We did expect the Samsung S8500 Wave to perform well in our traditional audio quality test but the resulst turned close to perfection. Not only is the Bada-pioneer one of the loudest handsets in terms of headphones volume, it is also among the ones with the cleanest output. The Nokia N91 is the only handset that we have ever measured to be noticably louder than the Wave, but it didn\'t perform as well across the board.

The frequency response is perfect for the entire audible range and deviation is impossible to detect even in lab conditions. The signal-to-noise ratio is also excellent and so are the dynamic range and the stereo crosstalk.

The distortions are also neatly kept and the decision to pronounce the S8500 Wave the perfect portable audio player couldn\'t be much easier than this really.