Rezound gives more details in Beat Audio

[bradm77]

I was listening to Rezound over and over in order to solve a static noise issue earlier (please see other thread about that issue). Now I want to post something about its general audio quality.

I saw people saying Beat Audio/iBeat (alright, or iCrap) is for rap only, or Beat Audio only makes audio louder, or only amplifies bass sounds.

Not true imo.

Based on my testing, with beat mode on and off, with beat earphone or my other earphone (ultimate ears 700) (I used to have an er-4p, but I gave it to my record engineer friend when he broke his with a deadline to catch), my opinion is, Beat Audio does its job to minimize distortion across the spectrum.

The difference between Beat mode enabled or disabled is significant. And the difference between iBeat earphones and my ultimate ears 700 is not. (iBeat has its advantage in that, the audio output of Rezound is tuned based on this setting Beat Audio + iBeat)

In one line, Beat Audio mode in Rezound gives more detail of music, period.

Is it good enough to live up to the hype? I don't know. Maybe not yet, as least not until HTC releases Beat API so all apps can take advantage of Beat Audio. But, is it better than other non beat phone for now? Of course it is. (my previous phone is Nexus One).

I am not an audio expert by any means, but I just made this EXACT point in another thread here - the Beats doesnt just "pump up" the bass, it also makes ALL the music (and ANY kind) of music, sound so much CLEARER.

 

[bradm77]

guys, you don't need beats headphones to enable beats audio.

I get the beats with ANY headphones, and also when using a $3 ebay cable to run to the AUX port in my car stereo...........

 

[CaptainObvious]

I am not an audio expert by any means, but I just made this EXACT point in another thread here - the Beats doesnt just "pump up" the bass, it also makes ALL the music (and ANY kind) of music, sound so much CLEARER.

As true as this is, by and large a majority of people on the internet will NOT acknowledge this. The sad sheep mentality kicks in after a certain belief or phrase is out there. One person says beats just pumps up the bass and that's it, then a thousand people read it and repeat it then another thousand read what the other people said and repeat it and so on. In the end, we have thousands of people with opinions that aren't based on any hands on time with the product, just conjecture and "i heard this, so it's true". Once a person sees that alot of people say it, it becomes true in their mind. I mean...how can that many people be wrong right?!

I'm the 1% and i'm happy with beats audio lol

 

[TxGoat]

Amazon.com: Klipsch Image X10 Noise-Isolating Earphone: Electronics

Klipsch Image X10's on sale for under $95.00 if anyone's interested.

 

[falcontrainer]

Just wish there was a way to use Beats with anything else, or even with the on board speaker. I know its new but was really hoping gmusic would work with beats. Dang impatience

 

[thornev]

Well I can't get beats working with my Shure S510's. Can someone help? I've tried it with the stock music player and other players and I just don't get the status bar icon for it. Thank you.

 

[TxGoat]

As true as this is, by and large a majority of people on the internet will NOT acknowledge this. The sad sheep mentality kicks in after a certain belief or phrase is out there. One person says beats just pumps up the bass and that's it, then a thousand people read it and repeat it then another thousand read what the other people said and repeat it and so on. In the end, we have thousands of people with opinions that aren't based on any hands on time with the product, just conjecture and "i heard this, so it's true". Once a person sees that alot of people say it, it becomes true in their mind. I mean...how can that many people be wrong right?!

I'm the 1% and i'm happy with beats audio lol

I have to admit that I was surprised by the added enhancement of the Beats program/earphone combination. It sounds like (no pun intended) they actually tailored the beats audio EQ setting to match the beats earphones. Like I said in another thread, the Beats earphones themselves sound louder on another MP3 player and the bass doesn't exactly sound full. While plugged into the Rezound, that lost bass is found and the rest of the frequency range sounds fuller.

Another perfect example of what you're describing is the whole "4G will drain your battery faster". As someone that's actually had to use his old Thunderbolt in mostly 3G while at home, I saw no change in battery life when I'd switch to 4G in a 4G rich area.

What I recall in the Thunderbolt forums, I mentioned how the Thunderbolt's battery doesn't last nearly as long as the iPhone 4's battery that I was using for work at the time. The apologists came out and were like, "Well the Apple doesn't have to contend with 4G!", and next thing you know that took off. "4G is a battery killer", which yes when you're downloading 10-20 times more data on the phone, it's going to kill your battery faster. But if you're just casually updating your facebook, or surfing the web then it's not going to be much of a factor (streaming data from those websites though, another story). I thought the threads in here were kind of funny, "How much faster will 4G kill my battery?" Based on the low volume of threads I'm seeing about poor battery life, I'd say it's safe to say that having 4G on your phone isn't necessarily the battery killer we think it is.

 

[CaptainObvious]

What I recall in the Thunderbolt forums, I mentioned how the Thunderbolt's battery doesn't last nearly as long as the iPhone 4's battery that I was using for work at the time. The apologists came out and were like, "Well the Apple doesn't have to contend with 4G!", and next thing you know that took off. "4G is a battery killer", which yes when you're downloading 10-20 times more data on the phone, it's going to kill your battery faster. But if you're just casually updating your facebook, or surfing the web then it's not going to be much of a factor (streaming data from those websites though, another story). I thought the threads in here were kind of funny, "How much faster will 4G kill my battery?" Based on the low volume of threads I'm seeing about poor battery life, I'd say it's safe to say that having 4G on your phone isn't necessarily the battery killer we think it is.

Meh. Yes and no. Sometimes issues like this can be all about perception. I remember watching a psychological study on tv the other night where they were testing the impacts on the brain by KNOWING you're eating fast food vs anything else. They took their test subjects into a room and bought this taco dish from taco bell and made it look all fancy and when they served it to these people, said it was from a high end restaurant with "garden" in the title. They said they thought it tasted fresh and healthy and they'd guess the calories at only around 400.

Then, they give it to the other test group and ask their opinion on it telling them it's from taco bell. That test group has this disgusting look on their face as they talk about it and i'm paraphrasing here "it tastes like the kind of junk food you'd get at taco bell. I wouldn't eat this crap unless i was on the go and had no other choice". They guessed the calories at somewhere above a thousand and they were right.

They did the same test with food from kfc they had chefs prepare/change around to make it look all fancy and got the same results. People said it "tasted like it came from a high end restaurant
that they probably couldn't even afford. Haahaaa".

When perception is hindered by an idea in your head, a hugely negative one, it stops you from actually experiencing whats going on. You'd be surprised at the process of thinking for some people. There's no process of discovery or exploration. Just "i heard they were bad, so it must be true. I'm avoiding this crap". Personally, i don't believe it til i see it. Just like how i won't believe the nexus is anything to give a damn about until i hold it in my hand. Same with buying my last car. Drive it and find out.


When people say beats audio/free headphones are a gimmick i cringe. A gimmick is defined as "In marketing language, a gimmick is a unique or quirky special feature that makes something "stand out" from its contemporaries. However, the special feature is typically thought to be of little relevance or use.". This is a feature alot of people, including myself, love and use and find huge relevance in.

A front facing camera is far more of a gimmick considering how little people use them compared to using enhanced audio with a good set of earbuds

 

[TxGoat]

I dunno, to me it's still a marketing gimmick but not in a derogatory way when I'm talking about the Rezound as an actual device. The Galaxy Nexus has ICS as its gimmick, will having ICS a few months before everyone else guarantee anything other than possible app compatibility issues, and how long before people claiming that they love having a "pure google experience" root their device? The Razr has its thin dimension and "Kevlar" back as its gimmick. Does a thinner phone really make it better, and can your Razr deflect bullets? I guess if you really want to put a label on these features, maybe you can call them novelties. I'd say ultimately it all depends on the end-user's perspective. As someone who went in with a very pessimistic attitude towards Beats, I'll have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by how well they sound in conjunction with the Beats equalizer setting on the phone. So much that I've found myself actually listening to more music on my phone in the 2 weeks of ownership than I have with the 7 months with my Thunderbolt. Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to go find some more bass-rich music to upload to my phone.

 

[rushmore]

I found this over on the HTC forums:

"So here's what is happening with the beats audio. Even though the HTC sensation was the first phone to sample this technology, HTC has actually released the developing API (Source Code) to integrate with new 3rd party apps. In other words, they are still working on it for us. We should see more support in the very near future."

Thing is Beats feature is software and not hardware, so considering your preference of ear buds, seems adding artificial pronouncement of audio would be absolutely sacrilegious (as it should be).

Software enhancement? Best to trade them Shures in for some $15 Skullcandy buds

Just joking, but I am a picky bostard' with audio. I agree the iPod4 sounds a tad better, but the Rezound and Razr sound very good to me.

added: Doesn't the Rezound have direct access to the hardware EQ like the Razr and other recent devices? If so, should be able to Beat your own drum.

 

[TxGoat]

Thing is Beats feature is software and not hardware, so considering your preference of ear buds, seems adding artificial pronouncement of audio would be absolutely sacrilegious (as it should be).

Software enhancement? Best to trade them Shures in for some $15 Skullcandy buds

Just joking, but I am a picky bostard' with audio. I agree the iPod4 sounds a tad better, but the Rezound and Razr sound very good to me.

added: Doesn't the Rezound have direct access to the hardware EQ like the Razr and other recent devices? If so, should be able to Beat your own drum.

Artificial pronouncement of audio is pretty much why when you go to a "popular" artist's concert they're lip syncing instead of actually singing. I personally don't think anyone can look down their noses at any "digital enhancement" device if the majority of your music consumption comes from an MP3 player or from an MP3 source. You do know that MP3 technology only pulls the frequencies someone has deemed are within a human's listening ability and then those frequencies are compressed until they're decoded right? If you have any parents/grandparents etc that have an old turntable with an actual diamond tipped needle, go listen to one of their better kept records and you'll probably be able to tell how much is actually stripped from a track when it's turned into an MP3 file. As it stands now, you're not even guaranteed a "pure" music experience when you go to listen to a mainstream performer in concert, which is kind of sad but rather typical of a system that puts profits ahead of anything including music.

 

[CaptainObvious]

Txgoat is pretty freaking amazing at relaying every feeling i have about a certain topic in my brain, into a perfectly woven argument and posting it. Sometimes i almost think he's psychic and gets all his great posts from me In which case i say...stay away from those thoughts i had about that girl. That's not meant to be repeated

Keep it up

 

[TxGoat]

Txgoat is pretty freaking amazing at relaying every feeling i have about a certain topic in my brain, into a perfectly woven argument and posting it. Sometimes i almost think he's psychic and gets all his great posts from me In which case i say...stay away from those thoughts i had about that girl. That's not meant to be repeated

Keep it up

I have to admit, I snickered a bit at the thread with your quote below, but I'm guilty of thinking the same thing initially. Considering the earphones are provided with the phone for the same price they're selling the Razr, even if the Razr comes with some generic earphones, I think I'll take the beats over some no name generic earphones. Now I'm curious to know if the Beats installed on the TB and the beats earphones plugged in would sound the same as they sound on the Rezound. It's like one of those Daily Show segments where he busts Faux News for saying something one day and switching it the next day ;P One of my favorite segments of that show btw......

http://androidforums.com/htc-thunderbolt/450550-can-you-get-beats-audio-quality-thunderbolt.html

Beats are a gimmick. It is all about the dac/chip used in the rezound. Beats are also over-priced. Buy a pair of monster turbines or a bassy headphone. Problem solved.

I agree. These free headphones included for free with the rezound are overpriced. Wtf is htc thinking? I wanted to pay a cheap price for these. Not get them for free. OVERPRICED

 

[thornev]

Well I can't get beats working with my Shure S510's. Can someone help? I've tried it with the stock music player and other players and I just don't get the status bar icon for it. Thank you.

Anyone? Please? The only thing I haven't tried is using the Beats earplugs. I don't want to use them.

 

[pinkelephants]

How do you turn Beat mode on?

 

[TxGoat]

How do you turn Beat mode on?

They come on when you have most earphones plugged in (some people have reported that they don't come on with their earphones). Oh and you also have to use the standard "Music" app, not sure what other apps may utilize the Beats EQ setting. Plug in your earphones and play some music from the "Music" app. Turn beats on and off by going to your notifications and clicking "enable" "disable" next to the "Beats".

 

[TxGoat]

Anyone? Please? The only thing I haven't tried is using the Beats earplugs. I don't want to use them.

Try them, just to make sure the Beats comes on, heck you might be surprised by them if you use the correct ear plug cushion. I had to go a size smaller...I can be quite the big butthole, but that doesn't translate to earhole sizes....

 

[thornev]

They come on when you have most earphones plugged in (some people have reported that they don't come on with their earphones). Oh and you also have to use the standard "Music" app, not sure what other apps may utilize the Beats EQ setting. Plug in your earphones and play some music from the "Music" app. Turn beats on and off by going to your notifications and clicking "enable" "disable" next to the "Beats".

If some earbuds work and others don't, that might mean there is something with the plug or the impedance of the earbuds that triggers Beats mode. I'll try the buds that came with the phone when I get home tonight, but with my Shure buds and the stock music player, I definitely do not get anything in the Notifications pull-down bar about Beats.

 

[TxGoat]

If some earbuds work and others don't, that might mean there is something with the plug or the impedance of the earbuds that triggers Beats mode. I'll try the buds that came with the phone when I get home tonight, but with my Shure buds and the stock music player, I definitely do not get anything in the Notifications pull-down bar about Beats.

That was Vzwuser's speculation is that it is the impedance that launches Beats. My Klipsch S4s launch the Beats EQ, but I'll admit that it sounds better with the Beats earphones than it does with the S4s, but the S4s also sound better on any other MP3 player than the Beats do. Give the beats a try (that sounded a little off didn't it?) and see if you think it sounds decent with them, but don't forget to try different sizes on the ear buds. That alone will make a big difference.

 

[bldgengineer]

Anyone know of a good quality over-the-ear headphones in the $100-$150 range that still works with this?

 

[TxGoat]

Anyone know of a good quality over-the-ear headphones in the $100-$150 range that still works with this?

I'd say your best bet is to go with a Beats brand.



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Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD High Definition On-Ear Headphones with ControlTalk White 132711


These might work, and I've heard good things (pun intended) about Klipsch. These are on sale. Try calling them and telling them that you tried Coupon Code CMVANS and it won't give you 10% off, maybe the'll hook you up.

Klipsch IMAGE ONE on ear Image series headphones with 3 button remote and mic iPod iPhone call phone at Vanns.com

 

[thornev]

Plugged in the Beats earbuds tonight, ran the stock Music player and still no Beats prompt. Is there perhaps some option I selected not to ever turn it on? If not, I guess it's back to the VZW store (or call to customer service) for my 1st Rezound issue.

 

[TxGoat]

Plugged in the Beats earbuds tonight, ran the stock Music player and still no Beats prompt. Is there perhaps some option I selected not to ever turn it on? If not, I guess it's back to the VZW store (or call to customer service) for my 1st Rezound issue.

What's your phone's power setting set at? I saw something about Beats being disabled if you're in Economy mode. Play an MP3 in your "MUSIC" app on the phone, go to Settings>Sound Enhancer> Beats on/off

 

[thornev]

What's your phone's power setting set at? I saw something about Beats being disabled if you're in Economy mode. Play an MP3 in your "MUSIC" app on the phone, go to Settings>Sound Enhancer> Beats on/off

There is no "Settings" in the music app, but I did figure out my problem. One has to PLAY A SONG before one gets the prompt for Beats audio. Everybody stop laughing now.

So NOW I plugged in my expensive Shure SE530s and NOW I can say that they sound much better than the Beats earbuds.

By the way, I can get the sound just as good, and more to MY liking, by using MixZing as the player and using its EQ.

 

[TxGoat]

There is no "Settings" in the music app, but I did figure out my problem. One has to PLAY A SONG before one gets the prompt for Beats audio. Everybody stop laughing now.

So NOW I plugged in my expensive Shure S510s and NOW I can say that they sound much better than the Beats earbuds.

By the way, I can get the sound just as good, and more to MY liking, by using MixZing as the player and using its EQ.

Oh and before I forget, you have to have the phone turned ON.