We put the Google Pixel 7 through 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 analyze how it performed in a variety of tests and several common use cases.

Overview


Key audio specs include:

  • Two speakers (front top, side bottom)
  • No audio output Jack

Reproduction

Pros

  • Good artifact performance, just a few minor glitches
  • Good rendering of distance and depth

Versus

  • Mediocre timbre overall
  • Unreliable dynamic rendering
  • Disappointing volume performance

Registration

Pros

  • Good tonal balance overall
  • Good dynamic performance in general
  • Good spatial performance, with accurate and realistic distance rendering

Versus

  • Poor signal-to-noise ratio in memo app
  • Memo recordings in mono

With a SBMARK audio score of 123, the Google Pixel 7 offered an average performance for the high-end segment. In playback, our testers found it best for gaming, with use case results for listening to music and watching movies slightly lower. Despite some minor imperfections, audio artifacts were overall controlled very well. The sound sources were perceived at the right distance and the depth of the soundstage was rendered well. However, overall timbre was poor, lacked warmth, and dynamic delivery tended to be unreliable. While maximum volume was average, our testers found volume steps to be inconsistent.

Recording results were better than playback, especially when using the main and front cameras. Pixel 7 recordings offered a good tonal balance and dynamics. Three built-in microphones helped capture a wide sound stage, with accurate and realistic rendering of distance and depth, and the audio zoom function did a good job of reducing background noise. However, recordings with the memo app left room for improvement. They are mono only and the signal to noise ratio was poor.

Trial 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 evaluation under controlled laboratory conditions.
(For more details on our playback protocol, click here; for more details on our recording protocol, click here.)

The following section compiles the key elements of our extensive testing and analysis performed in the SBMARK laboratories. Detailed performance evaluations in the form of reports are available upon request. Do not hesitate to contact us.

How the audio playback score is composed

SBMARK engineers test playback through smartphone speakers, the performance of which is evaluated in our labs and under real-life conditions, using apps and preset settings.

When playing audio on the Google Pixel 7, the timbre was underwhelming, with too much focus on the lower highs and a lack of warmth and sparkle. Dynamics weren’t the Pixel’s strong point either. Attack was decent at nominal volume, but our testers observed some transient loss at low volume. At max volume, attacks were crushed by distortion. Bass delivery was very inaccurate, with almost zero bass at low volumes, and punch was rather lackluster most of the time.

Spatial performance was average. Amplitude wasn’t great when listening to music, but it got better when watching movies or playing games. Locability was good overall, but instruments were a bit difficult to locate in complex soundscapes, such as orchestral music. Range rendering and depth were overall pretty good. The Pixel produced an average maximum volume volume, but the minimum volume was pretty much perfect, neither too low nor too loud. On the downside, the consistency of volume steps was poor, with volume steps getting stuck after a certain point. Artifact results were very good overall, with only moderate compression and distortion at rated volume. Our testers also found it quite easy to occlude the bottom right speaker with your hands when holding the device in landscape orientation.

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

Recordings of smartphones playing some of our songs at 60 LAeq in an anechoic environment via 2 microphones in AB configuration, at 30 cm

Here’s how the Google Pixel 7 fares in playback use cases compared to its competitors:

Playback of use case scores

The Timbre score represents how well a phone reproduces sound across the audible tonal range and takes into account bass, mids, treble, tonal balance, and volume dependency. It is the most important attribute for reproduction.

Frequency response of music reproduction

A 1/12-octave frequency response graph, which measures the loudness of each frequency emitted by your smartphone as it reproduces a pure sine wave in an anechoic environment.

The Dynamics Score measures the accuracy of changes in the energy level of sound sources, such as how accurately a bass note or impact sound of drums is played.

Secondary attributes for spatial testing include pinpointing the location of a specific sound, its positional balance, distance, and amplitude.

The volume score represents the overall volume of a smartphone and how smoothly the volume increases and decreases based on user input.

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

hip-hop Classic
Google Pixel 7 71.8 dBA 72.9 dBA
Apple iPhone 14 74.8 dBA 71.9 dBA
Oppo Reno8 Pro 5G 72.5 dBA 72.1 dBA

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

Music volume consistency

This line graph shows the relative loudness of the playback versus the user selected volume step, measured at several volume steps with correlated pink noise in an anechoic box recorded 0.20 meter on axis.

The artifact score measures the extent to which the sound is affected by various types of distortion. The higher the score, the less noticeable sound disturbances are. Distortion can occur due to the sound processing in the device and the quality of the speakers.

Playback Total Harmonic Distortion (maximum volume)

This graph shows total harmonic distortion and noise over the audible frequency range.
It represents the distortion and noise of the device playing our test signal (0 dB Fs, Sweep Sine in an anechoic box at 40cm) at the device’s maximum volume.

How the score of the audio recording is composed

SBMARK engineers test recording by evaluating recorded files on reference audio equipment. These recordings are made in our laboratories and under real-life conditions, using apps and default settings.

The Pixel 7 performed better overall as a recording device than for playback. The timbre sounded pleasantly natural and the tonal balance was virtually free of resonances and artifacts. Dynamic results were good overall, with a clean envelope, even at high SPLs, and sharp plosives. Recordings also offered great signal-to-noise ratio, except when using the memo app.

The three built-in microphones helped capture a wide sound stage, with accurate and realistic distance rendering. However, the localizability of individual sound sources within the soundscape was only average. It’s also worth keeping in mind that recordings with the memo app are in mono only. The Pixel delivered great volume when recording and in terms of artifacts, only slight distortion was noticeable on very loud noises such as screaming vocals. Wind noise reduction has been improved compared to the Pixel 6, especially in very strong winds, where the Pixel 7, unlike its predecessors, managed to maintain conversation intelligibility. The tonal balance of the background was natural.

The Google phone also comes with an audio zoom feature that effectively rejects background noise while maintaining great volume consistency. Audio zoom recordings were also almost free of artifacts. On the downside, we found background rendering to be slightly degraded by the feature.

Here’s how the Google Pixel 7 fares in recording use cases compared to its competitors:

Use case scoring

The Timbre Score represents how well a phone captures sounds across the audible tonal range and takes into account bass, mids, treble, and tonal balance. It is the most important attribute for registration.

Video frequency response of life

A 1/12-octave frequency response graph, which measures the loudness of each frequency captured by your smartphone while recording a pure sine wave in an anechoic environment.

The Dynamics Score measures the accuracy of changes in the energy level of sound sources, such as how accurately plosives in a voice (p, t, k, for example) are reproduced. The score also considers the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), such as how loud the lead voice is compared to the background noise.

Secondary attributes for spatial testing include locating a specific sound’s location, positional balance, distance, and amplitude on recorded audio files.

Directness of registration

Smartphone directivity graph while recording test signals using the camera app, with the main camera. It represents the acoustic energy (in dB) on the angle of incidence of the sound source. (Normalized to 0° angle, in front of the device.)

The loudness score represents how loud audio is normalized on recorded files and how well the device handles noisy environments, such as electronic concerts, while recording.

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

Match Videos life Selfie videos Memorandum
Google Pixel 7 -29.4 LUFS -19.4 LUFS -17 LUFS -23 LUFS
Apple iPhone 14 -23.8 LUFS -22.5 LUFS -20.5 LUFS -18.7 LUFS
Oppo Reno8 Pro 5G -23.2 LUFS -21.8 LUFS -18.9 LUFS -17.8 LUFS

The Artifacts score measures the extent to which recorded sounds are affected by various types of distortions. The higher the score, the less noticeable sound disturbances are. Distortions can occur due to in-device sound processing and microphone quality, as well as user handling, such as how the phone is held.

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

Recordings of a voice sample with slight background noise, facing a 5 m/s turbulent wind

Background evaluates how smoothly various sounds around a voice blend into the video recording file. For example, when recording a speech at an event, the background shouldn’t interfere with the main vocal, but should provide context of your surroundings.

Let's talk about "Google Pixel 7 Audio test" with our community!
Start a new Thread

Philip Owell

Professional blogger, here to bring you new and interesting content every time you visit our blog.