[Rclark]

So my galaxy is busted and waiting for a replacement. Using my backup AT&T ZTE phone, basically the lowest end smartphone you can buy, $49.99, and I used it a lot and the speaker's good and broken in.

Listening to Spotify in the tub with a finger over the speaker hole(you can really change the output and get a different sound), and the sound quality, for what the device is, is spectacular.

It's really impressive sounding actually.

I think HiFi will one day be dominated by small devices.

[oskar]

HERESY!

[Rclark]

I might also add that the headphone amp with my Sony MDR's is RIDICULOUS. It's not perfect by any means, but is totally HiFi.

I grew up with walkman, portable CD, and none of those players could match the power and clarity of these streamed files on a $50 phone.

The resolution and dynamics are incredible in such a bottom end device.

[ksbruce]

Yes my S3 just died, replaced by a Zte Overture 2. It sounds good through the headphone out. and it has native flac support{ android 5.1 Lollipop}.

[gregfisk]

 

[mresseguie]

Two months ago I replaced my aging S3 with a spiffy new iPhone 6Plus.  For the most part I like it, but I absolutely hate the sound quality of the single speaker at the bottom of the phone. The S3's speaker was much better.

[Rclark]

I think these things will end up being spectacular, capable of streaming hirez. For all intents, cell phones are the headfi endgame.

[Rclark]

The s3 had a ridiculous amp in it. My housemate had one. It damn well was a portable "stereo" with huge output. The s4 and s5 weren't as loud.

It sounded really crisp at a good distance, 20, 30 feet away.

[Letitroll98]

While my phone (the aging S3 previously mentioned) sounds ok with headphones, it's most definitely not a hifi devise.  Until you've tried some of the truly hi end portable devices you need to reserve judgement.  No, cell phones are not the "end game" for headphone amplification.

[Rclark]

I listened to some jazz last night and could hear the brushes on the drums with remarkable resolution. With a speaker the size of a dime. Do you think phones and their internal circuits will stop evolving? Of course they are the endgame. Not next Tuesday, but yeah.

Mainly I'm talking about the headphone portion, but yeah, the main "audio system", amp and speaker on phones are damn good for how cheap they are. For portable.