[Q] Low Sound Even on high end Earphones. - Galaxy S II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

hey guyz I recently broke my Earphone, was shopping for a new one and suddenly realized that no matter Whichever Earphone / Headphone I connect the Max sound is the same I used to get with my S2 Box earphone.
Why this problem ? Any issue with my mobile ? Even after connecting headphones priced till 15K they sound same , while with other device such as Blackberry phone
Curve 9350) the sound was loud.
If there is some problem with my mobile my new purchase wil be a cheaper earphone as there is no pt in buying good.
Also note Mobile is not under warranty,Rooted and Running CM10

Mate thing is sgs2 on stock kernel is quiet dnt matter wot u do solution for that is flash custom kernel like syiah or dorimanx plus stweak apk and u will be able to make ur phone louder
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

stopro said:
Mate thing is sgs2 on stock kernel is quiet dnt matter wot u do solution for that is flash custom kernel like syiah or dorimanx plus stweak apk and u will be able to make ur phone louder
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But I cant believe that all headphones sound same,Then what is the point in buying expensive ones.
I'm currently running siyah kernel.I connected few beats and sony headsets which were on demo still the same sound as it was with my Box Earphones but sound loud with other phones. I broke my earphone last week,Planning to buy new one, but just dumb stuck if all headphones sound same I would buy a cheaper one as it will give equal sound.
Please suggest.

rickson23 said:
But I cant believe that all headphones sound same,Then what is the point in buying expensive ones.
I'm currently running siyah kernel.I connected few beats and sony headsets which were on demo still the same sound as it was with my Box Earphones but sound loud with other phones. I broke my earphone last week,Planning to buy new one, but just dumb stuck if all headphones sound same I would buy a cheaper one as it will give equal sound.
Please suggest.
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Click to collapse
Unless the headphones are "lighter" to run(I do not speak audio-geek, but it is something similar to that) the audio will be the same volume, no matter how expensive they are. However, the sound mihgt be a lot clearer and sound fuller (more audio-geek), better if you will, with expensive, high-end headphones.

Clean your ears out (yes, I'm serious). I've used 6 different canalphones with the SGS2 (from ****ty buds to Shure SE535's) & once you solve the low volume issue (by running a kernel that can boost the volume, as you've already been advised), each one sounded as it should, I.E the buds sounded ****, the others sounded varying degrees of good depending on which one I was using.
The SGS2 is known for having inferior SQ compared to the SGS/SGS3 because someone at Samsung made the fatal error of changing what worked with the SGS in terms of sound quality (the Wolfson DAC) to the SGS2 (a Yamaha DAC).
If you bought the SGS2 with the intention of listening to a lot of music, and you like good sound quality, be prepared to be disappointed. While it's adequate, there's a bunch of other phones that blow it out of the water. Do what I did & buy a dedicated media player.
Having said that, loud does not equal quality (tho you'd think that wasn't the case with some of the posts you see on here).
The other issue you need to consider is how easy the headphones are to 'drive' (how much power they draw from the device to run), harder to drive headphones won't be as loud, and the SQ might suffer also as some only shine SQ wise when you amp them (less true of in-ears, true of some ordinary headphones, particularly as you move up in price/quality).

I found no difference in clarity as well as Loudness. I'm already running siyah kernel . What more can I do ?
Suggest me a Canal earphone in the same price range as a replacement for the original one.
I'm using player pro App.

If you're already using the amp built into Siyah via whatever app they're using for the tweaks these days & it still isn't loud enough (and you do need to use the amp in the app to boost the sound; the kernel doesn't do it on it's own. If you're serious about this, you'll read the Siyah threads to learn how to use it) there's three possible scenarios (last time I used Siyah you could boost by up to 20dB, which is ear bleeding loud):-
1) Your ears are full of wax.
2) The earphones you're using are hard to drive, which means the SGS2 doesn't put out enough voltage to make them play loud
3) You have some hearing loss (Do not dismiss this out of hand, plenty of people have it & have absolutely no clue until they get tested).
I won't recommend you a headphone/earphone because everyone's taste in sound is different, the same headphone can sound a bit different to different people. I can guarantee you would not like the IEM's I currently own because you mentioned Beats in one of your posts.
Soooo.........
Try these guys. I'm not saying buy from them necessarily, because you can get most of what they sell cheaper elsewhere. But they've got a big range, they're honest about what a particular headphone is like & they only sell headphones/related gear. If you're keen enough, check out their forums & ask there as well; tell them your price range (even if you're not buying from them, a ballpark number will help. Do a conversion online from your currency to AUD), what kind of music you listen to/what type of sound you want, and they'll make recommendations. As I said, they're honest, and they won't recommend you something expensive purely to get a sale.
And if you do post in their forums, make sure you say please.
Edit - Also have a look @ HeadFi (even if it is full of dickheads).

Related

[Q] Any way at all to fix my audio issues?

Finally gave up the ol iPhone 3G and "upgraded" to an SGSII. I paid a lot of money and figured it'd work, but there are two extremely niggling problems that I cannot fix.
1. No one calling me can hear me unless I use speakerphone. I did successfully fix that once with some settings accessed by typing in a number and changing a few things, but that reset when I reset my phone...I've yet to be able to fix this.
2. When listening to music on my massive Sennheiser headphones I can't hear much at all. On the iPhone if I'd even approached full volume, I woulda blown my head off, on the SGSII, even on full, Metallica sounds like a soothing lullaby.
Are there any fixes for these issues? Or are these things that perhaps are fixed simply from having a different firmware? An almost 800 dollar phone, it'd be nice if it did two basic functions without flopping.
All help is appreciated.
EDIT: Oh and forgot to mention, I know the mic works thanks to speaker phone making me heard and I know headphones/sound output can be louder because the app Volume+ or whatever boosts it fine. I just don't want to use a seperate app each time, I want a more permanant fix.
EDIT2: Okay, Poweramp works fine, and I also see types of headphones are to blame. Like the earphones that came with the phone are fine. They have 3 notches on the plug as opposed to 2. I'd say that's a fair indication. Anyway, can consider this problem solved.
Also I've been told my warranty was indeed automatic, so if I truly cannot fix the mic problem again, apparently I can send it away to get fixed. Although I guess I'll have to reset and all, hide root and all that. Don't even know how, nor do I want to be phone-less, so help will still be very appreciated.
Rizaria said:
1. No one calling me can hear me unless I use speakerphone.
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Click to collapse
Sounds like a defect to me ... I would try to get an exchange. Maybe first compre with another SGS2 in a shop.
2. When listening to music on my massive Sennheiser headphones I can't hear much at all.
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Click to collapse
That's pretty normal with mobile devices, which usually have an output impedance of 32 Ohm. Large HiFi headphones are optimized for much more powerfull amplifiers and so have an impedance of 250 Ohm or even more. This results in much lower volume, if high impedance headphones are used on mobile devices like phones, notebooks or MP3 players.
A further reason is, that the SGS2 has lower maximum volume, than several competitors ... seems to be limited by software.
Download Poweramp from the market ... it's worth every cent, but there's also a time limited demo. This app has a nice preamp, which allows you to raise the overall volume and it's equalizer is also very good.
I use Ogg Vorbis (224 bitrate) songs with this app combined with an AKG K319, the best mobile headphones I ever tried ... much better than even most big Sennheisers ... that being said from a former Sennheiser fan For home HiFi I recommend Beyerdynamic DT880 or DT990. Try these headphones and you'll sell your Sennheiser
The combination of Ogg Vorbis (MP3 sucks in comparison), AKG and Poweramp give me fantastic sound quality!
And don't use Metallica for testing ... their records are highly compressed ... complete junk from an accustically perspective, because all dynamics are compressed away. Google for "audio compressor" and you'll understand.
i use a combination of poweramp with a 'smiley face' or 'rocl' equalizer setting and volume+ with +3 and good quality equalizer settings.
makes my koss portapros truly shine in terms of volume and clarity.
First off, lemme say thanks for the replies. 'Preciate it.
Aymara said:
Sounds like a defect to me ... I would try to get an exchange. Maybe first compre with another SGS2 in a shop.
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Click to collapse
Possibly, it's been awhile since I got it though and I dunno where I put my receipt so I sort of doubt the shop will care. And defect or not, I feel it's more a software/firmware issue as I truly was able to fix it at some point.
That's pretty normal with mobile devices, which usually have an output impedance of 32 Ohm. Large HiFi headphones are optimized for much more powerfull amplifiers and so have an impedance of 250 Ohm or even more. This results in much lower volume, if high impedance headphones are used on mobile devices like phones, notebooks or MP3 players.
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Click to collapse
Hmm, didn't know that. Still doesn't explain why my headphones worked amazingly with my old iPhone but terrible with this. :c Not that I bought these headphones for taking out and about, rather bulky. Might hafta buy some others..
A further reason is, that the SGS2 has lower maximum volume, than several competitors ... seems to be limited by software.
Download Poweramp from the market ... it's worth every cent, but there's also a time limited demo. This app has a nice preamp, which allows you to raise the overall volume and it's equalizer is also very good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I gathered as when I used a similar app called Volume+ I found it quite capable of better sound. That's why I'd like some help with changing the Samsung audio settings. I know my way around them, but there's so many opions and changeable things I'm not sure what to do. I'll give Poweramp a look.
I use Ogg Vorbis (224 bitrate) songs with this app combined with an AKG K319, the best mobile headphones I ever tried ... much better than even most big Sennheisers ... that being said from a former Sennheiser fan For home HiFi I recommend Beyerdynamic DT880 or DT990. Try these headphones and you'll sell your Sennheiser
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So cannot be arsed getting OGG versions ofall my music. xD And having to re-tag it all. If OGGs can even be tagged and have art. But yeah, way too much effort but I don't doubt you.
And don't use Metallica for testing ... their records are highly compressed ... complete junk from an accustically perspective, because all dynamics are compressed away. Google for "audio compressor" and you'll understand.
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Perhaps. But they're loud songs nonetheless, particularly the live ones. I can certainly hear the difference. Way too quiet on the SGS2. :c
rab1412000 said:
i use a combination of poweramp with a 'smiley face' or 'rocl' equalizer setting and volume+ with +3 and good quality equalizer settings.
makes my koss portapros truly shine in terms of volume and clarity.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using more than one app is even more than my not wanting to use one in the first place. Certainly wouldn't help battery life, as this all only matters when I'm travelling long distance and need music.
There are 2 microphones on the sgs2. One is on the bottom edge and one is on the top edge. The bottom one is for regular calls and is broken on your phone. The top one is for speakerphone, which is obviously working.
I suggest returning your phone under warranty as the volume issue is not normal either.
Sent from my GT-I9100M
Electroz said:
There are 2 microphones on the sgs2. One is on the bottom edge and one is on the top edge. The bottom one is for regular calls and is broken on your phone. The top one is for speakerphone, which is obviously working.
I suggest returning your phone under warranty as the volume issue is not normal either.
Sent from my GT-I9100M
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They're not broken as such because as stated I was able to fiddle with some settings and get normal calls working fine, it just lost those settings after a reset. Some sort of firmware fault, I've heard of cases where people had the same issue back on the original SGS.
I could never get the warranty going. Samsung's website wouldn't recognise it at all. Never got around to trying to start the warranty manually. Probably too late now.
Also, to those who recommended Poweramp; I'm impressed. that's not a bad work around actually. Shame it doesn't have playlist support though.
EDIT: Oh, it does! perfect little app, thanks guys. Now I just need to find settings to fix my in-call volume issue then I'm all set.
Rizaria said:
Using more than one app is even more than my not wanting to use one in the first place. Certainly wouldn't help battery life, as this all only matters when I'm travelling long distance and need music.
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Click to collapse
volume+ has no perceptible hit on battery life fyi
edit:
why dont you give it a try first. you could always kill it or uninstall it if it doesnt work out for you. it has a v small memory footprint btw.
rab1412000 said:
volume+ has no perceptible hit on battery life fyi
edit:
why dont you give it a try first. you could always kill it or uninstall it if it doesnt work out for you. it has a v small memory footprint btw.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah alright, I might've imagined it. I'll use it if need-be, at least Poweramp seems to do the job as-is but thanks for the recommendation.
Rizaria said:
Hmm, didn't know that. Still doesn't explain why my headphones worked amazingly with my old iPhone but terrible with this. :c Not that I bought these headphones for taking out and about, rather bulky. Might hafta buy some others..
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Click to collapse
thats what you call impedance mismatch.
for example, my woodees in-ear sound excellent on an iphone/ipod. in fact, it is a match to a bose QC15 any day. however it sounds muffled on my laptop and sgs2.
its the complete opposite with my koss portapros which sound amazing on my laptops and sgs2 and sound just ok on the ipod.
there is most probably nothing wrong with both your headphones and phone, but just keep this in mind. it is one reason why certain audiophiles have more than one iem.
edit:
forgot about your in-call issues, yes that could be a hardware problem.
rab1412000 said:
thats what you call impedance mismatch.
for example, my woodees in-ear sound excellent on an iphone/ipod. in fact, it is a match to a bose QC15 any day. however it sounds muffled on my laptop and sgs2.
its the complete opposite with my koss portapros which sound amazing on my laptops and sgs2 and sound just ok on the ipod.
there is most probably nothing wrong with both your headphones and phone, but just keep this in mind. it is one reason why certain audiophiles have more than one iem.
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What a pain in the arse. :c Had no idea audio could be so damn complicated.
At least Poweramp seems to make things loud enough. Might have to invest in some more portable headphones in the future though.
personally, id try to get your in-call volume issues sorted out first.
that just isnt right and could indeed point to a h/w defect.
rab1412000 said:
personally, id try to get your in-call volume issues sorted out first.
that just isnt right and could indeed point to a h/w defect.
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Click to collapse
That basically is all I need sorting now. The underlying problem of the music volume may not be fixed, but the apps suggested here get around it fine.
I still don't think it was a hardware defect as I really did have it fixed at one point. Stupid reset. I think it's some semi-unique firm/software issue I have.
Rizaria said:
Had no idea audio could be so damn complicated.
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Click to collapse
That's the downside of the MP3 age ... most people don't know nothing about audio quality and what's worse, they don't know what they missed so far.
There are several lessons to learn:
1. MP3 sucks even at highest bitrate, because frequencies above 15 KHz are cut off and basses are always distorted if the music is a bit louder. If you have good audio hardware, MP3 sounds much worse than a good Audio CD.
2. Ogg Vorbis is a good compromise for mobile use compared to Flac with it's extremly large files. If you rip a CD with quality setting Q=7 (224 kbit) you won't hear a difference to the CD except when using a DDD recording on a high end HiFi home sytem and having yourself very trained ears And what's also nice is, the file size is similar to MP3.
And yes, you can use album art with Ogg ... embed it with Media Monkey on PC or if you rip a complete album to a folder, just place a JPG in that folder which has the same file name as the album title. Both Media Monkey and the SGS2 will show it (no matter if stock player or Poweramp). No need to mention, that all MP3 tags also can be embedded in Ogg.
3. Good audio hardware is needed ... and though the stock volume is a bit low on the SGS2, it's Yamaha audio engine is quite good. But the stock audio player is crap. It's impossible to get good equalization without distortion in the bass bands. But Poweramp solves this problem, if you set it up correctly.
So all that is missing now is a good headphone. The best mobile headphone with correct impedance you can get below 100$ nowadays is the AKG K319 ... though it ships with a hardcase and has fantastic sound, it's not very popular or let's say not well known, so you can get it really cheap ... got it for only 25 Euros
But if you are a bass junkie, the Koss Porta Pro might be the better choice. It has a little bit more bass response as the AKG, but is more bulky and can't compete with the AKG's sound "crispness" in middle and high frequency bands.
Conclusion: After already switching to Poweramp, Ogg and a good mobile headphone will give give you a second WOW effect
Aymara said:
Conclusion: After already switching to Poweramp, Ogg and a good mobile headphone will give give you a second WOW effect
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Click to collapse
Very interesting. I knew some of that, but not quite to that extent. Regardless though, the sheer time it'd take me to replace my songs..ugh, I shudder at the thought. Also I prefer mp3 and m4a for cross-system compatibility and iTunes use. Still my fave way of organising and listening to music I'm almost ashamed to say.
That being said, I installed Winamp just for transferring my music and playlists onto my SGS2 properly.
I'll keep the headphones in mind, but Poweramp itself solves the bulk of that problem. x3 Now if only I could fix my major problem.
Rizaria said:
Also I prefer mp3 and m4a for cross-system compatibility and iTunes use.
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MP3 will die over time, not only because it sounds horrible. The main reason are the licence fees, devs and manufacturers have to pay ... Ogg on the other hand is free ... did you notice, that nearly all newer devices suport Ogg?
It can understand, that switching a large archive to Ogg can be a lot of work, but it's zero hassle to use Ogg for new material.
I highly recommend to compare the sound quality.
Now if only I could fix my major problem.
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Click to collapse
You mentioned, that you found a fix, but a reboot resets it. Do you use the latest firmware or a custom ROM?
Aymara said:
MP3 will die over time, not only because it sounds horrible. The main reason are the licence fees, devs and manufacturers have to pay ... Ogg on the other hand is free ... did you notice, that nearly all newer devices suport Ogg?
It can understand, that switching a large archive to Ogg can be a lot of work, but it's zero hassle to use Ogg for new material.
I highly recommend to compare the sound quality.
You mentioned, that you found a fix, but a reboot resets it. Do you use the latest firmware or a custom ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I don't doubt it. Gotta love that open source. I might investigate more into ogg files when I have more spare time.
As for the firmware, I believe I updated to a latest one. At least I don't think it was custom, looked the same as the stock, stupid TouchWiz and all. Only updated to root it basically. 'Cause I think my stock rom was an Optus mutated version basically, so couldn't root it. Something like that.
Lets check the settings..hmm...Android Version: 2.3.3, Baseband Version: I9100XXKDJ, Kernel Version: 2.6.35.7-I9100XWEK2-CL187606 [email protected] #2, Build Number: GINGERBREAD.XWKE2.
That's all I know.
Rizaria said:
I might investigate more into ogg files when I have more spare time.
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One last word about Ogg ... it's only superior to MP3 at 224 KBit and above!
At least I don't think it was custom, ...
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You think? Where did you get it from? I only updated by OTA ... staying stock so far.
maybe 2.3.5 will fix that
Aymara said:
One last word about Ogg ... it's only superior to MP3 at 224 KBit and above!
You think? Where did you get it from? I only updated by OTA ... staying stock so far.
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I tend to only have MP3s above 192kbps, mostly higher, so I guess I'll know to keep the trend for oggs.
And yes, I believe so. The OTA updating thing didn't work. Again, I believe, because it was an Optus-edited firmware.
tuvi123 said:
maybe 2.3.5 will fix that
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Click to collapse
Perhaps. If I update again does it keep my root or will I have to do that again?
EDIT: Okay, Poweramp works fine, and I also see types of headphones are to blame. Like the earphones that came with the phone are fine. They have 3 notches on the plug as opposed to 2. I'd say that's a fair indication. Anyway, can consider this problem solved.
Also I've been told my warranty was indeed automatic, so if I truly cannot fix the mic problem again, apparently I can send it away to get fixed. Although I guess I'll have to reset and all, hide root and all that. Don't even know how, nor do I want to be phone-less, so help will still be very appreciated.
Aymara said:
But if you are a bass junkie, the Koss Porta Pro might be the better choice. It has a little bit more bass response as the AKG, but is more bulky and can't compete with the AKG's sound "crispness" in middle and high frequency bands.
Conclusion: After already switching to Poweramp, Ogg and a good mobile headphone will give give you a second WOW effect
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with most everything you said except your comments on the koss portapros.
Unlike most iem's, the koss us not bass heavy and in fact shines in separation, natural sound reproduction and over all warness and crispness. It is definitely not a headphone for bass heads.
I like listening to modern music with a lot of strings and I get a lot of separation in the high frequencies.
Like i said I've compared it to a Boss quiet comfort 15 and senn 555's.
Your akg is very good too, but at a third of the price less, i personally feel the koss is a better buy.
And that's why it's design has been the same for the past 25 years
sent from my samsung galaxy s2 using tapatalk

Using the sgs2 with a high-end headphone.

I've been considering for a while to buy a good headphones and I've decided to buy an audio technica ath-m50. The only thing that is bothering me is the yamaha audio chip. If I buy those headphones, I'll be using them most of the time on my sgs2.
Will the yamaha chip make the ath-m50 sound like a cheap low-end headphone?
If you happen to own an ath-m50 I wold really appreciate it if you could measure the hollow of the earth cups, diagonally and horizontally maybe. I've read that people with large ears may find them uncomfortable. The length of my ears are just below 7cm(I don't care, they are small, my mum told me that)
I've read supercurio's analysis of the audio chip but my question still remains.
Waiting eagerly for any response.
Get an iPod nano- excellent sound quality and a great price. I hate using my GSII for music though Poweramp is a great app
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
WagTwo said:
I've been considering for a while to buy a good headphones and I've decided to buy an audio technica ath-m50. The only thing that is bothering me is the yamaha audio chip. If I buy those headphones, I'll be using them most of the time on my sgs2.
Will the yamaha chip make the ath-m50 sound like a cheap low-end headphone?
If you happen to own an ath-m50 I wold really appreciate it if you could measure the hollow of the earth cups, diagonally and horizontally maybe. I've read that people with large ears may find them uncomfortable. The length of my ears are just below 7cm(I don't care, they are small, my mum told me that)
I've read supercurio's analysis of the audio chip but my question still remains.
Waiting eagerly for any response.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, if you really want to use a pair of high end headphones with the galaxy sII, get a portable amp like i did. I got a fiio e7, and it powers the ath-m50just fine. Listening to them straight out of the GSII audio jack wont let them utilise their full power. And dont get an iPod if you want really high quality audio. :-/ (Just a suggestion )
Sent from my GT-P7500 using XDA App
@OP go head and also look at this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1405840
Nyssa1104 said:
@OP go head and also look at this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1405840
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Click to collapse
I have bought that app even though I rarely use it because for me the s2 is loud enough. I'm more worried about the quality of the sound.
WagTwo said:
I have bought that app even though I rarely use it because for me the s2 is loud enough. I'm more worried about the quality of the sound.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It simple buddy take your handset into a store that sells these headsets and test the thing in house.
From there your should be able to make up your mind.
Nyssa1104 said:
It simple buddy take your handset into a store that sells these headsets and test the thing in house.
From there your should be able to make up your mind.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've thought of this, the only problem is finding a store that sells the audio technica ath-m50. I live in London I'm sure there is plenty of stores.
However this would not be much help because I'm not very experienced with high end headphones, so probably almost anything will sound good to me.
If you want to listen to boom boom music with heavy bass then the SGS2 is inadequate .Expensive headphones are not going to do that much .
However as a user who does not have any boom boom music i find stock player headphones or slightly upmarket low end Sennheiser headphones fine .
Power Amp for me strangely lowers sound output level .
jje
I've the same experience as JJEgan with Power Amp. It seems to boost dynamic range at the sacrifice of overall volume.
For getting the best out of high-end headphones, you could always try Neutron Music Player from Android Market. It claims to use its own "32-bit audio music rendering core", although it's debatable whether this makes a difference, given that uncompressed CDs only have 16-bits per sample. People seem to like it, though.
Just recently I noticed something when listening to music using Poweramp with a headphone.
When you click on something such as the app drawer, the volume of the music that you are listening to increases for fraction of a second then it goes back to normal.
It can be very annoying when you are using the phone while listening.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Thanks for all the replies.
I've started to change my mind about buying an audio technica ath-m50, maybe I should stick with the headphones from poundland.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Tephlon said:
I've the same experience as JJEgan with Power Amp. It seems to boost dynamic range at the sacrifice of overall volume.
For getting the best out of high-end headphones, you could always try Neutron Music Player from Android Market. It claims to use its own "32-bit audio music rendering core", although it's debatable whether this makes a difference, given that uncompressed CDs only have 16-bits per sample. People seem to like it, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried Neutron at the weekend, and these old ears couldn't see - OK, hear - what the fuss is about. No difference from Poweramp with a very unscientific ABX on my Sennheiser IE8s.
Definitely the worst UI I've seen on any music player though - so hideous that it should win awards.
Get rockbox.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
I use studio beats by dre, they have an amp built into them and they kick bass hard, hi fi quality audio! I work in poundland and trust me their headphones don't work well with the sg2, i hope this helps
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
I'm going to buy AKG K240 mk II.
I will buy a FiiO E6 with the AKG. The last tweaks will be done with DSP.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Senn HD25-1s and Ety ER4-Ps both sound fine straight out of the headphone socket.
Using poweramp, without any eq or tone control tweaks, just ~30% crossfeed.
I read all the reports of crappy audio on the GS2, so when I got mine and tried it I was very pleasantly suprised.
Whereabouts in Poweramp settings is crossfeed...Didn't realise Poweramp supported it ?
bejay said:
Senn HD25-1s and Ety ER4-Ps both sound fine straight out of the headphone socket.
Using poweramp, without any eq or tone control tweaks, just ~30% crossfeed.
I read all the reports of crappy audio on the GS2, so when I got mine and tried it I was very pleasantly suprised.
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Click to collapse
On the tone/vol/bal page, next to the volume control. It's labeled stereo x.
Ahhhh. So that's what Poweramp calls crossfeed. Gotcha Yeah I normally have that on around 35% with Brainwavz M3's.
Thanks for that bit of info
Edit to add - Out of thanks for the day, will hit you up later.
bejay said:
On the tone/vol/bal page, next to the volume control. It's labeled stereo x.
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No problem

Anyone using external amplifier throught Headphone Out?

as per title..anyone? mean to say PORTABLE.
I've stopped using gs2 to listen to music long time as the volume is too low and also finding harder to drive my headphones to full. Just only yesterday, my iriver broke and in the market for new player. Thinking whether should be better off with just getting Fiio E6.
yes, we do lack line out through usb (very hopeful that it'll be put on ICS) and the only way to connect is through headphone out which is already amplified.
impressions pls. Thanks.
starfarer said:
as per title..anyone? mean to say PORTABLE.
I've stopped using gs2 to listen to music long time as the volume is too low and also finding harder to drive my headphones to full. Just only yesterday, my iriver broke and in the market for new player. Thinking whether should be better off with just getting Fiio E6.
yes, we do lack line out through usb (very hopeful that it'll be put on ICS) and the only way to connect is through headphone out which is already amplified.
impressions pls. Thanks.
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volume is too low???? either your ears or s2 is done!!!!
think it's both. But yes normally I listen to a high level of volume and gs2 is the one of the lowest sounding device (ie through headphone out) i've ever owned. Not made for each other and made worst by owning couple of higher impedance headphones.
i have been using a FiiO E5 from when i had a n900, i think the volume is too low on the s2 aswell, i think you can get them for less than 20quid now, deffo worth it imo
thanks for that. I'm almost set my heart to buy one of these for later to be paired with sansa clip+ or similar. Probably will be cheaper and better than cowon's or sony x's. It's just curious what will be the effect on sound which is already amplified as HO in gs2.
Try Voodoo Louder from the Market for a 6dB increase, or the app in my sig for more than that. I use Brainwavz M3's with this app & find I only need to have volume at around 30% even in noisy environments (public transport, walking around town).
I've not found the S2 volume to be too bad, but I've used both one of the small "pop up" speakers, as well as a full blown amp, and a car headphone in socket - all absolutely fine.
you've tried Equalizer?, is in the market, is very good. regarding your original question, i use mine with logitech LB21, and it's sounds amazing.
Regards.
with Poweramp I think the sound is louder than the music original application, you can find it on the market
yes i use the E6 - it works fine and the quality is good.
Do not use any of the EQ's etc as suggested here to get it louder. The samsung internal amp can only go so loud without distorting - all u are doing with software boosts is dynamically effecting the music you are listening to. Somewhat like the radio does. It makes all of the instruments in the track as loud as each other by compressing the loudest sounds and lifting the volume of the lower ones. If you really want to get a louder performance from your phone use different headphones - that run on less ohms or use an external portable amp like any of Eii's series.
that's a very good explanation. I've also tried with low impedance headphones but still lacks the "punch". My bad as in OP I used the wrong word "loud" instead of "punch".
so what's the effect of E6 on already amplified Headphone out? just to amplify few dbs on all spectrums??
Rockbox on [email protected] and [email protected] with Voodoo [email protected] did improve the overall sound. Also maybe in that time, my ears started to adjust with the sound coming off GS2. Found similar thread here where ppl's had good experience with amplifer. Ordered Fiio E11 and will post impressions arrive.

[Q] Galaxy S2 i9100 Audio. is THAT bad?

Hi, question is simple, it's galaxy S2 audio So crappy that it isn't worth the moving from i9000 to i9100?
1)I'm not an audophile, but it's really THAT noticeable the audio quality diference between those two?
2)Does supercurio's "Voodoo Louder!" makes sound S2 sound loud as S1? or S1 is still louder than S2?
(I know that louder doesn't mean better quality, but this question is different from first)
well, that is all
I think it's absolutely fine. I'm not a music snob either. I haven't tried Voodoo Louder so I can't comment, but I can say that I've noticed a HUGE volume boost since I've moved over to MIUI. But yeah, the sound is fine, bare in mind that I've never used a SGS though.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA
i'm using Voodoo Louder ... audiobeats mod for S2 ... PowerAmp and Equalizer ...
that's the best combination [so far] for my S2
bobsdeigh said:
Hi, question is simple, it's galaxy S2 audio So crappy that it isn't worth the moving from i9000 to i9100?
1)I'm not an audophile, but it's really THAT noticeable the audio quality diference between those two?
I tested on first purchase with both phones .
No difference .
2)Does supercurio's "Voodoo Louder!" makes sound S2 sound loud as S1? or S1 is still louder than S2?
My S2 is loud at 30% volume 50% is to loud .
The defining point for many is relatively simple SGS2 not so good at the low end .
So if you listen to boom boom bang bang extra bass stuff its not that good .
jje
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I used the stock rom for like 20 minutes before rooting. since the I used miui & omega and never had a problem with the loudness and/or sound quality.
okmijnlp said:
I think it's absolutely fine. I'm not a music snob either. I haven't tried Voodoo Louder so I can't comment, but I can say that I've noticed a HUGE volume boost since I've moved over to MIUI. But yeah, the sound is fine, bare in mind that I've never used a SGS though.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA
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Hi - I also have volume issues & have been thinking about switching to MIUI. can you tell me what ROM you are using?
I just switched from HTC HD2 running MIUI & I do miss it
Thanks
Hi. I got an SGSII and i also have Beats By Dre Headphones. The sound quality is amazing with PowerAMP, some EQ tweaks. I installed Beats audio but that was bad. It sounded cheap. Lower bass and the Mids & Highs were bad as well. I restored the stock Audio which is amazing for me.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Flash Beats Audio..
Hey if your phone is rooted...you can always have beats audio on your phone like the htc phones....it really makes a difference..
http://www.xda-developers.com/android/beats-audio-now-available-on-any-gingerbread-rom/
Grrr. Beats only "makes a difference" if you don't know how music is suppose to sound and enjoy over-mastered music normalised to 99% so "it sounds good" to the masses. Or you're one of the annoying ones which put 2 x 500W subwoofers in their car (but they'll go deaf by 25, so that's ok, just cleaning the gene pool).
http://www.head-fi.org/t/534236/beats-by-dre-pro-indepth-review
The soundsignature could very well be described as muddy with overbearing low end even more than the studios already had. [...] the beats fell short no matter what I tried.
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On topic: the sound quality of the SGS 2 isn't bad, but not spectacular either. It really depends on your expectations; if you expect it to sound as a 1000$ hi-fi device, then search somewhere else. As you're listening to music on a *portable* device, you'll have external noise anyway; better get a pair of quality in-ear headphones (with good insulation); this will allow you to reduce outside noise and keep the volume down (so you'll still have hearing when you get old).
VAXXi said:
On topic: the sound quality of the SGS 2 isn't bad, but not spectacular either. It really depends on your expectations; if you expect it to sound as a 1000$ hi-fi device, then search somewhere else
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The SQ is worse than my £30 Sansa Clip... It's acceptable, but no more IMHO. For "serious portable music", I stick with my S9 and Senny IE8s. Just use the phone for music for trips to work. YMMV.
It definitely depends upon your music .
How its coded and what format .
SGS2 is not very good with boom boom stuff as its weak at the low end .
Sound level does vary on phones ( or we have a load of deaf users ) their are a number of apps that may help .
Stock phones or Cheapish Sure or Sennheiser sound level at 30% and no problems on my phone .
Tweaked very slightly with Volume + free app and Visang RO2 IEM for slightly better overall natural timbre .
jje
VAXXi said:
Grrr. Beats only "makes a difference" if you don't know how music is suppose to sound and enjoy over-mastered music normalised to 99% so "it sounds good" to the masses. Or you're one of the annoying ones which put 2 x 500W subwoofers in their car (but they'll go deaf by 25, so that's ok, just cleaning the gene pool).
http://www.head-fi.org/t/534236/beats-by-dre-pro-indepth-review
On topic: the sound quality of the SGS 2 isn't bad, but not spectacular either. It really depends on your expectations; if you expect it to sound as a 1000$ hi-fi device, then search somewhere else. As you're listening to music on a *portable* device, you'll have external noise anyway; better get a pair of quality in-ear headphones (with good insulation); this will allow you to reduce outside noise and keep the volume down (so you'll still have hearing when you get old).
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Beats audio makes a difference with high end headphones like the beats ones.........AS THEY ALREADY HAVE IT....BEATS AUDIO IS THE ONLY OPTION FOR THEM TO MAKE MUSIC BETTER....nobody is saying that you hook up your phone to a sub woofer.........
Yep Beats are high end/quality canalphones alright Muddier than CX300's.

Headphone jack Loudness

every galaxy s model is always an excellent phone, but every year i have the same complaint with the headphone loudness. The headphones that come with it are great and i know they could handle more power. Anyone tried any non root way to increase the sound?
you need it louder? I have mine down one to two clicks from the bottom and it's almost too loud for me sometimes. I am around loud cars and trucks all day (I own both) but I guess my hearing is better than I thought lol.
unless you want a stronger sound and more power to the headphones for a cleaner richer sound, you'll need an external dac for that. I've never seen a phone capable of coming close to an external DAC (just look at their size, they wouldn't fit in a phone and be realistic.)
nosympathy said:
you need it louder? I have mine down one to two clicks from the bottom and it's almost too loud for me sometimes. I am around loud cars and trucks all day (I own both) but I guess my hearing is better than I thought lol.
unless you want a stronger sound and more power to the headphones for a cleaner richer sound, you'll need an external dac for that. I've never seen a phone capable of coming close to an external DAC (just look at their size, they wouldn't fit in a phone and be realistic.)
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it sounds good with my jl w7's , probably why i cant hear it so well haha, ive used apps before like viper Audio but im no longer a fan of rooting, just looking for an app that others are using

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