[a_recording]

I think Lachlan generally was making an oversimplification when he said multi-BA IEMs as being mediums to hear the buzzing

 
Yo vwinter !
 
I was definitely oversimplifying things. I did some more testing and realised that I own quite a few non BA IEMS that can pick up the noise. They are:
 

1. Audio Technica ATH-IM02 (36 ohms, 113dB)
2. Nuforce Primo 8 (38 ohms, 118dB)
3. Sony MDR-7550 (16 ohms, 108dB)
4. Sony XBA-C10 (24 ohms, 100dB)
5. VSonic VSD3S (40 ohms, 108dB)

 
I've also learnt from some commenters that the Sennheiser IE80 picks up the noise, but the Shure SE846 and the Westone W4R doesn't. The sensitivity figure isn't particularly helpful.  Sensitivity is generally quoted at 1kHz, and sensitivity varies across frequency. ie: Some earphones are more sensitive at different frequencies than others. Of course we know this since that's why earphones sound different in the first place. I think the key here is that some earphones are more sensitive at the frequency ranges where this buzzing / EMI noise is being produced. 
 
As I said, for most people in most situations with most earphones, they won't hear any noise. But there ARE some situations where you can hear the buzzing, even with music playing, if the room is quiet and the track has more quiet passages.
 
I uploaded a second recording that demonstrates how the noise is noticeable while listening to a quiet piano track while background downloading of Apple music tracks is happening:
 

 
The noise of the background download sounds like a constant scrubbing and it is distinctly noticeable because the piano track is relatively sparse. I would guess (I haven't tested this) that the same noise caused by background data transfer would be present when using any kind of streaming music app. Listening to streaming music in a quiet room seems like a typical user scenario.
 
I don't think it's noticeable most of the time and certainly not outdoors, but it's one of those things that eats away at you at the back of your mind, ya know?

 

[Baroninkjet]

Very sloppy, Apple! I think I will pass this round.

 

[elfary]

This is hardware. Bad shielding by the numbers. It can no be fixed via software nor fixable as they go. That's what we'll get on 6s. Period.

Kind of the cpu noise that made famous the lousy Galaxy S2.

This is so un Apple that it's hard to believe. The day they put the status bar over the artwork it was clear that the new Apple is a very pedestrian company these days.

This iPhone model will no exist in my books.


If the tonality it's not right, then nothing else really matters.

 

[elfary]

An HPO that produces these noises is not up to the task.


If the tonality it's not right, then nothing else really matters.

 

[vwinter]

Yo vwinter !

I was definitely oversimplifying things. I did some more testing and realised that I own quite a few non BA IEMS that can pick up the noise. They are:

• Audio Technica ATH-IM02 (36 ohms, 113dB)
• Nuforce Primo 8 (38 ohms, 118dB)
• Sony MDR-7550 (16 ohms, 108dB)
• Sony XBA-C10 (24 ohms, 100dB)
• VSonic VSD3S (40 ohms, 108dB)

I've also learnt from some commenters that the Sennheiser IE80 picks up the noise, but the Shure SE846 and the Westone W4R doesn't. The sensitivity figure isn't particularly helpful.  Sensitivity is generally quoted at 1kHz, and sensitivity varies across frequency. ie: Some earphones are more sensitive at different frequencies than others. Of course we know this since that's why earphones sound different in the first place. I think the key here is that some earphones are more sensitive at the frequency ranges where this buzzing / EMI noise is being produced. 

As I said, for most people in most situations with most earphones, they won't hear any noise. But there ARE some situations where you can hear the buzzing, even with music playing, if the room is quiet and the track has more quiet passages.

I uploaded a second recording that demonstrates how the noise is noticeable while listening to a quiet piano track(1) while background downloading of Apple music tracks is happening:




The noise of the background download sounds like a constant scrubbing and it is distinctly noticeable because the piano track is relatively sparse. I would guess (I haven't tested this) that the same noise caused by background data transfer would be present when using any kind of streaming music app. Listening to streaming music in a quiet room seems like a typical user scenario.(2)

I don't think it's noticeable most of the time and certainly not outdoors, but it's one of those things that eats away at you at the back of your mind, ya know?(3)

Hey!

Obligatory:
So I'm outside catching the tail end of a the blood moon that happens once ever ~20 years. Experience some cloud cover, pull out my phone and there you are. It felt like this-


Good to have your voice in on this here.
Totally agree with your post. I just wanted to highlight a few sections for posterity.

(1) this was exactly where/how I thought it would happen.

(2) this is the nightmare scenario, especially given oh I dunno, Apple Music.

(3) Absolutely.


I hope this gets picked up by mainstream or large blogs. I for one plan to suggest your story if I don't see anything pop up at the usual suspects. That's the only way Apple may even remotely address this. And if not in this iteration, then keep it in mind for the next.

This kind of issue is either an "acceptable casualty" to save the very last pennies or a sad sad oversight for a company which is generally very in the details. It's possible the new sensor for the screen is acting at an amplifier for EMI inside the chassis and the shielding they used before and assumed would be enough is no longer so.

I'd love to see some electrical engineers take a look at this.

 

[DesiGuy79]

I tried it on my 6s plus with layla and i do not hear anything at all but then I don't have golden ear either. I don't think anyone has to worry about sound quality. It's same if not better then iphone 6 plus. I tried with flac playing from hf player and also tidal hifi streaming for sound quality.

 

[obsidyen]

I wonder what gsmarena will say about iPhone 6s' audio quality...

 

[elfary]

  I wonder what gsmarena will say about iPhone 6s' audio quality...

There's been plenty of cellphones with background cpu noise and they never said anything.
 
People should know that in gsmarena they don't match sound pressure levels hence their measurements are worthless for comparisons. The only valuable thing ot their measurements is the FR graph that can show when output impedance is getting out of control (When there is a bump in the 50hz area). Otherwise their sound quality assements are 100% worthless.
 
Apple/Cirrus was one of the very few instances which i trusted blindly. iPhone 6s has changed this. Now i only have blind faith in Shure.
 
Having mastered the background blackness since 2009 one can only wonder what has gone wrong here. May be the were trying to make a revolution instead of the usual incremental improvements.
 
Who knows. But that background fuzzing reminds me of the dreary Galaxy S2 days.

 

[Artmuzz]

This always seems to happen when Apple release a new iDevice. Apparently the first batches of the iPhone 6+ had the camera issue and now the new iPhone 6S/6S+ have the audio issue. That is why its best to wait a few months before buying anything new from Apple or any other company.

 

[Whitigir]

This always seems to happen when Apple release a new iDevice. Apparently the first batches of the iPhone 6+ had the camera issue and now the new iPhone 6S/6S+ have the audio issue. That is why its best to wait a few months before buying anything new from Apple or any other company.

You are not going to wait a week in line to get that first Apple phone ? You can be interviewed on TV ya know ?

 

[Artmuzz]

You are not going to wait a week in line to get that first Apple phone ? You can be interviewed on TV ya know ?

Haha Yeah crazy stuff when you see them all lined up for weeks just to get the first iPhone. What's the world coming to. LOL

 

[Whitigir]

Haha

Yeah crazy stuff when you see them all lined up for weeks just to get the first iPhone. What's the world coming to. LOL

sometimes I wonder how did they have so much time on their hands and still able to afford these fancy phones LOL.  Yeah, make one wonder for sure​

 

[elfary]

This time around i would wait in line for a week to get to meet the Cirrus Logic/Apple men in charge of the iPhone 6s headphone out. Different kind of geek but geek nonetheless.

 

[clee290]

I did a quick test yesterday with my IE80s and couldn't hear anything. I was able to hear the buzzing in Lachlan's video, but nothing from my 6S so far. I'll do some more tests later today with my other IEMs.

 

[juangbo23]

I agree with you if you are using stock music player, z3 is better but low output but if you use other music apps like neutron then you will notice that note 4 is better than z3.