There are two different types of smartphone music listeners. Type 1 is an MP3 listener who can listen to music safely with a Spotify streamer. For them, headphones that sound like they’re made of tin are enough. Type 2 are audiophiles who avoid lossy music and cheap headphones. For demanding ears, a pair of headphones with the best wiring is all you need.
Let’s not forget the third type. Smartphone users simply listen to music through their phone’s speakers and wonder why everyone else makes such a fuss about the sound quality. Each one is unique, right?
These are the top 5 Android phones to own if you’re into audio quality, with a preference for those who appreciate the subtleties of sound quality (you know who you are). All of them come with a cutting-edge DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) and immaculate hi-fi music processing internals, which are essential for playing those juicy high-resolution audio formats.
1. Zenfone 9 from ASUS
The tiny Zenfone 9, which has a DAC and a jack as its alliterative combination, isn’t new nor is it a flagship smartphone, but it does have a reputation for having strong onboard stereo sound, and when curious audio enthusiasts want to push the envelope of 32-bit acoustics, there is no distortion audible.
Watch out for battery life
A minor worry is that the Zenfone 9 consumes a lot of battery life, so that beat with a lot of groove could be disrupted at the worst time. Additionally, due to its age, 8GB of RAM is common; but, if audiophiles are prepared to put in a little more time in their search, they can still get a 16GB model.
2. LG ThinQ V60
The LG V60 ThinQ, which was released in early 2020, may not be the newest model—in fact, given its quad DAC—but it is still an excellent option for audiophiles. Turn on a track of deep bass trance in FLAC format or some jazz at 320 kbps to fully enjoy the lush with life expansive presentation of a pair of Sennheiser HD1s—affordable and expertly crafted as they are.
Here, the screen and audio come first
The LG V60 ThinQ is a chunky dual-screen smartphone with a large 6.8-inch display area, so it may seem large for small hands. It also has a decent 64-megapixel main camera and a slightly aging Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor, but what really shines is the sound reproduction. The phone’s built-in DAC provides impressive sound, making it the perfect choice for Tidal’s lossless streaming subscription.
3. The Sony Xperia 1 V
It’s Sony, after all. The Xperia 1 V, which has a matte black finish that is characteristic of many Sony products, retains the sought dedicated headphone socket for audiophiles as well as a high-resolution DAC that is suitable with a wide range of high-fidelity audio codecs. It also has a powerful performance and an amazing 4K OLED display.
Sony takes pride in their hi-fidelity support
The latest flagship smartphones come equipped with the latest Bluetooth standards and the best wireless headphones. It’s all about having the freedom to work out and listen to music without the chaos during your commute. With support for premium DAC and headphone jack, it is clear that Sony does not want to give up its strong support for the Hi-Fi music market.
Note: To get the most out of this phone, you will need to spend as much money as possible on a similarly high-quality wired set of in-ear or over-ear monitors, but this is true of any gadget on our list.
4. The Ultimate Asus ROG Phone 7
Asus makes another appearance on this list. It’s the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate version, which is optimized for gaming. The gadget has strong processing abilities, which is a plus for a mobile gaming platform, but its benefits extend beyond the game’s non-player characters. The certified hi-res audio phone is a champion for lossless music quality.
This aesthetic is too playful for some
The only reason ROG 7 isn’t king of this list is its mediocre performance on other key mobile metrics. For example, the phone’s design isn’t suitable for the aesthetic sensitivities, and it’s definitely not your average camera. As a positive conclusion, let’s not forget the gaming performance and the roaring speakers.
5. Ultra Samsung Galaxy S23
Shouldn’t Samsung’s flagship be at the top of this list? Probably right. The S24 is also available, but the Samsung S23 Ultra is cheaper. Granted, there’s no 3.5 mm headphone jack in his old school. Nevertheless, its Dolby Atmos speakers and high-fidelity sound output far exceed smartphones with similar features.
You can still connect wiredly even if there is no headphone jack.
Even devices without a headphone connector can still be wiredly connected
For both music lovers and audiophiles, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra offers a superb audio experience even without a headphone port. While you can use a USB connection to connect IEM headphones, the best approach is always to use a USB-C to jack adapter. However, this can be a little difficult if you’re always on the move.
Embrace the wireless revolution by taking a different path to soundscape clarity. Yes, it’s not the usual method used by audio purists. Although they still favor wired connections and a built-in DAC that is warm and immersive and has a wide tonal range, more advanced wireless audio codecs such as aptX and LDAC are now able to recreate excellent quality music.
The audio jack isn’t quite on life support yet
Indeed, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to justify the existence of an audio jack when everything else on your smartphone is digital. Chips specifically designed to convert digital signals to noisy analog signals seem a little outdated overall.
Audiophiles feel differently. Although the market for external DACs exists and there are articles about the best he DACs of 2024, their focus remains on smartphones with built-in music fidelity. Oddly enough, this is the only time a phone’s features are rated higher than more common hardware performance metrics like screen sharpness or processor performance.
This sometimes might even tempt aficionados of older handhelds, such the LG V60, down to the level of sound purists. For a gadget that can recreate music with unparalleled clarity, they are ready to forgo the newest abilities found on smartphones. They wouldn’t have it any other way, and they’re happy to savor the comforting analog sounds of a DAC while the rest of us go on.
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