yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Xperia Z5 General] CollinFX45:
fI'm pretty disappointed with the audio on this phone. The volume levels flat out suck on anything higher than an 8 ohm impedance headphone and there is severe hissing in the background with lower impedance headphones - it's a lose lose. I've been a huge Sony fan for a while, but I am tired of the very low output through the headphone jack. The Z3 had better sound quality, but was even quieter. Overall, I'm disappointed and that's coming from a partial Sony fanboy. Below is a screenshot using my Sony MDR-EX1000 earphones and it is not uncomfortable in the very least. I would prefer the volume to go louder!!!

-Collin-
[Xperia Z5 General] augie7107:
I have to agree with you, I would like higher volume levels as well. I did just pick up a pair of Sony MDR-NC750 Hi-Res ear buds and they sound excellent.
[Xperia Z5 General] schecter7:
Music playback time is also important though. That's probably why Sony settles for a lower gain amp. For example,

Z3+ : 91 Hrs

S6 -> 49 Hrs

Z5 -> ?? (http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/xperia/technologies/battery/ says 160 Hrs, but I think that's Z5P's number. Z5's should be about the same as Z3+'s)

I got pretty decent volume output from Z5 using bulky MDR-7510 (24 Ohm, 108 dB/mW sensitivity). Even Z2's MDR-NC31EM was 31 ohm. So 8 ohm might be too low. 30-40 ohm should be the ideal range.
[Xperia Z5 General] CollinFX45:
It's a good point, I can see how that would be important to some.

It's worth noting that I also here a pretty audible hiss with my 32-ohm headphones :(

-Collin-
[Xperia Z5 General] itsjustJOH:
A tiny bit larger headphone output voltage than the Z3/Z3C, but still WAAAAAAAAAY lower than Samsung's 0.6-0.9 volts average, not to mention Apple's almost 1 volt average and HTC going beyond that.

View attachment 3537454

PA Review
[Xperia Z5 General] vermania:
I have the Sony MDA-1BT headphones, they support LDAC and though sound better wired they are the best sounding audio experience I've had via Bluetooth.

Issues I have though, often when walking music stutters and cuts out, even when I select connection over quality in the settings I sometimes get sttuters and static in music playback and sometimes even with podcast playback. I think it's interference from Wi-Fi. When I use my smaller APT-X headphones (also Bluetooth) they do not stutter so to me it looks like the Bluetooth Bandwidth is being stretched to it's limits hence the stutter.

I used to run a Moto 360 but have stopped using it to free up as much of the BT 'pipe' as possible. My Z3+ also had this problem when used with my MDR-1BT. It's good technology but not totally consumer ready just yet.

As for audio quality my Flac's ripped from SACD's sound very very good, this is the 2nd best phone in terms of Audio reproduction. The best phone i've used for audio still stands to be the Harman Kardon tuned Nokia N91.
[Xperia Z5 General] schecter7:
Audible hiss is totally unacceptable considering the fact that you're using EX1000. Ironically, everyone loves those to death, but most reviews also labeled them as very picky. If you're keeping your Z5, you may want to try out some other pairs. Fortunately, my setup didn't yield any audible hiss but I can definitely feel your frustration.
[Xperia Z5 General] CollinFX45:
I'll keep trying other pairs, but, who knows. I've tried: Dunu DN-2000J, T-Peos Altone200, Sony XBA-A3, Sony MDR-EX1000 and HiFiMan RE-600s and they all have the same hiss. Perhaps there is something wrong with my phone? Those headphones I listed are all over the scale on impedance, but max out at 32ohm I guess.

Your Z5 has no hiss? I should mention (and sorry for not doing so earlier), I have the Z5 Compact. Didn't even realize I was in the "normal" Z5 thread! :)

-Collin-
[Xperia Z5 General] FYLin21:
Ouch!

I had the HTC Butterfly s which has the exact same output voltage as the Z5 according to PhoneArena. As I mentioned earlier in this thread there is hissing and bass distortion at high volumes and despite GSMArena giving it good measurements otherwise. I think unlike the M7, for the Butterfly s HTC had increased the volume using software. (the Galaxy S4 with the 1.9 gHz Snapdragon 600 had similar problems but its volume was lower)
[Xperia Z5 General] schecter7:
I don't think Z5c & Z5 would differ much. Boards are are probably a bit different but lets keep it simple :) Only two pairs I can plug into Z5 are 7510 & super cheap PS vita headset (my other pairs are just not meant for portable players). I played bundled 'static space' - no hiss through 7510, maybe a tiny little bit bit during last 1/2 seconds at max volume. Vita one sounded funny throughout the song with some hiss, it became quite prominent during last 10/15 seconds of that song at max volume. Now I'm not into in-ear headphones, but all the ones you mentioned are high-end & at least one should not cause audible hiss! How about trying out 7510 (or even 7506 or V6 ) just to figure out if your phone is defective or not. They are quite popular. You could borrow a friend's pair or try out at a Guitar center, etc.
[Xperia Z5 General] CollinFX45:
Thanks for helping me get to the bottom of this. I tried again with the higher-end Sony earphones last night and I actually didn't hear any hiss on the track I was playing. Maybe the track I tested all the earphones on earlier is the culprit. Perhaps I was too quick to blame the phone rather than the tracks, but at the very least I have heard hiss on a few tracks. I guess all I can say is that sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not. The low volume, however, is here to stay :) I'll be the first one to start messing around with the mixer_paths file once a root is available that doesn't break the DRM keys!

-Collin-
[Xperia Z5 General] cc546:
From what I've read on head-fi someone mentioned the hiss too. How disappointing, since I am getting my new IEMs tomorrow (32 ohm) and Z5c soon!! I've been looking forward to listening to music on my new phone! I am short on budget and don't want to spend more money on a new PMP...
[Xperia Z5 General] FYLin21:
How much louder is it compared to the Z3? Does the IM50 hiss?

I had the IM70 (it broke) and will repurchase it some time soon.

I also tried my friend's Z3 for listening to music and found the volume level to be too low at maximum level compared to HTC Butterfly s at 12/15 (any higher and the sound may clip).
[Xperia Z5 General] BrainstormPL:
Well, the sound quality is good, but that much hissing is unacceptable in a flagship phone. I hope it's software bug and it can be solved, otherwise I'll be very unsatisfied. Also, I know that Sony can do better than that. I hope Z6 will have S-Master on board and some decent speakers too (Z5 speakers are good, but still, they're not amazing) .
[Xperia Z5 General] tutchthesky7:
*How is the headphone output on this phone?*

Let's focus on the question asked shall we? This depends on the headphones your using's impedance rating, I'm currently using the ATH X20's and they're 47 ohms Impedance, and they're powered more than adequately , so again, it really does depend on how much your headphones needs to be powered, but for majority of headphones , It's more than adequate.
[Xperia Z5 General] FYLin21:
I have the IM70 and didn't notice hissing; it was really noticeable on my Butterfly s. MSR7 is loud enough at maximum volume for me.

Sound is a bit punchy and thick/sharp in the treble. Butterfly s is more flat with a bit more extension in the treble but not being able to listen without distortion above 12/15 is a bummer. Z5 max volume is roughly equal to 13/15 on the Butterfly s but without that distortion.
[Xperia Z5 General] danw_oz:
Much better, but still needs some tweaks
[Xperia Z5 General] augie7107:
I realize this an extreme setup but I'm running 24/192 flac files from the Z5 through a PHA-3 into MDR-Z7 headphones and the result is outstanding.
[Xperia Z5 General] Samiam27:
I'm really pleased with the sound quality, but the sound itself is extremely low. I wish Sony would tweak it in Marshmallow.
[Xperia Z5 General] FYLin21:
I don't think you can, as unfortunately this is a hardware issue as the output voltage is 0.35 V. Any higher volume and the sound may clip. HTC Butterfly s had the same voltage and they decided to push the volume up a few steps which led to clipping (which is a real shame because the Droid DNA had a 2.55V amp and other subsequent high-end HTCs had around 1V).
[Xperia Z5 General] DeathStroke:
Guyz i have JBL earphones ? and sony stock, i tested both. M not feeling very crisp music ? and sound ? clarity. I prefer bass, not a very fan of treble. Any suggestions please, i tried the settings i can do but no results as per my need.
[Xperia Z5 General] Sckank:
That is true, but the amp in Z5 isn't powerful enough. In the HTC m8 I didn't have any problems pushing the headsets I have, but with the Z5 you need an amp. I have a Fiio connected to the z5 and then the audio really comes to life. The punch, clarity and life is back. It's more volume in the bass (actually even flat suddenly seemed more than enough), the treble have more air, resolution and attack. The Z5 deserves more power, no doubt about it. ;)
[Xperia Z5 General] agentsandy007:
Hi guys.

Have always been sony fan for sound quality and designs.

Coming from oneplus one, i think xperia z5 has terrible audio quality.

There is no punch in bass.

I have MDRXB950AP meaning xtra bass.

They use to work really gud on my oneplus one.

Couldt it be that cyanogen os sound mods helped audio sound better?

I am really frustrated having wait for a cyanogen rom on my z5.
[Xperia Z5 General] xperia z3:
I think the z5 has great sound processing and bass, if you play with the equalizer settings you can Eq any headphones to the right amount of bass that you want.

i listen lots of heavybass music. so i set the clear bass up all the way and the "400" mark on the equilezer to like -5 and it bumps :)on my beats which dont have good bass normally.
[Xperia Z5 General] emregs3:
too low

my prev. phone was iphone4s and my my earphones is seinheisser cx275.

When i was listening music i was passing out with the quality and also high volumes... when in gym i was enjoying my music.

Also when i connect to my car audio system, the quality was even better than standard usb device.

Now i change my phone to sony z5 premium... phone iis amazing but most important thing is SUC*S...

Yes quality is ok when you listen at home, but when you go out, walking, in raining/wind highest volume is not enough.

When i use it in my car, also the highest volume is not enough...

When i use iphone 4s i could never listen or cant stand to maximum level; but with z5p, maximum needs to have 3-4 levels more to reach 4s...

i choose 4s because on those days there were not enough quality phones as its, now i choose z5p bec. of its less price(same std. of iphone is about 85% expensive, in Turkey.)

but now the most important thing on the phone for me is not ok, so i'll try to have look for root...

i hope root process will take volume limit to higher without quality loss...
[Xperia Z5 General] swooc:
don't know if it's possible with the z5, but i imagine any audiophile would at the very least connect the phone to an external dac and amp. i believe lollipop supports this. just not sure if sony has removed the feature or not. if you just want louder volumes, a portable amp would do the trick. they're not expensive and they don't take up too much real estate.
[Xperia Z5 General] chrisftlse:
I am using my XZ5 with PowerAmp Full version and I do not have this issue.
[Xperia Z5 General] emregs3:
Does it work? Bec. i downloaded poweramp free, nothing changed. If it works, im gonna buy pro version, and no need to make a ROOT...

Also, does anyone know that is same with root and poweramp quallity? i need answer to choose one....

Thanks.
[Xperia Z5 General] c6nsor9d:
I use AptX compatible Bluetooth headphones and the sound quality is absolutely terrific. I recommend that for every audiophile out there by the way.
[Xperia Z5 General] a2000:
After MM update my root access to the Viper mode has been gone. I ussually using Deezer music service + Sennheiser IE-80 earbuds and now sound quality is awful. To be frank I'm devastated about sound quality in my Z5. Cant wait new root method for andro 6.0.
[Xperia Z5 General] a2000:
Guys is there any integrated plagin for Poweramp in order to listen Deezer or Spotify with better sound quality using PA music player?
[Xperia Z5 General] barkohba:
Here's my two cents as an audiophile.

I'm currently using the Z5 with 2 headsets: a wired MDR 1A, and a bluetooth (aptx-enabled), AS800BT for sports (both Sony headphones).

Leaving the BT headset apart, as these rely on their internal DAC/AMP, the MDR 1A (plus a ton of Sennheiser, a few OPPOS, and many other headphones i've tested at my local, awesome, HI FI store) sounds magnificent in combination with the Z5 - for a smartphone.

I've tested the 1As with the iPhone 6s Plus and the s6 edge. And my findings are as follows:

S6 edge sounds louder than the Z5 (i'd say 15% more) - it also sounds significantly narrower (narrow soundstage / instrument / sound separation) and a tad harsh

the 6S sounds even louder (i'd say 25% here) - not as narrow as the S6 but quite a bit than the Z5, and a bit less harsh than the S6

Now, why Sony didn't fit the Z5 with a more powerful internal AMP? I have no idea, it obviously would benefit, however after playing with these headphones and these 3 smartphones, I ended up setting the volume levels on both the S6 and 6S Plus lower, to basically the same level as the Z5 set at MAX, in order to get an enjoyable, smooth listening.

The Z5 however has a very well integrated DAC, probably through their coding. Because I've never heard a smartphone that sounds so smooth, clear, and wide as the Z5. Also, Samsung has somehow copied Sony with respects to the DSEE HX. The results are very lame, when activating the audio upscaling feature on the S6, the sound becomes synthetically wide and unnatural, much like one of those ****ty "3d sound" settings. The DSEE HX (which is a real technology, developed by sony in years, not months) GREATLY improves mp3s. It has a marginal effect on 16 bi FLACS, however the difference is quite big for these mp3s. It doesn't make them sound like 24 bit Flacs (high res), no, but it makes them sound much more open and clear, maybe close to 16 bit flacs.

All in all, what I would conclude is that for wired headphones, the Z5 is a fantastic option. I attest from my personal experience that it clearly has one of the best, if not THE best overall sound QUALITY (excluding the new custom DAC module for the latest LG, obviously), but isn't that great in loudness, which should be improved, however I listen to them at max with my 1A headphones (24 ohm) on the street, at the subway, and while sometimes the subway is loud, i have no problem with the volume, it feels encompassing.
[Xperia Z5 General] FYLin21:
The thing is, whether volume level is high or not is somewhat subjective. I used to listen to music on my iPad 2 at max volume but I've since settled down for lower volumes. I realize I pick up more details at lower volumes than having everything blasted out loud.

The Z5 is good enough to power the Audio-Technica MSR7 at max volume, which has an impedance of 35 ohms. With the M50x, it's still good but it does feel a tad bit lacking in the sub-bass (same with my previous phone HTC Butterfly s). Overall it sounds excellent with my IM70 (10 ohm, I'd say volume is good at 12-13/15) but hissing is noticeable below 50% volume. I am not bothered by it as I listen to this IEM at a higher volume but it's a tradeoff for insufficient amplification and a low impedance.

I tried the Audio-Technica IM04 briefly at a showroom, and at the highest volume (which isn't even that loud), I heard a terrible rattling distortion. I am not sure if this problem extends to all balanced armature IEMs.

The Z5 overall has very good quality, but it does feel a tad bit V-shaped with a slight mid/treble peak that can sound a bit sibilant at times (might be the distortion that GSMArena noted) - there's also a slight bass roll-off.

In comparison, the HTC Butterfly s has smoother highs and overall sounds flatter [it too has a 0.35V amp, which is disappointing because the M7 had like 1 V, and the original Butterfly/Droid DNA had 2.55 V]. The measurements it had on GSMArena were excellent but I was disappointed to find out its audio clips and distorts at volumes higher than 12/15 with bassy notes; it also hisses pretty badly with some IEMs. 12/15 volume is barely enough to power something like the M50x but is fine with IEMs. I'd say 13/15 on the Butterfly s is about the same as Z5 on max volume.

The Qualcomm DAC in the Z5 is pretty good but Sony is not using it to its fullest potential - HTC for example adds a Class D headphone amp regardless of what DAC their phone has (Mediatek devices have Wolfson DACs). HTC also does some configurations that minimizes distortion or stereo crosstalk despite using the same DAC. I'd like to see Sony move to a dedicated DAC/AMP (some reports claim the X Performance will but I have doubts).

I saw one comment claiming that after the Marshmallow update the Z5 has better headphone output but I can't really hear a difference...
[Xperia Z5 General] karghya:
Hi All,

I have Z3 compact and I am using it in Android 4.4.4 only because of Audio Quality specially through ear phone.

The Audio Quality Drastically Decreases or Rather Destroyed after Upgrading the Android Version to Lollipop of the Phone, I need to roll back the version to Android 4.4.4. Zperia Z3 Compact Audio Quality is awesome rather the best in KITKAT android 4.4.4. It's Software Problem not the Hardware Problem. Z3 compacts was released in Android KITKAT, that's why the Audio Output Is Optimized for the version but the later version Audio Quality is very bad, not even in comparison. I don't have a chance to check the Z3C Audio Quality in Marshmallow Android 6, as it is required to be upgraded to 5 & then to 6 and also also I don't like to roll back after getting Disappointed again in Audio Quality.

Now My Question is for Z5 compact - How is the audio quality compared to Z3 compact or specially in Android Lillipop as the Z5C is release in Lollipop ? Is it Optimized for that. How is the Audio decoder / converter hardware of Z5C compared to Z3C ?

According to GSM Arena, "Audio quality has its ups and downs". I Think it's a optimization issue in software - "There is no point to build a product with high end, costly, quality audio hardware where they are not able to tune the software to use it for the best audio output".
[Xperia Z5 General] zacharias.maladroit:
[Sound Mod][Project DiVA_MM Kitakami series] DiVA-X V4(vier) | The Symphonia seems to make it even clearer and better :)

Other suggestions for soundmods: http://xdaforums.com/xperia-z5/general/discussion-best-soundmod-z5-t3408111

real Audiophiles might not be so fond of Viper4Android but ViPER-DDC and Convolver are pretty great
[Xperia Z5 General] FYLin21:
I tried my friend's Z3 once and it was very low volume (I think it was on Lollipop), the Z5 is about 2-3 notches louder, but still not sufficient to drive high impedance headphones (though Audio-Technica MSR7 is pretty loud)

No amount of software can fix inherent flaws in the hardware, which is what GSMArena and Android Central measured. Also, PhoneArena measured the amp to be only 0.35V, which is rather underpowered. Sony provides insufficient amplification and not much is done to minimize stereo crosstalk. HTC M9 uses the same DAC but has dedicated amp.
[Xperia Z5 General] Adrift98:
What are some recommended settings for Viper4Android on the Z5?
[Xperia Z5 General] zacharias.maladroit:
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2372750 [V4A][IRS][DDC]103 Headphone correction IRS/DDC filters--2016-06-05 5 new HiFi models
[Xperia Z5 General] JerryLaiHMmmmmm:
Hi everyone out there :)

I know this is an old thread, but I have some comments on the Xperia Z5's audio quality.

First start off with the speaker quality.

The volume of the speaker is low. Definitely low. Sometimes I'd like to take a shower with my phone playing music, but the shower is loud enough to cover up most of the sound. There's lacking low frequency sounds. However, the voice can be heard clearly.

Second, the headphone jack - in fact, the sound quality is totally fine in terms of sound quality (of course, talking about phone). The sound is clear enough for my Sennheiser IE80. The output frequency is quite balance. No obvious "tweak" of sound is made by Sony. (Yeah I'm talking bout you, Samsung) The sound is extremely clear.

The DSEE HX actually working quite well. One of the most important advantage of enabling it is the background hissing can be TOTALLY cancelled. Of course it DOES make mp3 sound better.(Personally I prefer the sound of ClearAudio+ tho)

And since my favourite genre is rock n roll music, and I listen to a LOT of live albums, I must say that the soundstage is wider compared to Note 5. Although Z5 is not the best sounding phone, the quality of it is in the upper rank.

The downside?

~

If you are a SERIOUS audiophile, get a proper player or at least an amplifier.

If you really want a phone with superb sound quality, check out LG V10 and V20. They outpaced Z5 in every single aspect.

One last thing I'd like to say is that the volume of headphone jack is also low. That is.

Overall, the sound quality of Z5 is totally fine (for a phone) for casual listening.

Sorry for bad English.

P.s. Z5 support DSF, DFF - impressing.

Regards,

Jerry
[Xperia Z5 General] Ara Seferian:
Im kinda new for amps and headphones...

Im planning to buy ATH m40x soon.. i saw it needs 35 OHMs so i thought maybe i should buy a usb otg amp/DAC to rock it with the headphones?

Or maybe i should be fine without an amp?

Any help would be appreciated since i did my research on google and found nothing i can understand :p

PS. A Trance fan here.
[Xperia Z5 General] FYLin21:
I only tried the M40x briefly at AT's showroom in Taiwan with the Z5 a while back, but from what I recall it was "listenable" at maximum volume, as is my M50x. By listenable I mean it is loud enough most of the time but sometimes I wish it could be louder, especially for YouTube videos or orchestral music. This is mainly because some tracks are quieter and not normalized. I would avoid using the dynamic normalizer though as it sometimes introduces distortion.

Here's what I think based on the headphones I've tried, please note that this is only based on my subjective preference of volume:

Audio-Technica ATH-M50x - listenable at max volume

ATH-M40x - listenable at max volume

ATH-MSR7 - good volume at maximum level; sometimes I'd turn it down a notch like before I go to sleep. Bass is quite deep and punchy (this headphone isn't really known for its bass), but highs seem more brittle than my Fiio E10K DAC/AMP on my computer.

ATH-IM70 - good volume at 13/15 volume

ATH-IM04 - tried this briefly at the Audio-Technica Showroom in Taiwan. Really quiet and distorted when paired with the Z5. Avoid at all costs!

Philips SHE8100, SHE3900 - both are barely loud enough at max volume, despite being 16 ohms and high sensitivity, but this is probably how Philips tuned them (more V-shaped)

Xiaomi Piston 3 - good volume at max level

Sony MDR-100AAP - listenable at max volume

Sony MDR-1000X - The store demo unit has a non-removable cable plus noise cancellation is always on. Very loud at max volume.

I haven't really had any problems with hissing, a bit on the IM70 but not much otherwise. However, with regular-cable (TRS plug with no in-line mic/remote) headphones I do notice a crackling sound when I press the play button on my music players.

Some people have claimed there's a software mod to increase the headphone jack voltage (0.35V on stock), where can I find this?

Also, some people claim the Z3 has a dual DAC and class D amp while the Z5 does not. The dual DAC and amplifier is for the speakers not the headphone jack! It seems people won't accept that.