[RockStar2005]

Ah...gotcha now! Thank you so much! Yep, it would probably be ebay and I am in the US GSM. Thank you!

Update on buying the HTC 10 from HTC.com and Uh Oh Protection: Crash, it appears the HTC.com page that said Uh Oh was no longer available on the 10 after 4/29 was simply NOT updated, and that expiration date was actually cancelled but never removed. An HTC rep I just spoke to via chat just confirmed that she's having the issue escalated and that Uh Oh WILL STILL be an option for those buying a new 10 via HTC.com. So just letting you know. I got it on my 10, so I don't need private cell phone insurance for now.

The way it works is, if the phone's screen gets cracked or water damage (not if phone just "goes bad" though or gets stolen), you tell them and they have a "no questions asked" policy. They just send you a replacement (which is usually refurbished but MAY be new from what I was told). If you DON'T use it within a year, they will e-mail you a code to get $100 off your NEXT HTC.com purchase. Instead of spending $130 or whatever on insurance you can just save that money plus get $100 off your next HTC phone. So it's pretty cool actually. See here for more info (IGNORE the April 29th thing. Again, it will be removed soon and is invalid.)

If the phone "goes bad", just take a hammer to it and say hey the screen broke. Woops! LOL

Hope that helps! May still be better to buy off eBay + get Worth Ave Group ins etc, but I dunno. lol

 

[Smartaudiophone]

It was actually better than the 10?? You're sure?! lol I asked b/c I've read reviews on that DAC and they at best said it just sounded "good". lol

Oh geez. Yeah keep us posted. If u have to set it up every time then I'd rather just keep the 10. lol

After listening more to it, yeah, i`m absolutely sure. That thing sounds fantastic to be honest and yes, better than the HTC10. It`s not a super big difference, but it has better separation, the Bass is more controlled without being less and the soundstage is a tad wider. The difference is audible. I`m really impressed with it, especially considering that i bought it for like 30 or 40€ and didn`t expect much. It sounds excellent.

There is one BIG but though: It sounds like this only when connected to the PC with 24 bit/48000 HZ set in windows sound options. When i connect it to the phone, the sound is audibly worse, no matter which player or setting is used. It sounds just like the standard sound coming from the headphone jack of the 10 when using poweramp.
I`ve read somewhere that this device uses upsampling to 32bit no matter the source, and that could be an explanation maybe. My theory would be that when i set it to 24bit on windows, it maybe bypasses the upsampling processing and the quality remains as it should be. Problem is, i don`t know any player for Android where i can change these settings manually. Now i`m curious if there`s a difference when using it with a G5 as it was intended, but i don`t have one yet. That will change in a very short time though

 

[Smartaudiophone]

Oh, and to answer your question about the setup after restarting windows: Well today i didn`t have to do it, don`t ask me why. It saved all settings all of a sudden. I know all this sounds weird, but really don`t understand this device yet.

 

[RockStar2005]

After listening more to it, yeah, i`m absolutely sure. That thing sounds fantastic to be honest and yes, better than the HTC10. It`s not a super big difference, but it has better separation, the Bass is more controlled without being less and the soundstage is a tad wider. The difference is audible. I`m really impressed with it, especially considering that i bought it for like 30 or 40€ and didn`t expect much. It sounds excellent.

There is one BIG but though: It sounds like this only when connected to the PC with 24 bit/48000 HZ set in windows sound options. When i connect it to the phone, the sound is audibly worse, no matter which player or setting is used. It sounds just like the standard sound coming from the headphone jack of the 10 when using poweramp.
I`ve read somewhere that this device uses upsampling to 32bit no matter the source, and that could be an explanation maybe. My theory would be that when i set it to 24bit on windows, it maybe bypasses the upsampling processing and the quality remains as it should be. Problem is, i don`t know any player for Android where i can change these settings manually. Now i`m curious if there`s a difference when using it with a G5 as it was intended, but i don`t have one yet. That will change in a very short time though

Oh, and to answer your question about the setup after restarting windows: Well today i didn`t have to do it, don`t ask me why. It saved all settings all of a sudden. I know all this sounds weird, but really don`t understand this device yet.

No it makes sense I guess. I'm ONLY concerned with phone audio, and the fact that on a SMARTPHONE it can't compete with the 10 means LG f'd up when they designed it, because it SHOULDN'T be any different on the G5 than it is with other phones because LG even advertised that it could be used with other phones. So if you told me it sounded like it did on the PC with the G5, I'd be SHOCKED.

Yeah post here when u check with it and the G5, but I'm not holding my breath. lol The G5 can't compare to the 10 in OTHER areas anyway (camera, battery life, UI/ease of use, etc). At least not without the help of mods. lol But if it actually IS better sounding than the 10 when the DAC mod is added in, then that WOULD be a +.

 

[Smartaudiophone]

This is kind of related, kind of not. I currently have an LG V10 that I love as a DAP, but is junk as a phone. I need to replace it as it is just not dependable. I am considering something like an HTC 10 or a Sony Xperia X with a Fiio Q1. If I went for the better phone I wouldn't be getting the Q1. Any benefits to one option over the other?

The Xperia X has a Snapdragon 650, so it won`t be the fastest. The camera will also probably be crappy, as with all Sony devices. The camera on the 10 is not great either though (blurry edges, weird things when using manual iso and low shutter speed at night, focus problems here and there, bad HDR) but it will be better than the Xperia X. Speaking about the sound, the HTC10 is better than any Sony device and better than much of the smartphones money can buy. Performance wise, the 10 will feel like a rocket in comparison with the V10 (Had both, the G4 and the V10 with their Snapdragon 808).
.

 

[RockStar2005]

The Xperia X has a Snapdragon 650, so it won`t be the fastest. The camera will also probably be crappy, as with all Sony devices. The camera on the 10 is not great either though (blurry edges, weird things when using manual iso and low shutter speed at night, focus problems here and there, bad HDR) but it will be better than the Xperia X. Speaking about the sound, the HTC10 is better than any Sony device and better than much of the smartphones money can buy. Performance wise, the 10 will feel like a rocket in comparison with the V10 (Had both, the G4 and the V10 with their Snapdragon 808).
.

Camera, crappy? I don't agree there Smart. lol ESP on the newer Sony Xperia X Series phones.

I don't know if it would be better. I had the Xperia X Performance and I think that phone's camera is prob still at least SLIGHTLY better than my 10's is. But after 3 major camera updates my 10's camera has improved dramatically.

On sound I WILL agree with you though! lol Oh yeah, and Snapdragon 820 + 4 GBs of RAM on the 10 make for a LIGHTNING fast phone! The 835 on the U 11 WILL be faster though, for downloading anyway. I get like 4-8 mbps on my 10 with 820 chip in "excellent reception" areas. But my cousin got the S8+ with the 835 and he said he's getting 100 mbps now after leaving 820 as well. Insane! Still I dunno yet if I will get the U 11. Depends on a few things. lol

 

[Smartaudiophone]

No it makes sense I guess. I'm ONLY concerned with phone audio, and the fact that on a SMARTPHONE it can't compete with the 10 means LG f'd up when they designed it, because it SHOULDN'T be any different on the G5 than it is with other phones because LG even advertised that it could be used with other phones. So if you told me it sounded like it did on the PC with the G5, I'd be SHOCKED.

Yeah post here when u check with it and the G5, but I'm not holding my breath. lol The G5 can't compare to the 10 in OTHER areas anyway (camera, battery life, UI/ease of use, etc). At least not without the help of mods. lol But if it actually IS better sounding than the 10 when the DAC mod is added in, then that WOULD be a +.

Yeah, i don`t know what they were thinking. I`m hoping that the G5 will somehow affect the processing like my PC apparently does, we`ll see. For that price it`s still superb. My PC sounded like crap anyway, but as i said my hope was to buy it for never worrying about smartphone audio again.

The 10 is a great device, but it`s too small for me and i have to disagree with what you said about the camera. LG phones suck in many departments, but the camera is not one of them. A friend of mine has a G5 (i will test the DAC with it) and the camera is much better than mine. Pics are sharper, HDR is MUCH better and in manual mode there isn`t even a comparison. Even my old G4 had a better camera than the 10, but it ****ed up in choosing the right white balance quite too often and the oversharpening was annoying.

The 10 was especially dissapointing for me, as i came from a Nexus 6p which has the same camera sensor and expected a lot, but the processing and lense quality (no edge blur, less reflections etc) is much better on the 6p. I loved that phone for the camera and the size, but the sound quality made me puke...It`s a dilemma with those phones

 

[Smartaudiophone]

Camera, crappy? I don't agree there Smart. lol ESP on the newer Sony Xperia X Series phones.

I don't know if it would be better. I had the Xperia X Performance and I think that phone's camera is prob still at least SLIGHTLY better than my 10's is. But after 3 major camera updates my 10's camera has improved dramatically.

On sound I WILL agree with you though! lol Oh yeah, and Snapdragon 820 + 4 GBs of RAM on the 10 make for a LIGHTNING fast phone! The 835 on the U 11 WILL be faster though, for downloading anyway. I get like 4-8 mbps on my 10 with 820 chip in "excellent reception" areas. But my cousin got the S8+ with the 835 and he said he's getting 100 mbps now after leaving 820 as well. Insane! Still I dunno yet if I will get the U 11. Depends on a few things. lol

Could be wrong on the camera. I just never saw a Sony phone with a decent camera in comparison with other flagships and considering the price they charge (Had the Z2, Z3 and Z5 for a few months each), so my bias was speaking. Maybe it`s different with the X, but yeah, the 10 is a much better choice.

 

[RockStar2005]

Yeah, i don`t know what they were thinking. I`m hoping that the G5 does somehow affect the processing like my PC apparently does, we`ll see. For that price it`s still superb, my PC sounded like crap anyway, but as i said my hope was to buy it for never worrying about smartphone audio again.

The 10 is a great device, but it`s too small for me and i have to disagree with what you said about the camera. LG phones suck in many departments, but the camera is not one of them. A friend of mine has a G5 (i will test the DAC with it) and the camera is much better than mine. Pics are sharper, HDR is MUCH better and in manual mode there isn`t even a comparison. Even my old G4 had a better camera than the 10, but it ****ed up in choosing the right white balance quite too often and the oversharpening was annoying.

The 10 was especially dissapointing for me, as i came from a Nexus 6p which has the same camera sensor and expected a lot, but the processing is and lense quality (no edge blur, less reflections etc) is much better on the 6p. I loved that phone for the camera and the size, but the sound quality made me puke...It`s a dilemma with those phones

I dunno man. I think DxOMark would disagree with you on LG G5 vs. HTC 10 camera. lol

I'm VERY happy with my 10's camera. But when I tried it last summer before the camera updates were deployed (well at least last 2 of 3), it WASN'T very good, especially with details when I zoomed in on stuff with words on it taken a bit far away. But now that issue is resolved and the detail IS there.

I can't say on the 6P, but again DxOMark would not agree. Of course that's just averages so yeah. lol I never tried the 6P so I can't say really.

Yeah no kidding! To me the HTC 10 is the best overall, but no perfect though. What can ya do but keep demanding a better phone and hopin' for the best?!

 

[RockStar2005]

Could be wrong on the camera. I just never saw a Sony phone with a decent camera in comparison with other flagships and considering the price they charge (Had the Z2, Z3 and Z5 for a few months each), so my bias was speaking. Maybe it`s different with the X, but yeah, the 10 is a much better choice.

Once again, DxOMark is backing me up here on the X Performance's camera. lol For the first time ever, when compared to Samsung's phones, THAT phone IMO outdid the Samsung flagship phones' camera quality. The Z5 they say matched Samsung but X Performance OUTDID it. See here too for a S7 vs. HTC 10 vs. X Perf comparison, but KEEP in mind that the 10's pics on that site are like a year old and would prob look better if taken now than back then. 10 and XP win on color accuracy, and S7 and XP win on detail, with XP IMO being dominant in both.

And don't believe everything you read online. lol I feel that a lot of reviewers are BIASED towards Apple and Samsung anyway. And I'm not the only one. lol

I had the Z3 and yeah even in MM it couldn't match the Note 4 or Note 5.

 

[Smartaudiophone]

I dunno man. I think DxOMark would disagree with you on LG G5 vs. HTC 10 camera. lol

I'm VERY happy with my 10's camera. But when I tried it last summer before the camera updates were deployed (well at least last 2 of 3), it WASN'T very good, especially with details when I zoomed in on stuff with words on it taken a bit far away. But now that issue is resolved and the detail IS there.

I can't say on the 6P, but again DxOMark would not agree. Of course that's just averages so yeah. lol I never tried the 6P so I can't say really.

Yeah no kidding! To me the HTC 10 is the best overall, but no perfect though. What can ya do but keep demanding a better phone and hopin' for the best?!

You shouldn`t give too much about the DXOmark ratings, they`re very weird and many people are complaining rightfully about their nonsense. Maybe by their methods it`s ok, but it`s another story when you compare those phones in real life. As i have gone through tons of phones in my never ending quest for the perfect sound and camera combination, i can give you some examples: P9 is ranked lower than Xperia z3 plus, which is a bad joke. The camera on the P9 destroys the Z3 in every way imaginable. The same goes for the nexus 6p ranked lower than the 10 or a Galaxy s6, while the pixel is ranked the highest (which i agree for once) Problem here is, the 6p camera is almost identical to the Pixel, be it the specs or the processing. it has the same HDR plus technology, the same sensor specs, similiar lenses (even the halo lenseflare in when shooting in particular light is identical ). The only difference between the 6p and the pixel is the white balance (6p tends to be cooler) and that the HDR plus is processed instantly on the pixel, while it takes a little bit on the 6p. Another good example: S6 ranked lower than S6 edge plus which makes absolutely no sense. They have the exactly same camera, the exactly same image processing, the exactly same everything and there`s much more nonsense on this site.

 

[RockStar2005]

You shouldn`t give too much about the DXOmark ratings, they`re very weird and many people are complaining rightfully about their nonsense. Maybe by their methods it`s ok, but it`s another story when you compare those phones in real life. As i have gone through tons of phones in my never ending quest for the perfect sound and camera combination, i can give you some examples: P9 is ranked lower than Xperia z3 plus, which is a bad joke. The camera on the P9 destroys the Z3 in every way imaginable. The same goes for the nexus 6p ranked lower than the 10 or a Galaxy s6, while the pixel is ranked the highest (which i agree for once) Problem here is, the 6p camera is almost identical to the Pixel, be it the specs or the processing. it has the same HDR plus technology, the same sensor specs, similiar lenses (even the halo lenseflare in when shooting in particular light is identical ). The only difference between the 6p and the pixel is the white balance (6p tends to be cooler) and that the HDR plus is processed instantly on the pixel, while it takes a little bit on the 6p. Another good example: S6 ranked lower than S6 edge plus which makes absolutely no sense. They have the exactly same camera, the exactly same image processing, the exactly same everything and there`s much more nonsense on this site.

I know. I was semi-messing with you. Part of me believes what I said though. lol

DxoMark's problem is it doesn't make it clear that it's ratings are averages and "visual quality" is only part of that overall score.

Tons of phones? Wow you sound like me. I went through like 5 phones in 2014 and 3 last year! lol 4 if you count January of this year!! lol

Yeah man, that magical combination just doesn't exist right now, though I still think the 10 is the closest by far. lol

P9? Never heard of it?

Yeah you got a point there..........S6 and S6+ shouldn't be any different at all! Unless Samsung LIED?! lol

 

[oryan_dunn]

If you're looking for an HTC 10, you may want to wait a few days, as the announcement for the new HTC (whatever it'll be called) is just next week. It's possible there would be sales or promo codes on the 10. Even though you can save money by going the ebay route, I know for myself, I'd want to make sure HTC would honor warranty claims. I just had to swap out my 10, due to a camera flash defect that was there since I got it at launch. They just sent me a new phone and I just sent my old one back. No matter, however you come by an HTC 10, I'm sure you'll love it. It's just such a shame the rest of the world didn't realize how good of phone they were missing out on.

 

[RockStar2005]

If you're looking for an HTC 10, you may want to wait a few days, as the announcement for the new HTC (whatever it'll be called) is just next week. It's possible there would be sales or promo codes on the 10. Even though you can save money by going the ebay route, I know for myself, I'd want to make sure HTC would honor warranty claims. I just had to swap out my 10, due to a camera flash defect that was there since I got it at launch. They just sent me a new phone and I just sent my old one back. No matter, however you come by an HTC 10, I'm sure you'll love it. It's just such a shame the rest of the world didn't realize how good of phone they were missing out on.

Hey Oryan!

Oryan makes a good point. The HTC U 11 (most likely name) gets announced LATE Monday night (1am CST) by HTC, and most likely will be released sometime in hopefully EARLY June, if not sooner. So yes, all that is true that it wouldn't hurt to wait. I actually got my 10 for $100 off using a promo code I found back in January. You can check like retailmenot.com for promo codes to use on HTC.com starting next Tuesday. Sometimes they work, sometimes not.

Typically if the seller appears reputable (based on rating) on eBay, and has sold like 1000 items or more, I generally believe the warranty will be honored, but yeah I'd prefer to just buy from HTC directly. Plus you get Uh Oh Protection free for 1 year only IF you buy directly from HTC.

Yeah man, it really sucks. HTC deserves A LOT better than what they got. I just wish they would look into finding ways to further fund marketing and of course R&D as well. People don't generally buy what they don't know........they go for what's familiar. Apple and Samsung are familiar. Samsung advertises all the freakin' time, and Apple is a unique brand and SIMPLE to use so that attracts the masses. Android takes more time to learn but offers MORE customizing options. HTC phones are IMO one the most simplest phones to use but are still feature-rich too (i.e., Auto Answer lol). IMO, they and Sony Xperia phones are the two CLOSEST to iPhone in terms of being user-friendly. If HTC would just do more TV ads, billboards, product placement in TV/Movies, etc, I think things would be VERY different for them.

 

[Blueshound24]

use that link I sent you then for New Unlocked 10s

Would you be so kind as to send me the link as well?