I normally would never do this, but this requires a thread only to save future users tons of money in committing to a phone for sound quality. While it should be apparent to a keen listener, a popular benchmark online was not done properly and this matter needs to be brought to attention.
The LG P990 or P999 smartphone, while having a good DAC (WM8994) has been ruined by poor implementation. The output is very audibly noisy, when the amp is turned on (during a silent playing track or a second or two after the last sound was played). The popular review stating noise figures was probably done without realizing that this phone turns its' amplifier/DAC off. The DAC quotes a capless 1W headphone driver and is present on so many phones with amazing reviews when used with Voodoo Sound for Android. This driver, while not completed yet for the LG, can't fix this issue, but it can make it a little better by controlling the amp's gain instead of the digital volume on the playing sound.
Rant is over. What is the best phone for sound quality? This is a prime example of poor design ruining a great part. Going to demo the Nexus S, I hope its silent!
