HTC One M8 (not joking) *Update3

Folsom · « **on:** 16 Oct 2014, 03:43 am »

Hey guys, some of you may have seen my other topic being annoyed with a missing file. But since I've figured out settings on the phone to make it into a truly decent source. It's not perfect, no, but it's better than a lot of audiophiles own.

*It plays FLAC, and it'll warn you about putting them on; it doesn't mean anything.

*The NEUTRON player turns it into a real source.

*It's possible to get a hiccup once in a great while during play, you may not even notice it, it's a small price for performance

*it needs to be plugged into wall via supplied charger.

This took me awhile to figure out, here's the settings you want.

Equalizer = Off
Crossfeed = off
Surround = off
Fader = off
Tempo and pitch = off
Replay gain = off
64-bit processing = ON
Dither = ON
Rumble filter = OFF
Resampling = Audiophile
Automatic Gain Protection = off

AUDIO HARDWARE
-Hardware latency = 193 (somewhere less than stock, kinda changes setup to setup)
-Software latency = 21 (yes I know stock is 20, trust me, 21 is better)
-Balance = 0
-Mono = off
-Phase inversion = off
-Hardware gain = on
-Audio Focus (off may have less artifacts)
-CPU Wake Lock = ON
-Generic Driver = OFF (pretty sure this is bad)

*under the slide bar symbol go in an adjust the preamp for volume, and leave the gain of volume buttons at full. This is the only way to get the tiny output voltage to really produce decent music at not-loud levels. I've found a pot inbetween amp and phone to be way too determiental to use. Perhaps if you have a powered preamp you'd be well off.

Vapor Audio · « **Reply #1 on:** 16 Oct 2014, 04:29 pm »

Thanks for this! I've been using my One M8 occasionally source, but haven't much messed with settings to try and improve fidelity. Will try yours and report back.

Folsom · « **Reply #2 on:** 16 Oct 2014, 06:55 pm »

Very handy when you need to hear a song on someone's system (if they've got a 1/8in)

I look forward to your thoughts since you've got access to much better systems than myself.

Folsom · « **Reply #3 on:** 19 Oct 2014, 01:52 am »

I bought the program.

I think the purchased version is even better. I don't understand why, but the bass is better.

Folsom · « **Reply #4 on:** 23 Oct 2014, 11:13 pm »

I just got a BJC cable, wow. Great improvement.

I moved hardware latency a little.

Folsom · « **Reply #5 on:** 24 Oct 2014, 03:12 am »

The high preamp gain in the program seems to make clipping or something artifacts. Using it for volume keeps it lower, less artifacts.

Folsom · « **Reply #6 on:** 29 Oct 2014, 06:30 am »

I believe my phone has been burning in. The sound has improved. Although plugging it into the wall was the biggest improvement as of recent (like damn, sounds come out of no where and are a surprise).

Folsom · « **Reply #7 on:** 2 Nov 2014, 11:43 pm »

Has no one tried theirs?

I'm starting to wonder if I'll have to return the Geek Wave, if I get one when they release it...

*Scotty* · « **Reply #8 on:** 3 Nov 2014, 05:05 am »

I am using Neutron on my Galaxy S4 with your settings, it definitely sounds better than the Android player in the phone and is also superior to XBMC for Android. While the GUI for Neutron is rather difficult to navigate it is still easier to use than the ported version of the XBMC which is almost impossible to use with your fingertip.
Scotty

Folsom · « **Reply #9 on:** 3 Nov 2014, 06:48 am »

I do wonder if any other phones are like mine... But I got to tell you, this thing sounds pretty high end.

I've never heard any cheap gear that could compete. The impact of sound is incredibly good. If an instrument in real life would make you wince from sheer force, like horns, it will playing off the phone, but no harshness.

I've got 3D imaging. I think it may be limited by amp and/or speakers.

The prominence in voices is awesome. A friend has a nice stereo, Bel Canto DAC3, but it won't do the sheer impact and prominance in voices. In fact while it has umph, there isn't the same impact that can surprise you. That's what the phone can do, literly surprise you. (It's fun as shit to listen to, not seeing a musician start playing, it can be almost scary)

How good is it? Shoot, wish I could figure it out. The SNR may not be super high, but it seems much better than a 98db amp I tried briefly (good sounding, but almost nominalized in volume). I say it because it'll clip or have artifacts at preamp gain too high with full hardware volume. Maybe software can fix this, I dunno

*Scotty* · « **Reply #10 on:** 4 Nov 2014, 01:17 am »

I should mention that I am driving headphones with mine, I haven't asked it to drive the main system and replace my USB dac.
Also my S4 doesn't care if it is plugged into the wall charger rated at 2amps or the laptop the sound quality does not change from the performance heard when playing back on battery power.
Scotty

Folsom · « **Reply #11 on:** 4 Nov 2014, 01:20 am »

Well, you've got a Wolfson DAC so maybe with all the right settings and power it'll be a decent run at your current main system but... everyone is saying the HTC is much better. Thus far the details of the HTC DAC are 100% not revealed. I can't bring myself to pop one open but trust me, it's a thought.

Folsom · « **Reply #12 on:** 6 Nov 2014, 12:38 am »

Just plugged the phones power into a conditioner that does some PFC.... $%$+$& dynamics! Prince doesn't sound thin anymore. Wow.

*Scotty* · « **Reply #13 on:** 6 Nov 2014, 12:53 am »

Do you think this is because noise from the phones switch mode wall charger was kept from getting into the AC the system uses.
Scotty

Folsom · « **Reply #14 on:** 6 Nov 2014, 01:29 am »

I think there is a reduction of noise getting into the phone but more importantly not being falsely charged from uncorrected power. The phone sounds more similar not plugged in now, after charging on more corrected power.

There's just more weight to everything.

ThIs phone... I want to tear it open and find the DAC.

*Scotty* · « **Reply #15 on:** 6 Nov 2014, 03:12 am »

Your phone uses the Qualcom WCD9310 Audio codec. No data sheet can be found online for this chip. See link below for teardown.
http://www.chipworks.com/en/technical-competitive-analysis/resources/blog/inside-the-htc-one/
Scotty

Folsom · « **Reply #16 on:** 6 Nov 2014, 03:20 am »

Wow, thanks Scotty! You must be a god with Google...

Now to figure out how to make a player...

I just looked again, not the same phone. The M8 isn't the One. Different cameras etc. Perhaps they dissect the M8 soon.

*Scotty* · « **Reply #17 on:** 6 Nov 2014, 03:46 am »

Which HTC ONE model do you have? See link for HTC ONE Family.
http://www.htc.com/us/smartphones/
Scotty

Folsom · « **Reply #18 on:** 6 Nov 2014, 03:49 am »

HTC One M8, hardware is identical in H&K version. I don't know about Windows version (or want to).

*Scotty* · « **Reply #19 on:** 6 Nov 2014, 04:01 am »

Here is an M8 teardown but no mention of the audio codec used. See video no stills. Your basic dumbed down teardown with no full description of the chipsets used.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YP0glVbQfWQ
ifixit teardown
https://ru.ifixit.com/Teardown/HTC+One+%28M8%29+Teardown/23615
Scotty