[eio]

objective test is the gold standard, but...

 
But unfortunately valid measurements are hard to get...
 
Take GSMArena for example:
bit depth, sample rate, load, level are all unknown, neither the operating mode for phones having dedicated HiFi audio path.
it's not measured by a proper audio analyzer, it's not even recorded with a good sound card! (100db DR and -86db THD+N in A/D, M-Audio Fast Track Pro is pretty out of league today)
 
An interesting test, but not a reliable measurement of device's audio performance imho.

personally i choose to simply ignore GSMArena audio test results.
 
a better public measurement i've seen recently is the "real audio review" series from pocketnow:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVFAMfBtzHQHn81vfy9T3S335hdMlpq79

 

[Gojira]

Well I prefer the simplicity of just plugging my headphones into the headphone jack, but maybe a very small external device like the Dragonfly would be ok. In terms of phone functions my current phone, the Flash Plus 2, is actually ok. It's only the perma-bass-boosted EQ and intermittent headphone jack and the intermittent microUSB slot that are the problem. So I could just buy a Dragonfly Black and a DragonTail or whatever instead of a new phone and keep using the Flash Plus 2. At the very least in the future that would give me another option besides warranty service or giving the phone away if/when the headphone jack breaks on my next phone. It's a good point. It doesn't initially save me much money though. It would cost as much as a PPTV King 7. And the additional cost of an x800 or Mi Note is not that bad. It does mean that I can't be plugged in while listening or watching videos though which is a big problem for me actually.
 
 
I think I will not really have enough money to buy an x900. It's too bad because it really sounds perfect for me. I even want that big phablet form factor. I will probably have to choose between the Mi Note, the x800, and the PPTV King 7 if I want direct headphone jack audio from a phone at least.

 

[RedSky0]

Doesn't it just have Qualcomm SoC audio? I am not seeing anything about separate DACs or amps. So basically it will sound similar to a Redmi 2 or any number of Asus and Lenovo phones. The only difference may be the EQ. I listened to a Redmi 2 and it had a warm EQ that I don't particularly care for. If you want Xiaomi and also better than SoC sound just go for the Xiaomi Mi Note or Mi Note Pro. After the first Mi Note it appears that Xiaomi gave up worrying about SQ. The only problem for Xiaomi and all of the other manufacturers who rely on Qualcomm or Mediatek for their audio path is that basically they all sound quite similar to their competitors. Nothing to differentiate their phones based on sound quality. Even most of us here don't care about those specs gsmarena likes to publish. I care about what my ears can hear and that's all and most Qualcomm SoC audio sounds more or less the same afaict. The only difference being that some versions like the Snapdragon 400 and 410 seem to have more powerful amp sections. Listen to one of those SoC audio phones and then listen to say a Vivo phone with HiFi audio and it just isn't even remotely comparable.

Thanks. It's hard to get an objective understanding of sound quality, and unfortunately many of these smartphones aren't mainstream or current enough to A/B test at a shop here in Sydney.

I look at say the Mi Note test results on GSMArena and while they say it's loud, the IMD+Noise they claim through the headphone jack is pretty bad. Hard to tell if their methodology is reliable. I recall someone mentioning on head-fi that the issue with GSMArena tests is they don't adequately account for loudness, so maybe this is one of those cases.

I certainly put more stock in the opinions here (the discrete amp/DAC smartphone table is super helpful) but without an objective measure of distortion, noise or crosstalk it's hard to compare. I mean it's certainly likely that discrete amp/DACs are going to be better than on-chip, but I'm sure manufacturers could still muck it up with improper shielding.

Pretty annoying, since I've been wanting to upgrade from my S4 for a while now, but there seems to be a real dirthe of high end choices in the 5-5.5' range with an SD card slot (not interested in a phablet) and obviously I'm concerned about getting something that is a step down in sound quality which audiophiles can surely attest here, would simply be unacceptable

 

[Gojira]

  MiNote has significantly lower noise floor than x800/x900, and more drive current.

 
More drive current and yet a lower maximum volume when driving headphones?

 

[eio]

  More drive current and yet a lower maximum volume when driving headphones?

if you pair it with a high impedance load, yes it's possible. current is not the limiting factor in this situation.
 
but if you pair it with a low impedance, low sensitivity load, it will last longer before distortion rises.

 

[Gojira]

And low impedance high sensitivity? I will be listening with Zero Audio Carbo Tenore (16 ohms, 102dB/mW) mostly.

 

[eio]

  And low impedance high sensitivity? I will be listening with Zero Audio Carbo Tenore (16 ohms, 102dB/mW) mostly.

imho, 102db/mw is not exactly high sensitivity for a 16ohm load...
 
i guess maximum volume is not an issue for it on most phones.

 

[Gojira]

Ok then low impedance and medium sensitivity. Will higher drive current matter?

 

[eio]

  Ok then low impedance and medium sensitivity. Will higher drive current matter?

maybe.

 

[Gojira]

i guess maximum volume is not an issue for it on most phones.

 
It is for me. Most phones with Qualcomm SoC audio are not quite loud enough for my hearing. Mediatek SoC phones have a maximum volume level where I have trouble understanding normal speech. I have to listen very carefully to understand it and music is not enjoyable at all. Maybe when I was 15 it would it would have been loud enough with most phones, but not now after more than three decades of headphone listening.

 

[Gum Ball]

Could you guys please tell me your experience in MX4 pro's audio quality?
I have a deal in 2nd hand-one: broken home button and finger print (back button still function, I think smart touch and double tap could be ok) and broken camera's glass. Surprisingly, it's just cost about 40$ at my local store. Should I get one?
Thank you  

 

[artpiggo]

Could you guys please tell me your experience in MX4 pro's audio quality?
I have a deal in 2nd hand-one: broken home button and finger print (back button still function, I think smart touch and double tap could be ok) and broken camera's glass. Surprisingly, it's just cost about 40$ at my local store. Should I get one?
Thank you  

40$ if you dont buy, ill go get it.

You cant find good music player for this price. Mx4 pro SQ is awesome.

 

[Gojira]

At that price I think it is pretty much a 'must-buy'. I would guess the store doesn't realize that it has special audio or they would ask at least twice that much and at least see if it sells. Although maybe they did do that and it didn't. I haven't listened to the phone personally but it is usually regarded as one of the best sounding phones out there. Just listen to it and decide for yourself if the audio is good enough. You have to listen to it anyway to make sure the headphone jack works etc.

 

[Kyrts]

It's a broken phone, how much can they ask?
 
I mean, they can ask, but who is going to pay that for a broken phone? And how much more to repair it? And who knows what else is wrong with it inside.
 
They obviously aim at selling it to someone who needs it for parts. Whatever parts he can salvage from it.
 
Even at half the amount I would expect that my money would be totally wasted very soon.
 

 

[s4tch]

Could you guys please tell me your experience in MX4 pro's audio quality?
I have a deal in 2nd hand-one: broken home button and finger print (back button still function, I think smart touch and double tap could be ok) and broken camera's glass. Surprisingly, it's just cost about 40$ at my local store. Should I get one?
Thank you  

do it, and also buy this one:

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/32699413803/32699413803.html

it's still a very good phone, and sq is terrific for a phone.