[Francisk]

The S7 amp does have more power to give but it seems to be set quite a bit below maximum at a firmware level. On a rooted S7 you can change a few settings to bump up that power, the only problem is that you have to adjust the settings to reflect the type of headphones you are using, if you bump the power too much you get noise with more sensitive IEMs for example. Even the output from the DAC stage is set below maximum (32 of 48) if I recall. If you push the output all the way up it does introduce some distortion but at that level it was too loud with my K702s.

I'm not sure if Samsung did this to provide volume limiting/protection or if it has been done to extend battery life.

I'm in the UK so a stock S7 will have the EU limit imposed in any case but I'm sure the EU limited iPhone has an output of 0.5V whereas the S7 was 0.7V, maxed out I'm sure the S7 was up to more than 1.5V. I wouldn't swear to these figures though.

I'm very surprised why EU or Samsung must assume that everyone is using the stupendous sounding stock IEM of any Android phone? At the very least, the end user should have the right to set their own volume limit. Are they not aware that there are many Android phone users that own high quality IEMs which need more power than the pathetic volume limit they force us to accept? If all they are trying to do is to save everyone's hearing then they'd do a better job by turning down the volume of all TV and Radio commercials.

 

[bravomail]

I just installed Ainur Sauron magisk module from xda. It removes all the phone sound processing and sends sound directly to DAC without changes. It made a yuge difference! Highly recommended! Also latest PowerAmp v3 alpha (build 704 and higher) supports Exynos model's CS DAC. The only downside - u'd have to pay for it, but 2 weeks trial is here. I have Samsung Galaxy S7 edge G935F model (Exynos).

 

[Francisk]

I just installed Ainur Sauron magisk module from xda. It removes all the phone sound processing and sends sound directly to DAC without changes. It made a yuge difference! Highly recommended! Also latest PowerAmp v3 alpha (build 704 and higher) supports Exynos model's CS DAC. The only downside - u'd have to pay for it, but 2 weeks trial is here. I have Samsung Galaxy S7 edge G935F model (Exynos).

Thanks for the good news bravomail. I have Poweramp (paid version) but not the alpha build 704. I'll wait for the official update. Do I need to root my S7 Edge to use Ainur Sauron magisk module? If I have to root then it's not a solution for me.

 

[mx19]

I just bought S7 (normal, not edge - I hate big phones) finally after few years of looking for compact flagship with DAC. It's EU version with Exynos and Cirrus Logic DAC (and the newest Android 7.0). I use Poweramp alpha build 704 and after activating Hi-Res Output and DVC I have to admit that I'm really pleased with audio. I'm using middle-class IEMs with Phonak Audeo with grey filters and Jay's tips and TDK IE800 being my favourite duo (so you can imagine what kind of sound I prefer).
I consider it to be sounding better than my Irivers of old with Wolfson DACs paired with same Audeos.

My advice to the other owners of S7 Exynos and Poweramp - be sure that you've got 704 version from Poweramp's website - I installed 703 which I was using on my old LG L90 (btw. there's a real difference between it and S7 in terms of SQ) - and it just doesn't recognize the DAC in S7 and there's no option for activating Hi-Res Output.
Also another key thing is to have Direct Volume Control activated.

 

[GHostCCM]

It was ok my s7 edge till it got stolen in a burger in front of my friend .....
i got a brand new meizu pro 5 and mom ohh mom the difference in sound is from heaven to hell. Has 2 audio sources 1low power wolfson for 20ohm and lower and one sabre with 20ohm or higher and the sound is amazing on the sabre drives even 300ohm headphones nicely xDxD

 

[NCSUZoSo]

Does anyone know of a way to get 96/24 or 192/24 out of the S7 Edge through Bluetooth to an Apt-X capable Yamaha (Bluetooth to Coax) module that is outputting coax to my ES9038Pro DAC? This bluetooth module is the only thing I have with coax output on hand so I was going to run that and see how coax sounded. However I was limited to 44.1 kHz no matter what I changed in the settings of Neutron Music Player or Samsung Music. Samsung Level is useless to me, because I am using a bluetooth to coax module not headphones. Surely this isn't that hard and Samsung thought about people using home theater systems with bluetooth accessories. Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[israikc]

Does anyone know of a way to get 96/24 or 192/24 out of the S7 Edge through Bluetooth to an Apt-X capable Yamaha (Bluetooth to Coax) module that is outputting coax to my ES9038Pro DAC? This bluetooth module is the only thing I have with coax output on hand so I was going to run that and see how coax sounded. However I was limited to 44.1 kHz no matter what I changed in the settings of Neutron Music Player or Samsung Music. Samsung Level is useless to me, because I am using a bluetooth to coax module not headphones. Surely this isn't that hard and Samsung thought about people using home theater systems with bluetooth accessories. Thanks in advance for any info.

Short answer: you can't.
Long answer: aptX was designed to stream 16-bit 44.1kHz audio, that's why no matter the configuration on your devices (S7 edge, Yamaha module/receiver) you will not get any "hi-res" audio out. The only way I think you'd be able to get 96/24 audio to your Yamaha is streaming some music to a Chromecast Audio as those can output 96/24 audio through an optical connection.

I hope that was helpful.

 

[mx19]

Hello to everyone , just got into headfi after following the comunity for several years...
Ive just wanted to ask if are there any news about s7 edge dac with exynos.
I think i found the dac , spoken with a engineer friend that kind of works with audio chips...
He told me the lucky cs47l91 is actually
the cirrus logic cs47l90 renamed .
https://www.cirrus.com/products/cs47l90/
Also in this site shows cs47l90/91 same chip
http://www.sensory.com/products/technologies/partners/

Now this is A BIG NEWS for me. Really it is. I just decided to buy a substitute for my beloved Audeos and decided on FLC8s because of the stellar reviews and easiness to drive them.
Massdrop PLUS UIEM were my #1 but I decided against them after reading that they need source with low output impedance, because with source over 1~1,5 Ohm of output impedance they start to change their signature.
I didn't know the output impedance for the Exynos version - Snapdragon has been measured at 5.6 Ohms so it was way off the needed mark.
And the BIG NEWS is that the output impedance for the Exynos/Cirrus Logic DAC version is as low as 0.2 Ohm, as quoted by Cirrus in CS47I90 specification. So it's a great, great info.
I can feel that the package from Massdrop will arrive in near future

EDIT: Thanks to some kind gentleman who gave me a link to the tests of S7 on some Korean site I found out that the ACTUALL output impedance of Exynos Galaxy S7 (SM-G930) is equal to 2.93 Ohms. Not as good as 0.2 Ohms but still way better than Snapdragon version.

Sidenote: The more I listen to my S7 the more I'm convinced it's a great sounding phone, really. Key thing is to have Android 7.0 and Poweramp Alpha 704 that can play music straight through DAC bypassing all the Android's BS software limitations. And of course having Direct Volume Control and Hi-Res Output enabled in Poweramp's options. Comparing it to Samsung Music it's a night/day difference - despite mixing with Samsung's sound options.
Of course it still won't beat phones with ESS/TI separate amps for shear power but it has enough of it for me. I was never able to listen to more than 80% of volume on any of my IEMs. And TBH I prefer it's signature vs. LG V10's (or LG G5's or similar single ESS based phones) Sabre's which is too digital for me.
FLC8s sound just great with it (with merciless green filters on!) - and I think that underlines S7's SQ, because these are very revealing IEMs. They are pretty easy to drive that's true, but still at 50% volume level is enough for me 'party-like' listening.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Anyone else have the Snapdragon (T-Mobile, G935T) S7 Edge and not using with a separate DAC-HPamp? I ended up with my Dad's older phone after my even older phones were stolen and now the camera is screwing up on my Note4. As a smartphone, the only thing I miss about the Note4 is the stylus and how my fingers don't accidentally press anything on the curved screen (the latter I'm sure I'll get used to eventually), but as a music player, the S7 Edge Snapdragon absolutely sucks. The bass is even more bloated than on my old S3 (which blew its power chip in 2016, which was how I ended up with a Note3 and Note4 when the Note5 came out), the midrange is somewhat hollow sounding...it's like an old car with an old B52 speaker that somebody bought from an auto parts store (not an actual car audio fabrication shop that deals with, say, DLS or Focal).

Normally I'd just EQ that the way I EQ-d the SGS3 and J7 Prime (my work phone now), but I spent an hour on it with Neutralizeer and I can't get it right (took me about 10mins with Neutron on the SGS3 and about 5mins with Neutralizer on the J7 Prime). Works properly on the test tone, ut the music still comes out weird , except this time instead of a crap B52 in some jalopy it sounds like a 1970s stereo but running off the FM receiver.

That B52 and FM receiver analogy has one core thing in common other than crappy in their own way response: there's some annoying static in the background. It's louder on my ZST and very soft (but still audible without straining to hear it) on my ASG-1.3 (this static was not present in any other things I've plugged either IEM into), and in tracks that have any kind of bass beat, there's an additional layer of softer static that pulses with the beat.

Is this normal for the S7 Edge or is this thing broken? All the other smartphones I've used were T-Mobile units using Snapdragons, not any of the Exynos+Wolfson units (save for my SGS which had the Wolfson DAC), and the Note 3 and Note 4 (plus the Note 2 my friend had) had neutral, very clean analogue output and enough driving power for all the IEMs I've tried on them that I even doubted whether the Exynos versions were actually any better (more so when we're all on T-Mobile and you can't use WiFi calling on a phone that didn't come from them). This S7 Edge I have on me is just horrible I'm considering getting the Fiio BTR1.

 

[GHostCCM]

Hi there,
I dont have my s7 edge exynos anymore but i would say that your phone has an issue. Never heard either of snapdragon variant to have those issues , yes it does sound worse than the exynos but not having static and all those things.
Acctualy the s7 edge exynos i had was the third best sounding smartphone i had after my actual Meizu pro 5 and the old nokia 91.
I would get that fixed if you have warranty.

 

[GHostCCM]

Now this is A BIG NEWS for me. Really it is. I just decided to buy a substitute for my beloved Audeos and decided on FLC8s because of the stellar reviews and easiness to drive them.
Massdrop PLUS UIEM were my #1 but I decided against them after reading that they need source with low output impedance, because with source over 1~1,5 Ohm of output impedance they start to change their signature.
I didn't know the output impedance for the Exynos version - Snapdragon has been measured at 5.6 Ohms so it was way off the needed mark.
And the BIG NEWS is that the output impedance for the Exynos/Cirrus Logic DAC version is as low as 0.2 Ohm, as quoted by Cirrus in CS47I90 specification. So it's a great, great info.
I can feel that the package from Massdrop will arrive in near future

EDIT: Thanks to some kind gentleman who gave me a link to the tests of S7 on some Korean site I found out that the ACTUALL output impedance of Exynos Galaxy S7 (SM-G930) is equal to 2.93 Ohms. Not as good as 0.2 Ohms but still way better than Snapdragon version.

Sidenote: The more I listen to my S7 the more I'm convinced it's a great sounding phone, really. Key thing is to have Android 7.0 and Poweramp Alpha 704 that can play music straight through DAC bypassing all the Android's BS software limitations. And of course having Direct Volume Control and Hi-Res Output enabled in Poweramp's options. Comparing it to Samsung Music it's a night/day difference - despite mixing with Samsung's sound options.
Of course it still won't beat phones with ESS/TI separate amps for shear power but it has enough of it for me. I was never able to listen to more than 80% of volume on any of my IEMs. And TBH I prefer it's signature vs. LG V10's (or LG G5's or similar single ESS based phones) Sabre's which is too digital for me.
FLC8s sound just great with it (with merciless green filters on!) - and I think that underlines S7's SQ, because these are very revealing IEMs. They are pretty easy to drive that's true, but still at 50% volume level is enough for me 'party-like' listening.

Hi there,
Yeah it really is a great phone , too bad mine got stolen but on the bright side i got an amazing Meizu Pro 5 that sounds like mozart compared to others hehe...xD
I absolutely love this one with its sabre dac and omap amp it outputs 2.1v at barrely 2 or 3 ohm if im not mistaken.
With 0 noise or static its like being shot down , when i connect my senns hd 598 cs its like heaven even maxed out , even beats by far my old nokia n91 that was a beast on its own.

Regards

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I dont have my s7 edge exynos anymore but i would say that your phone has an issue. Never heard either of snapdragon variant to have those issues , yes it does sound worse than the exynos but not having static and all those things.
Acctualy the s7 edge exynos i had was the third best sounding smartphone i had after my actual Meizu pro 5 and the old nokia 91.

That's the thing, I had most of other Samsungs (skipping one gen save for the Note 3 and Note 4), all Snapdragons from T-Mobile, and even with the consistently less neutral output on the S phons vs the Notes, they were all good enough and usable. Although the Notes were exceptionally clean and neutral I even doubted if the Exynos versions were any better as with the S versions.

I would get that fixed if you have warranty.

No warranty anymore. I haven't bought any new phones since 2010 (save for the J7 Prime which I had to get quick after my phones were stolen, and I need two phones - one for T-Mobile so I can use WiFi calling to call any US number for free from most countries here in Asia) since my Dad and brother are the ones who really routinely upgrade their phones, especially with the 50% off on older phones or buy 1, get equal value gift card (effectively buy 1 take 1, or you use the gift card to cover your monthly bills) that they get every year (though with the exception of broken phones, we only use it every other year). My mother and I get the older phones when we do because I never really needed the newest smartphone features, just a large enough screen for my fat thumbs (and maybe a stylus in case I need to scribble on a pic), a still decent enough camera, and above all an acceptable audio player.

And the S7 Edge Snapdragon is totally screwing up on that last one. Not even sure how to fix this. Charging screwed up a month ago and Samsung techs checked the whole phone for any defects (ie some older models bust the power chip sooner than they wear out the battery), but they supposedly found no abnormal grounding or measurements in the entire board and presumably the screen connector too.

--------------------

EDIT: Brought the S7 Edge to work today; drained my Note4 down to 30% so I charged that one and used the S7 Edge. Other than slightly brighter sound vs the Note4 (I use an EQ with my beater IEMs even on the better phones), no problem. No static noise, no noise pulsing with the beat, bass wasn't a low volume and undefined mess (even with Tube Amp tone simulator enabled).

When I was setting it up and testing the audio last night I was also charging it at the same time so that was likely it. Still, all my other phones never had t his problem, including a J7 Prime that also had the 3.5mm jack right next to (though on the other side of) the sync/charge port, so I'm not even sure if that was the key design problem with this thing.

 

[GHostCCM]

It could be that the shielding inside the phone is broken or badly placed , you could also try to clean the charging and headphone jack ports with alcohol and activate "disable audio routing to usb output" in developer options when charging and listening to music at the same time.
One thing i can say about the S7 is that the charging port is crap , mine stopped working every since and a while cuz of dirt or maybe cuz it is bad.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

It could be that the shielding inside the phone is broken or badly placed , you could also try to clean the charging and headphone jack ports with alcohol and activate "disable audio routing to usb output" in developer options when charging and listening to music at the same time.
One thing i can say about the S7 is that the charging port is crap , mine stopped working every since and a while cuz of dirt or maybe cuz it is bad.

Sounds like a defnite hardware defect. I'll probably just leave it alone, I very rarely listen with them plugged in anyway.

Just for kicks I tried it with a power bank just now and the noise is there, just softer. I'm going to guess the same bull will happen with a battery case. Doesn't happen when there's a cable plugged in or even the AC charger plugged in but the power strip is off.