The iPhone 6 Review
by Joshua Ho, Brandon Chester, Chris Heinonen & Ryan Smith on September 30, 2014 8:01 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Apple
- Mobile
- iPhone 6
Audio Quality
The iPhone 6 is the first non-Android phone to be put onto the Audio Precision APx582 for audio testing. The exact same test tones are used as with Android devices, but they are played back through iTunes at maximum volume. We use the same four static loads as we did with the HTC M8 and Samsung Galaxy S5 for the results you see in the table below.
| 15 Ohm | 33 Ohm | 150 Ohm | 330 Ohm | |
| Dynamic Range | 84.155 dB | 92.281 dB | 92.223 dB | 92.160 dB |
| THD+N | 5.873% | 0.0054% | 0.0032% | 0.0032% |
| Crosstalk (L) | -49.608 dB | -56.239 dB | -71.721 dB | -77.966 dB |
| Crosstalk (R) | -49.831 dB | -56.459 dB | -72.191 dB | -77.983 dB |
| Output Power | 44.04 mW | 26.39 mW | 6.614 mW | 3.072 mW |
| Output Voltage | 812.7 mVrms | 933 mVrms | 997 mVrms | 1,007 mVrms |
| Relative Level (20Hz - 20kHz) | ±0.088 dB | ±0.088 dB | ±0.089 dB | ±0.088 dB |
The first thing to notice is the 15 Ohm load test. At maximum volume, with a -0dBFS signal the amplifier section in the iPhone 6 enters clipping. You can reduce the volume to avoid this, but it does not do as well with really hard loads as the M8 does. You can see the 1kHz sine wave for that below, with the amp clearly clipping at the bottom.
iPhone 6 997 Hz Sine Wave 0dBFS, 15 Ohm Load
For most testing I focus on the 33 Ohm load, as most in-ear headphones have a rated impedance around 32 Ohms. A data comparison to the HTC M8 and the Galaxy S5 is in the chart with the S5 as the clear loser.
| HTC M8 | iPhone 6 | Galaxy S5 | |
| Dynamic Range | 92.074 dB | 92.281 dB | 91.921 dB |
| THD+N | 0.0152% | 0.0054% | 0.0505% |
| Crosstalk (L) | -64.780 dB | -56.239 dB | -44.767 dB |
| Crosstalk (R) | -64.329 dB | -56.459 dB | -44.804 dB |
| Output Power | 47.63 mW | 26.39 mW | 10.63 mW |
| Output Voltage | 1.254 Vrms | 933 mVrms | 592.4 mVrms |
| Relative Level (20Hz - 20kHz) | ±0.664 dB | ±0.088 dB | ±0.081 dB |
Compared to the M8 the iPhone 6 isn’t quite as powerful, but it has lower THD+N and a much better relative level. The relative level isn’t a big deal, as a variation of 0.5dB is unlikely to be heard by most. That the THD+N is 1/3rd the value of that on the HTC M8 is more important, as the FFT below shows a very low noise floor on the iPhone 6 when compared to the one in for the M8.
iPhone 6 997Hz 0dBFS Sine Wave FFT
HTC M8 997Hz 0dBFS Sine Wave FFT
The crosstalk is also lower on the HTC, which is an area the iPhone 6 could certainly improve in. Digging into more depth on the THD+N results provides a bit more context. The HTC M8 has THD+N levels that start at 0.03% but after 2kHz it begins a steady rise up to 0.1% at 10kHz and past 0.2% at 20kHz. In contrast, the iPhone 6 THD+N is 0.03% until 500Hz, rises up to 0.06% at 5kHz, then back down to 0.03% at 9kHz, and peaks at 0.1% by 20kHz. The iPhone 6 will have slightly more midrange distortion but less treble distortion.
iPhone 6 THD+N Ratio Frequency Sweep
HTC M8 THD+N Ratio Frequency Sweep
If we leave noise out of it and look only at distortion then the iPhone 6 does even better. It has a distortion level of -95dB out to 10kHz and then it rises up to -82dB at 20kHz. The HTC M8 begins at -77dB for 20Hz, falls to -95dB until 2kHz, and then rises up to -56dB by 20kHz. The bass and midrange distortion is about equal, but the HTC M8 has far more distortion in the treble.
iPhone 6 Distortion (Noise) Frequency Sweep
HTC M8 Distortion (Noise) Frequency Sweep
Is one phone superior to the other? With the iPhone 6 and M8, I don’t believe so. The M8 is more powerful with lower crosstalk while the iPhone 6 has less distortion and better frequency response. Most notably the iPhone 6 has no results that indicate odd behavior, which we have seen with the Galaxy S5 and other phones. It is a well engineered headphone amplifier provided you do not need to listen to something at maximum volume with a 15 Ohm load.
Can Apple improve this? They could improve crosstalk, though some headphone companies like more crosstalk to help create an image more like a pair of stereo speakers than headphones. They could also support 24-bit audio which can improve on the SNR values here. The test tones are only 16-bit in nature, so the SNR maximum value is around -98dB. The HTC M8 may perform better given 24-bit test tones but would need a retest to verify this. Apple seems to have decided on using Lightning with an external DAC to push beyond 16-bit audio so we will have to wait for devices using that to see.
Audio hardware on phones can still improve a lot to get closer to where the best stand-alone products are. Those are capable of Signal-to-Noise ratios of -120dB or greater, and crosstalk of -110dB or more. How much those would be audible with headphones is uncertain, but when used as a source device with a stereo it may be audible. However, unless high-resolution audio downloads, like Pono or HD Tracks, really start to catch on I don’t see this being a main focus for most of the companies out there. The iPhone 6 is more likely what we will see going forward: good audio quality, but most importantly free of any major issues.
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cheinonen - Tuesday, September 30, 2014 - link
If means if you run them at maximum volume and you have a passage of music that is at 0dBFS (absolute maximum) then they can clip. However, if you look at something like the Galaxy 5S, the iPhone 6 can be a few levels below maximum volume and still have more power output into a 15 Ohm load. Only the HTC M8 so far does more power into a 15 Ohm load.0dBFS and maximum volume likely don't occur all that often (and for the sake of your hearing, they really shouldn't), but if they do the iPhone 6 will clip. However, the only phone so far that won't clip and produce that kind of power output is the HTC M8, so it's not really a huge negative, it just shows that HTC really built a great headphone amp.
Hxx - Tuesday, September 30, 2014 - link
thanks Chris that makes more sense. I only run the usual itunes type music on my IP5 and I doubt ill be running into this clipping issue. Just noticed my IEMs were rated at 16 ohms and wasn't sure what to think especially since I already preordered the 6. Thanks again man. Great article.Calista - Tuesday, September 30, 2014 - link
Would say it's the first iPhones I have felt tempted to buy. Great camera, battery-life in place, speedy SOC and iOS can for the first time in five years compete with Android. It's truly a complete package. Of course, we should expect one of the most expensive phones to also be one of the best.SunLord - Tuesday, September 30, 2014 - link
God that is an ugly ass phone... Those thick white lines on the back make it look god awful should've kept it to how the 5s did it with a white top and bottom. Did they fire everyone who designed the 5s and replace them with retarded color blind spider monkeys? At least the 5s in gold looked goodkyuu - Tuesday, September 30, 2014 - link
"I've always felt like the HTC 8X had one of the most compelling shapes for a phone, and the incredibly thin feel of the iPhone 6 definitely reminds me of that."Uh, what? The iPhone 6 is not shaped like the 8X. It's just a really thin, flat slab. The 8X has a countered back.
Not sure what's to like about the iPhone 6's design, btw. It's just a really unnecessarily thin piece of slick metal. I don't get it.
JoshHo - Tuesday, September 30, 2014 - link
To clarify that comment, it's really the thin feel of the edge. The 8X really felt razor-thin at the edge, and the iPhone 6 has a similar feel at the edge.kyuu - Wednesday, October 1, 2014 - link
I see, that makes a little more sense. Thanks for the clarification. Probably should clarify the wording in the article to make it clearer that you're referring to the edge rather than the overall shape of the phone.solarisking - Tuesday, September 30, 2014 - link
You guys completely glossed over the Qualcomm modem. Didn't even put the part number in there (9625). I'm wondering what bands to these iPhone support? Do they all have the exact same chip? Exact same hardware for each service and the only difference between them is which SIM card they are provisioned with? Also, why not go with the even newer and smaller 9635? The 9625 was announced in friggin 2011 and sampled in 2012 with quantity available in 2013. Yeah, the 9635 has more features than they need but it's still newer and smaller, i.e. uses less battery.NEED MORE INFO!!!
solarisking - Tuesday, September 30, 2014 - link
In this thread: tons of angry Samsung owners wishing Apple would bend to their will.araksonofthunder - Tuesday, September 30, 2014 - link
Amazing. A phone review with everything except how it performs as a phone. You know, that thing you do when you speak into the device and your voice comes out of another device thousands of miles away.