iPhone 5C and 5S: audio output

[Joescrib]

I hope 5s has not more than 2 Ohms. But....
Focus makes no audible differences between 4s and 5s (They testet with a UERM), and Focus is as known very accurate!!!!

 

[Achmedisdead]

   
Ah, I was hoping someone would have one. Does it have any support for DLNA or UPnP?
 
(perhaps DM me to avoid this going off topic any further)

 
Done.

 

[customNuts]

  I went straight for 64GB which arrived yesterday. For now I can tell two things for sure. 5S has weaker amp than iPhone 4, one click weaker. 5S has higher output impedance than 4 (tested with XBA-30), how much higher cant tell, but I guess around 2-3 ohm. Otherwise the phone is great, it is a huge jump for me from 4 to 5S.

 
I also found the opposite regarding amp power. I own the 4 and the 64gb 5S but my 5S is noticeably more powerful. (about 2 clicks) Maybe it has something to do with the different headphones we are using. I tried mine with IE80's & M100.
I do agree with the output impedance though. Unfortunately there are clear signs of it with my IE80's. More bass, and less clear with less detail. With higher impedance cans that goes away and it sounds better than my 4. With the IE80's it would be a toss up between the 4 despite the improvements with the 5S simply because of the impedance issue. A high impedance iem would sound wicked with it I would expect.

 

[Baroninkjet]

  I'd rather spend the extra hundred buying something pocketable like this: http://shop.sandisk.com/store/sdiskus/en_US/DisplayProductDetailsPage/productID.284731700?ClickID=bdvvu61q6gfzyvg1u1yvkvzgnvqymvselqvv
 
Extra storage, works with all your devices now and going forward.

 
Here is another one, 32GB for $56. 
 
http://promotions.newegg.com/sandisk/13-3147/index.html?nm_mc=EMC-GD100713
 
Someone should do an iphone case w/wifi drive built it.  

 

[blueangel2323]

Not an iPhone case, and a little big, but: http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/seagate-wireless-plus-external-hard-drive/

 

[_js_]

   
I also found the opposite regarding amp power. I own the 4 and the 64gb 5S but my 5S is noticeably more powerful. (about 2 clicks) Maybe it has something to do with the different headphones we are using. I tried mine with IE80's & M100.
I do agree with the output impedance though. Unfortunately there are clear signs of it with my IE80's. More bass, and less clear with less detail. With higher impedance cans that goes away and it sounds better than my 4. With the IE80's it would be a toss up between the 4 despite the improvements with the 5S simply because of the impedance issue. A high impedance iem would sound wicked with it I would expect.

 
Yeah, I think that's key here--the impedance of the headphones being used and the relatively high output impedance of the 5S.  The 5S definitely has more than 2 ohms of output impedance.  I would guess at least 3 ohms, and honestly probably closer to 4 ohms.  This sucks, of course.  *sigh*
 
Someone earlier mentioned specifics about the Sennheiser PX-100's impedance graph.  I would love to get a picture of that graph, or a link to it!  Because it simply MUST fall significantly below 32 ohms at some point because they sound dramatically different in the 5S than in the 4.  Dramatically.  I can't believe how bad they sound out of the 5S and how good they sounded out of the 4.  The Grado SR-225's also have a nominal impedance of 32 ohms, but their impedance vs. frequency curve is nearly flat, and they sound great out of the 5S.  The PX-100's, on the other hand, have sound characteristics exactly in line with a high-source-impedance disaster.
 
For me, in terms of portable sound, I think the answer will be the Ety ER-4S's which have 100 ohms of impedance and also a nice flat impedance vs. frequency graph (it falls lower towards the treble, IIRC, but still is well above 60 ohms).
 
It's too bad, but, oh well.  Maybe I should look into a headphone amp after all.  I'll see how the ER-4S's sound first, I guess

 

[woodcans]

I hope 5s has not more than 2 Ohms. But....
Focus makes no audible differences between 4s and 5s (They testet with a UERM), and Focus is as known very accurate!!!!

I can assure you the 5s sounds fantastic when paired with the UERM.

 

[vwinter]

I can assure everyone that this speculation and resulting despair about an output impedance number that has not been measured is only succeeding in shortening your lives and killing your enjoyment.

 

[_js_]

I can assure everyone that this speculation and resulting despair about an output impedance number that has not been measured is only succeeding in shortening your lives and killing your enjoyment.

 
So true!!!

 

[elfary]

Well, i enjoy very much my iPhone 4S + UM3x! Since i deem iPhones as the best portable source for iems when every new iteration comes out i can't help getting caught in the exciment. I did not know that it would shorten my life though

 

[kevms89]

I can assure everyone that this speculation and resulting despair about an output impedance number that has not been measured is only succeeding in shortening your lives and killing your enjoyment.

This! They all sound great!

 

[White Lotus]

^^^^ Agreed. 

 

[_js_]

This! They all sound great!

 
Yeah,  I really wish I agreed.  I love so many things about the 5S--the camera is freaking amazing, the A7 SoC is incredibly impressive.  Fit and finish are wonderful.  LTE.  Fingerprint reader.  I could go on and on.
 
But everytime I try to just relax and listen to music out of this thing, I can't.  The looseness / boominess in the bass I hear with the PX-100's is ALSO there with my Grado's, just a lot less noticeable.  Meanwhile, lower bass is rolled off, trebble is emphasized.  I'm sure if I used 100 ohm IEM's all of this would be better.  Maybe.  But I'm not going to take that chance.
 
The more I listen to this, the less I like it.  And my allergies are gone, so my ears are back to "normal" (for me)--whatever that may be.
 
And there is no way that this thing has an output impedance that is 2 ohms or less.  And what the freaking heck is up with that?  What is going on?
 
And I really dislike the music app in iOS 7.  Even with IEM's or a separate AMP--which I really hate the idea of--not convenient at all--I strongly suspect that a big part of what I dislike here is the sound change from iOS 6 to 7.
 
I'm getting my iPhone 4 back, returning my 5S, and saving the $70 / month on a cell phone plan.  It sucks.  I really hate it.  But there it is.  Fortunately, my 4 was wiped and reset and still has iOS 6 on it.  When I get it back, I will see if I can find a way to prevent the over-the-air automatic download of iOS 7, which will permanently take up 3GB of space if it gets in there, with, apparently, no way to remove it.  Unless I jail break it, I suppose--if that's even still possible--since Apple isn't signing iOS 6 anymore.
 

 

[kevms89]

Why not get the 4S? I heard that one has the best SQ.

 

[_js_]

  Why not get the 4S? I heard that one has the best SQ.

 
That's a thought . . .
 
For now, I'm going to get my iPhone 4 back no matter what, but hold off on the decision to return my 5S.  I'm too emotional about all of this right now, both pro and con.  I'm sure it's destroying my objectivity (such as there is) regarding sound quality.  Now that my allergies are completely gone, I'll do some more A/B'ing with my Apogee Duet tonight as well as some relaxed listening, and see if that sheds any more light on the subject.
 
In any case, one question:
 
I see in a review of the Fiio E12 that it is supposedly not a good amp for a cell phone source because it will pick up EMI from the cell transmitter.  Is this true?  And if so, under what conditions will it happen?  Only when there is a call? All times except when in Airplane mode?  What's the story?  And what amp would NOT pick up interference from cordless phones and cell phones?  What about the O2, for example?