One of the most common complaints about the Nokia E71/E71x (as well as the E51 and E66) would be the music quality due to 2.5 mm Headphone jack. In Nokia’s defense, the E series line were originally designed strictly for business. This defense just doesn’t cut it anymore since RIM has been releasing their Blackberries with a standard headphone jack for quite some time now. I guess Nokia learned from their mistakes and started implementing a standard headphone jack into their E series devices after the release of the Nokia E75. For all of us who are still stuck with 2.5mm jacks, this tutorial will help make the most of the musicality capabilities of our E series devices.
Invest in a Good Pair of Headphones
Sennheiser CX300-B Earbuds (Black)
Sennheiser is the acknowledged world leader in headphone-transducer technology. These CX 300 headphones are its first consumer ear-canal model…
The Sennheiser CX 300 seem to be the headphone of choice for many portable MP3 players and mobile devices. In my opinion, Sennheiser offers great audiophile quality sound for the most reasonable prices. I am always on the look out for quality sound, and have personally tested various Bose, Sony, Ultimate Ears, and Monster models.
The Sennheiser CX 300 have a very crisp and “natural” sound, which I believe is a Sennheiser specialty. The Hi and Mid ranged frequencies are fantastic on CX 300. The Hi’s only start to crackle at very high volumes (not to worry on Nokia devices), and the Mid’s are not muddy at all. The only possible fault for these headphones would be the “lack” of bass. However, this all comes down to personal preference. I find the bass levels to be perfect because I believe that music quality becomes too “muddy” if the bass is too loud. Another aspect worth mentioning is that these headphones are loud, which is perfect for the rather quiet music drivers of Nokia devices.
For those who can, I highly recommended purchasing a pair from Amazon.com for $26.18. Since I live in Canada, I am unable to purchase specific items from Amazon. The ones that allow shipping to Canada charge ridiculous shipping prices – usually $20-35 and up. I eventually resorted to eBay and was able to pick up a pair for approximately $80 CAD including shipping.
Invest in a 3.5mm to 2.5mm Headphone Jack Adaptor
2.5mm To 3.5mm Stereo Audio Jack Adapter (3 rings) elago Brand
The 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter allows you to easily use normal 3.5mm headphones with the range of PDA and phone devices. Once inserted into the units 2.5mm…
In order to use the Sennheiser CX 300 headphones, you must purchase a converter which enables you to plug your standard 3.5mm jack into your device. The CX 300 are also available with a stock 2.5mm jack, which is able to retrofit into your E series device without a converter. Although this will come in handy, I personally do not recommend purchasing the Sennheiser CX300 with the 2.5mm jack. The 2.5mm version will limit the un-aided compatibility with other devices besides your E series phone.
The one I personally have is a solid L-shaped 3.5mm to 2.5mm headphone converter. I purchased it at the nearest electronic store for approximately $10 CAD. I recommend purchasing the better valued and more flexible converter listed above from Amazon.
The L shape adapter is rather bulky. Because the Sennheiser CX300 jack is already an L shape, the 2 plugs together creates an awkward “C” shape.
If you plan to purchase an L shape converter, or if you already own one, I would recommend rotating and tucking the headphone cord behind the device itself. This will dramatically decrease the chances of accidentally nudging the converter and damaging the 2.5mm jack or the device.
It is for that same reason why I do not recommend straight adapters that stick out of the device. The potential of damaging the device’s headphone jack or the device itself is very high.
Adjusting Your Music Player’s Settings and Equalizer
Quality aside, the two most common complaints about the music player of the E series is the “Hissing” background noise and the quiet volume. The “Hissing” noise is not unique to the E series phone, but can be heard when headphones are plugged into other devices as well. When I plug my Sennheiser CX300 into my laptop, I can hear a slight “hiss” in the background. The severity of the “hissing” sound depends the model of headphones and the device it is being plugged into – the possibilities are endless. Unfortunately, the hissing background noise cannot be fixed. However, with the correct settings and an appropriate and desirable level of volume, the annoying ambient “hiss” can be drowned out.
Increase your phone’s volume to maximum (or as high as find desirable). The hiss is already present when the volume is set on level “one”. By increasing the volume, you will increase the percentage that the “hiss” will be drowned out during music playback.
Adjust and/or Create New Equalizer Settings
There is a 5-band graphic equalizer present in the E71, as well as the other E series devices. From left to right, the bands can control the Bass Frequencies, Bass/Mid Frequencies, Mid Frequencies, Mid/Hi Frequencies, and Hi Frequencies of the music being played. The higher the a particular band is set to, the more emphasized that particular sound will be. The closer the bands are to neutral (the middle line), the louder the sound will be. When the equalizer bands are neutral, the sound is unaltered and you will be hearing music at its purest state generated by your device’s music drivers. That is way the “Default” equalizer setting is the loudest, but not necessarily the best.
Every headphone model has their own unique “sound”. You have to fine tune these settings to achieve your desired audio preference.
These are the 2 equalizer settings I have:
This is generally used for uncompressed vocal, instrumental, and classical music.
This is generally used for compressed music of all various genres.
Click here to find out more details about music and audio compression.
Turn Loudness and Stereo Widening OFF
These may seem like good ideas, but they have a horrible affect on the music quality. “Loudness” simply increases the higher frequencies, which increases the amount of “static” and “crackle” that can be heard at loud volumes. “Stereo Widening” is a cool effect, but it takes out the “Mid” range frequencies – Making the song sound like it is being played back inside of a cup (if that makes any sense).
I hope with these tips, E series owners will be able to relax and listen their favourite songs without having the “If only I had gotten an N series device” feeling. Sure you can get a separate MP3 player and avoid this whole mess. However, carrying around multiple devices can be bothersome and annoying. A Nokia E71 or E66 will never sound like a device from Nokia’s “eNtertainment” line, but that shouldn’t stop E series owners from enjoying their music.