5STAR Sound quality (if you do it right).

[Zingfharn]

Hello there folks

First time poster and G2 user. Previously owned: iphone 4s, S3, HTC One.

So something that I haven't seen mentioned anywhere, is just how good the sound card on this thing REALLY is. I'm guessing by now most of you will know the G2 supports FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec), and in case you didn't know, or have no idea what FLAC even is - Well, it's as good as it gets for digital music.

I've read a lot of comments claimng that there isn't a huge amount of difference when comparing to mp3, I'm here to tell you they're all wrong! Most of these comments are made because people are using below par headphones. It's kinda like drinking an expensive bottle of wine with a packet of steak flavoured chips. The one thing you have to bear in mind is that cheap headphones and stereo systems just aren't going to cut it. Having a pair of quality headphones or speakers is an essential ingredient, like having a good steak to go with that nice bottle of wine you've just bought. I'm currently using the Shure SE535 earphones and let me tell you, the G2 sounds AMAZING. I own a dedicated FLAC player (Cowon S9) and although the G2 falls a little short, it's still head and shoulders above everything else on the market right now.

I know for most converting or downloading FLAC can be a pain in the back side, and the thought of spending a couple of hundred on headphones is unthinkable, but the G2 is a game changer when it comes to music. You just have to know how to use it

I have to agree that other phones like the HTC One blow the G2 out of the water when listening to mp3 files, but that isn't what you should be comparing. The music capabilities of this phone have been vastly overlooked, but LG have built a phone that audiophiles have been asking for years. I discovered a nice little site/app that actually streams FLAC now, and in my opinion it's only a matter of time before the likes of Spotify and Google Play follow suit.

Well done LG for seeing the light.

 

[sljohnson84]

. I discovered a nice little site/app that actually streams FLAC now, and in my opinion it's only a matter of time before the likes of Spotify and Google Play follow suit.

Well done LG for seeing the light.

Which site/app would this be buddy? This would be nice to have...

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[Zingfharn]

Of course man, no problem - the app is called WiMP.

It's a small Scandinavian company, so you will have to pick from one of the countries that they have available, sadly the UK and the States aren't an option yet. I picked Norway and haven't had any issues whatsoever Just bear in mind that the catalogue isn't as extensive as say Spotify, but it'll get better. Enjoy!!!

FLAC forever.

 

[marky_yo]

Aren't FLAC files huge though? Thanks for the info!!! I was unaware of this!

 

[Zingfharn]

Yep, they're around 50 to 60% larger than mp3 files. So if you're going to stream them, better make sure you have a decent enough data plan

 

[NevetsDrassel]

They are large files because I assume they are 92/24 and that makes all the difference. This phone does have amazing audio but you need the files to support this capability. All my digitized music is in. wav format and the G2 does wonders with these music files. The down side is that these files are massive compared to the MP3 files that most people use to save disk space. If you want bodacious sounding music, you need the large data files to support it.

 

[Gary Friderichsohn]

I don't understand. Are you saying that the HTC One sounds better with mp3, but the G2 sounds better with FLAC?
Once you covert a sound file to FLAC you can convert it to wav. And back again. You can convert a FLAC to mp3. But not back again. I prefer FLAC files.
FLAC files are not necessarily 24/96.
LG (and Samsung) rewrote part of the Linux ALSA stack (whatever that is) to accomodate 24/96. These files are not too plentiful.
It is good to see phone nerds paying attention to the audio quality of Android phones, but actually I accept the phones for what they are and don't sweat the details.


my bonafieds: Magnapan 3.7, Wyred4Sound DAC and SX1000 amps. also have Altec 19.

 

[ilhe1s]

I was toting this feature on all of the social networks I am a part of. I own a pair of high quality Klipsch headphones and when pairing them with the G2 and 1411 kbps WAV files, boy can you tell the difference. Don't get me wrong WAV files are ginormous and are not practical for limited space and your average user but for audiophiles they are right up there with FLAC. As far as purchasing WAV files I suggest Beatport and they sell all type of music in all different formats. Don't be fooled by the home page because their user base is mainly Techno/Dubstep but I assure you they have a great variety. (No Plug Just Facts)

Zingfharn - Thanks for the app!

 

[NevetsDrassel]

My mistake. I meant to say PCM 192/24 bit and that is why the wav files are so large.

 

[Zingfharn]

I don't understand. Are you saying that the HTC One sounds better with mp3, but the G2 sounds better with FLAC?

Hi Gary

That's exactly what I'm saying. I know most music listeners won't give the time of day to FLAC files, but G2 have really pushed the boat out on this one. In my opinion they haven't marketed it anywhere near as much as they should have. When I went to collect my G2 and told the shop clerk the main reason for having this phone was in fact because it supported FLAC, he had no idea - When I went back to the shop to let him have a listen, I made sure it was something he must have heard a million times over (Daftpunk - Get Lucky). Well, I don't think Pharrell Williams even got past singing 'From the legend of the pheonix...' before he looked up, and gave me that wide-eyed-dropped-jaw look I've seen on all my friends faces the first time they listen to FLAC music.

I think you're right that most shouldn't sweat the details, perhaps that's why LG haven't highlighted it as one of their features ey? But I for one sure am glad I don't have to keep carrying around two devices just so I can listen to high fidelity music

 

[Jeffk23]

Went to the WiMP app. I assume you pick the option that cost the most, or shall I say, the option that's furthest to the right. And, when you pick the country, which one will translate the best to english? I'm dying to hear this top notch clarity....

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Gary Friderichsohn]

I had to go back and rerip CDs that I had initially ripped into mp3 and rip them to FLAC. Once you have your files in FLAC you are good to go as you can then rip batch files to mps3 for the sole purpose of using that file on your phone. It entails having two copies of things but you can delete a whole file from your phone and put in another whole file with just a few clicks. For example, for the past week or so I have been listening to a file that is just tango music (Gotan Project, etc.).
Storage is really cheap these days for desktop or even laptops, but phones still come up short IMHO. I think three or four years from now 128G could be standard on phones and perhaps Samsung continues with mSD storage for another 128.
I agree in that I too no longer want to pack a strapped together brick of phone, USBOTG DAC/amp, and battery pack.
I do find MP3 320K to be very adequate for a phone, but on the hifi system the difference is readily apparent.
Does the G2 have USB3 so that file transfer is fast?
The file can be encoded to FLAC, but quality can depend on whether it is a 16 or 24 bit depth. Also the sample rate of 44hz as opposed to 92 hz or 192 hz. Just being a FLAC file by itself does not tell the whole story. Unless I am mistaken Android could not handle FLAC until ICS. Poweramp has always had the ability to play FLAC. And gapless. So I played FLAC on my EVO 4G.

 

[ilhe1s]

I had to go back and rerip CDs that I had initially ripped into mp3 and rip them to FLAC. Once you have your files in FLAC you are good to go as you can then rip batch files to mps3 for the sole purpose of using that file on your phone. It entails having two copies of things but you can delete a whole file from your phone and put in another whole file with just a few clicks. For example, for the past week or so I have been listening to a file that is just tango music (Gotan Project, etc.).
Storage is really cheap these days for desktop or even laptops, but phones still come up short IMHO. I think three or four years from now 128G could be standard on phones and perhaps Samsung continues with mSD storage for another 128.
I agree in that I too no longer want to pack a strapped together brick of phone, USBOTG DAC/amp, and battery pack.
I do find MP3 320K to be very adequate for a phone, but on the hifi system the difference is readily apparent.
Does the G2 have USB3 so that file transfer is fast?
The file can be encoded to FLAC, but quality can depend on whether it is a 16 or 24 bit depth. Also the sample rate of 44hz as opposed to 92 hz or 192 hz. Just being a FLAC file by itself does not tell the whole story. Unless I am mistaken Android could not handle FLAC until ICS. Poweramp has always had the ability to play FLAC. And gapless. So I played FLAC on my EVO 4G.

You've made a ton of great points and from what I have read, unless I am mistaken is that the G2 only has USB 2.0. I will agree to conserve space I'd much rather go with a MP3 that's 320 kbps then anything else, although and I'm sure you know this the quality is just not up to par with WAV or FLAC for that matter. PowerAmp has been my music player of choice for the past 2 years and I continue to use it with the G2. I wasn't that impressed with the limited options in LG's default music player.

 

[AstroStrat89]

Since CDs are inherently 16bit, is there really any advantage to ripping them to FLAC?

You can get a sample 24bit FLACs from https://www.hdtracks.com/

There are plenty of good quality headphones for less then $200, head to head-fi.org and do a little research. I have a pair of Creative Aurvana Live! and they are very nice. May not match up to higher ends one, but certainly better then $300 Beats Audio stuff.

 

[Zingfharn]

Hi Jeff,

I only remember having to pick a country :-! Have you managed to get in since posting ya question?

 

[Gary Friderichsohn]

Here's a link that will tell us more than we probably want to know. go ahead, scroll to the conclusion.

FLAC vs WAV vs MP3 vs M4A Experiment - Blogs - Computer Audiophile

 

[Gary Friderichsohn]

Yes, there is more to it than 16 or 24 bit depth. You must consider things like mixing or quality of original recording, etc. 24 bit won't turn a sow's hear into a silk puse. Ripping them into FLAC preserves the bits, and your file.

 

[Jeffk23]

I pick a country and it's in their country's language as well as its country's currency. I picked Denmark and it said it was 2.99, I would assume monthly. Is that US dollars?

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