[Ike1985]

I heard from one poster that the HTC mini 2 has better sound quality than the M8.  Is this true? If it is, why would anyone pay nearly double the money for an M8 if the intention is audio quality?

 

[svil3]

  I heard from one poster that the HTC mini 2 has better sound quality than the M8.  Is this true? If it is, why would anyone pay nearly double the money for an M8 if the intention is audio quality?

that's not really true
have anyone tried the GPE rom for the m8? dont know if it is placebo effect, but in fact it sounds way better, 'cause of the audio latency enhanced.

 

[live1]

Htc one mini 2 has better Sq than the htc m8.also look at the rmma it destroyed the m8.also read the htc one mini 2 review on gsm arena. It's the best sounding phone .but everyone hear try to deny the facts imo in real life it sounds alot better aswell

 

[Darkseth]

Neutral? try UE 900.
 
Warmer? try Westone 4, Westone UM3x, Stage Diver 2/3 maybe.

 

[pbirkett]

  that's not really true
have anyone tried the GPE rom for the m8? dont know if it is placebo effect, but in fact it sounds way better, 'cause of the audio latency enhanced.

I've had GPE for months, including 5.01 for the last couple of weeks. I've just converted back mainly for the camera, but also for a few other features. However, I feel that the Sense ROM sounds better. So I guess the truth is somewhere in the middle - little or no difference!

 

[GridIroN]

  Well I've briefly tried paring M8 with Cayin C5. Don't know how hard-to-drive are Weston's but I don't really see a point in using ext. amp for IEMs (with M8).
Anyway M8 with C5 is excellent - no hiss - completely silent background and amazing sound. I used Hifiman re-600 and Philips Fidelio L2 - the effects were much more spectacular with Philips.
BTW I've tried like 20 different IEMs with M8 and for me the best synergy was with Musical Fidelity EB-50. 

Thanks for the info. This is valuable info.

 

[kiwirugby]

Holiday greetings and salutations, everyone!  Being the proud new owner of an M8 ("Matey"!!), I was wondering if any of your had thoughts on a reasonably priced ($200 or less) set of earphones for the M8.  I posed the question to Duncan in a pm (I'll post what he sends me with his permission), but I thought I'd also ask the "community" on here,
 
I have my lossless/gapless music - mostly classical and some jazz - on a 128gb SanDisk Ultra microSDXC card and also have the USB Audio Player PRO as an app.   I'm thinking of the times when I want to be on-the-go with just the M8 and a pair of earphones as opposed to carrying about some sort of "brick" of and RWA modded iPod+Amp/Dac+phones.
 
I do have the Klispch X10s, but any thoughts on other possibilities ($200 or less)?
 
Thanks in advance.

 

[Duncan]

kiwirugby I've replied to your PM - totally up to you if you want to carry on discussion in PM or in thread, however - to throw it out there, I have posed the question of what is liked (or not as the case my be) about the Klipsch, so as either myself, or the wider community can point you in the right direction...

One thing I wouldn't want to have happen is that you end up with a side-grade - would waste your money, and your time - looking to try and give you a real lift

 

[kiwirugby]

@kiwirugby I've replied to your PM - totally up to you if you want to carry on discussion in PM or in thread, however - to throw it out there, I have posed the question of what is liked (or not as the case my be) about the Klipsch, so as either myself, or the wider community can point you in the right direction...

One thing I wouldn't want to have happen is that you end up with a side-grade - would waste your money, and your time - looking to try and give you a real lift 

 
Thanks, Duncan.  My pm back to you crossed with your response above.  Part of that pm contains the following.
 
As for the Klipsch X10s, what I like are the following: those silicone gels are so comfortable and isolate well....enough; I do like the bass (best example of this is the organ parts in Holst's Planets); I think they do pretty well with the frequency spectrum albeit a little fuzzy on the really high notes; I'm surprised about how well they do with fff sections as well as full orchestra (think Mahler and Wagner with all they have going on in the "kitchen"); better with orchestral music, including chamber orchestra.
 
What I don't like are the following (not surprisingly): no clear stereo separation; limited soundstage, especially back to front; instrument placement; poorer with piano and small ensembles (string quartets) and choral.
 
Yup, side-grade would be a waste of money.
 
I appreciate you posting the pm and giving one and all to weigh in.

 

[Duncan]

kiwirugby direct copy of my PM to you - for anyone to chime in with...

It is quite funny - my perfect recommendation(s) are both sitting at US$350, so - I guess that takes them out of the equation!

Seeing that you have the Klipsch, and the JH, will assume that you have a preference for the BA slant on things (I've always had a love / hate, but - since getting the SE846 three weeks ago, definitely feeling the BA love again!) - I would put forward the Sony XBA3 - may now be a couple of years old, and - not top of the line from that range (the XBA4 was), but the 3 is better reviewed as being more linear, and - more BA like...

The treble can sound a little metallic on these gen 1 Sony BAs, but - like you say, you have to sit with a compromise somewhere, with the budget...

The IEM that I could put forward as a mid-range champion is the UE TF10, yes, it isn't made anymore (there was a fire sale a couple of years back, selling for US$99 on Amazon, an absolute steal!!), also it doesn't match up to the SE846, but - for the price, it really isn't bad at all (still for sale on Amazon, so - may be other vendors that offer it, hopefully at a discounted price!) - although for both the Sony and the UE, isolation would definitely come second place compared to CIEM / X10, also the TF10 fit is a little 'funky', with the IEMs poking out of your ears like little radio antenna!

To be very fair though, you could spin this around another way completely, if happy enough to root your M8 (HTC are by far and away the easiest manufacturer to have their devices rooted), and install V4A, even if you ignore the EQ (I'm so not an EQ person), there are spatial mods / tweaks available which could breathe life into your Klipsch...

Also, what music player do / will you use on the M8? - Neutron Player (as my preferred example) allows for various tweaks / up sampling that will increase fidelity...

Personally, other than knowing that the Klipsch will sound a little funky compared to Jerry Harvey's offerings, I think you might find life in the Klipsch if you tweak the handset itself...

 

[kiwirugby]

What do they say here......look out for your wallet on head-fi????  I have succumbed to this so many times before and here I go again!
 
Okay, with a flusher than usual beer fund, let's look at an increased budget, but let's keep things reasonable (</= $350)...please!
 
Thanks for the thoughtful response, Duncan, especially given the different way of coming at the issue by rooting the M8.

 

[Darkseth]

Which sounding do you prefer?
Want a neutral clean sounding? --> Havi B3 Pro1
More Bassy? --> Vsonic VSD3S
 
And yes, despite their price, they are one of the best up to 200 bucks.

 

[braganrie]

The logarithm scale in that plot does have in the end the 20k Hz, i mean, after 10k Hz the scale goes from 10k to 100k( each step is +10k).
This is how logarithm scale works.

 

[scotty2012]

Deleted.

 

[MattTCG]

It was mentioned earlier in this thread that not all htc one (m8) sound very good. Unfortunately mine does not. The sound is quite bad actually even with boom sound off, poweramp and flat EQ. It's syrupy warm and IMO not worth listening to good hp's or iem's on this phone. 
 
Does anyone know the reason that some One's sound good and sound do not? Is this a hardware issue or could it be fixed with a custom rom?
 
thanks...