Xiaomi 13 Audio test

We subjected the Xiaomi 13 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 (top and bottom)
• No audio jack output
• Dolby Atmos technology

Reproduction

Registration

With a SBMARK audio score of 134, the Xiaomi 13 performed very well in our tests, making the device a great option for audio-focused smartphone users. In playback, it delivered the best results when gaming and watching movies, but it didn’t disappoint in the music use case either. The built-in speakers delivered a rich and pleasing sound signature, but the stereo balance was somewhat off-center, which also limited the width of the projected soundstage among other impediments.

In recording, the Xiaomi 13 delivered great results in all use cases, offering good tonal balance, dynamics, and spatial performance. While the heavy compression was noticeable when recording loud sources like concerts, it didn’t impact the quality too much. Also, the recording experience could have been further improved with an audio zoom function and better handling of wind noise.

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.

In our tests, the Xiaomi 13 performed well as a playback device. Tonal performance was good, with good tonal balance, despite a slight lack of brilliance and low frequency extension. The midrange sounded clean and natural. Dynamics were good too, thanks to the sharp and precise attack, powerful punch, and good bass precision. Spatial performance was only average, due to the right-skewed stereo balance, which also compromised soundstage width. This issue was most noticeable in the music use case, but also resulted in the device being more sensitive to hand occlusions during gameplay. The localizability of individual sound sources was also somewhat fuzzy, but both distance rendering and depth were good.

Our experts have found that the minimum volume is not set correctly. Low-volume passages in highly dynamic audio content were difficult to hear properly. Maximum volume, on the other hand, was quite loud. Unwanted audio artifacts were overall well under control. Testers noticed only a slight pumping and distortion at maximum volume. It’s also worth mentioning that the default music player UI crashed on several occasions, such as when waking the device from sleep; the audio kept playing while the app became unresponsive, interrupting the listening experience. Additionally, the right speaker appeared to be easily occluded by a natural hand position during gameplay. Since the right speaker was carrying the bulk of the audio signal (as the stereo balance was distorted), its occlusion changed both volume and timbre quite dramatically in our tests.

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

Here’s how the Xiaomi 13 fares in playback use cases compared to its competitors:

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

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:

The Xiaomi 13 also did well in recording. Timbre was pleasant in all use cases, with a slight high-mid boost highlighting intelligibility. When recording with the main camera or selfies, the highs were clear but lacked some top-end extension. The midrange sounded natural, despite a slight lack of warmth in the low-mid range, evident on vocals. Dynamics were good too, with an accurate envelope that allowed clear understanding of vocals. However, the signal-to-noise ratio could have been better, especially in urban scenarios where the background might be a bit too intrusive.

The device recorded a very large and immersive sound stage, with an accurate representation of the scene. This was especially true when recording with the main camera. Locatability was found to be accurate and distance rendering realistic. The recording volume was quite high, but there was quite extreme pumping at high SPLs, compromising the dynamic envelope, although the impact on overall audio quality was negligible. Background rendition was good, with good tonal balance, but when recording with the memo app outdoors, experts noted choppy background filtering.

Here’s how the Xiaomi 13 fares in recording use cases compared to its competitors:

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:

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

matrix(3) {
[“Xiaomi 13”]=> string(56) “resources/Xiaomi/13V2.1/Xiaomi13_MicrophoneArtifacts.m4a”
[“Xiaomi 13 Pro”]=> string(59) “resources/Xiaomi/13V2.1/Xiaomi13Pro_MicrophoneArtifacts.m4a”
[“Samsung Galaxy S23”]=> string(64) “resources/Xiaomi/13V2.1/SamsungGalaxyS23_MicrophoneArtifacts.m4a” }