Hey Crash,
I owned the Galaxy S7 and Xperia X Performance for like all of last year (majority of time with X Perf). The S7's sound quality was ATROCIOUS, both sound AND call quality. The Xperia X Performance was better on call and sound, but I still always combined ith with my $299 Oppo HA-2 premium amp/DAC (like I did with previous phones). However, when January came and I pitted the X Perf + Oppo against the HTC 10, I found that the 10 at least MATCHED (if not outdid?) the sound quality AND volume output of the HA-2, which was a bit shocking, but in a very good way. The Sony however DID NOT match the Oppo (I could hear more hiss and less clarity when testing it w/o the Oppo). I then sold off BOTH my X Perf and the HA-2. I no longer have to connect an in-between device like the HA-2 anymore, which is a nice bonus too. I use Poweramp Alpha 704 as my player which is the best! Regular Poweramp is fine too.
Sony was dominant in sound quality and esp battery life until the Z series ended and the X series took over IMO. The "2-Day Battery Life Guarantee" was NO WHERE to be found on my X Perf. And the sound quality I felt went backwards or at best stayed the same since my former Xperia Z3 (which was AWESOME). In 2014 it was great, but with the V10, V20, and HTC 10, Sony should've stepped up its game, but it didn't. The ONLY thing Sony is still better at IMO is camera, but the HTC 10 uses (for the first time) a Sony sensor, and pictures are GREAT, esp after the 3 major camera updates its received so far from HTC (mine is unlocked). To me, the difference is not enough to warrant keeping the X Perf, esp when you consider battery life and sound quality. The battery life on the 10 isn't A LOT better than the X Perf's was, but it's enough to get by for me. With the unlocked HTC I also got a phone that also let me use VoLTE for better phone service which I didn't have with Sony cuz they were to cheap to get
that certified with my carrier T-Mobile, but HTC wasn't b/c they actually CARE about their U.S. customers like me. Sony's let me down one too many times with their stupid late releases and no carrier involvement, etc.
If you want private smartphone insurance, check out either Square Trade or
Worth Ave Group (I used them). Worth covers theft as well.
So my advice: Ditch the V10, get the 10, and live happier! lol