[lolwatpear]

  Out of curiosity, what's behind the apparently persistent low volume of Nexus devices? I could barely watch Netflix on my Nexus 7 when in public--couldn't hear dialogue.
 
I swore off Google products after my experience with the 7, but the 5 is so attractive as hardware. This is real minimalism. It makes the iProducts seem frou-frou.

why didn't you like the nexus 7?  i just got it myself, and its probably the best tablet i've owned regardless of value.

 

[Baroninkjet]

I had the original N7 and the headphone out was pretty awful. Other than that, I liked it.

 

[dimmockg]

slightly off topic....

but in the picture (post 62) can anybody advise if the circular battery icon is available for the nexus 5

if so, how and where do i get it?

thanks

 

[Gunbuster]

Search for cataclysm ROM on xda

 

[dimmockg]

ok, cheers, so will that involve rooting etc?

 

[jjmai]

How does Nexus 5 compare with the original Galaxy S with voodoo?
Also, does Nexus 5's Bluetooth support Apt-x?

 

[Xinze]

I'm very interested in a credible guide to mod the Nexus 5 like 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/627459/use-a-standard-usb-dac-with-a-nexus-7-step-by-step-guide
 
for the Nexus 7..
 
 
Can someone make this happen, besides a mass of posts saying this worked, that didn't, etc.

 

[Erukian]

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7567/smartphone-audio-quality-testing/
 
some nexus 5 measurements

 

[cthip]

  http://www.anandtech.com/show/7567/smartphone-audio-quality-testing/
 
some nexus 5 measurements

 
Unfortunately these tests confirm what I've observed with my Nexus 5 over the past month.  Using RE-0 headphones (64 ohm, 100db/mW) I have to max out the volume most of the time.  I can't detect signal clipping per se, but I can tell that it doesn't sound quite right with the volume control that high.
 
My stopgap solution has been to keep the volume control three clicks down from max (as recommended in the anandtech article) and use a Fiio E6 inline portable amplifier.  It's certainly not ideal, but it's cheap and gets the job done.
 
I haven't gone through this thread to check, but my suspicion is that those who are happy with the audio quality on the Nexus 5 might be those with lower impedance and higher sensitivity headphones.  Those with headphones that are tougher to drive have been less impressed.
 
So, since no USB DACs are currently working, the solutions are to mod the phone with a kernel that uses FauxSound or similar control of the amplifier, or to use an external amplifier, or to choose easier-to-drive headphones. 

 

[Erukian]

  So, since no USB DACs are currently working, the solutions are to mod the phone with a kernel that uses FauxSound or similar control of the amplifier, or to use an external amplifier, or to choose easier-to-drive headphones. 

 
I agree. It'd be great to see before/after kernel modding to see how the measurements compare.

 

[Baroninkjet]

   
Unfortunately these tests confirm what I've observed with my Nexus 5 over the past month.  Using RE-0 headphones (64 ohm, 100db/mW) I have to max out the volume most of the time.  I can't detect signal clipping per se, but I can tell that it doesn't sound quite right with the volume control that high.

 
Sounds about the same as my results with LG G2. Distortion was noticeable at high end of volume scale. 

 

[Baroninkjet]

  http://www.anandtech.com/show/7567/smartphone-audio-quality-testing/
 
some nexus 5 measurements

 
FYI -- Supercurio comments on the Anandtech article:
 
https://plus.google.com/109625418534467664286/posts/Gfvz8kWyMoQ

 

[cthip]

   
FYI -- Supercurio comments on the Anandtech article:
 
https://plus.google.com/109625418534467664286/posts/Gfvz8kWyMoQ

 
Good to see that it caught his eye.  His VoodooSound driver on my old Nexus S (Wolfson DAC) was really something special.  I've been following him lately since he does seem to be a Nexus 5 fan, but unfortunately these days he seems more interested in camera performance, displays, and color calibration rather than audio so I'm not holding my breath on an audio solution from rim.

 

[Mariano3113]

   
.........
 
I haven't gone through this thread to check, but my suspicion is that those who are happy with the audio quality on the Nexus 5 might be those with lower impedance and higher sensitivity headphones.  Those with headphones that are tougher to drive have been less impressed.
 
So, since no USB DACs are currently working, the solutions are to mod the phone with a kernel that uses FauxSound or similar control of the amplifier, or to use an external amplifier, or to choose easier-to-drive headphones. 

 
I would have to agree with your assumption as ....I am one of those who was thoroughly impressed as I am using SE535s. They have low impedance and high sensitivity....my Brother's HTC One while having more headphone output - has a very audible hiss with my SE535s.Enough so that I would use my iBasso D-Zero with those or my Samsung Note 2 with the D-zero to have a cleaner background. But with the Nexus 5 it was a silent background from the get go.
 
Since the SE535s are easy to drive I did not need further amplification to get decent listening levels as the stock+ (faux kernel+faux sound or sound mods do more then enough to get loud sound from both the Speakerphone and the headphone out) has excess for my normal listening levels but covers the gap from poorly recorded on-line content.(Hulu Plus seems to have varying sound levels - some too low, which is fixed by the increased headphone volume)

 

[Erukian]

Wouldn't the mods that drive up volume drive up distortion?