The legendary “Gorbushka”: view from the other side of the counter. Uprising at the Yuryuzan plant About the preparation of ears
I believe that almost every reader who lives in Moscow or comes there on business has at least once been to the markets, which are popularly called “Gorbushka”, “Savela” and “Mityok”. Once upon a time, trade in the most unusual goods flourished there (and in some places still blooms). Often among them there are specimens with a not very pure pedigree, however, contrary to popular belief, they ruled the roost for a long time and did not last long.
There are many legends surrounding the pavilions and stalls at such markets. They say they are driving up prices, making money on cars and apartments, and robbing honest people. They buy for pennies, sell for rubles, there are no guarantees, and they are also rude to customers. In general, nice, successful people work there.
I have been collecting information about what is happening on the modern Gorbushka for a long time. Having visited many points on the market and talked with a fair number of people, I (it seems to me) finally found “that very person” who was able to tell how everything really is - without embellishment and smoke screens. On condition of anonymity ( Let's assume that my counterpart's name is Ivan, although this is a blatant lie) I received the most honest answers to my questions.
Please note that the point of view of one seller is just the point of view of one seller and nothing more. I would like to immediately note that if this conversation seems interesting to you - or you want to clarify some points - I will be happy to continue communicating with (without irony) interesting people trading on Moscow markets.
Not all of these people will go to the market, but the density of the crowd at the metro exit is still impressive
Of course, I refined Ivan’s speech a little, but I tried to maintain the style of presentation. I hope you can imagine this person who is engaged, by and large, in not the most pleasant work, where there are many, many surprises, but for some reason all of them are not very pleasant. And you and I are largely to blame for the fact that some transformations took place in Ivan’s consciousness.
Ilya Tarakanov: Right off the bat, the question is: why are these prices so high? After all, a person comes and sees - it’s expensive.
Ivan: Why is it expensive? For example, in the same Svyaznoy the device costs 30 thousand, but I have it listed for 20. If the thing is not very new, then maybe for 15. Agree: half the price is not at all expensive. I repeat, it happens that the phone or laptop is in perfect condition, the fly has not been sitting, then the price is 20 thousand rubles, this is not bad.
In general, prices in my pavilion are determined depending on demand. If we are dealing with a popular item, it will cost closer to a new one, the same 20, or even 25 thousand rubles, because, as they say, it is “ideally”. If there is no demand for a product in principle, the price tag can be at least 5 thousand rubles. In purchasing - when they bring me something - everything happens exactly the same. If a person comes to me to sell something, and I know that the product is not selling, then I will not give a lot of money for it. And if the item is popular and has already been offered to him elsewhere good price- the person won’t give it away cheaply, that’s understandable.
And I’ll tell you this: basically, people who say that the markets are “so expensive” usually look either at old (rare) models, or they think that everything here is stolen, and thieves give away stolen goods for free, but I have to cheat 500 rubles and sell. I don’t know whether it’s unfortunately or fortunately, but it’s not like that.
Ilya Tarakanov: I know from my own experience that in the markets they usually give ridiculous money for the same phones - and on the Internet you can sell something more profitably, and the same is true with purchases. Conventionally, I’ll sell a phone for 5 thousand rubles, but on the market they give two. The device will go on display for seven thousand. Hence the question - why such prices.
Ivan: It happens, I agree. These are already your problems. In fact, in this situation you have only yourself to blame. The conclusion is simple - go and look. For example, they recently brought a Sony PSP to a neighbor and sold it for only a thousand rubles. Here, it’s like in any market: there is a conversation between the seller and the buyer, there is trade. For example, I would take this “piespischka” for three rubles. You see, the guys didn’t make it a little and decided to give it to a neighbor. So if they don’t give you enough, then, I repeat, this is your problem: you didn’t go through everything, you didn’t travel through everything, you didn’t want to sell it for more. In fact, he is his own enemy.
People often have the wrong approach. They bring the thing and say: “How much will you give?” These, in my experience, are about 90% of the total mass. We call such a client a “traveling salesman”. Think for yourself, this is how I answer such a question: “How much will you give?” - respond to the buyer? We're not buying, after all. A man came to offer me his product, and he, as a seller, should interest me.
There are also real bargains on the market. They won’t give you a good price, but they won’t ask unnecessary questions either.
Let me give you an example. Recently, a real black man came to me, and unlike many walkers, he did not become indignant and curse me for greed, but began to competently advertise his product. Here I have a super laptop, it’s cool, look. All this is in a mixture of English and broken Russian. At first he held a kind of theatrical advertising campaign, then he began to bargain and interest. The laptop was not very popular, at first I didn’t want to take it at all - but he threw off a little, and we agreed. Here I act as a buyer and behave like any person in a supermarket when stale goods are sold at a super price. Everyone thinks: “Hm, it’s cheap, I should take it - what if it comes in handy?” And they buy. That's what I do too.
Let me clarify once again: in fact, the person who comes to me is a seller, and I am just a buyer. And it is believed that I have to do everything to these would-be sellers - evaluate the device, give the highest price, and (if they like how I did everything) they will deign to accept the money from me. Sometimes this position on the part of those who come to the market to sell something leads to the fact that the devices are taken from them very, very cheaply. Personally, I simply cannot talk to such people, but someone can buy for pennies. Simple advice to a person who wants to sell things at a high price on the market - you need to look at prices on the Internet, start trading with a certain amount, and interest the buyer - for example, me. Sometimes I don’t even bargain if I see that the person came savvy.
In addition, if you want to sell something, you first need to decide on the price, and for this you need to know the market conditions. There are popular phone models, and there are slow-moving ones - like LG or Motorola. Personally, I will take even a nearly new device from such a slow-selling brand for only 50% of its store price. But the running models are Nokia, Sony Ericsson, some Samsung, iPhone of all stripes, they can be purchased more expensive. By the way, no one will buy new models (regardless of the manufacturer) at a high price either - the loss of value occurs too quickly, people do not want to take risks.
There are many brands, but not everyone is interested in them
There is also a nuance with exchanges. Sometimes people want to do everything in one place - sell the device, pay extra and buy another, more expensive one. The approach is fundamentally wrong: it is better to sell in one place and buy in another. After all, you want to win more for yourself. I am personally interested, God willing, in a third of the phones that they bring me, and the rest I buy like garbage. For example, I can buy a rare model and it’s expensive, but in another place they will buy the same phone for a couple of hundred rubles. There are intermediary people who buy such rare devices, but they sell them to me at a noticeably higher price. The same StarTac 85, StarTac 130, Sony Z1, Sony Z5 - that’s right, offhand.
By the way, about prices on the Internet. It’s not always possible to properly check an item when you meet a person somewhere on the subway. There are a lot more tricks and scams there, in my opinion. Well, for example, so you understand - today they brought a laptop, I see that it was repaired and the seal was opened - but the operating system was not installed. There are also plenty of cunning people on the Internet, believe me.
Ilya Tarakanov: What about the guarantee?
Ivan: And here the logic is like in the army. If you have lost something, then it is not someone else’s fault that the thing was stolen from you. It’s your fault: you overlooked it, put it in the wrong place, didn’t put it in the right place. Sometimes buyers say: “You should have checked the phone before selling it.” But think about it, when you buy a car, you check it. In fact, there is not much difference between a car or a telephone, both are goods. Of course, I check the devices myself - but I’m not an x-ray machine. Sometimes people believe that they were deceived and given illicit assets. Everything is simpler. I test only the basic functions - transmitter and receiver, sometimes on a special stand. I can also check the camera and charging, but I can’t physically look at all the secondary functions - there are too many of them.
Repair is good way earnings that require certain qualifications. However, some people manage successfully without it.
So in a situation when a person comes and says that something is not working for him, the blame lies with the buyer. If you actively use something (from functions), check everything immediately when purchasing. Moreover, if you buy a used device, you buy it cheaper.
In addition, if we talk about the guarantee, let's first try to understand what it is. Usually this is a factory warranty, that is, for manufacturing defects. If a trading organization undertakes to resolve such issues, it deals with them. But if something happened due to the buyer’s fault, then that’s his problem. And for used items, you must immediately discuss what kind of guarantee the seller gives in each specific case. You see, nothing works on trust, there must be some kind of paper. Usually the time frame indicated on such a piece of paper is short - about a week. Sometimes they don't give a guarantee at all. Some people do diagnostics for free, but repairs are already done at the client’s expense.
Buy a phone and get it repaired right away. It happens.
Our conversation was interrupted by a man of about 30 who entered the pavilion.
Tell, Qtek SWhat's your price for 200?
- S200? Five thousand. In great condition.
- With a box, right? Or so?
- Well, if you need the box, I’ll try to find it, it’s lying around somewhere. So I'll give you the kit.
- Are there any players?
- EatiPod"s only.
- iPad"yes, huh?
- iPod"s.
- iPod"s... (Pause for 10 seconds.) And how muchiPod"s?
- Well, there are about seven, eight thousand. There are small ones. I don’t know why you even need a player. There are small ones, they are like key chains. It's worth three eight hundred, I think. It's four gigabytes. It has voice control. Actually somewhereSonythere must be... Ah, here it is. Also four gigabytes. I just don't know how much you're expecting. ThisSonycosts two thousand.
- Thank you, I'll walk around and think about it.
So, when you buy not new thing— it may contain hidden defects; it's a pig in a poke. In addition, the main function of the phone is to make and receive calls, and even in court, dissatisfied customers were rejected for the reason that the complaints were only about additional functions.
But you shouldn’t think that the game here is purely one-sided. The seller can also be deceived, and in the end he risks his money. Personally, I try not to factor the price of such devices into other products on the shelf. I sell the “dead” for parts or somehow revive them.
Many people think that after their shift, salesmen go to their luxurious homes in such cars. Alas, in reality everything is not so beautiful
Ilya Tarakanov: If we talk about profits, legends say that they reach hundreds of percent. How is it really?
Ivan: Previously, when phones were bought often and in large quantities, the profit was 100-500 rubles from one device. Therefore, it was more profitable to sell cheap devices in terms of interest. Nowadays people buy less often, and life - in all respects - has become more expensive. Therefore, the markup increased to 1-2 thousand rubles. For some devices, of course, less. On average, I try to increase at least 10%.
Ilya Tarakanov: What are the busiest days?
Ivan: A few years ago it was always Saturday and Sunday, but now the situation is worse. Our market was once the most profitable for the company that owns premises here. After certain events there is no such trade anymore, there is no big money. In March, let's say, there were almost no sales at all.
Ilya Tarakanov: Regarding the question of money, where does it go?
Ivan: Let me explain the situation. The rent for the pavilion on the ground floor is 150 thousand rubles per month. This is 25-30 square meters. There are also pavilions for 200-300 thousand rubles per month, if they are very popular. The further you are from the entrance, the cheaper it is, say, 50 thousand a month for 15 meters on the second floor.
Once upon a time, discs brought super profits, but now their time has passed. However, compared to phones, they still feed well
There are other “nice” little things - you have to pay about 20 thousand rubles a year for a cash register. If there are no hired employees, you waste days going to the tax office. If you put a salesman in jail, you give him a salary. Moreover, 60% of the money that an individual entrepreneur allocates is given to the state, and only 40% is received by the employee - that’s why we have almost no white wages here anywhere. In addition, if you have a hired salesperson, other mark-ups begin: a medical book (however, this is what costs relative money), labor protection, training in rules fire safety once a year (about 5-6 thousand rubles) to read them to employees, and they took this money from me, even though no one works for me. Plus - training to work at the cash register, and every year. At the institute you study only once, but here it is believed that in a year you have time to forget how to press the buttons on a cash register.
If you look at salaries, the minimum wage on the market is 30 thousand per month, and these are not even Muscovites, but visitors. There are different options - for example, several people rent one pavilion. It happens that pavilions are partially subleased - just to survive. There are people who work absolutely legally, and there are pavilions where five people sit without a cash register.
Ilya Tarakanov: How then is such money “recovered”? And where are the super profits?
Ivan: Used devices have to be sold at a minimum. About five pavilions on the ground floor sell restored devices, refurbished, under the guise of new ones - this is where the big money is made. That is, magically from some service, devices are bought for 5 thousand rubles, and sold twice as much. Worn ones are a little cheaper, but you can’t sell them as new. You can bring references from China - for example, buy a Nokia 8800 Arte Sapphire for a couple of hundred dollars, and sell it here for a thousand. There are also a lot of “gray” devices, unofficial, or taken from customs. But excess profits are effectively offset by high rents.
Last summer, according to stories, one prudent trader earned money on an apartment in Moscow using such fans. Those who traded air conditioners have long had their own markets
By and large, in Lately sellers here feed not themselves, but the landlord. So there is no need to talk about any super-profits, and the market is gradually becoming empty. The landlord’s position is clear: there is a desire to earn money quickly, there is no talk of any kind of development. Rents have never been reduced, and during the crisis they even increased slightly.
Another break in the conversation - a pretty girl approaches.
- Buy a phone? (Shows some kind of folding phoneSony Ericsson)
- And how much?
- Four hundred.
- Hm. Four hundred...
- It... The top cover is coming off.
In reality, the cover of the device is simply broken off and is barely held on by one cable, but the phone seems to be working.
- Oh, well, I see the sled is bent. In general, everything is broken... No, no need, thanks.
Hence we come to the conclusion that charging even a thousand from a device is completely unprofitable. Cost-effective - about two thousand per device. By the way, don’t forget about the cash register and taxes - an audit comes and you get a fine. You are faced with a choice: a fake cash register and the risk of a fine, or an official cash register and sales tax.
The pavilions are closing due to the policies of the market administration.
Keep in mind that you can’t pay rent on phones alone—you have to deal with repairs, laptops, and accessories. Or, as I already said, divide the pavilion into parts. Hundreds of phones were sold until Euroset was organized. Nowadays there may be a couple of sales a day in slow-moving areas of the market.
So if you want to start doing something on the market, it is best that you are given a product to sell, so as not to invest money in it, but the profit will be small. In any case, you will have to spin around and carefully monitor demand. For example, there are many outlets selling Chinese phones, burned out - did not catch the changes in the market. No one here has permanent excess profits - the channels at customs or obtaining counterfeit goods are blocked, and people are left with nothing.
Ilya Tarakanov: Clear. I now propose to talk about what buyers look like through the eyes of the seller. Why do they sometimes communicate so rudely with customers at the market?
Ivan: You know, I myself used to think that sellers were boors, but when I worked in the market for some time - and I’ve been in trading for a couple of decades - I realized that sometimes my nerves simply give out. The work, as you understand, is far from calm, there are a lot of inadequate people walking around, and more and more every year. Sellers, roughly speaking, are sitting on valerian. For example, a person comes and says: “Nokia N72.” And he looks at me. How should I answer this? I just look at him, and he starts to get irritated. I just want him to correctly formulate what he wants. Personally, I can only speak rudely if they are already rude to me. It’s a trivial response.
In addition, it is almost immediately clear from a person why he came - to pick out brains or buy something. There are “renters” - they take the devices and then return them. Sometimes I see that it’s not my client, and I answer questions: “I don’t have that.” But, of course, if I have an employee - without experience - then I will force him to approach each client politely and with a smile. It all depends on experience. The only problem is that it is not always clear to the client how much money he has in his wallet. But there are times when they come for a model for 5 thousand rubles, and leave with something for 30.
As long as the flow of people does not become scarce, sellers can sleep and work in peace
Ilya Tarakanov: What is the proportion of qualified clients?
Ivan: Less than 50%. Most often, spectators come as if to a circus - they have nothing to do, they just want to walk around and stare. Sometimes, I won’t lie, I get annoyed by questions “where to buy” - if they ask for something completely out of stock. In addition, not even every tenth person buys, on average, every twentieth person buys. That is, in order to earn your thousand rubles (don’t forget about the rent, which will eat up half of the increase) you need to communicate with a dozen or two people, of which it’s good if half are adequate. There are also amazingly indecisive people - even their comrades push them, they say, “go ask.” But it doesn't matter.
Ilya Tarakanov: Last question. Two decades on the market - and don’t you really want to go anywhere?
Ivan: And where to? I have higher education, I am an engineer. My specialty is radio electronics, which is why I also do repairs. Here you are your own boss. The money is generally not bad, enough to live on. If you want more, you can spin around, but not everyone is allowed to get out, the regulatory authorities begin to pinch. Lately it has become easier, but before there were constant extortions. They were looking for counterfeit goods - and, of course, they found them. It’s just a pity that landlords have some kind of wrong psychology. Buyers feed mainly them, not sellers, so write it.
And we will definitely come...
During the hour-long conversation, only two people entered the pavilion, and Ivan did not earn a penny. Maybe it just wasn’t the best day - but tomorrow, as usual, you’ll be lucky.
Dear readers, if you liked this material and want to know something else, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments. I will make every effort to obtain truthful answers.
Today, dear readers, I will try out a new column format - first I will discuss a topic related to audio, then I will answer questions. I think this will help kill two birds with one stone - in the end, no one will leave offended. In short, everything will be positive.
Getting used to the sound
After a long (about two weeks) periodic listening to the Panasonic HJE-900, I finally returned to my beloved Ultimate Ears UE11PRO, and discovered a standard thing for people writing reviews of new headphones on forums - yes, these headphones have “no top”. Well, listening to headphones for a long time makes you get used to the sound - and the HJE900 has a frankly bright high end. I won’t say that the UE11PRO has a “reference” top - not at all, you can probably find better ones, but I would like to point out a simple thing: it’s not very right to constantly listen to the same headphones, on the one hand. On the other hand, when “switching” from one headphone to another, you need to give your hearing aid some time to adapt - so as not to write the wrong things.
Panasonic HJE-900
Ultimate Ears UE11PRO
Personally, I try to “live” with “pass-through” headphones for a couple of days – as a portable and/or home option, and with something interesting – for about a week. I don’t want to appear in the eyes of readers as something like an expert on alcoholic beverages, saying that you need to “reset” your taste sensations (as for headphones - auditory), but experience shows that in order to evaluate headphones, you either need to constantly listen to different models - and then your hearing will adapt faster, or walk with headphones for quite a long time.
Headphones with replaceable wire
Hello, Ilya!
I am addressing you as a headphone specialist. There is a problem - earbuds rarely last more than six months with intensive use. As a rule, there is no point in sending for repairs, and you have to choose and buy new ones.
So the question is: what plugs with a replaceable cable do you recommend? This refers to the availability at retail in Moscow, both of the ears themselves and the cables to them. Budget about 2 tr.
Sincerely,
Novel
Roman, for two thousand rubles, and in Moscow, and in stock, and that the plugs are a difficult task, and I couldn’t solve it.
There are several models of on-ear headphones from Sennheiser - here there will be no problems with the availability of wires for replacement.
In your case, I would be mentally prepared to order a more expensive model - something from Shure, Westone or Ultimate Ears, as an option - Sleek Audio SA1/SA6. Here the prices are 100-200 dollars (abroad) for headphones, and 20-30 dollars for a wire.
But given the given budget, I think it’s easier to just throw away the headphones and buy new ones. Alas, this is exactly how it turns out.
Monster Beats Mixr Headphones
Ilya, hello!
I would like to know your opinion. What do you think about headphones Monster Beats Mixr? What are the alternatives for them? I'm going to listen mainly to electronic music.
Thanks in advance for your answer.
Best regards, Nikita.
Nikita, this model passed me by. Therefore, we have to reason, and I ask you not to accept my judgments as the only correct ones.
You need to be careful when buying Beats headphones - so far, of the models I've listened to, I've only been completely satisfied with the Pro. Plus, there are many fakes.
One way or another, the price of Mixr is from 7 to 15 thousand rubles, I believe, for 7 it’s a fake, for 15 I can say with some confidence that it’s an original. Abroad, the price is $250, by the way.
And given the price positioning of the headphones, I don’t think there will be any revelation in terms of sound quality. I’ll be glad to be wrong, but for 7 (and even more so for 15) thousand rubles, it’s better to look for something else; alternatives are the same Beats Pro (beware of fakes), Sony 7506 (these will cost 7 thousand).
Monster Beats Mixr
Monster Beats Pro
About the Sandisk Sansa Clip player
Dear Ilya Tarakanov.
Everything that was written about this player is exactly so. On my own behalf, I can add that I listened to this player for three days at a friend’s dacha through small speakers without an amplifier. That is, the sound was provided only by the player!
But! The clip held perfectly, but it itself could not stay on the body. The eyelets through which the clip axis passes are too thin. Eyelets must be made of metal.
There was audio interruption when playing files. I believe it was due to the fact that the player was used at full capacity and the speakers were not matched.
It's great as a voice recorder. You turn it on at the beginning of the party, and then edit a sound recording with a number of photos.
I'm going to buy a micro SD. After all, I only have 2 gigs.
Very convenient to study foreign languages by downloading audio lessons. After turning on, it plays the file in the place where the player was turned off.
You can listen to lectures on disciplines of interest and receive additional education.
And the presence of a radio is not a superfluous addition to the functions of this wonderful player.
Before this I had an Apacer. Hmmm...
No comments needed, thanks for the detailed review!
Choosing an Android smartphone
“Andrey, so far the best sound I’ve heard on an Android smartphone was from Sony Xperia P. In any case, this is not a panacea - there are much better sounding players, but the sound is very high quality. And a regular player can easily be replaced"
Which non-Android phone is the best at reproducing sound through headphones? They praised Blackberry to me, is that true?
You might also be interested in the Sennheiser CX680 headphones. They have a short cable of 60cm, which is convenient for all owners nokia phones with remote controls. Kevlar braided cable, which solves the common problem of headphones failing after a couple of months, and affordable price. I imagine many Nokia drivers will be interested.
If you don't take Android, then the top priority should be given to the Nokia N8, followed by the iPhone 4/4S.
Sennheiser - almost always a good choice in terms of workmanship, but, in my opinion, for the same money you can choose something better sounding.
About ear preparation
Good night, Ilya.
Glad to see the audiophile speaker is back on the air. A general question arose, not so much about headphones, but about speaker systems. Today I spent a significant amount of money and purchased sound system for the computer, which I chose for a long time based on reviews. As a result, I like the sound much less than my old cheap 2.1 set. I understand that my ears are not sufficiently trained to properly adjust the tone, bass, and component interactions. To the same extent, they are not prepared for proper equalizer calibration. Where to learn? How to understand where to start and where to end, and, most importantly, what exactly you need to hear in order to understand “this is what I paid money for.” Please tell me a website, video or book where such things can be understood at a primitive user level. I am far from a connoisseur of the subtle nuances of hi-fi sound. Thank you very much.
Anton, don’t fool yourself. Don't like the sound? There is no need to torture yourself, to clear your conscience, listen to familiar tracks for about a week only on the new acoustics, then return to the old one. If it turns out that you are simply accustomed to the old acoustics (see the beginning of the article), then you need to select another system, and not by reviews, but by going shopping in person with a selection of your favorite music.
About better sounding players
Hello, Ilya.
I read your advice about music Android smartphone(Cheria P). Tell me, what “much better sounding players” did you have in mind? Interested in more widespread ones (there’s not enough money for HIFIMan and the like). Is there a medium (or slightly more expensive) price and very angry? And recently I came across very flattering reviews about a pair of plugs Astrotec AM-90 and VSonic GR02 Bass Edition. They say that for your money (50 USD) the sound is sky-high. What can you say about them? If you haven't encountered it, maybe you might be interested? They rate it too highly.
Thank you in advance for your response!
Best regards, Konstantin
Thanks for the tip on the headphones, I haven’t encountered it, I’ll keep it in mind. Better sounding players - this could be the top-end Cowon (for everyone), maybe Teclast T51 (and in general - many Chinese players, say, Rocoo). By the way, Hifiman has relatively budget models HM601/602 ($200-300).
About the headset for Android
Ilya, hello.
I would like to listen to music on headphones, but also be able to receive and end calls using the remote control. I read that different Android models have different pinouts - any iPhone headsets are suitable for Sony Xperia, but not necessarily for other smartphones.
What is the best sounding headset on the market, what is there in the range of up to 5000r?
Sincerely,
Kapulkin Stanislav
Ilya Tarakanov ()
Greetings, Habrapeople! This week we will have an important event - the presentation of the new Meizu MX2 smartphone, and while there is still a little more than a day left before the announcement, we bring to your attention fresh material. We decided to compare the sound quality in current smartphones from different manufacturers to understand at what level Meizu MX is in this group. They turned to Ilya Tarakanov for help, met with him, found a couple of devices along the way and let him listen to each of the smartphones. Naturally, everything you read below is the subjective opinion of one person who listens to music a lot and often. various devices Oh.
Ilya Tarakanov, editor of the “Audio” section on the website mobile-review.com, forum moderator player.ru.
Test conditions:
- Cafe "Festival" in GUM, minimum level of external noise, weekday, 16 hours
- Ultimate Ears UE 11 PRO headphones, retail price $1,150, made from an ear mold
- Test selection Prime Test CD1 of 45 excerpts of famous musical compositions
Test devices, file formats and software players:
- Apple iPhone 4, firmware 6.0.1, files in WAV format, standard player
- HTC One X, firmware 2.17.401.2, files in FLAC format, Poweramp player
- Meizu MX 4-core, firmware 1.1.3, files in FLAC format, Poweamp player
- Nokia Lumia 920, firmware 1.0.202041.3, files in WMA format, standard player
- Samsung Galaxy S III, XXDLID firmware, FLAC files, Poweamp player
First, let's look at each device separately, briefly describing its sound signature. Then, in a special table, we evaluate the devices according to various parameters and calculate the total ratings.
Abbreviations used:
LF– low frequencies
midrange– mid frequencies
HF- high frequencies
DD– dynamic range
The sound is sharp, with emphasis on the high-frequency range. The bass is high quality and practically not buzzing. The mids are harsh, but in terms of volume they correspond to the low frequency range. Detail and attack are at an average level, stereo panorama is slightly wider than your head, with clearly defined instruments. Comfortable listening volume is achieved at half the scale; amplifier noise is not audible when listening and connecting headphones.
The sound has an emphasis on the low-frequency range, while the bass is collected and not oppressive, there is practically no hum. The midrange is slightly harsh, but very legible. The highs are transparent, but they are drowned out by the mids. Due to this, the detail is average, but there is a good attack and damage control. Stereo panorama - wider than your head. The amplifier noise is audible in quiet areas of recordings; a comfortable listening volume is achieved at 3/4 of the scale.
The sound has an emphasis on the low-frequency range, the level of low-frequency sounds is so high that they hum – and you want to muffle them slightly. Mids are reproduced normally, highs are quite transparent, the stereo panorama is slightly wider than the head. Attack and damage control are above average, detail is good. A comfortable volume level is achieved at 2/3 of the scale. Amplifier noise can be heard when headphones are connected and in quiet recording areas.
The sound is bright, detailed, with an emphasis on the mid-high frequency range. The bass is high quality, without hum. The stereo panorama is wide, slightly extends beyond the head, and there is a slight depth. Detail and attack are good, damage control is normal. The amplifier noise is not audible; a comfortable volume is achieved at half the scale.
The sound has an emphasis on the low-frequency range, the sound is booming, while the midrange is suppressed (although it sounds very natural). The high frequencies are opaque, there are not enough of them. The detail is at an average level, the attack is good (in the mid and high frequencies), the DD is small. The stereo panorama extends slightly beyond the head. A slight noise from the amplifier is heard, and a comfortable listening volume is achieved at half the scale.
Pivot table
The table below shows subjective assessments based on the results of listening to smartphones. The minimum score is 0, the maximum is 5. “Five” in this test approximately corresponds to the level of top players such as Hifiman HM-801 or iBasso DX-100. Nine criteria were selected, the maximum number of points that any device could score was 45.
Thus, if we formally distribute places, the Nokia Lumia 920 is in first place, the Meizu MX 4-core is in second, the HTC One X is in third, the Samsung Galaxy S3 I9300 is in fourth, and the Apple iPhone 4 is in fifth.
However, as you can see, the difference between the Apple iPhone 4 and Meizu MX 4-core is only 2 points - which is only 4.4% of the maximum (45 points). The minimum can be taken at the level of 18 points, since not a single device received less than a two, but even then the difference will be only 7.4%.
The Nokia smartphone compares favorably with other devices presented in the test. Let's leave out the convenience of its use, but we cannot fail to note the high quality of music playback. The remaining devices reproduce music in approximately the same way; they all have both strengths and weaknesses.
DISCLAIMER // The author of the text warns that the test results and conclusions based on subjective assessments of sound do not claim to be 100% true. There are many methods for assessing the sound quality of various devices; only one of them is presented to the reader’s attention, and his right is to agree or disagree with it, either in whole or in part.
