Nokia Smartphone Speakers: The BoomBox factor
Published by Steve Litchfield at 13:38 UTC, June 20th 2009
In which I report on a usually forgotten feature of all modern Nokia smartphones - their stereo speakers. Why are these important and what sort of variation is there in volume and quality? Read on to find out... [updated 23rd June 2009]
I won't pretend that this particular mini-group test isn't somewhat niche in the grand scheme of things. After all, these things are supposed to be phones! However, the ability to produce natural audio from built-in speakers is very important indeed.
And no, before you ask, it's not all about music reproduction, although the variation in volume and quality was easiest to tell by playing the same music track, as in the photo below. The reason I'm passionate about testing the speakers in these smartphones is that I'm addicted. To podcasts. No, not the AllAboutSymbian one, I get fed up with the sound of my own voice as it is, but to podcasts from around the world. Podcasting works so brilliantly in all modern S60 phones that it's trivial to stay on top of all the latest episodes. So, when I'm washing up, or doing other chores, or driving, it's an utter pleasure to let my mind take in the podcasts while my hands are busy somewhere else.
And no, headphones aren't really the answer, since then you're somewhat isolated from the rest of your environment, from children crying, doorbells ringing, the dog getting loose, and so on. Hence my speaker test, looking (for sheer interest's sake) at the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, the N95 classic, the N86 8MP and the N97, plus [update] the Nokia E90, E75, N96, 6220 Classic and Samsung INNOV8.
The order of the devices in the photo is relevant, by the way, since here are my findings (playing exactly the same rock music track on each, with volume in each case set to 90% of maximum):
| Devices (updated June 23, 2009) | Approximate volume (out of 10) | Comments |
| Nokia 5800 XpressMusic | 10 | Amazingly loud and with audible bass and plenty of mid-range |
| Nokia 6220 classic | 9 | Seems, standalone, as good as the 5800 in terms of speaker output, but pales in a direct comparison. Still, impressive for a single speaker! |
| Nokia N95 classic (or N95 8GB) | 8 | A well known quantity, audio from this device - reasonable volume and some pretense at audio fidelity |
| Nokia E90 | 8 | Less stereo separation, obviously, but nice loud speakers - place the phone on a hard desk for best effect |
| Nokia N86 8MP | 6 | A bit quieter than the N95, but noticeably tinnier - Nokia have used quite small speakers here and there just isn't any kind of fidelity - not pleasant to listen to |
| Nokia E75 | 5 | Not that loud, compared to other devices here, and with a mono speaker, but fidelity was good, pleasant to listen to |
| Samsung INNOV8 (i8510) | 5 | Same volume as the E75, despite having twin speakers, but tinnier and with not much depth |
| Nokia N97 | 4 | Surprisingly, for a flagship phone, sound from the N97's speakers was as tinny as that from the N86 and a third quieter - if I'd bought the N97 for podcast listening over speakers then I'd have been devastated - one of the N97s weakest areas, in my opinion |
| Nokia N96 | 4 | Also surprisingly quiet, but slightly less tinny than the N97 |
Is it just me? Do other readers out there care about sound output over speakers?
Either way, I hope this little test has proved interesting. If you have experience of especially good or bad audio output on another smartphone then comments are welcome!
Steve Litchfield, All About Symbian, 20 23 June 2009 [updated]
Categories: Comment, Hardware
Platforms: S60 3rd Edition, S60 5th Edition
Feature Discussion
yade
When you get your hands on it you should throw the i8910 HD in the mix, I would say the speakers on that could rival the 5800
mCrem
I care too. my i8910 has great speakers, and the stereo crosstalk is amazing when watching films with proper audio encoding. I think there are a lot of ways loudspeakers could be in handy, such as GPS navigation etc, but also, sometimes I feel like listening to music or w/e's on the phone and dont want to shove anything in my ears, such as when I'm at the beach with friends, this allows me to still be "social" with them, headphones just cut you off from the rest of the world.
the N97 probably sounds thinny because in practice the phone has to pack the battery, camera, keyboard, mothetherboard and speakers in half the space of a 5800..
the N97 probably sounds thinny because in practice the phone has to pack the battery, camera, keyboard, mothetherboard and speakers in half the space of a 5800..
will7201
I think it's very important. I use my N95 8GB for podcast's, music & iPlayer and 80% of the time use the speakers. And i'm very happy with it, with Bass Booster on.
Unregistered
Jon Pritchard:
I care a lot about the quality of speakers they should all be at 5800XM level and clarity.
I care a lot about the quality of speakers they should all be at 5800XM level and clarity.
abubasim
How do the speakers on the old E90 compare to those on the 5800XM?
Unregistered
and they came in very handy a few weeks ago when at a busy party. We eloped to a quieter place with no music, and used Mobbler to tune in to Last.fm over the great speakers. When I woke up te next day however, I wondered where my 3G credit had gone!
Unregistered
theres loads of situations that loudspeakers come in handy and i wish they would be at the level of the n95 or above
the 5800 is so clear and loud and even better then the n95 it makes it a pleasure to use the sat nav and listen to mp3s on my desk at work , its also nice to be able to hear a conversation loudly and clearly when using handsfree in the car etc
i think that the n95s loudspeaker and above should be the the sort of standard we are looking at today
my n96 is jsut to tinny compared to my n95 and my 5800 just rips both to pieces
shame to see my next phone the n86 is lower then the n95 thatll be a bit dissapointing too
the 5800 is so clear and loud and even better then the n95 it makes it a pleasure to use the sat nav and listen to mp3s on my desk at work , its also nice to be able to hear a conversation loudly and clearly when using handsfree in the car etc
i think that the n95s loudspeaker and above should be the the sort of standard we are looking at today
my n96 is jsut to tinny compared to my n95 and my 5800 just rips both to pieces
shame to see my next phone the n86 is lower then the n95 thatll be a bit dissapointing too
Unregistered
Good round-up, but I'd be more interested in a comparison of the quality of sound through the 3.5mm connectors.
buster
I find the speakers on my E90 incredibly useful, mainly for listening to podcasts at work (or even in the car); I have no experience of other phones in this respect, but I find them more than loud enough under normal conditions.
However, I suspect it's one of those things that manufacturers frequently underestimate the importance of...
However, I suspect it's one of those things that manufacturers frequently underestimate the importance of...
Dr Tran
As an N97 owner and a podcast junkie, I find absolutely no fault with the N97.
Since the N97 has an FM transmitter, you can connect it to an actual boombox. I do this myself with my N97 in the bathroom with a boombox I got 15 years ago.
Since the N97 has an FM transmitter, you can connect it to an actual boombox. I do this myself with my N97 in the bathroom with a boombox I got 15 years ago.
jparrot99
Oh no! Podcasts are one of the main reasons I was hoping to by an N97. My E61i is awful for podcasts (no bookmarking) (and slightly broken) and my ipod is giving up on me.
Del101
I think the N85's speakers could be a little bit better so i use its FM transmitter to listen to AAS podcasts when at home or in the car, and if walking i use headphones, so for me the built in speakers are adequate.
germcevoy
Congratulations Steve. The chavs of our country now know which phone to buy for there mini concerts at the back of our buses and trains,
timsalmon
That's the first negative thing I've heard from anywhere about the N86. Shame.
Tim
Tim
lookatbowen
There you go again Slitchfield, convincing me again not to get the N97. I must agree with the comparison test you've done, my 5800XM is awesome in the sound department, especially when playing Mobbler, or Music or Podcasts.
EuroJohn
Hey Steve, How are the speakers on the N97 compared to the E90? louder or softer? Better or worse?
rossd
steve nice article. I too like to listen to podcasts (especially aas!) and radio through the phones loudspeaker. The n95 was great for this. Its a shame the n97 isnt as loud as n95 or 5800. It was still audible in the shower though
a feature im just trying and loving is the fm transmitter.the gf is currently driving us to friends for a meal while the n97 feeds us some tunes through radio!
Better go typing and reading is making me feel sick
a feature im just trying and loving is the fm transmitter.the gf is currently driving us to friends for a meal while the n97 feeds us some tunes through radio!
Better go typing and reading is making me feel sick
Unregistered
Steve nice article! u always shock me with all these unexpected articles!
my question is..how did the N95 8GB do? is it the same as the N95 classic?
and by the way, how come 5800xm and N97 has got the 3.5g icon, but the N86 and N95 classic only 3g icon?
my question is..how did the N95 8GB do? is it the same as the N95 classic?
and by the way, how come 5800xm and N97 has got the 3.5g icon, but the N86 and N95 classic only 3g icon?
slitchfield
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Unregistered
Steve nice article! u always shock me with all these unexpected articles!
my question is..how did the N95 8GB do? is it the same as the N95 classic? and by the way, how come 5800xm and N97 has got the 3.5g icon, but the N86 and N95 classic only 3g icon? |
3.5G? Probably different networks? I've got a fair smattering of SIM cards here...
Re: E90 - it's 'stereo' speakers are quieter than the N95 but louder than the N97's.... Guess I should find a way of quantitatively measuring all this. Anyone able to lend me a sound meter? 8-)
m.shafik
To answer the 3.5G question.
The difference between 3G and 3.5G is the speed, generally "3G" is used to indicate the 3rd generation of mobile networks which is faster than the 2G/EDGE.
"3G" speeds are up to 384 kbit/s, as for "3.5G" it's the same 3rd generation network with the same technology but with faster speeds "called HSPA", they generally advertise 7.2 Mbit/s speeds on 3.5G.
Now as to why the icons are displayed on the 5800 and the N97 is for a very simple reason, the older symbian S60 (non-touch) on the N95 and the N86 only displays the "3G" icon even if your network supports "3.5G", and they only display the "3.5G" icon when you start using data like opening the browser for example.
Now the new Touch S60 displays the "3.5G" icon if it's supported on the network even if you're not using data connections.
One final note, generally most 3G networks now support the higher transfer speeds "3.5G".
The difference between 3G and 3.5G is the speed, generally "3G" is used to indicate the 3rd generation of mobile networks which is faster than the 2G/EDGE.
"3G" speeds are up to 384 kbit/s, as for "3.5G" it's the same 3rd generation network with the same technology but with faster speeds "called HSPA", they generally advertise 7.2 Mbit/s speeds on 3.5G.
Now as to why the icons are displayed on the 5800 and the N97 is for a very simple reason, the older symbian S60 (non-touch) on the N95 and the N86 only displays the "3G" icon even if your network supports "3.5G", and they only display the "3.5G" icon when you start using data like opening the browser for example.
Now the new Touch S60 displays the "3.5G" icon if it's supported on the network even if you're not using data connections.
One final note, generally most 3G networks now support the higher transfer speeds "3.5G".
Unregistered
As a longtime E90 user and having tried out pretty much every S60 phone, I can say that E90 is a 10 or even 11 on this scale, with an excellent speakerphone and excellent playback of music and podcasts on the loudspeaker, which I would use while washing dishes, while bathing, even walking down the street with the phone in my top pocket and without needing any headphones.
By comparison the 4 for N97, which I am using right this minute, is very accurate. The worst, tinniest speakers I have heard music through since the early 1990s. Very disappointing because . I shall have to see if I can use the FM transmitter or external bluetooth speakers to alleviate the pain. The speakerphone equally sucks, with the same tinny loudspeakers, and a mic that picks up nothing.
Listening to Ewan on the E90 was bad enough but on the N97 his whines make my brain melt.
By comparison the 4 for N97, which I am using right this minute, is very accurate. The worst, tinniest speakers I have heard music through since the early 1990s. Very disappointing because . I shall have to see if I can use the FM transmitter or external bluetooth speakers to alleviate the pain. The speakerphone equally sucks, with the same tinny loudspeakers, and a mic that picks up nothing.
Listening to Ewan on the E90 was bad enough but on the N97 his whines make my brain melt.
jApi NL
What's a phone without Sound ? Not a phone really !
What's a Smartphone without Sound ? Not very smart really and not a phone either !
Even oldfashioned landline phones without display need , yes : Sound . It's as easy as that .
My E90 has decent sound - speakers . They are the best on a hard surface , like a wooden table . Also right for a conference call , music , podcast .
After your article , I suppose all coming phones will be furnished with the 5800XM speakers ( except for the initial earpiece !) .
:) Regards jApi NL
What's a Smartphone without Sound ? Not very smart really and not a phone either !
Even oldfashioned landline phones without display need , yes : Sound . It's as easy as that .
My E90 has decent sound - speakers . They are the best on a hard surface , like a wooden table . Also right for a conference call , music , podcast .
After your article , I suppose all coming phones will be furnished with the 5800XM speakers ( except for the initial earpiece !) .
:) Regards jApi NL
Unregistered
Hmm, speakers are v important to me, for speakerphone and music use. I have an N95-1 and am considering getting the N97. Are you sure this is the hardware. I notice that my N95 speakers sound a lot richer at higher volumes. Could it not be a firmware issue that the max volume is set too low?
Also, I note that in your overview/review you write "sseakers which are pretty good (but quiet)". You do not say "tinny" there.
Also, I note that in your overview/review you write "sseakers which are pretty good (but quiet)". You do not say "tinny" there.
Unregistered
Rafe - where would you put the N93 speakers in this equation - I always thought that was the gold standard for Nokia until maybe 5800
Unregistered
For that matter - how do they compare to the N800/810 speakers