[Soul_Est]

I currently have two phones in my possession: a Motorola Milestone and a Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro.  The Milestone is quite bassy while the Xperia X10 Mini Pro is much more neutral.  Despite that the Xperia X10 Mini Pro is the only one that I'll listen to music on since the Milestone's headphone jack isn't soldered onto the PCB directly and is thus prone to shifting around causing incredibly bad feedback in the form of scratching sounds.  If you're using IEMs, I'd stick with one that has low impedance and <=100dB/mW sensitivity to cut down on the noise you hear while playing your music (Panasonic RP-HJE900 Zirconias anyone?).  Don't about headphones though.

 

[techfreakazoid]

Anyone compare the SQ of the BlackBerry Torch, Samsung Galaxy S, and HTC Desire Z?  If so, what player, OS version, tweaks?  Winamp just came out on Android so let's hope foobar and MediaMonkey come out so we'll be closer to transitioning over to smartphones.

 

[ab111]

Thought I would chime in here as there has been mentions of the Samsung Galaxy S line. I had a Vibrant from Bell which is a slight variation of the T Mobile version but I thought the sound quality was lacking. The headphone port is underpowered which has been found as something Samsung did. They decreased the max volume which can be changed back to full power via an app a person on the xda forums created. This though destroyed the battery life that is already very poor on this phone. The phone I had before the Vibrant was a first gen iPhone. I would compare the Vibrant headphone out as slightly worse than the iPhone 2g via line out to an iBasso T3. The Vibrant packs a pretty decent punch was warm but did not have the clarity and sparkle I could achieve with the iPhone 2g. This comparison isn't quite fair as I was using a line out for the iPhone and headphone out for the Vibrant. The Vibrant does not have a line out (yet, a person on xda might be working on one) so one could argue that it was using each its best audio output. I did try amping the Vibrant via its headphone out but I found no benefit other than higher volumes.
 
On a side note I returned 5 Vibrants in 5 days and had 6 in total as they all had the same bug where it froze when it was struggling for reception. Bell my service provider still would not let me switch to a different phone even though the phone was brand new.
 
I just received my iPhone 4 so I haven't compared how this sounds yet to the Vibrant but I will be doing so over the next couple of days. I have been using my IE8's as my primary iem but I also have TF10's that I will be using soon as I have to do a warranty return on the IE8's.
 
Hopefully this helps and I will add some impressions of the iPhone 4 vs iPhone 2g vs the Vibrant.
 
AB111

 

[Young Spade]

Yes the galaxy s phones do not have good sous quality. I thought it did when I used that alone but the 4G iPod touch beats it in pretty much all areas besides having a custom equalizer.

I have the Captivate and directly compared it with the same song using my Shure SE535s.

 

[Albedo]

Nokia N8 and iPhone 4 are of no interest, but one phone has lately caught my interest...
 

 
 
First Android with Bang & Olufsen ICEpower, more specific the chip MobileSound3, more info. on the phone -> http://beophile.com/?p=13735
 
More info. on the chip -> http://www.icepower.bang-olufsen.com/en/solutions/mobile/

 

[jasonb]

wow... an interesting android for sure.

 

[techfreakazoid]

 
Quote:

Thought I would chime in here as there has been mentions of the Samsung Galaxy S line. I had a Vibrant from Bell which is a slight variation of the T Mobile version but I thought the sound quality was lacking. The headphone port is underpowered which has been found as something Samsung did. They decreased the max volume which can be changed back to full power via an app a person on the xda forums created. This though destroyed the battery life that is already very poor on this phone. The phone I had before the Vibrant was a first gen iPhone. I would compare the Vibrant headphone out as slightly worse than the iPhone 2g via line out to an iBasso T3. The Vibrant packs a pretty decent punch was warm but did not have the clarity and sparkle I could achieve with the iPhone 2g. This comparison isn't quite fair as I was using a line out for the iPhone and headphone out for the Vibrant. The Vibrant does not have a line out (yet, a person on xda might be working on one) so one could argue that it was using each its best audio output. I did try amping the Vibrant via its headphone out but I found no benefit other than higher volumes.
 
On a side note I returned 5 Vibrants in 5 days and had 6 in total as they all had the same bug where it froze when it was struggling for reception. Bell my service provider still would not let me switch to a different phone even though the phone was brand new.
 
I just received my iPhone 4 so I haven't compared how this sounds yet to the Vibrant but I will be doing so over the next couple of days. I have been using my IE8's as my primary iem but I also have TF10's that I will be using soon as I have to do a warranty return on the IE8's.
 
Hopefully this helps and I will add some impressions of the iPhone 4 vs iPhone 2g vs the Vibrant.
 
AB111

Thanks for sharing your Vibrant experience, AB111.  I thought the xda hp hack addressed the SQ, but I guess not.  Wasn't expecting to replace my S9, but it would be nice to have a decent backup player.  How does voice SQ stack up for incoming and outgoing calls i.e., tinny, clarity, mids, treble?  Wow, five Vibrants in five days.  Did you receive a new one each time?  Could you not simulate the freeze in the store?  Keep us posted on the iPhone 4 vs. Vibrant comparison.
 
@Albedo
Most interesting, though I wonder about the B&O tax and when it will ever launch.

 

[Albedo]

Lumigon T1 are expected Q1 2011 in Europe, price.. €499.

 

[ab111]

@techfreakazoid
to me the hp hack did nothing but allow it to play at its normal volume which is higher than what you could at stock. I found no improvement in the actual sound quality although I did very limited listening with it. If you mean the hp hack where you go into the service menu and turn on the diamond *something*  and set the coefficient table all to 0 then I found 0 change in the quality. Supecurio, the one who brought the voodoo hacks, is currently taking a bounty list and suggestions on what to work on audio related. If you are looking at a Vibrant I would suggest requesting a line out as I have heard great things about the Wolfson chip it uses but apparently Samsung decided it would be best for them to rewrite their own driver for it. As a backup player I would say it is an excellent back up player but it does have issues with flac files. I had to download an app called "extended media scanner" to actually pick up the flac files. Also it can't handle all flac files, the higher resolution flacs (I forget the exact resolution) causes the phone to freeze. It will play the flac for about 15 seconds but once the flac starts your frozen and will have to do a hard reset. Also forget album art with flacs as that issue hasn't been solved (atleast to my knowledge). Calling sound quality is fine. Didn't notice any tinnyness, echoing etc.
 
Only have had one day listening to the iPhone 4 but my two sentence review so far I would say it is less bassy but more refined bass. iPhone has more clarity and separation and overall is a better sounding device.
 
*Below has nothing to do with Audio but my bad experience with Bell*
As for my issues with the VIbrant it was an issue where when the phone was struggling for reception it would freeze and needed a hard reset. This wouldn't be a big problem but where I work is in a cell reception blackhole where I get no reception to at best 2 bars. So I can't listen to music or do anything unless I turn off the reception on it which defeats the purpose of an all in one. This is a known bug over at xda and I am assuming Samsung as they doubled the DOA policy to 60 days. Everytime I returned one I was given a new one.
 
It took multiple calls into Bell and each time they said they would let me exchange for a different model phone but when I got to the store they said they wouldn't. The notes on the account that indicated that I would exchange for a new phone were mysteriously extremely vague and made no sense. So after my 6th one and being told on the phone once more that I could exchange I was once again told I couldn't and I had to once again get a brand new galaxy which had the same issue.
 
Called into the Bell from the Bell store after the manager of the store getting hung up once by a rep and I getting hung up on by a different rep I got a hold of some activations manager for Bell. He told me he couldn't let me exchange for a different phone. He basically told me to sell it to recoup costs which I would not as I would not sell a phone that didn't work to someone as I have better ethics than what Bell has. He offered to ship me a "lightly used" old blackberry model which I said no as I had a top of the line android phone. I told him to cancel me then since I was paying for a service I could not use and that you guys were not offering any reasonable offer. After a bit of haggling to make me stay I ended up getting 6 months free and 10% off my bill for the entire 3 year contract. I am currently 2 months in and would have had to pay 600 dollars to get out of the contract. I told him I didn't care as it would be cheaper for me anyways since I can't use their service with a phone that doesn't work. The manager in the store wanted to do the exchange for me but the system wouldn't let him but he found a way to do an exchange and it would cost 80 dollars to get the iPhone 4 16gig. It would have cost me 50 regardless as the Vibrant is 50 dollars cheaper so I said thanks and I will take it. Ended up saving 270 total or it was like me getting an iPhone for free and 70 dollars off my contract.
 
AB111

 

[techfreakazoid]

Sounds like quite the adventure with Bell.  Hopefully, all the issues with flacs, GPS will be resolved with Froyo.  Samsung uses decent hw components, but the sw and integration need immediate attention.  I'm curious about the Desire Z, though SQ reviews and comparisons remain light. 

 

[jasonb]

 
I'm not to familiar with all these new HTC Androids that are coming, especially since they aren't being released in the US. I am running the audio drivers from the HTC Desire HD on my HTC Incredible though and it was quite a difference.  It's about 5-6db louder and just sounds much better overall with the new drivers. I'm not the best at describing what I'm hearing, but things just sound clearer and more dynamic, definitely more detailed. There is definitely a very noticeable difference between the old and new audio drivers that HTC is using. The only complaint I still have is with the hiss in between songs when using high sensitivity/low impedance IEM's. it's not unbearable, but of course a less noisy source is better.
 
Quote:

Sounds like quite the adventure with Bell.  Hopefully, all the issues with flacs, GPS will be resolved with Froyo.  Samsung uses decent hw components, but the sw and integration need immediate attention.  I'm curious about the Desire Z, though SQ reviews and comparisons remain light. 

 

[DanBa]

Any digital audio output from the Windows phones / Android phones?

 

[walfredo]

Fwiw: my Google nexus one is better than my ipad classic and my (old) iPhone.

Has anyone listened to the Droid x?

 

[tds101]

The B&O powered phone looks nice, but I'm waiting to get the Dell Venue Pro myself,.....unless a better Android phone hits before then. Especially since Android 3.0 seems to be right around the corner.

 

[techfreakazoid]

Quote:

 
I'm not to familiar with all these new HTC Androids that are coming, especially since they aren't being released in the US. I am running the audio drivers from the HTC Desire HD on my HTC Incredible though and it was quite a difference.  It's about 5-6db louder and just sounds much better overall with the new drivers. I'm not the best at describing what I'm hearing, but things just sound clearer and more dynamic, definitely more detailed. There is definitely a very noticeable difference between the old and new audio drivers that HTC is using. The only complaint I still have is with the hiss in between songs when using high sensitivity/low impedance IEM's. it's not unbearable, but of course a less noisy source is better.
 

The HTC Desire Z a.k.a. T-Mobile G2 launched a few weeks ago in the US.  Good to know about the hiss issues paired with IEMs.  It's not a deal breaker, but distracting nonetheless for Head-Fi'ers with hs/li IEMs.
 
It looks like the Nexus Two/S will be a modified/updated Samsung Galaxy S with Gingerbread 2.3; would love to see a higher-end Wolfson or Burr-Brown PCM1704.

  Any Galaxy S owners care to comment on hiss levels with your IEMs?