Phone audio quality, for the last decade, has been something that’s always bugged me.
Switching from one device to another has brought me a fresh experience – even when upgrading to a phone by the same manufacturer – and better security for the future.
However, the audio quality has sometimes taken a hit. I’ve blogged in the past about my perception of differences between my Nokia Lumia 820 and HTC Desire Eye, but since 2017 I’ve now owned three Samsung phones – Galaxy S7, Galaxy S9+, and Galaxy S21.
In that time, I’ve never really considered how my experience has changed, and while I can no longer switch on my Galaxy S7, I can remember how I felt on the first day of using my then-new Galaxy S9+, and more recently with my new-er Galaxy S21.
Built-in EQ, or third party app?
The Galaxy S7 was not just my first Samsung smartphone, but also my first flagship. One of the things I loved about it was the built-in equaliser settings – something which I now consider to be core to the smartphone entertainment experience, regardless of price and budget.
Yet, not every phone has one. This can cause issues when engaging with different mediums. For music, PowerAmp has never failed to impress, but if I was looking for system-wide differences, the experience has always been a bit hit-and-miss.
This is where a catalogue of presets could come in handy, like on iPhones – but I never really warmed to iOS’s presets, and there’s no way to customise the sound to my liking.
I’ve also had mixed experiences with third party apps. While the PowerAmp Equaliser and SoundID apps both offer great sound, they’re not the best solution. If the app crashes, or the phone’s RAM management ruthlessly stops the process, the audio ‘filter’ can stop working, leading to some volume issues.
S7, S9+, S21
Upgrading to a newer device doesn’t necessarily mean better audio. My Galaxy S9+ came with 32 bit audio, but to my ears it didn’t sound nearly as good as the 24 bit audio of my Galaxy S7.
When I got the S9+, I couldn’t hear the supposed better quality of 32 bit audio. The only difference was my taste – I preferred the sound of the S7’s 24 bit audio. The bass was punchier, the sound was richer, and the overall audio experience felt better.
This experience changed again when I acquired my Galaxy S21. Contrastingly, it sounded worse than my S9+. Sure, I could fine tune the settings to my liking, but unlike on my previous phone, it wasn’t enough. The audio still sounded worse, and the bass was lacking.
I noticed also that in both the phone’s equaliser, and the add-on Sound Assistant app, the ‘Tube Amp Pro’ toggle (which I’d used a lot on my S7 and S9+) had vanished.
Even with 32 bit audio, my Galaxy S21 sounded worse on its first day than my Galaxy S9+ had done. The mids were not as rich and the bass – well, as I’ve said, there just simply wasn’t any. Although paired with my ‘Extra Bass’ Sony headphones, the lack of bass on my S21 made for a slightly tinny sound.
Galaxy S21, and the settings that needed to be changed
Adapt Sound should’ve been my saviour, and while it did help to improve the sound, it wasn’t the fix I wanted.
I’ve since fiddled around with the Sony Headphones app, and instead used that app’s equaliser settings to make any audio sound better through my headphones.
It’s something I’d already done, but had to fine tune the experience even more to accommodate my Galaxy S21’s lack of audio quality.
Overall, my S21 doesn’t sound as good as my S9+ or S7, but to be honest, with the improved security and helpful new features of a newer device, it’s a small price to pay for a phone that is smaller and therefore more comfortable to use than my Galaxy S9+.
– Chris JK.
KPH tech blog 
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