Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPhone 11 Pro iPhone 11 pro vs iPhone XS Max speaker

atton

atton

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 16, 2016
180
114
London, UK
So I recently decided to upgrade to the 11 Pro series but thought I go back to the smaller size.

To my disappointment I notice a big difference in the speaker of the two phones where the iPhone 11 pro is a lot worse, quality wise (not dB levels) than the XS max.

I have read there is a difference due to the size but to my ears the difference is quite substantial and no one seems to give it much attention in the reviews I’ve read. Unless I’ve got a defective unit..

Anyone notice the same?
 
mrbjr said:
Well, I’m coming from an X and the speakers on my 11Pro are fantastic by comparison.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the feedback!

I just remembered I have an XR as a work phone so I tested that and the sound sounds fuller than in the 11 Pro. Probably the size but yea..
 
Every review I’ve read told the speakers are much better, spacious, louder with Dolby Atmos support. I have comparison with previous iPhone I had: X, XS and XS MAX. I consider it’s unit related. iPhone X and XS MAX were worse than my Pro Max but regular XS was the best among all of them. I think it’s similar like with the screen lottery, the speakers aren’t the same and depend on particular device.
My rank is (from best to worst): iPhone XS-PRO MAX-XS MAX-X.
I must admit besides volume level and power the iPhone Pro Max speakers are the clearest among the range with no distortion in higher level
 
nathasnajperowa said:
Every review I’ve read told the speakers are much better, spacious, louder with Dolby Atmos support. I have comparison with previous iPhone I had: X, XS and XS MAX. I consider it’s unit related. iPhone X and XS MAX were worse than my Pro Max but regular XS was the best among all of them. I think it’s similar like with the screen lottery, the speakers aren’t the same and depend on particular device.
My rank is (from best to worst): iPhone XS-PRO MAX-XS MAX-X.
I must admit besides volume level and power the iPhone Pro Max speakers are the clearest among the range with no distortion in higher level
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it! I think I might have to go by the Apple store and try out a few of their 11 pros. Only thing is the nearest Apple store is 1 hr drive away each way :/

I think I’ll look for a pro in an electronics store in my town see if I can tell the difference even though it will be a different source since they won’t have Spotify. Might actually be a good test.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nathasnajperowa
Jonathantuba said:
I find the 11 Pro speakers better than my previous Xs - maybe you have a fault phone?
Click to expand...
I can’t say vs an XS as I didn’t have one. I’m more talking about my 11 pro vs the XS max. But yea you might be right my unit might be faulty.

Was the XS speaker quality inferior to the XS max? My limited testing has me thinking it’s the size that makes the difference.
 
I think my Pro Max sounds better then my XS Max, but this review claims last year model better. But I think the main thing you are seeing is as a result of the size downgrade, which is normal.

9to5mac.com

DxOMark audio testing begins, w. interesting results for iPhones - 9to5Mac

DxOMark audio testing has today been added to the company's services. The company has so far made a name for itself as the go-to source for in-depth ...
9to5mac.com 9to5mac.com
 
Lobwedgephil said:
I think my Pro Max sounds better then my XS Max, but this review claims last year model better. But I think the main thing you are seeing is as a result of the size downgrade, which is normal.

9to5mac.com

DxOMark audio testing begins, w. interesting results for iPhones - 9to5Mac

DxOMark audio testing has today been added to the company's services. The company has so far made a name for itself as the go-to source for in-depth ...
9to5mac.com 9to5mac.com
Click to expand...

Interesting read especially as it's in contrast to your IRL experience.

It's a significant downgrade in quality for me that it has me thinking of going to 11 Pro Max.. but then the size of the phone is too big for everything else.. but then I use the speaker constantly for radio/music. Hmm
 
Okeeey. So had a chance to test the iPhone XS Max again at a store vs iPhone 11 Pro & Pro Max. I did this test in two different stores.

The iPhone XS Max trumps both with distinctly better speaker audio quality in my ears. The 11 Pros at the stores were just as bad as mine and the Pro Max were same quality as the regular Pro (maybe with slightly more bass but nothing to make it amazing). I am happy with these results in a way because that means my unit is not broken but then I miss the XS Max speaker.

Thank you all again for the feedback!
 
DevinNj said:
It's the same hardware in both size phones. Size, in this instance doesn't matter.
Click to expand...
Oh right. But despite the same specced speaker, the body is bigger and wider so this alone should make a difference acoustically.
 
My iPhone X and S10+ sounded much better than my iPhone 11 Pro, + I hear some buzz sound from earpiece speaker when loud audio comes out from it. The same noise comes from bottom speaker BUT only when I cover it half.. it already indicates that the loud sound coming out from earpiece speaker doesn't get enough space to come out due to small speaker holes/less space.. I dont know. Quality wise, I can definitely say that my S10+ sounded better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: atton
Pro & Pro Max both have good sound
When Dolby Atmos comes out it will be even better
 
Enix1212 said:
My iPhone X and S10+ sounded much better than my iPhone 11 Pro, + I hear some buzz sound from earpiece speaker when loud audio comes out from it. The same noise comes from bottom speaker BUT only when I cover it half.. it already indicates that the loud sound coming out from earpiece speaker doesn't get enough space to come out due to small speaker holes/less space.. I dont know. Quality wise, I can definitely say that my S10+ sounded better.
Click to expand...
This is in line with my experience as well.

Even on a Viber call on speaker the sound crackles from the earpiece. I think there was a software update to fix a similar crackling issue in iOS 11(?) if I’m not mistaken.. maybe there’s hope for a software fix here too?
 
I have an XS Max and a 11 Pro Max at home and I can confirm that they have similar volume speakers, with the 11 pro max having a more “fuller and crispy” sound specially at higher volumes.
 
RM37 said:
I have an XS Max and a 11 Pro Max at home and I can confirm that they have similar volume speakers, with the 11 pro max having a more “fuller and crispy” sound specially at higher volumes.
Click to expand...
atton said:
I agree! When I upgraded from the X to the XS Max, I was blown away too. Unluckily this wasn't the case with this upgrade..
Click to expand...

Based on RM37's reply, seems you may have a defective unit if the sound is significantly worse.
 
Y
atton said:
This is in line with my experience as well.

Even on a Viber call on speaker the sound crackles from the earpiece. I think there was a software update to fix a similar crackling issue in iOS 11(?) if I’m not mistaken.. maybe there’s hope for a software fix here too?
Click to expand...
Yes, exactly. It happens also on whatsapp call. The game and music audio seems fine, especially the audio from american music is pretty clear. It might be that Apple did not put volume limitation of earpiece speaker during calls. Actually the speaker quality of earpiece doesnt seem bad but its the small space over there which causes internal vibrations and appear like crackling/buzzing sound which is very easily noticeable during calls.
 
  • Like
Reactions: atton
atton said:
So I recently decided to upgrade to the 11 Pro series but thought I go back to the smaller size.

To my disappointment I notice a big difference in the speaker of the two phones where the iPhone 11 pro is a lot worse, quality wise (not dB levels) than the XS max.

I have read there is a difference due to the size but to my ears the difference is quite substantial and no one seems to give it much attention in the reviews I’ve read. Unless I’ve got a defective unit..

Anyone notice the same?
Click to expand...

The latest Anandtech review states that the XS is louder - dB levels

www.anandtech.com

The Apple iPhone 11, 11 Pro & 11 Pro Max Review: Performance, Battery, & Camera Elevated

www.anandtech.com www.anandtech.com

"In terms of audio volume, the iPhone 11 Pro is ever so slightly quieter when being held in portrait mode. The bigger difference that’s definitely more audible is when holding the phone in landscape mode with both hands and the palms cupped – the usual way one would hold a phone in landscape. Here it’s 3dB quieter than the iPhone XS, which is a noticeable amount."
 
when I compared my 11 Pro Max to my iPhone XR, the audio from the speakers (when playing same song from Apple Music) seems "brighter" on the iPhone XR vs 11 Pro Max. 11 Pro max sounded a bit more richer though. My personal preference is with the XR speaker.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back