Asus ROG Phone 6 Audio test

We subjected the Asus ROG Phone 6 to our rigorous SBMARK Audio test suite to measure its performance both when recording sound using its built-in microphones, and when playing audio through its speakers. In this review, we’ll break down how it fared across a variety of tests and several common use cases.

Overview

Key audio specs include:

• Two speakers (top front and bottom)
• 3.5mm jack audio output
• HD Dirac sound

Reproduction

Registration

With a SBMARK Audio score of 155, the Asus ROG Phone 6 loses the top spot in our ranking and earns a very good second place. It also improves by four points over its already excellent predecessor ROG Phone 5. The audio performance is impressive overall, especially in playback. A few minor glitches, mainly in the recording department, prevented the Asus from reaching the maximum.

As a playback device, the Asus shines, unsurprisingly for a gaming phone, especially when gaming. However, it is also great for listening to music or watching movies, thanks to a rich and balanced tone and excellent performance in dynamic and spatial characteristics. Audio artifacts are also very well controlled. On the downside, our testers found a little too much emphasis on the upper lows compared to the low-end extension. Artificial bass distortion may be necessary with some fine adjustments, as our test listeners found it too noticeable.

When using the Asus for sound recording, it provided the best results with the main camera, but the front camera came very close. The results are slightly less convincing with the default recording app. However, the overall recording performance was excellent, with great timbre, rich and bright tonal balance, impressive breadth and good localizability of individual sound sources. Wind noise reduction was also very effective. On the downside, the frequency zone around 10 kHz can be too prominent, especially with the recorder app, resulting in aggressive hissing and hissing. There is also some room for improvement at high SPLs, where our testers noticed some recording artifacts, including quite severe low-end pumping, and objective measurements at maximum volume are scarce. Manipulating the device while recording can result in finger noises ending up in audio files.

Test summary

Learn about SBMARK audio tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone audio reviews, SBMARK engineers perform a series of objective tests and undertake more than 20 hours of perceptual assessment under controlled laboratory conditions.
(For more details on our reproduction protocol, click here; for more details on our registration protocol, click here.)
The following section collects the key elements of our exhaustive tests and analyzes performed in SBMARK laboratories. Detailed performance evaluations in the form of reports are available upon request. Do not hesitate to contact us.

Hear about the playback performance of the smartphone tested in this comparison with some of its competitors:

Here’s how the Asus ROG Phone 6 fares in playback use cases compared to its competitors:

The ROG Phone 6 produced a rich and balanced tone that placed a slight emphasis on the upper bass. Compared to the best rivals, there was a slight lack of high-end extension, but mid-range restitution was smooth and natural. The excellent tonal results extended to the bass region where the Asus offered an excellent performance. There was a satisfying amount of superior bass that could border on slightly excessive on some occasions, and the distortion used to generate virtual bass is a bit excessive. Compared to the best, the low-end extension could reach a deeper touch.

Tonal balance remained very good at low volumes where just the right amount of bass and a clean treble offered a pleasant listening experience. At maximum volume, too much emphasis was placed on the mid-high range, which produced a slightly aggressive sound.

The ROG Phone 6 performed very well for dynamics, delivering crisp and precise attacks that were only slightly compromised by distortion at the maximum volume setting. Exceptional low-mid energy produced a powerful punch that was consistent across all volume levels. Bass accuracy was also very good, despite a subtle lack of low-end extension hindering sustain. Only at maximum volume did a slight compression creep in.

The spatial attribute was another area where the Asus shines. The built-in speakers created a very wide sound stage where individual sound sources were easy to spot. The realistic rendition of distance meant that voices were perceived in their correct position in the audio field and a great sense of depth for an immersive experience.

In our volume tests, the ROG Phone 6 performed well. The maximum volume was good for a smartphone and the adjustment steps were consistent across the entire volume range. The idle volume was a bit low but still adequate.

Here are some sound pressure levels (SPLs) measured when playing our sample recordings of hip-hop and classical music at maximum volume:

The graph below shows the gradual changes in volume from minimum to maximum. We expect these changes to be consistent across the range, so that all volume levels match user expectations:

The artifacts of audio playback have been treated well. Our testers noticed only slight bass distortion and compression at the maximum volume setting, as well as occasional clicks when skipping a piece of music. It was possible to accidentally occlude the speakers with your hands while holding the phone normally, but the impact on audio quality was quite low.

Here’s how the Asus ROG Phone 6 fares in use case recording compared to its competitors:

In audio recordings, the timbre was rich and bright, with an emphasis on the upper treble. When shooting video with the main camera, the audio track has a natural tonal balance and a bright sound. Treble featured a striking brilliance that brought realistic clarity to the recordings. In comparison, the mid-range felt a little pale, especially the low-mid range, so it’s fair to say that the ROG Phone 6’s brightness and sharpness comes at the expense of warmth and depth. That said, we’re being fussy here and the timbre has remained very consistent at high sound pressure levels, for example, when recording a concert. In this scenario, tonal balance remained satisfactory and the treble avoided sounding aggressive. Bass remained impressive, with good depth in the low-end extension. However, depending on the content, it was also prone to pumping and therefore less consistent.

The video recordings from the front camera sounded very similar overall to those made with the main camera, except for the highs, which were even more prominent, bordering on overkill. The recordings still featured excellent timbre, but the excessive treble overwhelmed the low-mid range and lows even more than with the main camera. This could lead to some discomfort for the listener with some types of content.

Recordings made with the memo app followed the same pattern. There was a noticeable increase in high treble, and as the volume increased, voices became more piercing when using the memo app in an urban setting. This excess of treble also had a negative impact on tonal balance.

The ROG Phone 6 provided great dynamics in recording. The rendering of the envelope was accurate in all use cases, with sharp attacks and precise explosives, even when recording concerts or similar events with high sound pressure levels. Only bass accuracy can suffer a little under such extreme conditions – our testers noticed quite significant pumping – but the overall envelope for most instruments remained realistic.

The signal-to-noise ratio was pretty good when recording with the main and front cameras, but leaves some room for improvement. When using the memo app, things looked a little different. The signal-to-noise ratio was reduced by a hissing background caused by the excessive treble mentioned above.

Recordings from the ROG Phone 6 offered excellent breadth, even when recording selfie videos and holding the phone in portrait orientation. Within the large stereo scene, it was very easy to spot individual sound sources, such as instruments in a concert, and great distance rendition in most use cases ensured that voices were perceived just right. distance. The latter was not true for recordings with the memo app, however. With this application, excessive highs made vocals unrealistically close.

The Asus provided very good volume in recordings with the main and front cameras, as well as the memo app. However, at high recording volumes, we measured some distortion and compression.

Here are the sound levels recorded in the audio and video files, measured in LUFS (Loudness Unit Full Scale); as a reference, we expect loudness levels to be higher than -24 LUFS for recorded content:

Our testers found some unwanted artifacts in the Asus ROG Phone 6’s audio recordings. When using the memo app or recording meetings, the excessive highs produced some harsh hissing. At high sound pressure levels, our testers observed some pumping, especially in the low end of the frequency spectrum. Microphone occlusions weren’t a problem on the Asus, but finger noises were quite noticeable on recordings.

Wind noise reduction does a great job and the recorded content remains intelligible most of the time, especially when not recording in a headwind. In strong winds the voices may be partially covered, but the spoken words are mostly understandable.

In this audio comparison, you can hear how this smartphone handles wind noise compared to its competitors:

The Asus works well for background recording. Rich highs add realistic dimension to recordings, but can be slightly over the top when using the front-facing camera and with the memo app, where excess highs result in constant hissing and unpleasant background noise. With loud noises in the foreground, we also observed a slight background pumping.