Re: Will Android's audio ever rival an iPod?
 

I think the bottom line is that these are phones first. Apple puts more of an emphasis on their music than Android. So, my guess would be that its an issue that is probably a combo between Androids OS as well as the hardware. Most people won't hear a noticeable difference so it probably isn't going to be addressed any time soon.

you don't necessarily have to get an Ipod though, you could look into getting a Zune as well as other mp3 players

Re: Will Android's audio ever rival an iPod?
 

Actually...Samsung is going directly at Apple with the Galaxy S..so much that they even releasing a Galaxy S media player to compete with the iTouch...unless ofcourse they figured these days most people use them with headsets or with external speakers..but still...

Re: Will Android's audio ever rival an iPod?
 

Yea, that's my reasoning. These are competing with the iPhone more than the iPod, but I'm pretty sure the iPhone would sound fine. I don't associate with people with iPhones so I wouldn't know haha.

Re: Will Android's audio ever rival an iPod?
 

I commented on this quite awhile ago when I got my new EVO.

I believe it comes from the low quality DAC (digital audio converter) that phone makers are using these days. They are designed for low-power simple headphone use, and are probably severely lacking when compared to the DAC's found in more audio-centric equipment.

SnR ratio, flat frequency reproduction, and jitter all come into play here.
I can bet you that DAC found in these devices are budget designs coming from mass-manufacturers. (aka China)

Maybe look into finding a digital way to connect your phone to your car stereo, and let the DAC's in your head-unit do the work.

Not much else you can do besides that.

Edit: Maybe a portable headphone amp would help in this situation, it really helps when using my less sensitive cans on the go.

I would recommend you one but i'm having a brain aneurysm at the moment lol

Re: Will Android's audio ever rival an iPod?
 

Wow, this is what I was looking for. I assumed it was something much more than an audio booster, but you actually can support it.

Would a headphone amp steal the signal away the internal DAC and redo it or simply adjust the signal from the crappy DAC? I'd be willing to fork out a little to take care of this, and the headphone amp sounds like it could be the answer.

I just have no idea how you could bi-pass the phone's output and connect it digitally. Bluetooth?

Re: Will Android's audio ever rival an iPod?
 

Ok, so I just ran the audio through this little Jabra bluetooth 3.5mm adapter/remote thingy and it actually sounded a little better! It was still a bit distorted, but I noticed it was louder. Is that how you bi-pass it?

Re: Will Android's audio ever rival an iPod?
 

Apologies for not getting back to you sooner, I lost track of the thread.

The jabra 3.5mm adapter most likely does not have any amplification in it. If it sounds different to you it is most likely placebo effect. You thought it would be different, so it is. Follow?

A headphone amp won't redirect the audio signal away the DAC in the phone, but it takes the signal from the phone DAC and boosts it according to specs of the amplifier. This usually leads to a much tighter and punchier bass, and more definined mids and highs. Some headphone amps have knobs where you can control the equalization to your liking.

Bluetooth can be a very viable option, A2DP supports digital streaming which basically sends the file to your car head unit and lets the car do all the decoding/DAC work. There are exceptions where A2DP is limited to a low-quality codec, so beware. The best you can do it try.

Unfortunately this is just something the iSeries does better. They have the "dock" connector which can be used for to connect digital audio into a car, completely eliminating this issue.

Portable Headphone Amps - Head-Fi.org is a good resource to check out for this kinda stuff.

Icon Mobile
HeadAmp Audio Electronics
Mystify PortAmp
iBasso

This one is supposed to be real good but you have to build it yourself, or find a pre-made one. eBay maybe? The Mini³ Portable Stereo Headphone Amplifier