Static noise suppression for audio jack output - LG V30 Questions & Answers

Hi,
I noticed a weird static noise in my headphones when listening to music or any app using the default Android output. This is strong enough to be annoying at the lowest volume steps, and I can also notice it at higher volume when the track is quiet.
I think this noise is here from the start : H930DS HK bought in November, ROMs open EU 21o to 22j and even stock HK ROM if I remember correctly (I followed the WTF thread as soon as I received it but I tried it on original HK ROM). It is completely independent from headphones, but I don't have high impedance ones to test if it would disappear in this situation.
However, I am a proud user of Poweramp... and the experimental high res output (set up on 24 bits / 48kHz) is able to completely annihilate the static noise for all my tracks (encoded 16 or 24 bits / 44100Hz to 96kHz, flac or 320 MP3). Quad DAC section effects are working but unfortunately DTS:X is bypassed. In fact, if I disable Direct Volume Control the noise is back : in this situation it seems I can't use any audio effect.
I am completely unable to recreate this effect with Ainur Narsil or any audio mod (like Ainur, then I stopped experimenting with it as I read somewhere it would disable the Quad DAC).
How is this possible ? I already spent hours studying system .xml files, XDA threads and tried installing/uninstalling audio mods, but I didn't find any solution. My android audio knowledge is limited, so I came here to figured this out : does anyone have a suggestion ?
Thanks for reading this looooooong post :victory: !

Jilano34 said:
Hi,
I noticed a weird static noise in my headphones when listening to music or any app using the default Android output. This is strong enough to be annoying at the lowest volume steps, and I can also notice it at higher volume when the track is quiet.
I think this noise is here from the start : H930DS HK bought in November, ROMs open EU 21o to 22j and even stock HK ROM if I remember correctly (I followed the WTF thread as soon as I received it but I tried it on original HK ROM). It is completely independent from headphones, but I don't have high impedance ones to test if it would disappear in this situation.
: !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have any audio mod, uninstall all of them.
use Hifi status app to check whther your headphone is recognized as high impendance due to bae connection.
Overall, the static noise only happens on HIM mode ( which turn avc to 0 hence generate the noise), so if you have any mod that force HIm mod, it will make that noise. if everything is still happens with my suggestion (no HIM mode mod, and headphone recognize as normal headphone) you can try changing the avc from 14 to higher (18 or 20)

Mrxyzl said:
If everything is still happens with my suggestion (no HIM mode mod, and headphone recognize as normal headphone) you can try changing the avc from 14 to higher (18 or 20)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, I deleted all my audio related mods and even reinstalled my custom kernel with HIM disabled. HiFi app does not show high impedance whatsoever, but the noise is still here...
I'm trying to figure out by myself how to modify the AVC, but I have a few questions : can I achieve that through system file modification (I will make my personal Magisk mod then) ? If it's the case, will I need aml when using audio mod ?
Thank you a lot for your answer.

Jilano34 said:
So, I deleted all my audio related mods and even reinstalled my custom kernel with HIM disabled. HiFi app does not show high impedance whatsoever, but the noise is still here...
I'm trying to figure out by myself how to modify the AVC, but I have a few questions : can I achieve that through system file modification (I will make my personal Magisk mod then) ? If it's the case, will I need aml when using audio mod ?
Thank you a lot for your answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
are you on stock? try modified the mixer_path_tavil.xml in vendor/etc. try searching for ess dac start then modified the next following avc value (one is 14 one is 0) to 16 or 18 to see how it goes

Mrxyzl said:
are you on stock? try modified the mixer_path_tavil.xml in vendor/etc. try searching for ess dac start then modified the next following avc value (one is 14 one is 0) to 16 or 18 to see how it goes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I am on stock so I found the ESS DAC section in mixer_path_tavil and started to experiment with the values. I still don't understand which section serve which purpose, but with the avc value to 21 (3 times higher than the standard value from Anxious V30 mod) for the dac sections and 9 for the aux sections, the static noise is now gone.
I spend a long time trying to understand how mixer_path_tavil works... Is there a complete manual somewhere I can study ?

Jilano34 said:
Well, I am on stock so I found the ESS DAC section in mixer_path_tavil and started to experiment with the values. I still don't understand which section serve which purpose, but with the avc value to 21 (3 times higher than the standard value from Anxious V30 mod) for the dac sections and 9 for the aux sections, the static noise is now gone.
I spend a long time trying to understand how mixer_path_tavil works... Is there a complete manual somewhere I can study ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For your information, hifi-dac = normal headphone, hifi-dac-advanced = high impedance headphone, hifi-dac-aux = aux (car or speaker)
The value is as following
ctl name="Es9018 AVC Volume" value="8" /> --> stock is 14, the higher, the smaller volume output, FYI, AVC stand for analogue volume control (basically should make less noise comparing to digital gain)
<ctl name="Es9018 Master Volume" value="0" /> --> no idea, should have no effect on audio quality, seem the lower the louder volume is
<ctl name="Es9018 HEADSET TYPE" value="1" /> --> type of headset, 1 = normal, 2 = high impedance, 3 = aux, this should determine the voltage output ( supposed so, but voltage output also hardcoded in kernel , so no idea how this turn out)
Edit: My headphone (64 Ohm custom headphone) was fine with HIM set at 8 (not 0), as i talked with John (developer of Ainur and narsil) , he said that he have no prob on his headphone, so it all fall down to headphone quality or so
Edit2: yes anxious mod modified to pseudo forced HIm mode and also mess up with DTS value (IMO, worse than stock)

Jilano34 said:
Well, I am on stock so I found the ESS DAC section in mixer_path_tavil and started to experiment with the values. I still don't understand which section serve which purpose, but with the avc value to 21 (3 times higher than the standard value from Anxious V30 mod) for the dac sections and 9 for the aux sections, the static noise is now gone.
I spend a long time trying to understand how mixer_path_tavil works... Is there a complete manual somewhere I can study ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just want to point out that modding the values DOES NOT force HIM or AUX mode. Anxious and another op pointed this out as well.
Sent from my LG-H932 using XDA Labs
---------- Post added at 09:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:27 AM ----------
Mrxyzl said:
are you on stock? try modified the mixer_path_tavil.xml in vendor/etc. try searching for ess dac start then modified the next following avc value (one is 14 one is 0) to 16 or 18 to see how it goes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That only changes volume lvl. It does not set DAC mode.
Sent from my LG-H932 using XDA Labs

BROKEN1981 said:
I just want to point out that modding the values DOES NOT force HIM or AUX mode. Anxious and another op pointed this out as well.
Sent from my LG-H932 using XDA Labs
---------- Post added at 09:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:27 AM ----------
That only changes volume lvl. It does not set DAC mode.
Sent from my LG-H932 using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And yes, no one talking about changing the mode , he just had a problem with noise, i tell him to change the value and problem gone

I don't care about forced HIM (or falsified/pseudo/...), as I understand it's just a gain (you're not wasting your arguments on other threads @BROKEN1981 !). The modded DTS parameters I use are from JohnFawkes (he published them a while ago) and I like this side-by-side effect. In fact I state using Anxious mod but I edit it to match my needs... And now, I have installed narsil and jamesdsp : thanks to both of you my setup is perfect and noiseless.
I just don't understand how Poweramp with its HiFi Audio can clean all static noise without lowering my volume or anything... This is really weird.

Jilano34 said:
I don't care about forced HIM (or falsified/pseudo/...), as I understand it's just a gain (you're not wasting your arguments on other threads @BROKEN1981 !). The modded DTS parameters I use are from JohnFawkes (he published them a while ago) and I like this side-by-side effect. In fact I state using Anxious mod but I edit it to match my needs... And now, I have installed narsil and jamesdsp : thanks to both of you my setup is perfect and noiseless.
I just don't understand how Poweramp with its HiFi Audio can clean all static noise without lowering my volume or anything... This is really weird.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad you have it sorted out, sucks when you have static when you're trying to listen to music.
Sent from my LG-H932 using XDA Labs

Related

Stock Music Player workaround

Many of you included myself complain about stock music player. It has uncountable problems but as far as I know it is the only player which can use the built in high end DAC. The most annoying thing is that it plays song in alphabetic order if files appear at all and secondly it is very slow.
I would suggest a temporary solution what I did and it works perfectly so far.
Delete all playlist (m3u, cue etc.).
Remove a metadata from files too.
Remove all songs with metadata from the phone!!!
Delete all record from "My Playlist" in the initial screen. (I was able to do it just one by one)
Reset Music Player by deleting cache and data in Application Settings
Reboot phone
Then open Music Player and play songs from Folder option. It will be enough fast and all songs appear and in filename order.
In order to remove metadata from files I would suggest using Mp3tag
http://www.mp3tag.de/en/
If you collect your files in any structure on the PC, all you can do is to move root folder into Mp3tag screen, select all songs and remove tags by right clicking. Then you can copy files to phone.
!!! Be careful !!!
Don't remove tags from your archive music folder. You cannot undo. Always create temporary folder and copy wishing music files there in order to remove metadata (tags).
Good lock!
obladi64 said:
as far as I know it is the only player which can use the built in high end DAC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
where the heck did you read this load of bull?
Flaîm said:
where the heck did you read this load of bull?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have read discussions about it but no one was sure in any other player uses it obviously. If you know such please share it with evidence too. Thanks in advance.
obladi64 said:
I have read discussions about it but no one was sure in any other player uses it obviously. If you know such please share it with evidence too. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
unless your device somehow is capable of utilizing magic to process and output audio there's nothing but the only active DAC to do this task, which you can set in your audio settings.
edit: sorry for being a sarcastic ****
Flaîm said:
unless your device somehow is capable of utilizing magic to process and output audio there's nothing but the only active DAC to do this task, which you can set in your audio settings.
edit: sorry for being a sarcastic ****
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Except there is two DAC for output : AKM and SD820 built-in.
Flaîm said:
unless your device somehow is capable of utilizing magic to process and output audio there's nothing but the only active DAC to do this task, which you can set in your audio settings.
edit: sorry for being a sarcastic ****
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok I was not so precize. Other players don't use AKM dac directly. They do it just via Android which convert all audio input to 48/16 output. Let me know if I am wrong but justify it with something please. Of course then this stream goes to AKM DAC but this not the way we wish it. I welcome any non stock player which can drive dac directly in same way as stock one does. Sooner or later it will be available hopefully but now I don't know any.
If the "Headset HiFi" control in Settings is to switch between SD820 and AKM DACs, then I'm able to use the AKM DAC with other media players that pass audio processing/decoding to the OS (as opposed to fancier players that utilize their own built-in decoding methods/codecs). In my music player of choice (Clean Music), I can switch between the two "Headset HiFi" options (Standard & Super) in the middle of a song and, after a pause to transition, hear a difference between them.
obladi64 said:
Ok I was not so precize. Other players don't use AKM dac directly. They do it just via Android which convert all audio input to 48/16 output. Let me know if I am wrong but justify it with something please. Of course then this stream goes to AKM DAC but this not the way we wish it. I welcome any non stock player which can drive dac directly in same way as stock one does. Sooner or later it will be available hopefully but now I don't know any.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
didnt know of that. any sources that this is the case?
edit:
according to this documentation it should be a systemwide default value - unless ZTE ****ed that up
https://developer.android.com/reference/android/media/AudioFormat.html
xtermmin said:
If the "Headset HiFi" control in Settings is to switch between SD820 and AKM DACs, then I'm able to use the AKM DAC with other media players that pass audio processing/decoding to the OS (as opposed to fancier players that utilize their own built-in decoding methods/codecs). In my music player of choice (Clean Music), I can switch between the two "Headset HiFi" options (Standard & Super) in the middle of a song and, after a pause to transition, hear a difference between them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have bad news which is good news actually. SD820 DAC is not used in A7 at all. There are two additional DACs and one ADC. "AKM AK4961 DSP CODEC, which can be considered the primary chipset for Hi-Fi audio playback and recording. The AKM AK4490EN DAC is an independent Hi-Fi audio sampler". This later is what you turn on when set "Headset HiFi" option. So SD820 ADC/DAC don't play at all.
http://www.androidauthority.com/taking-audio-next-level-zte-axon-7-706898/
and same is on ZTE site as well.
I have doubts that you can hear the difference between the two AKM chips while you don't between Clean Player and the built in ZTE player. Although I don't listen 4961 but I do Clean Player. The difference is significant especially if record is 44.1 kHz because conversion of it to 48 kHz is more difficult than of 96kHz record.
obladi64 said:
I have bad news which is good news actually. SD820 DAC is not used in A7 at all. There are two additional DACs and one ADC. "AKM AK4961 DSP CODEC, which can be considered the primary chipset for Hi-Fi audio playback and recording. The AKM AK4490EN DAC is an independent Hi-Fi audio sampler". This later is what you turn on when set "Headset HiFi" option. So SD820 ADC/DAC don't play at all.
http://www.androidauthority.com/taking-audio-next-level-zte-axon-7-706898/
and same is on ZTE site as well.
I have doubts that you can hear the difference between the two AKM chips while you don't between Clean Player and the built in ZTE player. Although I don't listen 4961 but I do Clean Player. The difference is significant especially if record is 44.1 kHz because conversion of it to 48 kHz is more difficult than of 96kHz record.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, the SD820 DAC is used and enabled. People with fancy players like PowerAmp (the latest alpha) report that in the app's settings, the only DAC that shows up in the list is the SD820 DAC. No AKM DAC listed.
I'm not an audiophile or anything, but when I have Super selected, the audio has a little more of a "punch" to it, while Standard I can kinda hear a bit of a ceiling. (this is all without ATMOS, of course)
xtermmin said:
Actually, the SD820 DAC is used and enabled. People with fancy players like PowerAmp (the latest alpha) report that in the app's settings, the only DAC that shows up in the list is the SD820 DAC. No AKM DAC listed.
I'm not an audiophile or anything, but when I have Super selected, the audio has a little more of a "punch" to it, while Standard I can kinda hear a bit of a ceiling. (this is all without ATMOS, of course)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SD820 in Poweramp: I cannot say anything pro or contra. I try to be smart from commercial b...ts. I don't know any well detailed technical quide. Based on these as engineer I would say that SD820 DAC is not used at all. Phone reports SD820 DAC for third party softwares due to compatibility reason but in real AKM chips works. Like I said I don't know it surly but most likely. I am also searching for the correct answer.
I believe that you hear the difference especialy if PowerAmp turns SD820 on somehow.
Otherwise the two AKM chips are different therefore they should sound differently. To hear it is just question of headphone price. Of course it is without ATMOS.
guess we need @rikin93 to use his contacts to get a definitive answer
Flaîm said:
didnt know of that. any sources that this is the case?
edit:
according to this documentation it should be a systemwide default value - unless ZTE ****ed that up
https://developer.android.com/reference/android/media/AudioFormat.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. It is justify my concern rather.
"Expressed in Hz, the sample rate in an AudioFormat instance expresses the number of audio samples for each channel per second in the content you are playing or recording. It is not the sample rate at which content is rendered or produced. For instance a sound at a media sample rate of 8000Hz can be played on a device operating at a sample rate of 48000Hz; the sample rate conversion is automatically handled by the platform, it will not play at 6x speed."
obladi64 said:
No. It is justify my concern rather.
"Expressed in Hz, the sample rate in an AudioFormat instance expresses the number of audio samples for each channel per second in the content you are playing or recording. It is not the sample rate at which content is rendered or produced. For instance a sound at a media sample rate of 8000Hz can be played on a device operating at a sample rate of 48000Hz; the sample rate conversion is automatically handled by the platform, it will not play at 6x speed."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you missed the important part:
As of API M, sample rates up to 192kHz are supported for AudioRecord and AudioTrack, with sample rate conversion performed as needed. To improve efficiency and avoid lossy conversions, it is recommended to match the sample rate for AudioRecord and AudioTrack to the endpoint device sample rate, and limit the sample rate to no more than 48kHz unless there are special device capabilities that warrant a higher rate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
which means that it can be programmed to output at 192 khz, but 48 khz should be the default value if there's no additional hardware.
or am i just misinterpreting this whole paragraph?
so either no player can play at 192 khz, or every player plays at 192 khz
Flaîm said:
you missed the important part:
which means that it can be programmed to output at 192 khz, but 48 khz should be the default value if there's no additional hardware.
or am i just misinterpreting this whole paragraph?
so either no player can play at 192 khz, or every player plays at 192 khz
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, someting like that. Since it is Androud part it is 48 kHz. I used Clean player as altarnative and I prove that there is difference between this and stock.
So as I understand it says that every source is converted to 48kHz and this is sent to dac. You can play 44.1 or 192 kHz source it doesn't matter streams will be converted to 48. Stock player alone can bypass it so far. And it is important in case of CDs as well becuase 44.1 to 48 conversion is the one of the ugliest thing can happen here.
obladi64 said:
Yes, someting like that. Since it is Androud part it is 48 kHz. I used Clean player as altarnative and I prove that there is difference between this and stock.
So as I understand it says that every source is converted to 48kHz and this is sent to dac. You can play 44.1 or 192 kHz source it doesn't matter streams will be converted to 48. Stock player alone can bypass it so far. And it is important in case of CDs as well becuase 44.1 to 48 conversion is the one of the ugliest thing can happen here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i just tested listening to some flacs in my regular player, vlc player and the zte player with my beyerdynamic custom one pro. either all of them were outputting the same format, or i am just not able to hear the difference.
Flaîm said:
i just tested listening to some flacs in my regular player, vlc player and the zte player with my beyerdynamic custom one pro. either all of them were outputting the same format, or i am just not able to hear the difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I am not fan of VLC Player therefore it is not installed on my phone. May be I felt wrongly and there is no difference because it doesn't exist at all and every player drives DAC appropriately. All I know is that I listened music by Clean Music for weeks and than I exchanged to ZTE player. Going through the music repertoire I was surprised. Anyway I am human too.
After all the fact is that you didn't here difference proves only one thing, namely you cannot hear the difference. Here and now.
I will study developer link what you suggested more thoroughly and also I am still waiting for the correct technical details from Android experts. Until I use ZTE player which works fine in above mentioned way. All song appears, all in order, no lag and sound brilliant. What else is needed?
Music Player DAC issue **Fixed**
Hi, I have a fix to using the DAC on non-stock music apps.
So I received my Axon yesterday.
Ipgraded from the Lenovo Vibe X3. I first ran in on the DAC problem on the X3.
In my experience all of these dedicated DAC phones follow the same approach, i.e., LG V10, Vivo Xplay 5, Vibe X3, Axon 7, and (I as sum) LG V20 as well.
There is already a thread on XDA explaining this in detail. -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-v10/general/music-apps-using-dac-t3252596
In short, the apps listed on the V10 page will use the DAC. Although the Vibe X3 had a dedicated DAC toggle, and the Axon 7 doesn't.
To test whether the DAC is being used by a music app on the Axon 7 is:
1. Plugin high fidelity headphones (so you will be able to hear and verify the difference in music), if you can do it with regular earphones/headphones, good for you. and kickass hearing btw
2. Play music on the music app you want to test. (Refer the LG link I posted)
3. while the music s running in the background, go to Settings -> Sounds & Vibration -> Headset Hi-Fi -> and switch between Standard & Super settings.
IF that app is using the DAC, you'll notice a slight pause (when the DAC switches on/off) and of course the difference in sound quality.
Note: Switch Dolby off or ignore it when testing the app, cos for some reason switching Dolby Atmos on/off produces the same gap in playback as the DAC.
On the Vibe X3 it didn't.
I used to use PowerAmp earlier, cos I found that best for my taste.
Then I discovered Neutron, and fell in love with that.
However then I bought a DAC phone & both Power-amp & Neutron don't use the DAC(or I wasn't able to make them)
As per a lot of users online "Poweramp Alpha" can be made to use the DAC on such phones, somehow. I tried fiddling around with it, got fed-up & left it.
If someone has the patience to figure it out AND explain it to me, I'd be grateful, cos Poweramp is my player of choice in terms of UI & ease of usability.
Neutrons latest changelogs mention it can use DAC usage as an update. But I can't notice the difference in the method listed above, or maybe its referring to USB DACs.
Now my player of choice adter going through the list of DAC supported music apps is Pulsar. - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rhmsoft.pulsar
Reason being, I found it to be the lightest/cleanest player which supports the DAC and can relatively smoothly handle my 10K+ collection of 320kbps MP3 & FLAC collection.
You guys can go through the list of apps on the LG V10 page and decide. which suits you best.
h/t @stupc. I've found his thread to be the most informative and bang on in solving the problem of 3rd party DAC phones throughout the net. And trust me, I've searched. Went crazy trying to solve this when I first bought the X3
Hope this helps.
Mods: Please move the post/thread to the appropriate section if required and close the thread as solved.
Hit Thanks if this helped.
Evil0verlord said:
[...]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you for your answer.
the method to check whether the seperate DAC is being used supports my observation, that i wasnt able to hear a difference between all 3 players i've used.
but i guess the question remains whether the output is in 48khz or 192khz for all of them :/
I'm sceptical about the differing sound quality when switching the "Headset HiFi" setting. I noticed that the volume increases significantly when the setting is on, and goes quieter when switched off. This is a well known and proven psychological sales tactic for audio. The human brain subconsciously associates louder sound to be of higher quality.
In this case it would be very difficult to perfectly volume match the on/off setting of the "Headset HiFi" toggle for a proper blind test. I don't believe any user testing can be trusted unless it's done blind, as confirmation bias could easily take precedence.
Some good reading:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychoacoustics
EDIT: I just did some more rudimentary testing with consumer quality mp3s and the ZTE music app, toggling the Headset HiFi setting on/off. The difference in frequency response is very noticeable even when not using high end FLAC encodings. There are significant bumps in bass and treble, even when compared to other sources I have with known flat sound signatures.
So you're asking, what does this mean? There's two scenarios:
1) if the Headset HiFi toggle is indeed switching between the Axon high end DAC and the SD820 standard DAC, the Axon DAC is far from neutral and has a coloured sound with unnaturally increased bass and treble response. This is arguably positive for the average consumer who likes the visceral sensation of an unnatural U-shaped equalizer, but will be disappointing for audiophiles looking for a flat sound signature.
2) the second possibility is that the Headset HiFi toggle does not change which DAC the system is using, but rather is like a Loudness button found on many stereos. When volume decreases, the human ear perceives low and high frequencies dropping off faster than other mid range ones. Loudness buttons are added to stereos so that low volume listening frequency response sounds closer to what the ear perceives at higher volumes.

Audio Output

Hi all,
I've been rooting my devices for a long time (since my HD2) and using custom software, but these days I just don't seem to find the time. Combined with the stock 6P software being pretty good, I haven't felt the need.
However, I am now forced to use my phone as my primary music listening device, usually hooked up to my home stereo. Much like my Nexus 6, before the 6P I have now, the audio output seems very low. On my last phone, there was a file that could be edited to boost the audio output (judging from the values in the file, it defaulted to 80% max vol?) and required at least root to do.
So, a few questions:
Do I have to wipe my device to get root access?
Are there exposed modules that can boost my audio output? Or,
I spotted an 'audiophile' rom recently - would that be my best bet for better audio output?
Any possible solutions to low audio output volume would be great!
Cheers
Ross
phanteh said:
Hi all,
I've been rooting my devices for a long time (since my HD2) and using custom software, but these days I just don't seem to find the time. Combined with the stock 6P software being pretty good, I haven't felt the need.
However, I am now forced to use my phone as my primary music listening device, usually hooked up to my home stereo. Much like my Nexus 6, before the 6P I have now, the audio output seems very low. On my last phone, there was a file that could be edited to boost the audio output (judging from the values in the file, it defaulted to 80% max vol?) and required at least root to do.
So, a few questions:
Do I have to wipe my device to get root access?
Are there exposed modules that can boost my audio output? Or,
I spotted an 'audiophile' rom recently - would that be my best bet for better audio output?
Any possible solutions to low audio output volume would be great!
Cheers
Ross
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thays my problem before... i came from moto x pure edition.. sound way better there. i dont want to root my nexus 6p .. just install equilizer fx from playstore and disable music fx.. now my audio boosted by 50%. .. its way better now.
Thanks pato, but I've tried EQ apps before, on my nexus 6 - while they may improve audio quality, you can't get any serious volume gains without some serious clipping.
Do I have to wipe my device to get root access?
No
Try this mod.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software/r-s-e-sound-systems-auditory-research-t3379709
Thanks Turgur,
That mod looks like just what I want, but it also says you need a custom recovery - I thought that required unlocking / resetting your device?
Either way I'll probably be trying it out later...
Cheers
Ross
phanteh said:
Thanks Turgur,
That mod looks like just what I want, but it also says you need a custom recovery - I thought that required unlocking / resetting your device?
Either way I'll probably be trying it out later...
Cheers
Ross
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlocking your bootloader will wipe user data, but you can just back it up to a PC, unlock, then copy it all back over after. It adds some time to the process. But, after that, there's very little need to ever format internal again.
Just root it and edit these two value <ctl name="RX1 Digital Volume" value="96" /><ctl name="RX2 Digital Volume" value="96" /> I put mine at 96 now it sounds way better than stock. Its system/etc/mixerpath by the way.
troyd28 said:
Just root it and edit these two value <ctl name="RX1 Digital Volume" value="96" /><ctl name="RX2 Digital Volume" value="96" /> I put mine at 96 now it sounds way better than stock. Its system/etc/mixerpath by the way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How are you doing this in android 7?
I have romtoolbox with rb text editor that work in android 6.
Tried other editors that let me change but will not save.
Well I'm learning, I may have done it the hard way by coping to computer & changing that way but it did work.
Edit: This little edit along with Deuteronomy 2.23 Classic makes sound outstanding!!!
Thanks troyd28
crackerjack1957 said:
Well I'm learning, I may have done it the hard way by coping to computer & changing that way but it did work.
Edit: This little edit along with Deuteronomy 2.23 Classic makes sound outstanding!!!
Thanks troyd28
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome, I try not to go above 96 because it distorts and sounds crappy I maxed it at 99, you can also edit the speaker of the phone itself or the microphone volume and other stuff in there. Thanks to the XDA community I learned that little trick.
Anyone get this to work on Pure Nexus?
It has 6 lines to change vrs 4 lines on stock rom.
When I change it breaks sound.
Edit: Forgot to set permissions, working now.

The "mixer_paths.xml" file doesn't utilize the phones hardware fully?

So, I've found that the audio on Lineage OS and other Roms based on LOS wasn't as good as on the stock firmware. Both when it comes to mic and headphones audio.
I followed this up by comparing the "mixer_paths.xml" files from Lineage OS between the file from stock marshmallow as well as stock nougat (A2017G model) and there are quite a few missing lines in the AOSP version and some lines that just have different values. B.T.W Is the "mixer_paths.xml" the only file where you edit values which have to do with audio?
Anyway, I then used the standard mixer file from the stock Marshmallow firmware on the Lineage OS rom and although the sound is lower than with the standard mixer file from LOS the audio is noticeably better according to my ears. (This could be placebo but I doubt it. I also use the HD 598 headphones which are quite good compared to many other headphones on the market so the difference in audio quality is easier to discover).
Feel free to try this out if you are on a AOSP rom and want better audio. Steps below:
1: Make sure you're rooted and have disabled system write protection.
2: Navigate to System -> etc -> mixer_paths.xml.
3: Cut the "mixer_paths.xml" file to a backup location in case you want to go back.
4: Download either the marshmallow or the nougat file that I've provided below and rename it to "mixer_paths.xml" and paste it in the same location. System -> etc.
5: Reboot.
6: Profit? I don't know, it's up to you if you think it sounds better. Remember that with cheap earbuds you most likely won't hear a difference, at least I wouldn't.
You can try the process with either the Nougat or the Marshmallow file i uploaded. The Nougat is a little bit louder.
In case you want to go back then just copy the mixer_paths.xml file you backed up and replace the current mixer_paths.xml file in the same directory as above. Also reboot.
Edit: As @RUNNERX pointed out, make sure that the permissions are set to 644 and then reboot to make sure it's working correctly.
Download
I think we need a properly soundmod...
I tried with stock ROM (B19 A2017U) but it only affects the Normal Mode in headphones.
There's so much potential with this device... Ak4490 is a beast that needs to be released from its "cage".
As far as I can tell, the problem is that no custom rom is using the akm dac?
This is too bad, especially since regular dac sounds in my opinion much much better (and different) in aosp with the latest sound fix compared to stock normal (loudness being part of it). Still it is clearly not the akm dac.
On stock, both normal and superior mode have some kind of strange tuning, almost like there is some postprocessing even with dolby off. On aosp that seems to be gone at least.
It was mentioned previously that the mixer XML was ignored and all changes needed to be made the (ADC**?) files. This has since been patched resulting in proper use of akm DAC. The issues with the sound not being as good quality wise lies within these files, not the XML.
icenight89 said:
It was mentioned previously that the mixer XML was ignored and all changes needed to be made the (ADC**?) files. This has since been patched resulting in proper use of akm DAC. The issues with the sound not being as good quality wise lies within these files, not the XML.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok. Where would I find these files?
icenight89 said:
It was mentioned previously that the mixer XML was ignored and all changes needed to be made the (ADC**?) files. This has since been patched resulting in proper use of akm DAC. The issues with the sound not being as good quality wise lies within these files, not the XML.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So can anyone confirm that they got the akm dac working with headphones? (and comment on the results?)
I installed the AOSP extended 7.1.2 and then magisk zip, but it didn't seem to work, though it did play louder (and stereo on speakers).
Maybe I'll try a different rom...
cfbruck said:
So can anyone confirm that they got the akm dac working with headphones? (and comment on the results?)
I installed the AOSP extended 7.1.2 and then magisk zip, but it didn't seem to work, though it did play louder (and stereo on speakers).
Maybe I'll try a different rom...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was under the impression that the headphone DAC has been working since early March. The stereo speaker fix has nothing to do with the headphone DAC.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=70971100&postcount=1041
Ok, it might just be that it sounds bad in the LOS-implementation then. Thanks to senny for exploring possibilities.
Just to give some feedback
This definitely changes the sound. Standard aosp sounded kind of raw to me, with tizzy trebles, though with a lot of detail. This makes it smoother, sounds more like it should in a way, easier to listen to.
There is some loss of information though, and soundstage a bit smaller.
(I found that if I tried to copy and replace the file it didn't work (sound not working). I had to first delete the mixer file present, then paste the other one.)
After replacing the file make sure permissions are 644 and reboot.
cfbruck said:
Just to give some feedback
This definitely changes the sound. Standard aosp sounded kind of raw to me, with tizzy trebles, though with a lot of detail. This makes it smoother, sounds more like it should in a way, easier to listen to.
There is some loss of information though, and soundstage a bit smaller.
(I found that if I tried to copy and replace the file it didn't work (sound not working). I had to first delete the mixer file present, then paste the other one.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well good to hear that more people find a difference.
when i'm looking at this: http://blog.son-video.com/en/2017/01/test-fiio-x5-iii/
I can't help but think that ZTE could have done so much more to make the experience more complete. The fiio got viper pre-installed, and digital low pass filter to play with that are actually coming straight from AKM :
"Five different 32-bit digital filter types are available: Short delay sharp roll-off and short delay slow roll-off filters have overall short delay characteristics. Sharp roll-off filter and slow roll-off filter preserve the phase difference and a new filter that has even slower roll-off character was added to these four filters. They are selectable according to the user audio and system preferences."
We've got a phone with one of the best DAC in the world, but can't do much because android by default is limited, and it seems obvious that zte don't have a lot of experience when it comes to makes audiophile device. a partenrship with fiio, cayin, or ibasso would have been terrific, especially considering that fioo and cayin have both already launch a product with an akm4490 running on android at full potential.
Maybe we can hope that some developer with at interest in audio can unlock some of the potential.
Listening some more with the mixer files I have to say it really is a big improvement, especially with the marshmallow to me.
Whatever it is that makes it better should be part of LOS. Using LOS 14.1 with the beastmode kernal and the changed mixer paths - it actually sounds pretty good.
However, for me changing the mixerpaths breaks audio functionality. I get no audio in calls, neither speaker nor headphones. I am using the sounds fix for stereo speakers 4.1, maybe that affects it.
Does it work without side effects for you senny? Whats your setup?
No mixer_paths.xml
Hi,i have marshall london phone and i'm sure i don't have mixer_paths.xml to edit,please help me to find the file responsible for editing volume output values.
FocaTm said:
Hi,i have marshall london phone and i'm sure i don't have mixer_paths.xml to edit,please help me to find the file responsible for editing volume output values.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
same here I did not find the mixer_paths.xml file in my AOSP extended Android pie rom.

Poor bluetooth audio quality

Hey guys,
I have connected my A3 to a roidmi in my car and i have noticed there's a very poor audio quality over a blurtooth. I have also checked it with a stereo in my living room. Does anyone else got a same problem? How to get over it?
jedrzej03 said:
Hey guys,
I have connected my A3 to a roidmi in my car and i have noticed there's a very poor audio quality over a blurtooth. I have also checked it with a stereo in my living room. Does anyone else got a same problem? How to get over it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ya i do have this problem, its a bug that hasn't been fixed yet. Turn volume down by 3 steps and you will be fine.
just enable developer options and set it to the highest quality, by default it is using the lowest bandwidth with the lowest quality
There is an even more serious bug with this phone and Bluetooth : if you get a call while streaming audio to a Bluetooth headset, music stops as expected, but then playback fails after the call has been ended. You need to reboot in most cases in order to get back music playback.
Tested with several Jabra and Plantronics headsets and different music players.
stopa10 said:
There is an even serious bug with this phone and Bluetooth : if you get a call while streaming audio to a Bluetooth headset, music stops as expected, but then playback fails after the call has been ended. You need to reboot in most cases in order to get back music playback.
Tested with several Jabra and Plantronics headsets and different music players.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Works fine for me. Try get a log of the issue to see if something can be diagnosed
Harakiri23 said:
just enable developer options and set it to the highest quality, by default it is using the lowest bandwidth with the lowest quality
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure it's actually doing this? Because when I switch Bluetooth to using another codec or higher quality, then hit back button, then go back into dev options, all the settings are back to default, so I don't think it actually does anything. I have a Bose qc 35, which is supposed to support aac.
stopa10 said:
There is an even serious bug with this phone and Bluetooth : if you get a call while streaming audio to a Bluetooth headset, music stops as expected, but then playback fails after the call has been ended. You need to reboot in most cases in order to get back music playback.
Tested with several Jabra and Plantronics headsets and different music players.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It happens with me too
jedrzej03 said:
Hey guys,
I have connected my A3 to a roidmi in my car and i have noticed there's a very poor audio quality over a blurtooth. I have also checked it with a stereo in my living room. Does anyone else got a same problem? How to get over it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try this Magisk module and increase the bitrate of SBC codec. You might need to experiment a little to find the best value for your setup. Start at the max (or just use the recommended value) and gradually decrease until it's stable. High bit rate SBC can have higher quality than APT-X (HD) - you will need to disable "HD Audio" in Bluetooth device setting to force usage of SBC.
I was using it with Mi A1, but haven't tried with A3 yet.
https://github.com/Magisk-Modules-Repo/gjf_bt
Btw. changing BT codec in developer settings never worked for me, not sure what's the purpose of it
Same problem for me. My bluetooth headset sucks at this device. I hope we can find an easy solution immediately
_mysiak_ said:
Try this Magisk module and increase the bitrate of SBC codec. You might need to experiment a little to find the best value for your setup. Start at the max (or just use the recommended value) and gradually decrease until it's stable. High bit rate SBC can have higher quality than APT-X (HD) - you will need to disable "HD Audio" in Bluetooth device setting to force usage of SBC.
I was using it with Mi A1, but haven't tried with A3 yet.
https://github.com/Magisk-Modules-Repo/gjf_bt
Btw. changing BT codec in developer settings never worked for me, not sure what's the purpose of it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its not the bitrate, it happened with me many times before so i can tell, phone boosts the volume past max for some reason which causes distortion, reducing volume fixes the issue
_mysiak_ said:
Try this Magisk module and increase the bitrate of SBC codec. You might need to experiment a little to find the best value for your setup. Start at the max (or just use the recommended value) and gradually decrease until it's stable. High bit rate SBC can have higher quality than APT-X (HD) - you will need to disable "HD Audio" in Bluetooth device setting to force usage of SBC.
I was using it with Mi A1, but haven't tried with A3 yet.
https://github.com/Magisk-Modules-Repo/gjf_bt
Btw. changing BT codec in developer settings never worked for me, not sure what's the purpose of it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm trying this module. I turned on Bluetooth snoop logging to see if I can see what bitrate I'm actually getting connected with. There is text .log file enough which is only few bytes and a larger binary file with
cfa extension. You don't happen to know what format this is, do you?
barth2 said:
I'm trying this module. I turned on Bluetooth snoop logging to see if I can see what bitrate I'm actually getting connected with. There is text .log file enough which is only few bytes and a larger binary file with
cfa extension. You don't happen to know what format this is, do you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CFA is a binary btsnoop file containing all the packets related to BT connection. It should be possible to open it on a PC in Wireshark. I couldn't find a way to open it on Android directly.
_mysiak_ said:
Try this Magisk module and increase the bitrate of SBC codec. You might need to experiment a little to find the best value for your setup. Start at the max (or just use the recommended value) and gradually decrease until it's stable. High bit rate SBC can have higher quality than APT-X (HD) - you will need to disable "HD Audio" in Bluetooth device setting to force usage of SBC.
I was using it with Mi A1, but haven't tried with A3 yet.
https://github.com/Magisk-Modules-Repo/gjf_bt
Btw. changing BT codec in developer settings never worked for me, not sure what's the purpose of it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my case (JBL Free X), this is not an solution, it's only quite better, when i set bitrate higher than 574
I think I have found solution for this problem. I have installed miui 11 on my mi a3. Then I have installed magisk and gjf_bt module. Noises no more. For some reason this module doesn't works on stock rom
stopa10 said:
There is an even more serious bug with this phone and Bluetooth : if you get a call while streaming audio to a Bluetooth headset, music stops as expected, but then playback fails after the call has been ended. You need to reboot in most cases in order to get back music playback.
Tested with several Jabra and Plantronics headsets and different music players.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same problem... after a factory reset it worked for a week ... now the problem returned ... did anyone find a solution?

The best eq audio for S20U

Hi guys, I have a S20 Ultra and I had the pleasure of sharing my equalizer settings. I am an audio technician, and for me these settings are the best! Try doing the switch with "Custom" and "Normal". Let me know! If you want, set dolby atmos as "music".
(the first two bands are worth nothing, because the frequency range starts from 130hz) This setting also work with s20/s20+, since they have the same sound system. I recommend using these settings with high quality audio files, such as flac hires.
For the best eq, for stock akg headphones:
v1.0, see post #9;
v1.5, see post #16;
v2.0, see post #43 (wrong post)
v2.1, see post #46 (the best).
dariuxzy said:
Hi guys, I had the pleasure of sharing my equalizer settings. I am an audio technician, and for me these settings are the best! Try doing the switch with "Custom" and "Normal". Let me know! If you want, set dolby atmos as "music".
(the first two bands are worth nothing, because the frequency range starts from 130hz)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for sharing. Will test later. Is this "best" for all around sound or specifically for the phone's speakers?
dariuxzy said:
(the first two bands are worth nothing, because the frequency range starts from 130hz)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you know? ? I was always wondering whether these 2 bands do something or not
dariuxzy said:
Hi guys, I had the pleasure of sharing my equalizer settings. I am an audio technician, and for me these settings are the best! Try doing the switch with "Custom" and "Normal". Let me know! If you want, set dolby atmos as "music".
(the first two bands are worth nothing, because the frequency range starts from 130hz)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wondering if you can help i got sony heasphones using usb cable the prob im having is treble hurts my ear i have a dodgy eardrum could you send me equalizer settings dropping the treble and bit more bass thanks
Lurien said:
Thanks for sharing. Will test later. Is this "best" for all around sound or specifically for the phone's speakers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only phone's speakers. These days I will also put the eq settings for the akg headphones given
dariuxzy said:
Only phone's speakers. These days I will also put the eq settings for the akg headphones given
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for clarifying. I currently use B&o Bluetooth earbuds. But I still have the akg's laying around, so I can test when you post the settings.
yodainascoda said:
wondering if you can help i got sony heasphones using usb cable the prob im having is treble hurts my ear i have a dodgy eardrum could you send me equalizer settings dropping the treble and bit more bass thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try this... set 8k -6
4k -5,
2k -6,
1k -8,
500 -7,
250 -5,
125 -4,
63 +1 or -1
I don't know if it will help you because I don't have headphones in front, if you have problems send me the precise model of the sony headphones. Disable Dolby Atmos
minealex2244 said:
How do you know? ? I was always wondering whether these 2 bands do something or not
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the front speaker (the call speaker) produces the lowest frequencies, starting from 130Hz. Therefore the 125hz and 63hz do nothing
Lurien said:
Thanks for clarifying. I currently use B&o Bluetooth earbuds. But I still have the akg's laying around, so I can test when you post the settings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try this configuration for AKG headphones, without dolby atmos activated, compare with "Normal" and "Custom", and let me know! I have to give it another look, so I don't assure you of anything, but you can very well try! (If you want less bass, 63hz -2)
dariuxzy said:
Try this configuration for AKG headphones, without dolby atmos activated, compare with "Normal" and "Custom", and let me know! I have to give it another look, so I don't assure you of anything, but you can very well try! (If you want less bass, 63hz -2)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Will try when I get home and report back.
dariuxzy said:
Try this... set 8k -6
4k -5,
2k -6,
1k -8,
500 -7,
250 -5,
125 -4,
63 +1 or -1
I don't know if it will help you because I don't have headphones in front, if you have problems send me the precise model of the sony headphones. Disabile Dolby Atmos
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cheers my friend ill try that tonight
Thanks a lot! Do you have advise regarding the Buds+?
corwin_amber said:
Thanks a lot! Do you have advise regarding the Buds+?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No sorry, I don't have this. I've always preferred to use headphones with the cable, for better audio quality
corwin_amber said:
Thanks a lot! Do you have advise regarding the Buds+?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is my setting using Samsung music app & Buds + ... otherwise i use Poweramp app for music where is slightly different settings ..
S20U-Exynos
If anybody uses JayBird earphones, their preset 'The Perfect Balance' is amazing. Do check it out.
I have fix the eq for the akg headphones. There was something wrong, and I lowered the mid-highs. Try it and let me know!
Edit. See post #43
dariuxzy said:
Hi guys, I have a S20 Ultra and I had the pleasure of sharing my equalizer settings. I am an audio technician, and for me these settings are the best! Try doing the switch with "Custom" and "Normal". Let me know! If you want, set dolby atmos as "music".
(the first two bands are worth nothing, because the frequency range starts from 130hz) This setting also work with s20/s20+, since they have the same sound system. I recommend using these settings with high quality audio files, such as flac hires
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use poweramp from a russian developer and is the extreme of music players with the best eq ive used in years. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.maxmpz.audioplayer&hl=en_US tens of millions use it.
dariuxzy said:
I have fix the eq for the akg headphones. There was something wrong, and I lowered the mid-highs. Try it and let me know!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thks, the sound is clear and balanced
dariuxzy said:
Hi guys, I have a S20 Ultra and I had the pleasure of sharing my equalizer settings. I am an audio technician, and for me these settings are the best! Try doing the switch with "Custom" and "Normal". Let me know! If you want, set dolby atmos as "music".
(the first two bands are worth nothing, because the frequency range starts from 130hz) This setting also work with s20/s20+, since they have the same sound system. I recommend using these settings with high quality audio files, such as flac hires
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you OP - amazing share!!
Makes a big difference, especially at higher volumes when compared to the 'normal' setting.
I mainly listen to Hip-hop/RnB on loudspeaker when I'm in the bathroom. This equaliser setting has made the music sound 'crisp' and not distorted.
Are there any custom settings for Hip-hop music via loudspeaker?
I have left Atmos on but set this to music.
What setting should I use when using my Sony WF-1000XM3 Bluetooth headphones? If only there was an easy way to have multiple pre-sets.
jUsT2eXy said:
Thank you OP - amazing share!!
Makes a big difference, especially at higher volumes when compared to the 'normal' setting.
I mainly listen to Hip-hop/RnB on loudspeaker when I'm in the bathroom. This equaliser setting has made the music sound 'crisp' and not distorted.
Are there any custom settings for Hip-hop music via loudspeaker?
I have left Atmos on but set this to music.
What setting should I use when using my Sony WF-1000XM3 Bluetooth headphones? If only there was an easy way to have multiple pre-sets.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is one of the best eqs, according to my assessment tools and my ear ... if you already hear it more than well, it is useless Then if your ear hears less frequencies or more frequencies is another matter ...
As for your bluetooth headphones, on the internet I found the frequency answer (1.jpg). Usually for a better equalization rate you have to take the photo (1.jpg) and turn it upside down (2.jgp). Once this is done, the phone equalizer must be more similar to the modified photo (2.jpg). If you see (3.jpg) I did this for you, and it is more than similar to the modified photo (2.jpg). This is one of the best ways to equalize headphones. Let me know how it feels!

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