Sound Quality from 3.5mm jack

[buckweet]

i have no idea what you're talking about. the problem with slacker has been fixed. it was fixed months ago. slacker to me sounds near perfect, and i have very good ears.

You are incorrect.. Either two things are happening here, either your ears are not 'good ears' or perhaps you're listening to different music than I am. If you had taken the chance to read the URL that I posted it explains exactly what the issue is and Slacker's current resolution plan.

While the music you may listen to might be fixed, it's because Slacker has replaced the music file they stream for 3G (wifi codec is different on most songs). Some music sounds fine, other is horrible distorted. I listen to trance/techno/rock/country, etc.. Rock and country are mostly fixed, however the trace/techno is about 75% bad and 25% good.. While I call out Slacker as being my main complaint, Pandora has the issue too here and there as well.

Slacker on Wifi seems okay for songs with alternative codecs, but that is unacceptable. I didn't buy a smartphone to use wifi. I'm wanting to subscribe to Slacker, but I'm not going to with any Android phone until this issue is resolved.


Here is an excerpt below from the URL I linked previously. It is dated late April, others are having the same issues that I am having which you are not experiencing.

"We are still working with the Android OS team on this issue. The new Slacker Application will not address this at all, because the problem is not in the Application. The problem is a combo between the Codec that we use and the Android OS. Unfortunately this isn't a quick fix because all of our other Mobile Clients use the same Codec with no problems, so we are working with the Android OS team to see if they can resolve the problem on their end."

I then go on to post another URL within that forum: Official Slacker Forums • Android app audio quality

There are active bugs filed for Slacker and other audio quality issues, etc.. list goes on and on. So I assure you there is an issue.

 

[rushmore]

Been testing Astro Player beta since yesterday. Not sure how they have done it, but the EQ sounds more "natural" and not a chipset choking software distortion of sound like other apps in the market that attempt it. Also reads the flash memory

http://androidforums.com/htc-incredible/77806-astro-player-has-eq-reads-flash-memory.html

BTW, please no theoretical discussion about EQ, since true "natural" went away with 33rpm records.

Update:

I notice clipping with the EQ. Adjusting down to find sweet spot. Drats.

 

[rushmore]

Thanks for the heads up on the earbuds. I'm by no means an audiophile, I just enjoy music, so I have no issues with the sound quality from the Inc and use it just about daily. I definitely need some new earbuds though so I will have to check these out. Again I'm not picky so I don't need/want to spend that much money so these are worth a look for the price.

Initially I looked them up on Walmarts site and only seen stuff like this.

I'm pretty confident with my sexuality but I draw the line somewhere before rockin out at the gym with a pair of those lol. I then googled them and see the wooden ones you were talking about. Apparently they have a lot of different design for the Muzx line. Will be stopping by the local Walmart tomorrow to grab a pair. Thanks again for the heads up!

And just to restore my masculinity, here's the wooden ones lol

LOL the bottom ones are the ones. I have three pairs of them there woodies. I have a pair at work and two at the house. I prefer the sound of them and they seem to "fit" well with the output all of my devices.

I actually tested them to see how bad they would be and the complete and utter opposite impression came about. They seem to sound too good for $25.

added:

I will appreciate other opinions to see if I am insane or not.

 

[rushmore]

Thanks for the informative post Looks like my Skullcandy Titans have 16 Ohm impedance.. I suppose I got lucky? ;P
So is there an issue with the sound being too loud even at its lowest volume with the Incredible or is that a myth?

Myth. The sweet spot in relation to gain and full sound spectrum on the Inc is about 55% volume. This assumes a good quality set of buds and 16ohms or less and a very quiet environment and the dB level of the actual MP3's is greater than 92db. Problem is at this volume, hard to hear music in louder places (forget a bus, plane, etc). I use MP3 gain and adjust all to 95db (a lot are too low or too high). A lot of pre 1990 music was recorded in the 80dB region, since back then, there were nice clean analog amps and no portable digital devices with weak output

That said, if someone has hyper-sensitive ears, any sound would be loud

Astro Player makes a difference as well and is worth at least trying.

In regards to streaming media, a reason for the contrained sound (missed lows and highs) is due to the additional compression used to afford reliable streaming and minimize bandwidth use. "Kind" of the same reason that all of the music-only channels you can get for TV sound weak.

 

[Asterdroid]

I'm not much of an audiophile, but I think some folks will find this helpful if they're in the same situation as me.

I've got an older head unit in my car that I really love, but it doesn't have an external aux input. I set up a harmon/kardon drive + play using the proprietary aux input in the back of the head unit. I spent some time looking for a way to connect my incredible to the apple 30 pin male connector, and I finally found something.

Dock Input Cable for Bose SoundDock

Hope this helps some folks out. It's not just for the Bose sound dock, but it is compatible with it.

 

[Reprobate]

Thx @ rushmore for mentioning impedance.

I had very poor/weak SQ from the DINC when listening with my Antec Lansing BackBeat Pro($100) earphones but when I used my V-Moda bass Freq($30) earphones the SQ was very good and full.

The problem was Impedance! The DINC and many portable music devices can't deliver a higher driving signal that high impedance sets require. My Antec Lansings are 29 Ohms while my V-modas are 16 Ohms.

Just make sure your headphones are less than 16 Ohms impedance and your SQ should be Great.
http://shop.v-moda.com/p-16-bass-freq.aspx

I found this to be of interest.

http://stereophile.com/headphones/grado_sr60i_headphones/index2.html

 

[ikediggety]

I use some higher end balance armature earphones and also some regular traditional earphones.

Anyone else notice the sounds quality ... isn't exactly that great?

I hope its just me but the frequency range seem incomplete. The highs are missing and the low end is clipped out pretty early. The midrange is decent though.

Hate to say it but i think it's just yours. I'm an a/v tech with decades in audio, very picky about this kind of thing, and i think my d.i. sounds great. if your headphones are higher impedance, that might have something to do with it, though one would think that would only affect volume, but frequency response.

 

[ikediggety]

here is some scientific testing of the HTC Droid Incredible's 3.5mm headphone jack. this is pink noise played out of the headphone jack and input into my laptops microphone jack. i calibrated the sound card on my laptop so these results should be accurate.

pretty flat. the top end has a slight decline, but it's not a sharp drop by any means.

for anybody that has never done any measuring of audio with a pink noise track it will look jagged. you are supposed to take several measurements and average them together. this is just one quick measurment, so it will look jagged.

Wow. As an audio pro, let me just say that inboard mic jacks, especially on laptops, BLOW, calibrations notwithstanding. Rare that you'll ever get a noise floor under -60 with those things, which means you're measuring that laptop's sound card's self noise, not the d.i.

I'm out off town right now, but when I get home I'll do a similar pink noise test - and a white noise test - into my m-audio profire 2626.

 

[powerplayj]

We just need an equalizer...

exactly!!!!!!!

 

[acidarmitage]

wow... im glad im notan audiophile... sheesh my dinc sounds awesome to me

 

[ikediggety]

I'm actually thinking of returning my Incredible due to this issue. I listen to Pandora and Slacker a lot at work, I hardly listen to MP3s anymore. I've tried the Moto droid and the Incredible and both of them still have this issue with the bass clipping. Slacker knows its a problem and are stating that it's an issue with the way Android interfaces with the codec. There is no committment to fix from what is being communicated. Pandora has the same issue, but not to the same extent..

I just have doubts as it being fixed in 2.2 Froyo. The Moto droid when I tested was 2.0 OS and it had the same issues. Others I know with the incredible are experiencing the same issue. And YES high quality is enabled. Slacker doesn't doesn't have the issue if you use wifi, but sometimes the bass is still overpowering.

Will this be fixed in 2.2? When will HTC push out 2.2? Very annoying, I love the phone, but this really irritates me as its what I use primarily. I came from a Crackberry Bold 9000 and it sounds 10x better than both Droids I've had.

You're probably experiencing compression artifacts from the streaming. Try playing back a high quality mp3 and see if it still happens

 

[ikediggety]

Been testing Astro Player beta since yesterday. Not sure how they have done it, but the EQ sounds more "natural" and not a chipset choking software distortion of sound like other apps in the market that attempt it. Also reads the flash memory

http://androidforums.com/htc-incredible/77806-astro-player-has-eq-reads-flash-memory.html

BTW, please no theoretical discussion about EQ, since true "natural" went away with 33rpm records.

Update:

I notice clipping with the EQ. Adjusting down to find sweet spot. Drats.

Yeah, you always want to be subtractive with digital eq. Eliminate the bands you don't want, don't boost what you like.

 

[Valka]

I use a pair of Ultimate Ears 10's ($400 list) with mine. In my opinion it's quite decent for a phone. If you want better, plug it into an external amplifier instead?

i like how it sounds. i guess i can't call myself an audiophile then.

 

[Valka]

I have one of those, they're pretty good for a portable. From what I understand the new Clip/Clip+ are even better.

As in a Sandisk Sansa, like the 4GB one with the built-in FM radio?

 

[DeaconBoogie]

I can chime in that with Sennheiser PX100, the Incredible is perfect to my audiophile ears. This particular headphone is known to require very little juice to produce top shelf results. I've had them for about seven years now.

I've yet to run into a portable device that won't make these little cans sing.

 

[DeaconBoogie]

Wow. As an audio pro, let me just say that inboard mic jacks, especially on laptops, BLOW, calibrations notwithstanding. Rare that you'll ever get a noise floor under -60 with those things, which means you're measuring that laptop's sound card's self noise, not the d.i.

I'm out off town right now, but when I get home I'll do a similar pink noise test - and a white noise test - into my m-audio profire 2626.

I'm interested in seeing these results, purely from an academic perspective. Flat response is what I look for. No need for an EQ with a proper playback device and quality cans.

 

[NoNoBadDog]

I would never use a phone for listening to music unless I wanted to use it like a boom box and place it on the table to play which it does great.

Hard to listen to music and answer calls at the same time ;p

Try a Zune HD out - they are slick as hell and have better sound quality then any phone or apple mp3 device.

+1 on the Zune HD...another AMOLED screen device. Far superior to anything from Apple. Just wish MS knew how to market it.

 

[Valka]

"What can Brown do for you?'

+1 on the Zune HD...another AMOLED screen device. Far superior to anything from Apple. Just wish MS knew how to market it.

 

[Reprobate]

I have one of those, they're pretty good for a portable. From what I understand the new Clip/Clip+ are even better.

I've read the same and supposedly the Sansa Fuze is also well regarded due to it's output.

 

[amarryat]

I have one of those, they're pretty good for a portable. From what I understand the new Clip/Clip+ are even better.

I always liked mine, and used it at the gym primarily because of the FM radio. The user interface is way behind the Incredible and the Touch.