iPhone 6 Plus Audio Quality (vs iPod nano 6th gen)

[davidjearly]

I've recently bought the Beoplay H6 headphones, which I use sometimes with my 6 Plus. I found the audio quality to be a lot poorer on the phone than the output I experienced with my custom IEMs. I then tried the H6 with an old 6th gen nano (same track, bitrate etc), and the quality difference was just unbelievable. Much clearer mids, more depth, higher clarity.

Now the iPhone 6 Plus is supposed to have great DAC so I'm not sure what's going on here. Any ideas?

 

[GreatDrok]

Check you haven't got any EQ set on either device. I've got a 6plus and it sounds pretty good with my Audio Technica ATH-M50x's.

 

[davidjearly]

Yep, EQ off and all other settings equal between the 6 Plus and nano. It's just so bizarre. Tried it with several tracks and its the same issue. The iPhone is significantly 'quieter' with a generally lifeless output, compared to the nano. Also checked the volume limit on both devices but that's off. Weird!

 

[odHbo]

Yep, EQ off and all other settings equal between the 6 Plus and nano. It's just so bizarre. Tried it with several tracks and its the same issue. The iPhone is significantly 'quieter' with a generally lifeless output, compared to the nano. Also checked the volume limit on both devices but that's off. Weird!

If you're using a service like Pandora, you're streaming at a low bitrate and those headphones will show it. Spotify is 320kbps if you're using a premium account AND you've set the streaming/syncing level to "extreme". Your old iPod might have had burned music from a CD which is generally a higher bitrate than Pandora or Youtube.

I also recommend downloading FLAC player and trying .FLAC music files. They're harder to find than MP3s but they'll shine through those BeoPlay headphones.

 

[Newtons Apple]

My 6+ sounds much better than my iPod touch(latest). I used my touch all the time but moved to my phone so I didn't miss calls while listening to music.