We subjected the Poco F4 GT 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:
- Quad speaker system (dual tweeter and dual woofer)
- No jack
- Three microphones
- High Resolution Audio and Dolby Atmos
Reproduction
Pros
- Very good highs and lows
- Good dynamics overall
- Free of artifacts
- Excellent management of maximum volume.
versus
- Inconsistent midrange
- The stereo does not follow rotation when watching movies
Registration
Pros
- Good tonal balance in all use cases
- Accurate envelope and good SNR.
- Almost no artifacts
versus
- Lack of noisy environments with sub and mid-high centric tonal balance.
- Mono recording in selfie video.
The Xiaomi Poco F4 GT is the most recent and updated version of the Chinese giant’s K40 Gaming smartphone. The Poco F4 GT has the newest and most powerful Snapdragon chipset, 8 Gen 1, “hyper” battery fast charging and is aimed directly at gamers, with a “CyberEngine” vibration motor, shoulder triggers and four speakers to produce sound.
In our audio tests, the Poco F4 GT made a slight improvement over its predecessor in playback performance, but made great strides as a recording device, improving to an overall recording score of 68 from 59. The F4 GT it proves quite adept as a recording device, from the audio produced in its video apps to its basic recording app. Although it is worth noting that it records in mono in selfie videos. The device produces a good tonal and dynamic balance in all use cases.
In terms of reproduction in general, the F4 GT is in good to medium territory, with no major flaws. His artifact score, however, was outstanding, equaling the highest score in our database. It could use a little more high-end and low-end extension to give its tone more range, but again, overall it produces a decent tonal balance. The score for dynamics was better than average and, in the spatial attribute, the stereo width was particularly good.
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.
How the audio playback score is composed
SBMARK engineers test playback through smartphone speakers, whose performance is evaluated in our labs and under real-life conditions, using apps and default settings.
Overall, the Poco F4 GT is a solid performer in playback, with decent tonal balance that has better-than-average bass – a plus for gaming sound effects. However, it could use more high and low end. At maximum volume, the low mids tend to ring out and the highs become quite aggressive. In the attribute of dynamics, the F4 GT manages to achieve a great volume without compromising on quality: the low end is preserved in a way that many other devices cannot match. Punch is also very good at maximum volume. The actual sound level at maximum volume, however, is average. The minimum volume step is usable. In the spatial attribute, the device produces a large stereo width, an advantage for gamers. There are no discernable artifacts produced by this device and its score here is outstanding.
Here’s how the Poco F4 GT fares in Playback use cases compared to its competitors:
The Timbre score represents how well a phone reproduces sound across the audible tonal range and takes into account bass, midrange, treble, tonal balance and volume dependence. It is the most important attribute for reproduction.
The Dynamics score measures the accuracy of changes in the energy level of sound sources, such as the precision with which a bass note or the impact sound of drums is reproduced.
Secondary attributes for spatial tests include identifying the position of a specific sound, its positional balance, distance and amplitude.
The volume score represents the overall volume of a smartphone and how the volume gradually increases and decreases based on user input.
Here are some sound pressure levels (SPLs) measured while playing our sample recordings of hip-hop and classical music at maximum volume:
| Hip-Hop | Classic | |
| POCO F4 GT | 72.1 dBA | 67.3 dB |
| Samsung Galaxy A53 5G | 74.3 dBA | 69.3 dBA |
| Xiaomi Redmi K40 Gaming | 79.7 dB | 77.4 dB |
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 score measures the extent to which sound is affected by various types of distortion. The higher the score, the less noise you notice. Distortion can occur due to the sound processing in the device and the quality of the speakers.
How the score of the audio recording is composed
SBMARK engineers test the recording by evaluating the files recorded on reference audio equipment. These recordings are performed in our labs and in real-life conditions, using apps and predefined settings.
As a recording device, the Poco F4 GT is quite versatile and performs consistently across all use cases. It produces good tonal balance in all of our test scenarios. In life videos and selfie videos, the tonal balance is very nice, although it could use a more high-end extension. Due to a slight lack of upper midrange, voices may sound slightly damped. In dynamics, the envelope is corrected with sharp explosives which ensure that speech is intelligible. In the high SPL scenario, the envelope remains precise, but it could be sharper with a little more brightness in the tonal balance. The signal-to-noise ratio is well managed. In the space attribute, the Poco F4 GT produces an excellence performance in the life video. The audio scene is quite large and the voices are easily discernible in the stereo field. Remote rendering is realistic. Noteworthy: Record selfie video in mono. The recording volume is correct, another plus, and the F4 GT is virtually free of artifacts. It also handles wallpaper better than many comparable devices.
Here’s how the Poco F4 GT fares in use case recording compared to its competitors:
The Timbre score represents how well a phone captures sounds across the audible tonal range and takes into account bass, midrange, treble and tonal balance. It is the most important attribute for registration.
The Dynamics score measures the accuracy of changes in the energy level of sound sources, such as how accurately the explosives of a voice (p, tek, for example) are reproduced. The score also considers the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), such as how loud the main voice is compared to the background noise.
Secondary attributes for spatial tests include identifying the position of a specific sound, its positional balance, distance and amplitude on recorded audio files.
The volume score represents the normalization level of the audio on the recorded files and how the device handles noisy environments, such as electronic concerts, during recording.
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:
| Match | Life video | Selfie video | Memo | |
| POCO F4 GT | -25.7 LUFS | -22.3 LUFS | -20.6 LUFS | -20.5 LUFS |
| Samsung Galaxy A53 5G | -26.1 LUFS | -22 LUFS | -20.8 LUFS | -21.4 LUFS |
| Xiaomi Redmi K40 Gaming | -27.7 LUFS | -20.2 LUFS | -18.9 LUFS | -21.7 LUFS |
The Artifacts Score measures the extent to which recorded sounds are affected by various types of distortions. The higher the score, the less noise you notice. Distortions can occur due to the sound processing in the device and the quality of the microphones, as well as user handling, such as the way the phone is held.
Hear about the artifacts in this excerpt, which was recorded in a fast-paced home environment:
Background evaluates how naturally the various sounds around a voice blend into the video recording file. For example, when recording a speech at an event, the background should not interfere with the main voice, but should provide context for the surrounding environment.
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