[ProtegeManiac]

 
Anyone to upload print screens of neuton's eq settings?
 
I'm particularly interested in a rock equalizer but a classical or jazz one would also be very useful.
 
I can't find any presets. I'm using the evaluation version and I'm planning to buy the full version if I settle with the equalizer thing.

 

There are no presets in the full version either because that's not how EQ works. EQ preset settings do not take into account the response of the headphone (or speaker, whichever the case may be), and that's where the response varies the most (where an amp will only distort given certain conditions, ie driving a certain load with a given efficiency to an output level where it distorts; a DAC will only have issues if it's badly designed). These EQ presets will therefore affect an HD600, ATH-M50, K701, etc very differently.

 

What I do on mine is look for response graphs of my headphones from www.headphone.com or Inner Fidelity, and then trim problematic treble peaks (which cause sibilance) and upper bass plateaus (which obscures, ie "masks," the lowest range of bass where they are weaker), and then maybe do a +2dB at 30hz. No matter how similar an HD600 and K701 graph might look like if you can't see where the frequency markings are, the treble peaks aren't on the same frequency, which is why it's important that you see the graph.

 

[ClieOS]

  Can anyone explain how Neutron can sound better than default music player or Poweramp, etc? It's using the same hardware DAC. I have tried on number of occasions with Sennheiser IE80s straight out of the LG G3 or with FIIO E18 via USB DAC. I have never picked up a real difference. Maybe I'm missing something.

 
Mainly because the default music player in Android uses a particularly bad sounding software mixer. Many third party apps, like Poweramp, also rely on the built-in decoder for music playback. They works as a more powerful interface and doesn't really change the fundamental problem coming from the Android default sound driver. This is basically the same idea on using ASIO / WASAPI to bypass Windows' internal sound mixer in order to improve SQ. A few years ago, I measured the difference between Neutron vs. stock music player and Poweramp via RMAA on my Xperia TX and Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 Plus- turns out Neutron has noticeable less distortion, where stock audio player and Poweramp measured the same.
 
Of course, this is assuming your particular Android smartphone does indeed use the Android default audio decoder, but more and more often Android smartphones start to use their own sound driver and app, such as Sony. Plus, it is said the Google improved the default audio driver since Lolilipop, So there is a chance there difference is much smaller now than it used to be.

 

[gordec]

   
Mainly because the default music player in Android uses a particularly bad sounding software mixer. Many third party apps, like Poweramp, also rely on the built-in decoder for music playback. They works as a more powerful interface and doesn't really change the fundamental problem coming from the Android default sound driver. This is basically the same idea on using ASIO / WASAPI to bypass Windows' internal sound mixer in order to improve SQ. A few years ago, I measured the difference between Neutron vs. stock music player and Poweramp via RMAA on my Xperia TX and Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 Plus- turns out Neutron has noticeable less distortion, where stock audio player and Poweramp measured the same.
 
Of course, this is assuming your particular Android smartphone does indeed use the Android default audio decoder, but more and more often Android smartphones start to use their own sound driver and app, such as Sony. Plus, it is said the Google improved the default audio driver since Lolilipop, So there is a chance there difference is much smaller now than it used to be.

That's very informative. So musicfx apps you can flash such as Viper4Android, Acid, etc are actual custom audio decoder? Because using PowerAmp with Viper4 does make a huge difference.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  Can anyone explain how Neutron can sound better than default music player or Poweramp, etc? It's using the same hardware DAC. I have tried on number of occasions with Sennheiser IE80s straight out of the LG G3 or with FIIO E18 via USB DAC. I have never picked up a real difference. Maybe I'm missing something.

 

It sounds better if you know how to use the DSP to make that happen. It can apply custom crossfeed settings (as opposed to only three on some DACs, or up to three on some headphone amps but usually just one) where you can choose the slope and the frequency. Similarly,  the parametric EQ allows you to choose the center frequency, the gain (+ or -), as well as the width (Q-factor) of the effect, making it as wide or as narrow as needed. On my HD600 and based on the graphs uploaded online I can apply a +2dB medium wide boost at 30hz, a wideband -2dB cut centered at 100hz, and a narrow -2dB cut centered at 3.5khz.

 

It's just like comparing a Denon/Nakamichi CDP vs Pioneer/Alpine for cars. The former is built with internals similar to a home audio CDP along with a copper chassis, the latter has less expensive, non-copper chassis receivers or cheaper processors that have a real DSP that has a crossover feature so you can toss out the fixed point passives that came with your speakers. If you do that you can also set an individual time alignment setting for each of the tweeters and midwoofers to sync with the each other and the subwoofer, simulating a seating position smack between two speakers with the tweeters and midwoofers right next to each other on their cabinets and the sub in front. I've heard some Denon CDP builds with really nice tone, but as far as imaging is concerned, nothing can beat a properly tuned system built around something like the Alpine PXA-H701 for example, which can apply active controls to a 3-way front speaker system plus a subwoofer, to the point that the bass drum sounds like it's on top of the dashboard. The key word there of course is "properly tuned" - if you don't know how to utilize a PXA-H701 or NeutronMusicPlayer, then neither will not sound any different.

 

 

[ClieOS]

  That's very informative. So musicfx apps you can flash such as Viper4Android, Acid, etc are actual custom audio decoder? Because using PowerAmp with Viper4 does make a huge difference.

Many are not audio driver per se, but like an optimization and quick fix.

 

[Rpg2]

I got a Note 4 and I'm experiencing some distortion when playing back some songs with higher sensitivity IEMs. It sounds like Neutron (and also some other players) are taking a different part of the song and adding it to the beginning and it sounds almost like an unintentional background synthesizer. Are there any options in Neutron to fix or reduce distortions such as this one? Oddly enough I don't get distortion with Shuffle player or Google Play Music.

 

[StanD]

  I got a Note 4 and I'm experiencing some distortion when playing back some songs with higher sensitivity IEMs. It sounds like Neutron (and also some other players) are taking a different part of the song and adding it to the beginning and it sounds almost like an unintentional background synthesizer. Are there any options in Neutron to fix or reduce distortions such as this one? Oddly enough I don't get distortion with Shuffle player or Google Play Music.

Lower the preamp gain or engage the AGP. These can be found on the same screen as the EQ sliders.
To lower the preamp gain you have to click on the preamp button and then use the gain slider. The AGP button lowers this automagically for you. I prefer doing this manually.

 

[Rpg2]

  Lower the preamp gain or engage the AGP. These can be found on the same screen as the EQ sliders.
To lower the preamp gain you have to click on the preamp button and then use the gain slider. The AGP button lowers this automagically for you. I prefer doing this manually.

I tried tinkering with both settings and all the sliders. There still seems to be distortion or that "extra synthesizer" or extra layer to the music. It's mostly noticeable on the more instrumental and slower paced songs. I am curious as to what's causing it but it's too uncertain. After reading your advice, I went through most of the options and toggles in Neutron and it still has the same issue. The phone could possibly have a faulty headphone out as another Note 4 user has told me he gets no such issues with his sensitive IEMs.

 

[gordec]

I'm trying out the player. With all settings in high setting (64 bit, audiophile profile, etc), the player sounds significantly worse than the stock LG G3 music player with viper4. Neutron does seem to over ride the effects of viper4. Any suggestions on how I should tweak the player? I listen to mostly R&B and Pop.

 

[ClieOS]

I'm trying out the player. With all settings in high setting (64 bit, audiophile profile, etc), the player sounds significantly worse than the stock LG G3 music player with viper4. Neutron does seem to over ride the effects of viper4. Any suggestions on how I should tweak the player? I listen to mostly R&B and Pop.

 
Viper4 is an audio effect, Neutron isn't. so if you like how Viper4 sounds like, then just keep using it.

 

[Hawaiibadboy]

I'm trying out the player. With all settings in high setting (64 bit, audiophile profile, etc), the player sounds significantly worse than the stock LG G3 music player with viper4. Neutron does seem to over ride the effects of viper4. Any suggestions on how I should tweak the player? I listen to mostly R&B and Pop.

 Un-enable V4A and try again...
You can be sure V4A is not interfering with your experience if it's off.

 

[Jagdriver]

nOOB Question: I now have my first smartphone and am happy with Neutron.
 
However, how do I continue to listen to music but be able to switch to other apps?

 

[StanD]

  nOOB Question: I now have my first smartphone and am happy with Neutron.
 
However, how do I continue to listen to music but be able to switch to other apps?

Either press the home key or the one for the task list. Check the manual for your phone. You should be able to text, email and surf the web, etc. while enjoying your music.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  nOOB Question: I now have my first smartphone and am happy with Neutron.
 
However, how do I continue to listen to music but be able to switch to other apps?

 
I just hit the home button and it continues playing on my S3.

 

[Kodachrome2000]

really enjoying this player; dumped poweramp immediately.  the parametric eq sold me instantly.
 
having a really irritating issue, though.  i've got replaygain on track mode and everything is eq'd and normalized.  when my music is playing through playlists normally, it is at a louder volume.  the second i skip a song or press back, the volume drops significantly.  i can only assume this is the effect of the normalization or replaygain?  
 
if i skip forward or back to a song, that song will play quietly. if i let that song continue to the next song, after about one or two seconds the volume will jump up and remain there as long as i don't hit the forward or back buttons again.  what gives?