Is there a phone around $400 (or under) with good sound?
March 26, 2023 11:38 AM   Subscribe

I have only had Motorolas and the music always sounds tinny. I just got a new one and it has a speaker now but the sound is no better, just louder. Other than that it's a great phone. I have Spotify on high resolution or whatever they call it, doesn't help much. I guess earphones exist that improve the sound, but I don't like bothering with earphones and how they feel and even if I did, I would still want my phone to sound good without earphones.
posted by serena15221 to Technology (9 answers total)
 
Some phones may be better than others, but it’s not really physically possible to get much bass from a speaker that’s smaller than a dime, so every phone is going to sound at least a little tinny. Earbuds can kind of get around that because they don’t need much bass because they are jammed up near your eardrum.

An external Bluetooth speaker is probably your best bet for good sound.
posted by aubilenon at 11:46 AM on March 26, 2023 [16 favorites]


Even a small, cheap external speaker is 100 times better than any phone’s built-in sound.
posted by rd45 at 1:46 PM on March 26, 2023 [2 favorites]


Yup, Nthing a bluetooth speaker. Even the cheapish ones are darn good.
posted by bluesky78987 at 2:40 PM on March 26, 2023 [1 favorite]


Is there a phone that you've heard and like the sound of? My experience is that the best you can hope for is louder sound and/or more clear sound, but you're just not going to get very good sound out of a phone directly. If this needs to be portable, there are portable bluetooth speakers that are pretty decent and can clip on things like a belt loop, or there's bone-conducting headphones that don't go in or on the ear, or neck speakers (which are worn around the neck).
posted by Aleyn at 3:29 PM on March 26, 2023


According to Android Authority, the only phone close to that price range is Motorola Edge Plus (2022) which is on Amazon for a little under $500. It supposedly supports Dolby Atmos. Everything else is very expensive.

As others said, get a BT speaker. Neck speakers (wear it around your neck/shoulders) are quite comfy if it's a portability factor.
posted by kschang at 5:09 PM on March 26, 2023


If I were you I'd buy this Anker Bluetooth Speaker, I bought it in March 2019 and really like it. It's $40 and then you are released from having to wag the dog (phone) with the tail (audio). And if you don't like it return it to Amazon within the time window. I put it on the bathroom vanity, kitchen table, basement workbench, etc.
posted by forthright at 5:47 PM on March 26, 2023 [1 favorite]


You haven't said in what kind of environment you'll be using your phone. That could make a difference to sound reproduction.

I'll just throw in a plea here: Please don't play music on your phone speaker on public transit.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 7:08 PM on March 26, 2023 [6 favorites]


The sound output on my Pixel 6 is fantastic, maybe the best I have experienced on a phone. You can grab a Pixel 6 or 6a (same speakers, slightly slower cpu) for cheap now. It's a great phone.

As others have noted, depending on your use case, headphones or a solid bluetooth speaker is going to improve your experience a million fold.
posted by 0bvious at 4:25 AM on March 27, 2023 [1 favorite]


2nding the Pixel suggestion. Pixel 6a is a great phone all-around! Maybe try it out in person at a Google store if there's one near you?
posted by Taro at 3:11 PM on March 27, 2023


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