Will Android's audio ever rival an iPod?

JohnnyOnTheSpot · #1 (**permalink**) 10-14-2010, 11:07 PM

I need to start off here. I hate Apple. I've owned one Apple product in my life, and it was a 20GB iPod like...8 years ago. After my iPod, I used my Mogul as my primary audio device, then my Touch Pro, and they were wonderful. I moved on to the TP2 and noticed it couldn't produce low end very well, and the bass sounded distorted, even with an audio booster. I assumed it was just the phone stinking, and I replaced it with an Epic, which I honestly think is the greatest phone ever.

I was horrified to learn there was no EQ available, so after much searching I found Astro Player, then the superior MixZing...and while there was an EQ available, it was still lacking. I started to think my speakers were going, even though when my friends would bring an iPod in it would sound wonderful, so I simply replaced my car speakers. And what do you know...the bass is still terrible.

Here lies my problem: I'm pretty sure some newer phones, including the Epic, has done something to diminish the audio output. I don't know if there's a chip or something, but while my Epic sounds good, it is physically incapable of producing top notch bass. I listen to a lot of heavier stuff, but even when my girlfriend plays terrible pop, the difference between my phone and an iPod playing the same song is overwhelming.

The best way to categorize the problem is this: when the bass comes in, there is no punch, meaning no vibration of my car, even at it's high. The iPod will rattle my rearview mirror and make it vibrate, while the Epic just produces this weird buzzing sound.

I'm not some idiot who can't differentiate between audio qualities...I've been involved with music my whole life, including some engineering, recording, etc. I can tell there is a difference, and I'm trying to figure out why. If it's a hardware limitation, fine. I'll go buy an iPod. But if it's something I can do something about, I want to know how.

streetracer8605 · #2 (**permalink**) 10-15-2010, 03:37 PM

what format are you putting on the Epic?

JohnnyOnTheSpot · #3 (**permalink**) 10-15-2010, 07:32 PM

.mp3.

**gTen** · #4 (**permalink**) 10-15-2010, 09:35 PM

There are some settings on the other Galaxy S phones via dialer that let you up volume on the other Galaxy S phones..there might be something similar but as of yet we have no access to it..maybe with Froyo :/

Also..what is th bit-rate of the audio? is it stereo or multichannel?

JohnnyOnTheSpot · #5 (**permalink**) 10-15-2010, 10:51 PM

Ah, that'd be helpful. Also, the BR ranges from 128-320. The 320's still sound like crud. It's pretty much the bass...it's always distorted for the really low end.

I'm just wondering if they changed something in phones...I mean it makes no sense that the TP would be perfect and the TP2 would have this problem...maybe some standardization changed and the Epic followed suit? I've also read of other people having this problem on Android phones, but it seems that it's such a small problem the average listener will never notice, making it expendable. No one ever talks about it, and when I've brought it up before I just got the whole "get better speakers" deal.

JohnnyOnTheSpot · #6 (**permalink**) 10-16-2010, 12:33 AM

After a long ride home, I think I can sufficiently characterize the problem.

A bass drum is typically recorded into two main tracks, one being the triggered track that is the "click" sound you hear, and the other is the actual bass drum, which produces a "boom." The problem with a lot of old recordings is the bass drum was a mere vibration, which led to the insertion of the audible "click" to allow the listener to actually hear the individual clicks, while experiences the overall "boom."

My problem is that while the click is perfectly reproduced and audible, the boom is hollow and has no depth, and actually ends up sounding like a click. It actually sounds like kicking a cheap wooden door. Playing the same song (same file even) through an iPod produces the boom at full depth, which leads to vibration, whereas playing it through my Epic makes it sound like a hollow kick and that my speaker is going to break.

Therefore, this leads me to believe the Epic is incapable of reproducing quality, undistorted low end. I hope this makes sense, I've been having a hard time actually putting this into words.

So...hardware or software limitation?

**gTen** · #7 (**permalink**) 10-16-2010, 12:46 AM

Do you have headsets that support 5.1 audio? is this a problem on the headsets as well or only the speaker?

JohnnyOnTheSpot · #8 (**permalink**) 10-16-2010, 12:37 PM

Unfortunately I don't, I pretty much only listen to music in the car and I have a crappy set of Skull Candy's to kick around with when I'm in the library at school or something. I'm not very well versed in the whole Dolby surround stuff...could it be that this phone was made to be played through a better system and that explains the lack of quality on run of the mill ones?

**gTen** · #9 (**permalink**) 10-16-2010, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyOnTheSpot

Unfortunately I don't, I pretty much only listen to music in the car and I have a crappy set of Skull Candy's to kick around with when I'm in the library at school or something. I'm not very well versed in the whole Dolby surround stuff...could it be that this phone was made to be played through a better system and that explains the lack of quality on run of the mill ones?

I'm not exactly saying that...But with testing the headsets you can maybe tell more of whether it is a hardware issue or software...

**shaggylive** · #10 (**permalink**) 10-16-2010, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyOnTheSpot

I'm not very well versed in the whole Dolby surround stuff...could it be that this phone was made to be played through a better system and that explains the lack of quality on run of the mill ones?

a good test would be for someone to test the difference between the 3.5mm and hdmi/dlna audio.