iPhone 5 Audio Quality with headphones? is it better than the iPhone 4S?

In the realm of the 16 bits i don't think a headphone out can get much better than the one on the 4S. More powerful output might be possible but more quality it's very difficult.

 

So i'd be really happy if the are able to keep the 4S signature. Or the new iPad one.

May be this thread could be enriched by brand new iPhone 5 owners...from today on since it's rolling out by now.
 

Iphone 5 sounded flat and crackled a little when I first tied it. Good news is after about 5 minutes it is comparable to 4S. The 5 seems a little clearer but slightly more digital sounding. I also have to turn the 5 up a little more than the 4S to get the same volume.

 

Also you can cut your micro-sim with scissors to nano-sim size, I did it in 2 minutes. No need to worry about thickness difference. :)

oh dear that sounds a bit un-promising ...

 

Actually, headphone out can get much better than the one on the 4S. I have a Retina MacBook Pro, and its headphone out is a hell of a lot better than my iPhone 4 or 4S.

 

I wonder if Apple can keep that level of performance on the iPhone 5... If they can, then the iPhone 5 will be my favorite audio player hands down.

 

...I'll get my iPhone 5 eventually so I guess I'll find out.

I guess a MacBook Pro can "afford" to have a much more powerful headphone amp - due to not so many size and internal power issues :)

 

I'm really hoping the Iphone 5 is at least as good SQ as my Iphone 4

 

as if not - I'd quite happily keep a slightly smaller screen and slower phone (my Iphone 4) for better SQ

Well, my Retina MacBook Pro is actually also "better" than my old MacBook Pro (2011 model) in that regard, so I don't think it's the difference in "power", but more of engineering.

 

Keeping my fingers crossed that my iPhone 5 will be the same. It's painful going back to the iPhone 4 after listening to the rMBP, really.

 

It's also to note that the MBP 2011 model sounded the same as my iPhone 4/4S (I have both and use them interchangeably), so...

Edited by Bill-P - 9/21/12 at 9:07am

I second the thin sounding at first but it tone down quickly but still has a digital sound. I have been to listening to vinyl a lot lately so it stood out for me, I did get used to it very quickly. Nothing stands out unlike the phone it replaced (droid2). I will be picking up the adapter so I can use it with my LOD and Schiit, but for portable use with iems it should be fine for most people.

 

I am using Shure se215 iems

Maybe it's just more revealing, transparent. Modern masters are at fault for the digital sound, a more neutral source will just show that. I hope the IP5 breaks the record of having the lowest output impedance of an iPhone, currently held by the IP4 followed closely by the 4S. 

I'm currently going back and forth with my KSC 75s and the bold is the same impression I'm getting. I'm definitely hearing more detail/clarity with the 5 but it also has a slightly more digital vibe to it.

 

Regarding the volume, I'm finding the opposite. I have the volume knob far higher on my 4S than on my 5.

 

Speaking of the volume knob, I'm not sure if this has been pointed out on this board before, but take a close look at the knob while gently rocking the phone back and forth. Neat. That's an example of Apple's insane attention to detail. iOS 6 is actually using the phone's accelerometer data to animate the volume knob and make it look like there's a light glimmer. 

 

This is awesome :)

I thought the 5 wasn't driving my Beyerdynamic DT1350's with as much volume as the 4S did, but I've not tested them side by side yet to say for sure...

I have to say that I was mortified upon first pluging my MD Tributes into the headphone out of the iPhone 5. But after a couple hours of listening, it got better. Definitely more crisp and clear than my iPhone 4. Volume seems comparable maybe even a bit louder than the iPhone 4. Not that it matters much to anyone on this website, but the loudspeaker is way better than the iPhone 4. I need to test the actual iPod player as I've only used it playing Spotify tracks at 320kbs. I'm liking it so far though. I was absolutely pissed at first though lol.

My initial impressions, which are very positive, are here.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/627107/iphone-5-as-a-source/15#post_8720141

For me, the iPhone 5 headphone output has been a disappointment.  Previously, I noticed a clear reduction in 3D spaciousness with the iPhone 5, a more 2D presentation than with the iPhone 4's output (not 4s which I never heard).  With the UM3xs, the difference is of slight degree, but noticeable.   Today, to test things out, I resurrected my Shure e500cs from the pile of rarely used IEMs.  These were the IEMs that highlighted for me the degradation in SQ going from the 5.5 iPod 80Gb video to the 6G 160Gb (not the 4 which my wife now has).  When comparing the iPhone 5 to a great, spacious 7G 160Gb through the e500cs, what a difference--night and day.  The iPhone 5 is flat and 2D by comparison to the 7G.  I suspect the output impedance has increased in the iPhone 5.  Hopefully, someone will soon measure the iPhone 5 impedance so I can compare to a Galaxy S3.