We subjected the Samsung Galaxy A33 5G 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 A33 5G delivers a solid all-round show, with a particularly pleasing sound produced in its recordings, even for high SPL content (like an electronic gig).
Key audio specs include:
- Upper front focus, lower side focus
- USB Type-C
Reproduction
Pros
- Solid tonal balance in playback
- Good dynamic rendering, apart from the punch
- As for the artifacts, very clean, with speakers difficult to occlude
Cons
- First volume pitch improperly tuned
- It lacks sufficient bass
- Sounds a little aggressive at high volume
Registration
Pros
- Good, natural and pleasant tonal balance in Life Video and Selfie Video
- Good amplitude, even in Selfie Video
- Good overall sound rendering in high SPL scenarios, such as concerts
- Excellent signal-to-noise ratio
Cons
- Metallic tonal balance in the memo app
- Rendered at an unnatural distance
- Microphones are too easily completely occluded
The A33 5G delivers a solid all-round show, with a particularly pleasing sound produced in its recordings, even for high SPL content (like an electronic gig).
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.
Playback performance is also very good, although it sounds a little aggressive at high volumes. The Galaxy A33 5G benefits from a well-balanced tone, with a clear mid-range and quite satisfying bass. The bass performance is surprisingly solid, with a round sound and a good presence. The midrange is homogeneous, providing good clarity and sufficient warmth. The highs sound clear and bright enough. The A33 5G is not as consistent at different volume levels. The A33 does a good job of preserving its tonal balance at softer volumes, despite a slight loss of bass. But at maximum volume the highs tend to sound somewhat piercing and aggressive. In the dynamics attribute, the A33 5G performs well and consistently regardless of the volume level. The attack is precise and snappy. With a realistic envelope in the low end, bass accuracy is very satisfying. Considering the spatial performance, the sthe rendering of the tereus scene is both accurate in terms of localizability and wide enough for a device of this size. The stereo image does not rotate according to the orientation of the phone. The Left / Right balance seems well centered. Remote rendering is realistic; the voices seem to come from the right position. Volume performance is slightly below average. Although the maximum volume is correct, it appears to be unstable depending on the content, possibly due to a security algorithm. The Galaxy A33 5G offers a very clean playback experience, mostly free of artifacts. The speakers are well positioned to avoid clogging.
Hear about the playback performance of the smartphone tested in this comparison with some of its competitors:
Here’s how the Samsung Galaxy A33 5G 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 when playing our sample recordings of hip-hop and classical music at maximum volume:
| Hip-Hop | Classic | |
| Samsung Galaxy A33 5G | 74.3 dBA | 69.3 dBA |
| Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | 72 dBA | 68.3 dBA |
| Google Pixel 6 | 74.8 dBA | 69.7 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 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 A33 5G is a clever recording device, capturing and delivering top-notch tone with its microphones. When recording at high SPL, the A33 5G offers a good tonal balance, thanks to pleasant warmth and low-end extension, but remains slightly dark due to the lack of high-end extension. When recording in normal environments with life video and selfie apps, the performance is still very good, producing a good tonal balance. That tonal balance could benefit from increased brightness, high-end extension, and clarity in the mid-to-high range. Using the memo app, tonal balance is compromised by the lack of low treble and can sound tinny and unnatural. In the registration dynamics attribute, tThe Galaxy A33 5G provides very good SNR in all tested use cases; the background is well subdued. The envelope rendition is quite precise, with a sharp attack and precise explosives, except in selfie video mode, where the envelope rendition is slightly reduced by compression, resulting in a more rounded attack. At high SPL, dynamic performance is still good, thanks to a fairly accurate envelope rendering and a pleasantly snappy attack. Considering the spatial performance, the A33 5G offers good localizability. The amplitude is also good, which allows a very realistic stereo rendering, even in selfie video mode, where the amplitude remains better than average. Remote performance is compromised by an unnatural midrange that tends to drive voices away but nevertheless remains realistic. Memo app recordings are mono. The device offers medium performance in the volume attribute. The recording volume is good in all use cases. The A33 5G performs well in high SPL scenarios; the distortion, while present, is barely noticeable. The performance of the artifacts is average. Keep in mind that microphones easily clog completely and are sensitive to finger noises that induce large drops in volume. The background rendering is skillful.
Here’s how the Samsung Galaxy A33 5G fares in recording use cases 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 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A33 5G | -25.9 LUFS | -22 LUFS | -20.9 LUFS | -21.4 LUFS |
| Samsung Galaxy A52 5G | -26.1 LUFS | -22.3 LUFS | -20.8 LUFS | -21.5 LUFS |
| Google Pixel 6 | -27.8 LUFS | -17.9 LUFS | -16.3 LUFS | -19.8 LUFS |
The Artifacts Score measures the extent to which recorded sounds are affected by various types of distortions. The higher the score, the less 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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