[mechamits]

If you're into clean, flat audio sources, stop reading
I bought the aforementioned app and wow, it makes a huge difference particularly in terms of soundstage and vocal/instrument separation, granted the true audiophiles will hate any distortion the app causes, but if you have an app-capable iDevice and want to add a lot of color and depth to your music, or don't like carrying around a large portable rig, I would highly recommend this app. I know many will call it a gimmick and that it just plays with reverb and whatnot, but this sounds better than just a simple surround/audio enhancer.  I haven't tried the SRS iWOW so I can't compare the two as they sound like they may do similar things, but the iWOW requires an app AND the external dongle, whereas the SonicMax Pro is app-only and works with the regular music-player settings within the app.  Here are BBE's screenshots...

 
Pros:-Adjustable amplification and bass control as well as bass contour/"crossover" type function.
        -Adjustable virtual soundstage and vocal/instrument separation.
        -Adjustable pre-sets for several types of Headphones/soundsystems/docking devices as well as 3 user-selectable pre-sets.
        -Much cheaper than buying an amp/DAC (I won't even compare it to any amp/DAC as I'm a Noob and don't want to start a flame war), and unnecessary to run through a PC/Laptop soundcard unless you really want to fine-tune an EQ.
 
Cons:-not an actual EQ but can play around with broader frequency ranges in the settings.
         -Always starts with first track in library when app is opened, not the last listened-to track.
         -Not a cheap app at ~$5, but a bargain compared to any amp/DAC on the market.
 
edit: oops, here's the link...
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sonicmax-pro/id478366186?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D2
and no, I don't have any ties to the company, just thoroughly impressed with this little app and wanted to get the word out

 

[LostMySelf]

Bought this like 20 minutes ago and it really brings alot to the music with the right settings. Alot of "fullness" and the music becomes more intense it feels. Anyone with any good settings?

 

[MorbidToaster]

Just wanted to back this app 100%. I bought it yesterday and it's by far my favorite thing on my iPhone. Really does its job well, and it's very simple to use. 
 
Do yourself a favor and spend 5 bucks.

 

[mechamits]

Setting preferences probably depend on the pair of headphones/earphones you're using, what their tolerances are and how much bass they can handle.  I don't like my acoustics too distorted so I have mine set up like so...
Lo Contour: 5 Bars (Green bars on corresponding level-gauge on right)
BBE Process: Full Bars
iSet: 9 Bars
Sound field: Full Bars
Mach3 Bass: Off
Mach3 Gain: Full Bars
Play around with the settings and find levels that work for you, I find the pre-sets are conservative, I prefer a wider soundstage with good clear bass.
 
P.S.: I found it annoying to not be able to play podcasts in the app, but all you need to do is set up a playlist for your podcasts and access that through the playback options.

 

[Artmuzz]

I bought SonicMax Pro today for my iPod Touch 4G and iPad 2 because I love the BBE function of my Cowon J3. The results on my Ipod Touch 4G and iPad 2 are stunning. It really does make the music more lively and the soundstage better. I also bought an app called Stereophonic 3D equalizer which has a basic 10 band eq much like the eq on iTunes and a stereo wide function as well as reverb effect. I highly recommend that app too.

 

[hk29]

Does this play apple lossless?

 

[LostMySelf]

Quote:

Does this play apple lossless?

Yes.

 

[hk29]

Thank you!
 
Has anyone compared the iphone app with a Cowon?  I'm curious to see how it compares.  

 

[ExpatinJapan]

I have had this app for a while and only recently started playing with it.
 
I have found that selecting `device 1` (earphones>headphones>speakers>dock>device 1>2>3) and then hitting the reset button 
-then staying on device 1 or headphones gives me a nice full sound.
 
A great little app.

 

[mechamits]

I found a another similar app from SRS Labs called MyTunes which has a free trial version and was planning a review of it but it was a bit glitchy and would crash occasionally.  When it did work I actually liked the "spatializer"/soundstage effects better than in the BBE app plus it had a number of user-friendly adjustable settings and could directly access your podcast list.  They recently came out with an app revision but now my 2nd-gen iPod won't work with the app at all, but I would recommend playing with the trial version if you have a newer iDevice, here's a link...
http://www.srslabs.com/landing.aspx?id=2382
 

 

[eclipes]

why buy the app, just make the switch to a dedicated BBE player - Cowon J3. The J3 is like an all in one player, sounds exactly or even better than ipod with amp.

 

[blazer78]

Quote:

why buy the app, just make the switch to a dedicated BBE player - Cowon J3. The J3 is like an all in one player, sounds exactly or even better than ipod with amp.

Isn't the BBE implementation on COWON devices also software based processing?

 

[bidea117]

I am pretty sure that it is software based.

 

[tarcalion]

No, it is hardware-based. There's a BBE chip in the J3.

 

[Jung Woo Cho]

Out if curiosity, would this app sound better than using a amp/dac and play music without using any app??