.
You would think since Qualcomm owns the technology we would have it in our phones or at least the Qualcomm versions.
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Click to collapse
Honestly mate, APTX HD is a complete waste of time on a phone, and probably on anything. The ONLY thing 24 bits are going to do is give you a lower noise floor. Let me say that again, so that it sinks in. The ONLY thing 24 bits is going to give you is a lower noise floor. That's it, period.
But since 16 bits already gives you a 96dB s/n ratio, that means that at any sensible listening levels, the noise is *way* below ambient background noise (unless you are listening at high volume in a perfectly silent room).
Then there's the small matter of the phone's electronics which perhaps produce more than -96dB of noise anyway, not that you can hear -96dB noise in any real world listening environment.
24 bit is a waste of time for consumer audio. For studio work and multiple overdubs, then yes perhaps. Other than that, it's all snake oil.

Im going from an s5, that has the aptx codec (not aptx hd from what i read), to a exynos s7, that doesn't have aptx. My question is, will the difference in sound quality be noticeable? My bt headphones aren't nothing special and are cheap (mpow swift) but they do support aptx and i have been happy with the sound quality using my s5, so i was wondering if i will notice any difference.

griffin_1 said:
Im going from an s5, that has the aptx codec (not aptx hd from what i read), to a exynos s7, that doesn't have aptx. My question is, will the difference in sound quality be noticeable? My bt headphones aren't nothing special and are cheap (mpow swift) but they do support aptx and i have been happy with the sound quality using my s5, so i was wondering if i will notice any difference.
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There's plenty of reasonably high-end and well regarded headphones that don't support aptx, and yet some cheapies that do. Conclusion: if it's not a critical for the high-end headphones, then you shouldn't miss it with your "nothing special" headphones.

S7 Edge (US version, Snapdragon) on Android 7 (Nougat) had always aptX support, besides the native Samsung UHQ HD audio. Actually every phone with Snapdragon that I have tested (Motorola) had aptX since Qualcomm bought off CSR plc in 2015. Tested personally with Developer Mode, Bluetooth HCI Snoop log and decoded with Wireshark on PC.
And now, with Android 8 (Oreo) gained LDAC support too (Sony), thanks to Google. See the attached pic.
PS: The difference between codecs can be appreciated only when playing FLAC files.

[Audiophile] Headphone Audio Comparison with heavily modified Xperia Z1

Sony has always been the company that we believe to be superior in audio, right?
Yea, sometimes being able to do well doesn't mean they really want to do well...........
I still rememeber the days when the Xperia Z1 comes out in android 4.2/4.3 era, headphone audio quality sucks big time..... Extremely heavy background noise that I swear that sony engineer didn’t even test out. Overall audio quality is definitely worse than my old Xperia S.
Luckily, there comes xda audio mods and software update. Starting from 4.4 and especially lollipop era the sound of the Z1 has become incredibly better, especially with the help of sound mod, thanks to famous soundmodder like @jimRnor, @PDesire and @BlackSoulxxx. Even the with the help of everyone, I’m feeling that the sound quality of Z1 is pretty much maxed out, I hear limitation of its clarity that all mods can’t really pass. (One of the honorable mention has to be Project Desire 5 from pretty long time ago, many people said it don’t work for them but it is one of the best audio mod I ever had on Z1, I really wowed that such clearity can be achieved on the crappy hardware)
So I recently decided to move on to the much newer X performance. And guess what, I can’t really say X performance beat my old Z1. (ofcoz we talk about headphone audio here, speaker of Z1 is complete crap and it’s waste of time to mention it)
Testing equipment:
Earphone:
Sony XBA A3 with RHAPSODIO Pandora SPC cable
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Xperia Z1:
Rom: DstrikerZ1 Kai ROM SP004
Audio Mod: DreamOnMusicX Kisaragi V30ES
Kernel: XerXes Artemisia
Xperia X Performance:
Stock Nougat, locked bootloader
Test Song 1:
Once said –Shiga 16bit flac (説一句 – 連詩雅)
With custom kernel provided I have the habit of boosting my Z1 to Headphones Digital Gain to +5. I tried to keep the settings when I start comparing with the X Performance. And Z1 has obviously got a upper hand in pushing the 32Ω A3 this way through delivering higher clarity and high tone and deeper bass.
To make the comparison a little fairer I had to turn down all gain in Z1 to zero.
Now sounding of both device become very similar, where Z1 actually still sound a bit sharper in high tone while delivering softer bass compared the X Performance. The bass of the XP is heavy and a bit too sharp which makes me feel a bit tiring, I cannot say which bass is better but I’d personally prefer the Z1 bass style. Though when I listen very carefully I found the vocal in the XP seems to be more clear.
Test Song
Cantabile Years- Eason Chan 24bit 48k flac (歲月如歌 - 陳奕迅)
So what’s better than to compare with an all-time classic Cantopop in 24bit 48k? “In 96k!!!!!!!”
…….. OK forgive me I don’t know why I can’t rip 96k out of it, the source I received for this SA CD is in ISO and I had a bit of trouble dealing with it. And yea, Z1 DOES NOT support hi-res officially, but with all modification on Hi-res will somehow work on it, so let’s test out anyway.
This time the X Performance give a noticeable thinker and deeper sound compared to the Z1. While both device actually carries the high-resolution detailed pretty well, the thickness on the X Performance makes it more natural.
Test Song 3: Have A Good Love - Alex Fong, Stephy Tang AAC (from iTunes store) (好好戀愛-方力申, 鄧麗欣)
Maybe comparing hi-res with a device that doesn’t support hi-res isn’t so fair. Time to compare some low quality lossy crap files that is more common
One of the thing Sony always brag about is the DSEE-HX being able to make lossy audio sound more lossless (or even hi-res). The modified Z1 is supposed to have DSEE ported from somewhere, but the toggle button doesn’t work so I have no clue if It’s actually functional. The X Perf should have definitely functional DSEE but even so I need to listen very carefully to hear the difference between on and off. In fact I never find DSEE very big thing myself as even with those expensive Walkman it doesn’t kick some heavy difference. Lossy sound a bit better through smoothening but it wont make 16bit flac sound like 24bit afterall. (Pioneer XDP 100R have a less gimmick upscale + super sampling function and it really have big effect, so screw dsee)
Ok back to the the test song. In this song I really had hard time comparing the two. It sounds really so similar that I can’t really say which one is better!! Only difference I can tell is in the XP the vocal is more smooth compared to the Z1. And I don’t think that’s due to DSEE coz in both condition XP doesn’t make noticeable difference. And I can’t say which one I like more for this song, u may say the not-so-smooth sound of Z1 is becoz it kicks more “clarity” or the XP has made the sound “more lossless”, or “blur” depends on u
Conclusion: Sony didn’t make a very high effort in enhancing audio quality so far. If u are expecting really excellent audio out of your phone Sony is probably not your choice unless they decide to add dedicated chips like S-Master in sometime, and I guess they won’t. I don’t mean XP is bad, it is still more than acceptable as a smart phone.
If you wonder how is sony audio compared to LG v20, I can tell u v20 is definitely better in my experience. Haven’t tried HTC10 yet can’t say anything.
That's all I can say for now, feel free to comment what u think about sony mobile audio quality

try connecting it to a home stereo.. then get back with me...

nickcaper said:
try connecting it to a home stereo.. then get back with me...
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I dont really have much of those stuff, mind to share me your experience?

KWOKSFUNG said:
I dont really have much of those stuff, mind to share me your experience?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My experience with this phone is that SOny half ass made it, Sony loves to advertise the nice parts of the phone as being so good that you really need it. For example, the Clear Audio+ and EQ and other sound settings DO NOt WORK on 99% of the apps.
These sound settings that are in the sound menu use to be a global settiing that changed the sound on any app and even on the speakers of the phone. Not anymore. SInce Lollipop came out, Sony decided to tell people about there awesome " Im being sarcastic" Hi Res audio but dont tell you that is works for only about 3 apps! 1 app is the Google Music app. The others are the Sony factory apps and maybe Spotify cause that comes with the phone. Why did SOny do this you ask? It must be bull**** you exclaim! No.. Its not.. Ive done research and this is NOT the first nor will it be the last rant on this subject of Sonys Audio issues on these phones. They do this cause apparently Sony feels obligated to Google and Spotify and who ever else that pays Sony, to allow the special Sony Audio settings unleash, open up, engage or whatever you want to call it, only on THERE app! SO basically, if an app developers pays Sony enough money, Sony will give the code to the developer that enables there Audio settings to work with there app!... See how awesome Sony is ( sarcasm again) This is also why Samsung has the best Sony cameras in there phone. Samsung pays for it. Sony is a retard company that does things half ass and dont care about the customer. They lie to us all telling us they have this great Hi-Rez device, but they dont tell you it only plays hi-res and uses the Sony sound settings only on special Apps that only Sony approves!..

nickcaper said:
My experience with this phone is that SOny half ass made it, Sony loves to advertise the nice parts of the phone as being so good that you really need it. For example, the Clear Audio+ and EQ and other sound settings DO NOt WORK on 99% of the apps.
These sound settings that are in the sound menu use to be a global settiing that changed the sound on any app and even on the speakers of the phone. Not anymore. SInce Lollipop came out, Sony decided to tell people about there awesome " Im being sarcastic" Hi Res audio but dont tell you that is works for only about 3 apps! 1 app is the Google Music app. The others are the Sony factory apps and maybe Spotify cause that comes with the phone. Why did SOny do this you ask? It must be bull**** you exclaim! No.. Its not.. Ive done research and this is NOT the first nor will it be the last rant on this subject of Sonys Audio issues on these phones. They do this cause apparently Sony feels obligated to Google and Spotify and who ever else that pays Sony, to allow the special Sony Audio settings unleash, open up, engage or whatever you want to call it, only on THERE app! SO basically, if an app developers pays Sony enough money, Sony will give the code to the developer that enables there Audio settings to work with there app!... See how awesome Sony is ( sarcasm again) This is also why Samsung has the best Sony cameras in there phone. Samsung pays for it. Sony is a retard company that does things half ass and dont care about the customer. They lie to us all telling us they have this great Hi-Rez device, but they dont tell you it only plays hi-res and uses the Sony sound settings only on special Apps that only Sony approves!..
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I believe Spotify but maybe Google doesn't have to, Google build android and Sony wants to be friend with them. Personally I dont use other music app much and this doesnt cause me much annoyance, ofcoz it will be good if they let all apps use their sse settings.
And the audio quality and camera, they have definitely half ass it coz they dont want xperia get so good that people dont need to buy walkman and cybershot camera. That's a shame
Btw, if u really care about the hi-res support thing, consider using the app PowerAMP, it even enabled the old Xperia Z to have hi-res support on its alpha version lol