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This is the first "Portable Players" page. It has been saved for archival purposes and contains early objective measurements, performed according to the new, music based df-metric. During this beta stage the measurement procedure was improved. Now it is more accurate, uses different music material, standard 32 Ω load and slightly higher playback volume. Two devices from this page (Apple iPad mini 2 and HTC Desire C) were measured again using the improved procedure. They are the first devices, which populated the new Portable Players page.
 

Audio quality of portable players

As perceived audio quality of portable players depends mostly on performance of their analog audio circuits, objective audio measurements is a must-have supplement to usual SE listening tests. The measurements are performed in accordance with the new audio metrics:

  • all devices are tested with the same set of test signals and music material
  • difference between input and output waveforms is measured in decibels of the objective parameter – Difference Level (Df, dB).

Such audio measurements are summarized in df-slides. One slide – one player. The most informative parameter on df-slide is histogram median – Df value which assumed to correlate well with perceived audio quality. The less the value, the higher playback fidelity.

The map below shows resulting medians with box-plots for tested players; it can be used to navigate around df-slides. Players, marked in bold have been also added to standard SE listening tests and their subjective ratings can be found here - http://soundexpert.org/portable-audio-quality-ratings.

SoundExpert thanks people who shared their devices for testing.

<------------ Higher fidelity

Apple

-26.5  iPhone 5C
-26.2  iPhone 4
-26.0  iPad mini 2
-25.7  iPhone 4S
-25.7  iPhone 6
-25.6  iPhone 5
-25.6  iPhone SE
-25.5  iPhone 5S
-17.4  iPhone 3G

Google/LG

-26.6  Nexus 5X

Highscreen

-27.0  Boost 3

hTC

-15.6  Desire C

Huawei

-28.4  Honor 4C

iBasso

-19.9  DX50

iriver

-16.8  E100

Nokia

OnePlus

-24.7  One

Onkyo

-26.5  DAC-HA300

Samsung

-18.0  YP-CP3

Sony

-24.6  Xperia Z1

Xiaomi

-26.8  Redmi Note 3

 

Df-slides below are sorted by histogram median. Top df-slides represent portable players with higher playback fidelity.

Results of Huawei Honor 4C audio measurements back to top

 

Results of iPod classic (2009) audio measurements back to top

 

Results of Highscreen Boost 3 audio measurements back to top

 

Results of Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 audio measurements back to top

 

Results of Samsung Galaxy Note 2 audio measurements back to top

 

Results of iPod Shuffle 4G objective measurements back to top

 

Results of Google/LG Nexus 5X audio measurements back to top

 

Results of iPhone 5C audio measurements back to top

 

Results of Onkyo DAC-HA300 audio measurements back to top

 

Results of Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ audio measurements back to top

 

Results of iPhone 4 audio measurements back to top

 

Results of Apple iPad mini 2 audio measurements back to top

 

Results of iPhone 4S objective measurementsback to top

 

Results of iPhone 6 objective measurementsResults of iPhone 6 listening tests are availableback to top

 

Results of iPhone 5 objective measurementsback to top

 

Results of Apple iPhone SE audio measurements back to top

 

Results of iPhone 5S objective measurementsback to top

 

Results of OnePlus One audio measurements back to top

 

Results of Sony Xperia Z1 objective measurements back to top

 

Results of Sony Xperia Z3 Compact audio measurements back to top

 

Results of Nokia 5800 XpressMusic audio measurements back to top

 

Results of ibasso DX50 audio measurements back to top

 

Results of Samsung YP-CP3 audio measurements back to top

 

Results of Apple iPhone 3G objective measurements back to top

 

Results of iriver E100 objective measurements back to top

 

Results of iPod shuffle 2G audio measurements back to top

 

Results of htc Desire C audio measurements back to top