[Rainmaker91]

  I just want a smartphone for the audio..
Actually I only want it to be a smartphone for the internet connection.
 
I want to stream high quality 1080p audio frequencies from youtube and listen to them with the sony mdr-v6 headphones.
 
LG V10 still the best option ?
 
I read some posts, people also refer to the HTC M8/M9/A9 or the Marshall London..
 
I am in Cambodia there is a shop where they sell the LG V10 for 630 USD http://www.hakse.com.kh/ProductDetail.aspx?ID=1606
On amazon it is usually around 515 USD depending on what type it is..
 
I know nothing about technology
 
Thank you

if all you want is a phone for the internet connection, then maybe some of the budget models would make more sense? and if you can stand two units then a cheap phone paired with a dedicated dac/amp would probably give you the best «bang for your buck». Not saying the v10 is a bad choice, but there isn't always a need to get the latest and greatest if your needs dont justify it. Thats just my 2 cents though.

 

[kaiteck]

  if all you want is a phone for the internet connection, then maybe some of the budget models would make more sense?

Me same opinion as his^

  youtube and listen to them with the sony mdr-v6 headphones.

With this usage and headphone, you will not benefit much from highest/latest end model.
 
I recommend Redmi note 3 and lenovo vibe x3 youth edition.The lenovo vibe x3 has wolfson wm DAC while redmi note 3 doesn't come with any hi fi features but its performs faster and cheaper. Both cost under 200usd. Redmi note 3 is just 150usd....dirt cheap...

 

[FROMNOW]

 

Thank you for your answer guys.
What I meant was I want to be able to listen to 1080p "frequencies" on youtube. The only way I guess is to buy a phone and use the provider's 3G or 4G to connect and then I have to rely on the gear I have for the quality.. I would like the quality to be high with very little distortion.
 
I have a few questions based on your replies.
 
Are the headphones sony mdr-v6 mediocre ? I thought for the price they were a hidden gem. Also they have very little distortion which is what I want.
 
For 1080p streaming from youtube it makes little difference whether you have the best gear or medium gear ?
 
I don't mind at all using a dedicated dac/amp. I know very little about those though. I will do some research.
 
Maybe I can connect with a laptop to some mobile provider ? I assume laptops have better internal sound quality ..
 
Thanks!!

 

[kaiteck]

What I meant was I want to be able to listen to 1080p "frequencies" on youtube. 

1080p frequency wat wut.  Sorry I don't think I understand what you're trying to say here.

Are the headphones sony mdr-v6 mediocre ?

Yes

For 1080p streaming from youtube it makes little difference whether you have the best gear or medium gear ?

I've no idea about that coz I'm not rich enough to own the best gear. But I do know that even with low end gear, there's severe difference in sound between Youtube and Original CD.

I assume laptops have better internal sound quality ..

Nope.

 

[Rainmaker91]

  Thank you for your answer guys.
What I meant was I want to be able to listen to 1080p "frequencies" on youtube. The only way I guess is to buy a phone and use the provider's 3G or 4G to connect and then I have to rely on the gear I have for the quality.. I would like the quality to be high with very little distortion.
 
I have a few questions based on your replies.
 
Are the headphones sony mdr-v6 mediocre ? I thought for the price they were a hidden gem. Also they have very little distortion which is what I want.
 
For 1080p streaming from youtube it makes little difference whether you have the best gear or medium gear ?
 
I don't mind at all using a dedicated dac/amp. I know very little about those though. I will do some research.
 
Maybe I can connect with a laptop to some mobile provider ? I assume laptops have better internal sound quality ..
 
Thanks!!

in my experience laptops have worse sound quality than most modern phones. it all depends ofcourse, but ,y thinkpad s230u has a horrible sound quality. Another thing i often notice with laptops is that the audio card is often horribly shielded from the rest of the components leading to a ton of background noise. That said, some have decent cards.
 
as for 1080p streams... youtube compresses the audio a lot even in its best quality alternative. As for connecting to internet... Any smartphone will have wifi if you can find a source for that, if not you will have to rely on 3g and 4g through your data plan.
 
as for the other parts of your post, I suspect others will be better qualified to answer.

 

[350Rocket]

I wouldn't say the v6 are mediocre. They're just considered a good budget headphone. Someone may be confused with the v600, which are bad. As far as using YouTube audio, it probably doesn't matter which phone you use. YouTube will be the limiting factor in my opinion.

 

[sparrowc]

Has anyone heard of this phone?
Can't read Chinese, but it appears to have a Saber ESS DAC... for less than $70!

http://mistertao.com/beta/pages/item/521004662123.html

I want to buy it but can't decipher all the specs.

 

[Gosod]

Has anyone heard of this phone?
Can't read Chinese, but it appears to have a Saber ESS DAC... for less than $70!

http://mistertao.com/beta/pages/item/521004662123.html

I want to buy it but can't decipher all the specs.

lovely phone and is not expensive!

 

[sparrowc]

If only the Chinese will realise the language issue... Could prove a major seller.

 

[prot]

I was interested in this phone, but a couple of things put me off:

1) No dedicated amp or DAC for audio (this has been confirmed by Xiaomi).

2) No microSD slot and internal memory is 32GB or 64GB (the latter is not available in some regions).

3) Some of the Chinese reviews have complained about the build quality, especially compared to other Xiaomi phones like the Mi Note.

Not sure what you mean with that "no dedicated dac" statement .. but the no-sd slot issue is a clear deal breaker. Guess we can forget about it as a music phone.

 

[FelipeMadeira]

Xperia X pre-sales prices released:
 
Germany
Xperia X – €599
Xperia XA – €299

Italy
Xperia X – €629
Xperia XA – €299
Xperia X Performance – €729

Netherlands
Xperia X – €599
Xperia XA – €299
Xperia X Performance – €699

Spain
Xperia X – €629
Xperia XA – €329
Xperia X Performance – €729

Sweden
Xperia X – SEK 5,790
Xperia XA – SEK 2,990
Xperia X Performance – SEK 6,490

http://www.xperiablog.net/2016/05/03/xperia-x-xa-performance-pre-orders-sony-store-europe/

 

[Pastapipo]

Edit: I found out poweramp does not support the internal DAC yet. Ill have to do the tests again with the internal DAC activated
 
 
Received the ZTE Axon mini today.

It is a jewel of a phone with a thin aluminium body and a stunning AMOLED screen.
 
After some A/B-ing between the Axon mini and the LG G2, the differences are very little to my ears.
I've used the Philips Fidelio S1 and poweramp on both devices.
The volume is as loud as the LG and the output is perfectly clean, with no distortion when connecting a charger.
I found no apparent difference in the short time I spend with both of them.
Maybe its me, maybe its the IEM, maybe there is no difference, I can't tell you. I just can assure you it sounds great.
 
Nothing like the piece of @#$#%$ Zopo speed 7. The audio output on that thing is terrible!
Even with some cheap Samsung earbuds I noticed a messy/muddy output with a lot of splashing.
So it certainly matters which (China) phone you'll use for your audio, but the ZTE Axon seems like a fine choice.

 
PS. There is a Headset HiFi option under settings, but it doesn't change the sound at all.

 

 
 

 

[Whitigir]

HtC 10 in carbon black and Z7 pairing. Sounds is damn impressive . When I have time, I will give a good review later

 

[AudiOw]

HtC 10 in carbon black and Z7 pairing. Sounds is damn impressive . When I have time, I will give a good review later

Waiting for your review Also for an opinion on the phone as a whole, if possible. And if you could compare the HTC's sound to its competitors, that would also be awesome!

 

[FROMNOW]

  if you can stand two units then a cheap phone paired with a dedicated dac/amp would probably give you the best «bang for your buck».

 

 
I recommend Redmi note 3 and lenovo vibe x3 youth edition.The lenovo vibe x3 has wolfson wm DAC while redmi note 3 doesn't come with any hi fi features but its performs faster and cheaper. Both cost under 200usd. Redmi note 3 is just 150usd....dirt cheap...

 
This is from a paragraph from http://lifehacker.com/5903575/unleash-your-headphones-full-potential-with-a-usb-dac-and-amplifier
"Note that you can only get the full benefit of a DAC/amp combo with your desktop or laptop computer, via USB or SPDIF. While you can get DAC/amp combos for iPods and other mobile devices, the DAC half of the device won’t actually work. Only the amp half will. This is still great for giving your sound a boost in volume if it’s coming out too quiet, but just know that the DAC won’t work—so if you only plan on using it with an iPod, you don’t need a DAC or combo, just a mobile amp."
 
I am in Cambodia, I can't  seem to find the lenovo vibe x3 (youth). So I will have to order it. But some say the youth version is less optimal for sound and it's the regular version that got all the praise from what I read.. So I thought why not buy the Redmi note 3 + dac/amp. Hopefully lifehacker article is wrong and the dac does work, the article dates from 2012.
 
Can anyone recommend a dac/amp for the redmi note 3 ? Do I need amp ? The good thing is that I can use the dac/amp for my laptop and my ipod too..
 
lenovo x3 or lenovo x3 youth or redmi note 3 or redmi note 3 +dac/amp  ?