Smartphones > Apple iPhone 14 Plus > Audio Test Results
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Apple iPhone 14 Plus Audio test

November 2, 2022
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audio
OTHER AVAILABLE TESTS FOR THIS DEVICE

We put the Apple iPhone 14 Plus through our rigorous DXOMARK Audio test suite to measure its performance both at recording sound using its built-in microphones, and at playing audio back through its speakers.
In this review, we will break down how it fared in a variety of tests and several common use cases.

Overview


Key audio specifications include:

  • Top front, front facing, bottom right, side facing
  • No jack audio output
  • Dolby Atmos technology
  • Spatial Audio playback

Scoring

Sub-scores and attributes included in the calculations of the global score.


Apple iPhone 14 Plus
141
audio
144
playback
Timbre
141

158

Dynamics
138

149

Spatial
148

162

Volume
144

162

Artifacts
91

157

135
recording
Timbre
130

147

Dynamics
124

146

Spatial
107

157

Volume
126

170

Artifacts
137

145

Background
146

166

AUDIO
Position in Global Ranking
12th
1. Black Shark 5 Pro
161
2. Asus ROG Phone 6
155
3. Asus ROG Phone 5
151
4. Asus Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders
149
4. Black Shark 4S Pro
149
4. Black Shark 4 Pro
149
4. Honor Magic3 Pro+
149
8. Xiaomi Mi 10 S
147
9. Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
144
10. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
142
10. Apple iPhone 14 Pro
142
12. Apple iPhone 14 Plus
141
12. Apple iPhone 14
141
14. Apple iPhone 12
140
14. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
140
16. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
139
16. Apple iPhone 13 Pro
139
16. Apple iPhone 12 mini
139
19. Apple iPhone 13
138
19. Asus ROG Phone 3
138
19. Google Pixel 6 Pro
138
22. Apple iPhone 13 mini
137
22. Google Pixel 7 Pro
137
22. Google Pixel 6
137
22. Honor Magic4 Pro
137
26. Google Pixel 6a
135
27. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
134
28. Huawei Mate 20 X
133
28. Lenovo Legion Y90
133
28. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon)
133
28. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos)
133
32. Apple iPhone XS Max
131
32. Oppo Find X2 Pro
131
34. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4
130
35. Vivo X80 Pro (Snapdragon)
129
35. Xiaomi 12S Ultra
129
35. Xiaomi 12 Pro
129
38. Oppo Find X5 Pro
128
38. POCO F4 GT
128
38. Xiaomi Redmi K50 Gaming
128
38. Xiaomi 11T Pro
128
42. Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
127
42. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
127
42. Xiaomi 12T Pro
127
45. Apple iPhone 11
126
45. OnePlus 10T 5G
126
45. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
126
45. Xiaomi 12T
126
45. Xiaomi 11T
126
50. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
125
50. Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
125
50. Vivo X80 Pro (Mediatek)
125
53. Lenovo Legion Phone 2 Pro
124
54. Google Pixel 7
123
54. Oppo Reno8 Pro 5G
123
56. Apple iPhone SE (2022)
122
56. Apple iPhone SE
122
56. Xiaomi 12
122
59. OnePlus 9 Pro
121
59. Samsung Galaxy S22+ (Exynos)
121
59. Sony Xperia 1 IV
121
62. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
120
62. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon)
120
62. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Exynos)
120
65. Asus ROG Phone 2
119
65. Huawei P50 Pro
119
65. OnePlus 9
119
65. OnePlus 8
119
65. Xiaomi Redmi K40 Gaming
119
65. Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
119
71. Realme GT Neo 3
118
71. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
118
71. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
118
71. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon)
118
71. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Snapdragon)
118
71. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G (Exynos)
118
77. Asus Zenfone 8
117
77. Google Pixel 4
117
77. OnePlus 10 Pro
117
77. OnePlus 8 Pro
117
77. Vivo iQOO 9 Pro
117
82. Motorola Edge+
116
82. Realme GT Neo 2 5G
116
82. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
116
82. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
116
82. Xiaomi Redmi K40 Pro+
116
82. Xiaomi Mi 11
116
88. Motorola Edge 30 Pro
115
88. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
115
88. Xiaomi Mi 11i
115
91. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G
114
91. Vivo iQOO 7 Legend
114
93. Google Pixel 5
113
93. LG V60 ThinQ 5G
113
93. OnePlus 7 Pro
113
93. Samsung Galaxy S20+
113
93. Samsung Galaxy S10+
113
93. Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G (Exynos)
113
93. Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ (Exynos)
113
93. Sony Xperia 1 III
113
101. Nubia RedMagic 6 Pro
112
101. Nubia Red Magic 5S
112
101. Realme GT 5G
112
104. Oppo Find X3 Pro
110
105. Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G
109
105. Oppo Find X5
109
105. POCO X3 NFC
109
105. Realme GT 2 Pro
109
105. Vivo X70 Pro+
109
105. ZTE Axon 30 Ultra
109
111. Huawei Mate 30 Pro
108
111. Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
108
111. Oppo Find X3 Neo
108
111. Realme X2 Pro
108
115. Nothing Phone(1)
106
116. Lenovo Legion Phone Pro
105
116. Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro
105
118. Honor V30 Pro
104
118. Oppo Reno8 5G
104
118. Oppo Reno5 Pro+ 5G
104
121. Black Shark 3 Pro
103
121. Oppo Find X5 Lite
103
121. Sony Xperia 1 II
103
124. Huawei P40 Pro
102
124. Motorola Edge 20 Pro
102
124. Oppo Reno6 5G
102
127. Motorola Razr
101
128. Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition
97
129. Black Shark 2 Pro
96
129. Honor 20 Pro
96
129. Oppo Find X3 Lite
96
129. Vivo X51 5G
96
133. LG G8 ThinQ
95
134. Nubia Red Magic 3S
94
135. Fairphone 4
93
135. Sony Xperia 1
93
135. Vivo X70 Pro (MediaTek)
93
138. Vivo X60 Pro+
91
139. Nokia 7.2
87
140. Vivo X60 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
86
AUDIO
Position in Ultra-Premium Ranking
7th
1. Asus ROG Phone 6
155
2. Asus Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders
149
2. Honor Magic3 Pro+
149
4. Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
144
5. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
142
5. Apple iPhone 14 Pro
142
7. Apple iPhone 14 Plus
141
8. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
140
9. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
139
9. Apple iPhone 13 Pro
139
11. Asus ROG Phone 3
138
11. Google Pixel 6 Pro
138
13. Google Pixel 7 Pro
137
13. Honor Magic4 Pro
137
15. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
134
16. Huawei Mate 20 X
133
16. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon)
133
16. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos)
133
19. Apple iPhone XS Max
131
19. Oppo Find X2 Pro
131
21. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4
130
22. Vivo X80 Pro (Snapdragon)
129
22. Xiaomi 12S Ultra
129
22. Xiaomi 12 Pro
129
25. Oppo Find X5 Pro
128
26. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
125
26. Vivo X80 Pro (Mediatek)
125
28. OnePlus 9 Pro
121
28. Samsung Galaxy S22+ (Exynos)
121
28. Sony Xperia 1 IV
121
31. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
120
32. Asus ROG Phone 2
119
32. Huawei P50 Pro
119
32. Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
119
35. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
118
35. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
118
37. OnePlus 10 Pro
117
37. OnePlus 8 Pro
117
39. Motorola Edge+
116
39. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
116
39. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
116
42. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
115
43. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G
114
44. Samsung Galaxy S20+
113
44. Samsung Galaxy S10+
113
44. Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G (Exynos)
113
44. Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ (Exynos)
113
44. Sony Xperia 1 III
113
49. Oppo Find X3 Pro
110
50. Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G
109
50. Oppo Find X5
109
50. Vivo X70 Pro+
109
53. Huawei Mate 30 Pro
108
54. Lenovo Legion Phone Pro
105
55. Black Shark 3 Pro
103
55. Sony Xperia 1 II
103
57. Huawei P40 Pro
102
58. Motorola Razr
101
59. LG G8 ThinQ
95
60. Sony Xperia 1
93
61. Vivo X60 Pro+
91

Playback

Pros

  • Good performance in all attributes, with great consistency across them
  • Great timbre performance overall, enriched by a deep low-end extension
  • Great dynamics performance overall
  • Very good spatial performance

Cons

  • Distortion and compression at maximum volume and when watching movies
  • Stereo is still inverted in music app, as in all iPhones

Recording

Pros

  • Good timbre performance overall
  • Good performance when recording loud content such as  concerts
  • Good dynamics performance
  • Good handling of artifacts overall. Wind noise reduction needs some fine-tuning but it works decently

Cons

  • Midrange rendition is too dependent on the use case, and can sound either canny or nasal depending on the app and use case
  • SNR could be greater, as main vocal content is often a bit masked by the ambient noise
  • Poor audio zoom performance

The differences between the iPhone models when it comes to audio playback and recording have usually been minimal. The same holds true now with the release of the iPhone 14 series.

The iPhone 14 Plus, which contains the  A15 Bionic chipset, shares many of the hardware specs as the iPhone 14-series models, except that the 14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max both operate on the latest A16 Bionic chip.

In Playback and Recording, the iPhone 14 Plus’s audio performance was identical in all categories to the iPhone 14.

Given all the similarities among the iPhone 14-series models and that the iPhone 14 Plus’s overall Audio score was just a point below the 14 Pro Max’s score, well within our margin of error, we direct you to the full test results of the iPhone 14 Pro Max. 

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