The best music phones revealed
Christopher Minasians round ups the nine best handsets
There’s a huge number of smartphones out there, each offering a different hardware configuration. The same applies to audio chips: they vary between manufacturer, with some opting to utilise the audio codec found within the phone’s chipset, while others prefer to use dedicated chip manufacturers. To make this a fair test, we took all the phones into an isolated room, and tested them using a range of different head- and earphones at various price ranges. The majority of our testing was based mainly on the Harschacoustic SH-2 custom in-ear models and the modified Denon AH-D2000 headphones.
When it comes to listening to audio, it doesn’t take an audiophile to hear the differences between smartphones. The only advantage an audiophile has over the average consumer is that they know what to listen out for and have high-end audio equipment that allows them to distinguish the differences. This article isn’t just aimed at audiophiles, though. In this comparison, we will reveal the variations we heard between the phones, which are applicable to everyone, using any gear.
The differences will, of course, be more distinguishable with higher-end equipment, and the same goes for the quality of the music recordings. With higher bitrate, sample sizes and higher-quality codec files, the differences become more distinguishable.
We conducted our tests using a variety of different songs at various recording qualities – our lowest sampled song was a 256kb/s, 44.1kHz MP3. This is the default music standard when buying MP3 audio tracks from resellers, such as Amazon or iTunes. Higher quality songs are harder to find, more expensive and are often a lot bigger in size.
Speaker quality
Each phone was tested at a safe level near our ears. We intentionally did not test the phones at a distance or maximum volume, where we might hear distortion or miss important sound quality traits.
We did, however, ramp up the volume of each handset to maximum before we started testing. We listened out for any distortion and then held the phones in our hands to test for any vibrations that might cause discomfort in prolonged periods of
use. We did this as we know some like to hold their phone in their hand at maximum volume.
Alongside a short summary, we then broke down each of the phones’ speakers by their physical positioning, loudness level (including distortion and vibration testing results), lows (including subbass and mid-bass), mids, highs and soundstage (including decay and tonality). For a full list of the terms used in this group test turn to page 40.
Internal sound quality
In order to test the audio quality from the headphone jack, we chose various ear- and headphones. We also tried to list the audio codec or chipset versions found within the phones. This was often hard to find, especially with those models that don’t have a separate codec interface installed and were using the on-board SoC (system on chip) audio module.
In order to make the group test useful for commuters, we’ve included the listening level at which the tests were conducted. This is not an indication of the level at which you should be listening, but rather the levels we selected for our testing. This allowed us to compare the various phones at the same perceived output level.
For example, some phones had to be pushed to their full volume, whereas others were happily outputting the same level of audio, but at 60 percent of their maximum. This means some phones are louder than others, and their drivability (audio power output) is better than those that had to be cranked up to be heard.
To make the internal audio reviews even more relevant to those that plug their phones into
amplifiers (such as a car’s aux input jack), we tested to see if we could hear any interference or distortion when the phones were in an idle state. Some models are known to cause audio interference and problems when their processor is clocked down to a low power-saving mode; for example, when the phone’s screen is turned off. All the audio tests were performed without an amplifier, but for the amp test we used the DigiZoid ZO2 v2.3 with high-gain mode enabled with bass contour set to zero. The amplifier was connected to the phones with a 3.5- to 3.5mm Custom Art silver braided interconnect cable.
Despite some phones having the same audio chipset, they can sound different. This comes from the manufacturers’ optimising the audio chipsets themselves via the low-level hardware coding that is performed on the audio chips.
Each phone review is split into several sections, including internal audio chip, amp test, and loudness
level. Finally, we know that output impedance is an important subject among audiophiles; however we didn’t find any phone to have overly large impedance. We estimate the average output impedance per phone to be between one- to five ohms, but don’t have the hardware equipment to back up this claim.
Apple iPhone 6s
From £539 inc VAT apple.com/uk
Speaker quality
The iPhone 6s provides a decent sound, but is let down by its mids and the overall volume. We would have liked to hear it project more, with a bigger emphasis on the mids. Its one-speaker design is also not suited to those who hold their phone in their right hand.
Speaker’s position: The single downward-firing speaker is located in the bottom righthand corner. Its placement is poor if you hold your phone in your right hand, and sometimes means that audio is suppressed due to the speaker’s positioning.
Loudness rating: The 6s isn’t very loud, which means that listening to it in a crowded- or loud environment might not be feasible. On the plus side, the audio wasn’t distorted. Score: 7.5/10
Lows: The iPhone’s sub-bass response is good, while its mid-bass is well presented and has a decent slam, though we feel the latter doesn’t have the right amount of control to it.
Mids: The mids are affected by the low-end response and are V-shaped, and therefore are a little recessed. This is a shame as the internal audio sounds flat (a good thing here), but unfortunately this wasn’t applied to its external speaker.
Highs: The highs are a little off, which is disappointing, but natural considering the phone’s emphasis on low-end frequencies.
Soundstage: Its soundstage is decent where its instrument separation is amazing. Despite only having one small speaker, we were impressed to hear that its positioning was accurate.
Internal sound quality
The iPhone 6s produced a fantastic overall sound, where its mids and highs were absolutely
phenomenal. Indeed, it is a narrow second in the standings of the best sounding phone of 2016 and was beaten to the top spot by the Samsung Galaxy S6 (page 31), which had a much better soundstage reproduction and was less prone to interference and distortion.
Internal audio chip: Apple/Cirrus Logic 338S00105 Audio chip and Apple/Cirrus Logic 338S1285 audio codec.
Amp test: We found there was a slight bit of interference and small static sounds that were audible when the screen was turned off, which was disappointing.
Loudness level: We found the 6s to be sufficiently loud for most people. If, however, the phone were to be used with headphones that require more power, an external amplifier would be required to fully drive them. Score: 75- to 80 percent
Lows: The sub-bass doesn’t extend that well, but the mid-bass is well controlled and has the right amount of impact.
Mids: The mids are well presented and have an accurate tonality to them. In fact, the realism being portrayed in the mids is one the best of all the phones we tested. They did not feel recessed nor pushed back and had just the right amount of emphasis to them.
Highs: Apple has done a fantastic job here with the highs. The quality portrayed in the highs is spectacular. The iPhone 6s has the best high-tone frequency response out of all the phones we tested. It extends well, and has the right amount of sparkle. This means they were marginally sibilant, but that didn’t cause us any problems.
Soundstage: We found the soundstage lacked both width and depth, meaning the music didn’t feel as engaging as we would have liked. The decay also left us wondering why the 6s sounded different from most of the other phones we tested. It had some background noises that were very hard to hear, albeit present.
Google Nexus 6P
£449 inc VAT google.co.uk
Speaker quality
The Nexus 6P offers loud, albeit a little uncontrolled, audio. The dual front-facing speakers aid the overall experience of watching and listening to content on
the phone, though we were disappointed with the distortion of the speakers at maximum volume.
Speaker’s position: The dual front-facing stereo speakers are excellent for watching movies or playing games on your phone.
Loudness rating: Google’s handset is the loudest phone we tested. With its dual front-facing design, the speaker gets loud and provides a great stereo sound. It also came as no surprise that the speakers are the largest on any of the phones we tested, simply due to the size of the 6P’s screen. It does, however, very slightly distort at maximum volume, where the speakers become less refined and
accurate. Fortunately, no vibrations are present at maximum volume, which was a pleasant surprise. Score: 9.5/10
Lows: The sub-bass is present, but doesn’t really extend low enough for our liking, which is unfortunate given that its mid-bass has decent impact and is well controlled. However, the midbass doesn’t have much presence and sounds slightly subdued.
Mids: The reproduction of the mids is very good and has great imaging. This was the highlight of the phone’s speaker output.
Highs: The highs are very slightly rolled off at the top end, but provide a great sparkle and extension.
Soundstage: The soundstage is well presented, mainly because of its dual-speaker design, where the reproduction of the songs are wide rather than narrow, which is a good sign. The soundstage could have been a little better in its depth. The instrument separation is good but lacks that little bit of finesse, while the tonality is well presented and its decay shines through.
Internal sound quality
The 6P is easily one of the best sounding phones out there, with an amazing mid and high-range frequency response. Unfortunately, it’s let down by the slight interference when used alongside an amp, though you need to use one to get the best out of this phone.
Internal audio chip: SoC Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810. We believe that it uses the Qualcomm WCD9330 audio codec.
Amp test: There was a very small amount of distortion, with a little bit of hissing while on idle. After around 10 seconds of the phone being idle, we heard a clicking and popping sound.
Loudness Level: We had to turn the volume up to maximum to get the best out of the 6P, which makes it a poor choice for anyone using their phones in a loud environment. Score: 90- to 95 percent
Lows: The sub-bass doesn’t extend much and is unfortunately cut-off, whereas the mid-bass is really well presented by having a fantastic control and a good slam.
Mids: The mids are well presented, where they convey a great reproduction. We found the mids to sound clean, which was a surprise in comparison to most of the other phones out there.
Highs: The highs were also well presented, where they weren’t rolled off and were well extended. It should be noted that the Nexus 6P did have a little bit of sibilance, which wasn’t a problem for us, but with ear- or headphones that are more sensitive, it could cause problems.
Soundstage: The soundstage is absolutely sensational, where we found the instrument separation to be top class for a smartphone and
the tonality to really complement the phone’s overall sound signature. We found the imaging to be really fantastic.
HTC One M9
£579 inc VAT
Speaker quality
The One M9’s audio quality is great, though it lacks volume. BoomSound, which HTC developed alongside Dolby Audio, is enabled by default and we weren’t able to disable it entirely. We therefore did our testing using the Music Mode, as we felt it better reproduced music.
Speaker’s position: The dual front-facing dual stereo speakers are excellent for watching movies or playing games.
Loudness rating: The One M9 was not as loud as we were expecting, and is much lower than the Google Nexus 6P and Marshall London, which both have dual front-facing speakers. On the plus side there is no distortion at maximum volume, though there are slight vibrations on the backplate of the phone. Score: 7.5/10
Lows: The sub-bass is decent, with an average extension for a phone’s speaker, but unfortunately the sub-bass sounds cut-off. Its mid-bass slam is weak and slightly uncontrolled.
Mids: The mids are average, and the audio is a little recessed. Nevertheless, the M9 offers a decent reproduction of the mids.
Highs: The highs extend well and provide a good sparkle to the phone’s overall sound signature.
Soundstage: Its soundstage is good, but lacks a little depth, which ties into our similar findings to the Google Nexus 6P. On the plus side, due to its dual speaker design, its width is well presented.
Internal sound quality
The One M9 provides a decent internal audio sound reproduction, but is slightly let down by its average low-end performance and its soundstage. Overall, we feel the HTC is nothing to get too excited about, but it offers a decent internal output.
Internal audio chip: SoC Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810. We believe that it uses the Qualcomm WCD9330 audio codec.
Amp test: We recorded a very small amount of hissing and interference when the HTC One M9 was used alongside an amplifier. The hissing and interference was hard to hear though, and we felt it was negligible for most users.
Loudness level: We found the HTC One M9 to be sufficient in loudness for most people, however if the phone were to be used with headphones that require more power, an external amplifier would be required to fully drive them. Score: 75- to 80 percent
Lows: We found the sub-bass to reasonably extend well, but it cuts off in the lower subbass regions. Despite the One M9 portraying a decent mid-bass slam, we feel it could have been improved with a little more control.
Mids: Its mids are well presented, but due to the slight hiss and distortion there is an odd reproduction that is conveyed in the mid-range.
Highs: The highs are very well presented and extend extremely well. We found them to provide a good amount of sparkle, which did lead them being a little sibilant.
Soundstage: Its soundstage is average and we found it to portray a duller, more boring sound signature. The HTC One M9 offers a decent decay, but due to a slight bit of distortion has some odd blimps when playing high-tone frequencies. We feel its overall soundstage could have been a little wider and slightly deeper sounding to provide a better overall audio listening experience.
LG G3
£259 inc VAT lg.com/uk
Speaker quality
We were impressed by the G3’s overall volume and its high-end frequency extension. However, due to the design, the speaker’s performance is limited – when placed on the table with its screen facing up, the LG’s overall loudness and clarity is reduced.
Speaker’s position: The single backward-firing speaker is located at the bottom lefthand corner of the phone, which means audio is affected if you hold the phone in your right hand. On the plus side there was no distortion, but instead there were small vibrations present through its metallic body design.
Loudness rating: When the screen is positioned upward, it blocks the speaker’s output, due to the design of the backplate being curved. This means the volume is reduced to 7.5/10. If, however, the display is face down, the LG G3’s single backward-firing speaker achieves an impressive 8.5/10.
Lows: We found the lows have a slight sub-bass extension, where its mid-bass is very faint and not that well controlled. This means the G3’s overall lowend reproduction is rather disappointing.
Mids: Its mids take advantage of the weak midbass slam and are surprisingly good, with a good reproduction and sense of realism.
Highs: The LG G3’s highs are its standout feature – they are really well presented and -extended at the top end.
Soundstage: Its soundstage could be a little wider, but on the plus side has a good depth to it, which equates to a fantastic tonality and instrument separation.
Internal sound quality
The G3 suffers from huge internal audio problems, with distortions, interference and random clicking sounds when a 3.5mm jack is plugged in. The audio is therefore extremely hampered by the poor performance of the audio jack. Despite this, the LG has a decent reproduction of the mid-bass and -range. Overall, out of the phones we tested, the LG G3 was one of the worst we came across.
Internal audio chip: SoC Qualcomm MSM8974AC Snapdragon 801. We believe it uses the Qualcomm WCD9320 audio codec.
Amp test: The LG G3 suffers from massive interference. We were extremely disappointed with its problems and furthermore found that the phone produced a double-clicking noise each time a 3.5mm jack is plugged into the phone. This frustrating and annoying feature cannot be disabled and becomes a distraction when plugging in a jack into the phone. Furthermore, we found the phone produces huge computer hard-drive sounds when used alongside an amplifier.
Loudness level: In our tests, the LG G3 was able to drive everything we threw at it, which is impressive considering it’s only a smartphone. Score: 60- to 65 percent
Lows: The bass is really divided and we feel the sub-bass is not well extended and is cut-off. With the mid-bass, however, it produces the right amount of slam and provides a good quality reproduction.
Mids: The mids are a little recessed and slightly pushed back, but nevertheless are well portrayed.
Highs: The G3’s highs are decent, but we didn’t provide the right amount of sparkle to our music. We feel the highs lack a little bit of life and extension (due to being rolled off) at the top-end.
Soundstage: Its soundstage is a little closed, where we felt the songs in our tests were being slightly suffocated and didn’t have enough room to breathe. With that said, we feel the tonality alongside the decay is accurate and well presented.
Marshall London
£399 inc VAT marshallheadphones.com
Speaker quality
The London really impressed us, but had tough competition from the other flagship phones. We feel it just has the edge, mainly due to its speaker design and its fantastic low-end response, which is phenomenal to hear in such a small set of speakers.
Speaker’s position: The dual front-facing stereo speakers are great for watching movies or playing games on your phone.
Loudness rating: The Marshall has a fantastic set of external speakers, and the sound it produces is loud but clear. We did find the audio to distort very slightly
at maximum volume though, and when the speakers were on full blast we felt small vibrations through the phone’s body. Score: 9/10
Lows: The lows of the Marshall speakers are easily the best here. The sub-bass is not only present, but extends very well. Its mid-bass response is also phenomenal and has a great slam.
Mids: The mids are very well presented with a very lean and precise reproduction. The mids were slightly affected by the mid-bass response, as the mids were slightly pushed back, therefore making the Marshall London sound a little recessed and V-shaped.
Highs: The highs are a little rolled off at the top end, but they have enough sparkle and clarity to make listening enjoyable.
Soundstage: The London’s soundstage feel unique, mainly due to the sound signature that is presented through the phone’s speakers. The sound has an authentic, rock ’n’ roll feel to it. The actual soundstage itself is nice and wide, due to its dual stereo speaker design. The speakers also offer a reasonably good depth to them, which add to the overall experience.
Internal sound quality
The London produces audio, and the sound is full-bodied and fun sounding. It performs at a very high standard and we feel it’s slightly warmer sounding than the Samsung Galaxy S6, which
takes our top spot in this phone comparison. This comes down to both phones utilising the Wolfson Microelectronics chips.
Internal audio chip: Wolfson Microelectronics WM8281 DAC.
Amp test: We didn’t encounter any problems when we connected the Marshall London to an amplifier.
Loudness level: We feel the London lacks a little in loudness for most people, especially if the phone is used with headphones. The phone’s speakers require more power from an external amplifier to fully drive them. Score: 80- to 85 percent
Lows: The sub-and mid-bass reproduction is extremely good. Indeed, it reproduces the most
desirable basshead sound out of all the phones, with a great sub-bass extension and a strong mid-bass slam.
Mids: Due to the emphasis on the lows, the mids take a hit and sound recessed and slightly pushed back. This creates a V-shaped sound signature, which is nice for rock and R’n’ B songs, but not desirable for classical music, where there is a lot more emphasis on the mids.
Highs: The highs extend well and provide a nice sparkle, but are a little rolled off at the top end.
Soundstage: The soundstage is well presented, though we feel the instrument separation and tonality could be slightly better presented. It was interesting to hear the sound signature to be presented in a Rock ’n’ Roll fashion, which led itself to provide a warm and fun sounding phone. This does have its downside, where the output sound is neither accurate nor neutral sounding.
Microsoft Lumia 950
£449 inc VAT microsoft.com/en-gb
Speaker quality
The Microsoft Lumia 950 has an average speaker. Its strongest asset its mids reproduction, while its weakest is its lows.
Speaker’s position: The single backward firing speaker doesn’t hinder its loudness. This comes from the design of the camera at the back of the
phone, which sticks out slightly, preventing the speaker from being blocked off.
Loudness rating: The Microsoft Lumia 950 has a clear loud sounding speaker, and despite facing backward is loud no matter which way the screen as facing. There are also no audible distortions or vibrations felt on the phone. Score: 8/10
Lows: Unfortunately, we didn’t hear any sub-bass extension, and its mid-bass also has poor control and lacks any impact. It was disappointing to hear no emphasis made on the low-end frequencies.
Mids: The mids are well presented and accurate sounding, which comes from the phone having a very subdued mid-bass response.
Highs: The speaker is well extended highs that provide a good sparkle to music.
Soundstage: The soundstage is well represented, and alongside the tonality and reproduction make the experience a little better. We found the instrument separation to be good, but feel there is still room for improvement.
Internal sound quality
The Microsoft Lumia 950 has a decent internal audio output, but didn’t really leave us excited, due to its rather dull, unimaginative sound. Plus, the phone also suffers from crackling issues when used alongside an amplifier, which doesn’t help its performance.
Internal audio chip: SoC Qualcomm MSM8992 Snapdragon 808. We believe it uses the Qualcomm WCD9330 audio codec.
Amp test: The Lumia 950 suffers from crackling noise and small pulse sounds, while remaining on the lockscreen.
Loudness level: The Lumia 950 is sufficiently loud for most people, however if the phone were to be used with headphones that require more power, an external amplifier would be required to fully drive them. Score: 75- to 80 percent
Lows: The sub-bass is a little rolled off, which is a shame as its mid-bass is well presented and has a nice controlled slam.
Mids: The mids are accurate, with it sounding realistic and not too pushed back. We found they could have be a little better in their reproduction, but are satisfied with the overall tonality.
Highs: Its highs extend well and perfectly complement the overall sound signature. We found that with its extension and little bit of sparkle, music was a little more enjoyable to listen to.
Soundstage: We found the soundstage to be a little closed, which hinders the performance of the sound. On the plus side, we found the instrument separation to be absolutely fantastic, and alongside a great decay, creates a good sense of depth and width to the overall sound quality.
OnePlus 2
£239 inc VAT oneplus.net
Speaker quality
The OnePlus has one of the weakest speakers out of all the phones we tested. We’re satisfied with the high-end frequencies it offers, but feel its lows and mids reproduction could be vastly improved.
Speaker’s position: Despite the position of the single downward-facing speaker, the audio was not affected by any sort of hand grip.
Loudness rating: The OnePlus 2 is the quietest phone here, which is a shame. On the plus side, it has neither distortion nor any vibrations that could be heard or felt at maximum volume. Score: 6/10
Lows: Its sub-bass extension is almost nonexistent, while the mid-bass is very weak and doesn’t have much impact or conviction.
Mids: The mid-range on the OnePlus 2 is not that impressive, where it has a decent reproduction and reasonable level of accuracy.
Highs: Its highs are well presented, where they provide a good extension in the high-end frequencies with a fantastic sparkle. It should be noted that the highs produce a slightly sibilant sound, though this didn’t bother us when it came to our audio tests.
Soundstage: The soundstage has a good depth and width to it, which adds a lot to the overall listening experience of the phone’s speakers.
Internal sound quality
The doesn’t deliver a good overall sound and is at the bottom of our list for internal audio quality. It’s worth noting that the MaxxAudio settings are hidden within the settings of the phone and are only accessible to be disabled when audio is playing. We fully disabled every adjustment and equaliser setting before conducting our tests.
Internal audio chip: Qualcomm WCD9330 Audio Codec with NXP TFA9890 audio amplifier.
Amp test: The OnePlus 2 suffers from interference when used alongside an amplifier. It also produces a small ticking noise when left on idle and a whirring noise in use. This was disappointing as we were expecting a crackle-free output after having partnered with MaxxAudio to create some of their software-side tweaks.
Loudness level: In our tests, the OnePlus 2 was able to drive everything we threw at it, which is impressive considering it’s only a smartphone. Score: 60- to 65 percent
Lows: We found the sub-bass to not really extent that well and felt somewhat cut-off. Despite having a decent amount of mid-bass slam, we found the mid-bass to be also disappointing, as it lacked control and precision.
Mids: Due to having a bit of a mid-bass slam, we found its mids to feel a little recessed and pushed back. We were disappointed not to hear it excel in the mids department.
Highs: The OnePlus 2’s highs extend well, but are rolled off at the top-end frequency.
Soundstage: We found the soundstage sounded closed, where we felt the phone’s internal audio had very little room to breathe. We were also disappointed by the imaging and positioning.
Samsung Galaxy S6
£599 inc VAT samsung.com/uk
Speaker quality
During our testing we found that the Samsung Galaxy S6 produced a mediocre external speaker sound, which left us wanting more. We feel it would really benefit from having a downwardfiring dual stereo design, or moving to dual frontfacing speakers.
Speaker’s position: The Samsung’s single downward-firing speaker is located at the bottom lefthand corner of the phone. This meant audio was affected when we held the S6 in our right hand.
Loudness rating: The Galaxy S6 isn’t that loud, but nor is it unpleasantly quiet. It sits somewhat in the middle of how the other smartphones performed. There are neither distortions nor vibrations present at its maximum volume. Score: 7.5/10
Lows: The sub-bass is almost nonexistent, while the mid-bass has a very small impact and little control. We feel the lows could have been drastically improved by Samsung.
Mids: The mid-range on the Galaxy S6 is not that impressive, where it has a decent reproduction and
reasonable level of accuracy. We felt that at times the phone’s speaker would sound a little recessed and V-shaped.
Highs: The highs on the other hand are good and have a great level of extension. This provides an excellent sparkle and a pleasant experience whilst listening to vocals.
Soundstage: Its soundstage is well presented, especially with its instrument separation. Coupled with its sound reproduction, the Samsung has an accurate and impressive soundstage.
Internal sound quality
The Galaxy S6 has a fantastic internal audio output. The Wolfson WM1840 provides it with its unique meaty sound signature, while remaining accurate and not overly V-shaped in its sound reproduction. The Samsung combines a little bit of every frequency, which works very well. It definitely wasn’t the best mid or high-tone frequency reproduction we tested, but the way it combines them all led us to give the Galaxy S6 a Recommended award.
Internal audio chip: Wolfson Microelectronics WM1840 DAC.
Amp test: When used alongside an amplifier, we were able to hear very minimal interference, which occurred when on idle.
Loudness level: The Samsung Galaxy S6 was able to drive everything we threw at it. It was the most
powerful of all the phones in this group test. Score: 55- to 60 percent
Lows: The Samsung has a fantastic sub-bass extension and a great mid-bass slam. We feel the mid-bass slam is slightly uncontrolled, but its overall reproduction of the lows is fantastic.
Mids: Its mids are a little pushed back, but by not such a great degree. We feel the mids are a little recessed and create a V-shaped sound to the phone’s internal output. The Galaxy S6 has a warm and slightly more fun sound to it in comparison to the iPhone 6s or the Nexus 6P, which were both excellent in their mid-range reproduction.
Highs: We found the highs to extend well, and provide a fantastic sparkle to the music we were listening to. Furthermore, unlike other phones that had a good high-tone response, but sounded a little sibilant; we found the Galaxy S6 extends well, without being sibilant, which was a pleasant surprise.
Soundstage: As stated above, we feel the sound signature is a little V-shaped. We found the
instrument separation and tonality to be good, but what really stands out is its accurate reproduction of the music, which was extremely well received.
Sony Xperia Z5
£549 inc VAT sony.co.uk
Speaker quality
We’re happy with the performance of the Sony’s speakers, as they produced a nice stereo sound that had a good emphasis on the mids and highs. Unfortunately, the Xperia Z5 falls short in the low-end department, where its bass is almost nonexistent. We’re very impressed with its soundstage reproduction and in our tests it did a fantastic job in this department.
Speaker’s position: We enjoyed listening to its speakers due to its front-facing position. This makes it excellent for watching movies or playing games on your phone.
Loudness rating: The Sony isn’t that loud, and leans towards the quiet side. It sits in the bottom half of how the other smartphones performed. During testing, there were noticeable vibrations at the back of the phone due to its full metal construction. On the plus side there was no distortion at maximum volume. Score: 7/10
Lows: We feel the lows are the Xperia Z5’s weakest link, with almost no sub-bass extension and very little mid-bass presence. When compared to the other phones that had very little mid-bass
presence, the Sony at least had a good control in its low-end tones.
Mids: The mids are very well presented, where they sound forward and are accurately represented. We’re impressed by its mids, which are aided by the lack of a mid-bass presence.
Highs: The highs are well extended and provide a good sparkle to music. We were impressed by how Sony was able to get the right level of high-end frequencies, without making them sound sibilant. Soundstage: The soundstage is very good and is especially impressive due to its instrument separation, which is fantastic. The tonality and imaging is truly amazing, too.
Internal sound quality
We found the Xperia Z5 neither good nor bad. It sa in the middle, due to its disappointing soundstage but impressive mids and highs. Sony has done a decent job in tuning all the frequencies for a majority of listeners, but that the mids are artificially boosted, which results in a somewhat unnatural sound.
Internal audio chip: SoC Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810. We believe it uses the Qualcomm WCD9330 audio codec.
Amp test: During our tests, the Sony produced crackling and popping sounds when used alongside an amp. We also noticed a pulse sound that occurs when the phone is connected via a 3.5mm input.
Loudness level: We found the Xperia Z5 to be sufficiently loud for most people, however if the phone were to be used with headphones that need more power, an external amplifier would be required to fully drive them. Score: 75- to 80 percent
Lows: Its sub-bass is a little cut-off, which is a shame as its mid-bass is well presented.
Mids: The Xperia Z5’s mids are impressive, where we feel the mids are being slightly boosted and have a good frequency. However, we did find it sounds a little artificial in its reproduction.
Highs: The phone’s highs extend well, and complements the soundstage as the sparkle has a nice resonance with the Sony’s internal audio output.
Soundstage: We found the soundstage to be lacking, due to it being a little closed in its reproduction. The sound signature of the phone is a little dull, albeit its slightly artificial mid-range reproduction. On the plus side, the instrument separation is excellent.
Conclusion
In our tests we found the Marshall London phone the best for overall audio quality, followed by the Samsung Galaxy S6 in second place and the Apple iPhone 6s in third. The Marshall London phone also topped our speaker quality tests, while the Galaxy S6 came out on top for internal audio quality.
Speaker quality
We were impressed by most of the phones we tested, with a good overall sound reproduction in most cases. We only felt the OnePlus 2 had trouble reproducing an accurate, realistic sound.
It came to no surprise that the four phones with dual front-facing speakers all sounded better than the single firing-designed speakers. This made the Google Nexus 6P, HTC One M9, Marshall London and Sony Xperia Z5 stand out from pack. Despite them all having different sound signatures and qualities, it was a much better listening experience with the speakers facing us, rather than the speakers being concealed at the back or at the bottom of the phone.
Overall, we felt the Marshall London had the best blend of low, mid and high frequencies to provide an impressive and yet powerful sound. If external
speaker sound is important to you, then it should be the phone that’s top of your to-buy list.
Internal audio quality
The phone with the best internal audio quality is the Galaxy S6, due to its Wolfson Microelectronics WM1840 audio codec. The phone produced fantastic quality audio, with a very minimal amount of distortion and a good overall frequency reproduction through the lows, mids and highs. It should be noted that the Samsung has a slightly warmer tone over phones such as the iPhone 6s. However, due to its fantastic bass extension and its tonality, the Galaxy S6 is able to produce some of the best sound from a phone.
Most people will use their phones without an external headphone amplifier of any sort, which also bodes well with the Galaxy S6, as it was able to easily drive our earphones and most of our
headphones to a reasonable level. In comparison, some phones, such as the Google Nexus 6P struggled to drive low impedance earphones, let alone slightly harder-to-drive headphones that had higher impedance. This is why the Samsung Galaxy S6 is our recommendation for its fantastic internal audio capabilities.
Jargon buster
DAC: Digital-to-Analogue Conversion is where audio files are converted to analogue sound, which can be heard by headphones and earphones. Some phone manufacturers have opted to have a dedicated DAC, as it produces a more accurate sound.
Decay: This is often defined by the choice of materials used in head- or earphones. Its definition isn’t set in stone, but is used to describe the way sound frequencies bounce off materials and resonate.
Highs: The sparkle in your music (cymbals and high hats, for example) comes from the highs. The better they are, the more sparkle you’ll have. Sometimes you might be treated with too much high-end frequencies, which leads to sibilance. A good extension of the highs can lead to a more open soundstage.
Imaging: This term is used to describe the way the music is portrayed – poor imaging means the sound that is being reproduced isn’t accurate. Imaging is often linked with the soundstage and the decay, as it goes hand-in-hand with these two.
Instrument Separation: The term is pretty selfexplanatory, but when talked about in audio equipment refers to the way instruments sound in different positions. Often when music is recorded, the sound engineer/producer will make a certain sound intentionally come from a specific direction. When coupled with the soundstage, the instrument separation aids in the immersion of the music.
Lows: Lows are known as the bass – a combination of both the sub- and mid-bass frequencies.
Mids: The mid-range frequency, the ‘in-between’ of the low and high frequencies. This covers everything from a range of instruments and vocals. It can sometimes be split up again into the lower midrange that transits off the bass and contains most male vocals, and the higher mid-range that projects most female vocals. If the mid-range is boosted and reproduced correctly, it can add a sense of clarity to songs. This is where a lot of portable amplifiers tend to focus on and where the term ‘cleaner sound’ comes from.
Mid-bass: This is the bass slam – the more noticeable bass frequency found in almost every audio equipment. The best way to describe it would be the bass that comes from a drummer on-stage.
Output Impedance: Output impedance in audio is the resistance and output that can be heard from an amplifier. In the case of a phone, this applies to the internal amplifier that’s used. The output
impedance can create an absence of bass or a skewing of the frequency response of a source, in this case a phone.
Rolled- or cut-off: These terms are used to describe the lows and highs. The low-end when not fully extended can seem cut-off, where a manufacturer has in essence not extended the lows. The term ’rolled-off’ works in the same principle, but is often used to describe the highs – where they sound soothed out, rather than extended.
Soundstage: The soundstage refers to the positioning and placement of the sound relative to your ears. A visual comparison would be contrasting an opera hall and a small room, where the latter would provide a narrower, more closed soundstage, while the opera hall would reproduce the exact opposite. It should also be noted that depth and width are coupled with the soundstage, where the depth refers to the amount of vertical space that is being produced and the width is the amount of horizontal sound heard.
Sibilance: This refers to the hissing sounds found in certain earphones that have a spike at a certain high frequency. Sibilance isn’t exactly a bad thing, but when there’s too much, it can become irritating and problematic for sensitive ears.
Sound Signature: This is often described to be the unique stamp from a manufacturer. People will often refer to sound signature along with a name of a manufacturer; for example, The Wolfson sound
signature). It can also be used to describe how the sound is being portrayed – as a warm/cold sound.
Sub-bass: A good sub-bass response gives you a longer and more accurate bass reproduction. As a note: Sub-bass is heard in higher-end audio equipment, as it’s harder to distinguish, a lot of manufacturers that want to cut costs on their speakers and amplifiers, tend to cut off the bass extension.
Warm sound: Often used to describe a V-shaped sound signature, which is created by an emphasis on the low- and high end tones, while the midrange frequencies are pushed back. This created a sense of warmness to the sound that makes it more fun to listen to.
How we test
The testing was mainly based on the Harschacoustic SH-2 custom IEMs and the
modded Denon AH-D2000 headphones, as these us to easily draw out the differences between the various smartphones.
We used the Poweramp app on all the Android phones, the Groove Music app on Windows handsets and the iTunes Music app on the iPhone 6s. Each phone also had its equaliser and audio changing features disabled. This was in order to test the hardware, rather than the audio-software of each phone. At the time of writing, all phones were updated to their latest available software (listed below).
Custom earphones
Harschacoustic SH-2 Custom IEM Universal earphones Phonak Audéo PFE 232 DUNU Titan 1 SoundMagic E10 Monoprice 8320
Headphones
Modified Denon AH-D2000 (D5000 dampened cups, D7000 cable, Lawton Audio pads) KEF M500 Bowers & Wilkins P5 Series 2 (pictured) Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7
Music
Here is a small sample of the songs used to test the phones. They varied between a mix of MP3s and FLAC sound files at various bitrates and sample rates:
ODESZA, Say My Name
Yahtzel, High with Me I-Cube, Adore Madonna (Stéphane Pompougnac Remix), What It Feels Like for a Girl Variety Lab, London in the Rain Armin van Buuren, Breathe In Deep (The Blizzard Remix) W&W, Manhattan (Craving Remix) John Legend, Who Do We Think We Are Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams, Get Lucky Ne-Yo, Champagne Life Bruno Mars, Uptown Funk Dr. Dre, The Next Episode (San Holo Remix)
Portable amplifier
DigiZoid ZO2 v2.3 and used alongside a 3.5mm to 3.5mm Custom Art silver braided interconnect cable
Software versions
Google Nexus 6P, Android 6.0.1 HTC One M9, Android 5.1 iPhone 6s, iOS 9.2 LG G3: Android 5.0.2 Marshall London, Android 5.0.2 Microsoft Lumia 950, Windows 10 Mobile OnePlus 2, Android 5.1.1 Samsung Galaxy S6, Android 5.1.1 Sony Xperia Z5, Android 5.1.1 J