We subjected the Realme GT 2 Pro 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
The Realme GT 2 Pro is positioning itself as a heavy hitter with a reasonable price. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and with a display with a 120Hz refresh rate, it has some flagship features. On the audio front, it boasts “dual super linear speakers, dual microphone noise cancellation”, Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res audio certification. With its overall audio score of 60 in our database, however, the RealMe device lands in slightly below average territory, alongside for example the Oppo Find X3 Neo, which achieved a 61. The GT 2 Pro is in the average in playback, and less than adequate as a recording device. At maximum volume, the device offers decent performance in both timbre and dynamics, although it lacks bass and punch. At nominal volume, the tonal balance is opaque. Recordings produced by Realme GT 2 Pro show some strong resonance, with aggressive mid-center tone and some distortion in all use cases. The recordings don’t sound natural and are quite distorted.
Key audio specs include:
- Upper front focus, lower side focus
- USB Type-C port
- Dolby Atmos
Reproduction
Pros
- Satisfactory performance at maximum volume
- Quick attack, even at maximum volume
Cons
- Matte tonal balance at nominal volume
- Disappointing volume performance
- Lack of low end
Registration
Pros
- Satisfactory recording volume
- Good width in horizontal orientation
Cons
- Poor tonal performance, with tonal balance focused on the midrange
- Poor dynamic performance
- Severe resonances and some distortions
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.
The Realme GT 2 Pro offers a midrange focused but rather neutral tonal balance that is both a little dull and a little subtle. This contributes to a versatile yet bland sound. The quality of the timbre changes with the volume: the GT 2 Pro performs a little better at high volumes depending on the content being played. The highs lack strength and fullness in general. While the bass is still noticeable in its upper part, it is too weak to be satisfactory. The mid-range sounds somewhat bland and inconsistent without adequate support for the low-mid range, mainly when listening to music or watching a movie. Used for gaming, however, the GT 2 Pro performed best, with a surprisingly round and satisfying low-mid range that pairs well with the special effects. Thanks to Dolby Atmos, the GT 2 Pro has several audio settings. We recommend using the “Film” preset, which seems to improve bass and treble power. Dynamic performance is average, with a fairly snappy and precise attack, especially at high volume. Transients are less audible at low volumes. Bass accuracy is less satisfactory. The punch is compromised by the lack of low-mid-range energy. In the spatial attribute, the Realme device produces fuzzy localizability, especially for sources around the center of the stereo scene. Balance is mostly on target, but the center may lean slightly towards the lower speaker. The breadth is not great compared to other devices of the same size. It is worth noting that the stereo scene does not rotate properly in inverted landscape orientation when using the music app. The volume at maximum volume it is quite good, as is the consistency of the volume steps. At the minimum volume level, the device doesn’t perform as well – intelligibility is sub-par. While there are few artifacts affecting the overall listening experience, a strange oddity has emerged. At nominal volume on some tracks, there were unpredictable fluctuations in volume. Also, there is sometimes some pumping at maximum volume.
Hear about the playback performance of the smartphone tested in this comparison with some of its competitors:
Here’s how Realme GT 2 Pro 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 | |
| 74.2 dB | 69.5 dBA | |
| Realme GT 5G | 76.3 dB | 70.6 dBA |
| Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon) | 73.9 dB | 68.8 dBA |
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 audio playback score 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.
The Realme GT 2 Pro doesn’t particularly shine as a recording device and its score of 50 places it at the bottom of our database among devices at this price point. The highs are subtle due to the lack of clarity at its bottom, and it sounds a bit tinny, sometimes even aggressive, due to a strong resonance around 12kHz, above which there is no high-end extension. . The midrange sounds nasal most of the time due to a strong lack of body in its lower part. The overall tonal balance of the GT 2 Pro is heavily centered on the midrange, lacking both bass strength and treble fullness. The GT 2 Pro performed poorly in the dynamic attribute, with a below average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) – background noises are very noticeable and even intrusive. The device is even less suitable for recording in noisy environments such as an electronic music concert because the attack is severely affected by distortion. This, along with the compression and pumping, makes the envelope unrealistic. In the spatial attribute, thethe localization is very blurry in all use cases. Amplitude is good in life video landscape mode and still decent in selfie mode, where the device is held in portrait mode. Recorded voices sound realistic in indoor scenarios but sound too distant in outdoor recordings. The volume of the recording is satisfactory. However, the volume is slightly lower when using the memo app. Recordings made by the GT 2 Pro show aggressive resonances at 2kHz and 12kHz and are somewhat distorted and compressed under normal conditions. In high SPL recordings, these problems are even worse, with distortion, compression and pumping more severe. Background rendering is marred by resonances and some slight hissing issues.
Here’s how Realme GT 2 Pro fares in use case registration 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 Sound-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:
| Encounter | Life video | Selfie video | Memo | |
| -21.9 LUFS | -15.7 LUFS | -14.6 LUFS | -18.2 LUFS | |
| Realme GT 5G | -19.7 LUFS | -15.1 LUFS | -14.3 LUFS | -16.7 LUFS |
| Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon) | -21.6 LUFS | -16.6 LUFS | -15.4 LUFS | -17.1 LUFS |
The Artifacts Score measures the extent to which recorded sounds are affected by various types of distortions. The higher the score, the less 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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