Lenovo Lemon X3, vivo Xplay5 flagship and ZTE Tianji 7 Hi Fi phones are recognized in the industry as representatives of good sound quality performance. The first two use dual independent DAC configurations. The dual DACs of Lenovo Lemon X3 can only open one of them for decoding at the same time, while the flagship version of vivo Xplay5 can open two independent DACs at the same time to separately decode the left and right channels. The remaining ZTE Tianji 7 is quite special, using two audio chips, AK4961 and AK4490. The former can theoretically take into account the functions of ADC+DAC+Amp, while the latter is an independent DAC. However, similar to Lenovo Lemon X3, the AK4961 and AK4490 of ZTE Tianji 7 will not be decoded at the same time, and generally will only be handed over to the AK4490 for separate decoding.
On the other hand, ZTE Tianji 7 has built-in headset Hi Fi sound effect and Dolby panoramic sound, which can be manually turned on and off. The external amplifier is equipped with butterfly wing dual speakers+dual SmartPA sound effects, which also supports Dolby panoramic sound. ZTE officially said it would optimize several earphones such as BOSE, JBL and Beats. Lang Lang was also invited as the spokesperson at the press conference, preparing to attack the high-end market of Hi Fi mobile phones. Today, let's take a look at the audio performance of ZTE Tianji 7?
Hi Fi chip introduction
AK4961: codec, integrated ADC+DAC+Amp. Other digital devices such as Sony's professional recorder PCM-D100 also use this chip. Nubia Z7 and Nubia Z9 flagship computers have also used this codec. As mentioned above, in ZTE Tianji 7, AK4961 is mainly responsible for the ADC part (recording), while the DAC part (Hi Fi playing) is in the charge of AK4490. AK4961 has three echo, 360 ° automatic sound source identification and noise reduction functions. It can record sound accurately within 8 meters and be used in the recording studio. It integrates a recording microphone amplifier with low noise and low power consumption to achieve high-quality recoding performance and AKM DSP driven original sound processing.
AK4490: Independent DAC, the same model as Aili and AK380 professional players. ZTE Tianji 7 adopts AK4490EN, the successor of AK4490EQ. On the other hand, Aili and AK380 used two AK4490, and ZTE Tianji 7 used one.
Among the three dual DAC mobile phones, ZTE Tianji 7 does not use three independent op amp chips OPA1612, as Lenovo Lemon X3 and vivo Xplay5 flagship versions do, but it does not lag far behind in terms of thrust, which will be mentioned in the following sections of the actual audio link.
We compare the parameters of AK4961, AK4490 and several other Hi Fi chips with similar functions. It is found that the AK4490 parameters are outstanding in the sampling rate, but few tracks encoded with 768kHz/32bit are found on the market. The ESS platform still has obvious advantages on the three parameters of signal-to-noise ratio, dynamic range and total harmonic distortion.
ZTE Tianji 7 Experience - Audio Decoding Performance
It can be seen from the above table that the Hi Fi solution of the ESS platform still has certain advantages in terms of audio decoding alone, followed by the CS4398 platform, which was born earlier, and the recently emerging AK4376 platform. ZTE Tianji 7 and AK4375 platform solutions seem to be ineffective, neither supporting CUE song selection (also related to the system), It also does not support 44.1kHz/32bit audio tracks encoded by yaw gate, and DFF tracks encoded by DSD cannot be played. It is worth mentioning that the AK4490 is compatible with DSD encoded audio in the music players Aili and AK380, so I don't know why ZTE Tianji 7, which uses the same independent DAC, doesn't support it.
ZTE Tianji 7 Experience - Subjective Listening Sense Test
Analytical power: One I Love/327kbps/. mp3
ZTE Tianji 7+original earphones: not very analytical, basically can only hear the dental sound, breathing and swallowing saliva details lost quite a lot. The treble part feels ethereal. Because the bottom noise is well controlled, the overall performance of the female voice is relatively pure.
ZTE Tianji 7+Sony MDR-XB90EX. The background is very quiet, without noise and background noise. The soprano part of the female voice is not suppressed.
Analytical force: A Thunsand Years/320kbps/. mp3
ZTE Tianji 7+original earphones: the volume is controlled at more than half, the details of fire engines and helicopters are not deep, and other sounds: thunder, wind and waves are basically in place.
ZTE Tianji 7+Sony MDR-XB90EX. However, compared with the original earphones, the details heard this time are basically in place.
Analytical force: ferry/. flac
ZTE Tianji 7+original earphones: Compared with Sony earphones, the bass part of the earphones is more prominent, the first drum sound can be heard, and the overall performance of the background music is better than the voice. In terms of analytical power, we can hardly hear the details of dental sounds and saliva swallowing. At the same time, the vocal performance in high school and low tri frequency is not outstanding enough.
ZTE Tianji 7+Sony MDR-XB90EX: The first drum sound is in place, which can quickly grasp the ear and attention. In terms of analytical power, the details of dental sounds and saliva swallowing are not obvious. As for sister Cai Qin's voice, the performance of some high school and low tri band is not outstanding enough.
Hierarchy: one-to-one/128kbps/. mp3
ZTE Tianji 7+original earphones: Fan Fan's main voice and Tao Zhe's harmony are well matched, with distinct priorities without feeling that they have no communication. Their voices are integrated and very durable. In particular, the sound of "one" is worth pondering and tasting patiently, as if you can't tell whether it is one sound or two sounds.
ZTE Tianji 7+Sony MDR-XB90EX. In addition, the hybrid performance of Fan Fan and Tao Zhe is similar to the original ZTE earphones.
Hierarchy+separation: girls in Osaka City/320kbps/. mp3
ZTE Tianji 7+original earphones: at least four male voices can be heard, and the sense of positioning is also very clear, which can roughly judge who is speaking in which direction.
ZTE Tianji 7+Sony MDR-XB90EX: Same as above.
Aftertone: High Mountain and Flowing Water (Guzheng)/328kbps/. mp3
ZTE Tianji 7+original earphones: they have good extensibility, can hear high frequencies and float freely without being suppressed, as in One I Love above. The continuity between paragraphs is good, and the residual sound is smooth, so that the whole song will not lose its voice in some chapters.
ZTE Tianji 7+Sony MDR-XB90EX: Sony earphones that focus on low frequency have a little surprise in this link when they cooperate with ZTE Tianji 7. The continuity of aftertones is better than ZTE original earphones. Moreover, the timbre of the zither is clearer and cleaner, and the whole track sounds more analytical.
High frequency: Liang Zhu (flute solo)/128kbps/. mp3
ZTE Tianji 7+original earphones: high-frequency performance is clean and thorough, but compared with Sony earphones, high-frequency performance is somewhat suppressed. On the whole, the control force of this set of combination on the flute is relatively free, and perhaps it is this free play that keeps the high frequency of the flute from rising.
ZTE Tianji 7+Sony MDR-XB90EX: once again verified that this pair is more suitable for listening to high-frequency music, and the sad lingering flute can let listeners see the picture of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai turning into butterflies. However, the treble part is a little harsh due to the freedom of control, but I prefer this high-frequency style with slightly off key than the suppressed tuning method.
IF: When We Were Young/128kbps/. mp3
ZTE Tianji 7+original earphones: The female voice is extremely poisonous. This combination expresses the magnetism of the bass voice, the sweetness of the midrange voice, and the boldness of the treble voice.
ZTE Tianji 7+Sony MDR-XB90EX. The low frequency of the background music has increased. Whether the practice of using stronger background music to set off the voice and make the performance stronger can be heard varies from person to person. Personally, I prefer the above adjustment method.
IF: Love for a long time, see the heart/320kbps/. mp3
ZTE Tianji 7+original earphones: The piano sound of the chorus is relatively clear, so it is easy to shift attention to the high-frequency part. In the main song part, Jingru's voice completely overwhelms the background music, which is quite different from the tuning style of Sony earphones below. Therefore, readers who like to listen to voice may be more suitable for this combination, and the overall style is warm.
ZTE Tianji 7+Sony MDR-XB90EX. In the main song part, the background music still takes a strong background line, which makes the voice sound not so thin, but a little over the top. Compared with vivo Xshot+Sony MDR-XB90EX, the calibration method is more radical. The overall style is similar to that of vivo Xshot, which is warm.
Low frequency: All About That Bass/ WAV
ZTE Tianji 7+original earphones: Bass has a strong sense of rhythm. Although the lack of an independent operational amplifier chip will reduce the thrust of ZTE Tianji 7 to some extent, its performance in this song is still commendable. In this link, Bass and vocals tend to be adjusted in a 1:1 manner, and do not focus on vocals as other songs do.
ZTE Tianji 7+Sony MDR-XB90EX: Bass's voice is somewhat turbid, and other performances are similar to ZTE original earphones. It seems that the two earphones have chosen a balance point, and the weight of vocals and Bass has been adjusted to a relatively balanced state. It is worth mentioning that this combination has made ZTE Tianji 7 feel a certain sensation, and those who can not bear this pleasant stimulus can appropriately turn down the volume.
Low frequency: Gushi/320kbps/. mp3
ZTE Tianji 7+original earphones: The drum rhythm is more layered, not too stuffy, but the sense of low frequency and lower potential is inferior to that of Sony earphones, but on the whole, the performance of the two earphones with ZTE Tianji 7 is commendable.
ZTE Tianji 7+Sony MDR-XB90EX: It has a certain diving ability. The drum can form a certain pressure on the heart and feel the pressure on the ears. On the other hand, there is no feeling of dullness in the drum sound. It has a certain echo, which is very endurable with the occasional crisp drum beating sound.
ZTE Tianji 7 comes with original earphone experience
Since netizens are more interested in the earphones randomly attached to ZTE Tianji 7, and the earphones randomly attached to Hi Fi mobile phones must also be tested, we took another three earphones of the same level for horizontal evaluation. The specific combination is as follows:
Scheme 1: Original earphones (semi in ear design earphones, digital audio earphones similar to vivo XE680, Le Max 2 and Apple's "Big White Rabbit"), which support remote control.
Scheme 2: Sony MDR-XB90EX
Scheme 3: vivo XE600i
Scheme 4: BYD MMX71IE (vivo customized version)
Compared with the three earphones of Sony, vivo and Baya Power, ZTE's semi earphones are the most comfortable to wear. It seems unfair to test the performance of this earphone with the combination of "ZTE Tianji 7+original earphones", so I replaced the vivo Xshot as the front end, and connected the above four earphones to see the specific performance.
Test track 1: Low frequency, All About That Bass
The overall sound field of ZTE earphones is more open. You can feel that Bass and musicians are not just standing in front of you to play. The other three earphones can hardly create such a surrounding effect. In addition to the problem of wearing comfort, in ear earphones always make us feel a sense of pressure on the ears, making it impossible to further spread the sound to the back of the head. Of course, the low-frequency performance of the four earphones is commendable, with enough volume and appeal. Since the tuning style of vivo Xshot does not favor low frequency, the performance of the four earphones on low frequency is still positive.
Test track 2: IF, ferry
Sister Cai Qin's voice is mellow and plump under the performance of ZTE earphones, and the voice is not suppressed. The other three earphones are more or less weakened in some high pitch positions, reducing the feeling of penetrating the sky. Similar to the case of vivo Xplay5 Standard Edition+XE600i, the vivo Xshot+ZTE earphone can be moved by the previous drums, which can focus people's relaxed thoughts. The performance of the other three earphones is similar. The middle and low frequencies and drums are all explained, but there is a gap compared with ZTE's earphones.
Test track 3: High frequency, Liang Zhu
Baya Power and Sony have a slightly stronger extensibility than the vivo XE600i and ZTE. You can feel the high frequency of the front two earphones floating up as far as possible without being harsh. The lingering sorrow of the flute is intertwined, which makes people have a sense of picture.
Test track 4: Male voice, love can't be compared (Pin Guan)
ZTE earphones obviously know better than Sony earphones in rendering voices. On the other hand, they also highlight the voice characteristics of vivo Xshot. The background and voice mix is very warm, which truly presents the Pinguan Warm Male Voice Line. Although it is a lovelorn song, the creator originally wrote it as a healing feeling. ZTE was able to express this healing feeling, and Sony was more inclined to take the sentimental route completely.
Baya Power focuses on vocals, changing the tuning style of vivo Xshot, which leads to a little separation between vocals and background music. The vivo XE600i is similar to BYD, but the combination of vocals and background music is more gentle and natural than BYD.
Test track 5: female voice, love song (Liang Jingru)
The XE600i, Baya Power and ZTE earphones focus on vocals. Jingru Sister's high pitched voice is not particularly appealing, but the overall style maintains the warm tuning mode of vivo Xshot. Sony earphones integrate background music and vocals in a more harmonious way, so that Jingru's voice is not too thin and has a strong three-dimensional sense.
Test track 6: Chorus, Summer Blown by the Wind (JJ Lin+Kinsa)
Although Baya Power did not show that Kinsa's female voice was very poisonous, it was still able to work in harmony with JJ's voice. Unlike ordinary singing, JJ and Kinsa's voice sounded from the middle of the headphones, not one standing in the left channel and the other standing in the right channel for reverberation.
Sony earphones still strengthen the low-frequency part of the background music, and hear some details that the other three earphones do not have. However, the voice of the solo part of Kinshasa is still not enough to catch the ear. Compared with ZTE Tianji 7+ZTE earphones, it lacks some expressiveness in the vocal part.
XE600i tunes some voices of Jinsha Solo to be poisonous and very endurable. Then the background music has a Sony flavor. Although it does not highlight the low-frequency part, it can work well with the voice, giving JJ and Kinshasa a strong three-dimensional sound.
Maybe it's a new front end. The combination of vivo Xshot+ZTE earphones is obviously inferior to ZTE Tianji 7+ZTE earphones. It seems that the voice and background music are quite separated. It seems that the performance team has not considered the voice of Jinsha and JJ. The bass part is a little abrupt, and it still feels like a beat when it should not be repeated. Jinsha's female voice is far less ear catching than that of ZTE Tianji 7.
summary
The ZTE Tianji 7+standard headset does not show an overwhelming advantage over the ZTE Tianji 7+Sony MDR-XB90EX combination. The high-frequency and low-frequency performance is not as durable as that of the Sony MDR-XB90EX headset. In terms of the mid-range, the ZTE Tianji 7+standard headset and the Sony MDR-XB90EX have each other's victory or defeat. ZTE Tianji 7's analytical power is not outstanding. Whether it is matched with standard earphones or Sony MDR-XB90EX, it would be better to use standard earphones in terms of hierarchy. Sony MDR-XB90EX is too dominant in low-frequency. The advantage of ZTE Tianji 7+standard earphones is that they have a good sense of stereo and space, a wide sound field, and are relatively resistant to popular music.
Similarly, the attached semi earphones are more suitable for listening to popular music than musical instruments. The tri frequency is more balanced but better than the open sound field. The stereo sense and positioning sense are good. The earphones are comfortable to wear. I believe that the semi in ear design of Apple, LeTV and ZTE is also the mainstream in the future.
