Galaxy S4: Audio quality flawed

[DroidArmy]

Trust me, the audio quality could be a lot worse. I have an s3 and it took me a while to get it right. You won't get amazing sound unless you root, that's a fact. I recommend beats audio (which can be installed by a beats audio installer app), and fauxsound. You need a kernel that supports fauxsound, but it's worth it. You can increase the volume, lower the gain for higher quality, tons of things. That's my current setup, and it sounds tons better than my iPhone 4

 

[Haalcyon]

Re: S4 audio quality sucks

I have to disagree with you. I'm sorry that the audio on your sample is poor. On my AT&T unit the headphone audio is pristine. My S4 drives my Sennheiser HD595 and Grado SR325i headphones just fine, which was a surprise. Being an audiophile I typically rely on my headphone amp, a HeadRoom Total Bithead, when listening to portable devices. In the case of MY S4, however, a seperate headphone amp is not required at all. The sound is crisp, with great highs, balanced mids, a tight detailed bass.

I'm sorry your experience is different.

Sent from my humble Note 10.1/Note 8.0/S4

 

[Uselessbass]

Re: S4 audio quality sucks

I have to disagree with you. I'm sorry that the audio on your sample is poor. On my AT&T unit the headphone audio is pristine. My S4 drives my Sennheiser HD595 and Grado SR325i headphones just fine, which was a surprise. Being an audiophile I typically rely on my headphone amp, a HeadRoom Total Bithead, when listening to portable devices. In the case of MY S4, however, a seperate headphone amp is not required at all. The sound is crisp, with great highs, balanced mids, a tight detailed bass.

I'm sorry your experience is different.

Sent from my humble Note 10.1/Note 8.0/S4

I agree I came from a galaxy s2 and it was horrid sound, the s4 is so much better I'm running audio technica m50's with a fio portable headphone amp and its 10x better then my s2 ever was. Qualcomms DAC's have gotten a lot better then old chipsets for sure

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 4

 

[moviestar88]

Re: S4 audio quality sucks

beats doesnt seem to be an app which can really improve the sound in an objective way. but such tools as voodoo audio can by enhancing the built in capabilities of the hardware by using its own way techniques to get the best out of the hardware via oversampling and stuff like DAC direct.

so having to rely on beats for a phone to sound "good" would never be a solution for me.

 

[STSVA]

Re: S4 audio quality sucks

I found the sound quality improved drastically when I started using the stock Samsung music player with "Adapt Sound" turned on and using the appropriate "SoundAlive" preset equalization curve. I had previously run Adapt Sound from settings to customize the frequency response curve for my headphones and hearing. From a quick comparison of the stock Samsung app with the Google Play Music app and the doubleTwist music player app, it appears that neither of the latter two use the Adapt Sound correction curve.

 

[Patrick Carlson]

Re: S4 audio quality sucks

im using UA Miracles custom IEM with aRS Shadow IEM amp and it sounds better then my ipod 4 this is the first smpart phone ive ever own

 

[HausOfDana]

Re: S4 audio quality sucks

I totally agree with this, just switched from iphone 4s to samsung galaxy s4. For starters the headphones won't even fit into my ears haha so I tried using the apple headphones and the quality is just awful compared to the iphone 4s. The iphone sounds a lot fuller than the s4 and the bass is so much better. :/

 

[shanghaichica]

Re: S4 audio quality sucks

I've given up with using my S4 as an mp3 player now. I've tried non stock apps, adapt sound and various sets of headphones but I'm yet to get the same quality I get with my ipod touch or ipad.

Posted via my Galaxy s4

 

[Edible Walrus]

I've given up with using my S4 as an mp3 player now. I've tried non stock apps, adapt sound and various sets of headphones but I'm yet to get the same quality I get with my ipod touch or ipad.

Posted via my Galaxy s4

Dude, just turn Adapt Sound on. It fixes everything. I just tried my iPod and S4 with the same earphones and song (without adapt sound) and I thought the iPod took it, but the S4 wasn't too far behind

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Edible Walrus]

Re: S4 audio quality sucks

Actually, stock sound for stock sound the iPod wins.
That's my day ruined, thanks OP

Posted via Android Central App

 

[sad cricket]

Re: S4 audio quality sucks

The review of the headphones was spot on. I have the M-50 and it is hard to beat in regards to music fidelity. It is a very accurate headphone with good base that won't break the bank.

 

[alexdesouza10]

Re: S4 audio quality sucks

justhenry is totally right.
after having got my iphone5 stolen, i bought an s4mini. I am using the headphones of iphone and listening the very same library, but the quality of the music is remarkably lower, even for someone who does not have a strong musician ear like me. And it is not the volume, I repeat, quality. Is there a program that could help to improve it? Actually it should be a hardware issue but maybe some software could help to make an improvement?

 

[Dickey68]

Re: S4 audio quality sucks

That is the one reason I want an s5. It is supposed to have a 24 dac like the note 3. The s1 had the best sound with the Wolfson chip in it. The s2 the worst with a Yamaha chip. None of them compare to my creative player. I also went thru many earbuds/iem's. Beats, beats 2.0, bose, jaybirds, solo republic, klipsh, and finally monster dna which I felt gave the best sound overall. The s4 is only as good a cheap mp3 player. Maybe slightly better. I'm also using power amp with a custom eq. I believe the note 2 has the Wolfson chip also since it has a exynos processor. I know, (sigh)...

Posted via Android Central App

 

[erkan saner]

Re: S4 audio quality sucks

What you think about the international version of Galaxy S4 with Wolfson chip and rated to have average audio quality if not ****?

Quality over ear headphones + Wolfson DAC + FLAC = awesomeness.

 

[Dreamliner330]

Re: S4 audio quality sucks

What you think about the international version of Galaxy S4 with Wolfson chip and rated to have average audio quality if not ****?

Haven't heard it. I just wish manufacturers would focus on building quality handsets instead of cheap ones. People will pay for quality.

 

[dirk diggler3]

Re: S4 audio quality sucks

Yeah s4 audio quality is a disappointment with any media player. Poweramp has helped but the iPhone sounds better.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[sasha]

Re: S4 audio quality sucks

I'm coming from a HTC EVO Lte with Beats audio, and the S4 audio has nothing on that phone as far as sound quality.

 

[sea_fly_hi]

Re: S4 audio quality sucks

sorry to bring this thread back. I will suggest you use Viper4android fx. not the viper4android hifi. dont use the one in google play, just go to their website to download newest version . make sure your phone is rooted which is easy. there are lot of software to one click root. then change the sound effect in the setting from samsung stock to this. look at the instruction and it is easy. then in the app set the UI to expert and turn on dynamic bass to 10ish and bass to natural 15db . maybe ture clearity to 3.5db. then you will never turn back to iphone. trust me. im using this on my note3 and this is perfect .

 

[Chetan Naik1]

Re: S4 audio quality sucks

I had used the Samsung Omnia 2 Gt i8000 (with DNSe audio technology and SRS sound effect). I was happy with it regards to the sound quality (however it had its own limitations - laggy, couldn't play high bitrate and many file formats, single SIM, etc). 3 of my friends own iphone 4s, Zopo ZP980 and the Galaxy S4. A year ago I bought a used Feiteng N9300+ for 45 USD off ebay as I needed a cheap dual SIM phone. When I listened to the sound (using stock Android music player) through the stock sony earphones which came with the Omnia 2 I was surprised as it sounded much better and louder than Omnia 2 with terrific bass. I could not even increase the volume half way as the earphones (and my ears) couldn't take it. Then I compared the sound with my friends' phones and they were surprised too. I still wonder how a chinese manufacturer selling cheap Android phone managed to make it so good. The camera of the phone is not good for clicking quality pictures, but I don't care as I am a music lover first. I can always keep my Canon powershot for pictures. Feiteng N9300+ ROCKS

 

[Casper Christensen]

Hello I know exactly what you mean.

I got audio system in my car for about 8000 Euro. And I always got iphone / ipad.

Then i switched to Galaxy S4 and also got a Samsung galaxy note 10.1 2014 Edition.

But both of this devices gives me VERY poor sound quality compared to my idevices.

So i replaced my note and galaxy S4..

I really want a Galaxy S5 but, i cant life with the poor sound quality.

When i connected my iphone 5S to my car. I was thinking WOW compared to the Galaxy S4. And my galaxy note 10.1 2014 edition.