We subjected the Google Pixel 7a 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 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 jack output
Reproduction
Pros
- Good dynamic performance, especially punch and attack
- Good localizability
Against
- Slightly subtle tonal balance, focused on the midrange
- Lack of breadth
- Bass distortion at nominal and maximum volume
Registration
Pros
- Brilliant and pleasant timbre
- Very good and constant dynamic performance
- Precise locateability and accurate distance rendering
Against
- Monophonic recordings with memo app
- Generally disappointing performance at high sound pressure levels
The Pixel 7a performed decently in our SBMARK audio tests, with playback results very similar to the Pixel 6a in many ways, and recording results very close to the Pixel 7 Pro flagship device. However, the overall score falls slightly short of that of the predecessor Pixel 6a.
In playback we found the Pixel 7a to be best suited for watching movies and listening to music. The sound was punchy, but the sound signature with the built-in speakers was slightly thin and resonant, which isn’t great for gaming. Recording results were best when shooting video with the main camera app in landscape orientation, with bright recordings that are pleasant to listen to. The sound from the front-facing camera was also pleasant but offered a more confined soundstage, while the default memo app is limited to mono recordings only.
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.
In playback, the timbre was average overall and quite similar to what we’d previously seen on the Pixel 6a. Our testers found it to be rather thin and midrange focused, lacking low-mid bass and body, as well as top-end extension. In terms of dynamics, the attack was often rounded but consistent across all volume levels, and the bass precision suffered from a lack of sustain. On the plus side, the 7a was quite punchy at all volume settings. The localizability of individual sound sources in the scene was great, but our experts found the balance tilted slightly to the right. Overall, the soundstage created by the built-in speakers was a bit narrower than other similarly sized devices.
Volume steps were distributed consistently and the Pixel delivered good volume at maximum volume, but the minimum volume step was a bit too low, making it difficult to hear quiet sections in classical music, for example. Unwanted audio artifacts were handled quite well overall, with only some noticeable bass distortion. We also observed some pumping at maximum volume. It’s worth mentioning that our testers found that the speaker on the right can easily be accidentally covered with your fingers when holding the device, resulting in an even more subtle tonal balance.
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 7a 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 7a | 74 dBA | 69.5 dBA |
| Google Pixel 6a | 74.1 dBA | 69.1 dBA |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | 75 dBA | 71.3 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.
Recording performance was overall very close to that of the Pixel 7 Pro. Tone was very good, with good tonal balance in all use cases. Our testers noted satisfactory brightness, especially when recording video with the main camera. Dynamic performance was also strong and consistent across all use cases, with an accurate envelope and a pretty good signal-to-noise ratio that keeps background noises at bay. Locability in recordings was great, making it easy to locate individual sound elements, especially when using the main camera in landscape orientation. In this use case, the breadth of the recordings was also very good. Portrait orientation selfie recordings had a more restricted soundstage, while the default memo app only records in mono.
Recording volume was acceptable, but our experts found it to be quieter than previous Pixel phones. The Pixel 7a also struggled with recordings at high sound pressure levels, such as concerts, where we observed unwanted artifacts such as excessive compression, pumping and distortion. Microphone occlusions weren’t an issue, but slight finger noises and timbre changes could be observed when recording selfie videos or using the memo app. The background was virtually free of artifacts and, thanks to its tonal balance, pleasant and unobtrusive.
Here’s how the Google Pixel 7a 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:
| Encounter | Videos life | Selfie videos | Memorandum | |
| Google Pixel 7a | -28.7 LUFS | -22.3 LUFS | -20.6 LUFS | -23.4 LUFS |
| Google Pixel 6a | -27.6 LUFS | -19.3 LUFS | -17.8 LUFS | -20.9 LUFS |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | -25.8 LUFS | -22.2 LUFS | -20.9 LUFS | -21.1 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:
matrix(3) {
[“Google Pixel 7a”]=> string(66) “resources/Google/Pixel7aV2.1/GooglePixel7a_MicrophoneArtifacts.m4a”
[“Google Pixel 6a”]=> string(66) “resources/Google/Pixel7aV2.1/GooglePixel6a_MicrophoneArtifacts.m4a”
[“Samsung Galaxy A54 5G”]=> string(71) “resources/Google/Pixel7aV2.1/SamsungGalaxyA545G_MicrophoneArtifacts.m4a” }
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.
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