Hello Guys,
So, audio is a completely new territory for me, and as such I have very little to no idea about the current audio mods or the individual audio packages. I wanted to discuss the various mods available currently and their current effect on our devices, the reason this is necessary is because although we have the Marshmallow on our devices, the hardware is getting a tad bit old and a mod which might be compatible with our software may not get the best optimised output from the hardware. Hope you are getting me there. I wanted to discuss the currently available options by the means of trial and testing using 5-10 mods, or gathering reviews from people who are actually using these mods, based on their performance on Phone Speaker, Headphones, AUX, Wireless Speakers and dock.
Going through XDA I found a couple of mods which I am listing (kindly add to the list if you can) below, if anyone has tried these please put our reviews and opinions in the thread,
1. Ac!D Audio (only for SG S3) *
2. XtremeBeats SuperMod *
3. eXtremeBeats Audio Mod *
4. Viper4Android
5. Dolby Digital Plus
6. Beats Audio
7. Dolby Atmos
8. Pure Audio Engine 2.0
9. MaxxAudio (#)
10. IRS SoundMod
11. Am3D Zirene Audio Fx
* - Mod Packages containing Multiple individual audio Mods
# - Stable version not available for android M
>> Another thing that I wanted to clarify was that, each mod works differently on different devices so i would prefer a non biased opinion based on usage and not on the popularity of the mod. Many times even a single mod can play better than a mod package containing multiple mods, hence i'll try to put forward the best audio configuration by the time this thread runs it's course. Kindly Help me do it
Let's Make the best audio Possible!
Cheers,
[email protected][email protected]
<Reserved >
<Reserved>
I'd stay with stock audio stuff, afaik the i9300 has a high-quality DAC (don't quote me on that) but no kernel is enabling the full potential of it(CN).
All equlizers seem to add virtual "surround" which IMO ruines the quality of whatever I'm listening to.
Hawaii_Beach said:
I'd stay with stock audio stuff, afaik the i9300 has a high-quality DAC (don't quote me on that) but no kernel is enabling the full potential of it(CN).
All equlizers seem to add virtual "surround" which IMO ruines the quality of whatever I'm listening to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
true that, virtual surround is useless unless we have an external sound system, but i think boeffla kernel does use the full DAC potential ? or not?
[email protected][email protected] said:
true that, virtual surround is useless unless we have an external sound system, but i think boeffla kernel does use the full DAC potential ? or not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it has not; proof (read whole thread).
Looking at the features of the boeffla kernel, there's no "high-quality audio" feature.
Why are you using the boeffla kernel if running CM13? As far as I see there were never a update to fully support CM13.
Hawaii_Beach said:
No, it has not; proof (read whole thread).
Looking at the features of the boeffla kernel, there's no "high-quality audio" feature.
Why are you using the boeffla kernel if running CM13? As far as I see there were never a update to fully support CM13.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there is a beta version v5-29 , and i am not actually using it currently, just downloading it currently to use with rr v5.6.8
Hawaii_Beach said:
No, it has not; proof (read whole thread).
Looking at the features of the boeffla kernel, there's no "high-quality audio" feature.
Why are you using the boeffla kernel if running CM13? As far as I see there were never a update to fully support CM13.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i read the thread, seems we are doomed, unless a developer actually has implemented the sound feature and just has failed to mention it. Anyways are there any active kernel developers for s3? boeffla has given the kernels an eol status, maybe we could request any other developer to include the sound feature in his kernel.
[email protected][email protected] said:
i read the thread, seems we are doomed, unless a developer actually has implemented the sound feature and just has failed to mention it. Anyways are there any active kernel developers for s3? boeffla has given the kernels an eol status, maybe we could request any other developer to include the sound feature in his kernel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said, it's a waste of time.
24bit 192kHz?
First of all, 24 bit? Unless you're modifying sound files like a pro with a application which even supports 24 bit sound on Android (which I suspects does) exist, you won't benefit in sound quality.
192kHz? This is just too much; you ears can't even pick up that noise and sound files in that res are heavy.
Hawaii_Beach said:
As I said, it's a waste of time.
24bit 192kHz?
First of all, 24 bit? Unless you're modifying sound files like a pro with a application which even supports 24 bit sound on Android (which I suspects does) exist, you won't benefit in sound quality.
192kHz? This is just too much; you ears can't even pick up that noise and sound files in that res are heavy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i agree with you on the 192kHz , but 24bit is actually good, if we use some good quality headphones, the sound files may become heavy though, i agree.. althought xtremeMusic does resample the sound to make it better, best have a look.
[email protected][email protected] said:
i read the thread, seems we are doomed, unless a developer actually has implemented the sound feature and just has failed to mention it. Anyways are there any active kernel developers for s3? boeffla has given the kernels an eol status, maybe we could request any other developer to include the sound feature in his kernel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
although honestly speaking, complete support, even if it's not actually used, might benefit people who are very into music..
[email protected][email protected] said:
i agree with you on the 192kHz , but 24bit is actually good, if we use some good quality headphones, the sound files may become heavy though, i agree.. althought xtremeMusic does resample the sound to make it better, best have a look.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, do your homework. 24 bit does not sound better than 16 bit. Google it youself.
Hawaii_Beach said:
No, do your homework. 24 bit does not sound better than 16 bit. Google it youself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
as i said i have no idea about audio, although i did think that 24 bit audio is better, i did my homework and found this http://tweakheadz.com/16-bit-vs-24-bit-audio/ , guess 24 bit means better quality , not better sound, if that makes any sense.
[email protected][email protected] said:
as i said i have no idea about audio, although i did think that 24 bit audio is better, i did my homework and found this http://tweakheadz.com/16-bit-vs-24-bit-audio/ , guess 24 bit means better quality , not better sound, if that makes any sense.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Professionals record their audio in 24 bit which makes the audio easier to edit as there's more depth.
It does not add quality to the sound at all. You never export a 24 bit audio file to public, do more homework
Hawaii_Beach said:
Professionals record their audio in 24 bit which makes the audio easier to edit as there's more depth.
It does not add quality to the sound at all. You never export a 24 bit audio file to public, do more homework
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
meh.. i have a lot of school work going on and there's this more homework.. meh.. guess i'll study about audio coming Sunday, -_- too much to learn xD
I will have to hijack your thread to announce that both of you should do MORE homework on audio. The Wolfson WM1811A Audio Hub Codec, because it has DACs, ADCs, FLLs and much more than just a DAC, is in fact capable of 24bit/96kHz.
The thing about bit depth in audio has been disputed over and over, it is just a matter of preference really, with FLAC and other uncompressed formats gaining popularity with the rise of quality in the hardware department. Going to audio editing, even a 15-year old can use Audacity. Not to talk about Sony's Sound Forge Audio Studio.
Another thing is that AGNi Kernel, at least for i9305 has Boeffla Sound Engine, that coupled with Wolfson Preset 5 or 7, makes listening to music, ofc in combination with Viper4Android and PowerAmp, a total dream. Oh, and also one more thing, IRS SoundMod is a package of Impulse Response Samples (hence the name IRS) for Viper4Android, so that is no sound mod.
[email protected][email protected] said:
i agree with you on the 192kHz , but 24bit is actually good, if we use some good quality headphones, the sound files may become heavy though, i agree.. althought xtremeMusic does resample the sound to make it better, best have a look.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have i9300 on stock 4.3 android and anything that alters the sound, any player like poweramp that alters the sound by resampling just make it worser. Stock player and Aimp player gives the cleanest sound. Aimp is good because you can raise the gain............up to 3db is enough.
Samsung won't integrate 24-bit/192kHz that the WM1811 sound chip is capable to their kernel for a reason, we may never know what it is but they won't for a reason.
Maybe the Wolfson WM1811 data sheet we're seeing are false, maybe not.
Whether it is for stability reasons, when Samsung doesn't use the ‘full’ potential of the chip it might be for the good of its users.
Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
Related
Hi,
I am not much of a hard core audiophile and I can settle with almost any sound quality, but I recently bought a decent mid-range IEM, the Sony HM1. So, I wonder if there is any way to be sure that I get the best S3 has to give. I use:
-Sony HM1
-Rocket player (paid version, the one with the unlocked equalizer).
-At least 192bit rated MP3s.
-Volume enhancer mod
So, is there any other mod, program or anything else that can take full advantage of S3's potential, if any? Thanks!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1704138
Your question has been posted multiple times . Forum rules require you to search before posting .
Google <<< I9300 your search terms > xda
Sound Thread .
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1633685
Try Viper4Android .
I posted these questions right after I read some pages of that threat and I was just hoping for a medium-sized sum or a small guide with the steps necessary. I will move my question there then, thanks and sorry.
one word. poweramp. no other mods/apps needed. Best audio comes from poweramp. Must be stupid to argue against that.
Sammy GS3 + Nothing = Decent Audio
Melissakis said:
Hi,
I am not much of a hard core audiophile and I can settle with almost any sound quality, but I recently bought a decent mid-range IEM, the Sony HM1. So, I wonder if there is any way to be sure that I get the best S3 has to give. I use:
-Sony HM1
-Rocket player (paid version, the one with the unlocked equalizer).
-At least 192bit rated MP3s.
-Volume enhancer mod
So, is there any other mod, program or anything else that can take full advantage of S3's potential, if any? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In all honesty, to get the best sound you need good source and as you rightly did, at least 192kbps audio. But I have numerous songs that sound much better at 320 than 192 and when played back side by side, you hear the diff. My father who is half deaf heard it.
My recommendation for music is simple, highest bitrate you can afford given the storage you have (getting a 64gb Micro SD card remedies that issue quickly, the Samsung model is the best i've use so far), equalisers and volume normalisers are just to flavour the music to your taste, more bass here, a little mid there, or to compensate for a particular bias your headphone may have. I use a Senheisser HD 201 and HD 202. The 201 is flat and pure, the 202 is bassy and wild so i adjust to suit. FYI I'm current using JetAudio Pro with the AM3D Effects set to 40 and 50.
Hope this helps.
Btw, if you just looking for louder, the tablets, Nexus 7 and the like have higher volume outputs on their headphone jacks so be aware of that.
veer01_42 said:
Hope this helps.
Btw, if you just looking for louder, the tablets, Nexus 7 and the like have higher volume outputs on their headphone jacks so be aware of that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It sure did, thanks! Having high bitrate and a decent IEM, I just wanted to be sure that S3's hardware has no room for improvements, a better kernel or some other tweak.
About Nexus 7, are you sure it has higher output? I have both S3 and Nexus 7 and I just tried it, on the same volume level, S3 is way more louder. Just bear in mind that I used this sound enhancement tweak on S3.
Pure audio and Wolfson Sound engine, Poweramp with all post processing turned off.
That is all
Cameltoemcgee said:
Pure audio and Wolfson Sound engine, Poweramp with all post processing turned off.
That is all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Poweramp, check.
About the other two, could you be more specific? I'm a noob. About the Pure audio, I know that's it's a flashable zip, does it give me after the flashing a app that tweaks the sound? And what about wolfson sound engine, could you please give me a link?
Currently I use googy-max kernel, which enables the wolfson sound engine via STweaks. Would it be better to use something else? Maybe all of these questions have already been answered, but it's very difficult to collect all the info available. Thank you all!
Melissakis said:
Poweramp, check.
About the other two, could you be more specific? I'm a noob. About the Pure audio, I know that's it's a flashable zip, does it give me after the flashing a app that tweaks the sound? And what about wolfson sound engine, could you please give me a link?
Currently I use googy-max kernel, which enables the wolfson sound engine via STweaks. Would it be better to use something else? Maybe all of these questions have already been answered, but it's very difficult to collect all the info available. Thank you all!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure! i use googymax too with the wolfson engine, my settings are: headphone equalizer: Enable WITHOUT saturation Prevention.
EQ Presets: Use graphical equalizer
at the bottom of stweaks i turn on DAC direct and DAC oversampling but leave the others.
Pure audio - flash the zip, make sure that DSP manager isn't installed otherwise it'll do nothing. remove it with titanium backup if you hvae it.
pure audio doesn't give you options to adjust because you don't need it. it won't give you any indication that its running when you're listening to music either... but you'll know if you've done it right
If you do feel the need to adjust eq, then use the eq in Stweaks, or poweramp even if you find it easier.
Hope it helps!
Cameltoemcgee said:
Sure! i use googymax too with the wolfson engine, my settings are: headphone equalizer: Enable WITHOUT saturation Prevention.
EQ Presets: Use graphical equalizer
at the bottom of stweaks i turn on DAC direct and DAC oversampling but leave the others.
Pure audio - flash the zip, make sure that DSP manager isn't installed otherwise it'll do nothing. remove it with titanium backup if you hvae it.
pure audio doesn't give you options to adjust because you don't need it. it won't give you any indication that its running when you're listening to music either... but you'll know if you've done it right
If you do feel the need to adjust eq, then use the eq in Stweaks, or poweramp even if you find it easier.
Hope it helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for the reply, you've cleared everything out!
Used All four of The Titans - Poweramp, Gonemad,Neutron & Rocket Plus, but coming from V4a (in my old phone) all sound depressingly noisy and lifeless.Tried that Noozxoide EIZO-rewire™ PRO too, but that doesnt make any difference.Any help?
Not sure why you'd choose to stay unrooted given no app or mod can even be a patch on V4A.
But to answer your question, specific to my experience, I find DFX Pro to do a fine job. It's way way far behind customization and features available on V4A but nevertheless does a decent job, and IMO certainly lot better than what PowerAmp offers having sampled it fairly long.
What I like about Dfx (I use the pro version, the free one is more of a joke with the limits on tweaks) is how it enhances sound to be fuller and cleaner apart from widening the spatial field considerably, without eating much into resources. There are about 40 odd presets which usually suffice to suit most genres of music/audio, but you can ofc create your custom settings. It has a separate Equalizer which seems to be at par with most other music apps in its category, though it comes in really handy when you're trying a custom setting.
I use DFX PLUS V4A on the software side, on my Moto G4 plus, and if I'm not on the go, I have it connected to my Fiio E17K and listen off my Sennheiser HD598 over stereo audio given I've not had much luck pairing V4A with the dac amp over USB. This set up works best for high bitrate lossy tracks. For hardware driven enhancement I've got USB Audio Player which bypasses V4A and streams over USB using its own driver, though it does have a good set of Equalizers specially parametric ones (come at an additional cost but I've found them to be effective). Fairly good for Flacs and dsf, though I've tried only a handful as yet and E17K is rather mid-end AFA DSD goes, plus not sure how well moto G4's processor is suited for it.
Prolly worth mentioning that I am not big on bass, and what I've referred to above is basis my listening experience of mostly ripped Bluenote and ECM Jazz, remastered RCA/Columbia titles and assorted torreneted stuff. Much of these recordings come with good audio to start with, so enhancements are mostly fine tuning sound, unlike the magical transformation that V4A gives for even low bit rate files.
Sent from my Motorola Moto G4 Plus using XDA Labs
I'm sure you know it, but I'll say anyway: nothing you install is going to be even close to a proper sound mod.
Most apps are just reskined equalizers so don't expect to find any alternatives.
I chose to stay unrooted to receive the nougat ota update
Have you checked for Systemless rooting? Its supposed to allow ota updates.
Guess wanting both auto ota updates and running the best mods /apps is ideal but usually takes a while until upto the stable versions are out and there's been development from initial releases on.
All the best with what you're looking for and do post back if you strike luck with nougat+ota+V4A.
Sent from my Motorola Moto G4 Plus using XDA Labs
---------- Post added at 08:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:02 AM ----------
guirc said:
I'm sure you know it, but I'll say anyway: nothing you install is going to be even close to a proper sound mod.
Most apps are just reskined equalizers so don't expect to find any alternatives.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed nothing could come close to a sound mod such as V4A which not only installs a systemwide driver but has endless customizations and a huge dedicated online community.
So in context to what the original query meant to ask, it is really down to finding the most convincing reskined equalizer. Though, of course results and observations may vary. For example, Dfx doesn't share the sampling transforms and reprocessing algorithms with PowerAmp. But given that sound quality is very subjective, perceived enhancement effects could appear to be very similar.
Wonder if I'm in minority to say that along with sound output devices, audio compression (lossless assumably being better) and quality of recording are the real clincher and come before even powerhouse mods like V4A.
Sent from my Motorola Moto G4 Plus using XDA Labs
So I'm very confused and seem to be getting mixed answers. I'm currently running Nuclear Rom + Radioactive and wondering if it utalizes the hifi DAC. I keep seeing mixes of yes's and no's when I search through the forums. Are any ROM's even using the hifi DAC? Im currently ainur pandora, but I'm afraid its only using the qualcom DAC. I will switch back to stock (or a stock based rom) if it is the case.
pinkywinky said:
So I'm very confused and seem to be getting mixed answers. I'm currently running Nuclear Rom + Radioactive and wondering if it utalizes the hifi DAC. I keep seeing mixes of yes's and no's when I search through the forums. Are any ROM's even using the hifi DAC? Im currently ainur pandora, but I'm afraid its only using the qualcom DAC. I will switch back to stock (or a stock based rom) if it is the case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe you should try and see which one you like the most. I think that the DAC is used on other roms. But depending on your headsets you might or might not really notice. for example a low impedance headphone will be benefitted by the DAC as it has lower noise
@pinkywinky
I'm not sure what the difference is between Qualcomm DAC and "hi-fi" DAC. My guess is whatever the case is, you're getting a lesser quality audio experience with anything that isn't stock, especially as there is media distortion on the AOSP ROMs.
Also, understand that a DAC is a hardware feature. This isn't something "developers" are touching and the incompatibility experienced is because of the software support, or lack thereof.
I would ask this question in the ROM thread, I'm sure the owner of your ROM would have more to add.
Choose an username... said:
maybe you should try and see which one you like the most. I think that the DAC is used on other roms. But depending on your headsets you might or might not really notice. for example a low impedance headphone will be benefitted by the DAC as it has lower noise
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I had a feeling it was, but the mixed answers were bugging me so I had to make sure. And I do have decent headphones, its just wouldnt be easy to do an A/B comparison without the switch.
pinkywinky said:
So I'm very confused and seem to be getting mixed answers. I'm currently running Nuclear Rom + Radioactive and wondering if it utalizes the hifi DAC. I keep seeing mixes of yes's and no's when I search through the forums. Are any ROM's even using the hifi DAC? Im currently ainur pandora, but I'm afraid its only using the qualcom DAC. I will switch back to stock (or a stock based rom) if it is the case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check within mixer_paths file.
LazerL0rd said:
Check within mixer_paths file.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found a AKM Hifi Switch Sel on RR, though there's no switch... I guess it's working though. Haven't tried with Poweramp
Choose an username... said:
I found a AKM Hifi Switch Sel on RR, though there's no switch... I guess it's working though. Haven't tried with Poweramp
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you do a screenshot?
@nfsmw_gr I can
Choose an username... said:
I found a AKM Hifi Switch Sel on RR, though there's no switch... I guess it's working though. Haven't tried with Poweramp
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could just use AINUR SAURON. I belive it forces use of the HiFi DAC by default with modded drivers.
LazerL0rd said:
You could just use AINUR SAURON. I belive it forces use of the HiFi DAC by default with modded drivers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how can it do that, if it's not a device-specific mod? If the DAC is not coded into the device itself i guess you won't be able to use it since it has no driver
LazerL0rd said:
You could just use AINUR SAURON. I belive it forces use of the HiFi DAC by default with modded drivers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how can it do that, if it's not a device-specific mod? If the DAC is not coded into the device itself i guess you won't be able to use it since it has no driver
LazerL0rd said:
You could just use AINUR SAURON. I belive it forces use of the HiFi DAC by default with modded drivers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=68427401&postcount=3
No, it does not.
Yet...
---------- Post added at 06:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:53 PM ----------
pinkywinky said:
So I'm very confused and seem to be getting mixed answers. I'm currently running Nuclear Rom + Radioactive and wondering if it utalizes the hifi DAC. I keep seeing mixes of yes's and no's when I search through the forums. Are any ROM's even using the hifi DAC? Im currently ainur pandora, but I'm afraid its only using the qualcom DAC. I will switch back to stock (or a stock based rom) if it is the case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to provide you a clear answer on this, because it seems to be missing in the responses:
No, you are not utilizing the full sounds potential if either of the following are true...
1. You are not using low-impedance, high-quality headphones.
2. You are not streaming high-quality media (pandora streams at 192 kbps, if I remember correctly... not really considered HQ, even though pandora's settings indicate such)
3. You are using a custom ROM based on Lineage or any other AOSP-based software, unless one of these ROM compilers have built their own drivers and integrated software to make use of the DAC hardware.
Understanding how a DAC works is critical. It is hardware, which requires firmware support, which requires software support.
You simply won't get the same sound quality/output that you see with the stock music player and a high quality mp3 or FLAC file.
If most of the music you listen to is streamed, or you are connecting via bluetooth, I wouldn't worry so much about it.
Choose an username... said:
how can it do that, if it's not a device-specific mod? If the DAC is not coded into the device itself i guess you won't be able to use it since it has no driver
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It recognises ur device in a special installer and then patches the driver config to tell it which DAC and soundcard to use.
---------- Post added at 10:20 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:18 AM ----------
warBeard_actual said:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=68427401&postcount=3
No, it does not.
Yet...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does actually. That's just a different mod to remove ALL software effects and go straight to the DAC or Hexagon DSP.
SAURON does the default software effects (maybe optimised I think) then runs it to the HiFi DAC of the device being used. For ALL applicaions and ALL sound. IT configures the alsa config file (which inturn the ALSA driver uses) to use the correct soundcard and correct DAC that the installer finds.
warBeard_actual said:
@pinkywinky
I'm not sure what the difference is between Qualcomm DAC and "hi-fi" DAC. My guess is whatever the case is, you're getting a lesser quality audio experience with anything that isn't stock, especially as there is media distortion on the AOSP ROMs.
Also, understand that a DAC is a hardware feature. This isn't something "developers" are touching and the incompatibility experienced is because of the software support, or lack thereof.
I would ask this question in the ROM thread, I'm sure the owner of your ROM would have more to add.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No I definitely agree. But we do never use the Qualcomm DAC. We have 2 akm das, and the issue is what one of them they use. The Qualcomm DAC isn't even wired in our phone
LazerL0rd said:
It recognises ur device in a special installer and then patches the driver config to tell it which DAC and soundcard to use.
---------- Post added at 10:20 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:18 AM ----------
It does actually. That's just a different mod to remove ALL software effects and go straight to the DAC or Hexagon DSP.
SAURON does the default software effects (maybe optimised I think) then runs it to the HiFi DAC of the device being used. For ALL applicaions and ALL sound. IT configures the alsa config file (which inturn the ALSA driver uses) to use the correct soundcard and correct DAC that the installer finds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, you are right and wrong. Our phone does not use the alsa configs at all. However, apparently someone worked with the guy who makes SAURON, and set it up so it routed the audio through the the encrypted files that ZTE gave the rom makers for audio. But you do have to use the be Alta versions found on their messing in app (should be a link in the post). Our phone supposedly works with SAURON since beta 4, but not yet in the official. It may have some effect, but not what you think it does
warBeard_actual said:
@pinkywinky
I'm not sure what the difference is between Qualcomm DAC and "hi-fi" DAC. My guess is whatever the case is, you're getting a lesser quality audio experience with anything that isn't stock, especially as there is media distortion on the AOSP ROMs.
Also, understand that a DAC is a hardware feature. This isn't something "developers" are touching and the incompatibility experienced is because of the software support, or lack thereof.
I would ask this question in the ROM thread, I'm sure the owner of your ROM would have more to add.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I wasn't really asking anything. It's pretty a known point with our device. ZTE did not handle unlocked bootloaders well, and a lot of our audio level is encrypted, which I believe is due to the Dolby hardware we have present. But all in all, our device performs fantiasticly audio wise, despite the few hiccups
pinkywinky said:
No I definitely agree. But we do never use the Qualcomm DAC. We have 2 akm das, and the issue is what one of them they use. The Qualcomm DAC isn't even wired in our phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, not like that. We have the Snapdragon DAC, the AKM DAC, and the AKM ADC. The ADC converts analog signals to digital (microphone).
You can either use the Snapdragon DAC or the AKM DAC.
The switch on stock lets you use the AKM DAC or the SD DAC (lower power consumption, it seems). It CAN get to 192KHz seemingly since Poweramp detects it as Snapdragon 24-bit PCM, and it really DOES sound better with the Samsung UHQA hack, but there's nothing proven really.
On the other hand, the AKM DAC is there, it can be selected while using Poweramp, and I believe it has more soundstage and more defined bass. But on stock the UHQA hack will simply enable the SD DAC.
Now there's one thing that I'm not sure about. You know how there's a zip to force the use of the AKM DAC on LOS based ROMs. Well, it works. Now the thing is that I tried the UHQA hack here... The equalizer is sort of much more responsive, dunno about that. But it seems to be outputting at 192KHz as Poweramp says so. And this is definitely the AKM DAC, not the SD DAC as it would happen on stock. Thing is, I can't really hear much of a difference
I used HD360 Pros, they use the 380 Pro drivers which are 32 ohm. Not too low but there is still a huge difference in the highs with the SD DAC.
I'd like anyone with hifi headphones to try the same (LOS + AK4490 patch + Samsung UHQA hack + Poweramp 704). I think it's the closest we'll be to 192KHz on the AKM DAC outside of the stock player, what with MaxMP taking more than half a year to update the GUI of Poweramp lol
@warBeard_actual Am I wrong on anything? I have zero knowledge on the inner workings, all of this is basically empirical
@pinkywinky Update, I just found out that the Ak4490 patch + UHQA hack somehow manages to route sound through Viper4ARISE. That's why I had to lower the bass sliders a lot. Disabling Viper actually improves the sound quality some, but I'm still not 100% sure that it's 192KHz
Maybe try uninstalling ViPER driver and turn off ViPER?
Have you had a play with Jet Audio yet?
Use the AM3D plugin and don't need EQ turned on. Sounds fantastic. Great soundstage, has a warmth Viper lacks and manages a great punchy bass line.
With the sound I'm getting, debloat of system is the only real use I have for root so it's still locked up fully.
RobboW said:
Maybe try uninstalling ViPER driver and turn off ViPER?
Have you had a play with Jet Audio yet?
Use the AM3D plugin and don't need EQ turned on. Sounds fantastic. Great soundstage, has a warmth Viper lacks and manages a great punchy bass line.
With the sound I'm getting, debloat of system is the only real use I have for root so it's still locked up fully.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Choose an username... said:
That's why I had to lower the bass sliders a lot. Disabling Viper actually improves the sound quality some, but I'm still not 100% sure that it's 192KHz
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You sure that AM3D actually processes at 192KHz? That's like the whole point of the UHQA hack and the huge FLAC files. For example Viper says that it processes at 48k
Plus I've never been able to make AM3D work, i've read somewhere that it only works in Marshmallow?
Hello,
I've had the following ROMS on my Axon 7:
MiFavor Stock OS (Android 6.0)
CyanogenMod OS (Android 6.0)
Lineage OS (Android 7.1.1)
Resurrection Remix OS (Android 7.1.2)
AEX OS (Android 8.1.0)
However, with all these ROMs I was never really able to tell whether audio is processed through the Snapdragon 820 DAC or the AKM/AK4490/AK4491 DAC.
I've been active on XDA to follow updates on audio and ROMs.
With the stock ROM's I do think the 'super HiFi' option really made the phone use the AKM/AK4490/AK4491 DAC.
Also the audio playback through the built-in phone speakers was amazing (but limited in loudness because European ROM)
On LOS 14.1, it was said that the ROM used the HiFi DAC but 'distorted audio playback' was still mentioned as a bug.
Audio playback through the built-in phone speakers was poor (especially mids would give a cracking noise)
On RR OS (Nougat), I basically has the same as on LOS 14.1 (mainly because RR OS used LOS as base).
Now I'm on AEX OS and I do think the audio sounds much better than before.
(I flashed the AK4490 patch (not sure if this does anything... I've also read that custom ROM's have the Hi-FI DAC enabled by default) and I also flashed Hell'sGate Kernel (which seems to contain the CAD Audio Driver).
Audio playback through the built-in phone speakers seems really good again.
However, I'm still actually confused whether my phone actually uses the AKM/AK4490/AK4491 DAC.
I've read stuff in this forums about 48 kHz vs 192 kHz playback.
AK4490 patch is supposed to enable the AK4490 DAC but I'm still a bit skeptical whether it really does use the DAC properly.
CAD Audio Driver (included in Hell'sGate Kernel) oversamples to some maximum frequency or something.
And then there's this thread https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/how-to/stock-roms-best-dac-t3650231 , so yeah, skeptical.
So far, I do think the audio playback sounds good... but what if it could be better, right?
Is there a way to test whether the HiFi DAC is being used and being used properly?
Also, does Dolby Atmos and Viper4Android have a negative (or maybe positive?) impact on the output signal?
I thought Viper4Android had a max. processing frequency of 48 kHz..?
TL;DR: See the title of this thread
Cheers.
Dunno how to find out if its truly being used. But i got a question.
I read so many times now that the european version (A2017G) is lacking in terms of loudness for the speakers which i cannot really believe since my axon 7 (which is the G version) with stock rom (also G version) is the loudest phone i ever had. Its really loud. And also on maximum loudness the sound cracks a little depending on what you're playing (usually on high pitch sounds). So how can the us version be even louder? Wouldn't that break the speakers quite fast?
Sent from my ZTE A2017G running V1.2.0B08 using XDA Labs
Abiram26 said:
Hello,
I've had the following ROMS on my Axon 7:
MiFavor Stock OS (Android 6.0)
CyanogenMod OS (Android 6.0)
Lineage OS (Android 7.1.1)
Resurrection Remix OS (Android 7.1.2)
AEX OS (Android 8.1.0)
However, with all these ROMs I was never really able to tell whether audio is processed through the Snapdragon 820 DAC or the AKM/AK4490/AK4491 DAC.
I've been active on XDA to follow updates on audio and ROMs.
With the stock ROM's I do think the 'super HiFi' option really made the phone use the AKM/AK4490/AK4491 DAC.
Also the audio playback through the built-in phone speakers was amazing (but limited in loudness because European ROM)
On LOS 14.1, it was said that the ROM used the HiFi DAC but 'distorted audio playback' was still mentioned as a bug.
Audio playback through the built-in phone speakers was poor (especially mids would give a cracking noise)
On RR OS (Nougat), I basically has the same as on LOS 14.1 (mainly because RR OS used LOS as base).
Now I'm on AEX OS and I do think the audio sounds much better than before.
(I flashed the AK4490 patch (not sure if this does anything... I've also read that custom ROM's have the Hi-FI DAC enabled by default) and I also flashed Hell'sGate Kernel (which seems to contain the CAD Audio Driver).
Audio playback through the built-in phone speakers seems really good again.
However, I'm still actually confused whether my phone actually uses the AKM/AK4490/AK4491 DAC.
I've read stuff in this forums about 48 kHz vs 192 kHz playback.
AK4490 patch is supposed to enable the AK4490 DAC but I'm still a bit skeptical whether it really does use the DAC properly.
CAD Audio Driver (included in Hell'sGate Kernel) oversamples to some maximum frequency or something.
And then there's this thread https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/how-to/stock-roms-best-dac-t3650231 , so yeah, skeptical.
So far, I do think the audio playback sounds good... but what if it could be better, right?
Is there a way to test whether the HiFi DAC is being used and being used properly?
Also, does Dolby Atmos and Viper4Android have a negative (or maybe positive?) impact on the output signal?
I thought Viper4Android had a max. processing frequency of 48 kHz..?
TL;DR: See the title of this thread
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a huge mess ?
Look, you're overreacting to the whole hi-res audio thing. I'll tell you what we know, what I think, and what we don't. After that you can simply draw your own conclusions.
First of all, ZTE told us that the DACs used in this phone are the AK4490, and a low power one inside the AK4961 (this one is a codec, but it has a DAC too for some reason). If the ROM is not well configured, it will default to the AK4961 in theory.
Now, you may or may not believe me, but there is an audible difference with soundstage and bass between the 4490 and 4961. Let's keep this away from the hi-res talk for now.
If you use MiFavor (6.0, 7.1, 8.0, doesn't matter) you'll have the audio switch. If you toggle it while listening to music (Not poweramp because it'll crap out and you'll have to reboot) you'll find a huge difference in soundstage, and the bass is much more defined on the 4490. You can listen to both DACs one after the other on stock only, but if you used this phone for a while, you'll know when the audio coming out of it is crap or not.
About the old AK4490 patch: It's only for Nougat ROMs, and it's been integrated in many ROMs since it came out.
"Distorted audio playback" was about the speakers and it was because the driver was badly implemented. On stock the AK4961 is used for the speakers always.
I'm not sure if the "CAD driver" is in Hellsgate, where did you read that? Last time I checked we were asking Kranoner to add it but idk. But it doesn't oversample. It simply modifies some filters on the DAC driver.
And Atmos is designed for the speakers, so while it actually does work on headphones, it'll add a crapton of noise - i'd say avoid if possible. also it obviously won't work with hi-res. Viper4Android will add some noise if you crank up the highs too much, otherwise it won't be that bad. Both of them at the same time will make a noisy mess but it's possible to do.
And why do you care about the 48KHz sampling rate? Are you using files with more than that? Oversampling is just worse.
So now the Hi-res talk: Unless you really hear a difference, and unless you actually have huge 192kHz files, you should not give a crap about it. It's not like "if it's there then sound has to get better with it".
To check hi-res you can use dumpsys media.audio_flinger while playing something via Neutron or a couple more players (Not poweramp, again).
GodOfPsychos said:
Dunno how to find out if its truly being used. But i got a question.
I read so many times now that the european version (A2017G) is lacking in terms of loudness for the speakers which i cannot really believe since my axon 7 (which is the G version) with stock rom (also G version) is the loudest phone i ever had. Its really loud. And also on maximum loudness the sound cracks a little depending on what you're playing (usually on high pitch sounds). So how can the us version be even louder? Wouldn't that break the speakers quite fast?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was on Marshmallow
GodOfPsychos said:
Dunno how to find out if its truly being used. But i got a question.
I read so many times now that the european version (A2017G) is lacking in terms of loudness for the speakers which i cannot really believe since my axon 7 (which is the G version) with stock rom (also G version) is the loudest phone i ever had. Its really loud. And also on maximum loudness the sound cracks a little depending on what you're playing (usually on high pitch sounds). So how can the us version be even louder? Wouldn't that break the speakers quite fast?
Sent from my ZTE A2017G running V1.2.0B08 using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Back in the Marshmellow days, I was told that loudness was limited on the G-device software-matically since EU laws don't allow too loud phones or something. (I'm not sure if Nougat removes this software-limit but hardware-wise the U-device and G-device version are the same). I doubt the speaker would break but I don't know...
Source: https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/help/eu-low-headphone-sound-problem-fix-t3470962
Choose an username... said:
This is a huge mess
Look, you're overreacting to the whole hi-res audio thing. I'll tell you what we know, what I think, and what we don't. After that you can simply draw your own conclusions.
First of all, ZTE told us that the DACs used in this phone are the AK4490, and a low power one inside the AK4961 (this one is a codec, but it has a DAC too for some reason). If the ROM is not well configured, it will default to the AK4961 in theory.
Now, you may or may not believe me, but there is an audible difference with soundstage and bass between the 4490 and 4961. Let's keep this away from the hi-res talk for now.
If you use MiFavor (6.0, 7.1, 8.0, doesn't matter) you'll have the audio switch. If you toggle it while listening to music (Not poweramp because it'll crap out and you'll have to reboot) you'll find a huge difference in soundstage, and the bass is much more defined on the 4490. You can listen to both DACs one after the other on stock only, but if you used this phone for a while, you'll know when the audio coming out of it is crap or not.
About the old AK4490 patch: It's only for Nougat ROMs, and it's been integrated in many ROMs since it came out.
"Distorted audio playback" was about the speakers and it was because the driver was badly implemented. On stock the AK4961 is used for the speakers always.
I'm not sure if the "CAD driver" is in Hellsgate, where did you read that? Last time I checked we were asking Kranoner to add it but idk. But it doesn't oversample. It simply modifies some filters on the DAC driver.
And Atmos is designed for the speakers, so while it actually does work on headphones, it'll add a crapton of noise - i'd say avoid if possible. also it obviously won't work with hi-res. Viper4Android will add some noise if you crank up the highs too much, otherwise it won't be that bad. Both of them at the same time will make a noisy mess but it's possible to do.
And why do you care about the 48KHz sampling rate? Are you using files with more than that? Oversampling is just worse.
So now the Hi-res talk: Unless you really hear a difference, and unless you actually have huge 192kHz files, you should not give a crap about it. It's not like "if it's there then sound has to get better with it".
To check hi-res you can use dumpsys media.audio_flinger while playing something via Neutron or a couple more players (Not poweramp, again).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hahaha, yeah sorry, I guess I was kind of bored when I wrote this; but I'd like to thank you for your extensive reply!
Honestly though, there's so much confusion and contradiction around the forums when it comes to (Hi-Fi) audio playback.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/how-to/patch-enable-ak4490-hifi-dac-custom-rom-t3707738
That's the thread of the AK4490 patch, and initially I thought the same as the guy in post #2.
Soooo I never really understood the point of this patch...
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ax...zte-axon-7-t3545679/post70971002#post70971002
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ax...zte-axon-7-t3545679/post71472324#post71472324
I mean here it's kind of said that 7.1.x ROMs already uses the AK4490 DAC, right?
And then there are multiple people flashing the AK4490 patch on an Oreo build, some even claiming they notice an improved soundstage..?
https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/development/kernel-t3664743/post76244484#post76244484
And here's Kranoner saying the CAD thing was added to Hell'sGate Kernel.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/development/cad-project-modified-audio-driver-axon7-t3761666
That's the thread of the CAD Project Kernel, option #1 in post #1 seems to say it oversamples..?
Nah, I don't use FLAC's or huge 192 kHz audio files (just simple Spotify premium actually...) but I was curious to know what these discussions on the forums on 48 kHz vs. 192 kHz were all about.
'dumpsys media.audio_flinger' reports 48.000 Hz for me.
EDIT: What about 16-bit vs. 24-bit?
I only upgraded to AEX Oreo yesterday but I do have to say I find the audio playback (through headphones) MUCH better than on any custom 7.1.x ROM I've had (with the same audio mods setup).
I actually already found audio playback really good on the 7.1.x ROMs (through headphone) but the improvement from 7.1.x to Oreo is just too noticable to let it slip by.
So it made me wonder if it can get even better than this
Choose an username... said:
That was on Marshmallow
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh i see.well thanks for the answer ^^ Still weird that it was like that on marshmallow since the european law stuff about the maximum loudness is only meant for headphones, not for speakers
Sent from my ZTE A2017G running V1.2.0B08 using XDA Labs
GodOfPsychos said:
Oh i see.well thanks for the answer ^^ Still weird that it was like that on marshmallow since the european law stuff about the maximum loudness is only meant for headphones, not for speakers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well I'm not sure if that's the case, but I can assure you that the speakers got much louder after Nougat. Headphones have always been exceedingly loud, especially with the stock low impedance IEMs (with Poweramp I had to use them at volume 2 or maybe 3, so I just made it have about 50 volume steps to get at least a little granularity). Since Nougat I have been using the volume level at 1/3 with my 32 ohm over-ear headphones, so i'd say it's too freaking loud...
Now, I wouldn't be surprised if the volume limitation is just not working with Poweramp's sound engine, because everything else is much quieter. For example I have to crank the volume up to 2/3 on youtube to have comparable volume.
Supposedly if you installed US firmware back in the day you would get rid of the limitation. but installing firmware from another model was not that common, and i never tried it.
---------- Post added at 05:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:43 AM ----------
Abiram26 said:
Back in the Marshmellow days, I was told that loudness was limited on the G-device software-matically since EU laws don't allow too loud phones or something. (I'm not sure if Nougat removes this software-limit but hardware-wise the U-device and G-device version are the same). I doubt the speaker would break but I don't know...
Source: https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/help/eu-low-headphone-sound-problem-fix-t3470962
Hahaha, yeah sorry, I guess I was kind of bored when I wrote this; but I'd like to thank you for your extensive reply!
Honestly though, there's so much confusion and contradiction around the forums when it comes to (Hi-Fi) audio playback.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/how-to/patch-enable-ak4490-hifi-dac-custom-rom-t3707738
That's the thread of the AK4490 patch, and initially I thought the same as the guy in post #2.
Soooo I never really understood the point of this patch...
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ax...zte-axon-7-t3545679/post70971002#post70971002
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ax...zte-axon-7-t3545679/post71472324#post71472324
I mean here it's kind of said that 7.1.x ROMs already uses the AK4490 DAC, right?
And then there are multiple people flashing the AK4490 patch on an Oreo build, some even claiming they notice an improved soundstage..?
https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/development/kernel-t3664743/post76244484#post76244484
And here's Kranoner saying the CAD thing was added to Hell'sGate Kernel.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/development/cad-project-modified-audio-driver-axon7-t3761666
That's the thread of the CAD Project Kernel, option #1 in post #1 seems to say it oversamples..?
Nah, I don't use FLAC's or huge 192 kHz audio files (just simple Spotify premium actually...) but I was curious to know what these discussions on the forums on 48 kHz vs. 192 kHz were all about.
'dumpsys media.audio_flinger' reports 48.000 Hz for me.
EDIT: What about 16-bit vs. 24-bit?
I only upgraded to AEX Oreo yesterday but I do have to say I find the audio playback (through headphones) MUCH better than on any custom 7.1.x ROM I've had (with the same audio mods setup).
I actually already found audio playback really good on the 7.1.x ROMs (through headphone) but the improvement from 7.1.x to Oreo is just too noticable to let it slip by.
So it made me wonder if it can get even better than this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Back at it again:
1- nope, custom ROMs weren't using the AK4490 even after about a couple weeks or even a month of the creation of that post. Of course they weren't, otherwise why would the patch exist :silly:
2- It just didn't work. Now it would work even less since they should use the DAC properly.
I've used AEX from the build previous to the Oreo DAC fix (at least the first one, now there's another one seemingly) and the difference was there. AEX also has better sound than any other ROM overall (even stock mifavor).
3- Thanks, I didn't know. I mean I'm using hellsgate 2.0 right now xd
4- There's very little info about this. I guess it actually does oversample, but I was talking about upsampling on the music player app.
From what I've read around, most modern DACs oversample to a ridiculous frequency, in order to make output filters simpler and to have better highs (non-oversampling DACs have lots of harmonics on the highs). But it's not related to upsampling, say, an MP3 to 192kHz. Just take my word, doing that is bad.
5. Hi-res is discussed everywhere. I believe there's a noticeable improvement in the high frequencies but not important enough to use Neutron player.
16-bit vs 24-bit is actually quantifiable though. 24-bit audio has less noise than 16-bit.
And of course audio_flinger will report 48k ? you need to play special 192kHz FLAC files on a special Hi-Res player (e.g. neutron) with special configuration and on non-Oreo ROMs to be able to use hi-res
You'll need root and a terminal app.
Type:
su
tinymix
Now look at line 1912.
I need to know this result in two scenarios. Once when playing music (eg a YouTube video) with headphones plugged in and once with nothing plugged in.
When playing music we know our HiFi DAC is being used if the line reads "HiFi switch sel ak4490" and if it's using the standard DAC it shows "ak4961".
Dodgexander said:
You'll need root and a terminal app.
Type:
su
tinymix
Now look at line 1912.
I need to know this result in two scenarios. Once when playing music (eg a YouTube video) with headphones plugged in and once with nothing plugged in.
When playing music we know our HiFi DAC is being used if the line reads "HiFi switch sel ak4490" and if it's using the standard DAC it shows "ak4961".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
getting:
sh: tinymix not found
docentore said:
getting:
sh: tinymix not found
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which ROM version, bootstack version and kernel?
Treble or gsi used at all?
Dodgexander said:
Which ROM version, bootstack version and kernel?
Treble or gsi used at all?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Havoc O GSI, vendor by Nfound 1.1, Shwifty V4, universal LOS bootstack
***(Update: I've found a fix! Being in stock room and installing Ainur Sauron mk ii.ii has improved the frequency response of the phone. The volume is same as before (but it's still adequate), so PowerAmp/Firefox/VLC is still much louder. But now the sound signature is similar. No more pathetically weak bass and overly bright sound!
BTW, Ainur Sauron doesn't work on LineageOS, RRemix, etc. I think Ron's made with Shivam Kumar Jha's trees are incompatible with Sauron. So I'm using stock 318)
I'm sure I'm not the only one that has noticed how badly Asus has tuned the audio of this phone (esp. through the 3.5mm jack).
The Snapdragon 636's SoC is capable of providing pretty decent audio quality. But in the ZMPM1 only the sound through a select few apps (Firefox, PowerAmp with hires 24bit + 88/176/352/384khz audio, VLC, etc) is good. The sound from almost all other apps and audio mods like V4a is pretty bad.
For example, the sound produced by Firefox when playing YT videos is quite full and rich and has a seemingly accurate and linear frequency response. The same video when played through the YT app not only has much less volume, but also has a completely different sound signature with reduced bass, harsh treble, and an overall tinny and compressed feeling. (BTW, it's definitely the phone and not my headphones/IEMs)
Now in previous phones I've experienced that Firefox's audio is not changed by mods such as V4a or other equalizers. This makes me believe that Asus has, for some reason, purposely worsened the sound (perhaps due to some issue with the amp? IDK)
So is there any way to revert/override/bypass the changes made by Asus in all apps? So far I've tried the following-
1. Used Lineage Os 15.1 by Shivam Kumar Jha. It boosts the volume so there's no difference in volume between the good and bad sound, but the sound is still bass-lacking and tinny in most apps while full and rich in Firefox.
2. Used Ainur Sauron mk ii - Didn't fix it.
3. Used V4a- Not only did it not fix it, but installing the V4a driver means audio is now capped at 48khz and 16bit, so even PowerAmp hires breaks.
4. Other equalizers- doesn't really remedy the problem, only masks it somewhat (that too pretty badly).
So is there some way to maybe modify the audio effects or mixer paths files to remove this? Or is this just baked into the device in such a way that it's not fixable? I hate being limited to Firefox for YouTube and PowerAmp hires for local audio, and not being able to use viperDDC/IRS for headphone compensation makes things worse. So any help would be very much appreciated.
For me with V4A sound is great by using Convoler/IRS mod, and some tweaks in compatible mode.
GryTEcHoG said:
For me with V4A sound is great by using Convoler/IRS mod, and some tweaks in compatible mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
V4a just changes the sound, it doesn't improve it. And with it's 48khz 16bit limit even PowerAmp's hi res output becomes average quality.
Even if you neutralize the frequency curve with v4a, it can never improve the slightly garbled and compressed nature of the Zenphone's sound. Instrument separation cleraly suffers because of it.
SD008 said:
V4a just changes the sound, it doesn't improve it. And with it's 48khz 16bit limit even PowerAmp's hi res output becomes average quality.
Even if you neutralize the frequency curve with v4a, it can never improve the slightly garbled and compressed nature of the Zenphone's sound. Instrument separation cleraly suffers because of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see. Can you give me an audio sample file where you could see diff clearly ? So i can test it our myself with with and without v4a, and might be able to figure out.
Thanks
man thanks for this post, i am raising this issue in asus offical forum and xda alos, but mostly people are only worried about the camera quality and gaming perfomance, nobody even in youtube reviews talked abut worst sound quality of this phone, i dont know why.
i even raised service request with Asus but they did not provide any solution, more and more developer need to fix in future custom rom. other else this phone is total waste, i am movie and music loving guy, the movie sound is terrible from earpone jack, in night when i want to watch movie and listen to music , i cant do it, because its not pleasant,
the speaker is good, but 3.5 jack sound is very very bad, i request all rom developer please fix this in your custom rom, as asus is not listening
There are kernel avaible so may there is a way to enhance or tweak the sound from that level, please do it, if i had know that this is the issue, i would have gone for RN5 Pro phone, instead of this one, i need a great experience, even phone selling at 5000 have clear and loud sound i had Lenovo A6000 Plus, which was almost half of this phones price, but man the sound was so great
Asus Please fix this in updates, other else this is waste, not only sound, there are many more bugs in this phone, Asus just rushed this half backed phone to market, the phone should be balance of Hardware and Software, only having good hardware at competitive price is not enough, you need to have a great software to use the hardware properly, asus missed onthis one
even the LED notification and front flash is of cheap quality, even in dark night or dark room LED notification does not glow enough why Asus why
Camera software is patheric, but thanks to some mod, now we can use Google camera, i will use it for few months and then sell it, because its not pleasant to use due to many software issue and some cheap parts used by Asus.
Update: Using Ainur Sauron while on the stock room and enabling FMAS drivers using the Sauron useroptions file improved the sound (I think, or it just might be me slowly losing my mind, lol). I've also increased the volume of hphl and hphr in vendor/etc/mixer_paths.xml to 12, that may or may not have had something to do with it. The volume is still much lower than PowerAmp/Firefox, but the sound signature seems to be more neutral. Using splitscreen it seems that Firefox @ volume 6 and YouTube app @ volume 10 sound almost identical, and both of these sound pretty similar to an ancient s4 (which has a pretty linear frequency response).
I received my phone a about a week ago and I agree, coming from my old oneplus one the audio was lacking depth, it had recessed vocals with high interfering in between, and shrill highs. After carefully listening many flac and other audio files back and forth on my old phone and Asus, I came to the conclusion that the entire audio output spectrum of zenfone max pro m1 is shifted towards the right, which explains all the aforementioned issues. I have posted the same on zentalk and I really hope that this issue gets fixed soon. Too bad very few people look for decent audio quality in budget segment otherwise this wouldn't have been an issue at the first place.
Those that are still facing this problem, I stock room+Ainur Sauron. I've updated the OP with some relevant info.
This sounds great. Don't know why all people are complaining about 3.5 mm jack sound. I can hear each and every note of all songs same as I can on my pc. I've tried a lot of different earphones/headphones (2 sennheiser, 1 flipkart smart buy in ear, 1 Sony (over Ear) don't know the model was my friend's, 1 boat and 1 Philips. All sounded different but were very clear and fine.
SD008 said:
Update: Using Ainur Sauron while on the stock room and enabling FMAS drivers using the Sauron useroptions file improved the sound (I think, or it just might be me slowly losing my mind, lol). I've also increased the volume of hphl and hphr in vendor/etc/mixer_paths.xml to 12, that may or may not have had something to do with it. The volume is still much lower than PowerAmp/Firefox, but the sound signature seems to be more neutral. Using splitscreen it seems that Firefox @ volume 6 and YouTube app @ volume 10 sound almost identical, and both of these sound pretty similar to an ancient s4 (which has a pretty linear frequency response).
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How to enable 'FMAS drivers using sauron useroptions'... I have installed Ainur sauron
So after all these days I've found the perfect fix for speaker and headset audio quality improvement, install viper4android xHiFi from magisk and tweak the setting to your taste. the best part is all these changes are global, so unlike music FX or similar apps, these effects will not be limited to music players. I was also able to remove the sharp audio output from earphones and the loudspeaker using the EQ within viper. The addon also processed bluetooth audio but I haven't tested it yet.
Bro ,i am on the same boat ,but got good quality output using vlc player with audio output set to Open SL ES..Do it ,live with it till we get an update from ASUS.
Since i Love music i flashed a custom rom and now i'm enjoying music as i use to. Shane on Asus for ****ing up the audio on the device
Easiest way if you don't want to root
Just install vidmate and listen songs in it.
Try it just once.