[Whitigir]

But isn't that restriction also on most, if not every phone with an ESS DAC?

Probably got something to deal with the SnapDragon processor and it integrated DAC. Exynos like note 4 always has the default DAC as the Wolfson. So any phones with Exynos or Mediatek chips won't have the limited access on the DAC by defaults.

Probably the reason why LG will have Intel to make them their own processors? We will see

 

[robodelfy]

Hi Guys
 
So I've been trawling through this massive thread and others to find a decent audio quality smartphone!  
 
I haven't found much that crops up over and over, apart from the HTC one M8 and M9. 
 
I'm looking for an android phone, dont care about anything apart from audio quality and that it works as a phone!  Any recommendations, considering I dont need most of the stuff that new fancy phones offer.
 
I currently have a Moto E, and its almost unlistenable!  I use my Shure Se535's and Senheisser HD25s.
 
Im sort of leaning towards an HTC M8, what do you reckon
 
Thanks

 

[Anchorless]

Honestly not an expert in this particular field, but I would wait about 6 more months. 
 
Right now the LG V10 is the sort of prototype smart phone for high level audiophile sound (see the various threads and discussion about that phone).  There is a question as to the usability of the DAC, but it looks pretty clear that this is the first phone in a new wave of smartphones with a quality audiophile DAC.  Rumors are the new Samsung S7, likely the next iPhone, possibly the M10, etc. 
 
I'm going with the V10 because of the absurd amount of storage capacity (up to 2TB), and the DAC is there now.  Maybe it works with third party apps, maybe it doesn't... but it still works, and that's what I'm looking for. 

 

[milkyspray]

Headphone out to Topping?

yeah but if u want more Soundstage with a slight decrease in treble transparency i suggest the orginal lg g flex with the 720p screen.

 

[robodelfy]

Hi Anchorless,
 
Thanks for the reply....
 
Im just hoping to not spend too much. I just want good audio, nothing else, and I could pick up a used Htc one M8 for about £180, and hope for the best!  I could be waiting for a long time....
 
But as far as phones available right now, used or new for under £300, what as the best audio quality?
 
How do even the best quality phones compare to little mp3 players like the sansa clip for instance
 
Thanks

 

[maxjstern]

  Hi Anchorless,
 
Thanks for the reply....
 
Im just hoping to not spend too much. I just want good audio, nothing else, and I could pick up a used Htc one M8 for about £180, and hope for the best!  I could be waiting for a long time....
 
But as far as phones available right now, used or new for under £300, what as the best audio quality?
 
How do even the best quality phones compare to little mp3 players like the sansa clip for instance
 
Thanks

The "problem" is that there are many technical good phones, but most of them come from china. They have the best sonic specs, but the LTE bands support, the availability is not so great.
A list:
Meizu MX4 Pro *
Xiaomi Mi Note (Pro) *
Vivo X5 Max (Platinum) *
Vivo XShot
Vivo Xplay
LG G3 (measurement wise)
(ZTE Axon Pro/Lux)
 
()=Probably too expensive
* =Probably better than the others(specs wise surely, but implementation is important)

 

[HipHopScribe]

The HTC One A9 is looking pretty promising, with high-res support and apparently a pretty strong headphone out
 
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/10/htc-one-a9-reviewed-an-awesome-mid-range-phone-in-the-us-everywhere-else-not-so-much/
 
I'm thinking of snatching one up before the price increases. My main concern is the battery life

 

[Mark66]

I'd echo that.  Here is another review that specifically mentions audio capabilities:
 
http://www.cnet.com/products/htc-one-a9/
 
 
"Although HTC removed the BoomSound speakers, it equipped the A9 with high-resolution audio capabilities, including support for 24-bit FLAC audio, which upscales lower-resolution audio from streaming services, and a more powerful headphones output, which allows it to drive rich audio to the sort of large closed-back headphones audiophiles love. HTC claims that it's "equivalent to the performance of a dedicated external DAC" although we'll take that with a pinch of salt."

Also runs new Android Marshmallow which really utilizes expansion memory to give seamless usability

"The phone comes with 16GB of storage as standard, and there's a microSD card slot if you need more space. Thanks to updates in Android Marshmallow, you can mount an external card as though it's built-in storage, allowing you to store all apps, games and other system information. In other words, that will let you pop in a 200GB microSD card and (essentially) never worry about storage again. It's a very welcome feature, and the One A9 is among a dwindling number of Android phones to still come with expandable storage -- Samsung's Galaxy S6 family and Galaxy Note 5 no longer allow microSD cards to be used, for example."

 

[robodelfy]

Thanks Maxjstern, thats really useful...
 
So in reality, not just on paper how do those three phones compare to say the HTC one M8?
 
And which is considered the best of the three :
 
Meizu MX4 Pro *
Xiaomi Mi Note (Pro) *
Vivo X5 Max (Platinum) 
 
It's a real minefield out there trying to find a phone!!
 
I appreciate the help

 

[jasonb]

There is still hope for the V10. There have been a couple people on xda forums that are saying the dac works with more than just the stock app. Maybe there has been software updates. We'll have to wait a lil longer to see for sure. Im still not 100% convinced.

 

[Whitigir]

There is still hope for the V10. There have been a couple people on xda forums that are saying the dac works with more than just the stock app. Maybe there has been software updates. We'll have to wait a lil longer to see for sure. Im still not 100% convinced.

Hopefully it got firmware updated. It is a brilliant phone with very good quality on audio performance

 

[jasonb]

Hopefully it got firmware updated. It is a brilliant phone with very good quality on audio performance

I honestly dont know why i keep looking at or thinking about the V10. Im listening to my Q701 through the headphone jack on my M9 right now and it sounds great. Plenty loud at 73% volume and it sounds clean and clear. Even the bass is plentiful and punchy. The other source that i use for the Q701 is my laptop to a JDS Labs ODAC, feeding an Emotiva Mini-X A-100 speaker amp. I wire the Q701 directly to the speaker outs which should be about 6 watts rms per side at 64ohms. I'd say the M9 makes the Q701 sound around 95% as good.

With my RE-Zero i couldnt ask for more. I use them at 33 to 47% volume on the M9 and it sounds great. I have an RE-400 on order as well that im expecting good results with as well.

So i really dont know why im so interested in the V10.

 

[jari]

Have you tried Marshall London phone?
 
Copied from the London phone site (https://www.marshallheadphones.com/mh_us_en/london-phone):
 

ALL ABOUT THE SOUND

Marshall London packs a lot of heat under the hood; take for example the Cirrus Logic WM8281 Audio Hub. This smart codec gives the London a separate processor for music, allowing it to play at a higher resolution. Higher resolution means that even the best quality MP3 will sound phenomenally better when played with London. Additionally it lets you play uncompressed music such as FLAC format. This cannot be emphasized enough; the London is boss!

 

 

[malifact]

  Thanks Maxjstern, thats really useful...
 
So in reality, not just on paper how do those three phones compare to say the HTC one M8?
 
And which is considered the best of the three :
 
Meizu MX4 Pro *
Xiaomi Mi Note (Pro) *
Vivo X5 Max (Platinum) 
 
It's a real minefield out there trying to find a phone!!
 
I appreciate the help

 
I have experience using all 3 of those phones. It largely depends on the sound signature you prefer. The Meizu and Xiaomi have a more smooth and warm signature while the Vivo is more clear and neutral. Besides the sound, they all have various pros and cons. Meizu doesn't have the best OS in terms of bugs and has a locked bootloader and the Vivo doesn't have the best battery life (even the Platinum version). Also, stay clear of the Pro version of the Mi Note, as it has a well reported overheating problem. The best of the 3 on balance is the Mi Note - decent sound, reliable OS with good support from Xiaomi and the camera and specs are fairly high end.
 
You might also want to wait a bit, as Xiaomi are supposed to be releasing a new Mi Note and Vivo's XPlay 5S should make an appearance in the New Year.

 

[ehjie]

  The HTC One A9 is looking pretty promising, with high-res support and apparently a pretty strong headphone out
 
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/10/htc-one-a9-reviewed-an-awesome-mid-range-phone-in-the-us-everywhere-else-not-so-much/
 
I'm thinking of snatching one up before the price increases. My main concern is the battery life

Review's Out .....   http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_a9-review-1331.php ..... another Sonic success from HTC, As of the moment V10 is any audio enthusiast's answer...