Smartphones as Sources - Page 3

 

 

By itself, i would say the iPhone 4S is the king of mass smartphones used as a source. I'm talking about the capabilities of teh device itself and not some Voodoo sound kernel.

 

for those that want more info

http://www.head-fi.org/t/596962/wanted-dap-player-with-easy-line-out-is-there-such-a-thing/15#post_8163065

 

 

Hi,
Do you get any emi interference from your phone with the E17 (assuming that is an E17).
Cheers.

i've only used it briefly with iphone 4S. i use my iphone...as my phone and ios game thingy all in one smartphone.  not for music and my ipod for music. i have not received a call while the 4S and E17 was in use, but just using it ...no. from what clieos said in his review..i doubt there will be any EMI anyway :D and yes it is an E17

 

plz note i have gotten EMI interfereance..just not from e17(due to e17) my headphone wire's ..somehow picked it up when i placed them near a phone and lamp's electrical cable 

Thanks.

The XE doesn't have "permanent eq" applied. The bundled music player does.

With Poweramp&dsp, the XE is outstanding

I have both the Galaxy S and the Galaxy Nexus, and the latter sounds better than the former to me.

You comparing Galaxy Nexus to Stock Nexus S or Nexus S after voodoo'ed?

 

My primary portable audio source is my SE Xperia X10, since it's the only PA source I have for now. Luckily the X10 can drive the M50 greatly and has enough juice to hold for at least 3-5 hours of listening The player I'm using is Rockbox, splendid audio quality. I guess it's because it uses its own sets of audio libraries. I've compared with some player and Rockbox turned out to be the best for me (in terms of SQ and UI). PowerAmp is just 'eh' and okay to me. The interface is too dark and no folder viewing, which I really need. The audio quality is pretty good but I still prefer Rockbox since I've tested it thoroughly and found it has the best audio quality among the other players (maybe it's just me). Also, it plays gapless audio files perfectly. You guys should give Rockbox a try, since I bet most of you have used Rockbox on other PA sources.

Get the latest unofficial build here (still in active development and no official builds):
http://rasher.dk/rockbox/android/

But now I think I need another PA source since my phone's memory is getting full and I need those spaces for something else on my phone too. Hippo Gumstick was said to be pretty good, and am considering it or either the Cube C3 since it's cheaper (yes, I'm on a tight budget).
Edited by acrox999 - 2/26/12 at 6:07am

I'm comparing the Galaxy Nexus to stock Galaxy S.

lepermessiah,

Man, I obviously didn't read that gsmarena review closely enough, that's an incredibly dissapointing result for the LG Optimus 2X. Stereo crosstalk is how much the sound from each channel leaks into the other, as you may guess that's pretty important for spatial awareness and that 'in the room' feeling.

 

superpiper,

Read about the testing process on gsmarena and it wasn't explicit but they seemed to use the stock music app. So I guess you're may be right, my bad. I'm just wary of stuff branded by beats to be honest, not a fan of the headphones (too bassy, muddy) so don't want a phone which has something to do with them.

 

acrox999,

Just installed rockbox :) I'll tell you what I think about it later. I personally can't tell any difference between stock app, player pro or PowerAmp, using Phonak PFE 112's with FLAC ripped using EAC.

 

skamp,

Interesting view, the internals of the two devices would suggest differently, some people were a bit disappointed at the SQ on the G Nex. I'd be interested in some more detailed comparison if you have the time :)

Does anyone use Xperia Arc S as source? Any opinions?

I have neither the training or the vocabulary to make an educated review, but I will tell you this: the most notable difference is how much louder the GN is compared to the (unvoodooed) GS. I suspect output impedance and/or power might have something to do with it? I did my listening with the Sony MDR-XB700 (24 ohms, 106dB/mW) and the Denon AH-D1100 (32 ohms, 101 dB/mW), though I normally use my Bose QuietComfort 15s when I'm on the go.

With the right EQ, the GN sounds very punchy and spacious to me. I can't make a direct comparison anymore, because I just sold the GS. Note that I didn't have any expectations favoring the GN, because I knew it didn't have the Wolfson DAC of the Galaxy S, yet I immediately favored the GN. Might be a simple case of "louder is better".

Also note that I live in the EU and that the phones are subject to EU law about the maximum volume a device can output. Maybe the GN slipped through that limitation somehow? Listening to it at full volume would most definitely damage my hearing, permanently.

Too bad you don't have the two anymore, but thanks for the info. The Human ear does actually have a flatter frequency response when going from rather quiet noise to a bit louder, maybe that could explain it? I also find when I'm on the go there's obviously sound leakage, even with IEMs, and listening in a quiet room brings out a lot more detail. so maybe listening louder also brings out detail on the move?

 

I think I'll probably end up getting something small like the Hippo Gumstick or a clip or fuze. I don't think high SQ from a smartphone is coming soon :(

So, today I came across this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1523760

Beats Audio port for Gingerbread Android devices. Not much difference, only heavier bass and lesser distortions.