Music is an indispensable part of my life. While working on the tasks for the LIFEBOOK4LIFE project, I decided to go ahead and test the Fujitsu LIFEBOOK UH572 for music playback performance based on the music I like to listen.
To see the audio features of the device, you can see its datasheet
About audio we have the following:
- Audio type: On board
- Audio codec: Realtek ALC269Q-VB6 (HD audio)
- Audio features: 2x built-in speakers (stereo), Support of high-definition audio, DTS BoostTM – maximizes acoustic power of your notebook by boosting perceived overall level of the mix Manufactured under license from DTS Licensing Limited. DTS, the Symbol, & DTS and the Symbol together are registered trademarks & DTS Boost is a trademark of DTS, Inc. Product includes software. © DTS, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
There is direct reference to the sound processing features but not direct detailed references to the speakers itself. As Hi-Fi aficionados say, it is the loudspeakers, not the player or the amplifier. So the questions is:
How do the speakers perform with different genres of music?
To perform the tests I decided to use recordings from youtube.com so the same test could be repeated in different hardware too.
All the tests are done with 70% volume set to avoid any distortion or problems caused bu potentially a high volume level recording.
I should note that the comments below might be too subjective as I have a different ear sensitivity. I am too sensitive to high pitch sounds.
The pieces were first listened on an Dell Latitude E6410 to ensure that they are useful choices. The selection below represents the music I listen to these days…
1. Solo Classical Guitar
Ana Vidovic playing J.S. Bach’s Suite BWV 1006a, Prelude I
It sounds ok. A bit crisp with slightly low basses but it is clear enough.
2. Orchestral Classical Music
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by W.A. Mozart
This sounds too metallic, and therefore it is annoying. This piece of music is expected to be absolutely soft (expecially compared to the ones below)
3. Choral & Orchestral Neo-Romantic Music
Gustav Mahler (my favourite composer) – Symphony No:8 – Veni, Creator Spiritus performed by Bayerischen Rundfunks Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mariss Jansons
Music starts at 2:15. The entrance loud and big and the speakers distort the sound right away. It is not a pleasant experience.
4. Contemporary Solo Piano
Gyorgy Ligeti’s Piano Etude 2: Cordes a Vide performed by Idil Biret.
Although the sound is not deep enough especially to present the low bass sounds (like the ones at the end), it is an acceptable performance.
Until this point it looks like the speakers perform better with solo instruments.
5. Rock Music
Queen – Another one Bites the Dust
The entrance is clear and the accompaniment can be recognized after a while, just the bass guitar at the beginning is almost inaudible. It gets better as the piece develops.
6. Heavy Metal
Metallica – Nothing Else Matters
Nice and clear opening. The actual recording is a bit too loud.
It is hard to hear the bass guitar. Drums are very clear – maybe sounds too clear or too high for this recording. The guitar solo sounds almost perfectly, maybe because it is already have a distortion pattern and pushing the limits of the speakers does not make much difference. Despite the balance problem the listening experience is acceptable.
7. Trash Metal
Sepultura – Desperate Cry
Generally I get the right impression that I get from this piece. Still I think I am loosing some details while listening to this, gives a bit uneasy feeling.
Headphones
The UltrabookTM provides a high quality stereo line out / headphone 3.5mm socket.
The best is to use high quality headphones. After the whole test, I gave this UltrabookTM a chance with my 7 year old audio-technica(R) model ATH-PRO30 headphones. It changes the experience completely and I could easily see the performance of the Realtek ALC269Q-VB6 and DTS(R).
Also I could not identify any background electronic interference (where I have it with the Dell Latitude E6410 – very annoying) which shows that the audio circuits are properly shielded from magnetic interference. I like it very much.
Conclusion
Although stereo speakers are available, the stereo feeling is not deep enough – that is due to distance beween the speakers and they are positioned next to each other instead of making them separate.
For the best of music on Fujitsu LIFEBOOK UH572, use an high-end headphone or external speakers.
