[Q] What ROM for best audio quality? - Galaxy Tab 2 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi,
Just picked up a Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 to use as a hiqh quality audio player on the run with my headphones. This was the result of some heavy research and a few posts of praise by Supercurio himself:
On Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, #WM1811 driver uses already the optimal analog mixer configuration I'm calling "Dac Direct" in #VoodooSound. Nice!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup #GalaxySIII and #GalaxyTab 2 7.0 DAC both give lower distortions levels than FIIO E17 USB DAC. Measurements just confirmed perception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, now that hardware seem to be top notch I don't want to mess up the software part. :silly:
1. Will flashing a non-stock ROM mess up the "Dac Direct" configuration?
2. Any recommended ROM with full focus on audio quality through headphones?
3. Or will actually any AOSP KitKat ROM be able to deliver maximum audio quality?
I don't care about effects. Just want as good audio quality through the headphone jack as possible. I will most likely install the "maximum volume mod" (found in the forum) and Viper4Android on any rom used.
Any input is appreciated!
Thanks.

Take a look at this rom
It's stock based.

-ix- said:
Hi,
Just picked up a Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 to use as a hiqh quality audio player on the run with my headphones. This was the result of some heavy research and a few posts of praise by Supercurio himself:
So, now that hardware seem to be top notch I don't want to mess up the software part. :silly:
1. Will flashing a non-stock ROM mess up the "Dac Direct" configuration?
2. Any recommended ROM with full focus on audio quality through headphones?
3. Or will actually any AOSP KitKat ROM be able to deliver maximum audio quality?
I don't care about effects. Just want as good audio quality through the headphone jack as possible. I will most likely install the "maximum volume mod" (found in the forum) and Viper4Android on any rom used.
Any input is appreciated!
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sungsonic HD is best Stock based ROM ever which offers premium quality sound. There are basically two Kitkat based ROMs (AFAIK) named Izer HD and Dhollman ROM which have Viper4Android sound effects with great inbuilt equalizers... here you go :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2668994
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2580426
in case of Dhollman you will have to flash Viper4android sounds effects separately....but in Izer hd it comes by default......

CyanogenMod has a nice audio tuner allowing you to tune your sound to your likings.
If it is not already clear, you can also tune your headphones sound.

Big thanks to all of you for taking the time to reply to my question.
I'm a bit worried though that the ROMs mentioned - well not CM, but the other two - seem to have loads of apps, mods and tweaks ported from other devices which could actually cause instability and degrade the sound. Of course, I don't really know this since I haven't tried them myself, but having flashed a lot of ROMs on other devices I've learned that this is often the case....
I am leaning towards trying two different configurations and then deciding.
Stock (rooted) + Viper4Android
CM11 + Viper4Android
Once again, thanks for your input!
EDIT:
Somehow I missed the suggestion of Dhollmen KitKat ROM above. That actually seems really interresting. I like the fact that it is compiled using Linaro, which suggest a nice attention to detail by the dev.

-ix- said:
Big thanks to all of you for taking the time to reply to my question.
I'm a bit worried though that the ROMs mentioned - well not CM, but the other two - seem to have loads of apps, mods and tweaks ported from other devices which could actually cause instability and degrade the sound. Of course, I don't really know this since I haven't tried them myself, but having flashed a lot of ROMs on other devices I've learned that this is often the case....
I am leaning towards trying two different configurations and then deciding.
Stock (rooted) + Viper4Android
CM11 + Viper4Android
Once again, thanks for your input!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are actually trying to install it, it'd be a nice try to tune your sound, keep the volume a bit low, and over that, try to make some mixer/equalizer tuning to make it sound quite a bit louder, while still sounding nice, without any distortions. Somewhat like Loudness Equalization.
CyanogenMod is basically full stock Android, with a few tweaks, some of them including Audio.
Speaking of loads of apps installed..
DSP Manager is included with CyanogenMod... and not much apps have been added. It's also much faster than your average Android ROM.

CyanogenModFTW said:
If you are actually trying to install it, it'd be a nice try to tune your sound, keep the volume a bit low, and over that, try to make some mixer/equalizer tuning to make it sound quite a bit louder, while still sounding nice, without any distortions. Somewhat like Loudness Equalization.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, properly EQing my headphones is the main reason for installing Viper. I do it a lot on my computer, using a parametric EQ, and to tell the truth, I can't really enjoy music anymore without being able to finely tune my headphones....
I don't care at all for other effects as my experience is that they always degrade the sound (which is also why I steered away from the ROMs mentioned above, even if they are popular).
Strange enough though, I didn't find the volume lacking at all. To me, the headphone amp is powerful enough on stock settings. :good:
EDIT:
I do like DSP Manager in CM (running CM10.1 and CM11 on other devices). It's a really great EQ, and pretty refined crossfeed effect. However, IMHO Viper is a little bit better for my needs.

-ix- said:
Yes, properly EQing my headphones is the main reason for installing Viper. I do it a lot on my computer, using a parametric EQ, and to tell the truth, I can't really enjoy music anymore without being able to finely tune my headphones....
I don't care at all for other effects as my experience is that they always degrade the sound (which is also why I steered away from the ROMs mentioned above, even if they are popular).
Strange enough though, I didn't find the volume lacking at all. To me, the headphone amp is powerful enough on stock settings. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do have a nice configuration on my p5100, I have my sound set to low, but it's great and loud sounding. I have enabled bass boosting, and made a custom Equalizer preset that boosts up the mid frequencies quite a bit.
Also, CyanogenMod is a fast and fluid, lightweight ROM which is also good for everyday uses. The tweaks make for a good ROM, so far I haven't had any problems.
You should try the settings which work best with your speakers or headphones, they are never the same and never reproduce the same frequencies.
[ EDIT DUE TO YOUR LAST EDIT ]
It was also worth to mention that I have reccomended Cyanogen because DSP Manager is really simple to use. I've found the tweaks and effects to be instant.

I have now rooted my P3110 and installed Viper4Android. Only judging from what I hear, the "direct DAC" configuration (mentioned in the first post) does not seem to be messed up, because the audio coming out of the headphone jack still seems immaculately clear. :good:
Using Viper I can now tweak the EQ to my heart's content. Just wish there were a few more bands....
Since I'm mostly using my P3110 for listening to music, I think I will stay stock for now. Doesn't seem all that laggy to me!

EDIT:
Somehow I missed the suggestion of Dhollmen KitKat ROM above. That actually seems really interresting. I like the fact that it is compiled using Linaro, which suggest a nice attention to detail by the dev.[/QUOTE]
By far the best. There will be no disappointment. Try it and judge for yourself

Thanks for your advice. I have now installed Dhollmen AOKP KitKat ROM, and I must say the speed and snappiness of the GUI is nothing short of amazing. Suddenly feels like a high end device - I'm thoroughly impressed! :good:
Now, to the sound. I think it's really good. The clarity is still there. But there seems to be some kind of bass boost always enabled. Even turning Viper completely off the level of bass definitely feels higher than before.
Is this all in my head or could it be explained by something under the hood?
Maybe the bass was a bit recessed with stock ROM...
Anyway, after experiencing this speed, there is no going back!
Sent a long time ago from a Galaxy S2 far, far away...

For future reference....
After listening a lot on said configuration I can now with full confidence claim that the audio output is truly great. I actually think the bass was unnaturally recessed on the stock ROM, as previously suspected.
Furthermore, I have done the Boosted volume mod found in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2294136 It helps immensely to improve the output stage, which now drives my somewhat hard to drive headphones immaculately!
So, to conclude this thread, for others looking for the best possible audio quality on their Tab 2, do try:
Any non-bloated Kit Kat ROM + Viper4Android + Boosted volume mod. :good:
Dhollmen, mentioned above, comes pre-installed with Viper, and is a great polished ROM, but I guess any bare bones Kit Kat ROM would do the job, such as Omni or CM.
Happy audiophiling!

Related

Best way to get LOUDER audio? (rooted,booted,twrp, but stock rom)

Even at full volume, this thing is pretty quiet while playing movies. I've tried multiple video player apps before settling on BS Player (best compatibility with my files), but I'd like to know to get louder audio.
Has anyone had success with a DSP / Equalizer / Beats Audio / etc?
This guy seemed to have issues with beats, so I was scared to try anything on mine: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1801631
This guy suggests volume+, but I'd rather not do that because it has known incompatibilities with Jelly Bean (which I hope we're getting soon!): http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1801799
Is volume+ the best, or do you guys know something better?
Alternatively, is there a media player that can play 1080p .m2ts with h.264 video and ac3 audio using hardware acceleration that has a built in pre-amp / equalizer / etc?
Volume+ just crashes for me. I use SpeakerBoost, but I'm not sure It's actually doing anything. If it is, the difference is negligible.
I'd get Volume+ if I were you and worry about JB compatibility when it's out for the Infinity.
Try Equalizer (smart Android Apps. LLC) from the the playe store. Also need to purchase the Equalizer unlock key to save your settings. This made a big difference for me, audio is much louder.
The issues that exsist with JB and volume+ are likely to exsist with any booster as of right now because of some restrictions that come with JB and the ability to manipulate the sound. Just like ICS came along and you can no longer backup/restore APNs. I'm confident that Sound+ will find a work around for it, even if it simply requires root. We'll see. As for right now Volume+ is a godsend. My wife was watching a movie on my TF700 in the bathtub with the water running. That really surprised me. The little speakers are capable of putting out decent volume, just becareful you don't damage them. As for beats, I've never experienced noticably louder audio by flashing a DSP, only better audio, and Beats audio dsp is certaily capable of that on some devices.
Was having issues with less than stellar volume and after reading this thread I installed Volume+ and I have to say it works VERY well! I'll worry about JB when the time comes...
Tried the free version and then paid the $1.99 for premium and its WELL worth it.
AspenMan said:
Was having issues with less than stellar volume and after reading this thread I installed Volume+ and I have to say it works VERY well! I'll worry about JB when the time comes...
Tried the free version and then paid the $1.99 for premium and its WELL worth it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I find the +10 to be the sweet spot where I keep the volume at about 75% for normal easy to hear use.
blauciel said:
Volume+ just crashes for me. I use SpeakerBoost, but I'm not sure It's actually doing anything. If it is, the difference is negligible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To correct this, I finally did some testing, and SpeakerBoost does work well. I max it's boost out to 100% (despite the warnings) and it's much, much better.
It could be that Volume+ was crashing because I had installed SpeakerBoost first.
blauciel said:
To correct this, I finally did some testing, and SpeakerBoost does work well. I max it's boost out to 100% (despite the warnings) and it's much, much better.
It could be that Volume+ was crashing because I had installed SpeakerBoost first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may have had to go into settings and enable Volume+. I know some had to do this before it worked and if you had another audio modifier installed, this may have fixed it so you could try both.
settings>sound>music effects>choose one
Volume+ FTW
+10 here too. HUGE improvement. Must-have option, since the stock volume is WAY too quiet IMO.
Doody
I tried using Volume+ and it didn't work at all. The readme says it only works on Gingerbread, we have ICS. I enabled headset volume +5 (highest it went) and there was no noticeable change.
Was I doing something wrong?
EDIT: Just saw this - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=29624931#post29624931

[Q] Low Volume issue

Hi,
The volume of my Galaxy Note n8000 is too low. Any suggestions on how to resolve this issue?
Saf
Easy, install volume+ app. It will increase the volume as much as you desire. Be careful though, several reports of people blowing their speakers, on other devices, from them carelessly increasing volume like crazy..lmao
I use speaker boost
Sent from my GT-N8013
My note is nice and loud and II really haven't seen too many, if any, posts about volume issues. Couple be a possible bad unit. I'd try going down to a Best Buy to seem how one of the floor models compare.
Thanks for the replies everyone
Hi Guys,
Thanks for all the replies everyone. My galaxy note tab sounds fine in normal situations, but in really noisy environments it hardly audible. So i dont think there is any problem with the device. I installed the equalizer app and the volume has definitely become louder though it reduces the audio quality.
Saf
Does anyone on these sound boost apps works on JB?
fasst said:
Does anyone on these sound boost apps works on JB?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Volume+ works great on JB. I have it installed on my Nexus 7 running the latest build of JB. Which is 4.1.2. Also have it installed on my note. Volume already sounded loud but I wanted it a little bit louder. Works great and didn't decrease the sound quality at all for me.
Another tip, if you don't want to use an 3rd party app, is to go into music player. Then open up settings. It has different sound profiles you can change to make it sound better to your liking. I keep it on auto for me.
demandarin said:
Volume+ works great on JB. I have it installed on my Nexus 7 running the latest build of JB. Which is 4.1.2. Also have it installed on my note. Volume already sounded loud but I wanted it a little bit louder. Works great and didn't decrease the sound quality at all for me.
Another tip, if you don't want to use an 3rd party app, is to go into music player. Then open up settings. It has different sound profiles you can change to make it sound better to your liking. I keep it on auto for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The paied version of Volume+?
The sound(earphones) playing movies on planes are too low.

[Q] Are you a Real Audiophile? i need your advise & help making my nexus sound better

[Q] Are you a Real Audiophile? i need your advise & help making my nexus sound better
Hello
I am looking for an Audiophile who try and have the best combination for better sound (headphones, Speakers, conversation speaker etc)
i don't mind install kernel & patches. i saw many tricks but not a full guide combining the ones that really makes a different.
That's why i need your help, i came from a world (Nexus S) where Voodoo Sound combining with DSP Equalizer gave me the best result with maximum control,
Thank you all
Zivonche said:
Hello
I am looking for an Audiophile who try and have the best combination for better sound (headphones, Speakers, conversation speaker etc)
i don't mind install kernel & patches. i saw many tricks but not a full guide combining the ones that really makes a different.
That's why i need your help, i came from a world (Nexus S) where Voodoo Sound combining with DSP Equalizer gave me the best result with maximum control,
Thank you all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can help. I have a portable amp/DAC called the Fiio e07k that I plug into my phone via USB OTG. I use this to drive my headphones. Gets me the best quality possible as the DAC in the e07k is orders of magnitude better than the DAC in the nexus 5. This is what most audiophiles do. Which headphones do you use daily?
Check viper4android, faux sound
Also here xloud-beats-dsp manager+ xperia apps: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2521211
heres a ROM with audiphiles in mind http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2655722
I recommend viper4android
+1 for Viper4android, although it will never compete with DAC IMHO,. but for me, streaming from Spotify, I'm limited anyway.
If you're trying to use the N5 as a PMP for regular day-to-day commutes like I do and never wanted to use a DAC+Amp because they're bulky, here's my opinion: I'm quite satisfied with the sound coming from my N5 with any kernel that implements faux sound combined with the Dunu DN1000. I also came from a Nexus S with voodoo sound and I can testify that N5+faux satisfies my crave for details and sound cleanness with the 'phones I'm currently using. The SQ is mainly dependent on the earphones/headphones you'd use.
I have tried using v4a+faux/dsp combinations. They sound terrible and too artificial for my taste. If you're a basshead go for faux+dsp2.1(not the commonly used dsp 2.0!) so you'll have more options for controlling the bass freq by freq. I didn't really like v4a's implementation of bass enhancements because they add "boom" instead of "thump". V4a offers quite a bunch of sound tweaks but again, I'm not really into it because I want the sound output to be as natural and clean as possible.
If you'd use the N5 indoors you don't need to flash/install sound tweaks. You need a proper DAC+Amp connected to the microusb port to properly drive your headphones and/or speakers.
ej8989 said:
I didn't really like v4a's implementation of bass enhancements because they add "boom" instead of "thump". V4a offers quite a bunch of sound tweaks but again, I'm not really into it because I want the sound output to be as natural and clean as possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally I love it. I think there are many combinations of settings though and it can take days of tweaking if not weeks to get it right. I hate artificial sounds but I do feel I have got the sounds that best match my headphones. Never use V4a in combination with other sound mods though.
ej8989 said:
I have tried using v4a+faux/dsp combinations. They sound terrible and too artificial for my taste. If you're a basshead go for faux+dsp2.1(not the commonly used dsp 2.0!) so you'll have more options for controlling the bass freq by freq. I didn't really like v4a's implementation of bass enhancements because they add "boom" instead of "thump". V4a offers quite a bunch of sound tweaks but again, I'm not really into it because I want the sound output to be as natural and clean as possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey Thanks for the detailed post
finding a a kernel with Faux its no problem but can you share where and how to find the right DSP addon
One more thing, would you please tell what does faux kernel do to the audio chipe/hardware ?
can you feel the different without the Manual Tweks / DSP just by installing it and use it as it is ?
Thank you

Do we still need viper music tuning app?

Hello considering the u11 has superior sound quality, do we still really need viper to tune up our music sound?
Superior sound quality?
Maybe i am too spoiled and have different standards.
I think V4A is necessary but if i really want to listen at home. I plug in a dac/amp.
marvi0 said:
Hello considering the u11 has superior sound quality, do we still really need viper to tune up our music sound?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sound quality is more a matter of preference.Viper gives the ability to time to your exact preference.
I tried using Viper with this phone, but couldn't find the version that works flawlessly (and that doesn't break anything), and I can't be bothered with finding the correct version that will work. I don't find it necessary for me. It will be better with it, but I can live without it for now.

A great DAC and not being able to use it ...

The Pixel 4a has this DAC, which as you can see is a great DAC, its specs are even better than many HIFI portable audio players. Well, for the uninitiated, android acts as a bottleneck in this case, as it always limits the audio output to 16bit 48khz (using a low quality resampler for the benefit of performance)
Is there any way I can use it decently? Because Google apparently has no intention of doing anything, it hasn't even shared any information on how to use the DAC, and I don't like the idea of having to use an external dac even though the 4a has a headphone jack.
I'd like to know too. Doesn't Viper4Android help get more out of it? I'm getting pretty great sound with that + PowerAmp.
Makishima said:
I'd like to know too. Doesn't Viper4Android help get more out of it? I'm getting pretty great sound with that + PowerAmp.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mmm I need to know how you set the audio settings, the output audio is resampled to 48khz? have you set the output in HD?
You mean my settings in PowerAmp or Viper?
Yeah.. It seems that Hi-res potential is not implemented in the stock ROM. Everything is mixed into 48 kHz...
.: SID :. said:
Yeah.. It seems that Hi-res potential is not implemented in the stock ROM. Everything is mixed into 48 kHz...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see. Is there any custom Rom that implements it?
Also, have you tried Ainur Narsil? Perhaps it does what you want. I'm just unsure whether it will work on Android 11, it seems development is paused.
Makishima said:
Also, have you tried Ainur Narsil? Perhaps it does what you want. I'm just unsure whether it will work on Android 11, it seems development is paused.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not aware of any custom ROM which supports hi-res. If you know, please tell.
I've tried ainur but without success. And smth was even corrupted because sound became worse.
Mary be community should raise an issue for Google.
.: SID :. said:
I'm not aware of any custom ROM which supports hi-res. If you know, please tell.
I've tried ainur but without success. And smth was even corrupted because sound became worse.
Mary be community should raise an issue for Google.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've no idea actually. I'm interested in this stuff, but not so much as to notice worse quality with the 48khz Android output. And yeah, that's why I haven't tried Narsil, it doesn't seem to be too well tested in A11 and we don't even have a proper TWRP in case something goes wrong. Still, I am noticing a difference with my modded Sony NW-A45, but it's not like it sounds better, it sounds different perhaps.
Poweramp is terrible. You need an app that bypasses androids software. Usb audio player pro is the best available. It plays bitperfect audio. Neutron is second, it can also play bitperfect audio. Both apps can output 32bit/364kz at whatever rate the Track allows. Uapp plays MQA as well

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