We subjected the Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro to our rigorous SBMARK Audio test suite to measure its performance both when recording sound using its built-in microphones, and when playing audio through its speakers.
In this review, we’ll break down how it fared across a variety of tests and several common use cases.
Overview
Key audio specs include:
- Two speakers: one on the top and one on the bottom.
- 3.5mm audio jack
- DTS: X ultra surround sound
Reproduction
Pros
- Relatively free of artifacts
versus
- The maximum volume is not usable
- Lack of low-end extension
- Weak punch
Registration
Pros
- Correct recording volume
- Decent SNR
versus
- Inconsistent tonal balance across all apps used
- Poor performance in a high SPL scenario
- Mono recording.
The Nubia RedMagic Pro 7 is, like its predecessors, built to appeal to gamers. It has the top of the line Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 under the hood, a sophisticated cooling system and triggers on the shoulders. This model also boasts stereo speakers with DTS: X Ultra Surround Sound tuning. But like its predecessors, the Pro 7 falls short of our audio tests, with this latest device losing one point in overall score to its predecessor, the RedMagic Pro 6, as well as losing one point in playback and five points. in registration.
On the plus side in playback, the Pro 7 is relatively artifact-free, scoring excellent in our database, and it also performed quite well in our volume attribute. But the overall sound lacks both high-end and low-end, and in other attributes, the device was average at best. As a recording device, the RedMagic Pro 7 is functional in terms of recording volume and managing the signal-to-noise ratio, but otherwise produces mediocre results.
Test summary
Learn about SBMARK audio tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone audio reviews, SBMARK engineers perform a series of objective tests and undertake more than 20 hours of perceptual assessment under controlled laboratory conditions.
(For more details on our reproduction protocol, click here; for more details on our registration protocol, click here.)
The following section collects the key elements of our exhaustive tests and analyzes performed in SBMARK laboratories. Detailed performance evaluations in the form of reports are available upon request. Do not hesitate to contact us.
How the audio playback score is composed
SBMARK engineers test playback through smartphone speakers, the performance of which is evaluated in our labs and under real-life conditions, using apps and default settings.
In playback, the Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro suffers from a number of glitches that hold it back from its intended use as a gaming phone. Rich and satisfying tone, good stereo width, accurate localizability, and good loud performance are all qualities that add to the gaming experience. In the case of the RedMagic 7 Pro, the tonal balance is subtle, with too much emphasis on the midrange making it square. When playing at maximum volume, a general harshness dominates, making it unpleasant to use. Dynamic performance is also questionable and worsens as volume increases. The attack is rounded and smooth, bass accuracy is poor, and the envelope is not accurate. In the spatial attribute, the Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro does not have good width and, unfortunately, the stereo scene does not rotate when using it in inverted landscape mode for gaming or watching movies. On a positive note, the device scored highly for its lack of artifacts. But it’s worth mentioning that when you open the music app, the fan seems to start automatically and you have to manually turn it off.
Hear about the playback performance of the smartphone tested in this comparison with some of its competitors:
Stereo expansion of the Nokia N95
Here’s how Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro fares in playback use cases compared to its competitors:
Playback of use case scores
The Timbre score represents how well a phone reproduces sound across the audible tonal range and takes into account bass, midrange, treble, tonal balance and volume dependence. It is the most important attribute for reproduction.
The Dynamics score measures the accuracy of changes in the energy level of sound sources, such as the precision with which a bass note or the impact sound of drums is reproduced.
Secondary attributes for spatial tests include identifying the position of a specific sound, its positional balance, distance and amplitude.
The volume score represents the overall volume of a smartphone and how the volume gradually increases and decreases based on user input.
Here are some sound pressure levels (SPLs) measured while playing our sample recordings of hip-hop and classical music at maximum volume:
| Hip-Hop | Classic | |
| Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro | 107.4 dB | 104.3 dBA |
| Nubia RedMagic 6 Pro | 75.9 dB | 72.8 dBA |
| Realme GT 2 Pro | 74.2 dB | 69.5 dBA |
The graph below shows the gradual changes in volume from minimum to maximum. We expect these changes to be consistent across the range, so that all volume levels match user expectations:
The Artifacts score measures the extent to which sound is affected by various types of distortion. The higher the score, the less noise you notice. Distortion can occur due to the sound processing in the device and the quality of the speakers.
How the score of the audio recording is composed
SBMARK engineers test the recording by evaluating the files recorded on reference audio equipment. These recordings are performed in our labs and in real-life conditions, using apps and predefined settings.
As a recording device, the Nubia RedMagic Pro 7 struggles on many fronts. It records in mono, immediately putting it at a disadvantage over many similarly priced competitors. This means that the space performance is not very interesting. As for the sound it captures, different apps produce different results, but they are all imperfect. In life videos and selfies, for example, tonal balance is sorely lacking in low-end content. The upper spectrum, on the other hand, is overloaded in the 5Hz to 6Hz range, emphasizing the sibilants and making the highs aggressive and metallic. In the memo app, the tone is slightly more balanced but still aggressive and overly focused on the high mids and low treble. When recording in a high sound pressure level (SPL) situation, such as an electronic music concert, all of these problems are exaggerated. And then there are the artifacts. At high SPL, the recordings show strong compression and distortion. The background rendering is unrealistic, lacks bass and sounds tinny. On the plus side, the recording volume is correct.
Here’s how Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro fares in recording use cases compared to its competitors:
Record of use case scores
The Timbre score represents how well a phone captures sounds across the audible tonal range and takes into account bass, midrange, treble and tonal balance. It is the most important attribute for registration.
The Dynamics score measures the accuracy of changes in the energy level of sound sources, such as how accurately the explosives of a voice (p, tek, for example) are reproduced. The score also considers the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), such as how loud the main voice is compared to the background noise.
Secondary attributes for spatial tests include identifying the position of a specific sound, its positional balance, distance and amplitude on recorded audio files.
The volume score represents the normalization level of the audio on the recorded files and how the device handles noisy environments, such as electronic concerts, during recording.
Here are the sound levels recorded in the audio and video files, measured in LUFS (Loudness Unit Full Scale); as a reference, we expect loudness levels to be higher than -24 LUFS for recorded content:
| Match | Life video | Selfie video | Memo | |
| Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro | -33.6 LUFS | -25 LUFS | -20.5 LUFS | -28.1 LUFS |
| Nubia RedMagic 6 Pro | -34.8 LUFS | -23.9 LUFS | -19.3 LUFS | -27.7 LUFS |
| Realme GT 2 Pro | -21.9 LUFS | -15.7 LUFS | -14.6 LUFS | -18.2 LUFS |
The Artifacts Score measures the extent to which recorded sounds are affected by various types of distortions. The higher the score, the less noise you notice. Distortions can occur due to the sound processing in the device and the quality of the microphones, as well as user handling, such as the way the phone is held.
Hear about the artifacts in this excerpt, which was recorded in a fast-paced home environment:
Background evaluates how naturally the various sounds around a voice blend into the video recording file. For example, when recording a speech at an event, the background should not interfere with the main voice, but should provide context for the surrounding environment.
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