[youurayy]

Let's put it this way - the sound of S7 edge isn't bad - but if you compare it with iPhone (I tried 5S or iPad Air 2), the musicality simply lacks, despite the resolution being there.
 
But something, somewhere tells me that a 192/24 DAC can (theoretically) be manipulated with the proper software to the point where it sounds just the way we want it to.
 
Granted, power-wise, it only can properly drive a low-impedance in-ear headphones.

 

[ThomasHK]

  Let's put it this way - the sound of S7 edge isn't bad - but if you compare it with iPhone (I tried 5S or iPad Air 2), the musicality simply lacks, despite the resolution being there.
 
But something, somewhere tells me that a 192/24 DAC can (theoretically) be manipulated with the proper software to the point where it sounds just the way we want it to.
 
Granted, power-wise, it only can properly drive a low-impedance in-ear headphones.

I'm pretty sure the issues are with the amp and circuitry. It's just seriously lacking in power, THD rises at higher levels and the seperation is not great. All of these are attributes of the amp+circuitry, not the DAC. 

 

[youurayy]

  I'm pretty sure the issues are with the amp and circuitry. It's just seriously lacking in power, THD rises at higher levels and the seperation is not great. All of these are attributes of the amp+circuitry, not the DAC. 

 
Yeah I agree with that. I was talking about the other properties of the DAC, as even when run through an analog headphone amp (the S7 being set to low volume), the results are IMO fairly worse than iPhone/iPad.

 

[DDDYKI]

I feel like the Bluetooth on this is bad. My Momentum 2s occasionally dip or just outright disconnect, and my vivofit HR will occasionally disconnect as well. The headphones sound great when BT is working, but it will stutter outside and even disconnect indoors.

 

[musiclife]

I just received the S7 EU version (exynos) and I have to put the volume always in the "warning area" else I simply cannot hear anything.
 
To be honest this is disappointing. One should be able to listen comfortably at 50% level but now I am always at 80% or more.
 
EDIT: Even worst than this is the fact that the first 4 steps of volume are basically silent. 
Also in the end the step difference is very crude, so you basically only have 3 choice of sound. For a flagship phone... this is unacceptable.
I am testing with a RE400 so I just cannot imagine the S7 powering a full-size headphone.

 

[Salmonelas]

I just received the S7 EU version (exynos) and I have to put the volume always in the "warning area" else I simply cannot hear anything.

To be honest this is disappointing. One should be able to listen comfortably at 50% level but now I am always at 80% or more.

EDIT: Even worst than this is the fact that the first 4 steps of volume are basically silent. 
Also in the end the step difference is very crude, so you basically only have 3 choice of sound. For a flagship phone... this is unacceptable.
I am testing with a RE400 so I just cannot imagine the S7 powering a full-size headphone.

Hello.ihad the same results with S7 BUT after a minor update in android 24-8-2016 the overal sound quality is on par with my Iphone 4.Also now when i listen through spotify im going to 50% volume and its fime and loud using soundmagic e80 and with Havi b3 im on 60-70.
So maybe you havent update to latest android?
And final note...Poweramp beta...WOW.this player is unbelievable.

 

[cr0wnest]

I just received the S7 EU version (exynos) and I have to put the volume always in the "warning area" else I simply cannot hear anything.

To be honest this is disappointing. One should be able to listen comfortably at 50% level but now I am always at 80% or more.

EDIT: Even worst than this is the fact that the first 4 steps of volume are basically silent. 
Also in the end the step difference is very crude, so you basically only have 3 choice of sound. For a flagship phone... this is unacceptable.
I am testing with a RE400 so I just cannot imagine the S7 powering a full-size headphone.

Use Poweramp Alpha, its way better than Google Play Music or the Samsung Music player. You can also up the preamp in the EQ settings if you need a little bit of volume boost, but I leave mine at flat along with the rest of my EQ. I too have the Exynos variant and I have never had issues with music.

 

[musiclife]

Use Poweramp Alpha, its way better than Google Play Music or the Samsung Music player. You can also up the preamp in the EQ settings if you need a little bit of volume boost, but I leave mine at flat along with the rest of my EQ. I too have the Exynos variant and I have never had issues with music.

 
I am already using poweramp (since i had a galaxy s4) , unlocked version.
 
In the samsung sound settings I already put all the EQ settings to the max gain.
 
But still, its unacceptable that I have to tweak EQs for a flag ship phone. Especially gain!
 

Hello.ihad the same results with S7 BUT after a minor update in android 24-8-2016 the overal sound quality is on par with my Iphone 4.Also now when i listen through spotify im going to 50% volume and its fime and loud using soundmagic e80 and with Havi b3 im on 60-70.
So maybe you havent update to latest android?
And final note...Poweramp beta...WOW.this player is unbelievable.

 
I just got my phone and it updated itself already, i have the G930FXXU1APEQ
 
Now I am thinking to get a refund, because the only solution is to root the phone, to be able to tweak the sound settings completly (at the DAC gain level). But then I void the warranty of a brand new phone.
 
Also every single reviews were talking about how great the camera is, and yes, its a very bright lens and fast focus, but the f*$#$ing over-processing is destroying all that. The korean beautify mode seems to be always enabled even when you turn all the options off.
 
I am not an Apple fan boy, buy I had to buy a MacBook air when Thinkpad ******* up theyr T series by changing the keyboard, and now it seems I will have to get a iPhone to get normal sound and camera wich is not over-processed.

 

[youurayy]

   
I am already using poweramp (since i had a galaxy s4) , unlocked version.
 
In the samsung sound settings I already put all the EQ settings to the max gain.
 
But still, its unacceptable that I have to tweak EQs for a flag ship phone. Especially gain!
 
 
I just got my phone and it updated itself already, i have the G930FXXU1APEQ
 
Now I am thinking to get a refund, because the only solution is to root the phone, to be able to tweak the sound settings completly (at the DAC gain level). But then I void the warranty of a brand new phone.
 
Also every single reviews were talking about how great the camera is, and yes, its a very bright lens and fast focus, but the f*$#$ing over-processing is destroying all that. The korean beautify mode seems to be always enabled even when you turn all the options off.
 
I am not an Apple fan boy, buy I had to buy a MacBook air when Thinkpad ******* up theyr T series by changing the keyboard, and now it seems I will have to get a iPhone to get normal sound and camera wich is not over-processed.

Lol, I notice that too on the front-facing camera.
 
With the over-processing, do you mean the back camera? Try turning off HDR mode / auto. But even then it will be some HDR-ing.
 
I've put Cyanogen mod on my S5 and without the samsung camera app processing the camera just turned to crap.

 

[Duncan]

I just noticed you can get change your dpi settings on this phone. So happy about that, one less reason to root now. About time they let you adjust that.

you can?

Where is that setting at?

 

[warrior1975]

In settings, display, display scaling, condensed or normal. This made me so happy, as it was one of my major reasons to root.

Only 2 settings, but still better than those ridiculously large icons, and waste of real estate.

 

[youurayy]

you can?

Where is that setting at?

 

In settings, display, display scaling, condensed or normal. This made me so happy, as it was one of my major reasons to root.

Only 2 settings, but still better than those ridiculously large icons, and waste of real estate.

 
you can set it to arbirtary value:
 
1. enable usb debugging on the phone in (click 6 times on the Build Number to enable Developer Options)
2. download and install Android SDK to computer
3. connect phone to the computer, allow USB debugging connection
4. on command line on the computer, do: adb shell wm density (remember the original value)
5. do adb shell wm density NUMBER where number is the new value
 
 
http://android.wonderhowto.com/how-to/change-your-androids-screen-resolution-without-root-access-0160439/

 

[zolom]

Noticed an improvement in the volume level of the earphones/USB audio after installing the latest ROM update (August 2016) on my European S7E.

 

[Solarium]

How is the S7E (Exynos or Snapdragon) sound quality compared to the iPhone 6 Plus, using strictly IEM's (SE846)?
 
I read that the HTC 10 has the best sound quality, but the phone kind of sucks. I'm leaving apple to jump to android, I don't need the best sound on the go but I want at least similar sound to my iPhone.

 

[youurayy]

How is the S7E (Exynos or Snapdragon) sound quality compared to the iPhone 6 Plus, using strictly IEM's (SE846)?

I read that the HTC 10 has the best sound quality, but the phone kind of sucks. I'm leaving apple to jump to android, I don't need the best sound on the go but I want at least similar sound to my iPhone.

besides the S7 amp being somewhat weak (not necessarily quiet, but on higher volumes has trouble pushing enough bass imho), I don't like the dry/analytical sound of the s7 DAC (i got the EU version) especially when compared to iPhone 5s/iPad Air 2, that's even when run theough a small headphone tube amp, which is when the iOS devices sound ubelievably great.

turning on upsample in the s7 device sound settings seems to improve the dac sound but i havent done enough testing with that yet.