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So i have heard and saw that the audio through headphones on the lumia 800 has been hideous but the update was said to improve the quality. I was just wondering if anyone had any improvements ?
Someone said that syncing the songs through Zune makes the audio as good as any other device, can anyone confirm ?
If there are still problems, We should try to identify it; Codecs, The Jack (With it supporting TRRS, Could = problems), The Nokia player, Bit rate capping... If you have any other ideas on what it could be post them and i will add and maybe someone with the know how could look into it for us.
My opinion leans towards it being Codec and Player related, Maybe Zune optimizes/translates the music files into a format that the codec reads best, This being said i doubt Nokia would go to the trouble in using a specifically optimized codec versus the range of high quality lossless codecs available at no expense.
Does anyone know if the Lumia 800 plays .FLAC (one of the highest bit rates and quality music formats) ?
I use JVC HA-FX34 in ear headphones, I cant really say much about the earphone qulity side of problems but my Blackberry (Yeah i had one ) and my android tablet played 320Kbps Mp3's well, As far as my experience goes in producing bass these are up there, There is no song i haven't listened to where the bass hasn't been sufficient with these earphones. I Listen to alot of bass dependant songs too, Over 800 Drum and Bass and Dubstep songs between my two devices, That said when i get my Lumia (2 Days ) ill tell you if there really is something wrong with the bass after the update and to see if we can troubleshoot the remaining problems.
Audio quality seems fine to me. Rather average, but certainly not poor. I do hear some barely audible ticks through my headphones when nothing is playing, but haven't noticed them during playback. Some of the complaints about audio quality might be coming from those who dare to use the headphones supplied with the phone, as they are truly awful. The only real complaint I have is that button presses from my Sony headphones, which worked fine with my Titan, aren't recognized. Wonder if the music control / answer button works on any headphones other than the ones supplied.
Ricehead said:
So i have heard and saw that the audio through headphones on the lumia 800 has been hideous but the update was said to improve the quality. I was just wondering if anyone had any improvements ?
Someone said that syncing the songs through Zune makes the audio as good as any other device, can anyone confirm ?
If there are still problems, We should try to identify it; Codecs, The Jack (With it supporting TRRS, Could = problems), The Nokia player, Bit rate capping... If you have any other ideas on what it could be post them and i will add and maybe someone with the know how could look into it for us.
My opinion leans towards it being Codec and Player related, Maybe Zune optimizes/translates the music files into a format that the codec reads best, This being said i doubt Nokia would go to the trouble in using a specifically optimized codec versus the range of high quality lossless codecs available at no expense.
Does anyone know if the Lumia 800 plays .FLAC (one of the highest bit rates and quality music formats) ?
I use JVC HA-FX34 in ear headphones, I cant really say much about the earphone qulity side of problems but my Blackberry (Yeah i had one ) and my android tablet played 320Kbps Mp3's well, As far as my experience goes in producing bass these are up there, There is no song i haven't listened to where the bass hasn't been sufficient with these earphones. I Listen to alot of bass dependant songs too, Over 800 Drum and Bass and Dubstep songs between my two devices, That said when i get my Lumia (2 Days ) ill tell you if there really is something wrong with the bass after the update and to see if we can troubleshoot the remaining problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally I would never use my phone for listening to music. The problem with each and (nearly) every one of them is the DAC, which is generally cheaper and less efficient compared to the one that comes with dedicated devices (just with some actually, the Cirrus DAC of the 4S/latest gen Apple devices is quite crap). Also, if you're an audiophile WP7 is probably the worse choice ever since the OS doesn't support FLAC. Honestly that's not a big deal to me because I still have to find a phone sounding as good as any device with a Wolfson DAC. To my knowledge there isn't a way to troubleshoot hardware, which is the main issue here. This coupled with the limits of the OS (limited audio format support) should really make you think about getting serious and grab some good music player, like Cowon ones, or even Sandisk or Creative ones if you wanna go cheaper. The only drawback is that once you've tried some real good audio hardware you'll never be able to go back to the crappy quality of a phone.
Anyway if you really want to use your phone for your music (which I don't recommend) then you should really consider getting an Android, the hardware might be more or less the same **** but at least you can play every format and you have some almost decent EQ solutions. Just my 2 cents...
vnvman said:
Personally I would never use my phone for listening to music. The problem with each and (nearly) every one of them is the DAC, which is generally cheaper and less efficient compared to the one that comes with dedicated devices (just with some actually, the Cirrus DAC of the 4S/latest gen Apple devices is quite crap). Also, if you're an audiophile WP7 is probably the worse choice ever since the OS doesn't support FLAC. Honestly that's not a big deal to me because I still have to find a phone sounding as good as any device with a Wolfson DAC. To my knowledge there isn't a way to troubleshoot hardware, which is the main issue here. This coupled with the limits of the OS (limited audio format support) should really make you think about getting serious and grab some good music player, like Cowon ones, or even Sandisk or Creative ones if you wanna go cheaper. The only drawback is that once you've tried some real good audio hardware you'll never be able to go back to the crappy quality of a phone.
Anyway if you really want to use your phone for your music (which I don't recommend) then you should really consider getting an Android, the hardware might be more or less the same **** but at least you can play every format and you have some almost decent EQ solutions. Just my 2 cents...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never knew about DAC's, Did a little research on the Lumia's DAC and found that
It might, but most decent mobile DAC internally don't process above 600kbps or so (at least the zune HD does around there), though a bad studio also might use audio sources not upto the quality.
But I think there is noticeable noise with decent cans, even on a good audio source, at least with my ATH-M50s in a quiet area. Audio set to 5/30. It's noticeable every once in a while. Just a little bit of hissing after a song ends, and a little pop before the hissing stops. I'm using CD lossless rips (Zune converted to 256/320k) of Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift, and Eminem CDs, for reference. If it was something like a recent Metallica CD, I'd blame it on the studio for sure .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bolded the relevant bits, Even at 600Kbps the audio should be more than decent, As for the Zune thing to the people who are complaining of ****e audio quality with the Nokia Music app, Make sure you have a 320Kbps .mp3 and have a listen i'd like some feedback please.
Back on topic, I'm 15 and you know how it is money is tight, Do you know of any stylish, cheap and good sounding audio players, Small and discreet would be a bonus, Nothing smaller than 4GB or a Micros SD slot would be nice too. £40/$63 Is probably the most i can afford.
Ricehead said:
Never knew about DAC's, Did a little research and found that
I bolded the relevant bits, Even at 600Kbps the audio should be more than decent, As for the Zune thing to the people who are complaining of ****e audio quality with the Nokia Music app, Make sure you have a 320Kbps .mp3 and have a listen i'd like some feedback please.
Back on topic, I'm 15 and you know how it is money is tight, Do you know of any stylish, cheap and good sounding audio players, Small and discreet would be a bonus, Nothing smaller than 4GB or a Micros SD slot would be nice too. £40/$63 Is probably the most i can afford.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A year ago I wanted to purge myself of Apple, so I sold my iPod and picked up an inexpensive Sony Walkman E Series for $65USD. I'm quite impressed with its size and performance.
Also, I would check your Zune settings before syncing music. By default Zune will compress anything above 192kbps down to save space on your device. Most of my collection is 256kbps or 320kbps mp3s so I unchecked that option.
Honestly I have to admit I've never tried CD rips on a WP7 device so I cannot tell if it's good or bad. I'll try that as soon as i get the phone. Anyway some issues with non-dedicated devices are e.g. the fact that generally they have some noise in the output due to the fact that they have a radio unit and a noisy cpu. I had a GS2 a while ago and that was really painful. Looking at the review on gsmarena it seems like the lumia has some problems with stereo crosstalk and tends to cut-off bass frequencies, so that may actually be a concern for someone listening to your kind of music I guess...
If you want a good player, both decent looking and powerful you may have alook at the Creative Zen X-Fi Style. Other options may be the Sandisk Sansa Clip+, with the same sound quality and half the price, but that's definitely not so fancy looking. Cowon devices are very good too, but some of them, especially the lower end ones have a pretty gimmicky interface and they're not exactly "hair-thin" or cool to look at, despite packing the best output quality and EQ (hardware based); anyway they also cost a bit more (around 100€), so they may not be your cup of tea. I have the C2 right now, it's rather plain and the interface is super-gimmicky and unituitive, but the the sound quality is worth it for me. It also has a very long lasting battery (almost 50 hrs) and has a microsd slot which is a pretty cool feature IMHO.
Even Nokia agree with the quality of the sound being poor, that's why they are updating it, anybody who believe that it ain't are just in denial, defending Nokia, god knows why, I hope they're getting paid for it. I hope the update solves it, would love if they added an equalizer.
sHaHiN786 said:
Even Nokia agree with the quality of the sound being poor, that's why they are updating it, anybody who believe that it ain't are just in denial, defending Nokia, god knows why, I hope they're getting paid for it. I hope the update solves it, would love if they added an equalizer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
People who prefer lossless audio codecs and use $100+ headphones (aka audiophiles) might have that opinion, but not the average person. I'm no audiophile, but I am definitely more picky than the average person about sound quality. I can greatly appreciate the difference between low end headphones (the ones included with most devices or any that can be purchased for less than $40 generally) and even a mid-range pair ($40-$100). I have no problem with the Lumia 800. Sound quality isn't as good as my old Galaxy S that had a Wolfson DAC, but it's still acceptable and allows me to enjoy my music on the go. I definitely have no reason to defend Nokia. I haven't owned one since the days of dumbphones, I own three other high end phones, and I didn't even pay for my Lumia 800 as it was a gift.
Ricehead said:
So i have heard and saw that the audio through headphones on the lumia 800 has been hideous but the update was said to improve the quality. I was just wondering if anyone had any improvements ?
Someone said that syncing the songs through Zune makes the audio as good as any other device, can anyone confirm ?
If there are still problems, We should try to identify it; Codecs, The Jack (With it supporting TRRS, Could = problems), The Nokia player, Bit rate capping... If you have any other ideas on what it could be post them and i will add and maybe someone with the know how could look into it for us.
My opinion leans towards it being Codec and Player related, Maybe Zune optimizes/translates the music files into a format that the codec reads best, This being said i doubt Nokia would go to the trouble in using a specifically optimized codec versus the range of high quality lossless codecs available at no expense.
Does anyone know if the Lumia 800 plays .FLAC (one of the highest bit rates and quality music formats) ?
I use JVC HA-FX34 in ear headphones, I cant really say much about the earphone qulity side of problems but my Blackberry (Yeah i had one ) and my android tablet played 320Kbps Mp3's well, As far as my experience goes in producing bass these are up there, There is no song i haven't listened to where the bass hasn't been sufficient with these earphones. I Listen to alot of bass dependant songs too, Over 800 Drum and Bass and Dubstep songs between my two devices, That said when i get my Lumia (2 Days ) ill tell you if there really is something wrong with the bass after the update and to see if we can troubleshoot the remaining problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The update for the audio and camera is coming soon by the way, no eta's so far.
sHaHiN786 said:
Even Nokia agree with the quality of the sound being poor, that's why they are updating it, anybody who believe that it ain't are just in denial, defending Nokia, god knows why, I hope they're getting paid for it. I hope the update solves it, would love if they added an equalizer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what i can make out Nokia cant do anything to the firm/software to improve it, In my eyes they should make a revised version with as many bugs as possible fixed and offer a straight swap for your current Lumia.
gtg465x said:
Also, I would check your Zune settings before syncing music. By default Zune will compress anything above 192kbps down to save space on your device. Most of my collection is 256kbps or 320kbps mp3s so I unchecked that option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Noted, +1, Thank you
vnvman said:
Honestly I have to admit I've never tried CD rips on a WP7 device so I cannot tell if it's good or bad. I'll try that as soon as i get the phone. Anyway some issues with non-dedicated devices are e.g. the fact that generally they have some noise in the output due to the fact that they have a radio unit and a noisy cpu. I had a GS2 a while ago and that was really painful. Looking at the review on gsmarena it seems like the lumia has some problems with stereo crosstalk and tends to cut-off bass frequencies, so that may actually be a concern for someone listening to your kind of music I guess...
If you want a good player, both decent looking and powerful you may have alook at the Creative Zen X-Fi Style. Other options may be the Sandisk Sansa Clip+, with the same sound quality and half the price, but that's definitely not so fancy looking. Cowon devices are very good too, but some of them, especially the lower end ones have a pretty gimmicky interface and they're not exactly "hair-thin" or cool to look at, despite packing the best output quality and EQ (hardware based); anyway they also cost a bit more (around 100€), so they may not be your cup of tea. I have the C2 right now, it's rather plain and the interface is super-gimmicky and unituitive, but the the sound quality is worth it for me. It also has a very long lasting battery (almost 50 hrs) and has a microsd slot which is a pretty cool feature IMHO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Might get the Sansa has some good features and is super cheap, +1 for the input.
Lumia is lacking of bass, it's ok with monster purity, but with my Creative EP630 it's almost poor quality
sHaHiN786 said:
The update for the audio and camera is coming soon by the way, no eta's so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking forward to it
gtg465x said:
People who prefer lossless audio codecs and use $100+ headphones (aka audiophiles) might have that opinion, but not the average person. I'm no audiophile, but I am definitely more picky than the average person about sound quality. I can greatly appreciate the difference between low end headphones (the ones included with most devices or any that can be purchased for less than $40 generally) and even a mid-range pair ($40-$100). I have no problem with the Lumia 800. Sound quality isn't as good as my old Galaxy S that had a Wolfson DAC, but it's still acceptable and allows me to enjoy my music on the go. I definitely have no reason to defend Nokia. I haven't owned one since the days of dumbphones, I own three other high end phones, and I didn't even pay for my Lumia 800 as it was a gift.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you ever experienced such "problems" as described by other users before the update perhaps, or have you enjoyed it from the start.
As a random question to everyone, Do you know if Windows Phone 7.5 users will be able to update to WP8 or will there be a new range of phones.
Ricehead said:
Have you ever experienced such "problems" as described by other users before the update perhaps, or have you enjoyed it from the start.
As a random question to everyone, Do you know if Windows Phone 7.5 users will be able to update to WP8 or will there be a new range of phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's my understanding (read it a while ago) that major Windows Phone software updates are supposed to be compatible two devices back.
anseio said:
It's my understanding (read it a while ago) that major Windows Phone software updates are supposed to be compatible two devices back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not so the HTC HD2 running 6.5 was not upgrade able to WP7, Attached is a screenshot of a question from the answers.microsoft site, No WP8 for WP7.5 makes me a sad bunny.
Ricehead said:
Not so the HTC HD2 running 6.5 was not upgrade able to WP7, Attached is a screenshot of a question from the answers.microsoft site, No WP8 for WP7.5 makes me a sad bunny.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know it's semantical, but the HD2 is/was not Windows Phone. It's Windows Mobile... a completely different OS.
And... yes... the HD2 is fully capable of running Mango with ease. It's just cannot be officially updated to it.
Ricehead said:
Have you ever experienced such "problems" as described by other users before the update perhaps, or have you enjoyed it from the start.
As a random question to everyone, Do you know if Windows Phone 7.5 users will be able to update to WP8 or will there be a new range of phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't received any firmware update, but I got the 8107 OS update the first time I plugged in my device so I never really used the phone on 7740 or whatever it was on previously.
I did try the headphones that came with the phone and audio quality with those was indeed awful, but that's something I expected and with my own headphones audio quality is fine (average for a modern smartphone).
Ricehead said:
Have you ever experienced such "problems" as described by other users before the update perhaps, or have you enjoyed it from the start.
As a random question to everyone, Do you know if Windows Phone 7.5 users will be able to update to WP8 or will there be a new range of phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it will, it has been confirmed that our handset will, can't find the link for it.
The link to confirm the audio issue is being dealt with: http://www.mobiletechworld.com/2012...bout-lumia-800-battery-life-audio-and-camera/
anseio said:
I know it's semantical, but the HD2 is/was not Windows Phone. It's Windows Mobile... a completely different OS.
And... yes... the HD2 is fully capable of running Mango with ease. It's just cannot be officially updated to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So really im just a dumbass because i didnt even realise there was a difference and that the lumia will be more than likely be able to run Apollo
Hi is there a app to increase volume for headphones I use Pandora and Google Music I have headphones there a little loud but I want them louder is there a way to give me a little louder volume thanks
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda premium
Zacedward said:
Hi is there a app to increase volume for headphones I use Pandora and Google Music I have headphones there a little loud but I want them louder is there a way to give me a little louder volume thanks
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use PowerAmp. You can increase the decibels and remove the volume limitation.
Yeah PowerAmp hands down is the best media player on the market for android has been since it's release.
It's well worth the $5 or what ever they are charging for it today. It sounds amazing, the UI flows well and hands down has the best
library structure out there.
PowerAmp however will not help you with Pandora or any other internet radio app. It's EQ only works for the music playing through the PowerAmp player. There are tons of equalizer apps on the market most are free and work fine, some require root but not all of them. Those that do require root tend to work a little better in my past experience and if your phone is rooted install the beats audio drivers <-- in the market place it's free. That will make a big difference.
haunting said:
Yeah PowerAmp hands down is the best media player on the market for android has been since it's release.
It's well worth the $5 or what ever they are charging for it today. It sounds amazing, the UI flows well and hands down has the best
library structure out there.
PowerAmp however will not help you with Pandora or any other internet radio app. It's EQ only works for the music playing through the PowerAmp player. There are tons of equalizer apps on the market most are free and work fine, some require root but not all of them. Those that do require root tend to work a little better in my past experience and if your phone is rooted install the beats audio drivers <-- in the market place it's free. That will make a big difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't install beats audio unless you make a nandroid backup. People have had tons of issues with these drivers for minimal audio quality increase.
If your rooted, STweaks from play store. Great app.
Sent From My Galaxy Note 2
kimdoocheol said:
I wouldn't install beats audio unless you make a nandroid backup. People have had tons of issues with these drivers for minimal audio quality increase.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, beats audio sucks.
I tried it out of curiousity more than anything (knowing up front that it is nothing but an overhyped EQ setting)
In my system, it seemed to install just fine and appears to be working etc but makes no difference at all in the sound quality or volume.
Volume + works in some apps but not in others.
I'm an audiophile I own and use several different high end headsets with my phone. Also use it in the car... it's all personal preference people rant and rave about some of the equalizer apps out there I think some of those sound horrible. Between personal preference and the wide verity of different headsets/speakers out there it's next to impossible to say xx app is the "best" audio quality tweak / booster ect. you have to try them and see which you like.
for the features and an amazing equalizer PowerAmp but it like I said, it won't work with pandora / slacker radio apps so your stuck with the market place EQ aps for that.
I personally think the beats drivers sound great, works well on my phone with my settings and my beats headphones, with 1 of my Bose headsets the bass is a little too heavy and low notes get a bit hollow so I disable it when using those. Sounds fine on the other set.
My thoughts on it.
use perseus kernel with stweaks ....
droidstyle said:
use perseus kernel with stweaks ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Sent From My Galaxy Note 2
haunting said:
I'm an audiophile I own and use several different high end headsets with my phone. Also use it in the car... it's all personal preference people rant and rave about some of the equalizer apps out there I think some of those sound horrible. Between personal preference and the wide verity of different headsets/speakers out there it's next to impossible to say xx app is the "best" audio quality tweak / booster ect. you have to try them and see which you like.
for the features and an amazing equalizer PowerAmp but it like I said, it won't work with pandora / slacker radio apps so your stuck with the market place EQ aps for that.
I personally think the beats drivers sound great, works well on my phone with my settings and my beats headphones, with 1 of my Bose headsets the bass is a little too heavy and low notes get a bit hollow so I disable it when using those. Sounds fine on the other set.
My thoughts on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This post is amusing to me in a couple ways. I owned a very high end stereo shop for over 10 years.
We sold a lot of "True audiophile" equipment. One thing a true audiophile would never do in a million years is use anything with the beats name on it. Any true audiophile would be embarresed to admit they even own a set of beats headphones.
Now don't get me wrong, I own both a set of Bose QC15 (they work super for noise blocking on airplanes) and a set of Beats Studio's (I never would have bought them as they are WAY overpriced but I got them as a present) and I like them but I take a TON of abuse from guys who really are audiophiles for owning them.
Another thing audiophiles make a point of is not using any kind of phony IQ settings like the gimmicky beats stuff.
jmorton10 said:
This post is amusing to me in a couple ways. I owned a very high end stereo shop for over 10 years.
We sold a lot of "True audiophile" equipment. One thing a true audiophile would never do in a million years is use anything with the beats name on it. Any true audiophile would be embarresed to admit they even own a set of beats headphones.
Now don't get me wrong, I own both a set of Bose QC15 (they work super for noise blocking on airplanes) and a set of Beats Studio's (I never would have bought them as they are WAY overpriced but I got them as a present) and I like them but I take a TON of abuse from guys who really are audiophiles for owning them.
Another thing audiophiles make a point of is not using any kind of phony IQ settings like the gimmicky beats stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do you take abuse for them, what's wrong with them?
Sent From My Galaxy Note 2
aczm1988 said:
Why do you take abuse for them, what's wrong with them?
Sent From My Galaxy Note 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, it's just kind of a snobbery type thing.
True audiophiles wouldn't be caught dead with a pair of beats headphones.
If you go to the sites like headphone.org, they riidicule the beats stuff as overpriced just constantly.
Hi all,
I've been thinking about replacing the headunit in my car and have seen a few Android-based headunits on the market. Searching here, I've found basically no discussion of them, so I'm curious what people's experiences are.
I'm looking for Double-DIN, Navigation, Cap Touch, and HD Radio support. The CA-FI DashLinq4 would be almost perfect, except it has no HD Radio.
Does anyone have a unit? Love it? Hate it? Have a suggestion for one that meets my desired features?
Anyone?
After searching extensively I ended up going with the Dashlinq4. AN-21 is a fragmented cluster. Hue-fie 2 isn't much better and generally has low build quality. Parrot asteroid is ancient now, android 2.3 only. Kenwood is too proprietary, not rooted, no sideloading, no point. WD8800 was a bust. Ca-Fi seems to be the only legitimate company standing behind their product. It seems to be quite stable and build quality is top-notch.
I haven't seen any android units with HDradio. I used to like HDRadio until i got used to having the internet in my dash. I wouldn't listen to it now if I had it. Just about any content you could get over HDradio can be found streaming. Quality is just as good, if not better and it doesn't use up a whole lot of data to stream audio.
If you HAVE to have HDradio, get one of these a mount it next to your Dashlinq
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/301238604071?lpid=82
For anyone who has the Z2 (or Z3) and has been using the Sony Walkman app (including EQ, etc), my question is how good is it when compared to PowerAmp? On Walkman do you use ClearAudio+ AND/OR DSEE HX?? I want to get the Z3 and trade-in my HTC One M8, but in doing so, that means I HAVE to use the Walkman app if I want to have the option for mp3 upscaling (DSEE HX) since PowerAmp doesn't have it. But I know that although the Z3 Walkman app has DSEE HX, it only has a 4-band EQ vs PowerAmp's 10-band EQ. And it seems like at least some ppl think PowerAmp is better.
Any advice, suggestions, or alternate options would be appreciated!!
Thank You,
RockStar2005
It depends on what you arr more comfortable with
I prefer walkman because im use to it and its useful
I love the noise canceling features and the EQ heeds to what i need although it does lack a tiny bit but that can be easily fixed with 3rd party EQ apps
Envious_Data said:
It depends on what you arr more comfortable with
I prefer walkman because im use to it and its useful
I love the noise canceling features and the EQ heeds to what i need although it does lack a tiny bit but that can be easily fixed with 3rd party EQ apps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Envious,
I deeply appreciate your reply on this issue. Lemme ask you some questions to further understand what you're saying:
1) I see. I just bought the noise-cancelling earphones (the ones made specifically for the Z2 and Z3: http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en.../digital-noise-cancelling-headset-mdr-nc31em/) and am anxious to use them (or return them if I don't get the Z3 lol). Is that activated in the Sony sound settings menu or in the Walkman app sound settings? Also same question for ClearAudio+?
2) Would those 3rd party EQ apps work in conjunction with Walkman? If so, can you recommend any 3rd party EQ apps to use with it? I will look around but if you know of or use any, please let me know their names and I'll gladly try them out.
Thank You,
RockStar2005
RockStar2005 said:
Envious,
I deeply appreciate your reply on this issue. Lemme ask you some questions to further understand what you're saying:
1) I see. I just bought the noise-cancelling earphones (the ones made specifically for the Z2 and Z3: http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en.../digital-noise-cancelling-headset-mdr-nc31em/) and am anxious to use them (or return them if I don't get the Z3 lol). Is that activated in the Sony sound settings menu or in the Walkman app sound settings? Also same question for ClearAudio+?
2) Would those 3rd party EQ apps work in conjunction with Walkman? If so, can you recommend any 3rd party EQ apps to use with it? I will look around but if you know of or use any, please let me know their names and I'll gladly try them out.
Thank You,
RockStar2005
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The noise canceling headphones do not require walkman because the noise canceling is seperate but for some reason walkman has to be functioning for it to work even if your using different media players
(basicly means it works on any media player so long as walkman is on the device)
You do require a xperia Z2 or newer because its the Xperia that has the tech to enable noise canceling on hit earphones
And any eq will work if it shows in the sound settings under media effects
One i know to work is viperfx4android but it requires root
(see attachments for screenshots)
Envious,
Oh wow, ok. Thanks for including those pics. I've seen them before but wasn't sure which menu they fell under. So at least THOSE (Noise-Cancelling, ClearAudio) are on the phone's sound settings not Walkman's.
So even if I'm not using Walkman, as long as it's on the phone, I can still use other ones and get noise-cancellation. Interesting. I may just use Walkman.................the 3rd party app idea is a great one!
Yeah I'm getting the Z3 but I was aware that it only works from Z2 going forward. See that's the thing..... I'm looking to trade my HTC One M8 in for the Z3 because I had to root it (and do S-OFF) in order to get things like the Harman/Kardon mod, etc. I'd like to get away from that if possible though. (I have heard of Viper4Android etc too.... tried to d/l it but it wouldn't install for some reason on my M8). So my mission now will be to look for an app that works with Walkman that is AS GOOD as PowerAmp but doesn't require rooting.
If you come across any others, please let me know.
Thanks again!!
RockStar2005
Envious_Data said:
The noise canceling headphones do not require walkman because the noise canceling is seperate but for some reason walkman has to be functioning for it to work even if your using different media players
(basicly means it works on any media player so long as walkman is on the device)
You do require a xperia Z2 or newer because its the Xperia that has the tech to enable noise canceling on hit earphones
And any eq will work if it shows in the sound settings under media effects
One i know to work is viperfx4android but it requires root
(see attachments for screenshots)
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Envious,
I talked to someone on xda who says she has the Z2 and has seen the Z3 in person (she lives in Japan), and she said the DSEE HX feature will still work even if I use PowerAmp as long as I switch DSEE HX on in Walkman first. She said she uses PowerAmp as well and the bass boost option in Walkman remains active even she uses PowerAmp, and she seemed very sure about this. So I think my problem's solved!! Yessss!!!!!!!!! :good: lol
Thanks again for your input here today!
RockStar2005
Not too sure if i made this clear
But any EQ app can work with any media player so long as that eq app was selected as default
Envious_Data said:
Not too sure if i made this clear
But any EQ app can work with any media player so long as that eq app was selected as default
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Click to collapse
Yeah I wasn't fully clear on it until that lady with the Z2 said it. PowerAmp isn't just an EQ app it's (as you probably know too) a full-blown music player.
Thanks!
RockStar2005
Can you share this sony music app ? I want to test the noise cancelling. Thanks
seferismo said:
Can you share this sony music app ? I want to test the noise cancelling. Thanks
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Here ya go. The Walkman app is now called Music.
Do you have a Sony phone? If not, it probably won't work. But if so, you probably already have the app.
I dont have. Unfortunately
Sent from my 2014817
seferismo said:
I dont have. Unfortunately
Sent from my 2014817
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The noise cancelling feature is exclusive to the Sony phones, so you could download the app but w/o the technology found ON the Sony Xperia Z phones available, you won't have what you need to use it.
What phone do you have? Maybe you could get a Z phone the next time around? Your call.
I used to use poweramp before I discovered Viper4android. The equalizer was the main reason why I used it.
Of course the original Sony walkman doesn't have so many features. It's missing many basic things, like deleting song, change sorting order etc but it's simple and beautiful (especially the older version).
The one thing I've noticed is that new Sony music app doesn't work well for me on kitkat.
Unfortunately I don't use any Sony enhancements, as it did cause some trouble with the speakers.
Anyway, you may always try the app yourself before changing the phone. It's available for all phones in Google.
Sent from Xperia Z2
Luckily not from an iPhone = Yesterdays technology at tomorrows prices
Mr.loverlover,
Don't you have to be rooted though to get Viper4android? When I had my HTC One M8 last year, I did decide to root it and had one of the Viper ROMs or MODs on there. It was great, but only worked b/c I'd unlocked and rooted my phone. I have NO plans or desire to do that again though on my current Sony Xperia Z3, so for me it's a no-go on that.
I think the equalizer on PowerAmp is fantastic and I'd compared this app to about a dozen other players, and none of them could top PowerAmp in every category.........sound quality, ease of use/UI, options & features, looks, etc. The Sony Walkman/Music app came very close though, and only had a 5-band EQ, but PowerAmp (which has a 10-band EQ) STILL had a slight edge when it came to sound quality.
Well in the past I just listened to music straight from my phone, so back then, I did use a couple of the sound features found in the Audio Settings menu. I'd used DSEE HX for improving the sound quality of non Hi-Res content (it's disabled when playing anything above 16-bit/44.1kHz, or CD-Quality), and also I enabled the Surround Sound feature (Studio) as well. They really made the sound quality awesome! Since I was using PowerAmp though I left the Walkman EQ on "Off", and Clear Bass I varied it up. But let me suggest to you........ if I was to use Walkman/Music over PowerAmp, I would HIGHLY suggest the "Soul" preset on there. To me, it's BY FAR the best EQ preset on there. All it does is raise the mid-range up a couple notches, but it makes a big difference in SQ. The vocals will sound clearer and the drums will have more WEIGHT to them. But now that I have a high-quality amp/DAC, I leave those features off (aside from PowerAmp's EQ presets) and keep the Walkman/Music app's EQ on Off so it doesn't interfere with PowerAmp. Those features only sound good when you're listening straight from phone, but if you use some upgraded equipment like I do, those same features actually make the sound worse not better, so yeah, I leave 'em off now.
In the last year I've really gotten into the whole Hi-Res thing........ and have learned a lot too about what equipment options are out there, various settings, and why downsampling Hi-Res content is a very good thing. I've tried different portable amp/DACs and players, and various headphones as well. My current set up is connecting my Z3 (which acts as my music player, with PowerAmp at the helm & I use a couple different presets of which I'd created and configured based off the "Rock" EQ preset) to my portable amp/DAC, the Celsus Sound Companion One (CO), which is INCREDIBLE, and I listen to all that using my Sony MDR-1A headphones. The CO is very well-rated, even being said to sound better than amp/DACs (portable and desktop) and player TWICE to TRIPLE its price ($595). Looks like a fat iPhone right? lol The 1As ($299) are very premium in looks and sound, and have that bass PUNCH that even the more expensive (though also slightly better-looking) Bowers & Wilkins P7s don't quite have. The AKG K550s, which I had before the 1As, are equal in sound but require an amp where the 1As did not. And this was back when I didn't have the CO and wanted to get rid of my last amp (not amp/DAC), which I did when I returned it along with my K550s. The K550s are cheaper though you MAY (or may not) need a portable amp/DAC like my CO (or see Cozoy Astrapi below) to make them loud enough, which I did. Same goes with the Sennheiser HD 598s, of which I also found them to be a bit uncomfortable, though others I know did not. Even cheaper but still well-regarded are the Sony MDR-7506s and the Sony MDR-V6 headphones. The V6s have a bit more bass to them, but aside from that, they are identical in SQ to the 7506s. The ear pads they say get worn out somewhat fast, so these velour replacements are suggested and some say even better than the original leather ones (or upgraded leather ones) that come with the headphones. But it's up to the owner which one to get.
Regarding Hi-Res downsampling, which I downsample to CD-Quality ALAC or FLAC (or even high-quality AAC)......... I do this b/c 1) Despite what ANYONE tells you, including Sony, Hi-Res files only sound better b/c they use a different master (and b/c it's above the level of a crappy mp3 lol), NOT b/c of the higher resolution 2) the lower the resolution, the less battery power is required to play it and 3) the lower the resolution, the less SPACE it takes up. These Hi-Res albums (esp the DSD Hi-Res ones) take up A TON of space, so downsampling is key for me. To do these conversions, I use dBpoweramp (NO relation to PowerAmp lol), which is a free converter that does the job right. I just convert the Hi-Res albums I buy to Uncompressed 16-bit/44.1 kHz WAV files, then to ALAC, FLAC (Level 8), or 320-400 kbps CBR AACs (plug-in required for AAC conversions). The AACs I store on my Z3 phone, but the lossless ALAC or FLAC files I use for backup/storage on OneDrive. (Note: Even after dBpoweramp's 3-week free trial ends, the converter option will STILL be fully functional.)
If the CO is too pricey, I would highly suggest the $130 Cozoy Astrapi portable amp/DAC (or you can find it on eBay cheaper like I did) from China, which is pretty well-rated and sounds great from my own experience. I got this for a friend as a b'day gift and lemme tell you, it really packs quite a punch for such a tiny device. It's the size of a small thumb drive, made of aluminum, uses only about 5% of your phone's battery an hour, gives you extra volume and most important, raises the bar on sound quality. It works with Android, PC, and iPhone (says "Made for iPhone" on the box, but I think that's just a marketing thing). Comes with all the necessary cables too. I took it to a T-Mobile Store near me and tested it out on my 1As, and I let the one worker there hear them out too just on mp3s (not even Hi-Res), and he was really impressed by them too. So much so that he took a pic of the Astrapi's box cuz he wanted to buy it for himself. lol
If you're just listening straight from your phone using cheap ear or headphones and only to crappy mp3s or streaming, then you're simply missing out IMHO. You can do much better!
Wow. You do know a lot about audio
I'm just a common guy who likes to listen music with good quality.
To answer your question, yes, Viper4android needs root, but for me both of those things are "must have".
Htc one m8 has better audio adjustment by itself, that's true, but Viper4android lets you do it even better on every phone. Of course, if I were you, and I wouldn't want to root my phone, then poweramp would be the only music player I would pick, because of its great equalizer.
However, if audio is VERY important for you, then you should definitely try out Viper and of course try out these presets. In your hands it could do magic for sure, and in my opinion Sony stock enhancements don't even get close to what Viper offers.
Sent from Xperia Z2
Luckily not from an iPhone = Yesterdays technology at tomorrows prices
Yeah I've done my research. lol
Cool. Thanks for your vote of confidence there! lol Well see that's the thing.......... those enhancements that Sony and Viper4Android have are, from my own experience, really great IF you're not putting an amp/DAC into the mix. But I am, and it elevates the sound quality far beyond what a phone's audio hardware can do REGARDLESS of what software you're using. Case in point......... before I got my CO, I actually had the Sony Walkman A17. It's a fantastic player (though what I have now is considered a notch better), but just like with my CO........when I tried to do the same thing you're talking about on it (being a Sony device, it had ALL those options too), it had a totally different effect on the music. Where DSEE HX and esp Surround Sound (Studio) made my music better (Hi-Res or not), when I tried them out on the Walkman, it simply made them worse. I think that since the technology is so much better than what any smartphone is capable of, those options simply don't bring anything to the table anymore. I mean, I did use the "Soul" preset from the Z3 Walkman/Music app on the Walkman, though on the Walkman there are no EQ presets so I had to do it manually (raise 2.5 kHz EQ band up 2 notches, leave Clear Bass on 0). But that was it. All other options were left off.
If I didn't have my CO, I might consider rooting as I did a year ago with the M8, but I honestly don't believe it will matter. Especially since rooting is kind of a hassle cuz you basically have to do everything yourself, like updates, etc. On the M8 though I specifically unlocked & rooted my phone so I could get the Harman/Kardon MOD so my phone would have the same features as the Sprint Harman/Kardon M8. Both phones had the same hardware, so it was just a software thing, and someone figured out how to port the mod over to other M8 phones (I have T-Mobile). It WAS worth the effort b/c BoomSound was cool but the H/K Mod took my sound to another level! Not like what I have now, but back then it was a big deal for me.
I was a simple guy too. I'd never unlocked or rooted a phone before. It was tough at first cuz I couldn't get it to work (well the S-OFF part was hard at least, but necessary to get H/K), but eventually I did. Then I started to realize how big the Hi-Res thing was getting (last year was a BIG year for it, with Sony's help of course lol). So I visited forums like here and esp Head-Fi.org, and I learned a lot over several months. Started to be able to separate the BS (that resolution above mp3 matters) and what was real (that Hi-Res & DSD albums have better and less compressed masters than mp3s and even CDs do, and that's the real reason why they sound better). I'm still learning, but now I know what I'm doing where 10-11 months ago I was just learning. If you wanna try out Hi-Res, I recommend these 3 sites which are my go-to places (price compare so you pay less!): 1) Pono Music (they often have individual tracks too unlike the others) 2) HDTracks and 3) Acoustic Sounds (they also carry DSD albums which are even better sounding than Hi-Res, but only a fraction of albums get a DSD release). I got Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and Bob Dylan's "Nashville Skyline" in DSD for example. 2 classics, and the SQ is INCREDIBLE! The instruments and vocals are spread out nice and wide, the clarity is sweet, there's no muddy bass messing everything up, the tape hiss is filtered out and with that the sound is more full and richer, etc. Listen to Billie Jean (the chorus, WOW.....wow! lol) or Lay Lady Lay and you'll understand what I mean, ESP vs the mp3 versions. (My review for Skyline should post by Wed on that album's page.) I'd also recommend the new Led Zeppelin Hi-Res remasters, as well as Fleetwood Mac's 70s albums, Tom Petty's solo and Heartbreakers albums, and a ton more. Maybe try downloading one or two albums or tracks from an artist you like and see what you think vs the mp3 version you have. Sometimes they have sales and stuff too. Like Acoustic Sounds has a 10% off Labor Day sale (see home page) going on.
Well even if ya don't want to do the Hi-Res thing, I'd still at least recommend you get one of the headphones I mentioned and also of course the Cozoy Astrapi, then never look back. lol Doesn't get simpler than that really.
Hey guys!
I've just invested in some decent Sennheiser earphones (never use stock ones!) and I'm now looking for a music app to match! I've found the stock music player lacks the dynamic range for the different types of music I listen to. My main genres are progressive rock, rock, techno/house and occasional classical. I've dabbled with the trial of Power Amp and was quite impressed, but wanted to know what other people have tried and gone with before I part with my meagre amount of money! Audiophiles, lend me your ears!!!
What are your recommendations/thoughts?
Cheers guys.
Probably already done it but don't forget to set up the adaptive sounds settings
Tonesav said:
Probably already done it but don't forget to set up the adaptive sounds settings
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Click to collapse
I'm guessing this only works with the stock player, or is it part of the system output and would also work with third party apps?
Sent from the Edge.
On mine it's in settings, sounds and noticifications, sound quality and effects,
In here is adapt sound and other sound options they make my cheap blue tooth set sounds a little richer
And the adapt sound helps with my right ear hearing better than my left
imho poweramp is one of the best, has many frequency control, effects and a lot of theme like this:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dmulg2ycs1y10c0/Screenshot_2015-05-16-18-54-35.png?dl=0
adaptive sound is really bad..go with viper4Android this is the best and could be used with all players..BTW I'm still stick to my old in ear beats headphones ..they were included in the HTC sensation XL times..
I use Neutron and it is great.
Alex-V said:
adaptive sound is really bad..go with viper4Android this is the best and could be used with all players..BTW I'm still stick to my old in ear beats headphones ..they were included in the HTC sensation XL times..
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Not looking to root I'm afraid. While I've rooted my last few devices, I use my GS6E for NFC payments and rooting would cause this to stop working. Also my 1 year old boy keeps me too busy these days!
I did have some UrBeats earphones with my One X a few years ago before I sold them, and after recent reports that they are nothing more than a brand name behind cheap Chinese made earphones, I'd rather steer clear of them. Quite happy with my Sennheisers!
Sent from the Edge.
Kiwi_Dude said:
Not looking to root I'm afraid. While I've rooted my last few devices, I use my GS6E for NFC payments and rooting would cause this to stop working. Also my 1 year old boy keeps me too busy these days!
I did have some UrBeats earphones with my One X a few years ago before I sold them, and after recent reports that they are nothing more than a brand name behind cheap Chinese made earphones, I'd rather steer clear of them. Quite happy with my Sennheisers!
Sent from the Edge.
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yeah..from me it's the opposite..the Sennheisers we're not have a good sound..and no there are zero payment things.. I mean I can not see any store where I can pay with NFC in Germany....
Alex-V said:
yeah..from me it's the opposite..the Sennheisers we're not have a good sound..and no there are zero payment things.. I mean I can not see any store where I can pay with NFC in Germany....
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Click to collapse
I think that if it wasn't for the NFC payments and that I've only got the phone for another 11 months, I'd probably consider rooting. As for the headphones, perhaps you ended up with some fakes? Plenty of them out there which is a shame.
Sent from the Edge.
Alex-V said:
yeah..from me it's the opposite..the Sennheisers we're not have a good sound..and no there are zero payment things.. I mean I can not see any store where I can pay with NFC in Germany....
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Click to collapse
In Poland everywhere where they have PayPass I can pay with NFC, the same thing.
Kiwi_Dude said:
I think that if it wasn't for the NFC payments and that I've only got the phone for another 11 months, I'd probably consider rooting. As for the headphones, perhaps you ended up with some fakes? Plenty of them out there which is a shame.
Sent from the Edge.
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As for headphones and liking the sound or not, it depends on our music tastes and sound tastes greatly. Not all good headphones will be suitable for everyone.
I can recommend brainwavz and Soundmagic on my side. I have been using Brainwavz M3 with my S6 Edge and they sound great using Neutron. For desktop I have Soundpagic HP100 and they are great as well. Chinese, but if you read reviews on sites like Head-Fi.org, you will be surprised how good these are. I also have had Sennheiser MX980 for a few years and they sound nice.
The earphones I ended up getting are the Sennheiser CX 300-II. I know there are better ones out there for more money but considering I came from Logitech UE 200 they are a vast improvement, even on my laptop!
Just want to thank everyone for the replies. I'll probably end up going with Poweramp as I do like the features it offers and the different formats it plays. Quite a bit of my collection is in flac and although the stock player supports the format, the dynamic range of Poweramp is, imo greater.
Sent from the Edge.
Kiwi_Dude said:
The earphones I ended up getting are the Sennheiser CX 300-II. I know there are better ones out there for more money but considering I came from Logitech UE 200 they are a vast improvement, even on my laptop!
Just want to thank everyone for the replies. I'll probably end up going with Poweramp as I do like the features it offers and the different formats it plays. Quite a bit of my collection is in flac and although the stock player supports the format, the dynamic range of Poweramp is, imo greater.
Sent from the Edge.
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Click to collapse
Maven player? Jet audio? These 2 served me pretty good.
Viper audio if you're rooted. Not a player but a great way to control the sound