[Q] Any way at all to fix my audio issues? - Galaxy S II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Finally gave up the ol iPhone 3G and "upgraded" to an SGSII. I paid a lot of money and figured it'd work, but there are two extremely niggling problems that I cannot fix.
1. No one calling me can hear me unless I use speakerphone. I did successfully fix that once with some settings accessed by typing in a number and changing a few things, but that reset when I reset my phone...I've yet to be able to fix this.
2. When listening to music on my massive Sennheiser headphones I can't hear much at all. On the iPhone if I'd even approached full volume, I woulda blown my head off, on the SGSII, even on full, Metallica sounds like a soothing lullaby.
Are there any fixes for these issues? Or are these things that perhaps are fixed simply from having a different firmware? An almost 800 dollar phone, it'd be nice if it did two basic functions without flopping.
All help is appreciated.
EDIT: Oh and forgot to mention, I know the mic works thanks to speaker phone making me heard and I know headphones/sound output can be louder because the app Volume+ or whatever boosts it fine. I just don't want to use a seperate app each time, I want a more permanant fix.
EDIT2: Okay, Poweramp works fine, and I also see types of headphones are to blame. Like the earphones that came with the phone are fine. They have 3 notches on the plug as opposed to 2. I'd say that's a fair indication. Anyway, can consider this problem solved.
Also I've been told my warranty was indeed automatic, so if I truly cannot fix the mic problem again, apparently I can send it away to get fixed. Although I guess I'll have to reset and all, hide root and all that. Don't even know how, nor do I want to be phone-less, so help will still be very appreciated.

Rizaria said:
1. No one calling me can hear me unless I use speakerphone.
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Click to collapse
Sounds like a defect to me ... I would try to get an exchange. Maybe first compre with another SGS2 in a shop.
2. When listening to music on my massive Sennheiser headphones I can't hear much at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's pretty normal with mobile devices, which usually have an output impedance of 32 Ohm. Large HiFi headphones are optimized for much more powerfull amplifiers and so have an impedance of 250 Ohm or even more. This results in much lower volume, if high impedance headphones are used on mobile devices like phones, notebooks or MP3 players.
A further reason is, that the SGS2 has lower maximum volume, than several competitors ... seems to be limited by software.
Download Poweramp from the market ... it's worth every cent, but there's also a time limited demo. This app has a nice preamp, which allows you to raise the overall volume and it's equalizer is also very good.
I use Ogg Vorbis (224 bitrate) songs with this app combined with an AKG K319, the best mobile headphones I ever tried ... much better than even most big Sennheisers ... that being said from a former Sennheiser fan For home HiFi I recommend Beyerdynamic DT880 or DT990. Try these headphones and you'll sell your Sennheiser
The combination of Ogg Vorbis (MP3 sucks in comparison), AKG and Poweramp give me fantastic sound quality!
And don't use Metallica for testing ... their records are highly compressed ... complete junk from an accustically perspective, because all dynamics are compressed away. Google for "audio compressor" and you'll understand.

i use a combination of poweramp with a 'smiley face' or 'rocl' equalizer setting and volume+ with +3 and good quality equalizer settings.
makes my koss portapros truly shine in terms of volume and clarity.

First off, lemme say thanks for the replies. 'Preciate it.
Aymara said:
Sounds like a defect to me ... I would try to get an exchange. Maybe first compre with another SGS2 in a shop.
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Click to collapse
Possibly, it's been awhile since I got it though and I dunno where I put my receipt so I sort of doubt the shop will care. And defect or not, I feel it's more a software/firmware issue as I truly was able to fix it at some point.
That's pretty normal with mobile devices, which usually have an output impedance of 32 Ohm. Large HiFi headphones are optimized for much more powerfull amplifiers and so have an impedance of 250 Ohm or even more. This results in much lower volume, if high impedance headphones are used on mobile devices like phones, notebooks or MP3 players.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, didn't know that. Still doesn't explain why my headphones worked amazingly with my old iPhone but terrible with this. :c Not that I bought these headphones for taking out and about, rather bulky. Might hafta buy some others..
A further reason is, that the SGS2 has lower maximum volume, than several competitors ... seems to be limited by software.
Download Poweramp from the market ... it's worth every cent, but there's also a time limited demo. This app has a nice preamp, which allows you to raise the overall volume and it's equalizer is also very good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I gathered as when I used a similar app called Volume+ I found it quite capable of better sound. That's why I'd like some help with changing the Samsung audio settings. I know my way around them, but there's so many opions and changeable things I'm not sure what to do. I'll give Poweramp a look.
I use Ogg Vorbis (224 bitrate) songs with this app combined with an AKG K319, the best mobile headphones I ever tried ... much better than even most big Sennheisers ... that being said from a former Sennheiser fan For home HiFi I recommend Beyerdynamic DT880 or DT990. Try these headphones and you'll sell your Sennheiser
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So cannot be arsed getting OGG versions ofall my music. xD And having to re-tag it all. If OGGs can even be tagged and have art. But yeah, way too much effort but I don't doubt you.
And don't use Metallica for testing ... their records are highly compressed ... complete junk from an accustically perspective, because all dynamics are compressed away. Google for "audio compressor" and you'll understand.
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Click to collapse
Perhaps. But they're loud songs nonetheless, particularly the live ones. I can certainly hear the difference. Way too quiet on the SGS2. :c
rab1412000 said:
i use a combination of poweramp with a 'smiley face' or 'rocl' equalizer setting and volume+ with +3 and good quality equalizer settings.
makes my koss portapros truly shine in terms of volume and clarity.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using more than one app is even more than my not wanting to use one in the first place. Certainly wouldn't help battery life, as this all only matters when I'm travelling long distance and need music.

There are 2 microphones on the sgs2. One is on the bottom edge and one is on the top edge. The bottom one is for regular calls and is broken on your phone. The top one is for speakerphone, which is obviously working.
I suggest returning your phone under warranty as the volume issue is not normal either.
Sent from my GT-I9100M

Electroz said:
There are 2 microphones on the sgs2. One is on the bottom edge and one is on the top edge. The bottom one is for regular calls and is broken on your phone. The top one is for speakerphone, which is obviously working.
I suggest returning your phone under warranty as the volume issue is not normal either.
Sent from my GT-I9100M
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They're not broken as such because as stated I was able to fiddle with some settings and get normal calls working fine, it just lost those settings after a reset. Some sort of firmware fault, I've heard of cases where people had the same issue back on the original SGS.
I could never get the warranty going. Samsung's website wouldn't recognise it at all. Never got around to trying to start the warranty manually. Probably too late now.
Also, to those who recommended Poweramp; I'm impressed. that's not a bad work around actually. Shame it doesn't have playlist support though.
EDIT: Oh, it does! perfect little app, thanks guys. Now I just need to find settings to fix my in-call volume issue then I'm all set.

Rizaria said:
Using more than one app is even more than my not wanting to use one in the first place. Certainly wouldn't help battery life, as this all only matters when I'm travelling long distance and need music.
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Click to collapse
volume+ has no perceptible hit on battery life fyi
edit:
why dont you give it a try first. you could always kill it or uninstall it if it doesnt work out for you. it has a v small memory footprint btw.

rab1412000 said:
volume+ has no perceptible hit on battery life fyi
edit:
why dont you give it a try first. you could always kill it or uninstall it if it doesnt work out for you. it has a v small memory footprint btw.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah alright, I might've imagined it. I'll use it if need-be, at least Poweramp seems to do the job as-is but thanks for the recommendation.

Rizaria said:
Hmm, didn't know that. Still doesn't explain why my headphones worked amazingly with my old iPhone but terrible with this. :c Not that I bought these headphones for taking out and about, rather bulky. Might hafta buy some others..
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Click to collapse
thats what you call impedance mismatch.
for example, my woodees in-ear sound excellent on an iphone/ipod. in fact, it is a match to a bose QC15 any day. however it sounds muffled on my laptop and sgs2.
its the complete opposite with my koss portapros which sound amazing on my laptops and sgs2 and sound just ok on the ipod.
there is most probably nothing wrong with both your headphones and phone, but just keep this in mind. it is one reason why certain audiophiles have more than one iem.
edit:
forgot about your in-call issues, yes that could be a hardware problem.

rab1412000 said:
thats what you call impedance mismatch.
for example, my woodees in-ear sound excellent on an iphone/ipod. in fact, it is a match to a bose QC15 any day. however it sounds muffled on my laptop and sgs2.
its the complete opposite with my koss portapros which sound amazing on my laptops and sgs2 and sound just ok on the ipod.
there is most probably nothing wrong with both your headphones and phone, but just keep this in mind. it is one reason why certain audiophiles have more than one iem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What a pain in the arse. :c Had no idea audio could be so damn complicated.
At least Poweramp seems to make things loud enough. Might have to invest in some more portable headphones in the future though.

personally, id try to get your in-call volume issues sorted out first.
that just isnt right and could indeed point to a h/w defect.

rab1412000 said:
personally, id try to get your in-call volume issues sorted out first.
that just isnt right and could indeed point to a h/w defect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That basically is all I need sorting now. The underlying problem of the music volume may not be fixed, but the apps suggested here get around it fine.
I still don't think it was a hardware defect as I really did have it fixed at one point. Stupid reset. I think it's some semi-unique firm/software issue I have.

Rizaria said:
Had no idea audio could be so damn complicated.
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Click to collapse
That's the downside of the MP3 age ... most people don't know nothing about audio quality and what's worse, they don't know what they missed so far.
There are several lessons to learn:
1. MP3 sucks even at highest bitrate, because frequencies above 15 KHz are cut off and basses are always distorted if the music is a bit louder. If you have good audio hardware, MP3 sounds much worse than a good Audio CD.
2. Ogg Vorbis is a good compromise for mobile use compared to Flac with it's extremly large files. If you rip a CD with quality setting Q=7 (224 kbit) you won't hear a difference to the CD except when using a DDD recording on a high end HiFi home sytem and having yourself very trained ears And what's also nice is, the file size is similar to MP3.
And yes, you can use album art with Ogg ... embed it with Media Monkey on PC or if you rip a complete album to a folder, just place a JPG in that folder which has the same file name as the album title. Both Media Monkey and the SGS2 will show it (no matter if stock player or Poweramp). No need to mention, that all MP3 tags also can be embedded in Ogg.
3. Good audio hardware is needed ... and though the stock volume is a bit low on the SGS2, it's Yamaha audio engine is quite good. But the stock audio player is crap. It's impossible to get good equalization without distortion in the bass bands. But Poweramp solves this problem, if you set it up correctly.
So all that is missing now is a good headphone. The best mobile headphone with correct impedance you can get below 100$ nowadays is the AKG K319 ... though it ships with a hardcase and has fantastic sound, it's not very popular or let's say not well known, so you can get it really cheap ... got it for only 25 Euros
But if you are a bass junkie, the Koss Porta Pro might be the better choice. It has a little bit more bass response as the AKG, but is more bulky and can't compete with the AKG's sound "crispness" in middle and high frequency bands.
Conclusion: After already switching to Poweramp, Ogg and a good mobile headphone will give give you a second WOW effect

Aymara said:
Conclusion: After already switching to Poweramp, Ogg and a good mobile headphone will give give you a second WOW effect
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Click to collapse
Very interesting. I knew some of that, but not quite to that extent. Regardless though, the sheer time it'd take me to replace my songs..ugh, I shudder at the thought. Also I prefer mp3 and m4a for cross-system compatibility and iTunes use. Still my fave way of organising and listening to music I'm almost ashamed to say.
That being said, I installed Winamp just for transferring my music and playlists onto my SGS2 properly.
I'll keep the headphones in mind, but Poweramp itself solves the bulk of that problem. x3 Now if only I could fix my major problem.

Rizaria said:
Also I prefer mp3 and m4a for cross-system compatibility and iTunes use.
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Click to collapse
MP3 will die over time, not only because it sounds horrible. The main reason are the licence fees, devs and manufacturers have to pay ... Ogg on the other hand is free ... did you notice, that nearly all newer devices suport Ogg?
It can understand, that switching a large archive to Ogg can be a lot of work, but it's zero hassle to use Ogg for new material.
I highly recommend to compare the sound quality.
Now if only I could fix my major problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mentioned, that you found a fix, but a reboot resets it. Do you use the latest firmware or a custom ROM?

Aymara said:
MP3 will die over time, not only because it sounds horrible. The main reason are the licence fees, devs and manufacturers have to pay ... Ogg on the other hand is free ... did you notice, that nearly all newer devices suport Ogg?
It can understand, that switching a large archive to Ogg can be a lot of work, but it's zero hassle to use Ogg for new material.
I highly recommend to compare the sound quality.
You mentioned, that you found a fix, but a reboot resets it. Do you use the latest firmware or a custom ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I don't doubt it. Gotta love that open source. I might investigate more into ogg files when I have more spare time.
As for the firmware, I believe I updated to a latest one. At least I don't think it was custom, looked the same as the stock, stupid TouchWiz and all. Only updated to root it basically. 'Cause I think my stock rom was an Optus mutated version basically, so couldn't root it. Something like that.
Lets check the settings..hmm...Android Version: 2.3.3, Baseband Version: I9100XXKDJ, Kernel Version: 2.6.35.7-I9100XWEK2-CL187606 [email protected] #2, Build Number: GINGERBREAD.XWKE2.
That's all I know.

Rizaria said:
I might investigate more into ogg files when I have more spare time.
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Click to collapse
One last word about Ogg ... it's only superior to MP3 at 224 KBit and above!
At least I don't think it was custom, ...
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Click to collapse
You think? Where did you get it from? I only updated by OTA ... staying stock so far.

maybe 2.3.5 will fix that

Aymara said:
One last word about Ogg ... it's only superior to MP3 at 224 KBit and above!
You think? Where did you get it from? I only updated by OTA ... staying stock so far.
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Click to collapse
I tend to only have MP3s above 192kbps, mostly higher, so I guess I'll know to keep the trend for oggs.
And yes, I believe so. The OTA updating thing didn't work. Again, I believe, because it was an Optus-edited firmware.
tuvi123 said:
maybe 2.3.5 will fix that
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Click to collapse
Perhaps. If I update again does it keep my root or will I have to do that again?
EDIT: Okay, Poweramp works fine, and I also see types of headphones are to blame. Like the earphones that came with the phone are fine. They have 3 notches on the plug as opposed to 2. I'd say that's a fair indication. Anyway, can consider this problem solved.
Also I've been told my warranty was indeed automatic, so if I truly cannot fix the mic problem again, apparently I can send it away to get fixed. Although I guess I'll have to reset and all, hide root and all that. Don't even know how, nor do I want to be phone-less, so help will still be very appreciated.

Aymara said:
But if you are a bass junkie, the Koss Porta Pro might be the better choice. It has a little bit more bass response as the AKG, but is more bulky and can't compete with the AKG's sound "crispness" in middle and high frequency bands.
Conclusion: After already switching to Poweramp, Ogg and a good mobile headphone will give give you a second WOW effect
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with most everything you said except your comments on the koss portapros.
Unlike most iem's, the koss us not bass heavy and in fact shines in separation, natural sound reproduction and over all warness and crispness. It is definitely not a headphone for bass heads.
I like listening to modern music with a lot of strings and I get a lot of separation in the high frequencies.
Like i said I've compared it to a Boss quiet comfort 15 and senn 555's.
Your akg is very good too, but at a third of the price less, i personally feel the koss is a better buy.
And that's why it's design has been the same for the past 25 years
sent from my samsung galaxy s2 using tapatalk

Related

Best audio boost method?

Anyone had any success with an app to boost the speaker volume of the NC?
I read that Audio Boost 2 doesn't alter speaker volume much. I have not tried anything yet, but would any audio app with an EQ function allow boosting all freqs. work? I know that there is a chance of overdriving the speaker, but I want to try to get this "fixed". The speaker volume is the single most annoying issue with my NC. Mainly with sources with audio tracks that are recorded at low level.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
kev
bugeyed1 said:
Anyone had any success with an app to boost the speaker volume of the NC?
I read that Audio Boost 2 doesn't alter speaker volume much. I have not tried anything yet, but would any audio app with an EQ function allow boosting all freqs. work? I know that there is a chance of overdriving the speaker, but I want to try to get this "fixed". The speaker volume is the single most annoying issue with my NC. Mainly with sources with audio tracks that are recorded at low level.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
kev
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Obviously, no-one did much. The worst part is NC's CM7 devs don't see it as a problem.
However, if you could talk dalingrin into looking into the issue (I myself failed to entice him to do anything), then there are some chances with his forthcoming new audio pipeline/ALSA commits.
As of now, when on CM7, you may try to play with DSP Manager's equalizer. Doesn't do much, agreed.
-------------------
fineoils.blogspot.com <<-there's not many answers here, but there's plenty of questions, sure
Only luck I'm having is headphones. Its really bad when the speaker is pushed up against the back of my case. Volume is horrible.
Use earphones will be the best bet for the time being.. Unless is CM7 got vol boost...
you can try poweramp, it has audio boost eq
yes its work withe me
Played around with Poweramp. Adjusted EQ midrange boost, keeping bass low & boosted Preamp setting & have determined that the speaker may just suck! Unless Poweramp EQ is adding distortion when the levels are boosted, the speaker can't handle much volume before breaking up. There may be no hope that the NC will ever have decent volume.
I find the volume on many sources to be barely adequate for personal listening in a quiet room, but for showing another person a video in a not so quiet environment, it is barely audible. I have also noted that the audio quality from the headphone jack is really poor when compared to any decent MP3 player. Looks like B&N saved $$$ on the audio section in order to bring us the nice screen & other quality hardware. I think that I am OK with this, but it would be nice to have it ALL!
Cheers,
kev
P. S. This may end my search for an internal solution to the volume level. Probably keep experimenting with small phone jack based amplified speakers.
The volume seems fine to me.
Hopefully we can have a stable Bluetooth stack working, so that we can pipe to audio to BT Speakers...
I really think the physical speaker is just crap. At the end of the day, you can't fix crap.
A. Nonymous said:
I really think the physical speaker is just crap. At the end of the day, you can't fix crap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the conclusion that I am coming to. Seems B&N found it necessary to keep the output level low so the speaker doesn't break up. Be fun to remove it & connect another more efficient one that can handle more power. I think I will continue to experiment with the small headphone connected powered speakers.
Cheers,
kev
bugeyed1 said:
That's the conclusion that I am coming to. Seems B&N found it necessary to keep the output level low so the speaker doesn't break up. Be fun to remove it & connect another more efficient one that can handle more power. I think I will continue to experiment with the small headphone connected powered speakers.
Cheers,
kev
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would be interested in seeing how much it would cost to solder in a "good" speaker.. I would think there would be a bit more space to squeeze in a decent speaker or possibly two?
First thing I thought of before I even bought my nook was what speaker was I going to buy for it! When I saw it in stores, I knew there was no way that speaker was going to do anything, and it made me wonder why it's even there. Considering that it's not loud enough for audio books really and mp3's would just play way too low, I think they should have just left it out and added 2 aux ports! Okay, that might not be realistic, but still!
I've opted for a portable iHome speaker from Wal-mart(it's the one that is a round cylinder and if you buy two you can have them hook to each other) for only $20 and should be getting it today. Unfortunately my PSP speakers blew out or that would be perfect for the nook since those things were loud enough to start a party.
Try my mumusicon it has got a sub increase function and that increased my nc's speaker volume more than 40 percent without causing distortion
Sent from my LogicPD Zoom2 using XDA App
I wonder if its possible to add in one of those tiny compact laptop subs too. My dell xps has one on it, they might be too thick though.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
dashy_kan said:
Try my mumusicon it has got a sub increase function and that increased my nc's speaker volume more than 40 percent without causing distortion
Sent from my LogicPD Zoom2 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
link for this app?
nolook said:
link for this app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's a typo. I searched the Market and found "MyMusicOn Music Player".
https://market.android.com/search?q=mymusicon&so=1&c=apps
Pre-dawn raid said:
I think it's a typo. I searched the Market and found "MyMusicOn Music Player".
https://market.android.com/search?q=mymusicon&so=1&c=apps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I dnlded Mymusicon & don't see any way to adjust the volume???
Edit: OK, tapped the album art screen & got another menu. Under "volume" there is a "sub" adj. that increases volume some.
I use DSP Manager to just raise all the EQ levels all the way up. It's pretty loud now.
stoopid but helpful
With the CN facing you in landscape, hold it up with your left hand. Put your right hand palm flat on the back of the device, gradually moving your palm to the right. You find a 'sweet spot' where the speaker is amplified about 50% by reflecting towards you off your palm.
Play around a little & you learn if your hand should be half way out from under the CN at the right side for loudest clearest sound (what sounds best to me) or palm cupped or flat.
An easy DIY aplifier would be a piece of flat plastic (like cut from milk bottle) adhered with a tiny bit of velcro at the 'sweet spot'. Could be detatched for travel, not need bulky external speakers, yet deliver noticably louder sound.
No software required

Using the sgs2 with a high-end headphone.

I've been considering for a while to buy a good headphones and I've decided to buy an audio technica ath-m50. The only thing that is bothering me is the yamaha audio chip. If I buy those headphones, I'll be using them most of the time on my sgs2.
Will the yamaha chip make the ath-m50 sound like a cheap low-end headphone?
If you happen to own an ath-m50 I wold really appreciate it if you could measure the hollow of the earth cups, diagonally and horizontally maybe. I've read that people with large ears may find them uncomfortable. The length of my ears are just below 7cm(I don't care, they are small, my mum told me that)
I've read supercurio's analysis of the audio chip but my question still remains.
Waiting eagerly for any response.
Get an iPod nano- excellent sound quality and a great price. I hate using my GSII for music though Poweramp is a great app
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
WagTwo said:
I've been considering for a while to buy a good headphones and I've decided to buy an audio technica ath-m50. The only thing that is bothering me is the yamaha audio chip. If I buy those headphones, I'll be using them most of the time on my sgs2.
Will the yamaha chip make the ath-m50 sound like a cheap low-end headphone?
If you happen to own an ath-m50 I wold really appreciate it if you could measure the hollow of the earth cups, diagonally and horizontally maybe. I've read that people with large ears may find them uncomfortable. The length of my ears are just below 7cm(I don't care, they are small, my mum told me that)
I've read supercurio's analysis of the audio chip but my question still remains.
Waiting eagerly for any response.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, if you really want to use a pair of high end headphones with the galaxy sII, get a portable amp like i did. I got a fiio e7, and it powers the ath-m50just fine. Listening to them straight out of the GSII audio jack wont let them utilise their full power. And dont get an iPod if you want really high quality audio. :-/ (Just a suggestion )
Sent from my GT-P7500 using XDA App
@OP go head and also look at this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1405840
Nyssa1104 said:
@OP go head and also look at this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1405840
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have bought that app even though I rarely use it because for me the s2 is loud enough. I'm more worried about the quality of the sound.
WagTwo said:
I have bought that app even though I rarely use it because for me the s2 is loud enough. I'm more worried about the quality of the sound.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It simple buddy take your handset into a store that sells these headsets and test the thing in house.
From there your should be able to make up your mind.
Nyssa1104 said:
It simple buddy take your handset into a store that sells these headsets and test the thing in house.
From there your should be able to make up your mind.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've thought of this, the only problem is finding a store that sells the audio technica ath-m50. I live in London I'm sure there is plenty of stores.
However this would not be much help because I'm not very experienced with high end headphones, so probably almost anything will sound good to me.
If you want to listen to boom boom music with heavy bass then the SGS2 is inadequate .Expensive headphones are not going to do that much .
However as a user who does not have any boom boom music i find stock player headphones or slightly upmarket low end Sennheiser headphones fine .
Power Amp for me strangely lowers sound output level .
jje
I've the same experience as JJEgan with Power Amp. It seems to boost dynamic range at the sacrifice of overall volume.
For getting the best out of high-end headphones, you could always try Neutron Music Player from Android Market. It claims to use its own "32-bit audio music rendering core", although it's debatable whether this makes a difference, given that uncompressed CDs only have 16-bits per sample. People seem to like it, though.
Just recently I noticed something when listening to music using Poweramp with a headphone.
When you click on something such as the app drawer, the volume of the music that you are listening to increases for fraction of a second then it goes back to normal.
It can be very annoying when you are using the phone while listening.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Thanks for all the replies.
I've started to change my mind about buying an audio technica ath-m50, maybe I should stick with the headphones from poundland.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Tephlon said:
I've the same experience as JJEgan with Power Amp. It seems to boost dynamic range at the sacrifice of overall volume.
For getting the best out of high-end headphones, you could always try Neutron Music Player from Android Market. It claims to use its own "32-bit audio music rendering core", although it's debatable whether this makes a difference, given that uncompressed CDs only have 16-bits per sample. People seem to like it, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried Neutron at the weekend, and these old ears couldn't see - OK, hear - what the fuss is about. No difference from Poweramp with a very unscientific ABX on my Sennheiser IE8s.
Definitely the worst UI I've seen on any music player though - so hideous that it should win awards.
Get rockbox.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
I use studio beats by dre, they have an amp built into them and they kick bass hard, hi fi quality audio! I work in poundland and trust me their headphones don't work well with the sg2, i hope this helps
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
I'm going to buy AKG K240 mk II.
I will buy a FiiO E6 with the AKG. The last tweaks will be done with DSP.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Senn HD25-1s and Ety ER4-Ps both sound fine straight out of the headphone socket.
Using poweramp, without any eq or tone control tweaks, just ~30% crossfeed.
I read all the reports of crappy audio on the GS2, so when I got mine and tried it I was very pleasantly suprised.
Whereabouts in Poweramp settings is crossfeed...Didn't realise Poweramp supported it ?
bejay said:
Senn HD25-1s and Ety ER4-Ps both sound fine straight out of the headphone socket.
Using poweramp, without any eq or tone control tweaks, just ~30% crossfeed.
I read all the reports of crappy audio on the GS2, so when I got mine and tried it I was very pleasantly suprised.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the tone/vol/bal page, next to the volume control. It's labeled stereo x.
Ahhhh. So that's what Poweramp calls crossfeed. Gotcha Yeah I normally have that on around 35% with Brainwavz M3's.
Thanks for that bit of info
Edit to add - Out of thanks for the day, will hit you up later.
bejay said:
On the tone/vol/bal page, next to the volume control. It's labeled stereo x.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem

[Q] Hissing noise on Audio

Hi all! I have been reading alot of post about Streak's low quality sound output, and I'am experiencing it too, when I plug in my head phones there is no hissing sound, but when I click play or receive a call hissing sound starts and does not end till audio output end.
There is alot of post from people that have the same issue, I will Quote them below. I'm posting this because everyone that has posted this issue has been "overrun" with other people posts that they do not have that background noise.
I just want to expand on this problem, could it be Android version, or perhaps different hardware? Any suggestion is welcome.
----------------------------------------------
gadaga said:
Hi,
Personally I find that whatever I use as earphones, I have a hard time accepting the noise level on the streak. When playing music at a medium volume, the noise is really very very present.
I suppose there is no work around is there? Doesn't this bother you for serious listening?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
donalgodon said:
The sound quality is absolutely abhorrent in comparison to the Galaxy SII or any other smartphone I've ever used, including the HD2, Vibrant, several Nokia devices, etc.
There is a constant and definitely audible signal noise in the Streak that really bugged me. As a recording engineer, I can definitely hear the difference between the audio systems on the two devices. When the playback system kicks in, you can literally hear the hiss in the background. When the playback stops, the hiss vanishes. Upon further investigation, it seems that this is a known issue that found its way into several reviews. If I hadn't heard it for myself, I'd have not believed how terrible it actually sounded, and frankly, it's SO bad that I find it inexcusable on such a high-end device.
I sold my iPod and bought a larger MicroSD to use my phone as my main portable media device, and the Streak really let me down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hp79 said:
If it's boosted, wouldn't that cause more noise since noise will also be boosted?
I'm having the same problem. Hissing noise in the background. I also got mine couple days ago. I bought it when it was $200 unlocked from dell.
I'm on stock 347. I should have tested the earphone when I had 351.
It makes the hissing noise in music, internet radio, wherever sound is being played. It has a constant level of hiss noise even if I raise the music volume or reduce it to minimum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe it's the hardware. Doesn't matter what OS level you're running (I've experienced it on 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)
I've actually found it to be more tolerable on the Dell oem headphones when compared to my nice headphones (etymotic research er6i)
cyapalmpos said:
I believe it's the hardware. Doesn't matter what OS level you're running (I've experienced it on 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)
I've actually found it to be more tolerable on the Dell oem headphones when compared to my nice headphones (etymotic research er6i)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope its OS because some don't have this issue, maybe MIUI 2.3.2 Rom wont have this problem (when they fix the problem with headphones not being recognized).
And yes, on Dell oem headphones it is less noticable but compared to 50-100$ better headphones, Dell's are low quality, although they are one of the best in box headphones that comes with device.
I have some basic knowledge in Java and C. Could anyone point in the right direction so I can try to edit/tweak some setting of audio output. Any info would be appreciated.
It's also noticible on the S7 and venue. At least on the S7 you can only really notice it in a room that's completely silent, but at least for that i'm talking about the external speakers.
All I can say is that it's pretty much not noticible for me as long as it's not silence/very low volume music. At least for me it's very easy to drown out the hiss by raising the volume as it does not/minimally scales with the volume.
Keep in mind that the speakers/headset jack simply do not recieve power when not in use, the hiss on them could be part of the inherent design of it. It might be noise after the DAC as it doesnt scale anywhere near 1:1 with the audio. But I'm just blindly guessing
TheManii said:
It's also noticible on the S7 and venue. At least on the S7 you can only really notice it in a room that's completely silent, but at least for that i'm talking about the external speakers.
All I can say is that it's pretty much not noticible for me as long as it's not silence/very low volume music. At least for me it's very easy to drown out the hiss by raising the volume as it does not/minimally scales with the volume.
Keep in mind that the speakers/headset jack simply do not recieve power when not in use, the hiss on them could be part of the inherent design of it. It might be noise after the DAC as it doesnt scale anywhere near 1:1 with the audio. But I'm just blindly guessing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did they came up with any fix for S7 and Venue?
In DSC rom update there is a line that says:
I'm using MIUI so can someone confirm if this changes anything?
_n0p_ said:
v1.0
[*]DSC Gain tool. Controls audio driver parameters.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The V has pretty much no perceptable hiss, and I believe the V and S5 share the same audio drivers (dont quote me on this), it might merely be a hardware issue on the S5.
I cant really say much about the S7's headset out, as it's rather unwieldly to use that way.
Also I'm very sure that it ISNT dependant on volume, like previously mentioned unless your current headset is loud to begin with, just turn up the volume and it drowns out nicely.
But yes it will be noticable on the quiet parts of music or during track changes.
tl;dr: turn up volume, V's got a cleaner output
Equipment tested on:
S5: CM7.2
S7: SD7-r9 (514-xx)
V: SD4-250 (408)
headset: iphone in ear headphones
I think its just the poor SNR ratio of the streak, its only -79db or something, its very poor.
Scroll down in this Dell Streak review to see RMAA audio benchmark measurements.
_n0p_ said:
soul_train, 100% hardware issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Makes me sad

Xperia S is a great MP3 player!

From playing around with my Xperia I noticed that it had a great looking music player, so I thought I'd give it a proper spin today. I've been on the lookout for something to replace my old Creative Zen for a while and I must say, I'm very impressed.
I wouldn't call myself a full-blown audiophile but I'm definitely quite fussy about sound quality. I was initially quite surprised at how good the Xperia S sounded, but didn't quite believe it at first because I've never had a good experience with mobile phone audio. However, having just tested it against my Zen, I can confirm that it sounds very good indeed.
There is perhaps slightly more hiss on the Xperia (only audible at high volumes), but the bass in particular sounds a lot deeper and more detailed, and I'm also starting to notice other little details of the music in the background - always a sign of a good audio player.
Better still, it supports gapless playback, which is something that very few media players seem to have.
Anyone else using their Xperia for music?
I really think they missed a trick though. The should of supplied the phones with decent headphones like they use to.
Malner27 said:
I really think they missed a trick though. The should of supplied the phones with decent headphones like they use to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By the time they release their LiveSound they'll properly add it to their latest shipments
Sent from my LT26i using xda premium
I think it's because the eq. curve is quite flat(so you can hear more detail, because all frequencies have the same intensity), and the impedance is high (so less level pressure and more dinamic)
Remember sony is one of the best home audio constructor
Which independance do you mean?
Gesendet von meinem YP-G1 mit Tapatalk
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1552358&page=3&highlight=audio
See this thread, I made a big post on the last page there.
i got the live sound smart headset with xperia s.... i bought mine the first week the phone was released in the UK.
How does the battery do when playing MP3? The reason I've never really used my phone for music is because the battery already struggles to make it through the day, so playing MP3s through it as well just makes things worse.
dixter said:
How does the battery do when playing MP3? The reason I've never really used my phone for music is because the battery already struggles to make it through the day, so playing MP3s through it as well just makes things worse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a big hit, really! The big hit comes from me fiddling with the display all the time to switch tracks
dixter said:
How does the battery do when playing MP3? The reason I've never really used my phone for music is because the battery already struggles to make it through the day, so playing MP3s through it as well just makes things worse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends, if you stress the amp with high impedance headphones you'll have battery issues, but normal buds it wont be a problem.
The sound quality compared to my Cowon i5 mp3 player is very dull!
Cowon has a nice sound output, but telling it is VERY dull is a bit over the top ...
sony devices always have a clear output also when there is a lot of bass the higher tones do not get lost.
Its not over the top, I tell it how I hear it.
Tried it with cheap-ish Klipsch in ear buds, over ear Sennheiser HD 25-1 II & Grado SR60.
I wanted the phone to perform I have no reason not to but unfortunately it doesn't compare.
I have a set of PXC 250-II with noise reduction ( bass is enhanced ) the phones sounds very good...
better then may desire ?
Yes.
Better then an Ithingy ...
Yes.
I do suffer bad battery life .
dgattenb said:
I have a set of PXC 250-II with noise reduction ( bass is enhanced ) the phones sounds very good...
better then may desire ?
Yes.
Better then an Ithingy ...
Yes.
I do suffer bad battery life .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most likely the drain is caused by the EQ.
Pity most headphones only come with specialised controllers for iSomething and not Android devices
I dont think the drain is the EQ. I've tested it with three players and its pretty clear that the drain is the headphones.
This is a mobile phone, most people will be using Earphones or small consumer headphones. As such the amplifier in the phone is designed to power such things. If you plug in larger headphones which take far more power to operate(4mm driver at 150ohm vs 40mm driver at 300Ohm!) you will see a battery drain.
I use CX-300II's when I'm out and about and they're a great mix of value/sound quality/power consumption. Worth checking out.
I've had the cx300 II's. While they sound good they broke fairly quick. I think after about 5 months use or so. Problem was with the cable.
Sent from my HTC Wildfire S A510e using XDA
RiotRick said:
I've had the cx300 II's. While they sound good they broke fairly quick. I think after about 5 months use or so. Problem was with the cable.
Sent from my HTC Wildfire S A510e using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3rd set, so yeah. But they've lasted longer than any other pair I have used. The cable is thinner than most but far stronger than many other brands.
I have noticed some definite battery drainage when using the MP3 player, but definitely nowhere near as fast as when doing something with the screen.
Having said that, the music player is so pretty I keep finding myself fiddling around with it, and I'm also experimenting a lot with EQs.
I have no doubt a Cowon player does sound better. I may actually buy one if I fill up my phone. But the Xperia still sounds a lot better than my old Creative Zen, and that until recently still managed to beat any other MP3 playing device I'd listened to, including the iPhone 4S.
I dont think its a very good music player. Before i get a text the music will skip. Also sometimes when the phone is playing music and asleep, when i go back in a open an app the player will skip. Not the best

Awful sound on P9000

Hello,
I am really dissapointed about this phone, the sound is awful !!!
I have try with VIPERFX but it does not fonction with the driver
It said :
Driver Version : 2.4.0.1
Enabled : NO
Status : Abnormal
Aud Format : Unsupported
Processing : NO
I have try with earbud, but same
Can you please tell me if you have another driver, sound software... ?
Regards
Google99
The sound is absolutely fine for me with a pair of Trinity Delta V II earphones.
You're not going to get a great sound with just the phone speaker but that's simply because it is a phone speaker... even on high end devices like my old HTC M9 I thought the sound out of the speakers was tinny.
Jonny said:
The sound is absolutely fine for me with a pair of Trinity Delta V II earphones.
You're not going to get a great sound with just the phone speaker but that's simply because it is a phone speaker... even on high end devices like my old HTC M9 I thought the sound out of the speakers was tinny.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest i do not have any BASS even if i select the option in the parameter (Movie or Music) add BASS but still nothing !!!
google99 said:
To be honest i do not have any BASS even if i select the option in the parameter (Movie or Music) add BASS but still nothing !!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With earphones or the phone speaker?
With the phone speaker, have a try ! I have a very nice sound with my old NOTES3. So i don't know what to do with that phone. Because i use a lot the phone speaker (GPS, Ringtones...).
Thanks for your response.
Regards
Google99
Earphone sound is fine for me, much better than Nexus 5 in fact. The internal speaker isn't that good but use app's equalizer to improve it.
google99 said:
With the phone speaker, have a try ! I have a very nice sound with my old NOTES3. So i don't know what to do with that phone. Because i use a lot the phone speaker (GPS, Ringtones...).
Thanks for your response.
Regards
Google99
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said, its a phone speaker with a tiny, not well tuned driver... what do you expect? Even in high end devices the phone speakers are rubbish and have absolutely no bottom end because they're trying to run all frequencies off of 1 tiny driver. The volume aspect on the P9000 is plenty loud enough for me.
Are you using the GPS in a car? If so just hook it up to your car speaker system, either by Bluetooth or auxiliary cable.
one of the first negatives i had of this phone was the very thin audio, its almost forced beyond its speaker.
coming from a Huawei media pad x2 which is superior with all the bell and whistles i should of known better.
i suppose its only a 200 euro phone and you get what you pay for sadly.
mixterz said:
one of the first negatives i had of this phone was the very thin audio, its almost forced beyond its speaker.
coming from a Huawei media pad x2 which is superior with all the bell and whistles i should of known better.
i suppose its only a 200 euro phone and you get what you pay for sadly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldnt say that, my Umi Zero is way cheaper but the sound of it is genious.
I guess it is the fault of "bad" drivers, like mentioned before. Wait for a costum Rom i guess ))
wasjapupkin said:
I wouldnt say that, my Umi Zero is way cheaper but the sound of it is genious.
I guess it is the fault of "bad" drivers, like mentioned before. Wait for a costum Rom i guess ))
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not just the sound , it needs a lot of issues ironed out.
hopefully they are mostly software related .
wasjapupkin said:
I wouldnt say that, my Umi Zero is way cheaper but the sound of it is genious.
I guess it is the fault of "bad" drivers, like mentioned before. Wait for a costum Rom i guess ))
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, when I said drivers I meant the speaker cone, I'm a sound and lighting engineer for nightclubs and we refer to the speaker cones as drivers.
One hint: in sound options there is the possibility to disable loudness. This helps a little bit, but sound is still not good. But its a phone speaker..
Flat sound no Level
Sound is still really flat, like the beginning of the stereo in 1980 !!!
Well I find the sound ok through the speaker (only one not two like it is made to look like!) but of course I listen to music through headphones and mine sounded fine with with ear buds or over ear Bluetooth ones. Also ran it through my Bluetooth speaker fine as well as my bluetooth connection to the HiFI.
If anything it is a little loud and bright but as people say it is a very small speaker
I had the same problem... Bad sound out of the speakerds... A lot of distortion... I found the solution... The phone comes with an audio booster activated out of the box... Just turn it off .. Got a booster for earphones too... Just deactivate it... Go to setting then sound and then at the bottom select the last option... Audio improvements or something like that. Regards.

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