Will Android's audio ever rival an iPod?

[JohnnyOnTheSpot]

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.