[xand]

Quote:

However, I often use a pair of Bose QC-15 at work (I sit near the sales guys and it's like a frat house around my desk; only the Bose cans will block out that level of racket).  With the QC-15, I will turn on 'The Beats' and it's not bad for background listening.  It's very bassy and doesn't really sound like what I am used to for active listening, but for work it's fine.  I do wonder if this phone was tuned for headphones like Bose (or Beats?) or relatively cheap ear buds.

 
I'm pretty sure Beats is tuned for headphones with non-flat response curves. That's fine, just that turning it off is possible, hopefully the inclusion of beats isn't what's causing the ... lackluster performance.
 
I think you should get a pair of customs for work

 

[Krutsch]

Quote:

 
Krutsch, are you using poweramp? Have you seen if there is a HTC software upgrade?
 
After posting earlier, I'd been trying to figure out if there was anything which could be done. (I posted as I was trying to find out if my reaction was .. unique).
 
I installed a HTC software upgrade (it didn't prompt me, but it showed availability when i searched) and I also found: http://forum.powerampapp.com/index.php?/topic/4735-poor-sound-quality-on-htc-one/
 
When I tried doing what the developer suggested, I realised that DVC was already on, and that poweramp had switched on it's "tone" and "eq" functions by default.

After the HTC software upgrade (I'm in Singapore, version is: 1.29.707.16), swtiching OFF DVC and the "tone" and "eq" functions, I'm alot more pleased. 

See if this helps? With these changes, I might not have said "terrible". It's enough that the search for a replacement has become not too urgent.

I'm still going to evaluate an ak100/rwak100, or a separate dac/amp, or (most exciting but gosh pricey) LCD3 + Lyr (or Mojnir) + Bifrost (or Gungir), but I think improvement is going to be  less obvious.

 
I am using Google Play with music streaming and caching from the cloud.  Man, I really love Google's new Play Music app.  Beautiful UI and I like not having to sync music to the handset, but my 10,000+ tracks are all available (I some recent collections 'sticky' on local storage).  Google's app scanned my library of FLAC rips and re-encoded to MP3/320 using LAME and I think they sound fantastic.  And, with Sprint in the US, I have no data caps so I can stream w/o worrying about it.  Sorry... I don't work for Google, but I am pretty jazzed at how well this all works with the latest release.
 
Anyway, I ran the HTC update (thanks for the tip) and listened to the same tracks I was listening to before, Beats off and with my Grado RS2i.  It actually might sound better - at least, from my initial playback, I don't feel the same audio fatigue.  I need to give this time time, however, to make sure it's not just perception bias.  I'll try it at work tomorrow and see how it goes.

 

[Krutsch]

Quote:

 
I think you should get a pair of customs for work

 
Give me a recommendation... I am new to the custom IEM thing and have no idea what I would look at to buy.
 
I've been spending money like a drunken sailor on Head-Fi and probably need to stop ... at some point, anyway 

 

[xand]

Quote:

 
Give me a recommendation... I am new to the custom IEM thing and have no idea what I would look at to buy.
 
I've been spending money like a drunken sailor on Head-Fi and probably need to stop ... at some point, anyway 

 
I'd buy just based on picking a price point.

I think the "best" are likely the new jh13/16 (with freqphase), or maybe the higher end UEs, but I realise that there are new entrants (e.g. Heir Audio). I'm not really in the market and haven't kept up. 

Having said that, even the most affordable JH audio custom should be an improvement over the QC-15* and should also offer equivalent or better isolation (I think this is the most affordable: http://www.jhaudio.com/product/jh5-pro-custom-ear-monitor  - note that they do run sales reasonably regularly and if you can wait, just buy during a sale).

*I'm guessing. You will lose soundstage though.

I only have 3GB of data, sadly, so will probably just stick to my alaced stuff
 
(Edit: I can't compare using "Play Music" (which I think is the new google app you mean), because it doesn't play ALAC)

 

[Baroninkjet]

FWIW, Google Play Music is among the worst sounding apps I have heard on my I9300. After 10 min, I uninstalled it. IMHO, not a good test app.
 
(I go back and forth between PowerAmp and Neutron.)

 

[choC.]

Got a little fed up with my XBA-4s not playing nice with the HTC One so I bought some UE900s on a whim while I wait for my resistance adapter to arrive.
Oh boy they sound amazing... No distortion or clipping at any volume either. Easily my favourite portable pairing so far

I think impedence on BA IEMs is a major factor with this phone. The XBA-4s (8ohm) sounded like trash while the UE900s (30ohm) had absolutely no issues and sounded amazing without any EQ and Beats OFF.

 

[ScreenKiller]

you should check out 1964 ears. their line includes the v3 Triple armature ciem , quad a quad armature iem v6 6 armature iem.
but their prices are ridiculous low compared to other manufactures
 
got a pair of v3 very entry but they sound awesome.

 

[Krutsch]

Quote:

you should check out 1964 ears. their line includes the v3 Triple armature ciem , quad a quad armature iem v6 6 armature iem.
but their prices are ridiculous low compared to other manufactures
 
got a pair of v3 very entry but they sound awesome.

 
Wow... those are good prices, if the quality is there, compared to other stuff I've looked at on-line.  When you say they sound awesome, may I ask to which other IEMs you are comparing?

 

[Krutsch]

Quote:

FWIW, Google Play Music is among the worst sounding apps I have heard on my I9300. After 10 min, I uninstalled it. IMHO, not a good test app.
 
(I go back and forth between PowerAmp and Neutron.)

 
I am curious if you've tried the new version that was released on Friday.  I can appreciate your point about SQ, not having listened to either of your alternatives, but I have favorably compared Play with BubbleUPnP.

 

[Baroninkjet]

I have not tried the new one. It seemed to just add support for their new paid streaming service. But I will check it out sometime.

 

[jagsand]

Brilliant phone.  It defintly is making my XBA 30's and EX 300's sound better.

 

[xand]

Listening to the Qualcomm S4 today, wasn't particularly impressed...

 

[NZtechfreak]

Quote:

Listening to the Qualcomm S4 today, wasn't particularly impressed...

 
Interesting, wonder how much the volume was impacting that and how much was various kinds of bias operating. On a blind and volume matched test both myself and the other chap testing with me preferred the sound of the S4 to the One (until we used lower impedance IEMs and then you get crackling on the Qualcomm S4 and it is unlistenable). Naturally the extra volume output of the One is an advantage that methodology strips away, and may be a relevant advantage depending on what you're listening with headphoned wise.

 

[Duncan]

I must take back my cynicism earlier in this thread re Neutron player - it actually sounds really good (on the Sony Z1060!)...  Marries brilliantly with the FAD Heaven S
 
...It does make the One sound quite unlistenable by comparison (I don't know what is at bigger fault, the One, or the higher end IEMs I'm using these days!!)

 

[TripleFi]

Hey guys, ive read the whol thread and it is really fascinating how the users of the Htc One are impressed.
 
I had an Iphone for 1 year and the Sound was the best ive ever listened to.
 
It was an Iphone 4s and the Sound quality was 100% important of my choice.
 
Now i want to move to the HTC One because of the New "Boomy" Sound and in other things it is really a powerful Smartphone.
 
What do you think? Is the HTC One in Sound quality on the same level like an Iphone 4s.
 
Listened to it with the Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10, which is a great Multiple Drivers in Ear.
 
I hpoe you can help my decision, when I know that the HTC beats the Iphone in Sound quality now, or is the same, I would definitely buy the HTC One.
 
Im excited to know which one is better