Envy 15 vs 17 sound quality?

Got an envy 15 today. I've got to say I'm not very impressed with this "beats" audio. I've got an XPS 17 sitting here that simply blows it away on pretty much every front.

Would I see any difference between the 15 and 17? Is there a trick to getting the beats to actually sound good? It's quite tinny. I can hear the "subwoofer" working but it mostly sounds like a quiet fart instead of any actual bottom end.

For those that will wonder I ordered on the 25th. Don't seem to have any build quality issues. USB ports are all nice and straight. Screen is flush. The DVD drive does seem a little wonky though but if I keep this thing it'll probably get replaced with a HD caddy anyway.

 

I have a 17" 3200 series, but I happened to purchase a 15" 3000 series a couple months ago, but I had build quality issues, so I returned it and waited for Ivy Bridge.

I would say the opposite - I was very impressed with the sound on the ENVY 15, and whereas I would have assumed that the 17 would have better sound, I think it actually may be the inverse. Granted, I don't have both of them sitting here next to me to compare, but I remember being impressed with the 15, and slightly let down by the 17.

Here's the deal, though. Every review you'll read of the ENVY 3000 and 3200 series, says the same thing - the speakers are either the best the reviewer has ever heard, or one of the best they've ever heard.

Yes, there are a handful of other laptops that sound better than the ENVY, but by and large, these are considerably better than average.

Also, make sure you're going into the Beats software by pressing the button on the volume wheel, and play with the EQ and the sliders and presets in the "Listening Experience" section.

With a little tuning, you will have your laptop sounding ten times better. And there are very different sound profiles from the three listening types: Music, Movies, and 3D Content. They are more than just EQ differences - they are actually being run through advanced sound processors that modify the sound beyond just raising or lowering the volume.

The bass will never be thumping, and frankly, the aluminum construction can tend to "buzz" a little when you really push the bass. But, all things considered, the speakers are good. Just tweak the settings in Beats, and also in the programs you're using - like iTunes - use the iTunes Equalizer.