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From 5s to SE? (Audio related)

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peterpayne

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 3, 2017
97
82
Hi everyone!

I've got an iPhone 5s 32GB and I'm considering upgrading to the SE 128GB. :)

I use it A LOT as an iPod, listening to music on headphones and speaker...

I've read some comments saying the audio on the 6s and SE is lower than the 5s. Has anyone gone from one to another and could confirm this, please?

Especially on headphones, I'm worried about this. 5s audio is good but still you need to pump up the volume to the max on certain old albums with low volume... if the SE is really half the output... :eek:

BTW, I'm not an audiophile, I use the earpods and I'm happy with them. But I listen to a lot of music in all kinds of environments, so volume and sound is important to me.

Could anyone share their experiences about this, please?

(I'm in the EU, don't know if there's a volume limit here but not in the US)

Thank you so much!
 
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I had a 5S then an SE. Audio volume and quality was the same in my opinion. I use my SE as my main music device too. No issues there.
 
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rctlr said:
I had a 5S then an SE. Audio volume and quality was the same in my opinion. I use my SE as my main music device too. No issues there.
Click to expand...

Thank you! ;)

Sadly there's not a lot of info about this so thanks for sharing your experience.
 
dave2010 said:
Here's a review of the SE that includes audio quality and says it's pretty good, not perfect.
http://pocketnow.com/2016/04/08/iphone-se-review

I suppose if there is evidence that I would find the audio in the 5s superior to the SE I'll be interested in buying one as I use my iPhone the same as I've used iPods.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link!

I don't know if the audio in the 5s is superior or not BUT I can say I'm really happy with it. I use it a lot and it's great, inside and outside.

The only reason I'd upgrade to the SE (if the audio is the same) would be storage (I could fill it with more music and movies with 128GB hehe) and battery (mine is alright now but has 2,5 years, so...).

But sound is something very personal in the end... I have an iPod Nano 3G that sounds great to me (I still use it sometimes) but also a Nano 7G that I never really liked the sound... I'm afraid of upgrading to the SE and disliking the sound... should look for someone with the SE and plug in my earpods to see if I like it or not haha. (Could do this in an Apple store but it's not the best environment for audio tests I guess)

Thanks for your help!
 
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The 14 day return period applies when you order on the website too, right?

Anyone else could share their experiences going from 5s to SE, please? Thanks! ;)
 
peterpayne said:
The 14 day return period applies when you order on the website too, right?! ;)
Click to expand...

Yes, you initiate the return online with Apple; print the label and take it to where they indicate.

Concerned that the SE might have worse sound quality than the 5s; I just tested it myself in a Telstra store. I couldn't tell the difference at all. It might be different if you measure it with equipment but playing music on your standard Spotify/Apple Music I couldn't tell.
 
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dave2010 said:
Yes, you initiate the return online with Apple; print the label and take it to where they indicate.

Concerned that the SE might have worse sound quality than the 5s; I just tested it myself in a Telstra store. I couldn't tell the difference at all. It might be different if you measure it with equipment but playing music on your standard Spotify/Apple Music I couldn't tell.
Click to expand...

Great to know. Thank you so much!
 
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