Audio Quality


twobit

Still Fresh
Joined
Feb 9, 2010
Messages
22
Hi folks,

Well, I just got my order in for the Pandora (also a case and spare battery). Requested UPS overnight as I can't wait to get my hands on this thing. Just a matter of being patient now I guess. Wish I knew which batch I'd get in on, somewhere in the first lot I was told.

Anyway...

I'm curious about the sound quality on the Pandora. I have an Asus EeePC 701SD. I'd planned on mucking around with it and having a portable audio sequencer for long train rides and road trips that were required when I get called out to consult on things (IT infrastructure engineer) Not to mention playing music and movies on it. The thing is, the speaker quality and output in general (even decent headphones are horrible) is absolutely bloody awful on the thing.

I ended up giving it to my wife as a huge (relatively speaking) ebook reader. She doesn't even use it after asking me for a PSP3k (home-brewed) like I use for reading, music and writing simple tracks on. We're both PSP users now - the sound is far superior.

Now, I begged her to let me get the Pandora. It's gong to let me read ebooks (I hope to port BookR from the PSP homebrew scene, or write something similar using python), listen to music, watch movies and, with luck if I can find an app that allows it, write/record music while I'm out and about (nothing worse that getting a track written in your head then forgetting it when you get home).

With that said, how is the sound quality on this device? I'm hoping it's decent quality. I'd like to think the speakers (they don't have to pump out the volume) are okay and not a crackly mess like the 701SD from Asus. Anyone heard them yet? Or anyone able to give me a tech run-down on the audio chipset/speakers etc?

Cheers,
Twobit
 
based on how much time and money was spend on the two nubs, im almost certain the speakers are of high quality
 
Burr Brown DAC - The speakers themselves are small, and aren't going to sound like a symphony hall, but according to the lucky few to hear them they 'aren't half-bad'. Plug in some quality headphones and I'm sure you won't be disappointed. The sound chip is good, damn good.
 
I believe this is the datasheet for the DAC, although I just found it in a thread so I'm not 100% sure:

http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/pcm1773.html

Some similar threads:

http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?/topic/45252-can-anyone-report-on-music-sound-quality
http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?/topic/45093-details-and-specs-of-the-pandoras-sound-card
http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?/topic/50015-the-pandora-sound-chip
http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?/topic/50518-pandora-sound-hardware
http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?/topic/44508-audio-hardware

(Look for Guru posts, MWeston in particular).

Regarding software, you'll have plenty to keep you busy once a few key people start porting stuff. :)

http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?/topic/47362-music-making-software-daws-sequencers-recorders-etc-for-pandora
http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?/topic/51536-music-creator
http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?/topic/51424-pandora-audiomusic-sequencermixer
http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?/topic/49917-csoundpd-pro-audio
http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?/topic/46855-pandora-and-the-ol-mucking-about-with-sound-aspect
 
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Fantastic. Thanks very much for the replies. That info has helped out a lot, seems like I can completely drop my PSP now!

And those audio apps look great, seems I'll be able to do everything single thing that i wanted with my Pandora. Now I just need to sort out a protective cover like "Inteleshield" for the iPhone and PSP.

Cheers again,
Twobit
 
The community here's really great too, so if you find a use case for Pandora that no one's thought of, there are plenty of people that'd help you get a solution to your problem. But yeah, for audio it's gonna be fantastic. I'll be posting a really in-depth review when I get mine, I'm in the first 1,000 and live in Texas so I'll probably get it in the first week or two they are shipping. I've got some nice headphones (Grado SR-80's and Ultrasone Pro 750's, and on the cheaper end some Koss PortaPro's) and I'll audition the headphones both directly connected to the pandora and through a battery-powered CMOY headphone amp. I'll also connect the line-out from the tv-out cable to my receiver running my JBL Century 100's and crank it up :)
 
twobit said:
Fantastic. Thanks very much for the replies. That info has helped out a lot, seems like I can completely drop my PSP now!

And those audio apps look great, seems I'll be able to do everything single thing that i wanted with my Pandora. Now I just need to sort out a protective cover like "Inteleshield" for the iPhone and PSP.

Cheers again,
Twobit
ooooo yaaaahhhh, you definitely won't be disappointed if you've been listening on a psp. that thing had some of the worst mp3 sound quality i've ever heard & couldn't get much louder than a mouse fart. The pandora should have better audio quality than the iphone & should be able to drive even larger cans satisfyingly.
 
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I can't wait. I plan on finding as many strange uses as I can for the device. It'll be like gaffer tape. That doesn't sound like a good way to describe it, but honestly, I couldn't live without gaffer - so many, many useful applications. And I think the Pandora will be just like it in terms of versatility.

First thing is going to messing around with a portable web server. Roaming content =P
 
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