A multimedia playback calibration method includes a calibration module operating on a mobile communications device to cause it to: introduce test data at a first end, in the mobile device, of a playback path and receive data, played back by a playback device at a second end of the playback path, at a sensor integral to the mobile device; compare the received data against the test data to determine a characteristic of the playback path; and configure the mobile device to compensate for this characteristic. The mobile device may comprise a handheld casing enclosing a central processing unit, a multimedia player module for initiating playback of at least one data stream on a playback device, communication capability for forwarding the at least one data stream from the mobile device to the playback device along a playback path and the calibration module.