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Best smartphones for audio

If you demand more from your phone's audio, here are the best models you can buy for music.
By
February 8, 2024
Best headphone jack
Sony Xperia 1 V
MSRP: $1,399.99
Check price
Positives
Excellent battery life
Great build
Improved cameras
Solid performance
Price cut over previous gen
Negatives
No update commitment
Older display tech
Mediocre charging
Still expensive
Best speakers
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
MSRP: $1,199.00
Check price
Positives
Powerful, flexible camera setup
Two days on a 5,000mAh battery
Convenient S Pen
Excellent software update promise
Premium materials and display
Great performance
Negatives
Will be too large for some
Limited base RAM for the price
Expensive, especially for extra storage
Best gaming
Asus ROG Phone 7
MSRP: €999.99
Check price
Positives
Brilliant gaming performance
Elite gaming features
Excellent battery life
Fast universal USB PD charging
Customizable UI and settings
Great accessories
Negatives
Middling cameras
Limited IP rating
Update policy could be better
Best Apple
Apple iPhone SE (2022)
MSRP: $429.00
6
Check price
Positives
A15 Bionic chipset
Touch ID
Improved battery life
Negatives
Extremely dated design
Cramped, low-res display
Inflexible camera
Bang for your buck
Samsung Galaxy A14 5G
MSRP: $199.99
Check price
Positives
Solid primary camera
Sharper display
Good battery life
Reasonable performance
Very affordable
Excellent update commitment
Negatives
Cheap construction
Poor mono speaker
Modest charging

Your smartphone is your gateway to music, podcasts, and all things audio. It’s crucial to pick a device that brings out the best in your favorite sounds. Quality audio enhances every beat and word, turning a mundane listen into a dynamic experience. We’re going to zero in on the smartphones that excel in audio performance. From stellar built-in speakers to robust audio features and compatibility with various headphones, the devices on our list ensure that you hear every sound as intended. We’ve rounded up the best audio phones, from having a headphone jack to stereo speakers, so you can find one that hits all the right notes for you.

What's new?

  • This list was updated on February 8, 2024, to ensure the timeliness of the information within.
  • Check out our list of the best music streaming apps to use on your phone and the best-wired headphones to maximize your listening experience. Or check out our list of the best wireless earbuds to use these smartphones' Bluetooth capabilities.

The best phone with a headphone jack is the Sony Xperia 1 V

A pair of corded headphones plugged into a Sony Xperia 1 V phone
Harley Maranan / SoundGuys

Finding a phone with a headphone jack is already hard enough. Coming across a good, high-end one is even more complicated. This is what makes the Sony Xperia 1 V such a special phone. The plethora of audio options ensures your playlists sing, whether you’re listening over speakers, one of the phone’s many high-end Bluetooth codecs, or the classic headphone jack.

To enhance the immersion, the device uses full-stage stereo speakers with high-resolution audio and Dolby Atmos. It also provides Sony’s Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE) and a dynamic vibration system. There are a host of audio software features, such as an audio equalizer and mixer, and an app called Music Pro, a paid service allowing you to record vocal and instrument audio and upload them to the cloud for processing.

Overall, the Xperia 1 V has all the great benefits of a modern high-end device. It has a durable construction with a minimalist design. You’ll also get premium performance, as it launched with some of the latest and greatest internals. It also has a great camera system, surpassed only by some flagships from Apple, Samsung, or Google. And if you order the phone from Sony in the US, you’ll even get a pair of Sony Linkbuds for free.

Sony Xperia 1 VSony Xperia 1 V
Sony Xperia 1 V
Excellent battery life • Great build • Improved cameras
MSRP: $1,399.99
A classic, refined.
Sony continues to deliver powerful portable cameras that also happen to be smartphones. The Xperia 1 V rocks top hardware, powerful cameras, and the ability to connect to Sony DSLR cameras to enhance your shooting experience.

Xperia 1 V specs:

  • Display: 6.5-inch, 4K
  • Chipset: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
  • RAM: 12GB
  • Storage: 256/512GB
  • Cameras: 48, 12, and 12MP
  • Front camera: 12MP
  • Battery: 5,000mAh
  • Software: Android 13

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has the best speakers

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra offers an impressive experience across the board. It has stunning performance, a gorgeous screen, S Pen support, great battery life, amazing cameras, and more. Unsurprisingly, this is also one of the best phones with the best smartphone speakers.

In our sister site, Android Authority’s review of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, we mention these speakers are “nothing short of remarkable.” We specifically praise the volume, saying it’s one of the loudest phones we’ve ever used. Not only that, but we didn’t notice much distortion coming from the earpiece or down-firing speaker. And while bass could be better, we were still impressed by the overall experience.

Sadly, there is still no headphone jack, but you get plenty of Bluetooth support and can still use dongles.

Samsung Galaxy S23 UltraSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
New 200MP main camera • Beautiful display • S Pen functionality
MSRP: $1,199.00
The Ultra release of Samsung's 2023 flagship line
Powered by the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 as the smaller models in the series, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra offers larger storage capacities and a whopping 200MP camera. S Pen support and a 6.8-inch display make the Ultra ideal for note-takers on the go.

Galaxy S 23 Ultra specs:

  • Display: 6.8-inch QHD+
  • SoC: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
  • RAM: 8/12GB
  • Storage: 256/512/1,024GB
  • Cameras: 200, 12, 10, and 10MP
  • Front cameras: 12MP
  • Battery: 5,000mAh
  • Software: Android 13

ASUS ROG Phone 7 is best for wired listening while gaming

Robert Triggs
Android Authority

There aren’t many options if you’re in the market for a gaming phone. Even fewer feature a headphone jack. Luckily, the ASUS ROG Phone 7 is one of the best gaming phones on the market, and it still supports 3.5mm wired audio if you like to plug in for your music and audio.

This mammoth phone packs in a gorgeous screen, great gaming performance, and numerous hardware niceties like capacitive shoulder buttons and multiple USB-C ports (one on the side and one on the bottom). It’s pretty expensive, but most flagship phones are these days—and almost none of them support dongle-free wired audio.

Asus ROG Phone 7Asus ROG Phone 7
Asus ROG Phone 7
Brilliant gaming performance • Elite gaming features • Excellent battery life
MSRP: €999.99
Level up your play with the ROG Phone 7
With next-level performance and full-on software customization, serious mobile gamers should look no further than the ASUS ROG Phone 7 to gain a competitive advantage.

ROG Phone 7 specs:

  • Display: 6.78-inch, Full HD+
  • SoC: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
  • RAM: 12/16GB
  • Storage: 256/512GB
  • Cameras: 50, 13, and 5MP
  • Front camera: 32MP
  • Battery: 6,000mAh
  • Software: Android 13

Apple fan? Get the iPhone SE for cheap, or splurge on the iPhone 14 Pro Max

Ryan Haines
Android Authority

I will just come out and say it: Apple is bad for the audio market. It’s even worse now that its phones no longer ship with a dongle. Not only is its Bluetooth compatibility limited to AAC, but its war against the 3.5mm jack also led to the most foolish smartphone design memes of the day. It’s irritating that people look to it as some sort of market leader when it only fits the description if you’re looking at how much tax it dodges in the US.

However, the iPhone SE is a special phone that is a credible contender for the value phone crown. So, as much as it pains us to praise it, this is the phone to get if you don’t need a headphone jack but do need to save some coins. There are some notable advantages, like Apple’s H2 chip, which allows for much more stable connections with other Apple peripherals and Beats headphones. Additionally, if you want to get into the world of AirPods or AirPods Pro, this is the phone to get.

With a refreshed design in 2022, this $429 phone is in close contention with Google Pixel A-series phones (which we no longer include here after they dropped the headphone jack). The “not having a headphone jack” thing is a tough hurdle to overcome, but if you’re in the Apple ecosystem, no phone has one, so you may as well save the money for listening to music on the go.

Apple iPhone SE (2022)Apple iPhone SE (2022)
Apple iPhone SE (2022)
Guaranteed long-term software updates • Improved battery life • Powerful A15 Bionic chipset
MSRP: $429.00
One of the most affordable iPhones you can get
The latest iPhone SE has the same body as its predecessor but sports a faster chipset, more RAM, and a bigger battery.

iPhone SE (2022) specs:

  • Display: 4.7-inch, 1,334 x 750
  • SoC: Apple A15 Bionic
  • RAM: 4GB
  • Storage: 64/128/256GB
  • Cameras: 12MP
  • Front cameras: 7MP
  • Battery: 2,018mAh
  • Software: iOS 15.4

We still aren’t fans of how Apple treats the audio industry, but if you have the money to splurge, the iPhone 14 series has some of the best speakers in mobile. All four devices have dual speakers: one in the earpiece and one firing downwards. In our sister site, Android Authority’s iPhone 14 Pro review, we found that these are very well-tuned, and we had no issues raising the volume. As it goes with mobile phone speakers, the bass isn’t great.

Aside from the speakers, the iPhone 14 series has the latest audio features. These include Bluetooth 5.3, spatial audio when paired with Apple’s headphones, and Dolby Atmos.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro MaxApple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Unbeatable software support • Powerful SoC • Dynamic Island
MSRP: $1,099.00
Apple's premium phone with a massive screen
The iPhone 14 Pro Max has a massive 6.7-inch display that's great for content consumption. It also sports impressive cameras, the interesting Dynamic Island cutout, and great software support.

iPhone 14 Pro Max specs:

  • Display: 6.7-inch, 1,290 x 2,796
  • SoC: Apple A16 Bionic
  • RAM: 6GB
  • Storage: 128/256/512/1,024GB
  • Cameras: 48, 12, and 12MP + 3D LiDAR depth scanner
  • Front cameras: 12MP + 3D depth sensor
  • Battery: 4,323mAh
  • Software: iOS 16

On a budget? Try the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G

Ryan Haines
Android Authority

If the last budget phone you saw that made you jump for joy was the Google Pixel 4a, you’ve got a new budget wired audio contender (finally). The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is about as cheap as it comes these days, and yes, it has a headphone jack, making it the best bang-for-your-buck phone for music.

This phone starts at under $200, and it has a nice screen, a reliable camera, and good performance. Our colleagues at Android Authority thought the external speakers were pretty lackluster, but this phone has a headphone jack, so that won’t matter most of the time!

Samsung Galaxy A14 5GSamsung Galaxy A14 5G
Samsung Galaxy A14 5G
Sharper display • Good battery life • Very affordable
MSRP: $199.99
A well-dressed budget Android phone.
The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is a great starter smartphone with a price you don't have to stress over.

Galaxy A14  5G specs:

  • Display: 6.6-inch, Full HD+
  • SoC: Exynos 1330
  • RAM: 4/6/8GB
  • Storage: 64/128GB
  • Cameras: 50, 2, and 2MP
  • Front camera: 13MP
  • Battery: 5,000mAh
  • Software: Android 13

What you should know about smartphone audio

Smartphones have come a long way since the video below was released four years ago, but it still gives a good overview of the challenges faced by smartphones when striving to deliver a great audio experience.

While objectively collected data is all well and good, it doesn’t exactly tell you everything you need to know about a phone’s performance. If you bought a phone in the last five years, chances are it’s more than enough for you unless it lacks a specific feature you want. Now that digital media’s performance has started to sail beyond the limits of our hearing perception, test results matter less and less — while features matter more and more. It’s extremely rare that one phone will sound much worse than another when used with popular streaming services.

Headphone Jack?Frequency responseDynamic RangeTotal Harmonic DistortionNoise floorSpeaker volume
Apple iPhone XS Max
Headphone Jack?
No
Frequency response
+0.1 / -0 dB
Dynamic Range
98.9dBA
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.0023%
Noise floor
-99.5dBA
Speaker volume
76dB
Asus Zenfone 6
Headphone Jack?
Yes
Frequency response
+0.05 / -0.17 dB
Dynamic Range
83.2dBA
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.001%
Noise floor
-83dBA
Speaker volume
82.2dB
Google Pixel 3
Headphone Jack?
No
Frequency response
+0.1/ -0 dB
Dynamic Range
99.3dBA
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.0026%
Noise floor
-99.7dBA
Speaker volume
75.5dB
Google Pixel 3a XL
Headphone Jack?
Yes
Frequency response
+0 / -0.34 dB
Dynamic Range
99.8dBA
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.0023%
Noise floor
-99.8dBA
Speaker volume
74.4dB
Google Pixel 3 XL
Headphone Jack?
No
Frequency response
+0.1 / -0 dB
Dynamic Range
99.2dBA
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.0026%
Noise floor
-99.7dBA
Speaker volume
76.8dB
Google Pixel 4
Headphone Jack?
No
Frequency response
0 / -0.1 dB
Dynamic Range
102.2dBA
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.001%
Noise floor
-102.2dBA
Speaker volume
84.2dB
Google Pixel 4XL
Headphone Jack?
No
Frequency response
0 / -0.11 dB
Dynamic Range
103.6dBA
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.0013%
Noise floor
-103.6dBA
Speaker volume
84.2dB
LG G8 ThinQ
Headphone Jack?
Yes
Frequency response
+0.01 / -0.06 dB
Dynamic Range
98.6dBA
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.0019%
Noise floor
-98.6dBA
Speaker volume
82.1dB
LG G8X
Headphone Jack?
Yes
Frequency response
+0.04 / -0.12 dB
Dynamic Range
99dBA
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.0016%
Noise floor
-99dBA
Speaker volume
88.5dB
LG V60
Headphone Jack?
Yes
Frequency response
+0.03 / -0.11 dB
Dynamic Range
100.1dBA
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.00173%
Noise floor
-100.1dBA
Speaker volume
87.9dB
OnePlus 6T
Headphone Jack?
No
Frequency response
+0 / -0.1 dB
Dynamic Range
97.7dBA
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.001%
Noise floor
-97.6dBA
Speaker volume
72.9dB
OnePlus 7 Pro
Headphone Jack?
No
Frequency response
+0 / -0.1 dB
Dynamic Range
97.7dBA
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.0009%
Noise floor
-97.7dBA
Speaker volume
72.9dB
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Headphone Jack?
Yes
Frequency response
+0.01 / -0.06 dB
Dynamic Range
96.9dBA
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.0015%
Noise floor
-96.9dBA
Speaker volume
76.5dB
Samsung Galaxy S10e
Headphone Jack?
Yes
Frequency response
+0 / -0.39 dB
Dynamic Range
96.6dBA
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.0025%
Noise floor
-96.6dBA
Speaker volume
76.5dB
Sony Xperia 1 II
Headphone Jack?
Yes
Frequency response
+0.26 / -0.17 dB
Dynamic Range
100.4dBA
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.0024%
Noise floor
-100.4dBA
Speaker volume
77.3dB
Sony Xperia 1
Headphone Jack?
No
Frequency response
+0.01 / -0.06 dB
Dynamic Range
100dBA
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.013%
Noise floor
-100dBA
Speaker volume
89.3dB
Xiaomi Mi Mix 3
Headphone Jack?
No
Frequency response
+0 / -0.1 dB
Dynamic Range
101.4dBA
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.0012%
Noise floor
-101.3dBA
Speaker volume
73.8dB
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Headphone Jack?
Yes
Frequency response
+0 / -0.1 dB
Dynamic Range
98.4dBA
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.003%
Noise floor
-101.3dBA
Speaker volume
76.1dB

When it comes to wired listening, the lower the distortion and noise, the better the result. Similarly, the lower the deviation found in testing frequency response is, the less the sound will be altered. While some people like to artfully tune their music, any component that isn’t the headphones or the software playing back the music shouldn’t affect the signal at all. Only deviations + / – 3dB will be noticeable at all.

Our tests are overkill.

Few phones have issues here, but it’s not unheard of for a modern phone to have some weird issues here (*cough* the original Pixel *cough*). The frequency response test is more pass/fail than anything.

It will sound trite, but every single one of the phones listed here is all that we’d categorize as “perceptually perfect,” given their performance meets or exceeds what your average human can hear. However, they’re not actually perfect, and users with more power-hungry headphones may run into issues.

A chart showing the filter characteristics of the Apple iPhone X, Google Pixel 2, and the LG V30.
The Apple iPhone X and Google Pixel 2 (white, green) use a filter to limit high frequencies at the outer reaches of human hearing. The LG V30 (pink, cyan) does not.

In our testing, we noticed that the phones with dongles (Apple iPhones, Google Pixel devices) refused to output sound at the specified sample rate. We have no idea why this happened, but we could reproduce our results almost exactly between several different copies of each device with three testers. The upshot is that these phones should have an easier time dispelling IM distortion, but the tradeoff is that it technically isn’t performing as well.

While you shouldn’t really be able to tell when you stream music, ultra-hardcore wired-listening-only audiophiles might be unimpressed with this. It’s just as well—that crowd should avoid dongles if they’re using power-hungry headphones anyway.

Those who want to use Bluetooth audio must ensure that their phones and headphones speak the same language or codec. If they don’t, you likely won’t be able to enjoy your music as much as you could. Not all phones are created equal with Bluetooth support, and it’s worth knowing what codecs you can use on your mobile.

A2DPAACaptXaptX HDLDAC
Google Pixel 3
A2DP

AAC

aptX

aptX HD

LDAC

LG V60 ThinQ
A2DP

AAC

aptX

aptX HD

LDAC

Samsung Galaxy S9+
A2DP

AAC

aptX

aptX HD

LDAC

Nokia 8
A2DP

AAC

aptX

aptX HD

LDAC

Apple iPhone XS Max
A2DP

AAC

aptX

aptX HD

LDAC

OnePlus 6T
A2DP

AAC

aptX

aptX HD

LDAC

Razer Phone 2
A2DP

AAC

aptX

aptX HD

LDAC

Huawei Mate 20 Pro
A2DP

AAC

aptX

aptX HD

LDAC

Sony Xperia XZ3
A2DP

AAC

aptX

aptX HD

LDAC

Sony XPERIA 1 II
A2DP

AAC

aptX

aptX HD

LDAC

However, software updates can change the checkmarks on this list, so prepare for it to change over time. Many of these phones will end up supporting aptX and LDAC through updates to Android over time, while Apple’s support remains beholden to a tough-to-predict update schedule.

How do we test phones?

Using a dedicated audio interface, we measure the output of each phone. Using a software called Room EQ Wizard, we can measure things like dynamic range, distortion, noise, frequency response, and more. By logging these results, we can compare each phone against each other under the same test conditions with the same test files and the same equipment.

We can get a lot of information from a simple 96kHz/24-bit test file. We load the file onto the phones, play it back, and record the results. We did not use a higher-bitrate/higher-sample rate file; CD quality sound is “only” 44.1kHz/16-bit, and that’s more than sufficient to satisfy the perceptual limits of the vast majority of humans on Earth. We go with roughly double the highest common settings that most people will use. In this case, it is something that would meet or exceed CD quality because no streaming service can do that currently.

A chart showing the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus' near-perfect frequency response performance.
With almost no deviation from the test signal, the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus offers excellent performance that is error-free.

Speaker testing is fairly rudimentary. By playing a pink noise sample at full volume, we can measure the output with a microphone pointed directly at the phone. The front-facing units, on the whole, perform better than those on the bottom of the phone, given the sound is actually directed at the user.

Obviously, the existence of extra features and other concerns like Bluetooth have to factor into our decisions. However, these are generally present on the flagship phones and a few others. While our testing pool was artificially limited, companies have to shell out big bucks for licensing Bluetooth profiles and codecs. Generally, less expensive smartphones will also only include a few codecs, whereas the flagships will cover nearly all of them.


Frequently asked questions

For the majority of people, Spotify is the best music app, including Android users. See our list of the best music streaming apps to find out why and check out other options.

If you prefer wired listening, the best phone with a headphone jack is the Sony Xperia 1 V. If you can forgo the headphone jack, the phone with the best speakers is the Samsung Galaxy Fold 4.

In 2023, the smartphone with the best sound quality is the Sony Xperia 1 V. It offers a range of features that contribute to excellent sound quality including a high-quality DAC, stereo speakers, and native support for high-resolution audio.

We recommend the iPhone SE as the best deal among iPhones. Despite Apple’s controversial stance on the audio market and lack of a headphone jack, the iPhone SE stands out, thanks to its H2 chip and compatibility with AirPods or AirPods Pro. Its $429 price tag makes it a value pick, especially for those already in the Apple ecosystem.

To get the highest audio quality for music, you’ve got to turn to lossless audio formats. These formats, like FLAC, ALAC, and DSD, deliver sound matching the original studio recordings. Be ready for a big bite out of your storage, though. These tracks are weighty, but it’s the price you pay for audio perfection. Remember, you’ll need a good pair of headphones for the full benefit.

Craving the best audio experience from your mobile device? You’ll need more than just a smartphone. A high-quality pair of wired headphones can make a world of difference, giving you an audio quality that Bluetooth can’t compete with. Make sure your music files are in high-resolution formats like FLAC or ALAC. Also, don’t sleep on streaming services. For instance, services like TIDAL offer Hi-Fi audio streaming, so you can enjoy lossless audio wherever you are. But beware, high-resolution audio can eat up your data allowance fast.