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Seeing as I'm a big music fan, a major bullet point on the SIII vs the E4GLTE is sound quality. I know the SIII has the wolfson DAC which is supposed to be pretty damn killer (if it makes it to the Sprint version), but what about the Evo? I know they have that pos beats audio global EQ, but how's the DAC itself? And is there anything special for it like supercurio's voodoo sound?
Thanks
And I'm pairing em to Ultrasone DJ1 Pro headphones, so I will hear the difference.
I'm also pretty curous about this.
So far all I've gathered is that the international One X didn't have great sound quality but the One S had great sound quality. Slightly better than the iPhone4s according to a GSMarena review.
(gsmarena.com/htc_one_x-review-747p5.php)
So I was curious how the US variants would work.
I've read random forum posts that claim the DAC is built into the SoC of the phones. The AT&T One X and the EVO 4G LTE are using the S4 snapdragon which is what the One S was tested with.
So hopefully the sound quality on these phones will rival that of the One S and not the international One X.
But all of this is based on speculation of other posters...
I'd imagine a sound review of the AT&T One X would be a solid comparison to how the EVO 4G LTE will sound but I have yet to find a detailed review of such performance.
sinfiery said:
So far all I've gathered is that the international One X didn't have great sound quality but the One S had great sound quality. Slightly better than the iPhone4s according to a GSMarena review.
(gsmarena.com/htc_one_x-review-747p5.php)
So I was curious how the US variants would work.
I've read random forum posts that claim the DAC is built into the SoC of the phones. The AT&T One X and the EVO 4G LTE are using the S4 snapdragon which is what the One S was tested with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.011 THD on the One S can't touch the 4S's .0068, but it's still impressive and probably negligible. If the DAC's are built into the SoC, then the Sprint SIII will probably share the same DAC, since this claims the SIII will have the S4 because of the Exynos doesn't have native LTE support. So maybe slightly different implementations between the two?
The difference between the two for me is slowly coming down to screen, and internal memory. Cause if the DAC awesome, I'll probably grab the 64GB SIII then cram in a 64GB SDXC so I can load in straight FLAC's.
Caladbolg said:
.011 THD on the One S can't touch the 4S's .0068, but it's still impressive and probably negligible. If the DAC's are built into the SoC, then the Sprint SIII will probably share the same DAC, since //theandroidsoul.com/sprint-galaxy-s3-specification-mined-out-before-official-announcement-its-the-return-of-the-qualcomm-s4-processor/"]this claims the SII will have the S4[/URL] because of the Exynos doesn't have native LTE support. So maybe slightly different implementations between the two?
The difference between the two for me is slowly coming down to screen, and internal memory. Cause if the DAC awesome, I'll probably grab the 64GB SIII then cram in a 64GB SDXC so I can load in straight FLAC's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I read from one random forum thread while I was researching this, but I have yet to find any true confirmation so take that information with a grain of salt.
But yeah, Sprint's SGS3 would most likely have the same SoC and presumably the same DAC for that reason.
From a thread on here, you should be able to use a 64GB SDXC with the EVO too. The only difference would be the 48GB internal difference, but I assume you might end up paying anywhere from $100-175 more for those variants.
From what I've read, screens comes down to personal preference. The SGS3 is pentile, but for real world use, word is that would be largely irrelevant.
Do you prefer AMOLED or SLCD2? Depends on the person.
The biggest factor for me is that this phone can be in my hands in 13 days, and the SGS3 hasn't even been announced for any US retailer. Hard to compare it to a phone that is potentially months away.
Edit:
(Cant post links yet)
forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=25852281&postcount=45
Back to square 1..
As it stands, Samsung said June for the LTE variant.
For the screen though, it doesn't really matter to me, though I read AMOLED uses far less power than SLCD except with full white screens.
Caladbolg said:
As it stands, Samsung said June for the LTE variant.
For the screen though, it doesn't really matter to me, though I read AMOLED uses far less power than SLCD except with full white screens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed
Battery life should be better if watching movies for the S3, if browsing the web for the EVO.
Also:
forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=25852281&postcount=45
Back to square 1.
But as you said, it has been confirmed the SGS3 will have great a great DAC so that's a start..
It would be nice if the thing has decent ear piece loudness without having to use a hacked kernel to boost it.
My question is with the audio jack. When I plugged in my EVO to the car, I could hear a high pitched squeel in the background.
An iPod did not do the same thing. It was crystal clear, which leads me to believe it was a generic audio jack.
Anyone have any news regarding this?
mcwups1 said:
My question is with the audio jack. When I plugged in my EVO to the car, I could hear a high pitched squeel in the background.
An iPod did not do the same thing. It was crystal clear, which leads me to believe it was a generic audio jack.
Anyone have any news regarding this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See, now I always thought it was my new amp that was causing it. Wish I could check and see if it was just the OG Evo, but my head unit is fried.
mcwups1 said:
My question is with the audio jack. When I plugged in my EVO to the car, I could hear a high pitched squeel in the background.
An iPod did not do the same thing. It was crystal clear, which leads me to believe it was a generic audio jack.
Anyone have any news regarding this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Generally a squeal in the background, is feedback from the alternator. (Not always) But if you can accel/rev the engine, the frequency should change - proving it is indeed from the alt. You can add an in-line filter for such noise, the iPod may filter that on its own - I have no idea, dont use one.
Traceamount said:
Generally a squeal in the background, is feedback from the alternator. (Not always) But if you can accel/rev the engine, the frequency should change - proving it is indeed from the alt. You can add an in-line filter for such noise, the iPod may filter that on its own - I have no idea, dont use one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting information for sure.
How about Bluetooth a2dp audio quality? Sense 3.x is pretty bad, does the evolte/sense 4 fix the low bit pool/rate?
mcwups1 said:
Interesting information for sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ground feedback loops are a common issue for aftermarket stereos, but damn well shouldn't happen with a stock radio. Could be the Evo, might not.
Caladbolg said:
Ground feedback loops are a common issue for aftermarket stereos, but damn well shouldn't happen with a stock radio. Could be the Evo, might not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't hurt to have clean grounds. I used to have terrible feedback on am stations, I cut all my grounds, used a sanding disk on a angle grinder to clean up the metal, tossed on new ends and never had a problem since.
Saneless One said:
How about Bluetooth a2dp audio quality? Sense 3.x is pretty bad, does the evolte/sense 4 fix the low bit pool/rate?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BT should be fine, as far as I'm aware this has BT 4.0 and Apt-X codec support like the One X/S. Bluetooth 4.0 gives you higher audio bandwidth over bluetooth and Apt-X gives you lossless BT audio up to ~370kbps for stereo sound according to the developers at CSR. In blind A/B testing with my international One X via a wired connection and the Samsung HS3000 they sound the same to me for 320kbps mp3, and slightly worse for FLAC encoded files which were unlistenable on earlier BT versions).
http://www.whathifi.com/review/lg-g2
http://www.whathifi.com/news/lg-confirms-details-of-hi-res-audio-playback-on-g2-phone
http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_g2-review-982p8.php
My experience is similar to the whatthehifi review. Not quite as exciting as G3, but still very good. Looking forward to see what the developers do with it. I think it has huge potential.
BaronInkjet said:
http://www.whathifi.com/review/lg-g2
http://www.whathifi.com/news/lg-confirms-details-of-hi-res-audio-playback-on-g2-phone
http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_g2-review-982p8.php
My experience is similar to the whatthehifi review. Not quite as exciting as G3, but still very good. Looking forward to see what the developers do with it. I think it has huge potential.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had quite the opposite of whathifi. I felt the g2 sounded warmer than the s3 (possibly why they think its laid back). Had better bass texture/response and did have a bit more clarity up top. Overall they were both very similar but the g2 felt a bit more in your face vs the s3 (which is not very laid back).
These differences were very small. I believe the international version has a wolfson dac. If that was what they were comparing then its possible what they are saying is true.
Thing is they don't list what that used to test the equipment with.
if you want to tailor the sound , try using viper4android. It really makes a huge difference in sound quality. you can also use correction filters for your specific headphones. You wont be disappointed.:good:
bilbobrian said:
if you want to tailor the sound , try using viper4android. It really makes a huge difference in sound quality. you can also use correction filters for your specific headphones. You wont be disappointed.:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which one do you pick during setup? I remember A8 on my S4 but not sure about the G2
IamPro said:
Which one do you pick during setup? I remember A8 on my S4 but not sure about the G2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CortexA8 with NEON...it really takes advantage of this dac. I'm listening to some U2 flac right now, it's phenomenal:highfive:.
bilbobrian said:
CortexA8 with NEON...it really takes advantage of this dac. I'm listening to some U2 flac right now, it's phenomenal:highfive:.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nm got it
edit:
What settings do you have it on?
Darkestred said:
I had quite the opposite of whathifi. I felt the g2 sounded warmer than the s3 (possibly why they think its laid back). Had better bass texture/response and did have a bit more clarity up top. Overall they were both very similar but the g2 felt a bit more in your face vs the s3 (which is not very laid back).
These differences were very small. I believe the international version has a wolfson dac. If that was what they were comparing then its possible what they are saying is true.
Thing is they don't list what that used to test the equipment with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the reviewer was talking about iPhone. There are definitely some aspects I like better than GS3, the warmth, etc. The main thing I noticed missing was transparency in treble. I have been listening with RE0s lately and cymbals etc are just extraordinary with my (Wolfson) S3. Good with G2 but not magical. But I need to sit down with the two of them side by side and listen.
BaronInkjet said:
I think the reviewer was talking about iPhone. There are definitely some aspects I like better than GS3, the warmth, etc. The main thing I noticed missing was transparency in treble. I have been listening with RE0s lately and cymbals etc are just extraordinary with my (Wolfson) S3. Good with G2 but not magical. But I need to sit down with the two of them side by side and listen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would make more sense. I was trying to a/b my s3, g2 and my home headphone setup. I know its easy to get confused when a/b'n with no time off for your ears to adjust but the g2 was sounding nearly as layered and textured as my canamp and micro dac. Had me worried but i know that was just from going back and forth.
I have yet to really listen to my g2. They did sound nice with my 701s, though. Made snare hits sound more natural. I"ll have to spin them with my GR07s.
I have had only other other Android phone to compare with the G2, plus our Sansa Clip+. I use the Neutron Music Player app which has its own audio driver, runs on Neon, 64 bit, parametric equalizer et al. With good/VG quality headphones (Grado SR 60), the G2 sounds fine to me. The headphone volume output is similar to the other Android phone I had previously. We GR owners can also stream out the music through the USB OTG to a DAC, car sound system with USB input, AV receiver with USB input.
While I agree the clarity is beyond any other android phone I've owned I find the sound to feel rather compressed. I have the verizon version so I'm not sure if there are any differences there but so far I'm disappointed after reading great reviews.
Sent from my LG G2 using Tapatalk 4.
After extensive head2head comparison with my S3 w/Wolfson, I returned mine today. The audio is simply not as good. It is louder than stock GS3, but not better. Tis a shame, for it is a remarkable device otherwise. And I miss it already.
BaronInkjet said:
After extensive head2head comparison with my S3 w/Wolfson, I returned mine today. The audio is simply not as good. It is louder than stock GS3, but not better. Tis a shame, for it is a remarkable device otherwise. And I miss it already.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this after the viper mod or stock g2? My note after dac tuning sounds amazing and not willing to get this or the note 3 since they both have similar dacs, if thats the case. Let me know
Huge audiophile here. I listened briefly with my Koss Pro3aa headphones and was pretty happy with the sound. A huge upgrade vs my t989 for sure. I'll do more extensive testing later on.
Sent from my LG-D801 using xda app-developers app
Usually I carry a FiiO amp (I have three different models). I use them with my Note 3 and have various headphones ( Audio Technica ATH M50, V-Moda M100 and V-Moda XS, Beats Solo 2). On full amplification via the FiiO and depending on genre, I like the V-Moda XS and FiiO E18 the best. I would rate it a 9 for clarity and depth on portable device (I'm not huge into Ibiza levels of bass). So i walk into the T-Mobile store and hook up the V-Moda XS right to the phone and set the amplification to the highest setting. I would rate it a solid 8.5 (again for portable application). Although to a newbie not typically used to listening on good headphones they would probably rate it a 20.
Basically as is, the V10 makes carrying a headphone AMP a bit unnecessary now. By the way, I paid $160 for that FiiO E18 headphone amp a year ago but the going rate was over $200. The big selling point was that it was made for Android and you could switch to different tracks using the side mounted buttons on the FiiO instead of having to take the phone out, unlock the screen and move to a different track. For whatever reasons, all headphone cords don't work with all music apps on Android.
All that being said, is the V10 the best in class phone for not just camera functionality but audio playback?
I know the new HTC and Samsung Note 5 have a few advantages of their own. I'm curious to see if anyone thinks these are better on audio than the V10 based on experience.
I gave the Note 5 a quick listen, and V10 beats it IMHO. Had a fiio e18 too, good little amp.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
The V10 will hands-down have the best audio performance of any phone to date. However, the question has been raised as to whether or not the ESS DAC/amp are active 24/7. It seems some apps use the standard Snapdragon DAC instead (typically streaming apps). Local content works fine as far as I can tell, and I may have found a workaround to force the ESS DAC on a session-by-session basis, but it might be something that can also be forced via software modifications produced by developers later on.
Well that's good to hear since I won't be going back to Samsung since they ditched SD card and removable battery.
One thing I thought of, the V-Moda XS is known for having a compact folding design that has "military" grade impact resistance and all around durable build quality. Which are similar selling points for the V10. Right out of the box, this is a great sound pairing. Some say the Beats Solo2 is on par with V-Moda XS on sound, but given the plastic build quality it's not really the same value for the money.
Yes, some apps aren't working. Tidal is gtg fortunately. Sounds pretty damn good too.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
Nitemare3219 said:
The V10 will hands-down have the best audio performance of any phone to date. However, the question has been raised as to whether or not the ESS DAC/amp are active 24/7. It seems some apps use the standard Snapdragon DAC instead (typically streaming apps). Local content works fine as far as I can tell, and I may have found a workaround to force the ESS DAC on a session-by-session basis, but it might be something that can also be forced via software modifications produced by developers later on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was wondering about that too. Let me touch on my experience a bit.
A couple of things for reference: I briefly tested the DAC with my Sennheiser Momentum, and then with my HD 650 without any intermediary signal processing. Also, I believe that the 32 bit is an overkill, so signal-wise I don't consider this better than a 16-bit DAC for practical purposes. Still, I like having it just because it's there. My comparison is between the V10 and a Nexus 4, as well as a FiiO E07K + Little Dot Mark III at times.
So, the Momentum: of course the Momentum run well and loud, since they are easily run. DAC-wise, I do notice some added clarity and soundstage with Hi Fi on using FLACS and 320 kbps files (nothing major, but it's there, as expected). All good.
Now, for the HD 650: the V10 with Hi Fi on will do an automatic impedance/power match, which is really nice for volume control normalization. In the end, the V10 makes the FiiO e07k useless, because the HD 650 sound fine, loud, and equally clear on the phone. Now here is the thing: we know that Spotify is not affected by the Hi Fi toggle, yet the sound is equally loud and clear on the HD 650 than with Hi Fi on using local files. When I turn Hi Fi off, the amp can't power the headphones nearly as well (or at all), impedance match ends, and the volume and clarity go down.
In short, Spotify with Hi Fi off = Local files with Hi Fi on, even though it's supposedly not affected by it.
What that means to me is that they could be doing a Beats maneuver, and lowering audio quality on Hi Fi off on local files to really give people the feel that turning it on affects music. On the other hand, it could mean that Spotify (or other 3rd party, streaming apps) simply bypass the toggle and just run on the amp/dac's full power regardless. Proof of the latter would be that my Nexus 4 (and some other phones I've tested) simply cannot drive the HD 650 at the level that the V10 does on Spotify. I mean, I can barely reach a mediocre volume on the Nexus 4 maxed out.
Keep in mind that this is my initial impression, and I haven't done an in-depth sound test yet. That said, I'm very happy with the V10 regardless, since it can effortlessly power my HD 650 without having to carry an external amp/dac combo.
Kakuz said:
I
What that means to me is that they could be doing a Beats maneuver, and lowering audio quality on Hi Fi off on local files to really give people the feel that turning it on affects music. On the other hand, it could mean that Spotify (or other 3rd party, streaming apps) simply bypass the toggle and just run on the amp/dac's full power regardless. Proof of the latter would be that my Nexus 4 (and some other phones I've tested) simply cannot drive the HD 650 at the level that the V10 does on Spotify. I mean, I can barely reach a mediocre volume on the Nexus 4 maxed out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think they lower quality for hi-fi off. It simply uses a completely different DAC. It defaults to the Qualcomm Snapdragon DAC... which is low quality.
jamor414 said:
I don't think they lower quality for hi-fi off. It simply uses a completely different DAC. It defaults to the Qualcomm Snapdragon DAC... which is low quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what it's supposed to be like, so I'm inclined to believe it. My question is whether Spotify is really using the ESS, even if it was not supposed to. More of a curiosity than anything.
Kakuz said:
That's what it's supposed to be like, so I'm inclined to believe it. My question is whether Spotify is really using the ESS, even if it was not supposed to. More of a curiosity than anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Inclined to believe what?
Someone reported getting 3rd party apps like spotify to use the ESS dac with toggling tricks so it's definitely possible that it was using the ESS dac.
jamor414 said:
Inclined to believe what?
Someone reported getting 3rd party apps like spotify to use the ESS dac with toggling tricks so it's definitely possible that it was using the ESS dac.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course it's possible, but I have yet to find a 100% sure response. Not that it's a big deal anyways, since the audio is fine regardless.
By the way, can you send a link to the report? I want to test it.
Kakuz said:
Of course it's possible, but I have yet to find a 100% sure response. Not that it's a big deal anyways, since the audio is fine regardless.
By the way, can you send a link to the report? I want to test it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.head-fi.org/t/782706/lg-...gship-android-phone-from-lg/465#post_12047691
post 470
jamor414 said:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/782706/lg-...gship-android-phone-from-lg/465#post_12047691
post 470
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. That guy is saying something similar to what I said. Difference is, I didn't even have to overlap local file playing to trigger the amp/dac with Spotify. It just goes and it can't be turned off in any way, which is fine with me. But without any more information of course I was going to have initial doubts about it.
Can the v10 replace a standalone music player?
Kakuz said:
I was wondering about that too. Let me touch on my experience a bit.
A couple of things for reference: I briefly tested the DAC with my Sennheiser Momentum, and then with my HD 650 without any intermediary signal processing. Also, I believe that the 32 bit is an overkill, so signal-wise I don't consider this better than a 16-bit DAC for practical purposes. Still, I like having it just because it's there. My comparison is between the V10 and a Nexus 4, as well as a FiiO E07K + Little Dot Mark III at times.
So, the Momentum: of course the Momentum run well and loud, since they are easily run. DAC-wise, I do notice some added clarity and soundstage with Hi Fi on using FLACS and 320 kbps files (nothing major, but it's there, as expected). All good.
Now, for the HD 650: the V10 with Hi Fi on will do an automatic impedance/power match, which is really nice for volume control normalization. In the end, the V10 makes the FiiO e07k useless, because the HD 650 sound fine, loud, and equally clear on the phone. Now here is the thing: we know that Spotify is not affected by the Hi Fi toggle, yet the sound is equally loud and clear on the HD 650 than with Hi Fi on using local files. When I turn Hi Fi off, the amp can't power the headphones nearly as well (or at all), impedance match ends, and the volume and clarity go down.
In short, Spotify with Hi Fi off = Local files with Hi Fi on, even though it's supposedly not affected by it.
What that means to me is that they could be doing a Beats maneuver, and lowering audio quality on Hi Fi off on local files to really give people the feel that turning it on affects music. On the other hand, it could mean that Spotify (or other 3rd party, streaming apps) simply bypass the toggle and just run on the amp/dac's full power regardless. Proof of the latter would be that my Nexus 4 (and some other phones I've tested) simply cannot drive the HD 650 at the level that the V10 does on Spotify. I mean, I can barely reach a mediocre volume on the Nexus 4 maxed out.
Keep in mind that this is my initial impression, and I haven't done an in-depth sound test yet. That said, I'm very happy with the V10 regardless, since it can effortlessly power my HD 650 without having to carry an external amp/dac combo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you think the v10 can match something like a Fiio X3? I normally have to carry my phone and the Fiio X3. It'd be great to be able to carry just one device and not have to sacrifice decent sound quality.
3165dwayne said:
Do you think the v10 can match something like a Fiio X3? I normally have to carry my phone and the Fiio X3. It'd be great to be able to carry just one device and not have to sacrifice decent sound quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found this in another forum:
"I have had about 2 days to seriously listen to the V10 with a variety of different headphones and I've continued to be blown away. It puts the iPhone 6/6s to shame and even embarrasses (what I thought to be excellent) Samsung GS6E+/Note 5. I'm typing this in my bed listening to London Grammar's "Flickers" with my LCD-3 and V10. I'm amazed that a) a phone could power these cans as well as the V10 does and b) that there is such excellent instrument separation, transparency, soundstage, and quickness from a smartphone DAC/amp combo. I'd choose this over a FiiO X1/X3/(even) an X5. Until you get into the Questyle/AK territory, this thing is just as competent as any DAP. With TIDAL!"
And with that, I'm in
jamor414 said:
I found this in another forum:
"I have had about 2 days to seriously listen to the V10 with a variety of different headphones and I've continued to be blown away. It puts the iPhone 6/6s to shame and even embarrasses (what I thought to be excellent) Samsung GS6E+/Note 5. I'm typing this in my bed listening to London Grammar's "Flickers" with my LCD-3 and V10. I'm amazed that a) a phone could power these cans as well as the V10 does and b) that there is such excellent instrument separation, transparency, soundstage, and quickness from a smartphone DAC/amp combo. I'd choose this over a FiiO X1/X3/(even) an X5. Until you get into the Questyle/AK territory, this thing is just as competent as any DAP. With TIDAL!"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll see if I can get one tomorrow and test for myself.
3165dwayne said:
Do you think the v10 can match something like a Fiio X3? I normally have to carry my phone and the Fiio X3. It'd be great to be able to carry just one device and not have to sacrifice decent sound quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Fiio e07K that I used to use on the go. The V10 does just as well, or maybe even better, than the Fiio. Assuming the X3 is comparable to the e07k (haven't tested it), I would just stick to the V10 and reduce bulk.
I think I'll sell the e07K now.
Kakuz said:
I have a Fiio e07K that I used to use on the go. The V10 do just as well, or maybe even better, than the Fiio. Assuming the X3 is comparable to the e07k (haven't tested it), I would just stick to the V10 and reduce bulk.
I think I'll sell the e07K now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I'll sell my x3 as well.
Maybe it's possible that the V10 uses the ESS amplifier not matter what DAC is used. I've never noticed a difference between DACs for the most part... my PC sound card (Xonar Essence STX), Schiit Uber stack, and V10 all sound the same. Note5 honestly sounded about the same too. Maybe I just have insensitive ears or can't pick out the differences yet, but my AKG K812's are clearly the best sounding audio equipment I've ever heard, and I try to be critical in details of just about anything I hear sound through (apart from the source components). 320kbps .mp3's suit me just fine too.
Nitemare3219 said:
Maybe it's possible that the V10 uses the ESS amplifier not matter what DAC is used. I've never noticed a difference between DACs for the most part... my PC sound card (Xonar Essence STX), Schiit Uber stack, and V10 all sound the same. Note5 honestly sounded about the same too. Maybe I just have insensitive ears or can't pick out the differences yet, but my AKG K812's are clearly the best sounding audio equipment I've ever heard, and I try to be critical in details of just about anything I hear sound through (apart from the source components). 320kbps .mp3's suit me just fine too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mp3 normally sounds a bit more noisy and a lot of the details i look for are normally not present. then again, my hearing is pretty good. so I do notice the diffrence between mp3 at 320kbps and flac. At most times I don't listen to my music at high volumes either and then the missing stuff becomes more apparent.
I can tell the difference using Koss Portapro with 192kbps ogg.
The sound is more transparent than G4.
So for context, my first smartphone was the LG optimus g pro. And my next phone was the lg g3 followed by the OP3 2 years later. I used LG phones for 4 years before a brief oneplus 3 interlude. I now use the LG G6 as my daily driver and my op3 as my work phone/backup phone and I constantly use custom roms on there.
I decided to get the korean version of this phone largely just because I wanted the quad dac and the 64gb of storage. I am a bit of an audiophile and am willing to live without wireless charging if I got the dac. Here are some of my thoughts on the LG G6 after having used it for a few days now. I will be comparing it to the G3 and the OP3 in this post to give some perspective if any of you are familiar with those devices. I will just talk about the aspects of the device that I actually use or encounter the most. As I've realized what I care about in a phone is its utility. I don't mind a weaker processor if the phone is generally more useful or accessible for whatever reason.
Quick note about performance and the camera- benchmarks aside it runs like an SD821 phone. as you would expect very well. I am still taking test photos for the camera no opinion yet.
Ergonomics and General Use Features
-This is the first thing I want to talk about is just how this thing feels in the hand. The thing feels really comfortable it's just the right width and is somewhat usable with one hand. It does feel really premium as well. Compared to the OP3, the G6 is less wide and it feels comparably better than the OP3. Honestly I never really had complaints about how the OP3 felt in the hand but it is thinner and wider than the G6 but I actually prefer the slightly fatter and less wide profile of the g6. The OP3 can feel a bit like it's digging into your hand when you grip it.
-Related to that is the placement of the fingerprint sensor, which I have some gripes about. I much prefer fingerprint sensors on the front of phones. If I want to unlock my G6 when it is sitting on the desk, I have to lift it up or use my pin/pattern lock like a chump. Not my favorite. The fingerprint sensor is also slower than the OP3, but the G6's scanner is by no means slow. It's just not as fast.
-The other issue is the placement of the headphone jack. Why in god's name would they put that **** at the top? I mean I know that isn't as wacky as the fingerprint sensor placement on the s8 but still not great. The problem is that when I put the phone in my pocket, I have to put it camera side up in there. When I go to take the phone out of my pocket I inevitable have to be careful about not touching the camera, which is annoying. With the OP3 I would just be able to grab the thing out of my pocket really quickly. I am really trying to take good care of the camera lens because it is only gorilla glass 3 like my old G3.
The Screen and Quick Battery Notes
-I have a lot of opinions about this one. Everyone on youtube and other places gives LG so much **** for having phones with IPS LCD displays but I honestly don't know why. All those samsung fanboys go on at length about how the AMOLED is so much better despite not having seen the G6's screen in person. Compared to the OP3, which is AMOLED mind you, the G6's screen is essentially as good. I mean sure it's not as colorful as the OP3's screen, but the second I picked up the G6 it was barely noticeable. Also you have to remember with IPS LCD you get much better color accuracy, which is kind of a plus in its own way. Either way, it's really a non issue. Compared to the IPS LCD of the G3, the G6 is in a whole league of its own.
-The aspect ratio is interesting. The android ecosystem doesn't fully support it yet, but they will given samsung and LG's move to 18:9. It does make certain movies with the right aspect ratio quite enjoyable to watch on the screen. It's a very cinematic view on screen, which is nice. You guys are probably aware of the way that some of LG's apps play with the ratio a bit and they are largely successful with it.
-The always on display. GREAT. It's as good as the ambient display on the OP3 with a bit more utility. I like that it stays on and that it will flash the icon of an incoming notification. The battery drain is pretty minimal so that's nice.
-As for the screen on time and the battery life, they are good on the G6. I get 4.5 hours of screen on time with my normal use, which is more than I get on the OP3 which is usually 3.5 hours at most unless I get fancy with the custom kernels and stuff. The battery definitely lasts the whole day and the audio doesn't drain it too much.
The DAC
So the DAC. It's everything I hoped it would be and more. Honestly I get very dubious about audio enhancements and stuff like that. I had an HP laptop once that had "beats audio" on it and it was frankly terrible. With this though, when I turn the DAC on, I honestly do feel like it's contributing real quality to the sound I'm listening to. It's not just some cheap bass equalizer setting. And it speaks for itself when it successfully drives high impedance headphones without breaking a sweat. They also give you precise volume controls, which is the best feature ever. I don't know why I ever lived without it. Overall, the DAC is really great and makes the audio coming out of a pair of headphones truly incredible. Hats off to LG. They knocked the media experience out of the park. And the best part, having the DAC on doesn't even drain your battery by much, I leave it on throughout the day. The OP3 is only okay and the G3 audio is horrid compared to what you get from the G6.
Network Connectivity (WIFI and LTE)
-I have the Korean version (G600S), which is GSM only to my knowledge. I have successfully gotten LTE with my ATT and T-mobile sim cards, so it will work in the US no problem. It might say 3G at first with ATT, just let it sit, after the carrier database updates you will eventually get LTE, just be patient. With T-mobile I got LTE from the get go as soon as the sim was in. I will put a screen shot of my ATT lte screen shot below.
-The wifi connectivity is good. Better than the OP3, which has terrible wifi performance sometimes, and WAY WAY WAY better than the G3 thank god. The G3 having poor wifi connectivity was the bane of my existence for 2 years and I am so glad that is over.
Final Thoughts
LG has come a long way, and they've delivered something so good that I don't actually really care about what else is out there. The G3, while cutting edge for the time, suffered hardware issues and strange software choices that left me wanting more. The OP3 while very cool at a great price lacks the DAC and the dual cameras, which really is what sets the G6 apart.
Just got a few questions for people who previously had the G8 (Or the V30/V30+). Is this device super heavy in comparison without the dual screen attachment? Is the screen quality noticeably different?
What are your pro's and con's?
I'm undecided as this is the first device I have no way to see in person.
I had the V30, my wife has the G8. It is a lot larger, but I wouldn't call it super heavy. I would say the screen quality of all 3 devices is similar. I have quickly gotten use to the larger size. My wife says she would rather have the larger screen.
Coming from G8 myself. This thing is noticeably heavier than the G8, but you get used to it quick. The screen size is a huge difference. You can do pretty much everything one handed on the G8 while there are many times you need both hands on this phone. No noticeable screen differences as in quality. The sound is a HUGE difference between the 2, the V60 is amazing sound, while the G8 sounded tinny and like it was in a tunnel and way quiet. The auto brightness on the V60 is awful, it goes to zero in a single lamp lit room while the G8 stayed around 15%. All in all, I'm very pleased with my upgrade.
bilbo60 said:
I had the V30, my wife has the G8. It is a lot larger, but I wouldn't call it super heavy. I would say the screen quality of all 3 devices is similar. I have quickly gotten use to the larger size. My wife says she would rather have the larger screen.
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pre4speed said:
Coming from G8 myself. This thing is noticeably heavier than the G8, but you get used to it quick. The screen size is a huge difference. You can do pretty much everything one handed on the G8 while there are many times you need both hands on this phone. No noticeable screen differences as in quality. The sound is a HUGE difference between the 2, the V60 is amazing sound, while the G8 sounded tinny and like it was in a tunnel and way quiet. The auto brightness on the V60 is awful, it goes to zero in a single lamp lit room while the G8 stayed around 15%. All in all, I'm very pleased with my upgrade.
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Yeah, I think I don't mind larger or heavier myself. I upgraded my iPhone 7 Plus to the 11 Pro Max. It's time to get bigger on my Android too.
My only concern was the lower PPI. Was hoping it wouldn't make the screen too blurry to me. I noticed my G8 won't go below 10% auto brightness. I think that is to avoid the black crush a lot of us saw with the V30 (I had to exchange 3 of them).
Sound quality, do you mean through the headphones or phone itself? I do not like the G8 for speakerphone at all, sounds terrible honestly.
Septembersrain said:
My only concern was the lower PPI. Was hoping it wouldn't make the screen too blurry to me. I noticed my G8 won't go below 10% auto brightness. I think that is to avoid the black crush a lot of us saw with the V30 (I had to exchange 3 of them).
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We are all hoping a future update fixes the auto brightness bug. It goes to 0 in a lamplit room and just impossible to see the screen. I prefer auto brightness myself, so having to go back and forth is quite annoying. The G8 definitely was great with that.
[/QUOTE] Sound quality, do you mean through the headphones or phone itself? I do not like the G8 for speakerphone at all, sounds terrible honestly.[/QUOTE]
Sound thru the phone speakers are amazing with the V60. I have yet to use headphones plug in, as I don't really have good ones, just the set that came with my V20 years ago.
I also went from the V30+ to the V60 and absolutely love the new phone. I can attest to the quality of the phone's speakers.
They sound dramatically better than the V30's, though a good set of headphones will always be where it's really at for LG phones. At least as long as they continue to include quality Quad DACs in their devices. But hey, an improvement is an improvement.
Despite having a lower resolution and a much larger screen, and thus, a lower DPI that's obvious to the eyes, I'm happy with the screen. The colors are crisp, the viewing angles seem limitless, and if you're considering a V60, you should already know that you're not getting a cutting edge display with a 90 Hz or 120 Hz refresh rate. I think they made the right call and wound up turning this phone into a friggin' beast when it comes to battery life. Auto-brightness settings could use some tweaking, but this is an issue that has affected earlier LG phones. So while it's a bit baffling that it shipped this way, there's precedent for it getting fixed via a software update eventually.
The phone is substantially bigger and heavier than V30 (but not uncomfortably so in my opinion), and so it's less conducive to one-handed use out-of-the-box. But I DON'T USE LG's out-of-the-box software, so a combination of Nova Launcher (to replace LG Home), Fluid Navigation Gestures (to replace Android 10's stock gestures), and special permission being granted to the latter via ADB and Fastboot means that I can easily do things like pull the notification shade down with a simple swipe down from anywhere on the screen, and other similar QoL tweaks. I had no issues basically recreating my preferred LG V30 software environment and home screen on the V60. I had to learn how to use ADB and Fastboot to do what I'd normally have used root to do, but it wasn't as tricky as I feared and the end result is close enough to what I enjoyed before, that it's made the transition pretty smooth.
All in all, I'm pretty thrilled with the phone. I don't care how good a phone's screen is, if it doesn't have expandable storage via SD cards and a 3.5MM headphone jack, I'm automatically out. And it doesn't hurt that LG's phones have a well-deserved reputation for having higher quality audio output than just about any other Android phone out there. I value that a lot more than I do screen resolution, camera quality & camera software, or even the OEM skins layered over Android OS.
I miss the tof front camera on the g8. No face unlock at all on the v60 sucks.
pre4speed said:
We are all hoping a future update fixes the auto brightness bug. It goes to 0 in a lamplit room and just impossible to see the screen. I prefer auto brightness myself, so having to go back and forth is quite annoying. The G8 definitely was great with that.
I know many have had this issue, but, I have had absolutely no problem with auto brightness. Even in a closet, or a car at night, I can't get my display to go below 12%. (Verizon)
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bilbo60 said:
pre4speed said:
We are all hoping a future update fixes the auto brightness bug. It goes to 0 in a lamplit room and just impossible to see the screen. I prefer auto brightness myself, so having to go back and forth is quite annoying. The G8 definitely was great with that.
I know many have had this issue, but, I have had absolutely no problem with auto brightness. Even in a closet, or a car at night, I can't get my display to go below 12%. (Verizon)
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What were you doing in a dark closet?
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Mejilan said:
bilbo60 said:
What were you doing in a dark closet?
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Just testing....for a friend! LOL But seriously have you experienced problems with auto brightness?
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bilbo60 said:
Mejilan said:
Just testing....for a friend! LOL But seriously have you experienced problems with auto brightness?
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It can be a little inconsistent at night compared to my old V30+, but I wouldn't consider it dramatically distracting.
I imagine a software update from LG will fix it (eventually), as I vaguely recall that the V30 had a similar issue in the beginning which was also fixed (eventually).
Sadly, "eventually" can usually take a while with LG.
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bilbo60 said:
pre4speed said:
We are all hoping a future update fixes the auto brightness bug. It goes to 0 in a lamplit room and just impossible to see the screen. I prefer auto brightness myself, so having to go back and forth is quite annoying. The G8 definitely was great with that.
I know many have had this issue, but, I have had absolutely no problem with auto brightness. Even in a closet, or a car at night, I can't get my display to go below 12%. (Verizon)
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I luckily find better outcomes without auto brightness. So I think I'll be okay with that. Is there any noticeable black crush or other issues at 0%?
Mejilan said:
I also went from the V30+ to the V60 and absolutely love the new phone. I can attest to the quality of the phone's speakers.
They sound dramatically better than the V30's, though a good set of headphones will always be where it's really at for LG phones. At least as long as they continue to include quality Quad DACs in their devices. But hey, an improvement is an improvement.
Despite having a lower resolution and a much larger screen, and thus, a lower DPI that's obvious to the eyes, I'm happy with the screen. The colors are crisp, the viewing angles seem limitless, and if you're considering a V60, you should already know that you're not getting a cutting edge display with a 90 Hz or 120 Hz refresh rate. I think they made the right call and wound up turning this phone into a friggin' beast when it comes to battery life. Auto-brightness settings could use some tweaking, but this is an issue that has affected earlier LG phones. So while it's a bit baffling that it shipped this way, there's precedent for it getting fixed via a software update eventually.
The phone is substantially bigger and heavier than V30 (but not uncomfortably so in my opinion), and so it's less conducive to one-handed use out-of-the-box. But I DON'T USE LG's out-of-the-box software, so a combination of Nova Launcher (to replace LG Home), Fluid Navigation Gestures (to replace Android 10's stock gestures), and special permission being granted to the latter via ADB and Fastboot means that I can easily do things like pull the notification shade down with a simple swipe down from anywhere on the screen, and other similar QoL tweaks. I had no issues basically recreating my preferred LG V30 software environment and home screen on the V60. I had to learn how to use ADB and Fastboot to do what I'd normally have used root to do, but it wasn't as tricky as I feared and the end result is close enough to what I enjoyed before, that it's made the transition pretty smooth.
All in all, I'm pretty thrilled with the phone. I don't care how good a phone's screen is, if it doesn't have expandable storage via SD cards and a 3.5MM headphone jack, I'm automatically out. And it doesn't hurt that LG's phones have a well-deserved reputation for having higher quality audio output than just about any other Android phone out there. I value that a lot more than I do screen resolution, camera quality & camera software, or even the OEM skins layered over Android OS.
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I agree, my biggest excitement is the battery (G8 is pretty bad). So I'd realistically like to get this phone for when we're able to travel again. I listen to music on trips and don't need the hassle of Bluetooth headphones. I absolutely can't stand no headphone jack on an Android.
Also a fan of SD cards.
I'm looking at that LG Velvet too but I'm more than 90% sure I'll go with the V60 anyways. It'll have that beast of a battery and I don't have to buy the dual screen I don't need with it.
Did you write or read a post about using ADB and Fastboot? Just curious what tweaks you did/were able to do on the device.
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Septembersrain said:
bilbo60 said:
I agree, my biggest excitement is the battery (G8 is pretty bad). So I'd realistically like to get this phone for when we're able to travel again. I listen to music on trips and don't need the hassle of Bluetooth headphones. I absolutely can't stand no headphone jack on an Android.
Also a fan of SD cards.
I'm looking at that LG Velvet too but I'm more than 90% sure I'll go with the V60 anyways. It'll have that beast of a battery and I don't have to buy the dual screen I don't need with it.
Did you write or read a post about using ADB and Fastboot? Just curious what tweaks you did/were able to do on the device.
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Velvet looks like it's going to be a bit more mid-range. From what I've read, it'll have a weaker Snapdragon than the one powering the V60.
It seems like the V-series are their new flagships, Velvet will replace the G-series, and the G-series/Velvet will no longer be their beast mode flagships going forward.
As for ADB, all I did was give Fluid Navigation Gestures the permission it needs to hide the nav bar (normally it's a root thing), and uninstall a TON of AT&T and LG bloatware.
I just pulled up a random guide via Google. The process is essentially the same for most phones. Just don't go nuts and delete something critical like System UI!
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