As a music fan, my mobile device HAS to be very good at this all-important-task, because of the simple fact that I only own one portable music device at a time. The N91 is still considered the benhmark among all of Nokia’s handsets. How does the N97 compare?
Its all about audio quality:There are many ways to judge a music device, but one can argue that it all starts and ends with music quality. This is especially true with high-end headphones, earphones and IEM in the $450+ category. Recent tests I’ve done also shows that it makes a big difference when connected to large external speakers. The difference is even noticeable when budget (under $100) earphones are used. When it comes to audio quality the N91 and N91 8GB are still considered the golden standard, by which current devices are judged by. Using my trusty Shure SE530PTH In-Ear-Monitors (IEM), I put the N97 to the test. After extensive listening I can conclude that the N97 is the closest device yet to the N91 in terms of audio quality using the 3.5mm headphone jack. How close? If the N91 was considered a 10, the N97 would be a 9 or 9.5. It’s that close! I was even surprised to find that the N97 had that extra volume headroom that I loved so much about the N91. In some case I had to lower the volume when playing at 100% as it was way too loud. This was perfect for music recorded at lower volumes or when I just wanted to lay back and blast my music at full force. The guys over at GSMArena also seem to agree with us:
“The audio quality of Nokia N97 is just great, save for the disturbingly high intermodulation distortion levels. The handset fared excellently in all other parts of our test achieving some pretty impressive scores. The frequency response has been greatly improved over what the N96 could deliver. It now closes on perfection, deviating by no more than 0.27dB throughout the audible range. The noise level, dynamic range and stereo crosstalk readings are also very good, comparable to the best in class. Here go the results so you can compare it to some of the other handsets we have tested.”
I was simply impressed.
How about the speakers? Considering the physical limitation of these mobile devices we can’t expect miracles from the built-in speakers, but we can stay that the stereo speakers on the N97 sound better than most mobile devices out there. Ironically the lower priced 5800 XpressMusic is louder and reaches lower in the audio spectrum. Its fair to stay that if you want share your tunes or annoy others in the train, the N97 does a perfectly good job. Quality-wise, the 5800 XpressMusic sounds better though when the speakers are concerned.
Wait, no Media keys? At first it seemed like a big minus: the N97 had the audio quality but no music keys,a typical characteristic of music devices. Having the ability to quickly control your music is handy. There’s no denying that hardware media keys are probably the best way to go, but Nokia did what is in my opinion the next best thing: Widgets. Widgets are the N97’s media keys that when activated can be placed on one of 5 user selectable areas. If you can recall, the N91 had media keys in front of the actual keypad, the N97’s implementation is basically the same, but of course implemented in the UI. It even goes one step further in the sense that you get the option to place the keys on different parts of the screen: in the middle, at the bottom or all the way up. When you don’t want them, they’re gone, a clear advantage over the N91, especially when customization is concerned. One area where hardware keys have the advantage though is when multi-tasking. I could be surfing the web and controlling my music using the media keys, without ever having to open the Music Player. Something that clearly can’t be done on the N97, unless Nokia adds a floating media bar that can be placed on top of other applications. Maybe an idea for the next firmware Nokia?
Lots and lots of storage and speedy too:With 32GB and 16GB micrSDHC cards I had a total amount of 48GBof storage that could be expanded with time as 32GB microSDHC cards become available. Yes, that’s 48. GB! The N91 on the other hand is stuck at 4 and 8GB. The N97 not only has more storage, but with a data transfer speed of 7-8MB/s it’s almost twice as fast as the N91.
Form factor: The N91 may have the advantage of having hardware keys, but the N97’s form factor with its QWERTY is able to find the the right Track or Artist faster. The ability to change from a QWERTY device that sits flat on a table one second, to something that looks like the 5800 XM closely rese,bling a dedicated MP3-player that sits more comfortable in the hand.
Large screen: With such a large screen, the N97 has the ability to show the biggest album art and music button I have ever seen. But where are the visualizations? The N91 has them, even the E75 (!) has them, so why are they not implemented on the N97?
Conclusion: Although mostly marketed as a social-media device, the N97 performs incredibly well as music device that is the closest thing to the N91 in audio quality. Although it lacks hardware media keys, it mostly makes up for this with the Music Player that can be put on different areas of the screen. For heavy multi-tasking hardware keys are still the best solution. The N97 not only bests the N91 in storage, but also with a faster transfer speed to fill it up. The Slide-out QWERTY although at first not that obvious, seem well-suited for a music device and the large screen makes a dream come true for music fan: giant album art!
Strangely missing are visualizations, something that even the business oriented Eseries devices have. The N91 can now finally rest in piece.
