Q: Poor sound quality
I have been using Apple Music on Android since last year and I have been also testing all the major streaming services in search of the best one for me. Here is my feedback.
Positive:
1. the interface is quite good
2. gapless playback of gapless albums works fine for me, many competitors have problems with that, and it was important for me
3. Integration of own files works fine on my Xperia Z5, I had problems with that on Z1 Compact
Negative:
Sound quality. It is bad or even terrible, depending on the kind of music. I don’t think it is a question of encoding. I believe Apple Music streams in 256 kbps AAC (is it correct?), competitor G. in 320 kbps MP3 and competitor S. in 320 kbps OGG, I believe. So, the difference in practical terms should be negligible, I think. But there is a huge difference in the listening experience.
I use a Sony Z5 and MDR-1ABT headphones, which is quite a decent setup, and I really enjoy the sound of G. or S. The listening experience is fantastic, bass is great and treble very nice, the dynamic range is excellent. If I activate Sony’s DSEE HX on the phone it gets even better, it makes you go “wow”. Just fantastic.
The listening experience on Apple Music is quite the opposite. It sounds kind of like 1990s FM radio, the sound is extremely flat compared to G. or S., the bass is very weak, no treble, just flat. The app doesn’t respect the Android sound settings, therefore there’s no equalizer and no DSEE HX. I cannot listen to Apple Music for longer than 15-20 minutes, when you know G’s or S’s sound quality, it is just not enjoyable.
Competitor T has the same issue or “feature” – Android’s sound settings are not respected by the app.
So, my question is, are there plans to fix it in the next version or in 1.0, or should I rather build my playlists elsewhere? Will it respect Android’s sound settings, such as equalizer / Clear Audio / DSEE HX? I like Apple’s interface and feel better, and would prefer to continue my subscription of Apple Music, but I just cannot stand the flat sound…
Cheers
Tom
Apple Music, Other OS, Android
Posted on May 27, 2016 4:09 PM
I updated to 1.0 and what a surprise, it respects the global EQ settings and there is a shortcut in the app to the phone's sound settings. DSEE HX works now on my Xperia Z5! Fantastic.
Posted on Aug 7, 2016 3:45 PM