The PowerAmp for Android thread

[redrol]

https://powerampapp.com/

I recommend trying the Beta channel: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.maxmpz.audioplayer

I looked a bit and never saw a thread dedicated to PowerAmp on android. IMO the best portable audio software for a phone and why it might deserve a thread for itself.

Poweramp is the oldest audio software for Android, predating pretty much everything else. Uapp came out a few years after it. It features:

• plays mp3, mp4/m4a/alac/aac, ogg, wma, flac, wav, ape, wv, tta, mpc, aiff
• V3 builds also play opus, dsd (dff/dsf), mka, tak, flv (audio)
• 10 band optimized graphical equalizer for all supported formats, presets, custom presets
• separate powerful Bass and Treble adjustment
• stereo eXpansion, mono mixing, balance
• V3 builds have the new Audio Engine with Float32 internal sample format, Float64 DSP processing, up to 384khz sampling rates, selectable swr/sox resampler, multiple dither options, various per-output settings, and much more
• V3 builds add tempo controls, reverb effect
• V3 builds support Hi-Res Output (where supported by the device)
• unique Direct Volume Control (DVC) for extended dynamic range and deep bass
• V3 supports Android Auto
• V3 supports Google Assistant
• V3 supports casting to Chromecast-enabled devices
• V3 builds add Milkdrop compatible visualizations
• crossfade
• gapless
• replay gain
• plays songs from folders and from categorized library
• dynamic queue
• embed and standalone .cue files support
• support for m3u, m3u8, pls, wpl playlists
• album art downloading
• V3 builds add artist images downloading
• highly configurable widget types
• visual themes, downloadable 3rd party skins
• various lock screen options
• headset support, optional automatic Resume on headset and/or BT connection
• tag editor
• V3 builds add audio info with detailed audio processing information
• fast library scan
• scrobbling
• lyrics support
• high level of customization via settings
• works on Android 2.3+
• V3 builds raise Android requirement to 5.0
• localized into Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Brazilian, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish,and more

I find one of the more special things Poweramp has is its DSP/Bass/Treble controls. Combined with Direct Volume Control (DVC) the EQ controls are incredibly powerful.

"That's the Direct Volume Control feature kicking in. It adjusts the system volume such that if you do boosts in the graphic EQ, what it does instead is boost the system volume then apply EQ cut to everything except the boosted band. If you disable DVC in settings, have a flat EQ and push the preamp to max, the sound does not change, either in volume or timbre, the moment the EQ is turned on or off. "

Poweramp can view/select files in Library or Folder views. This is nice, I am a folder person while many are Library types.
I will update this thread as I think of things that people may find interesting or cool.

 

[sbradley02]

I recently bought a Fiio M11 based on recommendations here (and it is also my third Fiio DAP). A number of people also recommended Neutron for it, but the developer doesn't support installation on non-Play enabled devices like the Fiio, and the suggested workaround is absurd, I am not going to pay for something that requires hacks to install. I happened upon Poweramp, easy non-Play install with V3. I have set it up and will be trying it out over the next few weeks.

 

[Dopamine63]

I have a DAP that can bypass Android's software resampling and can let any app directly send a signal to the dac in the dap. So I don't need Poweramp to resample the file. Is there any way to bypass the resampler in Poweramp and let it directly output the signal to the dac?

 

[lian00]

I recently bought a Fiio M11 based on recommendations here (and it is also my third Fiio DAP). A number of people also recommended Neutron for it, but the developer doesn't support installation on non-Play enabled devices like the Fiio, and the suggested workaround is absurd, I am not going to pay for something that requires hacks to install. I happened upon Poweramp, easy non-Play install with V3. I have set it up and will be trying it out over the next few weeks.

Hello, I just installed Neutron on my M11 and there is no hack. Installation is a little difficult but compare to how Fiio Music player is working, it’s not so complex to install. It needs only a pop mail configuration, a very classic operation if you use a desktop mail program.

 

[sbradley02]

Hello, I just installed Neutron on my M11 and there is no hack. Installation is a little difficult but compare to how Fiio Music player is working, it’s not so complex to install. It needs only a pop mail configuration, a very classic operation if you use a desktop mail program.

Poweramp doesn't require a pop email account to be created, it just installs easily, and the UI is excellent in my opinion, which is important to me. Given all that, I had no impetus to install Neutron.
To each their own.

 

[lian00]

You are right. Sorry. I went here because I’m testing Poweramp in parallel to Neutron. I am searching for the best sound rather than UI.

 

[sbradley02]

You are right. Sorry. I went here because I’m testing Poweramp in parallel to Neutron. I am searching for the best sound rather than UI.

I would think that they would sound very similar since they are using reasonably close software approaches from what I can tell (and of course the hardware is identical). If you hear a difference, please elaborate here.
Thanks

 

[Knightsfan11]

Have been using Poweramp since getting my LG V30 during the Black Friday sales.

I started out by using UAPP then tried Poweramp - while UAPP is a good app, I much prefer Poweramp, probably for its design more than anything.

I'm not using the phone as a USB/DAC, nor do I bother with the bit perfect setting (my listening is MP3, FLAC, Soundcloud & Pocket Casts streaming).

 

[lian00]

I would think that they would sound very similar since they are using reasonably close software approaches from what I can tell (and of course the hardware is identical). If you hear a difference, please elaborate here.
Thanks

Well, after some hours testing with Fiio M11 + Meze Classics 99 (no equalizer, default settings for the two) and flac files CD quality, I must admit that Neutron has a better sound (and there is a real difference, not a tiny one). More clarity and dynamism, more details. Voices are more defined. It may not please people who do not like analytic rendering. I wish I would prefer Poweramp as the UI is very nice and I like very much the lyrics search function (as I’m French, it’s nice to read english lyrics when you listen to a file as you may not understand everything that is sang).

I tried to play with equalizer on Poweramp to obtain same quality as Neutron without success. And I was impressed by Neutron equalizer’s. It’s very elaborate.

Quick example with this Alt J’s song



The songs begins with two voices and with Neutron, the voices are clearly separated.

I will continue my testis since the end of PowerAmp trial. I won’t say PowerAmp has a "weaker" sound. It is warmer and less analytic and it may be more comfortable.

 

[G1102]

Well, after some hours testing with Fiio M11 + Meze Classics 99 (no equalizer, default settings for the two) and flac files CD quality, I must admit that Neutron has a better sound (and there is a real difference, not a tiny one). More clarity and dynamism, more details. Voices are more defined. It may not please people who do not like analytic rendering. I wish I would prefer Poweramp as the UI is very nice and I like very much the lyrics search function (as I’m French, it’s nice to read english lyrics when you listen to a file as you may not understand everything that is sang).

I tried to play with equalizer on Poweramp to obtain same quality as Neutron without success. And I was impressed by Neutron equalizer’s. It’s very elaborate.

Quick example with this Alt J’s song



The songs begins with two voices and with Neutron, the voices are clearly separated.

I will continue my testis since the end of PowerAmp trial. I won’t say PowerAmp has a "weaker" sound. It is warmer and less analytic and it may be more comfortable.

Great post. Made an account just to reply to you. I was starting to think there is something wrong with me because everyone was saying neutron sounds like poweramp without any signal processing, but after listening for several hours I found out that this is not the case. Somehow I think poweramp amplifies the bass signal and by doing so it muddies the rest of the instruments.
Evidently this is a subjective opinion. I don't know if there's a way to conduct some form of test, but I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who heard this difference.
Also I hate that neutron sounds better because I hate the ui. I paid for both and poweramps ui is levels above neutron.
Listening was conducted on my Xiaomi Mi 9t pro with a pair of Beyerdynamic sould bird with high resolution output activated on both players.

 

[redrol]

Poweramp uses ffmpeg as its mp3 decoder engine. It's standard stuff. Try this bro, turn off DVC. Digital volume control. ALSO, under those settings up the gain to 0db rather than -3 or -6 (I forget what the default is with no DVC). The reason for the lowering of output is to allow big EQ. If you don't eq, just use the gain at 0db.

 

[G1102]

Poweramp uses ffmpeg as its mp3 decoder engine. It's standard stuff. Try this bro, turn off DVC. Digital volume control. ALSO, under those settings up the gain to 0db rather than -3 or -6 (I forget what the default is with no DVC). The reason for the lowering of output is to allow big EQ. If you don't eq, just use the gain at 0db.

i tried with dvc off ,but didn't upped gain . Thought that it staying in the middle was at 0 db. Didn't bother to set it . Will try again a bit later and see how it goes.
Thx for the suggestion.
Is there a way to not have to deal with resample on poweramp, because neutron has a follow source sample , but couldn't seem to find one in PA?

 

[redrol]

No I don't think you can have it set the sample rate to the track itself. You can set it manually in the Hi-Res output area.

 

[lian00]

Poweramp uses ffmpeg as its mp3 decoder engine. It's standard stuff. Try this bro, turn off DVC. Digital volume control. ALSO, under those settings up the gain to 0db rather than -3 or -6 (I forget what the default is with no DVC). The reason for the lowering of output is to allow big EQ. If you don't eq, just use the gain at 0db.

Thanks for the suggestion. I will have a test.

 

[pholcus1975]

Follow source frequency has been already asked as a requested feature on PA forums.
I paid for Poweramp, Neutron and UAPP, and UI of Poweramp is the best. Soundwise, UAPP > Neutron > Poweramp.
I use Uapp and Neutron for streaming from my NAS.
Uapp seems to follow frequency of files.