What is the sound quality of iPhone, iPad, iPod (Touch)?

[davidsh]

I think clarity is a lacking and vague descriptor of soundstage in headphones.

Anyway, I really like my iPhone 6 because of the fact that I can actually estimate how loud I listen with my hd800 with a peak cap at 102 dB at max volume and knowing the whole volume range is available to me without clipping.

Does anyone know how the volume control/voltage relationship is?
I have heard the relation is the fraction of max output squared times 1 volt. Not sure it's true, though.

 

[RRod]

 
I have a little HeadRoom Micro Amp in my office at work that has a crossfeed toggle enabled for as long as I've owned the amp.  It offers a subtle change in sound, but it seems to be about perfect to me.  I almost exclusively listen to music via Google Play (Chrome browser version) now, and crossfeed is not an available option at this time via software.  

 
Yeah, the crossfeed on my Total Bithead also sounds about right to me, better at least subjectively to the bs2b LADSPA plugin I tried for my Linux box.

 

[davidsh]

Does anyone know how the volume control/voltage relationship is?
I have heard the relation is the fraction of max output squared times 1 volt. Not sure it's true, though.

Too lazy, so I measured myself. Clearly, it's an exponential relationship, which in my opinion is the best way to do volume control anyway.
 

 
For some reason my multimeter measured half the expected voltage (ac). I used a sinegen app, 500 Hz sinewave.

 

[cjl]

  Too lazy, so I measured myself. Clearly, it's an exponential relationship, which in my opinion is the best way to do volume control anyway.
 

 
For some reason my multimeter measured half the expected voltage (ac). I used a sinegen app, 500 Hz sinewave.

You could try a 60Hz sine too - a lot of multimeters aren't great at frequencies far from power transmission frequencies since that's what they expect the ac function to be used for. Also, is that RMS, peak, or P-P?

 

[davidsh]

Take it for what it is.. My multimeter is a minitec26 - quite cheap.

 

[elfary]

That's the voltage that i would expect from an EU capped iPhone. Is your iPhone european?


Running seems like a great idea until you actually start running

 

[davidsh]

That's the voltage that i would expect from an EU capped iPhone. Is your iPhone european?


Running seems like a great idea until you actually start running

It is eauropean and is volume limited by default (to EU standards) but that can easily be turned off afaik.
EDIT: Nope it seems that there is a volume limiter that can't be turned off.. Bummer

 

[elfary]

That's the voltage that i would expect from an EU capped iPhone. Is your iPhone european?


Running seems like a great idea until you actually start running

It is eauropean and is volume limited by default (to EU standards) but that can easily be turned off afaik.
EDIT: Nope it seems that there is a volume limiter that can't be turned off.. Bummer

Bingo!

The EU puts two limits (85 & 100db with bundled headphones) and on the volume limit menu you can disable the 85db one but not the 100db.
Non capped iPhones output 1 volt which is a lot more (6db more).

Since last year when i had on my table an US iPhone 5s and an EU 5s i guessed that the EU one should output 0'5 or 0'6 and now your measurement has nailed it down
.

Such a shame what our politicians have ruled. I wish iPhones would not sell with bundled earpods so that they could not be capped (ala iPads).


Running seems like a great idea until you actually start running

 

[castleofargh]

 

 

That's the voltage that i would expect from an EU capped iPhone. Is your iPhone european?


Running seems like a great idea until you actually start running

It is eauropean and is volume limited by default (to EU standards) but that can easily be turned off afaik.
EDIT: Nope it seems that there is a volume limiter that can't be turned off.. Bummer

Bingo!

The EU puts two limits (85 & 100db with bundled headphones) and on the volume limit menu you can disable the 85db one but not the 100db.
Non capped iPhones output 1 volt which is a lot more (6db more).

Since last year when i had on my table an US iPhone 5s and an EU 5s i guessed that the EU one should output 0'5 or 0'6 and now your measurement has nailed it down
.

Such a shame what our politicians have ruled. I wish iPhones would not sell with bundled earpods so that they could not be capped (ala iPads).


Running seems like a great idea until you actually start running

the limit came out of a good intention to prevent youngsters from blowing their ears out. it's a very noble reason. but as anything done in politic, they voted something without really understanding much of anything  

 

[RRod]

 
the limit came out of a good intention to prevent youngsters from blowing their ears out. it's a very noble reason. but as anything done in politic, they voted something without really understanding much of anything  

 
Back in my day we called this "your parents shouting 'turn that s#@& down!'"

 

[davidsh]

Then I can reach 96 dB or so with the hd800 at peaks. Guess I'm not that much of a loud listener after all as the iPhone got plenty of volume for me with just about any music. Oth I don't listen to much classical

 

[elfary]

My main gripe is that within Europe we are being given a watered down version of a product because of a flawed and fascist implementation of a volume cap.

1 volt gives headroom for any iem and any album. With half about it's not the case hence i just purchase US iPhones, felt ripped off when i paid for an european iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s. Tried an US 5s and vowed to myself that i would never ever purchase another EU iPhone. Even if i managed to get the volt back by jailbreaking my EU 5s.


Running seems like a great idea until you actually start running

 

[stv014]

The EU puts two limits (85 & 100db with bundled headphones) and on the volume limit menu you can disable the 85db one but not the 100db.
Non capped iPhones output 1 volt which is a lot more (6db more).

 
6 dB is not even that much of a difference, but it is enough to be a problem with headphones that have a low sensitivity. There are IEMs that are capable of 120 dB SPL peaks even from 0.5 Vrms input voltage. And those who have issues with the insufficient output level could end up buying a portable headphone amplifier, which is likely capable of higher voltage than the iPhone would be without the limit.

 

[elfary]

If i have to add an amp the whole beauty of just plugging my iems into my phone is ruined.

Never felt the need to amp when using 1 volt iPhones. Felt the need when using capped iPhones.

With a genuine iPhone (not crippled by politicians) and good iems i have never felt anything but aural bliss.

Right now i have the chance to swap my US iPhone 6 64Gb for an EU iPhone 6 128Gb for a ridiculous amount of money but the capped amplifier is holding me back.

Is it better to carry around 500 albums with a 1volt amp or 1000 albums with a 0'5 amp? Macbethian question i'm asking myself...


Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm

 

[djmuzi]

Good to know than even switched off in settings there is still this stupid EU limitation... Not many know this. :mad:
I noticed that my iPad Air goes louder than my iPhone 6.

Is it a good idea of connecting a Topping NX1 to the iPhone 6 or will it destroy the perfect sound output of the iPhone (if we put the slight volume increase aside) ?
I'm not sure if I can hear any differences (I use the NX1 with the HD558)