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[Q] Sound quality through earphones

How good is the sound quality through a pair of decent earphones? I saw the RMAA tests GSMArena did and it showed excellent results. I currently have a Desire and the sound quality through my sony earphones is pretty mediocre. So is this a good deal better?

Put it this way, if you follow instructions here to install to Voodoo sound hack you will be very impressed. Using Etymotic ER4 earphones I find the sound quality is easily as good as my X-series Sony Walkman with far more volume as well.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

Do you find your ER4 sound a bit "flat"? At least I have to apply a bit bass boost + some eq at the two lower frequencies with my ER4. Just curious though, would you recommend enabling the "Tune Speaker for Music" option? I've been testing different combination of settings (voodoo + CM7 dsp settings), so far I haven't settled on a setting I'm completely satisfied with.

can u please link me to that voodoo kernel? i saw two threads regarding it:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=949292
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=876132

ammarmalik said:
can u please link me to that voodoo kernel? i saw two threads regarding it:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=949292
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=876132
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here are some kernel options that include Voodoo Sound (v5) and Voodoo color mods.
Netarchy optimized kernel with Voodoo Sound:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=936219
Supercurio stock kernel (Voodoo Dev):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=876132
Morfic optimized kernel with Voodoo Sound:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=973125
OG stock kernel with Voodoo Sound:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=949292
You should download the Voodoo Control App from the market as well.

Si_NZ said:
Do you find your ER4 sound a bit "flat"? At least I have to apply a bit bass boost + some eq at the two lower frequencies with my ER4. Just curious though, would you recommend enabling the "Tune Speaker for Music" option? I've been testing different combination of settings (voodoo + CM7 dsp settings), so far I haven't settled on a setting I'm completely satisfied with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't find any need for eq at all - in fact eq degrades the sound quality - do you have ER4P's or ER4S as they have slightly different frequency response? I have P's which are more portable device friendly.
Tune speaker is for non earphone use - just try it and decide for yourself.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

phillevy said:
I don't find any need for eq at all - in fact eq degrades the sound quality - do you have ER4P's or ER4S as they have slightly different frequency response? I have P's which are more portable device friendly.
Tune speaker is for non earphone use - just try it and decide for yourself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have an ER4P. I find lows rather weak with my ER4P without any eq or boost. This is compared to a Rockbox powered MP3 player without any eq/boost at all. Can you please elaborate how eq degrades the sound quality, eg. distortion? I do notice easily audible noise when Bass Boost is set to moderate or extreme though. I guess I'll leave at least Tune Speaker option on for now, I think I started to prefer it on.

Si_NZ said:
I have an ER4P. I find lows rather weak with my ER4P without any eq or boost. This is compared to a Rockbox powered MP3 player without any eq/boost at all. Can you please elaborate how eq degrades the sound quality, eg. distortion? I do notice easily audible noise when Bass Boost is set to moderate or extreme though. I guess I'll leave at least Tune Speaker option on for now, I think I started to prefer it on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I find eq just makes things sound less natural with overbloated bottom frequencies. Another possible explanation for our different observations may be that I have custom ear molds?
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

phillevy said:
I find eq just makes things sound less natural with overbloated bottom frequencies. Another possible explanation for our different observations may be that I have custom ear molds?
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Click to collapse
Aaah I see! Well I don't know how much difference custom ear molds make, this is something only you would have the experience. I've also tried my friend's UE Triple.Fi 10, its lows were a lot stronger even without eq, so eq would be unnecessary with his earphone.
Another explanation could be that we have completely different taste.

phillevy said:
I find eq just makes things sound less natural with overbloated bottom frequencies. Another possible explanation for our different observations may be that I have custom ear molds?
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App
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Click to collapse
Ooooo I have the er4p as well. Are the custom earmolds worth it?
Sent from my MIUI Nexus S from the XDA Premium app.

Voodoo and skull candy. Can't go wrong
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

kenvan19 said:
Ooooo I have the er4p as well. Are the custom earmolds worth it?
Sent from my MIUI Nexus S from the XDA Premium app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me not a massive difference in sound but so much more comfortable.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

Si_NZ said:
Aaah I see! Well I don't know how much difference custom ear molds make, this is something only you would have the experience. I've also tried my friend's UE Triple.Fi 10, its lows were a lot stronger even without eq, so eq would be unnecessary with his earphone.
Another explanation could be that we have completely different taste.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everyone's tastes are different - my son told me today that my setup sounded too bright for him. Also I got a new set of on ear headphones today (B & Ws) and they needed a lot of eq adjustment - sounding equally as fantastic as the ETY's now though!
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

I have klipcsh s4 and they sound great on stock ns. I also like the ue triplefi but I broke those long ago at the bud and have some ue metrofi 10 I think (they've discontinued stuff so I get confused trying to remember their legacy models, I def don't get the cheap ones ) that sound great on stock but the wire is broken at the jack and they cut out sometimes need to fix those.
Shure makes some diesel buds. I have a pair of old ec2's that are still kicking after all these years but they sound horribly cold without eq. With eq they sound great. But man do they have fantastic build quality. Nice long sturdy cords, tough plugs and connection points, came with foam tips.
No matter what you're using I suggest comply foam tips, they made all the difference for the s4's. The tips they came with were weak.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk

[hfm] said:
I have klipcsh s4 and they sound great on stock ns. I also like the ue triplefi but I broke those long ago at the bud and have some ue metrofi 10 I think (they've discontinued stuff so I get confused trying to remember their legacy models, I def don't get the cheap ones ) that sound great on stock but the wire is broken at the jack and they cut out sometimes need to fix those.
Shure makes some diesel buds. I have a pair of old ec2's that are still kicking after all these years but they sound horribly cold without eq. With eq they sound great. But man do they have fantastic build quality. Nice long sturdy cords, tough plugs and connection points, came with foam tips.
No matter what you're using I suggest comply foam tips, they made all the difference for the s4's. The tips they came with were weak.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awww I miss my old ec2s...my dog chewed up my last pair

I think it so great we are discussing high end earphones to use with our phone - this was the last thing I thought I'd be using with my NS. Credit to supercurio and Netarchy!
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

I use a pair of bose mie2 mobile headset for 140 dollars, and the quality is just fantastic. And it is for phones, so has a insanely high quality inline Mic, button control, etc. Best thing I bought for my phone by far.

charlieb620 said:
Voodoo and skull candy. Can't go wrong
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats what im using... skull candy titans. skull candy titans + voodoo = ear orgasms

irishrally said:
Here are some kernel options that include Voodoo Sound (v5) and Voodoo color mods.
Netarchy optimized kernel with Voodoo Sound:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=936219
Supercurio stock kernel (Voodoo Dev):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=876132
Morfic optimized kernel with Voodoo Sound:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=973125
OG stock kernel with Voodoo Sound:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=949292
You should download the Voodoo Control App from the market as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Og's is expertly recommended, battery life and voodoo sound to the maximum
JD
Sent from my Google Nexus Magic Wand S

At the moment I'm listening to 24 bit FLAC files downloaded from B&W's website - stunning but each track is about 50mb! I'm beginning to crave for that missing SD card slot
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

Voodoo?

I'm curious as to what voodoo is. I keep hearing its name and I kind of understand it. Would it boost my speaker volume? I don't listen to music on my phone as I have an iPod for that. So would I benefit from this? How do I go about adding it? I am on HellFire 1.8 bye too. I'm sorry if this has been asked already I did a search and didn't see anything.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App

If you don't listen to music on your phone, it doesn't really make a difference for you. On the G2x, it just increases headphone volume. But if you did want it, install Voodoo control from the Market, plug in some headphones, and enable it. From there, you can increase the Max dB settings to increase/decrease volume.
Sent from my MIUI G2x

Thanks for the quick reply. Do you have any suggestions for a good and safe volume boost? My speakers seem really quiet.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App

Not just volume...it also changes the dynamics of the sound production.... http://project-voodoo.org/
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gpmartinson said:
Not just volume...it also changes the dynamics of the sound production.... http://project-voodoo.org/
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On Galaxy S phones, it has a huge increase in sound quality. On the G2x, it only affects volume, based on personal experience. From the Market description:
Market description said:
Introduces LG Optimus 2x and T-Mobile G2x support.
‪11.‬Sound quality is not yet optimal on these devices: needs a lot of work to fix LG issues in their audio implementation and then add more quality optimizations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my MIUI G2x

volume+ for boost on speakers I believe, and ya I only notice volume with voodoo with headphones no real sound improvements in my opinion.

The DSP Manager lets you tweak the sound as well and I noticed a big improvement in quality using that. It comes with HFP
Pin it to Win it.

Don't give false info...u can't just install the app. You have to have a kernel that enables it. The app just controls it
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App

Smallsmx3 said:
Don't give false info...u can't just install the app. You have to have a kernel that enables it. The app just controls it
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
From the Market for Voodoo Sound app.
Description
This app controls Voodoo sound for Galaxy S, Nexus S phones Galaxy Tab and Asus Transformer running custom kernels implementing Voodoo patches.
If you don't want or cannot flash a kernel, my commercial app "Voodoo Control Plus" has the ability to load Voodoo Sound with only root.

Stock CM kernel does not support Voodoo, but Faux's does.
Just FYI

thefulleffect89 said:
I'm curious as to what voodoo is. I keep hearing its name and I kind of understand it. Would it boost my speaker volume? I don't listen to music on my phone as I have an iPod for that. So would I benefit from this? How do I go about adding it? I am on HellFire 1.8 bye too. I'm sorry if this has been asked already I did a search and didn't see anything.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
The only benifit to the g2x that i know of is the increase in dB which is helpful for using with a tape player adapter in a car stereo and driving headphones with slightly higher Ohms.
Also, I get louder volume on the tape adapter which helps with avoiding static by not having to turn the volume up so high.

Beats Audio?

Is there any way to get Beats Audio on the G2X? I'm using Hellfire Phoenix_v2.1.

Try using the search function, it is useful believe it or not
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1525168&highlight=beats+audio

mt3g said:
Try using the search function, it is useful believe it or not
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1525168&highlight=beats+audio
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay. And thanks ^_^

And how for you know if you have beats audio?
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium

It's enabled automatically. Just plug in your headphones
Sent from my LG-P999

The beats audio is not a very good audio system for music as it just distorts the lower and midrange bass (speaking as an audiophile with a $1000+ audio setups). The best thing to do if you want better quality is just to use voodoo sound with a kernel that has it built in. The trinity kernel has it built in and I think Faux123 does too. But to each his own.

stormageddon said:
The beats audio is not a very good audio system for music as it just distorts the lower and midrange bass (speaking as an audiophile with a $1000+ audio setups). The best thing to do if you want better quality is just to use voodoo sound with a kernel that has it built in. The trinity kernel has it built in and I think Faux123 does too. But to each his own.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, I have Trinity kernel right now, but how do I enjoy this Voodoo sound? Besides, I already flashed the Beats Audio, no way that I can remove it now, can I?

NekoNyapii said:
Okay, I have Trinity kernel right now, but how do I enjoy this Voodoo sound? Besides, I already flashed the Beats Audio, no way that I can remove it now, can I?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to download the Voodoo sound control app from the market.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium

FatalityBoyZahy said:
You need to download the Voodoo sound control app from the market.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
Does Voodoo override the Audio Beats effects?
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Click to collapse

FatalityBoyZahy said:
You need to download the Voodoo sound control app from the market.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Also I can't really tell the difference. it sounds the same. :/

NekoNyapii said:
Also I can't really tell the difference. it sounds the same. :/
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Click to collapse
Go into the app and turn it up.. it only affects the headphone volume

DJLamontagneIII said:
Go into the app and turn it up.. it only affects the headphone volume
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Click to collapse
Yeah, that's all I noticed, that can't be the only difference right?

NekoNyapii said:
Yeah, that's all I noticed, that can't be the only difference right?
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Click to collapse
Yup, its the only thing working on our phones right now. The dev for voodoo said he wants to incorporate more into it for the g2x, but it's gonna take time...
Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk 2

Try a combination of Voodoo and DSP Manager.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium

FatalityBoyZahy said:
Try a combination of Voodoo and DSP Manager.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you think that the DSP pack has an effect on music? I really can't tell....

NekoNyapii said:
Do you think that the DSP pack has an effect on music? I really can't tell....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well it's pretty much an EQ
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium

Also there is an app on the Play Store called Volume+. One of its EQ's (which is what Beats Audio is) is a "Beats Emulation" as they call it. Just another option. Personally I found that Voodoo Sound Control was more than enough to make sound great on the phone.
Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk 2 Beta-5

I've flashed Beats onto my phone and didn't really notice a difference. I've had more results fooling around with Volume+ or DSP Manager.

Better Audio?

I know that this topic has been discussed before. I have tried the voodoo app and i have bought it. It just seems to make the sound even worse. I believe the culprit is dsp manager. So here Is what happens, I usually keep my volume 2-3 notches below the highest volume. I am using the acoustic preset on dsp manager with the bass slightly higher. If I go 2-3 notches above my normal volume, the sound gets really crackely and choppy. I tried the same song, but with the same preset but with even more bass on my sansa and it sounded crystal clear and really powerful even at higher volumes. Can someone suggest a fix. I am running HFP 2.1 and Faux's kernel.
Edit: I am also running beats audio from like march. And I'm using the google play music app
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Bump
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Try to freeze Dsp and install either EQ or Volume+, then give it a shot. As far as I'm concerned G2X doesn't have the necessary libraries for beat audio to work.
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Alright ill give that a try
Sent from my Handheld Portal Device

DupleX01 said:
Try to freeze Dsp and install either EQ or Volume+, then give it a shot. As far as I'm concerned G2X doesn't have the necessary libraries for beat audio to work.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Beats doesn't work and when you place the files where they go it breaks poweramp and dsp
Sent from my LG-G2x using Tapatalk 2

The first thing you need to do is remove the beats audio as it does nothing for the sound. Voodoo sound is much better as long as you have a kernel that has it built in. PowerAMP is one of the best equaliser apps out there for android but the overall sound quality coming from the G2x is not that good and will never be that good without better hardware.

The first thing you need to do is remove the beats audio as it does nothing for the sound. Voodoo sound is much better as long as you have a kernel that has it built in. PowerAMP is one of the best equaliser apps out there for android but the overall sound quality coming from the G2x is not that good and will never be that good without better hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree to disagree. Yes, get rid of beats. It didnt anything when I used it. Ditch google music its crap (intended for those of us who enjoy music? I think not.) I use PlayerPro (paid) with treble/bass booster preset with the bass knob almost all the way up. No matter how loud I make it, it kicks ass.
I'm also running RG2x MIUI with Faux kernel. Cleanest, smoothest, and all around best MIUI. Sorry Stormageddon. I used yours and my phone kept freezing. Not your fault, I know this. My phone just doesnt seem to like your roms. Or MIUI.us or Singh-MIUI's either for that matter. RG2x is the only one I can get to run with FC'ing a FC.

I use Winamp pro in conjunction with DSP manager and get GREAT sound (especially from FLAC ) I disable the EQ in DSP manager, Compression - Slight, Bass Boost - Slight, and depending on what I am listening to I will adjust Virtual Room. Everything else in DSP manager OFF. Then, in Winamp I use the Awesome 10 band EQ to adjust the sound to my liking.

I've been using winamp lately, but it still cannot drive my headphones as well as my sansa. Probably just the ****ty audio hardware from LG.
Also how do I get rid of beats audio?
Sent from my Handheld Portal Device

zoppp said:
I've been using winamp lately, but it still cannot drive my headphones as well as my sansa. Probably just the ****ty audio hardware from LG.
Also how do I get rid of beats audio?
Sent from my Handheld Portal Device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know not of this ****ty audio you speak of. I consider myself an audiophile (500 gigs of FLAC and counting, high end Polk Audio home theater sound) and honestly, I am quite impressed with the audio quality from my phone. I am guessing that something is not quite right with your setup, or maybe the quality of what you are listening to on your phone isn't up to par.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium

TorrentzRock said:
I know not of this ****ty audio you speak of. I consider myself an audiophile (500 gigs of FLAC and counting, high end Polk Audio home theater sound) and honestly, I am quite impressed with the audio quality from my phone. I am guessing that something is not quite right with your setup, or maybe the quality of what you are listening to on your phone isn't up to par.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
I don't know but my SanDisk Sansa is able to put out alot more power. The bass is alot more powerful on it too.
Sent from my Handheld Portal Device

Winamp for android is **** anyway. What u need is poweramp with a custom equal so it puts ur headphones to the limit before making it sound like ****. That and Volume++. I promise you will see a difference
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA

Try n7player....pretty good. You have to pay but I think u have a 7 day trial first, then u have to buy afterwards.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

zoppp said:
I don't know but my SanDisk Sansa is able to put out alot more power. The bass is alot more powerful on it too.
Sent from my Handheld Portal Device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you are on HFP 2.1 and Faux's kernel did you try the "DSP Manager' settings?

TorrentzRock said:
I know not of this ****ty audio you speak of. I consider myself an audiophile (500 gigs of FLAC and counting, high end Polk Audio home theater sound) and honestly, I am quite impressed with the audio quality from my phone. I am guessing that something is not quite right with your setup, or maybe the quality of what you are listening to on your phone isn't up to par.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The actual hardware that is in the LG G2x is the same Wolfson DAC that is in the iPod touches and the iPhones. That DAC is really not that good especially for an audiophile. I never use my phone for music, and yes I only listen to FLAC or better and have a complete Sennheiser setup. I have tried making the audio better with an amp but even that just made the quality barely noticeably better. The quality is not that good and will never be that good.

stormageddon said:
The actual hardware that is in the LG G2x is the same Wolfson DAC that is in the iPod touches and the iPhones. That DAC is really not that good especially for an audiophile. I never use my phone for music, and yes I only listen to FLAC or better and have a complete Sennheiser setup. I have tried making the audio better with an amp but even that just made the quality barely noticeably better. The quality is not that good and will never be that good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Realistically can you expect more than what it is from a phone for this price?
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Kind of sad that my $50 SanDisk Sansa performs better than this expensive phone.
Sent from my Handheld Portal Device

A2DP ftw
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zoppp said:
Kind of sad that my $50 SanDisk Sansa performs better than this expensive phone.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With voodoo sound and poweramp there's no way.. with that combo it sounds better than My iPod touch
Sent from my LG-G2x using Tapatalk 2

Yes way. My sansa can send bass that is skullcrushing (Sony xb-500 headphones). My phone can barely drive my headphones. If I set it to the loudest setting the sound is no where close even with poweramp.
Sent from my Handheld Portal Device

Voodoo +dsp

So who thinks they have them playing nice with each other? I'm running Erik miui with both installed but one is always overtaking the other. I prefer voodoo bass boost over dsp and would always trash dsp in favor if the tw music player/EQ; however, with miui i don't think this is an option. the miui music eq doesn't seem to be as crisp on the high end as dsp nor is it optimized for our device (hence the distortion at high gains). thoughts, suggestions, experiences?

I use voodoo only on unnamed. The sound quality is better without dsp for me. I tried all sorts of settings combinations, voodoo only, dsp only, both together, in the end I always uninstall dsp.
Sent from my SGH-T959V using xda premium

Bass
The only way I've been able to use them in combo is by not applying anything other then the volume key hack from voodoo. Works great for me since I prefer that from voodoo and bass and equalizer from DSP. If you set up the bass on Voodoo and the EQ on DSP they will not play nice as you've found out. It's a one or the other type of thing.

I have both on Val Final. I haven't had any problems yet.

So glad no one said "just use poweramp"
on unnamed I too just rip out dsp.
the dsp eq sets the bass gains too high without any sort of limiter for our hardware. I think that is what makes it so distorted at louder volumes

Wodensman said:
I have both on Val Final. I haven't had any problems yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How'd you put dsp on Valhalla? In running Hebrew Valhalla but I miss having dsp. Its nice messing with it's eq when I have new headphones.
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icy56 said:
How'd you put dsp on Valhalla? In running Hebrew Valhalla but I miss having dsp. Its nice messing with it's eq when I have new headphones.
Sent from my SGH-T959V using XDA
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Click to collapse
Pull it from a ROM that has it and push into system apps with root explorer. Or, if you look hard enough, I want to say theres an apk for it in one of ravers threads.

I use both and I use miui eq works good and makes my phone extra loud
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icy56 said:
How'd you put dsp on Valhalla? In running Hebrew Valhalla but I miss having dsp. Its nice messing with it's eq when I have new headphones.
Sent from my SGH-T959V using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Icy
Try this one
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1484535
I can add it to the next Heb Val ver.
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itzik2sh said:
Hi Icy
Try this one
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1484535
I can add it to the next Heb Val ver.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! The one on the second page of the thread worked perfect! The one in the op worked but I got a couple FCs when turning on the EQ. Thanks again!
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I like the combination of all voodoo options along with DSP acoustic EQ.
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