# iPhone 8: Better sound quality vs iPhone 7 or 6!?



## phiemon

Hi,

I wondering if the iPhone 8 really has a better sound quality via headphones despite of the adapter than the iPhone 7 or 6. Just compare the reviews and data:

iPhone 6: 
https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_6-review-1141p8.php
https://www.whathifi.com/apple/iphone-6/review

iPhone 7: 
https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_7-review-1497p7.php
https://www.whathifi.com/apple/iphone-7/review

iPhone 8: 
https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_8-review-1664p7.php
https://www.whathifi.com/apple/iphone-8-plus/review

My questions are:

- How can it be if the iPhone 8 exactly as the iPhone 7 does not have the headphones port and they both have the same (cheap) DAC adapter?
- How can they have such a good sound according the reviews?

I personally compared the iPhone 6 and 8 with and without DAC (Chord Mojo and Dragonfly Red) and I barely noticed differences in the sound quality between the phones and the DACs.


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## DarKu

Since iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 don't have a headphone jack, they rely and use *external DAC*s (the one in the lightning to 1/8" adapter ), so they will sound the same.


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## phiemon (Oct 5, 2017)

DarKu said:


> Since iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 don't have a headphone jack, they rely and use *external DAC*s (the one in the lightning to 1/8" adapter ), so they will sound the same.



Thank you for the reply.

What do then the values in GSMarena about the connection to an external DAC mean? How can be these differents from phone to phone? And why can the iPhone 8 sounds better than the iPhone 7 according to WhatHiFi?


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## DarKu (Oct 5, 2017)

Actually iPhone 7 + 7 plus + 8 and 8 plus measure the same (the small differences, such as below 1 dB cannot be counted as a difference) so again they all sound the same because they use the same external DACs located in the lightning adapter.
I will not take WhatHiFi reviews seriously, but that is just me.


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## phiemon

DarKu said:


> Actually iPhone 7 + 7 plus + 8 and 8 plus measure the same (the small differences, such as below 1 dB cannot be counted as a difference) so again they all sound the same because they use the same external DACs located in the lightning adapter.



Sorry for the noob question: This means that the iPhone 6 too sounds the same as the iPhone 7 and 8 with that Apple Adapter oder that for example with the same DAC (Dragonfly Red or Chord Mojo) all the phones such as iPhones and Samsung Galaxys would sound exactly the same, right?


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## DarKu

If all of those phones will be connected to the same DAC, lets say to the Dragobly Red, they will bypass their internal DAC (if they have one), so they will sound the same, if your phones are plugged into Dragonfly Red.


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## phiemon

DarKu said:


> If all of those phones will be connected to the same DAC, lets say to the Dragobly Red, they will bypass their internal DAC (if they have one), so they will sound the same, if your phones are plugged into Dragonfly Red.



Thank you very much for this reply!


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## DarKu

You're welcome


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## solomare

Is there any review of the iPhone 8 DAC compared with other external DAC's such as Dragonfly RED or similar?
Thanks


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## phiemon

solomare said:


> Is there any review of the iPhone 8 DAC compared with other external DAC's such as Dragonfly RED or similar?
> Thanks



No, there isn't. But I compared the iPhone 6 and 8 to the Samsung S8 and Dragonfly Red. I just can say that the S8 (EU) sounds much, much better than the iPhone (and also iPad Pro 10.5); S8's DAC is really good! The DFR sounds for me just "a bit" better than the S8.


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## Ryland Johnson (Nov 10, 2017)

I have read this thread several times and each time it just confuses the heck out of me even more? For the iPhone 8+ to reproduce music via its external speakers it would have to have an internal DAC.
I have no idea if the lightning headphone cable has its own DAC but for sure the iPhone has one so why would the cable need another one?

Some of you are reading graphs and looking at specifications-data and making assumptions based on such information as to the actual sound stage and reproduction of the devices mentioned. Bad idea and doesn't hold water. Bose do not publish any such information as they know its relative and not helpful to the actual sound we hear.

One can actually take two identical devices with identical specs yet they can sound different? There are numerous reasons for this and its an electronics course.

The 6, 7 and 8 are different devices and regardless of specs do produce a different sound stage etc. 'Best' is again a relative term and is often over used and abused.

The iPhones do produce a very decent sound. Apple products generally do and I am not a fan of that company, far far from it!

I can but write that I own the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 that I would never exchange for any iPhone as the Note 8 fits the vast majority of my mobile needs. Here comes the caveat, the DAC-Amp's that I now own, the Oppo HA2 SE and the Teac HA-P50SE do not behave well with the Note 8. Both Dac's where primarily designed to pair with Apple devices and the main problem being when connected to any Android device with a USB-C fitting rather than the Oppo charge the mobile phone the mobile phone charges the bloomin Oppo. Oppo have known about this situation for a long time and just suggest customers buy from Oppo their USB_OTG cable plus P+P! Why they don't put the correct cable in the box is mind boggling.  The Teach is also charged the same way. Hence my purchase of the iPhone 8+ its purely to use as a source and not as a mobile phone.
I can write this, the iPhone 8-Oppo dac-amp is an incredible combination and has ended my one year quest to find a suitable portable music player. I cannot recommend this combination enough. Subjective recommendation of course, its what makes me smile and gives me goose bumps when I listen to this set up via my various headphones including, surprisingly, the Sennheiser HD 650's!

Can't comment on the iPhone 6 nor 7. Again I can write the iPhone 8 is a superb source for playing music. I will try the phone without DAC- amp tomorrow with maybe the Sennheiser HD598's and some in IEM's and let you know what the sound is like.

Again understand the sound reproduction of most devices is an awful lot more than sets of figures and graphs-data. Specifications and data are deaf our ears are not. Always trust your own ears.

Ryland


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## phiemon

Ryland Johnson said:


> I have read this thread several times and each time it just confuses the heck out of me even more? For the iPhone 8+ to reproduce music via its external speakers it would have to have an internal DAC.
> I have no idea if the lightning headphone cable has its own DAC but for sure the iPhone has one so why would the cable need another one?
> 
> Some of you are reading graphs and looking at specifications and making assumptions based on such information as to the actual sound stage and reproduction of the devices mentioned. Bad idea and doesn't hold water. Bose do not publish any such information as they know its relative and not helpful to the actual sound we hear.
> ...



The Samsung Galaxy 8 sounds much better than every iPhone - I tested it personally.

I compared the S8 and iPhone 8 with the DragonFly Red, Oppo HA-2SE and Chord Mojo too: They both in this case exactly the same!


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## Ryland Johnson

phiemon said:


> The Samsung Galaxy 8 sounds much better than every iPhone - I tested it personally.
> 
> I compared the S8 and iPhone 8 with the DragonFly Red, Oppo HA-2SE and Chord Mojo too: They both in this case exactly the same!




Excuse the short reply. Because "I tested it personally." does not and never will mean Amen. Rather unwise and odd thing to write? 

Ryland


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## TheGame21x

The lightning cable does have its own DAC built in. It's tiny, but it's there. It actually measures really well too. If i'm not mistaken, the Lightning port is all digital, so it wouldn't be able to transfer an analog signal to headphones without one, so there must be a separate DAC on the phone itself for the speakers.


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## Ryland Johnson

TheGame21x said:


> The lightning cable does have its own DAC built in. It's tiny, but it's there. It actually measures really well too. If i'm not mistaken, the Lightning port is all digital, so it wouldn't be able to transfer an analog signal to headphones without one, so there must be a separate DAC on the phone itself for the speakers.




Indeed. After reading this thread I endeavoured to seek the facts regarding this matter and I was informed the same as you wrote. Why Apple would place a DAC in the headphone adaptor plus another inside the mobile remains THE question non the less it is what it is? I often think Apple lost the plot? Thanks for the reply.

Ryland


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## balcy24

It was not to make it waterproof as the LG V30 water rating is higher with the headphone jack. I am still using a 3 year old iPhone 6 Plus because of Apple dumping the headphone jack. Since the iPhone 3GS I had upgraded to a new iPhone every 1-2 years. I was going to switch to the Pixel 2 this year but Google also dumped the headphone jack even after making fun of Apple for doing it the year before (that and having to replace all of my purchased apps).  

In my quest for the best semi-portable sound possible I first bought a Beyer T-1 and paired it with an iFi iDSD Micro for the 6 Plus. It sounded excellent but was not the easiest to carry around. Then I bought a used pair of Shure SE846s and love them with no amp. I was about to upgrade to the LG V30 for the excellent audio but am now reading about some significant OLED screen issues. Sad that you must pay so much for a flagship phone and not get what people want/expect.


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## Ryland Johnson

balcy24 said:


> It was not to make it waterproof as the LG V30 water rating is higher with the headphone jack. I am still using a 3 year old iPhone 6 Plus because of Apple dumping the headphone jack. Since the iPhone 3GS I had upgraded to a new iPhone every 1-2 years. I was going to switch to the Pixel 2 this year but Google also dumped the headphone jack even after making fun of Apple for doing it the year before (that and having to replace all of my purchased apps).
> 
> In my quest for the best semi-portable sound possible I first bought a Beyer T-1 and paired it with an iFi iDSD Micro for the 6 Plus. It sounded excellent but was not the easiest to carry around. Then I bought a used pair of Shure SE846s and love them with no amp. I was about to upgrade to the LG V30 for the excellent audio but am now reading about some significant OLED screen issues. Sad that you must pay so much for a flagship phone and not get what people want/expect.




Ah, I see you are still trying to find that perfect system. Nirvana doesn't exist and the more you look the further away perfection will be? Try to find a sound you enjoy, a sound that gives you that goose bump feeling and brings a smile to your face then stop looking.

No mobile is perfect. I own the Note 8 also the iPhone 8 plus and they are both great mobiles. I use the iPhone as my mobile music source with either the Teac HA50-SE or the Oppo HA-2 SE, both superb mobile DAC-amps. Its the only combination I have found in the past 18 months of trying to find a portable sound I can enjoy. Tried all sorts of DAP's etc and in every situation its always a compromise.

Hope you find a system that you enjoy.

Ryland


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## balcy24

Ryland Johnson said:


> Ah, I see you are still trying to find that perfect system. Nirvana doesn't exist and the more you look the further away perfection will be? Try to find a sound you enjoy, a sound that gives you that goose bump feeling and brings a smile to your face then stop looking.



I guess I wasn't very clear but I found the sound I really enjoy with the iPhone 6 Plus using JRemote and SE846s but my iPhone is now over 3 years old so it is time to replace it. You mentioned goose bumps while listening. The first time I used this combination I was sitting on my deck outside and listening to Glenn Frey's "Here's to Life" and had that goose bump moment when I heard the sound behind the music for the first time. It was the vibration of a bass string that hit the fret board by accident. I played it back on the home system and there it was all along but not nearly as noticeable.   

With Apple choosing to remove the headphone jack, which way to go now is not very clear. Does using the dongle affect the sound quality? Has anyone tried the the lightning iPhone cable for the Shure's? That may be the simplest solution with an iPhone 8. If the iPhone 8 though the lightning port sounds as good as the 6 through the headphone jack then I will be a very happy camper!

Thanks,
Dave


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## RickB

balcy24 said:


> I guess I wasn't very clear but I found the sound I really enjoy with the iPhone 6 Plus using JRemote and SE846s but my iPhone is now over 3 years old so it is time to replace it. You mentioned goose bumps while listening. The first time I used this combination I was sitting on my deck outside and listening to Glenn Frey's "Here's to Life" and had that goose bump moment when I heard the sound behind the music for the first time. It was the vibration of a bass string that hit the fret board by accident. I played it back on the home system and there it was all along but not nearly as noticeable.
> 
> With Apple choosing to remove the headphone jack, which way to go now is not very clear. Does using the dongle affect the sound quality? Has anyone tried the the lightning iPhone cable for the Shure's? That may be the simplest solution with an iPhone 8. If the iPhone 8 though the lightning port sounds as good as the 6 through the headphone jack then I will be a very happy camper!
> 
> ...



I haven't tried the Shure lightning cable (I don't have Shure IEMs anyway.), but I have the 1More Triple Driver Lightning IEM with an 8 Plus and the sound is excellent indeed.

Theoretically, you can have better sound because the IEM company can fine tune the sound of the DAC in the cable to better match the earphones.


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## Ryland Johnson (Nov 28, 2017)

balcy24 said:


> I guess I wasn't very clear but I found the sound I really enjoy with the iPhone 6 Plus using JRemote and SE846s but my iPhone is now over 3 years old so it is time to replace it. You mentioned goose bumps while listening. The first time I used this combination I was sitting on my deck outside and listening to Glenn Frey's "Here's to Life" and had that goose bump moment when I heard the sound behind the music for the first time. It was the vibration of a bass string that hit the fret board by accident. I played it back on the home system and there it was all along but not nearly as noticeable.
> 
> With Apple choosing to remove the headphone jack, which way to go now is not very clear. Does using the dongle affect the sound quality? Has anyone tried the the lightning iPhone cable for the Shure's? That may be the simplest solution with an iPhone 8. If the iPhone 8 though the lightning port sounds as good as the 6 through the headphone jack then I will be a very happy camper!
> 
> ...




Hi. As with every smartphone made to achieve the best sound possible one needs to use an external DAC-Amp. I use either the Teac HA50SE or the Oppo HA2SE, both offer a superb quality of sound that even drive my Sennheiser HD650 .
I think we have to accept the limitations of a smartphone and to achieve the higher lever of sound quality that our smartphones can offer we need to employ an external DAC-Amp.

Failing that the LG V20 also the newer LG V30 would offer greater amplification also a more satisfactory DAC set up. The LG's,however, are not so good as general day to day smartphones. Yet again its always this question of compromises. If you only desire one device to carry around the LG is, at present, the better quality device in terms of sound reproduction and amplification. If you are willing to carry a small external device I would go for the Oppo or the Teac every time plus the external DAC-Amp route means when you change mobiles you don't have to upgrade the external DAC-amp! Phew! The Oppo also acts as a portable power bank so its a win win with the Oppo.

Again if you get the goose-bump sensation with IEM's with your smart phone definitely stop at that and seek no further.

Ryland


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## raindogtrombone

Just upgraded to the iphone 8 from a 6S, and now needing an adapter to listen to music in the car that also allows for charging. The cheap BaseUs one I bought in the car works, but has a weird crackling noise with regularity. Has anyone found a reasonably affordable lightning to headphone with charging adapter?


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## Whitigir

IPhone 8 will sound as good as whatever adapter you plugged it into


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## AlanU (Nov 28, 2017)

raindogtrombone said:


> Just upgraded to the iphone 8 from a 6S, and now needing an adapter to listen to music in the car that also allows for charging. The cheap BaseUs one I bought in the car works, but has a weird crackling noise with regularity. Has anyone found a reasonably affordable lightning to headphone with charging adapter?



Do you listen to headphones while driving your car?

You can buy car QI wireless chargers that will free up the lightning port.

I own an iPhone 8+ as well as an iPhone 6+.  I actually carry two phones with me but my iPhone 8+ has a sim card only. I download Tidal and google play music on the old phone but at least the headphone jack sounds good with the iPhone 6+


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## Whitigir

IPhone 7+ has headphone jacks ?


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## AlanU

Whitigir said:


> IPhone 7+ has headphone jacks ?



Sorry I meant 6+


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## Faintandfuzzy

AlanU said:


> Sorry I meant 6+



Yes...the 6+ has standard headphone jack.


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## plumpjack

TheGame21x said:


> The lightning cable does have its own DAC built in. It's tiny, but it's there. It actually measures really well too. If i'm not mistaken, the Lightning port is all digital, so it wouldn't be able to transfer an analog signal to headphones without one, so there must be a separate DAC on the phone itself for the speakers.



I purchased a Blucoil DAC and the differences between the Apple unit ($9) and this one ($60) are subtle at best. I want to try the Dragonfly's next but the inexpensive Apple adapter is not bad.


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## phiemon

plumpjack said:


> I purchased a Blucoil DAC and the differences between the Apple unit ($9) and this one ($60) are subtle at best. I want to try the Dragonfly's next but the inexpensive Apple adapter is not bad.



I bought for testing/comparing the Oppo HA-2SE which is better than the DragonFly and the differences with the Apple DAC are for me subtle too or not so big. I will return the Oppo back. (I remember that for a long time I did the same with the Chord Mojo which is supposed to be very, very good. I sent it back too.)


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## narco dacunzolo

DarKu said:


> Since iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 don't have a headphone jack, they rely and use *external DAC*s (the one in the lightning to 1/8" adapter ), so they will sound the same.


Agree with ryland johnson


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## narco dacunzolo

Agree with you


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## chicostein

Using the iPhone exclusively as a source, via USB,  in the same system with the same files, have anyone compared a recent iPhone with an older one?
I use a 5s in the car via USB and now have tried an 8 in the same configuration and I think I heard a big improvement in sound quality, both using Apple Music.
Anybody has a similar experience?


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## frustration101 (Nov 5, 2018)

Edit
Wrong thread


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