[MongTT]

 

[killeraxemannic]

Check out this thread on the XDA developers forum. They measured the output of the Note 5 and found it to be quite good and to have a very flat frequency response. 
 
 
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note5/general/note-5-headphone-jack-audio-performance-t3186790

 

[MongTT]

I'm actually not saying that Note5 sound any bad at all. The audio quality of Note5 is no doubt one of the best smartphone. Listening to Note5 is just pleasing and I believe it is at least on par or better than the Note4 which is among best audio quality smartphone. Just that when compared with M7, M7 sounds a bit clearer, a bit wider (more air?)

I'm using Dunu DN2000j. M7 with Beats Audio off. I find that turning UHQ on Note5 helps make the sound a bit clearer/brighter as written in the setting menu. I guess it probably does some changes in EQ. SoundAlive+ and TubeAmpPro only works with Samsung music player but have no effect on other players like Onkyo or Poweramp. I also feel that Onkyo and Poweramp sound better than samsung player.

Well, both M7 and Note5 don't sound any close to the Vivo X5Max which I believe is the best audio quality smartphone I've heard.

Anyway I'm now just very happy with my silver Note5 with its audio quality, superAMOLED QHD screen, 16 Mpixel camera and of course the S-Pen!

 

[headfi19]

   
Just had a bit more time to listen to the Note 5, S6 Edge and Xperia Z3+ and I feel the same is still true. The S6 Edge and Note 5 are close, but that "UHQ Upsampler" really gives the sound a noticeable boost in warmth and punch. I really, really like it and of the three phones, I would say it has the most enjoyable sound signature to me. Turning this feature off, it is really hard for me to hear a difference between the S6 Edge and the Note 5, so I guess that is perhaps a good thing. Someone said over on XDA forums that this audio update will hit the S6 line of phones, so perhaps it will include that feature? I also notice that the tube amp setting is now called "Tube Amp Pro" instead of just "Tube Amp." No idea what that is still about, but that makes the sound signature too warm for my tastes. Maybe on a song with piercing treble or IEMs that are harsh, this option would be utilized, but I have tried to rid myself of IEMs that hurt my ears
 
Comparing the Note 5 to the Z3+ is in a sense easier because they are very different. The Z3+ sounds crystal clear to me and the highs are noticeably more present than on the Note 5 at my current settings with Tidal. I can listen to the Note 5 louder because of the somewhat rolled back highs whereas the Z3+ can become very uncomfortable for me at higher volumes. Speaking of volume levels, they are all roughly similar with maybe the S6 Edge and Note 5 coming out on top. Honestly, I'm not one to just crank everything to the max in order to see how many volts they can send through the headphone jack. All work perfectly fine with my IEMS, sensitive or not. 
 
It would be really tough for me to declare a winner based on sound quality alone between the Z3+ and Note 5, but I'm leaning toward the Note 5 for a few reasons. One is that the audio features (or gimmicks) can actually be used with streaming and that's where all my music comes from. On the Sony, enabling or disabling anything like "Clear Bass" or the EQ has absolutely no effect on Tidal. It works on Spotify, but I don't use Spotify. In a nutshell, the Z3+ is crystal clear and sounds awesome, but the Note 5 has a slightly warmer signature that I prefer and this is purely my preference. 
 
Will get some more time against the iPhone later tonight. As it is, my wife thinks I'm crazy already for sitting on the bed and juggling phones around like a clown at a circus. 

Best, 
 
-Collin-

Thanks, seeSax, for your comparison , but I have Sony Xperia Z3+,truly sounds amazing and fantastic and clear as noticed and I am happy with it, It can play Hi Res music and I have ZX2 DAP also and it is some what comparable to sq of ZX2.It has lot of options,especially expandable memory to load thousands of music. Once i was royal customer of Samsung and right now I have Note4 but not any more I am going to buy another Samsung.because no micro sd card slot or removable battery,the feature they are loved for, they want to imitate the  sheepish iphone and they should fail.My note 4 no way sound closer to my Sony Z3+.Thanks 

 

[BiNiaRiS]

  This is not a sound related question, but does anybody have the black or silver Note 5? I've been offered a good deal on a black Note 5, but was kind of holding out for the silver one. But I'm now thinking the silver one might be too reflective. Unfortunately, they don't sell the Note 5 in my country and so I can't see it in-person.

 
The black is actually a very dark blue. It looks great.

 

[killeraxemannic]

  This is not a sound related question, but does anybody have the black or silver Note 5? I've been offered a good deal on a black Note 5, but was kind of holding out for the silver one. But I'm now thinking the silver one might be too reflective. Unfortunately, they don't sell the Note 5 in my country and so I can't see it in-person.

I would be a little wary of ordering a Note 5 out of country unless you would be ok with getting one  with a screen defect. It seems like about 30% of Note 5's have a red hue in the screen or screen discoloration acording to a poll I posted on the XDA developers forums. I loved my Note 5 but the screen defect was killing me. I have had a heck of a time finding a second one in stock anywhere to get a replacement. I would assume it won't be easy to get a replacement out of country if you get one with a defective screen. Some people can't see the defect though so you never know. 

 

[malifact]

I would be a little wary of ordering a Note 5 out of country unless you would be ok with getting one  with a screen defect. It seems like about 30% of Note 5's have a red hue in the screen or screen discoloration acording to a poll I posted on the XDA developers forums. I loved my Note 5 but the screen defect was killing me. I have had a heck of a time finding a second one in stock anywhere to get a replacement. I would assume it won't be easy to get a replacement out of country if you get one with a defective screen. Some people can't see the defect though so you never know. 

Thanks for the warning. I remember my first iPhone had the dead pixels problem and it was a lot of hassle getting Apple to replace it. The seller who I was going to get the Note 5 with does have a 7 day return policy even if you change your mind so I should be okay. I'm going to wait for the Silver anyway after seeing the Edge+ in that colour.

 

[sdja619]

I had an HTC M7 as well but I switched to a note 4. I patiently waited for the note 5 and I'm so glad I didn't root my note 4 which would have voided my exchange.
With my HTC M7 I always used neutron with viper4android on Bluetooth studios 2.0
The note 4 did not use viper4android. I had to fight the urge to root for 60 days but I was not satisfied with the sound.
Until I listen to daft punk ram I won't be able to make a fair comparison with the note 5.
So far I love it though

 

[MxChino]

Does anyone else have impressions of the sq? I have an upgrade available and I'm thinking of trying one out. I use my phone as my primary dap and have had nothing but iPhones since the 4. I've always loved the sound signature of them and the 6+ has been my favorite. I'm pretty invested in the apple ecosystem with iTunes Match and music so I'm hoping the sq is at least as good. Thanks.

 

[DeadeyeM]

Does anyone else have impressions of the sq? I have an upgrade available and I'm thinking of trying one out. I use my phone as my primary dap and have had nothing but iPhones since the 4. I've always loved the sound signature of them and the 6+ has been my favorite. I'm pretty invested in the apple ecosystem with iTunes Match and music so I'm hoping the sq is at least as good. Thanks.

Yes please post some more impressions 

 

[lastethica]

how is note 5 against note 3?
i previously owned note 3 and it is good but not have enough power to drive senn 595 which is very easy to drive with dedicated portable music player.
and im really curious how is note5 quality against pmp such as sony a15/17? is usd200 pmp still superior than top notch smartphone? now i use iphone 6 plus and barely use it for music because it is not good.

 

[ThomasHK]

  Check out this thread on the XDA developers forum. They measured the output of the Note 5 and found it to be quite good and to have a very flat frequency response. 
 
 
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note5/general/note-5-headphone-jack-audio-performance-t3186790

Thanks for sharing here, that's my thread/info actually. I've updated the info quite substantially since you linked it with measurements of the UHQ and Tube thing. Gimmicks...

 

[alexandis]

I used to own Galaxy S and maybe it had dedicated DAC (not a SOC solution), so after installing Voodoo sound drivers, i have revealed real power of Wolfson...
Later I had Galaxy Note - it was a far cry from that. Then I gave up.
 
I came to electronic shop recently and compared headphones sound of Galaxy S6, Galaxy Note 5 and my current smartphone, Nubia Z9. Latter appeared to sound better. I was suprised to get to know that those Galaxies had Wolfson inside - they sounded as mashed potato. Yeap, I know it's a SOC, not a dedicated DAC, but even my old Meizu MX2, also having some of Wolfson codec, sounded more interesting.
 
It's not only my opinion, but also pretty numerous sound community, that Samsung does not consider smartphone sound among priorities. They do not squeeze much from Wolfson lately (possibly Galaxy S3 was one of last good, looking at audio test results on specialized sites) - those new models sound maybe just a little bit better than Qualcomm versions.
 
Usability, support, updates, camera - this all YES, Samsung rulez. But not a sound. So if you expect fleshy sound in your smartphone - buy Meizu Pro, Xiaomi Note or VIVO. Those are musical smartphones. I believe if you try and if a sound is really important for you (much more important, than fuss&bother, related to ordering from China or lack of customer support (I never cared and never got into troubles with my Chinese smartphones)) - you won't get back to Samsung. Neither Sony or HTC.
 
It's not advertisement, not a trolling, i do not sell any smartphones and not going to badger someone. I'm just a guy, who had a lot of smartphones and who is not jammed on 2-3 most famous brands.

 

[BobFiggins]

Did anyone go from the Note 2 to the Note 5 and use sensitive IEMs? My 1964 A4 is extremely sensitive to noisy sources. The Note 2 however works wonderfully with it, having a black background. This remains my only concern when upgrading.
 
Would love to be put at ease, and go grab the 5.
 
EDIT: Well, about to find out. Just bought the Note 5. Sold my 1964 A4, waiting for my A6 to arrive, so can't test it now.

 

[BobFiggins]

Well, my A6 arrived. Had a few days to listen with my Note 5. Sounds a touch warmer than my Note 2, and a bit richer. Sounds seem very musical to me. This is probably the least solid-state sound I've heard in a while. Very pleasant! I was surprised to see a tube-option in the sound settings, however I find it already sounds pretty warm as it is, no need for that setting! The quality is still great though. No noise issues, perfectly black!