It seems that music sounds better with the U11 even when I'm using it with other headphones (beatsx in particular), compared to using those headphones with my old phone or with the iPad. Is the to be expected?
Is sound better even with non HTC headphones
- Thread starter quietlybrilliant
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chanchan05
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- Nov 22, 2014
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Yes because of hardware of the phone. The HTC has a better audio chip than most phones, iPhones and iPafs included.
YES. I was using B&O phones that I got with my V20 purchase. Sound is phenomenal. Dongle: not so much. I hate the weight of the dongle always falling off the edge of the table. I can't help but wish they had just kept the headphone jack and put the amp inside the phone.
chanchan05, do you have more information about this claim "The HTC has a better audio chip than most phones, iPhones and iPafs included"? I can't find any on the HTC website. All they talk about is the USonic headphones (which I won't use because they are wired).
chanchan05
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I'm talking historically. It's difficult to look for the U11 details exactly as you say the headphones DAC makes it difficult, but HTC has always used a superiorly tuned DAC compared to its competitors. There are a lot of HTC threads on its older flagships about this. So it seems highly likely they simply continued that thread.
Mike Dee
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- May 14, 2014
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If you aren't using wired your sound experience will most likely be diminished.
chanchan05
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I didn't see the part where you use wireless.
Wireless<wired in terms of quality. Always. Assuming everything is the same except connection.
James E1
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badelhas
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Please do. Maybe it got better with the adapters firmware updates. But I doubt it.
wynand32
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James E1
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wynand32
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Altema22
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Hey everyone. I thought I'd post the test results of the U11 USB C adapter. These tests compare the audio quality of the powered DAC in the HTC adapter to other phones with a built in headphone jack.
I was expecting the U11 DAC built into the adapter to be "adequate", and I was really surprised that it held up very well in listening tests. I like to perform such tests because sometimes what's on paper and does not match up with how the human perceives good sound, but I'm happy to report the U11 adapter sound is in line with the test numbers. Of the phone specifications I have on file, the HTC M8 is still on top for analog audio. No surprise there, but with the U11 coming in close to the M8 and above the V20, and every other 2017 smartphone, some people will probably be saying "Whaaat?" The V20 and V30 party trick is running high impedance headphones. Basically they can drive less sensitive headphones that require higher voltages. The differences in sound quality between high impedance headphones and very good normal impedance headphones is subtle, but it's a moot point for U11 owners because USonic sounds better than both
Anyway, below are the test results after the firmware update.
Some of you are familiar with the specifications terminology, but I'll include the spec name and description because I abbreviated it due to neatness.
Noise: This is the residual noise measured at the output jack with no music playing. Lower number is better, but remember that it's a negative number! -90 is better than -80.
DR: Dynamic Range is the maximum difference between the quietest and loudest sounds a device can output. Higher numbers are better.
THD: Total harmonic distortion is varaitions in the accuracy of waveforms output, and is represented in percent. For example, a THD rating of 0.0012 means the waveform output is 99.9988% accurate, and there is a 0.0012% variation from the original waveform. Lower numbers are better.
IMD+: Referrs to Intermodulation distortion plus noise. This type of distortion creates unwanted frequencies and is more noticable than harmonc distortion. It is represented in percent and lower numbers are better.
Crosstalk: (almost there!) Stereo crosstalk is the amount of electrical leakage from one stereo channel to another. For example, if you play something that is only on the left channel, the crosstalk is a measurement of how much audio signal leaks to the right channel. Lower numbers are better, but agan they are negative, so -90 is better than -80.
Device / Noise / DR / THD / IMD+ / Crosstalk
HTC One (M8) / -95.4 / 93.4 / 0.0012 / 0.0100 / -93.2
HTC U11 / -94.1 / 94.1 0.0017 / 0.0067 / -94.5
LG G6 / -93.3 / 93.3 / 0.0059 / 0.0095 / -94.4
LG V20 -93.0 / 93.1 / 0.0036 / 0.0075 / -93.7
HTC 10 -93.2 / 93.2 / 0.0022 / 0.0710 / -92.8
Galaxy S8 / -92.5 / 92.5 / 0.0016 / 0.0072 / -92.8
Xperia XZ Prem / -90.6 / 90.4 / 0.0180 / 0.0270 / -92.6
If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
I was expecting the U11 DAC built into the adapter to be "adequate", and I was really surprised that it held up very well in listening tests. I like to perform such tests because sometimes what's on paper and does not match up with how the human perceives good sound, but I'm happy to report the U11 adapter sound is in line with the test numbers. Of the phone specifications I have on file, the HTC M8 is still on top for analog audio. No surprise there, but with the U11 coming in close to the M8 and above the V20, and every other 2017 smartphone, some people will probably be saying "Whaaat?" The V20 and V30 party trick is running high impedance headphones. Basically they can drive less sensitive headphones that require higher voltages. The differences in sound quality between high impedance headphones and very good normal impedance headphones is subtle, but it's a moot point for U11 owners because USonic sounds better than both
Anyway, below are the test results after the firmware update.
Some of you are familiar with the specifications terminology, but I'll include the spec name and description because I abbreviated it due to neatness.
Noise: This is the residual noise measured at the output jack with no music playing. Lower number is better, but remember that it's a negative number! -90 is better than -80.
DR: Dynamic Range is the maximum difference between the quietest and loudest sounds a device can output. Higher numbers are better.
THD: Total harmonic distortion is varaitions in the accuracy of waveforms output, and is represented in percent. For example, a THD rating of 0.0012 means the waveform output is 99.9988% accurate, and there is a 0.0012% variation from the original waveform. Lower numbers are better.
IMD+: Referrs to Intermodulation distortion plus noise. This type of distortion creates unwanted frequencies and is more noticable than harmonc distortion. It is represented in percent and lower numbers are better.
Crosstalk: (almost there!) Stereo crosstalk is the amount of electrical leakage from one stereo channel to another. For example, if you play something that is only on the left channel, the crosstalk is a measurement of how much audio signal leaks to the right channel. Lower numbers are better, but agan they are negative, so -90 is better than -80.
Device / Noise / DR / THD / IMD+ / Crosstalk
HTC One (M8) / -95.4 / 93.4 / 0.0012 / 0.0100 / -93.2
HTC U11 / -94.1 / 94.1 0.0017 / 0.0067 / -94.5
LG G6 / -93.3 / 93.3 / 0.0059 / 0.0095 / -94.4
LG V20 -93.0 / 93.1 / 0.0036 / 0.0075 / -93.7
HTC 10 -93.2 / 93.2 / 0.0022 / 0.0710 / -92.8
Galaxy S8 / -92.5 / 92.5 / 0.0016 / 0.0072 / -92.8
Xperia XZ Prem / -90.6 / 90.4 / 0.0180 / 0.0270 / -92.6
If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
wynand32
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wynand32
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So, I've tried the U11 with three headphones: Marshall Master, Status Audio CB-1, and Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. First, my thoughts on the headphones themselves:
1. Marshall Master: Got a pair at Costco for $50. Sound is incredible for that kind of money, but they're incredibly uncomfortable. The cups ride over my ear lobes, not around them, and it's too tight for that kind of design. I can't wear them for more than 30 minutes before my ears start aching. They'll probably go back to Costco at some point.
2. Status Audio CB-1: I bought these on sale for $63 from Amazon because I'd read reviews that said they're as good as the A-T ATH-M50x for around half the price. I can't agree. Yes, they're not bad, with relatively flat performance that's boosted just a bit at the low end. But they're way too sparkly at the top end of the register -- anything with tons of cymbals hurts my head.
3. Audio-Technica ATH-M50x: I've been short on cash and these things have been calling my name for awhile now. I decided to pull the trigger after using the CB-1's, to specifically compare those two. And to my ears, there's no comparison. The M50x provides tremendous amounts of detail, they're mostly flat but still have some personality, and lows, mids, and highs all sound equally good. I love all the brass in Chicago's music, for example, and that stuff is pure heaven on the M50x.
Now for the U11: I'm not an audiophile (never had the money for it), but if that's not a great sound signature, then I give up. Pairing the U11 with the M50x provides for a simply awesome experience. There's plenty of volume for me (I go to about 75% and it's just on the edge of being too loud), and the U11 seems to pull out the right details without being too bright.
The Marshall Master sounds warmer with the U11 compared to, say, the iPhone 6. Not too warm, just different. But I don't prefer warm over bright within certain limits. Not sure if I'm using all of the right terminology here, so I'm just describing how it sounds to me personally. But the U11 paired with the M50x is the best smartphone audio experience I've been able to muster -- and the $150 for the M50x, though outside of my budget at the moment, was more than worth giving up some lattes and hamburgers.
I have no idea if any other phones, like the LG V20 or V30 or earlier HTCs, provide a better experience, and honestly I don't care. The U11 with the USonic headphones is fine for when I'm away from the home/office or moving around, and then the M50x is a great experience for when I'm really wanting to listen and concentrate on some great music.
1. Marshall Master: Got a pair at Costco for $50. Sound is incredible for that kind of money, but they're incredibly uncomfortable. The cups ride over my ear lobes, not around them, and it's too tight for that kind of design. I can't wear them for more than 30 minutes before my ears start aching. They'll probably go back to Costco at some point.
2. Status Audio CB-1: I bought these on sale for $63 from Amazon because I'd read reviews that said they're as good as the A-T ATH-M50x for around half the price. I can't agree. Yes, they're not bad, with relatively flat performance that's boosted just a bit at the low end. But they're way too sparkly at the top end of the register -- anything with tons of cymbals hurts my head.
3. Audio-Technica ATH-M50x: I've been short on cash and these things have been calling my name for awhile now. I decided to pull the trigger after using the CB-1's, to specifically compare those two. And to my ears, there's no comparison. The M50x provides tremendous amounts of detail, they're mostly flat but still have some personality, and lows, mids, and highs all sound equally good. I love all the brass in Chicago's music, for example, and that stuff is pure heaven on the M50x.
Now for the U11: I'm not an audiophile (never had the money for it), but if that's not a great sound signature, then I give up. Pairing the U11 with the M50x provides for a simply awesome experience. There's plenty of volume for me (I go to about 75% and it's just on the edge of being too loud), and the U11 seems to pull out the right details without being too bright.
The Marshall Master sounds warmer with the U11 compared to, say, the iPhone 6. Not too warm, just different. But I don't prefer warm over bright within certain limits. Not sure if I'm using all of the right terminology here, so I'm just describing how it sounds to me personally. But the U11 paired with the M50x is the best smartphone audio experience I've been able to muster -- and the $150 for the M50x, though outside of my budget at the moment, was more than worth giving up some lattes and hamburgers.
I have no idea if any other phones, like the LG V20 or V30 or earlier HTCs, provide a better experience, and honestly I don't care. The U11 with the USonic headphones is fine for when I'm away from the home/office or moving around, and then the M50x is a great experience for when I'm really wanting to listen and concentrate on some great music.
I agree. Away from home I use the Usonics and at home I use a Cambridge DacMagic XS with my Sennheiser HD650s and they sound great.
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