[sdwater]

thats unusual, sure i don't have the Xperia 1 II, but my XZ premium, which is basically one of the last Sony flagship that has H/O before they nixed it on XZ2, i think the output power is just fine, and mine is bought from Germany. I need to check back but driving M70x is just fine for me, its only with my Z7 with velour pads, and my father's 400i that it does struggle a bit in volume.
Which IMO, is as expected from an average smartphone headphone output power.
only LG offers more power in smartphones H/O really, and i hope they keep at it with that. (the LG wing doesnt have H/O, hopefully its just becasue of its unique design.

I'll need to test it again. It's been a while since I've even tried using the headphone jack. Sadly, Bluetooth audio is just too convenient and when I'm listening to music I'm usually at my desk with the equipment there. The phone isn't in the equation.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/so...ion-headphone-jack-performance-t4157769/page2

Folks on that thread mention low volume due to the volume curve, and that may be it, but others say it just doesn't have the juice to properly power certain cans. I don't have the SHP9500s anymore to test with those (just mailed them to my brother this week) so all I have are Sundaras, HD6XXs, and some ATH-M50x's. The Sennheisers I already know have too high an impedance, so I won't even bother there, but the other two should sound better. Might just be that volume curve. DxOMark did a review (albeit without Dolby Atmos on) and found the volume curve was strangely segmented, too.

Otherwise, I still quite enjoy the phone. It's possible that the older phones could push more power out like LG's V series is doing now with dedicated DAC amps. Iunno.

 

[dragion]

I'll need to test it again. It's been a while since I've even tried using the headphone jack. Sadly, Bluetooth audio is just too convenient and when I'm listening to music I'm usually at my desk with the equipment there. The phone isn't in the equation.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/so...ion-headphone-jack-performance-t4157769/page2

Folks on that thread mention low volume due to the volume curve, and that may be it, but others say it just doesn't have the juice to properly power certain cans. I don't have the SHP9500s anymore to test with those (just mailed them to my brother this week) so all I have are Sundaras, HD6XXs, and some ATH-M50x's. The Sennheisers I already know have too high an impedance, so I won't even bother there, but the other two should sound better. Might just be that volume curve. DxOMark did a review (albeit without Dolby Atmos on) and found the volume curve was strangely segmented, too.

Otherwise, I still quite enjoy the phone. It's possible that the older phones could push more power out like LG's V series is doing now with dedicated DAC amps. Iunno.

Comparing the headphone output from my LG V30's Hi-Fi Quad DAC, the Xperia 1 II's volume is definitely lower...maybe by a third.
This is using my Beyerdynamic DT-880 250 ohms impedance headphone.
I would need to max out the volume on the Sony to be at a level of a bit more than half on the LG.
With lower impedance headphones (32 ohms), I'm sure the volume should be more efficient and louder.

This is the only negative that I have with the Xperia 1 II, but still grateful that Sony has implemented the headphone jack.

 

[ReLe]

I bought 1 II last week and headphone output was a disappointment when coming from Samsung Note 8. Have been fighting with buyers remorse hard since these "ah in Sony this is normal" things just keep on coming and the camera optical stabilization lags badly behind even "old" N8, but back to the helicopter, we were talking about headphones.

I used my Note 8 at work sometimes with my Beyer DT990 250 ohm headphones and had been quite pleased as a temp solution in occasions when I was not at my desk using DAC.

With Sony 1 II the sound quality is ok in quiet environment. Sound is detalied and is balanced, but does not have power. I have to max out the volume to get adequate levels and in some songs that is not enough. As a workaround I switched to Grado SR60 with this phone.

 

[Stourmead]

Hey
So - I've left the apple bandwagon and re-joined android with this Xperia 5ii

First impressions on SOUND...
wired headphones - this has not enough power for my planar DCA Aeon 2's - but it sounds ok.
(my desktop head-amp setup destroys it but its not 7.5x better as the price differential might suggest)

wireless using my M&D MW07go - gets good here tell you what. straight up improvement over the old iPhone 8 , putting that down to the aptX codec.
Really happy for when we are allowed back out to the gyms etc

Apps wise, ok so I listened to the Tidal 'Master' Fanfare & Prologue from the Rise of Skywalker OST , vs the same Hi-Res track on Qobuz
(yes - don't flame me for that comparison I get they are not the same)
wow WHAT a difference the two tracks sound completely different - I've not had such an obvious insight into the two apps before. Qobuz more bass and heft, Tidal lighter, more reedy, defo lighter on its feet and better at pulling out individual instruments.

Basically - forget the headphone output and go straight to wireless - this is lovely. I'm guessing if you want to run the nest step up in quality sound to wired, get a dragonfly?

 

[Sp12er3]

Yeah all of sony's H/O has been mostly just alright on power, it mirrors their DAP and AMP in which they are not that powerful, I'm mostly using them with IEM and for those they're definitely more than adequate, with headphones so far the only one I feel I need more power is my MDR Z7 (of which with Velour pads, which makes it harder to achieve the same volume as stock).

Its pretty clear the intention of putting the H/O back isnt for high quality Headphone listening but more for prepping the Xperia Pro (which are based on the 1II) to have a 3.5mm port to plug a microphone in.

 

[BenKatz]

Here's my 2 cents: Got the BTR5 a while back to use as DAC/AMP with my laptop at work and as BT receiver for my phone (Sony Xperia 1 mark 2, LDAC bt) - my IEMs of choice are the Campfire Audio Polaris v2 (17 ohm, quite sensitive, don't require heaps of power).

The first thing i noticed is that my phone sounds clearly better than the BTR5 (by using it's 3.5 mm jack). I didn't have nearly as much power (max volume is equivalent to around 40-41 out of 60 volume on the BTR5 on low gain), but I didn't need that much power, since the max I could handle is about 70-80% on the phone (35ish on BTR5). But the sound was noticeably warmer, wider, with better heft to the lows and mids, and especially less grain/harshness in the vocals and high end. At that point the BTR5 was relegated to laptop use only, since i don't really mind the cable (got a Campfire Audio Copper Litz cable with in-line remote and volume control which work with my phone for calls) for mobile use.

The problem is each time I would listen to music while working, I was longing for the Xperia's sound quality, but unfortunately switching jacks back and forth between my laptop and phone was a hassle, and I couldn't use my phone as a laptop DAC, obviously. So i started searching for a good DAC that would sound better than my phone, for laptop use.

I ended up buying the DF Cobalt (I've had the DF Red a while back, on different headphones). I first tested the DF Cobalt vs my phone, and it sounded slightly clearer and better, especially in the mids. When I compared it to the BTR5, it was a DIFFERENT league, comparisons (at least for my situation with my IEMs) was pointless, there was a world of difference across all the conceivable sound metrics. So I ended up relegating the BTR5 to my car as through LDAC bt it sounded way better than with the louse SBC bt connection to the car's receiver.

I'm not planning to use the DF Cobalt as a mobile solution with my phone, even though it works pretty seamlessly with the included Audioquest Dragontail USB-C dongle.

In conclusion, I find the Xperia's DAC/AMP capabilities pretty remarkable. Sure, it doesn't have enough power for high impedance headphones, and is mostly designed for IEMs it seems, but I see a common issue online where people conflate "quality" with "output power". I've seen japanese reviews comparing the X1M2's SQ with the XZ507 sony walkman, which is a great device (of course, the walkman is much more powerful. In short, the X1M2 has EXCELLENT sound quality for a smartphone, probably second only to the flagship LG audiophile smartphones (but even then, maybe only on power, since sound signature is quite subjective). It's only that it's designed for non-power hungry devices.

 

[EOSHD]

Here's my two cents as an Xperia 1 II owner.

Can confirm it's not a great match up with headphones that need power. However with 32ohm Beyer T5p or Audio Technica A1000Z it has incredible insight and amazing detail, with most IEMs too it's a good experience.

But this thing really comes alive in Bit Perfect mode with USBAudioPlayer. Tidal streaming in this app takes a big leap up in quality from the standard Tidal for Android app. Utilising the DAC chip directly with MQA / FLAC is the way to go on this phone, and with A1000Z particularly the level of detail stands out as class leading.

It works nicely as a source for a desktop headphone amp too, like the Topping L30! More demanding headphones like my Dan Clark Audio Aeon 2 need the extra power and sound dull plugged into the Xperia 1 II directly. Curious to see how the LCD-X and Hifiman Edition X do with it.

Not finding myself missing a balanced output.

So if you have pretty sensitive, efficient headphones go for it, you won't regret it over other DAPs. And you get a great camera & 4K screen in with the bargain too.

Prefer it to the LG devices and older Samsungs, but of course it's more expensive.

 

[jb2unique]

X1M2 owner here --

Xperia can't drive Z7M2 (volume at max). It is truly fantastic with 1AM2 Decent with 1000X M4 wired (power off) - 1000X M4's internal takes over with power on.

 

[dharmasteve]

Bought the Sony Xperia 5ii 5G with the Cirrus CS35L41chip. Compared to my Samsung S9 plus it is way better especially the bass. It's up to my HiBy R5 3.5mm, not quite up to my iFi hip-dac, but of course the mobile phone chip is tiny itsy-bitsy. I use the KBear Believe with them and granted I have had to use them at one stop below full volume. Yesterday there was an Android 11 update (second Android 11 update) and the volume has definitely risen because I can only play it four stops from full rather than one as it used to be. I think the sound quality is now above my LG V30. How do others feel.

 

[Claypole]

My iPhone 6 Plus has reached the end of its life, and I’m looking for a replacement. The Sony Xperia 1ii is on my shortlist, with the 3.5mm headphone jack being an important feature. Unfortunately, all the reviews I’ve read don’t discuss how it sounds using wired headphones.

The iPhone 6 Plus sounds pretty good using the headphone socket, so can anybody offer any insight into how the Sony 1ii would compare? I mainly use Westone UM Pro 30, but sometimes Grado SR125i.

 

[dharmasteve]

Regarding the Grado SR80i. I have the Xperia 5ii rather than the 1ii. The audio setup is exactly the same on the 5ii and 1ii and the 5ii drive my Grado SR80i well with plenty of volume. If you are into cameras, Sony's auto camera click and shoot is not 'AI' led, BUT for manual photography the Photo Pro and the Cinema Pro apps are something else....like a Sony Alpha setup. 3 great Zeiss lenses.
The 5ii and 1ii are much the same except size. The Sony just got a second Android 11 upgrade and I'm sure I have extra volume now. I use the KB Believe's which are notoriously hard to drive and the Sony drives them well. The statement from the Cirrus site describes the Cirrus CS35L41 DAC/amp on the Sony............"It features a top-of-the-line boosted Class D amplifier, combined with an integrated DSP and 5th generation enhancement and protection algorithms. A closed-loop digital input Class D amplifier and an 11 V Class H envelope-tracking boost maximize output power and efficiency. The amplifier features the lowest power consumption, lowest noise, and smallest package size of any amplifier in its class".
The difference between the 5ii and the 1ii is the 1ii has a 4k display, but the 5ii has a 120hz rather than 60hz refresh. The Sony's are both as fast as 'sh-te' I have no idea about the iPhone 6 Plus. Through the 3.5mm the Sony is really good. There are a couple of Sony videos on Youtube explaining what they did to get top league sound out of the 1ii and the 5ii.

 

[Sp12er3]

i only have an iphone 6, not the Plus, but for output i prefer the sound of my sony than the iphone,
for me 6 sounds noticeably worse than iphone 4S

 

[BenKatz]

Bought the Sony Xperia 5ii 5G with the Cirrus CS35L41chip. Compared to my Samsung S9 plus it is way better especially the bass. It's up to my HiBy R5 3.5mm, not quite up to my iFi hip-dac, but of course the mobile phone chip is tiny itsy-bitsy. I use the KBear Believe with them and granted I have had to use them at one stop below full volume. Yesterday there was an Android 11 update (second Android 11 update) and the volume has definitely risen because I can only play it four stops from full rather than one as it used to be. I think the sound quality is now above my LG V30. How do others feel.

Just to be clear - all Xperia mark 2 series (1 and 2) have the CS35L41 chip. I find the sound quality amazing - i'm speaking here about instrument separation, soundstage (where it really excels), extension and mid-bass "heft". The only issue is power - but that depends on what you are using. I my case I'm using Campfire Audio Dorado 2020 - and they drive them extremely well and controlled, at 70% volume most of the time (100% is WAAAY too much, and I listen loud).

For reference, I've compared the SQ extensively with the following DACs: Fiio BTR5, Fiio UTWS3, Qudelix 5K and Audioquest Dragonfly COBALT. In terms of power, again, the Xperia is the lowest, so as long as you're not looking at big over-ears, above 40 ohms and not so sensitive, you'll be good.

As far as overall sound quality, it's much better than the Fiios (by quite a margin), and is somewhere between Qudelix and Cobalt. TBH i can't tell for certain, the qudelix (USB mode, performance mode on) and Cobalt seem equal, and pretty much the Xperia is on-par. In the end I sold the COBALT due to it's lack of mic option, as I work from home, the microphone TRS input option (+ very useful bt option for gym/biking) on the Qudelix 5K made it my main device. The Fiio UTWS3 fyi had an issue where the left earpiece stopped working, returned it, and the Fiio BTR5 is a decent device, but inferior to the Qudelix (and Xperia) in sq and especially connection stability.

All tests were done with Dolby atmos off, DSEE on, and using 3 separate IEMs: Campfire Dorado 2020 (1100 USD), Campfire Polaris v2 (500 USD) and Sony XBA-N1AP (~250 USD).

Yes, I can definitely say that the Xperia is more than capable to drive and pull out EXCELLENT, Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt/Qudelix 5K-level sound quality out of 1K$+ IEMs NO PROBLEM. Just make sure you use a fairly low ohm and efficient IEMs. If you really want to use something special like the Z7 over-ear/etc, just get the Qudelix 5K (they were partners with Sony when developing the LDAC codec, Korean company, also made in korea, not china) and pair it. It has HUGE power reserve to drive mostly anything, the Z7 is a no-problem for it. It also has a built-in mic, so you can get the most out of it paired throgh LDAC to your xperia.

 

[dharmasteve]

Just to be clear - all Xperia mark 2 series (1 and 2) have the CS35L41 chip. I find the sound quality amazing - i'm speaking here about instrument separation, soundstage (where it really excels), extension and mid-bass "heft". The only issue is power - but that depends on what you are using. I my case I'm using Campfire Audio Dorado 2020 - and they drive them extremely well and controlled, at 70% volume most of the time (100% is WAAAY too much, and I listen loud).

For reference, I've compared the SQ extensively with the following DACs: Fiio BTR5, Fiio UTWS3, Qudelix 5K and Audioquest Dragonfly COBALT. In terms of power, again, the Xperia is the lowest, so as long as you're not looking at big over-ears, above 40 ohms and not so sensitive, you'll be good.

As far as overall sound quality, it's much better than the Fiios (by quite a margin), and is somewhere between Qudelix and Cobalt. TBH i can't tell for certain, the qudelix (USB mode, performance mode on) and Cobalt seem equal, and pretty much the Xperia is on-par. In the end I sold the COBALT due to it's lack of mic option, as I work from home, the microphone TRS input option (+ very useful bt option for gym/biking) on the Qudelix 5K made it my main device. The Fiio UTWS3 fyi had an issue where the left earpiece stopped working, returned it, and the Fiio BTR5 is a decent device, but inferior to the Qudelix (and Xperia) in sq and especially connection stability.

All tests were done with Dolby atmos off, DSEE on, and using 3 separate IEMs: Campfire Dorado 2020 (1100 USD), Campfire Polaris v2 (500 USD) and Sony XBA-N1AP (~250 USD).

Yes, I can definitely say that the Xperia is more than capable to drive and pull out EXCELLENT, Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt/Qudelix 5K-level sound quality out of 1K$+ IEMs NO PROBLEM. Just make sure you use a fairly low ohm and efficient IEMs. If you really want to use something special like the Z7 over-ear/etc, just get the Qudelix 5K (they were partners with Sony when developing the LDAC codec, Korean company, also made in korea, not china) and pair it. It has HUGE power reserve to drive mostly anything, the Z7 is a no-problem for it. It also has a built-in mic, so you can get the most out of it paired throgh LDAC to your xperia.

After using the Xperia 5ii for some time now I concur with you. The sound quality is simply excellent and the only drawback is the limited sound volume, but most of my IEMs can be driven quite easily by the Xperia 5ii. The only thing that is keeping me still using my HiBy R5 is that most of my cables are ended 4.4mm, and I also don't want to lessen the 5ii battery life. The Sony 5ii has such a good sound quality, better than my old quad dac LG V30, but few audiophiles will believe a phone can drive certain IEM's and have such a good solid sound quality. There is an inbuilt prejudice against the possibility that phones can match DAPs and DAC/AMPS. The Sony Xperia 5ii can match most DAPs and DACs.

 

[BenKatz]

After using the Xperia 5ii for some time now I concur with you. The sound quality is simply excellent and the only drawback is the limited sound volume, but most of my IEMs can be driven quite easily by the Xperia 5ii. The only thing that is keeping me still using my HiBy R5 is that most of my cables are ended 4.4mm, and I also don't want to lessen the 5ii battery life. The Sony 5ii has such a good sound quality, better than my old quad dac LG V30, but few audiophiles will believe a phone can drive certain IEM's and have such a good solid sound quality. There is an inbuilt prejudice against the possibility that phones can match DAPs and DAC/AMPS. The Sony Xperia 5ii can match most DAPs and DACs.

I hear you, and that's BS. The BTR5 is a great example. Very lauded, everyone praises it, and it has identical or very similar chipset with many entr-mid level DAPs on the market - and identical sound quality with similar FIIO DAPs also. As a result, I can easily say that the Xperia easily outperforms them. Tbh the only reason I even went through the trouble of going through some compact bt-enabled DACs is that I need 2 things the Xperia cannot offer me - good (xperia-level at least) sound quality from my PC when I work (can't use the Xperia as a DAC, duh), and LDAC bt connectivity is very useful when doing sports.

And for that I had to go thrugh even 300 usd dacs (dragonfly cobalt) to "feel" the same sq as Xperia - and ended up with the Qudelix 5K - very similar SQ and more importantly - TUNING - as Xperia, but I can use it on BT when doing sports and USB when working on my pc.