[Apo0th3karY]

http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/02/iphone-vs-rivals-audio-tests/
 
Just FYI
 
Seems like the 4S comes out pretty strong.

 

[stv014]

Quote:

http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/02/iphone-vs-rivals-audio-tests/

 
Those THD measurements do not look right. -25 dB (more than 5%) for the FiiO E17 ?

 

[mikeaj]

Quote:

Those THD measurements do not look right. -25 dB (more than 5%) for the FiiO E17 ?

 
To be honest, -40 dB to -55 dB THD @ 1 kHz for all of the phones is already suspicious enough.

 

[bowei006]

They didn't describe or even mention the differnt loads they are putting on the devices, and many other factors. Decent report, but they are trying to hard and are trying (or somewhat) trying to make it look formal by making it long.

 

[stv014]

Quote:

They didn't describe or even mention the differnt loads they are putting on the devices, and many other factors.

 
That is true, but even with a 15 Ω load the distortion should not be so high. The shape of the THD vs. frequency graphs (flat up to about 1 kHz and then rolls off) is also unusual for typical op amp based headphone amplifiers, and looks like some artifact in the analysis.

 

[bowei006]

Quote:

 
That is true, but even with a 15 Ω load the distortion should not be so high. The shape of the THD vs. frequency graphs (flat up to about 1 kHz and then rolls off) is also unusual for typical op amp based headphone amplifiers, and looks like some artifact in the analysis.

I was also wondering what they measured the E17 as, as an amp with iPhone LOD and regular 3.5mm cable or as a DAC unit measurement?

 

[proton007]

Tbh, I've stopped reading Engadget reviews. They come off as biased (fanboy), non-technical. I mean, you could ask any of the tech savvy crowd to write what their "editors" write.
This is one of the examples I found online: It seems some of their "reviewers" have no technical know-how
I still visit the site though, just for news.

 

[bigshot]

Everything on the web is either clueless or indeciferably technical. No one seems to review based on what matters to users of the product.

 

[proton007]

Quote:

Everything on the web is either clueless or indeciferably technical. No one seems to review based on what matters to users of the product.

 
This one is good. The Engadget review guide, taken from here:
 
 

 1. Is it an Apple product? 2. If yes, randomly choose a score between 8 and 10 3. If no, randomly choose a score between 5 and 7 4. Is it a non-Apple product that competes with an Apple product ? 5. If yes, lower the score with 3 points 6. Does the device have geek-appeal? 7. If yes, randomly add 1-3 to the score 8. Was the device created by a company whose CEO said not-so-nice things about our master Steve? 9. Then lower the score with 2 points. 10. Is it an Microsoft product? 11. Then lower the score by 2

 

[gidgiddonihah]

Not to hijack the thread... Anyone get their hands on the 5th gen iPod Touch or iPhone 5?  Just wondering what the Cirrus chip sounds like in there. Thinking about grabbing a 64GB Touch as my AT&T Galaxy SII sounds like crap.

 

[audiophylactery]

Digital Age peoples...
The biggest difference between sound signatures within any company's product line won't come directly from newer hardware iterations. Rather, it's the drivers and software that drive the hardware, and subsequent changes that occur from driver updates, that will impact the audio output & sound signature of the playback device in question. With MOST mp3 players, especially those bereft of the ability to download apps, these newer & updated drivers/OS iterations will only be utilized in the next hardware release, unless the developer releases a firmware update, not unlike the ones TV's and various HD players can recieve through USB/Network connects. These updates generally speed up general operation or add new features to the device or even fix bugs. Such is not the case for Apple iOS devices, for Apple designs their hardware around the software. Even though it sounds backwards, and it is kinda, at least in respect to overall product improvement & performance progression year to year/model to model, it DOES make wondrous sense for ultimate Backwards Compatibility...
 
FOR INSTANCE...i own a 3rd gen iPod Touch, until recently rarely used, but when my old beloved Creative mp3 player took a proverbial ****, i had to USE my gifted apple product. god forbid....anyways... I had to update from iOS 3.x to 4.x a month or two into use, in order to download some newer apps; specifically-Audio Playback Apps with intrinsically customizable EQ's (imagine...). After that update was installed, the old Equalizer settings sounded completely altered; immediately noticeable.* Even the OFF and Flat settings sounded a little modified, even though these shouldn't change, theoretically at least, especially since my hardware didn't change at all. 
 
Regardless, once you understand that the audio signature and amplification environment you're subjected to is driven by digital software(drivers) like, say, the "Music" app...it's a simple matter of finding NEW apps that have customizable and tweakable playback environments for your music....so you hear what you WANT to hear.
 
Because ALL music is personal.
 
*google it. iOS 4.0 equalizer
hope this wasn't too long winded. ....Definitely a rambler 

 

[bowei006]

Quote:

Digital Age peoples...
The biggest difference between sound signatures within any company's product line won't come directly from newer hardware iterations. Rather, it's the drivers and software that drive the hardware, and subsequent changes that occur from driver updates, that will impact the audio output & sound signature of the playback device in question. With MOST mp3 players, especially those bereft of the ability to download apps, these newer & updated drivers/OS iterations will only be utilized in the next hardware release, unless the developer releases a firmware update, not unlike the ones TV's and various HD players can recieve through USB/Network connects. These updates generally speed up general operation or add new features to the device or even fix bugs. Such is not the case for Apple iOS devices, for Apple designs their hardware around the software. Even though it sounds backwards, and it is kinda, at least in respect to overall product improvement & performance progression year to year/model to model, it DOES make wondrous sense for ultimate Backwards Compatibility...
 
 

 
 
I get what you are saying but your implying that this happens with every product when in fact its more with consumer pmp's with a large company behind them. Most people with their Source Components would laugh at you saying that the driver and software needed to run them(of which usually they are Class 1 drivers or S/PDIF) are usually not as big as you may think. Granted yes, a faulty S/PDIF driver and software issues with the SouthBridge or the default  pre installed sound chip that does do some light handling of S/PDIF if you use that or the SouthBridge if you use USB can have and call issues to the product.
 
This is more of a consumer PMP thing. Not a whole issue to many other units. Not to mention, you are talking about using applications that are 3rd party from the app store as well which further defeats the point of you saying that a good software or driver update will tremendously increase sound quality or performance.
 
Next, if you are using a 3rd party apps EQ, they could have just changed the settings with the update. Or if you are using iTunes pre made EQ along with a 3rd party, that again means that you are EQing a EQ from iTunes.
Yes, they "changed" the EQ settings in the new update but so? That is one product with one update, where Apple didn't fix it. They CHANGED it so that they sounded different and with "better" settings. 
 
If my TV got an update that fixed weird colors or screen tearing, can I thus claim that all TV's performances aren't based off their hardware but by that single software update for that single TV series to fix/change that one thing that they haven't updated in a few years?
 
And you have also stated that you used a Creative MP3 meaning that you probably didn't have hundreds of hours upon that iPod 3G actually intensley listening to it.

 

[bigshot]

All ipods sound the same- perfect. Through line out at least.

 

[proton007]

Quote:

All ipods sound the same- perfect. Through line out at least.

 
I used to think the same, till i tried the Clip Zip. Maybe its the impedance matching, lower impedance IEMs seem to sound better on the clip.

 

[bowei006]

Quote:

 
I used to think the same, till i tried the Clip Zip. Maybe its the impedance matching, lower impedance IEMs seem to sound better on the clip.

Most people would say that the Clip Zip is just a budget alternative.
 
It may be that you liked the sound signature better? More fun, more colorful etc?
 
I never crticially listened to the Clip Zip or at all. I just played with the interface at Best Buy
 
Quote:

All ipods sound the same- perfect. Through line out at least.

It depends on what you mean by perfect. They do have a very high quality line out though. But of course I would still prefer a better DAC and other units. But the important thing is that most people already have an iPod and thus it makes it great.