yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Xperia Z3 General] RockStar2005:
Subhani,

Yeah I'm guessing that if he does hear a difference when switching DSEE HX on and off while playing music in PA that he might just have a better headset. I dunno. Perhaps with the other sound settings turned on in Walkman (with DSEE HX turned on too), I MAY be happy with it. But PA's EQ is hard to beat. I'm a bit p'd off right now, so have to maybe try and test the Z3 out at the T-Mobile store when it arrives. I don't understand why everything else stays turned on in other players but DSEE HX doesn't. That just makes no sense to me, and I may not get the device now b/c of it.

Maverick please chime in if you were able to test it out using PA, or anyone else reading this, please do the same. It's just a bit hard for me to believe that Walkman will sound as good as PA even with DSEE HX on its side. I hope I'm wrong though if for sure DSEE HX only works in Walkman.

Sure no problem. And thank you.

RockStar2005
[Xperia Z3 General] subhani:
You're welcome. Go try it out and I think you'll be surprised to find the Walkman app is as good SOUNDING as PA. I reckon you will probably still favour PA because you're used to it and also because it gives you additional settings on top of the EQ and T/B panels.

Regards.
[Xperia Z3 General] RockStar2005:
Subhani,

Well, for Sony's sake, I hope your right. lol

I don't really care which app I'm using, I just want it to sound as awesome as can be. PA IS "as awesome as can be", but if Walkman can match it, then I'm in. The Walkman app has a 4-band EQ where PA has a 10-band EQ. Those extra bands make a difference. That's why PA wipes the floor with most other players b/c they at best have 7-bands (or bars, dials, etc), and that's why I have doubts despite your vote of confidence. My M8 raised my standards thanks to both PA and the Harman/Kardon mod I have installed on it (via rooting). H/K does what DSEE HX does on the Xperia, but it works with PA at least.

Thanks,

RockStar2005
[Xperia Z3 General] maverick1103:
RockStar2005 and Subhani,

I probably wasn't clear enough when I explained earlier, but I didn't test PA I only compared the same song from SMU and the mp3 version in the walkman app.

I can test PA as I have used it in the past, but I've been using Spotify for last few years, just for the simplicity side of things, as I download my music to my sd card in 320kbps quality and find it more than decent for me.

I'll provide my findings shortly once I've tested PA.

---------- Post added at 09:23 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:02 AM ----------

Ok I've just downloaded PA and tested the same mp3 song, I left PA on the defaults.

After playing the same song through PA and the Walkman app (DSEE HX off) I couldn't tell any difference between the two apps. I then turned on DSEE HX in the walkman app and I immediately could tell the difference between walkman and PA, the bass was punchier and highs cleaner, unfortunately turning DSEE HX on makes the difference to PA RockStar2005 I'm afraid.

I didn't delve into the many settings in PA but I'm sure tweaking it will improve the sound.

I hope this helps.
[Xperia Z3 General] RockStar2005:
Maverick,

Thanks for re-checking all that. So it sounds like DSEE HX is something I'm going to have to look into more closely in terms of deciding if it's worth having.

A person I talked to on the threads here suggested that I look into getting a 3rd party EQ app that is COMPATIBLE with Walkman since per you guys DSEE HX is not an option when using PowerAmp. The key word is "compatible"....... so I'm looking into that now. To see if it's compatible, after downloading it, I was told I had to go to the phone's (not Walkman's) sound settings, then click on "Music Effects Control Panel" (see attached picture), and if the EQ app shows up on there, then it's compatible and you can make it the default one too. There are several 10-band EQ apps out there that I'm looking into, including Equalizer Pro, Equalizer (10 Band), Rocket Music Player, N7Player, and JetAudio. I'm hoping that if they are compatible then they will work with Walkman and DSEE HX being active and present.

If anyone here has the Z3 and ANY of these apps mentioned (besides PA), please let me know if they are compatible with Walkman. They should show up on the list (attached).

Thank You,

RockStar2005
[Xperia Z3 General] Mushfikus:
Audio Quality of Xperia Z3 vs HTC One M8

Whatever technology may Sony have used in Xperia Z3/Z3C, Its still not comparable to HTC One M8 in terms of audio output whether its through built-in speakers or headphones. And the GSM arena agrees here as well. For your consideration I've given a stat from GSM arena in the attachment section. As you can see in every section of audio quality M8 beats Z3 by a huge margin. And in terms of Stereo Crosstalk, which helps to produce better stereo effect through headphones, the Xperia Z3 just sucks. And the output power of Xperia Z3 through headphones is just .30 whereas M8's output power is 1.28!!

Although I'm a Sony fan but my final opinion is M8's audio output (normal or with H/K mod) is far superior to Z3's audio output (normal or with DSEE-HX) :)
[Xperia Z3 General] subhani:
Yes if you're coming from an M8, it will be a very hard act to beat. But if like me you're coming from an LG G2 or other similar device then the Song is MUCH better. Heck that M8 is just too good. And I'm happy for android since it doesn't get the credit it deserves. Imagine how the world would have changed if a certain fruit flavoured company did what the M8 or even Sony does.
[Xperia Z3 General] maverick1103:
RockStar2005 sorry for the delayed response.

Does this require root, or is it just an app? I'll be interested to test it out.
[Xperia Z3 General] pham077:
Strangely I tried out the z3 at the store today and max volume wasn't as bad as the Z1 lol

Bit of a noob here but do these measurement translate to noticeable differences IRL or is it more on a technical level?
[Xperia Z3 General] Mushfikus:
Sound Qua;ity of Xperia Z3 vs HTC One M8

Actually the dynamic range and Noise level can be improved or adjusted using audio mods but the stereo crosstalk has a good impact on audio quality which can't be improved using any audio mods. It is totally a hardware related issue and it depends mostly on the Printed Circuit Board (PCB). And that is why we get different stereo crosstalk counts for these devices although they are using the same chipset (Snapdragon 801).

And the importance of Stereo Crosstalk is best known by someone who has simultaneously used Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z2. Frankly speaking, Xperia Z2 is inferior to Xperia Z1 in every part of audio quality measurement process except the stereo crosstalk part (see the attachment). The ST of XZ1 is -45.6 whereas the ST of Z2 is -60.2 and just this subtle amount of change in stereo crosstalk makes a variation in sound quality. Many people say that Z2 sounds better than Z1 and this is the only reason why they say that. ;)
[Xperia Z3 General] RockStar2005:
Maverick,

No problem. No i don't think any of them require root. They're all just apps.

Well things have changed for the better in the last 3 to 4 days. I've had two people tell me that the Walkman app is actually better than Poweramp when used on the new Z3. They said this wasn't the case with the Z2, but on the new phone, it is better sounding with Walkman. The one guy said he doesn't even use Poweramp anymore. This news has made me reconsider the Walkman app and I've decided I'm not gonna bother testing out those other EQ apps. :)

Thanks,

RockStar2005
[Xperia Z3 General] maverick1103:
RockStar2005,

That's good news then.

I've scrapped using Spotify and been using the Walkman app this last week, I've been comparing each song and I think there's about a 5% increase in volume for Walkman app and overall better sound too. The DSEE HX feature turns out to be pretty good imo.
[Xperia Z3 General] RockStar2005:
Maverick,

Yeah it was nice to know I'm highly likely to not have to be switching b/t an EQ app and Walkman app. lol

Well that's great! I'll add that to the 2 other ppl on here who chose the Walkman app over the PA on the Z3. lol

Thanks,

RockStar2005

---------- Post added at 08:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:19 PM ----------

I've seen videos online where they compare the two phones using a db measuring device, and in some cases, the Z3 is actually louder than the M8. Both phones are hooked up to external speakers. To be honest, when I'm listening to music on my in-ear headphones, I can't put it on full blast with my M8 b/c it's TOO loud. We'll just have to see what happens. If needed, I'll try and locate a volume booster app or something to enhance the volume.

Others on here have said the Z3's volume is pretty loud......... this data shows the Z3 and M8 are very close in terms of sound output (both voice and music were measured as being higher than the M8):

http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z3-review-1140p6.php (scroll down to telephony section)

And that's oddly also from gsmarena.com too.

also:

http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Sony-Xperia-Z3-Review_id3795/page/3

Scroll down to "Audio Output", which is just under "Multimedia". From there, add the HTC One M8 (my current phone) and Sony Xperia Z2 to see. Or see below:

AUDIO OUTPUT

LOUDSPEAKER LOUDNESS (DB)

(HIGHER IS BETTER)

Samsung Galaxy S5 81

LG G3 81

HTC One (M8) 75.2

Sony Xperia Z3 74

Sony Xperia Z2 71

RockStar2005
[Xperia Z3 General] corallus:
There used to be a menu selection for cross stereo something or other. It's gone now, along with x-loud and I think one more.
[Xperia Z3 General] pham077:
All those measurements are mostly the external speakers though, which I find pointless as I don't use them anywhere as much as I would my IEMs.

The only website that tests for aux output is GSM and as you can see from the comparison charts, the results are terrible! I'm not saying I fully understand how these measurements translate to actual experience but as Mushfikus pointed out, stereo crosstalk does become apparent and is not fixable by software..

I did have a quick read what stereo crosstalk was, and it's basically the measurement of leakage of sound from the left & right channel.. I can then only assume if stereo crosstalk is low (bad), it would not be able to render proper sound-stage & imaging of the music?

Oh and I came across a review from What Hifi for the Z3 - for a website who reviews hifi gear, shouldn't they also run measurement tests to back up their review on audio quality? :confused::confused:

Anyhow, think the only way to know is if I spend some time with an actual device to see how it fares against the M8
[Xperia Z3 General] RockStar2005:
Perhaps, yes. I have the M8 so when the Z3 comes out (just found out T-Mobile's releasing it on 10/29!!! :D) I'm gonna test drive it out at the store. I have a feeling it will be just fine for me. If overall it's even close to the M8 then I'm fine with that. lol

I thought it was odd that gsmarena had different results for the same 2 phones though. Maybe I'm just misinterpreting them. I dunno.

RockStar2005
[Xperia Z3 General] viking2.0:
I am not much of an audiophile but i compared the sound output through aux port of my z3 with my wife's iphone 4s. I connected the aux cable to my car speakers and the volume level was low on the z3 compared to the iphone even on max volume. I somehow didnt like the music on the z3 at all even with dsee HX turned on.
[Xperia Z3 General] RockStar2005:
I dunno. Some ppl say it sounds amazing, others say not as much. Ppl said the same about my M8 too. lol

RockStar2005
[Xperia Z3 General] pham077:
Other from the M8, I don't think any of the other main stream flagship devices come close to the output of the iphones lol

Slightly off topic -

I was doing comparing audio quality with the note 10.1 earlier, and had a look at the measurements from GSM -

HTC One (M8) (headphones attached)	+0.04, -0.08	-94.9	93.9	0.0014	0.018	-79.7

Note 10.1 2014 Edition (headphones attached)	+0.01, -0.05	-95.2	90.5	0.0086	0.043	-70.1

I have to say, despite the similar measurements they sound completely different. I turned off all audio effects and listened to a few tracks. I can instantly tell the samsung was much more neutral, no emphasis on any particular spectrum and it sounded clean (& flat)

The M8 on the other hand definitely pronounced the singer's voice in front of the music, which is definitely more enjoyable but slightly more processed. It is definitely more V shaped compared to the Note, and this is with all audio effects turned off. I wonder what the HK mod would do to the sound, since I can't s-off I can;t flash the adsp..

Anyhow I think this means we need not judge the z3's quality with the measurements.. .. Going to check out a unit later today so hopefully it'll help me make my decision!
[Xperia Z3 General] subhani:
Yes, I believe the Z3 is very comparable to the m8 in speaker output with the m8 still putting out a decibel higher and tones just a smidgen richer.

The Z3 output in earphone is weaker than the M8 by a larger margin and the same probably applies when comparing the fidelity too.

The Walkman app is sufficiently good to eek out resorting to the use of PowerAmp. IMO.

Great result anyways and thanks for everyone's input.
[Xperia Z3 General] RockStar2005:
Yeah I'm seeing conflicting information even from THE SAME WEBSITE (gsmarena.com), though I'm not sure if it's actually conflicting but it appears to be? I'm with you......... just gonna check the Z3 out when it's FINALLY released by T-Mobile on the 29th! :D

RockStar2005

---------- Post added at 05:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:51 PM ----------

Subhani and everyone here who thinks the Z3's volume (in any way) is not loud enough.......... please read my post from a different thread:

That's great that the DSEE HX made such a difference at least. There are volume booster apps you can try. I searched long and hard for one that ACTUALLY works and/or doesn't actually REDUCE the volume. lol Finally, I found one, and it's free (though you can upgrade, but I don't think you need to):

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...apps.equalizer

The "sound amplifier" option on that app does exactly what it's supposed......... boosts the sound up not just to maximum volume, but beyond, while still maintaining clarity. I encourage anyone here having volume issues to try it out on the Z3 and let me know what you think. I tried it out on my M8 using PowerAmp and I could hear a very obvious boost in volume. Actually, I'd like you all to try it if you have the Z3 on the Walkman app so you can tell me if it works there too? Please, be my guest! lol

Make sure to go Power Options by pushing the power icon at top of app (looks like this........ https://cdn2.iconfinder.com/data/ico...Button-512.png) and check the box for Sound amplifier. I unchecked the EQ one since I use PA's EQ and would do the same for Walkman's. Then while playing music, go to the app, tap the "up arrow" button at bottom, then increase the Sound amplifier dial and you should notice results immediately, even at 50% boost.

In settings there is an option to remove the app icon from the notif bar if you want, but also, an option to let this app turn itself on and off when music starts/stops. It says it only works with certain players. Didn't test it on PA, but again, I encourage you guys to test it on the Walkman app. If it doesn't work, apparently there is a paid unlock key version for only $1.99 (https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ualizer.unlock) which says it can save custom presets, create home-screen shortcut for presets, etc. Not sure that would really make it turn on automatically if it doesn't already with Walkman, but the shortcuts would help at least. I'm hoping it just does work with the Walkman app so the unlock version won't be necessary.

Keep me posted guys! Hopefully this does the trick. It's made to work with PA, Google Music, etc, so hopefully Walkman is on that list too.

RockStar2005
[Xperia Z3 General] RCJ89:
Low volume output has been a issue on sony phones since they ditched ericsson, the last loud phones they had was the ARC/PLAY.

I had every main sony phone Xperia S, T, Z, Z1 (Z2 too though I havent had the phone have tested it out) and they all have low volume in headphones even compared the the galaxy s4 which wasn't the loudest of phones itself. However samsung improved on this with the note 3 and s5 and now the Galaxy Alpha which I think is a useless phone is very loud!

The Z3 however has improved on loudness but still could be louder. The DSEE HX is to thank for that as with it off I find the phone the same loudness as the previous mentioned phones.
[Xperia Z3 General] oryan_dunn:
Blame the EU

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-09-1364_en.htm

They set a maximum default volume, with the provision that you can go above it, but must be warned every so many hours that you're damaging your hearing. It's usually implemented as just a max that you can't go over. The headphone amps in these devices are almost always capable of higher volume, but are limited to comply with this regulation. That's why rooting or other software tricks may make it louder. It'll be interesting to see if US versions allow a higher maximum volume, or if Sony just applies the same limits across the board.
[Xperia Z3 General] RCJ89:
I understand this but I'm not even asking for HTC One S/X/M7/8 volumes of loudness but galaxy s5/note 4 levels more than perfect!
[Xperia Z3 General] maverick1103:
I can't seem to select the Sound Amplifier option, I just get this message what am I doing wrong?
[Xperia Z3 General] RCJ89:
On the subject of audio can I ask does anyone know if the sony mdr-nc31em noise cancelling headphones work with any other phones than the z2/z3/z3 mini?
[Xperia Z3 General] RockStar2005:
They do, but from what I've read, the noise-cancelling feature is ONLY set to work with the Xperia phones starting with the Z2.

RockStar2005

---------- Post added at 09:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:47 PM ----------

Dammit......... I don't know?! lol If anyone can figure this out PLEEASE post here ASAP!!!

In the meantime Mav, try and play around with the Z3's and also Walkman's sound settings a bit. Maybe it's just about turning something off that you didn't need on anyway?

It could be a firmware thing, but my guess is that some other app (Walkman?, etc) is blocking it maybe?

Thank You,

RockStar2005
[Xperia Z3 General] RCJ89:
Cheers mate, Oh well I guess i can always just use them on the z3
[Xperia Z3 General] RockStar2005:
Sounds good!

RockStar2005
[Xperia Z3 General] corallus:
They don't work on an s4
[Xperia Z3 General] RCJ89:
Well I decided I am not going to wait a month or so, I am going to get the Z3 within the next couple days, maybe even even tomorrow! the same time I pick up my note 4.
[Xperia Z3 General] RockStar2005:
Mav & everyone,

Here are some apps that you might wanna try out.

1) Sound Boost - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.cacheux.soundboost

It didn't work on my M8, but this one review from April 2013 says it does work with Sony Xperia phones............ so you tell me lol:

Awesome app... I get what I come for here. It BOOSTS my xperia sound when i connect it with speakers, before this app my xperia's volume is low but after installing it.. My xperia BOOSts and listening music turns bestest Experience. If any one wants to boost their volume must download it. Please update this app.. so it fx some problems.. it unfortunately after sometime so cure it.. than i will give it 5 star...

more reviews: xperia J works great Sound is very loud with the app... tried loads of apps, and this gives a massive increase. I never leave reviews, but had to for this! Most apps i had tried either had no effect or decreased volume... this was loud enough to hurt my ears! :) Only used on the sony xperia J running jelly bean, so would guess other xperias might be the same... unsure of other phones though

Awesome I have tried several apps they didn't worked on my xperia but this app is really worked. (January 2014)

2) Speaker Boost - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.omegacentauri.SpeakerBoost

Please post here after using these 3 apps and let us know if they work on the SONY XPERIA Z2 OR Z3 WALKMAN APP!!

Thank You,

RockStar2005
[Xperia Z3 General] RockStar2005:
Ok here's #3: Volume Boost

Just use the attached version vs downloading it.

Keep me posted!

Thanks,

RockStar2005
[Xperia Z3 General] maverick1103:
RockStar2005,

Sorry I've been very busy last few days and haven't had chance to try these apps as of yet, but will test them tomorrow on my way to work.

As for the Equaliser app, I went through all the settings and turned them off, tbh I only had DSEE HX selected, it still didn't make a difference I still cannot turn the Sound Amplifier on, same error message.

Will post back with feedback once tested apps.

Cheers
[Xperia Z3 General] RockStar2005:
Mav,

That's cool. No problem. I still have 13 more days to wait until I even get MY Z3! lol

Ok. That sux. lol But I appreciate your trying. I actually e-mailed the developer about it but who knows what will come of that? lol I wonder though.......... maybe try using the Equalizer app while playing another music player app (if you have one). I guess that would at least tell us if it was Walkman itself or if it really is a firmware issue. I guess even if we know though it still won't matter. I'm not gonna use a diff app anyway.

Alright sounds good man! All 3 worked on SOME version of Xperia within the past 1-2 years, so anything's possible. lol

Thanks,

RockStar2005
[Xperia Z3 General] RCJ89:
Well i got my Z3 today and also got free noice cancelling MDR-NC31EM headphones as sony were doing a promo in westfield stratford today
[Xperia Z3 General] RockStar2005:
Nice! Here in the States (I assume you're in Europe?) we don't get those "nice extras", so that's cool you guys do.

T-Mobile (my carrier) is FINALLY releasing it on the 29th (13 days from now)! Can't wait!! We only get the black color one, which is fine b/c I was gonna choose black anyway, but the white one looks nice too. Dunno why they only offer 1 color though.

RockStar2005
[Xperia Z3 General] maverick1103:
Oh 13 days I bet that's draggin lol!

Hmm I'll give it a try and see if it makes a difference, but like you say it may possibly be the firmware, not sure.

Well I used to use a volume booster app in the past which worked, then once 4.1 came out it broke and the Dev no longer could carry on, they said Google broke it and that was that, hopefully these apps got around it, will find out tomorrow anyway.
[Xperia Z3 General] RockStar2005:
Mav,

Yes it is. lol Waiting for Spigen to release a clear case for it, but they're draggin' too. They make the best cases but their customer service suxxxx. You call, leave a msg. They say they have live chat but don't see it. I e-mailed them before and they responded but now they don't anymore. So annoying.

Yeah go for it, but I guess no matter what it won't resolve it (unless you're also an expert at computers? lol). Try those other apps first. I guess the EQ on the Equalizer app works on at least the Z2 Walkman app, per Jiyeon90, but of course the function I really care about doesn't. fml lol

Keep me posted. It would make me really happy to see this issue resolved for everyone here. I'm about to buy my first pair of premium headphones, and knowing that the volume may not be loud enough is not sitting well with me. lol I could buy an amp to hook up b/t the phone & headphones, but I mean, I really shouldn't have to.

Thanks,

RockStar2005