MEIZU MX4 PRO REVIEW
Background
Probably the most important factor for me in buying a new phone is how it sounds. My first smartphone was the iPhone 4 and I then moved on to the Sony Xperia Z1. Both sounded great, but I kept hoping that I would stumble upon a phone that could compete with a dedicated audio player. I had toyed with the idea of buying a DAP, but I just didn’t want the hassle of carrying around another device. The reason I bought an iPhone in the first place was I was tired of carrying around a mobile and my Creative ZEN Vision:M.
So I started doing some research and found out about the Meizu MX4 PRO, which had recently been announced in China. At first I dismissed the talk of “Retina Sound” as marketing spin, but then I read about the company’s background in manufacturing MP3 players and that the MX4 PRO contained some decent audio components. This is not my speciality and so you can read more about the amplifier and DAC on the Meizu website, but I know some of the components are shared with the iBasso DX90.
Design and Build Quality
The Meizu MX4 PRO reminds me of the HTC One M8 with its back and curved sides and the iPhone with the front. The phone feels solid and despite its size is fairly easy to hold, although I have long fingers and so it may prove a bit difficult for one-handed use. Overall the build quality is very good. You can read more in this review along with the other phone features:
http://www.gsmarena.com/meizu_mx4_pro-review-1196p2.php
The display is also decent (though not as good as an iPhone) with a good level of brightness and visibility in sunlight is better than my Sony Xperia Z1.
Interface
The MX4 PRO uses Meizu’s own Android skin Flyme. I’m not usually a fan of customised Android skins, but Flyme has a simple and clean look and is easy to navigate. It is also straightforward to remove the several Chinese apps that come pre-installed. I have experienced no problems using any demanding apps, browsing the Internet etc. You can install any apps from the Play Store that are compatible with the phone once you install Google Services from Meizu’s own app store.
I really like how Meizu has included an easy root option that can be accessed in the settings. It is rare for a company to embrace the idea that owners may want to customise their phone. Rooting is more or less essential for me, as I like to increase the number of audio steps from 15 to 100 to find that sweet spot in my ideal listening volume.
Music Player and Settings
One of the selling points of the MX4 Pro is its “hi-fi sound”. In the settings you can select the amount of gain from auto, low, high and line out. I left the setting at auto and it seemed to work fine when switching between my two test earphones; the Sony XBA-1 and JH Audio 13 Pro. I’m afraid I haven’t tested the line out feature, as I don’t have any dedicated equipment at the moment.
The stock music player both looks and sounds decent. It has a simple and minimalist design and looks very similar to the one in Apple’s iOS 7. You can browse by album, artist or song (but not genre) and by folder. You can save songs as favourites and create playlists on the fly. The music playing screen displays large album art and the usual controls, but there is no lyric support from what I can tell. There is also a five-band equalizer with four presets and the latest Flyme update brought the Dirac HD sound feature, although I kept this off as none of my earphones were listed. You can also access the equalizer from some other apps like Spotify. I would be happy using the stock player if it wasn’t for the lack of lyric support, as I listen to a lot of Japanese music.
Storage
The one thing that will probably put off some from purchasing the MX4 PRO is the lack of a microSD slot. At the moment, you can only purchase the 16GB or 32GB variations and Meizu has said the 64GB version will be released “soon”, but even that might not be enough for some. The MX4 PRO does support USB on the Go and so you can connect a USB flash drive or microSD adapter like the Meenova device. However, in my tests it did cause an almost 50% increase in battery drain. Fortunately, the battery life on the MX 4 PRO is decent and I can go a day without recharging it, even when using Meenova.
Sound
I should start by saying that anyone who is expecting some kind of revelation when listening to the MX4 PRO for the first time will probably be disappointed if you are coming from a decent sounding phone like an iPhone or the HTC One M8. In my opinion, there is a difference but not a massive one. I would describe the sound signature of the MX4 PRO as being fairly neutral with a nice sense of clarity and crispness. Bass is rich and highs do not sound too bright or sibilant. I gather that this is typical of the Meizu sound. Obviously the sound will vary with the earphones used.
Where I did notice a difference was when comparing the Meizu with my Sony Xperia Z1. For testing I used a wide selection of music from all genres in FLAC and MP3 320 formats and two pairs of earphones: my “cheap” Sony XBA-1 and JH Audio 13. I used the stock app for testing the Meizu and the Walkman app with the Sony (no EQ applied). I should add that in contrast to the Meizu, the Sony Xperia Z1 has more of a v-shaped sound signature with slightly recessed mids.
On some songs I admittedly didn’t really notice a difference between the two phones. 2Pac’s California Love for example sounded good on both devices. However, with some tracks the difference was there. I noticed on a number of pop and club tracks that the bass on the Meizu sounded a tad clearer and had more authority. This was especially noticeable when using the Sony XBA-1 earphones which lack in the bass quality department. Another thing I noticed was the cleaner output with the Meizu. It handled the distortion on Linkin Park’s Numb much better than the Sony, where in the chorus and middle 8 it can sound a bit muddy.
The track where I really noticed a difference was Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car. This track has helped me rule out quite a few universal IEMs and demos of CIEMs over the last year. The song sounded fine on the Sony, but to my ears was better with the Meizu. I felt that Tracy’s vocal was presented in a more intimate way which really suits the song and my own sound preference. Also, the instruments in the chorus sounded more detailed. Again, it wasn’t a massive difference, but the strums of the guitar seemed clearer and more natural.
One final note about the sound. The amplifier in the Meizu does seem to make a difference, as I didn’t feel the need to crank up the volume so much with club and pop tracks. I don’t want to put too much emphasis on this though, because of the different sound signatures with the phones.
Conclusion
I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to get the MX4 PRO or pay a ridiculous price to import it from overseas. It’s not going to satisfy those who own a dedicated high-end DAP and are happy to carry it around. I also don’t think that the average smartphone owner will think the difference in audio quality is that significant. However, it is suitable for someone like me that wants a portable device that sounds better than most of the high-end smartphones out there. If you are lucky enough (like me) to have a friend in China or Hong Kong who can get you one, I would recommend considering it if you’re in the market for a new phone and audio quality is an important factor.
