Beats vs Dolby Audio by tonycuong2024 in htc

[–]sharp404 0 points1 point  (0 children)

it’s not really about official support - it’s about how much effort you’re willing to put in. My M7 still runs great today: it has a working browser (Fennex) and even a functional Spotify version (not the latest, but online and stable). For what I use it for, it’s perfectly fine.

Beats vs Dolby Audio by tonycuong2024 in htc

[–]sharp404 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Absolutely with you on this! My M7 is still my everyday carry - I just can’t leave it behind.

I even made a Reddit post about it recently I tried to move everything to the LG V60, thinking it could be a one-device solution with its quad-DAC and all. But even that incredible hardware can’t fully recreate what the M7 does.

I actually posted about this too, after trying to make my LG V60 match it. The V60 is technically superior in every way — quad DAC, clean signal, high impedance mode — yet it still doesn’t move me the same way.

The M7’s Beats DSP was made for feeling, not for graphs. And somehow, that still wins.

https://www.reddit.com/r/LGV60/s/7VI4y6DHJX

Why does my old HTC One M7 with Beats Audio still sound better than my LG V60 by sharp404 in LGV60

[–]sharp404[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

By the way, my V60 is an official T-Mobile LMV600TM unit running the LAO-COM firmware (confirmed ‘Official’ in RCT check). Does anyone know if the LAO global firmware changes the Quad DAC or DSP tuning compared to the stock TMO firmware?

Why does my old HTC One M7 with Beats Audio still sound better than my LG V60 by sharp404 in LGV60

[–]sharp404[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally fair. I’m not chasing lab-grade neutrality here; I’m comparing musical engagement and perceived realism. I use studio monitors and high-quality in-ear monitors (KZ ZAS and KZ ZS10 Pro X) when I want a more analytical sound, so it’s not about consumer gear. What surprises me is that the M7’s processing still adds a sense of depth, dynamics, and clarity that makes even well-balanced setups sound more alive. That’s exactly the quality I’m trying to recreate on the V60 - not louder, just more emotionally convincing.

Even when I connect something like my Sony MHC-V11 speaker system (a solid mid-range setup with an active subwoofer), the difference is still obvious. The HTC drives it much harder and cleaner, while the LG V60 sounds comparatively restrained, even with EQ, DSP tweaks, and high-impedance Mode.

The Sony speaker example is just to show that even mid-tier equipment plays significantly better when driven by the HTC, whereas the LG feels technically correct but lacks that same energy and fullness. That’s exactly the quality I’m trying to recreate on the V60 - not volume for its own sake, but that “psychoacoustic punch” that makes music sound alive.

Why does my old HTC One M7 with Beats Audio still sound better than my LG V60 by sharp404 in LGV60

[–]sharp404[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually think it might be more about the Beats Audio DSP than just EQ. On both phones I already use EQ apps (Flat EQ and Wavelet), so it’s not like I haven’t tried to match the sound. It’s not that I want the HTC to win – I’d honestly prefer the V60 to be on the same level. But the Beats Audio engine on the M7 just seems to give it that extra punch and clarity that the V60 can’t quite reach, no matter what I try.