[TrucknHemi]

What about SQ from oranges then?

But well, I do agree that some HTC phones sound great, but it's a shame that for the most part that "investment" goes into user software (so you could turn on "bloat mode" EQ) and external speakers as opposed to the actual DAC, implementation and low level drivers code for noise filtering etc.

 
Apple products always sounded great to me, and that's undeniable. Wouldn't put them as kick asses they're not...
 
Yes, HTC has great sound but it's not purist, for the mass it still is a reference and external speakers is great to have. From now on they should jump to that part you mentioned cause the smartphone industry is focusing on music and to be bettera they'll have to became purists.

 

[mikedcw]

   
 
Hey man, I live in Brazil too and share your dificulties to buy a great phone. It's too bad you don't want a big phone case just yesterday I saw the Lenovo Vibe X3 for R$1400 in Lenovo's brazilian web site, it's the lower model with the MT6753 SoC and the Hi-Fi stuff is all there.
I jumped from a 3.5" for a 4.7" and found it was awesome, then jumped from 4.3" to 5". It's easy to get used to them.
 
From what you said and besides the size I can recomend you the Meizu MX4 Pro, with the 64GB model you won't have any issues with storage.

 
That's an interesting price, the specs seem pretty good on the Vibe X3 and the price is very reasonable, might give it a go. I used to find the 5" phones gigantic, but heck, I used to think my iphone 5c was big way back when lol. the MX4 Pro was the best choice I was considering, but I haven't found it anywhere here...

 

[artpiggo]

Vibe X3 is also a great choice. Go for it

 

[alexandis]

   
Really? The 5s better than M7 four sounding? You're the first I see saying that. I do know the SQ from Apples are great but the HTCs are even better from what I've heard because they invest excatly in the part of the phone.

Actually, I was the first :-D
I owned HTC M7 and iPhone 5 (not S) and I think that latter sounds better. HTC sound is dull and flat, even though powerful and clean. But loudness and cleanness is not enough to say sound is great, right? HTC does not have some specific DAC, so how could it sound good enough? I sold HTC, cause could not stand its sound. Later I had LG G3. It also has very clean sound and quite powerful. But once again, people - it's just Qualcomm! The same flat sound... iPhone has, as far as I know, more promising Cirrus chips (even if it's just an all-in-one solution, i mean amplifier is united with DAC, i'm not sure). Even though i'm also aware, that starting from iPhone 6, sound quality is degraged - maybe, it's not required by iPhone users. Anyway, iPhone 5's sound is more rich, than HTC M7, M8 and M9 - very likely (i've heard the latest two briefly, they either did not impress me with richness of sound), since still no any dedicated audio electronics.
 
P.S. Saw Lenovo Vibe X3 today: very nice screen and very comfortable in hand. There was no music on it. So, unfortunately, was unable to hear how it sounds.

 

[TrucknHemi]

Alexandis, can't thank you enough for the explanation. I can day nothing from HTCs cause never heard them, all I know is from reviews. But I've listened to iPod shuffle(don't know the generation), iPod Nano, iPhone 5 and 5s, iPod classic, iPod touch and all sounded pretty good at the time. What kills it is the iTunes and the price, can get a Fiio X1 cheaper than an iPod Nano, put a huge micro SD card and enjoy better sounding.
The thing is I do have a Philips GoGear Raga, found annoying change the music on it while typing on the phone with the other hand plus it's another thing to carry and charge. To unify everything I want a good sounding smartphone.

I'm tempted to get a Huawei Mate S, it has good sound(nothing stellar), great camera and is gorgeous. The black one, of course!

 

[mikedcw]

So while looking at the available phones here in Brazil, I've narrowed some phones down spec-wise, but would like to hear about their SQ.
 
Lenovo Vibe X3 c78 (same audio components as X3) - seems to lose a bit on some performance bugs and a bad camera from what I've read, if anyone has it and can comment;
Motorola Moto X Style/Play - good specs, but I have no idea how it fares in audio;
LG G4 - I've read wonderful things on this thread about the V10, how does the G4 stand audio-wise compared to it?
Asus Zenfone 2 - amazing specs, bu t bad camera from what I've seen online, no idea about it's SQ;
Sony Xperia Z3 compact - I've read here that it was THE audiophile phone before the V10, does its performance and specs still stand strong? I use my phone to listen to music and for social media, nothing too heavy like gaming.
 
Thank you all in advance, you guys have been a great help in this quest so far. Wish we had more chinese phones here in Brazil, would make this so much easier.

 

[imrazor]

I'm nearly done paying off my iPhone 5S contract, and am pondering whether it would be worth it to upgrade. In choosing my device, I tried a lot of different phones, finally narrowing it down to the HTC One M7 and the iPhone 5S. I got an M7, but it had problems with crackling noises so I returned it and got the iPhone.
 
From reading previous posts, it seems the LG V10 seems to be the top choice for audio quality. Does it have significantly better audio quality than the iPhone 5S? Is the jump in audio quality worth $600 or $700? I also have concerns about Android's security model and upgrade process. See here - http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/08/waiting-for-androids-inevitable-security-armageddon/ .
 
Back in the day, I loaded an Android kernel on my HTC HD2 and had loads of fun playing with different OS's and kernels. Nowadays, though, I just want a stable and secure daily driver. Is the V10's audio quality so superior to an iPhone that it's worth rooting, twiddling with settings and playing with different ROMs?
 
FWIW, my iPhone 5s can drive 200 ohm cans, though it can't really push them to the highest volume levels.

 

[Smartaudiophone]

Yeah, maybe i was a little bit harsh on that phone, it actually sounds pretty decent with Poweramp, but still, it doesn`t compare to the Pro 5. That thing just blows it completly. Better soundstage, no distortion even on max loudness, better bass etc etc. I don`t think i`ll find a phone in the near future that sounds this good.

 

[TrucknHemi]

  So while looking at the available phones here in Brazil, I've narrowed some phones down spec-wise, but would like to hear about their SQ.
 
Lenovo Vibe X3 c78 (same audio components as X3) - seems to lose a bit on some performance bugs and a bad camera from what I've read, if anyone has it and can comment;
Motorola Moto X Style/Play - good specs, but I have no idea how it fares in audio;
LG G4 - I've read wonderful things on this thread about the V10, how does the G4 stand audio-wise compared to it?
Asus Zenfone 2 - amazing specs, bu t bad camera from what I've seen online, no idea about it's SQ;
Sony Xperia Z3 compact - I've read here that it was THE audiophile phone before the V10, does its performance and specs still stand strong? I use my phone to listen to music and for social media, nothing too heavy like gaming.
 
Thank you all in advance, you guys have been a great help in this quest so far. Wish we had more chinese phones here in Brazil, would make this so much easier.

 
With the same audio components and the good MediaTek MT6752 the X3 c78 is an awesome choice. One of the advantages from the Snap 808 is the heat dissipation and the long lasting battery coused by the economical SoC. I think the 16MP unito on it can still do a capable job.
Motorola never had audio on focus in your company's life. Wouldn't go for it...
I read that the G4 is an excelent performer with audio but not as good as the V10.
The Sonys has great player but it isn't enough to be good anymore. Today Sony tries to focus on Water resistence and camera quality.
 
With those prices you still can look into the Mi Note, HTC M8(or even M9), HTC A9, etc.
 

  I'm nearly done paying off my iPhone 5S contract, and am pondering whether it would be worth it to upgrade. In choosing my device, I tried a lot of different phones, finally narrowing it down to the HTC One M7 and the iPhone 5S. I got an M7, but it had problems with crackling noises so I returned it and got the iPhone.
 
From reading previous posts, it seems the LG V10 seems to be the top choice for audio quality. Does it have significantly better audio quality than the iPhone 5S? Is the jump in audio quality worth $600 or $700? I also have concerns about Android's security model and upgrade process. See here - http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/08/waiting-for-androids-inevitable-security-armageddon/ .
 
Back in the day, I loaded an Android kernel on my HTC HD2 and had loads of fun playing with different OS's and kernels. Nowadays, though, I just want a stable and secure daily driver. Is the V10's audio quality so superior to an iPhone that it's worth rooting, twiddling with settings and playing with different ROMs?
 
FWIW, my iPhone 5s can drive 200 ohm cans, though it can't really push them to the highest volume levels.

 
If you're satisfied with the 5s I wouldn't bother buying a new one, wait for the next round of phones. I don't see how use 200ohms cans on the iPhone is better than use a 100ohms. Great IEMs or headphones can do great with this impedance.
 

  Yeah, maybe i was a little bit harsh on that phone, it actually sounds pretty decent with Poweramp, but still, it doesn`t compare to the Pro 5. That thing just blows it completly. Better soundstage, no distortion even on max loudness, better bass etc etc. I don`t think i`ll find a phone in the near future that sounds this good.

 
On which phone?

 

[Smartaudiophone]

Xiaomi Mi note pro.
 
Edit: Just read your sentence "I read that the G4 is an excelent performer with audio but not as good as the V10"
 
The G4 was my daily phone for 7 months until recent. It`s a great phone with a great camera, and it never made any problems. BUT: The Audio quality is really the main downside of this phone (the only thing that made me sell it). First off, it`s just not loud enough. You can fix that with root, but even then, you still can`t go even near full loudness because the distortion will be unbearable. Second: It just doesn`t sound good. Even an Iphone will sound like angel`s singing in the sky after the G4.  With the Xiaomi Mi note pro or the Meizu Pro 5, there is not even a comparison.

 

[TrucknHemi]

  Xiaomi Mi note pro.
 
Edit: Just read your sentence "I read that the G4 is an excelent performer with audio but not as good as the V10"
 
The G4 was my daily phone for 7 months until recent. It`s a great phone with a great camera, and it never made any problems. BUT: The Audio quality is really the main downside of this phone (the only thing that made me sell it). First off, it`s just not loud enough. You can fix that with root, but even then, you still can`t go even near full loudness because the distortion will be unbearable. Second: It just doesn`t sound good. Even an Iphone will sound like angel`s singing in the sky after the G4.  With the Xiaomi Mi note pro or the Meizu Pro 5, there is not even a comparison.

 
Man, I always heard the G4 was great but not the best. I'm new here so I'm gonna need to filter more my informatios cause you here are the most demanding people for audio quality. My bad...xP

 

[SmOgER]

I'm nearly done paying off my iPhone 5S contract, and am pondering whether it would be worth it to upgrade. In choosing my device, I tried a lot of different phones, finally narrowing it down to the HTC One M7 and the iPhone 5S. I got an M7, but it had problems with crackling noises so I returned it and got the iPhone.

From reading previous posts, it seems the LG V10 seems to be the top choice for audio quality. Does it have significantly better audio quality than the iPhone 5S? Is the jump in audio quality worth $600 or $700? I also have concerns about Android's security model and upgrade process. See here - http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/08/waiting-for-androids-inevitable-security-armageddon/ .

Back in the day, I loaded an Android kernel on my HTC HD2 and had loads of fun playing with different OS's and kernels. Nowadays, though, I just want a stable and secure daily driver. Is the V10's audio quality so superior to an iPhone that it's worth rooting, twiddling with settings and playing with different ROMs?

FWIW, my iPhone 5s can drive 200 ohm cans, though it can't really push them to the highest volume levels.

If you were considering One M7 the I don't see why not try out Nexus 5.
Good SQ, fast, stable, affordable.

 

[kramer5150]

  I'm nearly done paying off my iPhone 5S contract, and am pondering whether it would be worth it to upgrade. In choosing my device, I tried a lot of different phones, finally narrowing it down to the HTC One M7 and the iPhone 5S. I got an M7, but it had problems with crackling noises so I returned it and got the iPhone.
 
From reading previous posts, it seems the LG V10 seems to be the top choice for audio quality. Does it have significantly better audio quality than the iPhone 5S? Is the jump in audio quality worth $600 or $700? I also have concerns about Android's security model and upgrade process. See here - http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/08/waiting-for-androids-inevitable-security-armageddon/ .
 
Back in the day, I loaded an Android kernel on my HTC HD2 and had loads of fun playing with different OS's and kernels. Nowadays, though, I just want a stable and secure daily driver. Is the V10's audio quality so superior to an iPhone that it's worth rooting, twiddling with settings and playing with different ROMs?
 
FWIW, my iPhone 5s can drive 200 ohm cans, though it can't really push them to the highest volume levels.

As a contributor to the other V10 thread, and a fan of apple products I have been spending some time A/B ing my 5C with the V10 I just got 2 weeks ago.   To me there is a slight but noticeable sonic difference between these two using my HD650.  I absolutely don't  have golden ears or anything like that, and if anything I have some high frequency hearing loss.  So for me to hear slight sonic differences, means others with better hearing will perceive differences more distinctly.  At HF meets in the past others (with better hearing than I) have shown me just how hearing deficient I can be at times.
 
With that said, the V10 is more relaxed sounding than the 5C.  It spreads sounds and the image out more, either that or it "sees" deeper into the recordings and allows the finer ambient details to be revealed. Things like ambient decay of sounds,  acoustic reverberation, the sense of size, volume and space is bigger through the V10.  The 5C by comparison is a bit more right there infront of you.  I have always found apple products to be flat/accurate, even kind of dry and sonically boring sometimes.  By comparison the V10 is "bloomier and richer" sounding... if that makes any sense.
 
Is it worth the $$$?... thats the $650 question.  I think it could be, if you are the type to pick apart sounds, and deep analyze them in your head.  If you just want a capable player to enjoy the tunes... the old iPhone is more than capable of that... IMHO.
 
Given my preferences, there have been other reasons (beyond head-fi) to jump ship to an Android flagship.  The fact that I have a better sounding music player is icing on the cake.
 
FWIW... in the US Verizon and ATT are no longer offering deep discounts on phones under 2 year contracts.  You either pay full price up front, or spread the full payment out over a 24 month period.  So, holding on and waiting for that deep discount every 2 years isn't worth it any more... I don't think.  My sister in law just told me her 5S is worth $200 to trade-in with Verizon.  So... $650 versus $450 on a trade-in might make the decision a little easier for you, especially if its an older phone and its battery is on the last leg.

 

[TrucknHemi]

If you were considering One M7 the I don't see why not try out Nexus 5.
Good SQ, fast, stable, affordable.

 
It's quite affordable, indeed, but I would go for the new Nexus 5X. It doesn't have the power to push big headphones but it clean and clear audio output and if it starts do develop in features like it's predecessor did you ganna end up with a great overall phone in hands.

 

[Whitigir]

Man...the 5C is just boring sounding at best. V10 is ofcourse more likely to give anyone a musical music enjoyment period. I don't think you even need to analyze and pick a part to hear the differences. The one thing you would notice right away would be the transparency and the air within your music on the V10 which is much superior to 5c like immediately