[xxToranachxx]

So I busted out my HTC Droid DNA, my old Thunderbolt an Iphone 5s, my M8, a LG G2, and a Galaxy s5(work at a verizon store) today and did some non scientific testing today at work.  I found that the M8 sounded the best to my ears.  The iphone 5s came in second place and the thunderbolt in last place.  Now I am no audiophile by any measure of the word.  I just got into headphones and have been listening a lot lately.  I used a couple of different headphones.  I used my Sennhieser Momentums, my Bose QC2's, my Monster Urbeats IE(old came with a rezound that I returned as I would never pay money for beats...) and the Boomsound ie's that came with my M8.  I listened to Tool, NIN, Metallica, Pantera, Rolling Stones and Soundgarden and with all of them the M8 stood out to me.  The Iphone 5s was good, just not quite as good as the M8.  The others just didnt have as much volume or clairity as those two did.  I myself cant stand anything apple and would never ever own anything with that logo on it except maybe an oldschool apple 2.  It was hard for me to admit that the Iphone almost topped the M8 but it did sound really good.  I know this is my own personal preference but I hope it helps someone.  Anyone lol.  I listened to each for about 20-30 minutes except for the thunderbolt because it was an obvious difference that is immediately noticable.  The DNA has pretty good sound but I dont like the way the "beats audio" jacks up the eq.  Anyway since I work at the store I do I can test any new phones that come out just about as soon as they come out.  If anyone would like me to just send me a PM and I will be happy to but again I am no audiophile so I dont know if I can deliver the terminology right if I do test something for someone.  Cheers.  T

 

[eduardoo]

I have Dx50: will I really disappointed with the M8?

Well, I have been an "audiophile" for over 25 years, but mostly care about home audio only.  Headphone listening for me is for when I am on the go, and with the noise level on the street, the differences in ultimate audio quality becomes less pronounced and important for me.  I of course still enjoy better sound on the road, but I wouldn't die from slightly less than perfect sound.   Having said that, the Dx50 does indeed sound better on nearly all counts (particularly in control, density and depth), but being the "audiophile" myself (My home system is decent and consists of a Linn TT, Esoteric CD/DAC, Accuphase Pre/power amps and Wilson speakers), I find the M8 more than acceptable for portable listening, and saves me from carrying another player around.  Hmmm, wonder what a decent yet small portable headphone amp would do to the sound.  Perhaps this could be the answer??

 

[Duncan]

...a decent headphone amp will aid the DX50 more than the M8, making the gulf wider between the two...

The M8 is VERY capable, especially if you like a warmer, bassier listen, you cannot go wrong (volume clipping issues aside), however - even with non critical listening on the go a well amped dedicated player will sound better, and more importantly give you the detail retrieval at a lower volume when compared to the handset.

 

[lucadoc]

I have Dx50: will I really disappointed with the M8?

You'll lose resolution / depth of sound, but - depends if you amp / what headphones / IEMs you use, as to how much of a detriment that may be...

Thanks, no amp with Fidelio L2 easy to go

 

[lucadoc]

I have Dx50: will I really disappointed with the M8?

Well, I have been an "audiophile" for over 25 years, but mostly care about home audio only.  Headphone listening for me is for when I am on the go, and with the noise level on the street, the differences in ultimate audio quality becomes less pronounced and important for me.  I of course still enjoy better sound on the road, but I wouldn't die from slightly less than perfect sound.   Having said that, the Dx50 does indeed sound better on nearly all counts (particularly in control, density and depth), but being the "audiophile" myself (My home system is decent and consists of a Linn TT, Esoteric CD/DAC, Accuphase Pre/power amps and Wilson speakers), I find the M8 more than acceptable for portable listening, and saves me from carrying another player around.  Hmmm, wonder what a decent yet small portable headphone amp would do to the sound.  Perhaps this could be the answer??

Thank you Eduardoo, me too audiophile inside !

 

[jk47]

  So I busted out my HTC Droid DNA, my old Thunderbolt an Iphone 5s, my M8, a LG G2, and a Galaxy s5(work at a verizon store) today and did some non scientific testing today at work.  I found that the M8 sounded the best to my ears.  The iphone 5s came in second place and the thunderbolt in last place.  Now I am no audiophile by any measure of the word.  I just got into headphones and have been listening a lot lately.  I used a couple of different headphones.  I used my Sennhieser Momentums, my Bose QC2's, my Monster Urbeats IE(old came with a rezound that I returned as I would never pay money for beats...) and the Boomsound ie's that came with my M8.  I listened to Tool, NIN, Metallica, Pantera, Rolling Stones and Soundgarden and with all of them the M8 stood out to me.  The Iphone 5s was good, just not quite as good as the M8.  The others just didnt have as much volume or clairity as those two did.  I myself cant stand anything apple and would never ever own anything with that logo on it except maybe an oldschool apple 2.  It was hard for me to admit that the Iphone almost topped the M8 but it did sound really good.  I know this is my own personal preference but I hope it helps someone.  Anyone lol.  I listened to each for about 20-30 minutes except for the thunderbolt because it was an obvious difference that is immediately noticable.  The DNA has pretty good sound but I dont like the way the "beats audio" jacks up the eq.  Anyway since I work at the store I do I can test any new phones that come out just about as soon as they come out.  If anyone would like me to just send me a PM and I will be happy to but again I am no audiophile so I dont know if I can deliver the terminology right if I do test something for someone.  Cheers.  T

would love to hear about the lg g3 when you get it in stock.

 

[tehcurry]

Hi everyone,
 
30+ pages on this thread, so sorry if this (or something similar) has already been asked/answered. 
 
I'm looking for a wired in-ear headset--an in-line mic is a must--for my One M8. My primary listening palette is death/experimental/thrash metal, though it will occasionally flex into indie rock and jazz. Punchy, fast bass response is favored so long as it doesn't override the mids and highs. 
 
I have a desk job--my primary listening set up for work was an iPod classic (lossless files) with an aux line-out to a Fiio E11 amp (I know, the hiss! Ugh!) with some Audio Technica ATH-M50s. However, I got a new job recently in which I have to move around the company campus several times, making the iPod/amp/can setup clumsy. I'd like to get as close as possible to that listening profile with the new buds--I understand it won't be replicated. 
 
I won't claim audiophile status, but I've spent enough time with my brother who does professional audio production and mastering in a studio to have a good listening ear. He doesn't dabble in ear-buds, though, so I'm looking to you guys to help me out. 
 
I got a chance to listen to some Sony XBA-2s (balanced armature) and found them pleasant, in spite of the fact that the source quality was less than desirable (hooray sibilance!). I'm interested in the XBA-3IP and XBA-4IP, but I don't know enough about the technical pieces (impedance vs. amp power of the phone, etc) to know if they'd be a good fit with the M8. I'm open to suggestions of other brands/lines. 
 
I'd prefer to keep it under $200, but will pay what it takes for the right set. 
 
What have you got? Thanks in advance!

 

[svil3]

  Hi everyone,
 
30+ pages on this thread, so sorry if this (or something similar) has already been asked/answered. 
 
I'm looking for a wired in-ear headset--an in-line mic is a must--for my One M8. My primary listening palette is death/experimental/thrash metal, though it will occasionally flex into indie rock and jazz. Punchy, fast bass response is favored so long as it doesn't override the mids and highs. 
 
I have a desk job--my primary listening set up for work was an iPod classic (lossless files) with an aux line-out to a Fiio E11 amp (I know, the hiss! Ugh!) with some Audio Technica ATH-M50s. However, I got a new job recently in which I have to move around the company campus several times, making the iPod/amp/can setup clumsy. I'd like to get as close as possible to that listening profile with the new buds--I understand it won't be replicated. 
 
I won't claim audiophile status, but I've spent enough time with my brother who does professional audio production and mastering in a studio to have a good listening ear. He doesn't dabble in ear-buds, though, so I'm looking to you guys to help me out. 
 
I got a chance to listen to some Sony XBA-2s (balanced armature) and found them pleasant, in spite of the fact that the source quality was less than desirable (hooray sibilance!). I'm interested in the XBA-3IP and XBA-4IP, but I don't know enough about the technical pieces (impedance vs. amp power of the phone, etc) to know if they'd be a good fit with the M8. I'm open to suggestions of other brands/lines. 
 
I'd prefer to keep it under $200, but will pay what it takes for the right set. 
 
What have you got? Thanks in advance!

Hi there! I use the M8 with my Yamaha's EPH-100, and I'm pretty pleased with the performance and audio quality in general, always listen to flac files or 320kbps mp3 at least, with Poweramp as player and the Project Era audio mod. Right now you can get this IEMs for a pretty decent price in amazon ($110.99 usd and free shipping). I have read that the audio quality of the EPH-100 is similar(or better) to the xba-3.

 

[Duncan]

My nod goes to Monster Trumpets - cover all the pre-requisites (other than cost I suppose)...

...Worth getting a demo...

 

[Robgo]

I have Dx50: will I really disappointed with the M8?

 
 
I was disappointed when I compared it to the HRT Microstreamer. The sound reminds me of what sort of generic portable sony CD players in the 90's sounded like. Mids are pushed forward. Everything is congested sounding. There isn't much space between things. It sounds boomy and muddy with pushed forward mids (with boomsound off; to clarify).
 
I'm not saying this because I have a bias towards using a dac. I was hoping maybe I could use the dac for home use only or sell it off and save some bulk. But I am just not satisfied without it.
 
I'm using Shure SE535's with a damper mod. So it's pretty easy to hear the difference for me.

 

[mikoss]

Just got the m8 today and the headphone out sounds fabulous.

I have been carrying around a rooted Samsung Galaxy (S1) for portable use, and I think the m8 will replace it.

Here are my initial impressions:

Highs are detailed without fatigue (perhaps a tad rolled off sounding compared to the Galaxy for me... Although I always found the Galaxy to have a bit of digital glare with highs).

Mids sound very lush and rich... Does this thing have a class d amp for the headphones? They really sound nice... Nicer than the Galaxy I think... So far I'm impressed the most by the richness I'm hearing in acoustic guitar pieces.

Bass is also very well presented... Impact and clarity without muddle.

Soundstage is nice, wide enough to happily use as a portable player.

Also, and as mentioned by others, plenty of power. It's driving my HD 650's unampped and has nice volume (my listening volume is five below full volume).

I'd personally recommend this phone for someone who wants a fast Android experience, great external speakers for GPS, and a tight portable media player.

 

[mikoss]

I was disappointed when I compared it to the HRT Microstreamer. The sound reminds me of what sort of generic portable sony CD players in the 90's sounded like. Mids are pushed forward. Everything is congested sounding. There isn't much space between things. It sounds boomy and muddy with pushed forward mids (with boomsound off; to clarify)

I agree the soundstage isn't as wide as even the HRT Microstreamer, but I think it's on par with the Galaxy. As for the mids, they're definitely pushed forward which may be making it sound muddled... I personally appreciate hearing the mids more forward than say shrill harsh highs.

Maybe they'll improve with some burn in? I'm happy to give it some time. I like the rich sound for now, and would be happier if everything opened up over time.

 

[eduardoo]

  Hi everyone,
 
30+ pages on this thread, so sorry if this (or something similar) has already been asked/answered. 
 
I'm looking for a wired in-ear headset--an in-line mic is a must--for my One M8. My primary listening palette is death/experimental/thrash metal, though it will occasionally flex into indie rock and jazz. Punchy, fast bass response is favored so long as it doesn't override the mids and highs. 
 
I have a desk job--my primary listening set up for work was an iPod classic (lossless files) with an aux line-out to a Fiio E11 amp (I know, the hiss! Ugh!) with some Audio Technica ATH-M50s. However, I got a new job recently in which I have to move around the company campus several times, making the iPod/amp/can setup clumsy. I'd like to get as close as possible to that listening profile with the new buds--I understand it won't be replicated. 
 
I won't claim audiophile status, but I've spent enough time with my brother who does professional audio production and mastering in a studio to have a good listening ear. He doesn't dabble in ear-buds, though, so I'm looking to you guys to help me out. 
 
I got a chance to listen to some Sony XBA-2s (balanced armature) and found them pleasant, in spite of the fact that the source quality was less than desirable (hooray sibilance!). I'm interested in the XBA-3IP and XBA-4IP, but I don't know enough about the technical pieces (impedance vs. amp power of the phone, etc) to know if they'd be a good fit with the M8. I'm open to suggestions of other brands/lines. 
 
I'd prefer to keep it under $200, but will pay what it takes for the right set. 
 
What have you got? Thanks in advance!

I am using XBA4 (which is the same as the XBA4IP without mic).  Sounds good and I am not itching to do much about it, but I think it poses slight difficulty for the M8 to fully control.  Moving up the series (1-4) gets you more drivers and basically more scale and extension.  Arguably, the 3 was the most neutrally balanced, but I liked the scale and bass of the 4.  BTW, I think the XBA1,2,3,4 series are a bit old and have been superseded by XBA10,20,30,40 (mainly better cable and in white) and the latest XBA-H series which has a combo of dynamic and MI drivers.

 

[heatofamatch]

IIRC the XBA-10-40 have been end-of-lifed, and the H1/2/3 are in the latter half of their life cycles. Where I'm at (non-western world), the H3 also just got $100 off the MSRP. Which is my way of saying that, depending on where you live and where you look, the XBA series could be a pretty fantastic bargain. Is Sony having problem clearing stock? One wonders cause they never did this for the EX600/800ST/1000...
 
Just a couple Fridays ago I was agonizing over a pair of XBA-3s available to me for $130. Call it confirmatory bias, but in the space of a month, I kept seeing the XBA-3 and -30 on clearance, at three separate locations in different countries, so I was compelled to give it some thought. Sure the XBA series could have a few tiny little flaws, but the price is too good to pass up when you consider what else you can get for 130-150...until I did. No shade to Sony, it's just that my life is heading in a different direction that doesn't include $130 headphones.

 
I concur that the 3/30 is a very nice sweet spot in the lineup.

 

[eduardoo]

  IIRC the XBA-10-40 have been end-of-lifed, and the H1/2/3 are in the latter half of their life cycles. Where I'm at (non-western world), the H3 also just got $100 off the MSRP. Which is my way of saying that, depending on where you live and where you look, the XBA series could be a pretty fantastic bargain. Is Sony having problem clearing stock? One wonders cause they never did this for the EX600/800ST/1000...
 
Just a couple Fridays ago I was agonizing over a pair of XBA-3s available to me for $130. Call it confirmatory bias, but in the space of a month, I kept seeing the XBA-3 and -30 on clearance, at three separate locations in different countries, so I was compelled to give it some thought. Sure the XBA series could have a few tiny little flaws, but the price is too good to pass up when you consider what else you can get for 130-150...until I did. No shade to Sony, it's just that my life is heading in a different direction that doesn't include $130 headphones.

 
I concur that the 3/30 is a very nice sweet spot in the lineup.

Wow, $130 is indeed quite a good deal and I think it stands a good chance to be better than a lot of equivalent priced "new" designs.