[thepooh]

I know that the htc m9 has a good audio, but compared to huawei p8? I can find them for about 250€ (used), and I want to know if for this price there are better phones

The M9 stock player with stock settings are very good for every noob getting an awesome SQ, the P8 doesn't match on stock settings and lacks the powerful amplifier of the M9.

You'll need a few tweaks along with a good 3rd party player to get the most out of a P8. At the end both devices will be on par in terms of SQ. However, it's quite picky to find the right combo headphones/iems for the P8, on the other side the M9 works flawlessly with every phones from $10 to $1000.

Furthermore, the M9 is aptx certified for lossless Bluetooth streaming, the P8 doesn't. The Qualcomm chip has a better compatibility with 3rd party tweaks, the P8 struggles to be fully compatible with some music apps, you'll need to try a few.

For $250, you don't have that much option if you're looking for a good SQ in a smartphone. I would suggest the Alcatel Idol 3 and Meizu MX4 Pro

 

[AzraelDarkangel]

Any news about the Samsung S7 and the rumored ESS sabre 9018AQ2M? Yes or no? Specs are leaking but when I google it I just get speculation stories from October.

 

[thepooh]

Any news about the Samsung S7 and the rumored ESS sabre 9018AQ2M? Yes or no? Specs are leaking but when I google it I just get speculation stories from October.

Rumors are rumors ! We won't know what's inside until it has either been officially stated by Samsung or by ifixit. I'm quite disappointed with the S6' SQ. If my Z3 is rated 9/10 the S6 would be 6/10, same rate applies to the iphone 6 as well.

Actually, the best audiophile smartphones are not from the top 5 manufacturers, except for the LG V10 which really stands out of the crowd.

 

[canali]

Rumors are rumors ! We won't know what's inside until it has either been officially stated by Samsung or by ifixit. I'm quite disappointed with the S6' SQ. If my Z3 is rated 9/10 the S6 would be 6/10, same rate applies to the iphone 6 as well.

Actually, the best audiophile smartphones are not from the top 5 manufacturers, except for the LG V10 which really stands out of the crowd.

sorry if i missed this, but what are your top 5 for audiophile quality and also 2 other things i am seeking:
a good intuitive,easy to use UI and QC?

 

[EmPathWalker]

With the BBC officially defining 320kbs mp3 as "high definition", we should probably be thinking about jumping off the 'progress' train, at some point soon
 
I'm not a smartphone user, except that I still have a iphone 3g I bought from a friend, and regretted it ever since. I'm noticing that a few people I know are getting into the smart bluetooth thing and then asking me why their music collection sounds so bad over their chosen remote 'sound box'. I first have decide if I can be honest or not
 
It saddens me to see otherwise smart people fall for choosing audio gear with their eyes instead of their ears.

 

[DonPicciotto]

Ok, maybe 250€ for a used m9 was too low... the seller disappeared. But at least I didn't lose money, so all in all it went well. Now I have 2 options (reliable, this time): a Z3, not compact, for about 210€ and a huawei p8 for about 250€. Are comparable as they sound? Even with all the mod I can put in them (I'm handy with those thing, so no problem).
P.S. By the way: I love this forum and this topic in particular, thanks all of you for your knowledge and your help. And sorry for my bad bad english

 

[maxjstern]

Generally, the Z3

  Ok, maybe 250€ for a used m9 was too low... the seller disappeared. But at least I didn't lose money, so all in all it went well. Now I have 2 options (reliable, this time): a Z3, not compact, for about 210€ and a huawei p8 for about 250€. Are comparable as they sound? Even with all the mod I can put in them (I'm handy with those thing, so no problem).
P.S. By the way: I love this forum and this topic in particular, thanks all of you for your knowledge and your help. And sorry for my bad bad english

Generally, the Z3 is "better." And as it has a snapdragon and is by a well-known manufacturer it should have the biggest mod support...
 
P.S. Where did you find the M9 at that price? The lowest I found was at 300€

 

[thepooh]

sorry if i missed this, but what are your top 5 for audiophile quality and also 2 other things i am seeking:

a good intuitive,easy to use UI and QC?

As at February 2016 my preferences would be as follows ;

1. Lg V10
2. Meixu Pro 5
3. Letv One Pro
4. Meixu Mx 4 Pro
5. Marshall London

Runner ups....

6. Sony Z3
7. Sony Z5
8. Huawei P8
9. Htc One M9+
10. Alcatel Idol 3

Sounds good but has many flaws...

11. Htc One M9
12. Iphone 6
13. Samsung Galaxy S6
14. Iphone 5s
15. Htc Desire Eye

I confirm having auditioned all the 15 devices and this top 15 is purely subjective.

 

[canali]

As at February 2016 my preferences would be as follows ;

1. Lg V10
2. Meixu Pro 5
3. Letv One Pro
4. Meixu Mx 4 Pro
5. Marshall London

Runner ups....

6. Sony Z3
7. Sony Z5
8. Huawei P8
9. Htc One M9+
10. Alcatel Idol 3

Sounds good but has many flaws...

11. Htc One M9
12. Iphone 6
13. Samsung Galaxy S6
14. Iphone 5s
15. Htc Desire Eye

I confirm having auditioned all the 15 devices and this top 15 is purely subjective.

 

As at February 2016 my preferences would be as follows ;

1. Lg V10
2. Meixu Pro 5
3. Letv One Pro
4. Meixu Mx 4 Pro
5. Marshall London

Runner ups....

6. Sony Z3
7. Sony Z5
8. Huawei P8
9. Htc One M9+
10. Alcatel Idol 3

Sounds good but has many flaws...

11. Htc One M9
12. Iphone 6
13. Samsung Galaxy S6
14. Iphone 5s
15. Htc Desire Eye

I confirm having auditioned all the 15 devices and this top 15 is purely subjective.

 
many thanks for that 'thepooh'
appreciate it.
 
are you excited about the upcoming Samsung S7 and what it might bring to portable audio?
(yes i realize no one truly knows 'til it's released and tried out).
 
my phone is the LG nexus 5...has a laughable 15gb of memory...this was purchased before i got into
portable audio to those of you laughing hysterically

 ...so am seeking an upgrade.

 

[thepooh]

many thanks for that 'thepooh'
appreciate it.

are you excited about the upcoming Samsung S7 and what it might bring to portable audio?
(yes i realize no one truly knows 'til it's released and tried out).

my phone is the LG nexus 5...has a laughable 15gb of memory...this was purchased before i got into
portable audio to those of you laughing hysterically :confused_face:  ...so am seeking an upgrade.

You're welcome

I believe that the upcoming S7 will be a little bit more music centric to compete with the V10 which is the actual benchmark. However, I have doubts regarding ESS Dac implementation. Samsung has commitments with Wolfson since years.

We might see stock DSD / DXD decoding with better lossless Bluetooth support. Somehow, considering the design, I also have doubts on the availability of a MicroSD card slot and removable battery. In fact, Galaxy Note fans complained about these 2 cons, but I don't know if " Vox Populi" has power in such situations.

 

[nhell13]

Can anyone give feedback on Sony Z5 Premium sound quality versus LG V10? I'm planning to swap my V10 as I also need PlayStation connectivity and other Sony exclusive features. I had Z3 before V10. Tia.

 

[DonPicciotto]

  Generally, the Z3

Generally, the Z3 is "better." And as it has a snapdragon and is by a well-known manufacturer it should have the biggest mod support...
 
P.S. Where did you find the M9 at that price? The lowest I found was at 300€

Eh, unfortunately only used, in Italy. Well, I bought an used z3 for 170€, it will probably come next week. Thanks again for the help

 

[maxjstern]

Can anyone give feedback on Sony Z5 Premium sound quality versus LG V10? I'm planning to swap my V10 as I also need PlayStation connectivity and other Sony exclusive features. I had Z3 before V10. Tia.

V10 is the benchmark for "audiophile" smartphones from big OEM´s.
The Z5 is similar to the Z3, good clarity/ resolution, but extremely quiet. The only step-up is software wise:
- "Adapt-sound"-lile feature in the stock player, the sound sig adapts to the headphones plugged in.
- DSD support.

 

[Duncan]

It only adapts if you have a hands free enabled headphone, preferably with noise cancelling... The NC750 sounds far better by example than the EX750 (standard) and a fair bit better than the EX750NA (I think I have that right, the NC version of the EX750) due to the phone doing the DSP...

It isn't a quiet handset though, i would argue it is louder than the ZX2 (not that that is a feat)

 

[12many]

Helpful link
 
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8554/the-iphone-6-review/11