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iPhone Audio Quality?

w00t951

w00t951

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jan 6, 2009
1,834
53
Pittsburgh, PA
I was listening to AIFF (1000+ kbps) songs on my iPhone 4 and my iPad/Macbook Pro 8,2 through Klipsch S4i's and Bose QC15s. I have noticed significantly better sound quality from the Macbook and the iPad compared to the iPhone, even though I was playing the exact same audio file. Can anyone relate to this?
 
w00t951 said:
The 32GB iPhone 4, the 1st gen 64GB iPad, and the i7-2820QM AMD 6750M Macbook Pro.
Click to expand...
My Audio quality is superb for a phone...idk.

Obviously your MBP has better speakers, so that's obvious, but the iPad shouldn't sound overwhelmingly better...it does have larger speakers as well though....
 
Different amp, different dac. Yes, there is a difference in SQ. This is to be expected.

Also, iPods are not known for their SQ, even among portable devices.

If you can hear the difference with the very good S4i's, you would be shocked if you moved to truly high-end 'phones.
 
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The clarity on the iPhone is noticeably muddier for me. What would be the best pair of earbuds (not headphones, QC15s are great) for $150 or less? You know, the ones that sound more rich like Klipsch earbuds. For some reason, Shure earbuds sound really metallic and tinny for me, with almost no bass response whatsoever.
 
I'm far from an audiophile, but I just took my headphones and used them to listen on my iPhone and then played the same song on my MBP. And from what I could tell, they sounded the same to me.
 
There's a pretty big difference in terms of sound just as Jimmy Jones says. The iPhone is probably the best phone at audio playback right now compared with Android phones out there. If you want better quality, start with FLAC and then get an FLAC app with EQ on the iPhone. From there, if you're using studio monitors on the iPhone, you'll get much better sound.
 
whtrbt7 said:
Just to add to this thread,
There are also portable amps for the iPhone if you need a separate DAC. I've listed 2 links below as a reference. There are better larger ones out there but if you're carrying an iPhone 4, it doesn't really make sense to have a 2-3 lbs plug-in mini DAC on your body :D.

http://www.headphone.com/headphone-amps/amplifiers/headroom-portable-micro-amp.php

USB version for iPad, Mac, and PC:
http://www.headphone.com/headphone-amps/amplifiers/headroom-total-bithead.php
Click to expand...

The total bithead is a great enhancement for the price. You can connect it with your ipod, or connect it to your computer for a better dac/amp combo. A bit upgrade either way.
 
I'm on the move for most of my time, and I really don't need or want an external thingy like an amp. I'm sure it does wonders for your sound quality, but I just don't have the ability to use one (or spare that amount of cash xD). I'm running the latest public release of iOS 4.3, by the way. So, about those headphones... Any suggestions?
 
w00t951 said:
I'm on the move for most of my time, and I really don't need or want an external thingy like an amp. I'm sure it does wonders for your sound quality, but I just don't have the ability to use one (or spare that amount of cash xD). I'm running the latest public release of iOS 4.3, by the way. So, about those headphones... Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

I've heard Sennheiser makes good headphones
 
It sounds like you like the Klipsch. Why not get/keep those? They're a great match for the iPhone and you would be hard pressed to do better in your price range.
 
A true audiophile wouldn't be listening to mp3's, and definitely wouldn't be using headphones that take a 1/8" jack (not by choice, anyway).

I haven't looked at any testing involving iphone playback, but I would bet good money that iphone/ipod hardware is geared for mp3 playback and probably has fairly cheap sound chips in them.

As great as smartphones are, there isn't anything that they do better than dedicated devices:
-Their pictures aren't as nice as those of digital cameras
-They do not have the color gamut of dedicated monitors
-They do not load web pages as fast as computers
-They are not as good for gaming as handhelds

etc, etc, etc

So, I would expect the audio fidelity from an iphone to be very mediocre.
 
I have an Iphone 4 and a pair of Sennheiser Ie8 Iem's. The Iphone sound quality is underwhelming compared to stand alone mp3 players. Like a previous poster said mp3 even at 320kbs is not ideal for the best sound.

Now im very much into audio and i like my music to sound great but i don't have serious cash to spend on accessories.

There are so many ways to improve you listening experience and so many ways to put a serious dent in your wallet.

I have just ordered a small portable amplifier that pairs with the iphone 4.

http://www.fiio.com.cn/product/index.aspx?ID=24&MenuID=020301

It's definitely not the best amp you can buy but it makes a notable difference to you listening experience.

Also you can buy a lod cable that connects to the 30 pin dock connector.

http://www.fiio.com.cn/product/index.aspx?ID=12&MenuID=020303

Correct me if i'm wrong here audiophiles but this cable bypasses the iphone's internal sound and redirects it through the amplifier making it sound better!
 
w00t951 said:
I was listening to AIFF (1000+ kbps) songs on my iPhone 4 and my iPad/Macbook Pro 8,2 through Klipsch S4i's and Bose QC15s. I have noticed significantly better sound quality from the Macbook and the iPad compared to the iPhone, even though I was playing the exact same audio file. Can anyone relate to this?
Click to expand...
Yes, I agree - the iPhone's sound quality is a bit "mushier" than Macs. I attribute it to two things - better sound processing circuitry due both to space and cost, and also sheer power dedicated to sound processing. Simply put, you are pushing much more power through the headphone jack, even on a Macbook, than you are on an iPhone's headphone jack, and that is what makes speakers work, after all. The same headphones used to listen to the same songs simply sparkle on my iMac in comparison to using them on my iPhone. So the suggestions for an external amp/DAC are good, if unwieldy. I've considered it myself but it's just not practical. I can live with the small loss of fidelity for the portability I gain. But, as proven here, not many pick up on the difference, which is why Apple chose to go the route they did.
 
I Googled it, and there were some results about an "Audience" branded high quality audio processing chip. Is this just for background noise canceling during a call, or does it also handle all audio output?
 
I use my iPhone 4 and four year old MBP with my Sennheiser HD555 and the sound quality coming from the iPhone 4 is a lot better than MBP's. I am debating whether to buy a cheap amp for the MBP or not. May be you all have more recent MBPs with better sound cards.
 
berhin said:
I use my iPhone 4 and four year old MBP with my Sennheiser HD555 and the sound quality coming from the iPhone 4 is a lot better than MBP's. I am debating whether to buy a cheap amp for the MBP or not. May be you all have more recent MBPs with better sound cards.
Click to expand...

The new MacBook Pros use the AMD card for heavy duty sound processing.
 
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