In the current market what's the best phone for someone into music (DAC, front speakers etc)? but also stockish feel, good screen and performance?
I've seen the HTC 10, ZTE Axon 7 as two great options, but are there any others to really consider in the market?
thanks
Awesome. Sounds good. Hopefully it will be an Australian release.
These devices are great and have front-firing dual speakers:
Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, SONY Z5, ZTE Axon 7
These devices have front-firing speakers:
Nexus 6, SONY Z3, Moto X, HTC One M8, HTC One M9.
Legend! Great summary thanks.
any idea which is better? z3 vs z5 for dac, hifi, sound quality with headphones?
The SONY Z3 was the best phone when it came out for music.
It had the best speakers, and the best dac.
HTC One's (M7, M8, M9) solution was a gimmick, and never stood a chance against SONY.
The Z5 uses the same module the Z3 does, so it's quite commendable.
However, the industry has caught up.
The speakers used in the Nexus 6 was louder (not as clear, but close). I'm not sure about its dac.
I do know the dac that Samsung uses in its flagships (S6 and newer) are better.
And the speaker that Samsung uses is louder and just as clear… however its a mono speaker and it faces away from you, giving you a hollow muffled sound with reduced volume when used as intended (ie screen facing your eyes).
The Z3 is one of the phones that has aged gracefully, unlike many many other handsets.
However, the Z5 is newer, should be officially supported for longer. And overall just a bit better.
But I can't quite recommend either phone.
Before I recommend the SONY Z5, I would urge you to have a look at 3 distinct devices:
ZTE Axon 7, Nexus 5X, and Nexus 6P.
(Disclaimer; just as how each headphone from the same model can be slightly different to each other, the same applies to the speakers on mobile phones. There are variants which are better/worse. This is no different to the "Chip Lottery" people have with gaming graphics cards. So YMMV).
Nexus 5X, and Nexus 6P and Sony ones don't really stand out in the headphones sound quality department. This year the LG V10 and HTC 10 are better with discrete dac.
Also in regards to LG G5 that is mentioned in another reply, "the HTC 10 audio hardware scores as good or better than the LG G5 with the B&O HiFi audio module installed", according to this review: http://www.androidcentral.com/htc-10-audio-testing-boomsound…
@clse945111:
Oh yes, I forgot about the LG G5 B&O.
If you can get both for cheap definitely… a lot of people have been un-recommending that handset.
I can confirm my Nexus 5X is good in the speaker compartment, but weak in the headphone department.
Not sure about the Nexus 6P without a thorough test.
I've heard amazing things about the ZTE Axon 7… obviously that's my first recommendation.
(PS SONY isn't making flagship Z3/Z5 phones anymore, and instead have decided to make mid-range Xperia X phones, I don't know how they stack up with Dacs and speakers, but I would assume they would be a let down compared to the competition).
Also LG G5 with the B&O attachment
I have a thl 5000 which has a great sound output, it has an NXP (Dutch firm) audio codec chip in, apparently. Just comparing with excellent headphones /hp amp, I notice the sound has great 'air', ie. can really imagine you are in the hall/studio and pick out instruments, super clear. Of course as a phone leaves a bit to be desired as no 4G etc.
A lot depends of course on matching up impedances and everything when looking to get absolutely the best audio output
LG's B&O will work with ANY device via usb-c, not just their G5. Nexus 6P absolutely stinks as far as headphone output is concerned. 5X is better, but still not the best. If headphone output is a top priority, do not even consider the Nexus devices unless you're adding an external DAC (I own the 5X and have owned the 6P).
sweet. thanks for the input.
http://www.mobilechoiceuk.com/News/40992/the-best-phones-wit…