iPhone Sound quality

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was wondering if there are any reviews of the iPhone's sound quality when playing mp3's and how it compares to the iPod. or maybe your personal experiences.
thanks...
:)
 
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While I've never done an actual side-by-side comparison, my iPhone sounds as good as my 2nd gen nano.
 
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The sound quality is good. Personally, I wish the external speakers sounded a little better, but seeing as the iPod doesn't even have external speakers, they work well enough. I use my iPhone to listen to music where ever I go. My iPod has pretty much turned into my car stereo. I don't really take it out unless I'm updating it. =)
 
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thanks everybody. i'm a bit of a music quality snob and currently listen to cd's on my walkman but find it extremely inconvenient. looks like will be switching to mp3's soon so was wondering if apple really cared about sound quality while designing iPhone. couldn't find any reviews or articles on that. ping me if you find any...
thanks again
 
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For me it's great as I have a UK iPhone & it has no EU volume restriction (which was very very low on the ipod classic)
 
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its great for a gen1 device.

everything has flaws, nothing else has these features, period.
 
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thanks everybody. i'm a bit of a music quality snob and currently listen to cd's on my walkman but find it extremely inconvenient. looks like will be switching to mp3's soon so was wondering if apple really cared about sound quality while designing iPhone. couldn't find any reviews or articles on that. ping me if you find any...
thanks again
iPhone is just as good sounding as other iPods. However, if you don't like the ipod sound, then you won't like the iPhone sound.
 
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On YouTube, some guys took apart the iPhone and examined all the chips. They noticed the audio chip is that same as the 5th gen iPods. So were all getting the same lastest chips/quality Apple let loose.
 
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As others have said if you like the ipod sound and rip your music at lossless or at least 320 you should have no complaints. If you do use high end IEM's that are low impedance they show the iphones (and ipods) weakness' the most, but by no means make it unbearable to listen through. Personally I think the shuffle is the cleanest sounding but the iphone is a close second.
 
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The primary limiting factor to sound quality on the iPhone are the diabolical ear bud/ phones supplied with it. This is compounded by the lack of third party headsets (incorporating a mic) that fit the iPhone. Shure make the Music Phone Adapter which incorporates a mic and pause/ next track functionality.
http://www.shure.com/PersonalAudio/Products/Accessories/CasesAdapters/us_pa_MPA_phone_adapter
Bose make dedicated “Communications Kits” for a number of their existing phones plus a new version of the On-Ear model. Unfortunately (for me) none of these are available in the UK. (Luckily I was able to source a QC2 kit on EBay)
http://www.bose.com/controller?event=VIEW_PRODUCT_PAGE_EVENT&product=accessories_headphones
http://www.bose.com/controller?even...dphones_headsets/headsets/mobile_oe/index.jsp
 
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Thank you greggles!!!!! I'd been checking with Bose regarding kits for the QC2, and even wrote to Bose a few months back. Now I can get the kit for my iPhone. Yay!!!!
 
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Glad to be of help
 
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Subjectively, my iPhone sounds better than my iPod Video and/or my first gen Nano. It may just be that the ear buds are better, but I find the sound "richer" (now THERE is a technical term, no? :D ).

The external speaker is no great thing, but I was really pleased that it was there at all. In a device that small, and with such low power, what are people expecting?
 
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I now have the Bose adapter (Bose® QuietComfort® 2 mobile communications kit). ^_^ This is for the Quiet Comfort 2 headphones. I stopped at the Bose store on the way to work. (There are advantages to living and working around here.)

pa_qc2_mobile_kit_l.jpg

The wire that connects the headphones to the iPhone includes an inline microphone that is a microphone only. It does not include a clicker. That means you cannot click to answer a call, click to pause the iPod function, or click to skip through podcast chapters. Also on the cord is a movable clip you can use to anchor the cord to your clothing.

Plusses? It works. The main cord works in the iPhone without needing one of the four supplied adapters. Yay!!!! I called my wife using it, and she can hear me just fine. She has a profound hearing loss, so she's a good test. If she can't hear or understand me, then it's useless to me. However, given she can hear me, it's a keeper. I can hear her just fine over the headphones, though I can barely hear myself. Doh. These *are* noise cancelling headphones after all.

Btw, in my phone test I used the clip for part of the call and didn't use it for the remainder, allowing the microphone to go where it wanted. My wife could hear me fine in any case.

Minuses? The lack of a clicker stinks. For $40 I expected more. It isn't as if Bose is providing speakers or anything like that.

The microphone looks a tad clunky, and the wire feels cheap. The microphone on Apple's earbuds for the iPhone is an elegant little device. In comparison the Bose one seems rough hewn. I'm being unfair I'm sure, but that's how it is. The wire is quite adequate I'm sure, but feels cheap in comparison to the normal wire for the Bose QC2 as well as that in the Apple product.

Also, the plug that goes into the QC2 lacks a Lo/Hi power switch. It's okay, but again it seems as if Bose did this a bit on the cheap.

Overall

Overall I'm satisfied with it. I'm not impressed, happy, or pleased, just satisfied. They could have done better, especially at that price, but it does work and is serviceable.
 

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