Hardware Anyone noticed better audio quality with the speakers on Stereo mode?

[DSoryu]

Well, I think this is pointless for some of you, but I wanna start saying that some people who own a 3DS doesn't knew this fact.

Later, the first days, when i bought the console, I changed the sound settings to "Stereo", and noticed a considerably improvement of the sound quality, instead of the default "Surround".

This is very notable with games like TFF, Ridge Racer 3D, Kid Icarus Uprising and more...

I just make this thread for the people who don't know this trick, and see (or hear) the results, because many of my friends with a 3DS didn't know and they are now happy with the results, and grateful for the advice.

 

[tbgtbg]

It's not so much the quality is better, just that with the way surround works on a two speaker system it's gonna make stuff sound not as loud, so switching to stereo makes it sound louder and thus you hear things as better.

Still doesn't help much with the crappy speakers on the 3DSXL, though. I swear, I got better sound out of the original 1989 GB's speaker.

 

[RodrigoDavy]

Still doesn't help much with the crappy speakers on the 3DSXL, though. I swear, I got better sound out of the original 1989 GB's speaker.

I've never seen anyone commenting about it, but the 3DS XL speakers is significantly smaller than the original 3DS speakers. They've done it, so they could make the upper screen bigger.

 

[VMM]

I've never seen anyone commenting about it, but the 3DS XL speakers is significantly smaller than the original 3DS speakers. They've done it, so they could make the upper screen bigger.

It's similar to what happened from DS Phat to DS Lite.
DS Phat speakers were better, but that was a necessary sacrifice to make DS Lite smaller.

anyway, 3DS speakers are already bad.
Most times, I play it with my headphones, so for me, this doesn't change much.

 

[BORTZ]

Well surround usually means the sounds come from speakers surrounding the player or listener in this case. And MOST of the time that is in reference to 5.1 speaker set up. I never understood why the DS and the 3DS had "Surround" options, as with only 2 speakers (and so sub to speak of) stereo is the best you are going to get really.

BUT it really comes down to a matter of preference. Some might like the sound surround brings, possibly headphones help with that. I do not know.

 

[tbgtbg]

It's similar to what happened from DS Phat to DS Lite.
DS Phat speakers were better, but that was a necessary sacrifice to make DS Lite smaller.

Most times, I play it with my headphones, so for me, this doesn't change much.

Even with headphones, I find the max sound level to be lower on the 3DSXL than on the original DS (or any GameBoy). It's loud enough (max on older systems was too loud to keep it at long term with headphones), but still, makes me think there's more here going on than just small speakers.

Well surround usually means the sounds come from speakers surrounding the player or listener in this case. And MOST of the time that is in reference to 5.1 speaker set up. I never understood why the DS and the 3DS had "Surround" options, as with only 2 speakers (and so sub to speak of) stereo is the best you are going to get really.

Because it's two speaker SIMULATED surround, many DS games (and games on Nintendo consoles) have the same thing.

 

[VMM]

I changed the sound settings to "Stereo", and noticed a considerably improvement of the sound quality, instead of the default "Surround".

Stereo makes the sound louder, but looses quality,
it looses the audio that is simulated of those extra 4 channels.

 

[nicklessguy]

3DS surround sucks. I think they done something wrong code-wise on it. It destroys the entire range of high frequencies, both on speakers and phone (much more noticable on the later).
Put it to stereo, always. Try to listen to a MP3 with surround, then switch it to stereo and you will be amazed by the difference, it will sound clear and crystaline, while surround sound muffled and with bad highs like an old radio.