[Saraugie]

I'm testing out the audio quality playing flac (including hi-res flac 192kHz 24bits) on various apps:

Neutron
Accudio (by Golden Ear)
Onkyo HF Player
AmpliFlac(HD)
Flac Player+
Cappriccio Free Ultimate Music Player
Flac Player Pro
Golden Ear
MyAudiostream Pro

etc

My preference goes now to Accudio and Onkyo HF Player in terms of sound quality and user interface.
Neutron sounds great too on Android phones but appears too analytical on Iphone 6 (see evaluation earlier by kelvinwsy)
However Neutron sounds warmer on iPhone 5s... YMMV

Suggest you try out what you like to see how they pair with which phone. You didn't tell us what earphones / headphones you use...

Enjoy the music ^_^

I just tried JVC's Sonic Max Pro. Its too bad it does not support FLAC as it has the best EQ fine tuning I've ever used. It actually adjusts depth and soundstage.

 

[basseymidrange]

Can anyone suggest any other apps for listening to music files stored on my iPhone 6 other than the stock Music app ? I think Neutron was suggested. Any others ?

I still prefer the sound of my iPhone 5 to my 6 and this may help me find a workaround. I like a flat frequency response and the 5 was very flat by default ie. Even with EQ set to off. If you did set it to flat , there was no perceivable difference. I have set my iPhone 6 to flat and it sounds better to me than iPhone 6-EQ off. But the iPhone 5 still sounds better to me than the iPhone 6-with-EQ-flat.

Sorry to quote myself but I wanted to add something to the above to keep it in context. I think it's great that some folks love the sound of their iPhone 6. As I said before , I prefer the 5 because it had a flatter response. I want to add that to me , the 5 sounded more MUSICAL as well.

I have been experimenting with the EQ settings on the 6 and I wanted to share this: the Electronic EQ setting sounds more musical and enjoyable and non-tiring while also remaining relatively flat. I think it is now my preferred EQ setting for my iphone 6. I am a lot happier with it this way.

I should also add that being something of a purist by nature myself, I usually frown on EQ settings other than Off. But perhaps for me , this is the exception that proves the rule.

 

[youngarthur]

My son has a 6,and i have the 6 plus. FOR ME,there is very little difference in sound quality. I would be happy with either one. At home. 6 plus, EQ set on flat, with HA 1 and HD 800. Portable,with HiFi M 8,and either Shure 846,or Westone 4R. FOR ME,sounds are excellent.

 

[elfary]

I could live with a 6 Plus certainly. But if asked i'd go on to say that 6 sounds a bit better.

To each his own anyway.


Running seems like a great idea until you actually start running

 

[originalsnuffy]

One area where I am confused. Can the eq settings apply to non apple apps such as vlc or nplayer or flac players in general ?

 

[basseymidrange]

One area where I am confused. Can the eq settings apply to non apple apps such as vlc or nplayer or flac players in general ?

If you are referring to the EQ adjustments found under settings>music , this only applies to the stock iPhone Music app, not any other music app. Though other music apps may have their own inbuilt EQ settings options.

 

[HotIce]

  Perhaps someone can figure out what amp is used?

 
Apple 338S1202. Usual Apple class D amplifier.

 

[smaragd]

   
Apple 338S1202. Usual Apple class D amplifier.

Thanks, that implies the amp is built into the Cirrus Logic Dac chip.
Since they are identical on iPhone 6 and 6+ there must be something else affecting the sound signal path to create an audible difference between the two...

 

[elfary]

The data were for unloaded performance which make it a bit more obvious that something on the Plus is a bit wrong versus the 6.


Running seems like a great idea until you actually start running

 

[SparkOnShore]

DAC is not the only audio factor, as well as RAM or CPU are not the only factors to measure a computer’s performance. You can see computers with more RAM and newer CPU performing generally worse than some of those with less RAM or with an older CPU. Its the total implementation that counts the most. And it goes much deeper than counting GB of RAM. Companies need to sell new stuff, so they want you to believe that newer, more and bigger is also better. But life in technology shows us that it’s not like that, by any means. That said, both iPhones 6 and 6+ are a good step, but still incomplete. They present many problems and the audio sector is just one of them. For example check the apple discussions site about the headphone port’s incompatibility with some headphones. The new iPhones are too thin for a successful implementation, at first shot. Most probably the next version will be much better, since it will come studied upon the mistakes of the previous one which got learnt of course from those who gave their money to buy 1st version product (always wrong IMHO). Right now 5s is the best iPhone existing. And the smallest, which for me is the most important since i like to carry less volume. Technology and future is in small not in big. There are just the increasing Chinese consumers as well, who seem to have influenced Apple a lot to produce BIG...Logically of course...   

 

[elfary]

I will try a few more times the 6 Plus anyway. I recall it worse than 5s but i have to assess the extent of the dip.


Running seems like a great idea until you actually start running

 

[Saraugie]

Hold on.......Are you trying to suggest that the MODs erased posts which contained questions and answers that are not flattering to Apple? If a post is offensive they do, they do not erase opinions and test results. Dollars to donuts the poster erased it. If you want to find out why not PM the poster?
I answered before reading. Mr. Elfary seems to be editing his posts......my emails of his posts differ from what's online. If your fast enough the post does show its been edited.
 
All conditions equal; memory, volume, of course same song's origin and copied exactly the same, same means to listen to the song, there is 99% probability of no difference between 6 and 6+.

 

[SparkOnShore]

This is a simplified way of thinking which does not apply to any technological creation. If it was that way, then everything would be simple and easy to apply, but its not... All conditions same, in 2 machines, one machine is working fine and the second just doesn’t...Same for iPhones...Your 99% probability is out of the question...Things are not operating the way that you try to describe. If it was your way, then a Samsung phone with faster cheap and more RAM would have a stellar operation in comparison to iPhone. But it just doesn’t...Because the total implementation and operational connections in Apple products are just the best...To express it in a more metaphoric way, the organism operation of Apple products is a healthier one than that of the competition, because the parts in an Apple product are in the best possible cooperation among each other...Of course in order to succeed in that, it takes time, devotion and most of all experiments. So, new iPhones still need time to get in a perfect operational condition and cooperation among its parts. As 5s took that time and became better than 5...

 

[Baroninkjet]

  Because the total implementation and operational connections in Apple products are just the best...

 
Have had a modern Android device? Iphone 6 was my first Apple device, and iOS has been a tremendous disappointment. For example, needing to jailbreak to make bluetooth work properly with my two year old car. Itunes on a PC is a bad joke. I can think of at least a dozen things where they are not a little but a lot behind.  I am slowly adjusting, but "The Apple Infrastructure" so far has been a big fat exaggeration.
 
Touch id is nice though. 

 

 

[SparkOnShore]

Have you ever tried to make complicated-creative work, using any software, on a PC? For example to compose and produce music on a PC vs Mac? On PC its the worst joke of all!!! I am not talking connecting BT here, but to try and work seriously on a PC? It is just impossible. Mac is better machine, period. I do not write something just by hearing other people’s opinions. I certainly speak out of my own experience...
 
And iTunes on Mac is just perfect. At the bottom line it was created for Mac. They just applied on PC in order to increase iTunes store sales...