[Kabeer]

Wouldn't Jailbreaking an EU version of an iPhone 5S fix this terrible EU volume cap and make the volume the same as the US iPhone 5S. A jailbreak has been recently released for the new iPhone 5S and iOS7.

Is there even an EU limit on the iphone? And how would jailbreaking it help anyway. There is no 'delimiter' around.
 
I recently got a 5C (uk model) to replace my 4S (usa model). And the 5C is dissapointingly quieter volume wise. From this thread I can only assume the 5S is a similar story. I can only guess how weak the quieter iphone 5 must be.
 
From what I can glean, I do not think there are any differences in the UK and USA models.
 
EDIT:
- I should note, my issue with the volume probably does not effect a lot of the users here, namely those using iems etc. I use vintage orthodynamics which need a lot of juice and are very insensitive.

 

[Artmuzz]

I recently bought myself an iPhone 5S and find nothing wrong with the volume. It is loud enough for me. If people are having problems with the EU volume cap then there is an option in the setting to switch EU volume cap off. My iPhone 5S sounds fine through my Sony EX500 IEMs. I also own an iPhone 4S.

 

[elfary]

I recently bought myself an iPhone 5S and find nothing wrong with the volume. It is loud enough for me. If people are having problems with the EU volume cap then there is an option in the setting to switch EU volume cap off. My iPhone 5S sounds fine through my Sony EX500 IEMs. I also own an iPhone 4S.

 
Now that's extremely interesting. What is your iPhone 5s model number ?
 
Anyway to clear things up.
 
My EU iPhone 5s is able to get get loud all my iems (Shure SE215 and Westone UM3x) and quieter albums (some of which are K-20 / - 20db RMS or less ).
 
My gripe is that compared side by side with my iPad 3, iPad Mini, USA iPod Classic and iPhone 3Gs the 5s max output power is 1.5 - 2 'volume squares' less.
 
The iPhone 5s has the same output power than the iPod Touch 5 that i used to have.
 
To cut a long story short i find iPhone 5s headphone out better quality than any other iPhone but less powerful than pre-Tim Cook tenure iPhones (3Gs,4,4s).

 

[Kabeer]

I recently bought myself an iPhone 5S and find nothing wrong with the volume. It is loud enough for me. If people are having problems with the EU volume cap then there is an option in the setting to switch EU volume cap off. My iPhone 5S sounds fine through my Sony EX500 IEMs. I also own an iPhone 4S.

Are you able to compare the 5S and your 4S using the same audio file, at the same volume % slider settings please?

And see if they both sound like they are outputting the same volume. or if the 5S needs a higher volume setting to sound the same volume as the 4s.
 
thanks

 

[elfary]

I recently bought myself an iPhone 5S and find nothing wrong with the volume. It is loud enough for me. If people are having problems with the EU volume cap then there is an option in the setting to switch EU volume cap off. My iPhone 5S sounds fine through my Sony EX500 IEMs. I also own an iPhone 4S.

Are you able to compare the 5S and your 4S using the same audio file, at the same volume % slider settings please?

And see if they both sound like they are outputting the same volume. or if the 5S needs a higher volume setting to sound the same volume as the 4s.
 
thanks

I second that request


I have been three weeks trying this with different headphones and even amps hooked to the hpouts and the result has been always the same: 1.5 to 2 volume squares lower than iphone 3gs, 4 and 4s.

My only doubt is this an European Union units thing or not.



Optimism is the depth of technical ignorance

 

[Kabeer]

I second that request

I have been three weeks trying this with different headphones and even amps hooked to the hpouts and the result has been always the same: 1.5 to 2 volume squares lower than iphone 3gs, 4 and 4s.

My only doubt is this an European Union units thing or not.



Optimism is the depth of technical ignorance

Hi Elfary, 
 
out of curiosty, can you compare the 3gs and 4s headphone output for the same volume? Also are you able to characterise and sound difference between the 3gs and 4s. Thank you

 

[Artmuzz]

Are you able to compare the 5S and your 4S using the same audio file, at the same volume % slider settings please?


And see if they both sound like they are outputting the same volume. or if the 5S needs a higher volume setting to sound the same volume as the 4s.

thanks

I tested both my iPhone 5S and 4S and I can report that there is a slight more volume on my 4S than the 5S. The difference isn't big though as the volume is only one notch on the volume step louder. There seems to be a volume notch on my 5S on the settings with the words EU volume limit for to switch on and off. However even though EU volume limit on my 5S is switched off my 4S still sound a little tiny bit louder than my 5S. Strange!

 

[elfary]

I second that request

I have been three weeks trying this with different headphones and even amps hooked to the hpouts and the result has been always the same: 1.5 to 2 volume squares lower than iphone 3gs, 4 and 4s.

My only doubt is this an European Union units thing or not.



Optimism is the depth of technical ignorance

Hi Elfary, 
 
out of curiosty, can you compare the 3gs and 4s headphone output for the same volume? Also are you able to characterise and sound difference between the 3gs and 4s. Thank you

I think that two things set apart the 5s from their older peers:

- The subbass slight emphasis present on iphone 3gs/4/4s is gone and the 5s is more neutral tonally. This might be disliked by some aficionados that like it on the warm side. I have no problems with it since allows for a more accurate and balanced sound.

- Fuzziness: 3gs slightly fuzzier than 4 which is slightly fuzzier than 4s. the 5s is stunningly more clear than all of them. On quick side by side switching it was like comparing a DVD with a Blu-Ray. The clarity and blackness of the 5s is quite something.

Note: i don't talk about iphone 5 because i purchased one but just it 72 hours later. Hence i lack running time with it.


Optimism is the depth of technical ignorance

 

[mpark]

Ok. So back to audio quality. Any reason with audio chip 5S, is better then iphone 4s, or the same?

 

[elfary]

Ok. So back to audio quality. Any reason with audio chip 5S, is better then iphone 4s, or the same?

 
Quality wise i think the 5s is a pinch better. The clarity and purity is breathtaking on the 5s. It was already very good in the 4s but 5s is step forward.
 
Output power wise the 4s is stronger. At least within the European Union

 

[Duncan]

Posted by me in the Galaxy Note 3 thread...
 
Other than the screen, am almost tempted to ditch my Note 3...
 
Apple's SQ has lured me back - to the 5S, sounds so much cleaner than the Note 3...
 
Not sure whether to be ashamed by that or not!
 
Additionally, scary how easy it is to buy things on the iStore now, with just my thumb print lol...

 

[_js_]

So, I just wanted to report that the more I listen to the iPhone 5S with a wide range of music the more I like it.  Partly, of course, this may just be due to brain-burn-in, but additionally, it's definitely also at least partly getting to hear how the 5S handles more and more of my music library.  And, as I say, I'm impressed.  So impressed that I decided to sell my JDS Labs C5D as I've found that the extra bother of an outboard amp/dac just isn't worth it for the small SQ increase.  I'm sure that would be radically different were I to use different, less easy to drive headphones, of course!
 
Anyway, I would say that what most impresses me about the 5S is the clarity and detail and dynamics.  It's a forward and direct sound--and this may take some getting used to if you're coming from warm and laid-back--but it's well worth it to give the 5S a chance and to find the right pairing of headphones for your taste.  Or EQ settings, if you go that route.
 
OH!  And I also wanted to report that I tried the idea of switching the media type of my music videos to TV Show so that they could be organized and sub-organized (by artist).  It was a complete disaster that ate up about two hours of my time!  I would strongly urge people NOT to do this.   Music videos do not fit well into this category and I could not get them to be organized the way that I wanted.  Perhaps I was doing something wrong and perhaps the person earlier in this thread would want to detail how he or she did this.
 
But what I ended up doing was to change the type to "Home Video" and that worked perfectly--and it also allowed me to use the HD versions of my videos in place of the low resolution ones from iTunes.  So, you still end up having all of your videos in one big list, but the advantage (in addition to HD) is that they no longer appear in the Music Player App as white albums with no artwork.  That's one of the things that annoyed me most!  Even AFTER having blanked out the album name and track number and volume number stuff, the videos STILL would appear in the album list!  WHY?  They can't be freaking played from the music player?  Why should they be listed?  I don't have any idea.  But if you make them Home Videos (or TV Shows) then they will not show up.
 
And I will also say that one advantage of the iOS 7 player is that you can be browsing in artists while a song is playing and when the song ends and the next one begins it does not knock you back or make you lose your place.  Indeed, your place is uniquely remember for each method of browsing, which is nice.  Still, all in all, I preferred the music player and video player in iOS 6.

 

[elfary]

I concur.

quality wise the 5s is darn impressive. Clarity is so huge that on a good album it does not sound like recorded music.


I don't trust anyone who smiles before 9am

 

[_js_]

elfary,

I freaking love your sig line! LOL!

 

[elfary]

I'm sure that the guy that plotted out the Artist view smiles a lot before 9 am. It's a royal pain in the a.
 
Now to the sound: if my 5s could go as loud as the 4s that would be the ice on an awesome sounding cake. But no dice. At least in Europe. Last Friday got my 5s replaced for a brand new one and the output power is exactly the same (at least i tried).