Galaxy S5 music equalizer not working properly (lowers song volume when raise band levers)

[matrixonz7]

Major problem with equalizer, have seen same thing on three Galaxy S5s, has anyone noticed this?

Spoke to Samsung today about it and customer service was very unhelpful. They basically said that it's a Google software problem and only way to get it fixed is if we the customers write Google and the app makers. They said they have no way of contacting Google or escalating this higher at Samsung so Samsung can contact Google directly. I find it terrible that Samsung does not care that such a simple but necessary music player feature on a phone doesn't work properly and leave it on the customer to get Google to fix it instead of them contacting Google directly.

Problem: When you are playing a song on the factory installed Google Play Music app or any other app with an equalizer or when using a separate equalizer and you increase any of the bands in the equalizer, the overall volume of the song drops.

To easily reproduce the problem, start playing a song on the Google Play Music app, go to settings, select equalizer, select advanced. Set the equalizer bands to flat (in the middle settings for all bands). While a song is playing, raise any equalizer band and the overall volume of the song goes down dramatically, like by half. This is especially noticeable as you increase the 16k slider. This is not how equalizers should work. A working equalizer should amplify the band you increased but leave the volume on all other bands the same and thus not lower the overall volume of the song. This is happening with all equalizer apps I've installed (besides the stock Music FX and SoundAlive equalizers) and I've seen the exact thing happen with three other equalizer apps on this phone, so it seems like a specific Samsung Galaxy S5 problem. Really hope the fix this soon or that we can get a thread going about this. I think few people have noticed this but hope they catch on soon. Thank you.

 

[psp1232171]

Try Neutron Music player, it's loud and clear and tons of settings. Works great with Samsung. Tried poweramp and doubletwist and Neutron works the best for me. You won?t regret it. Good luck.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[minidre]

I actually have the same issue as the OP when i use pvstar+. I noticed that happens a lot, I wasn't sure if it had to deal with water going through the speakers or not at some point. I have this issue as well and it sometimes lasts a while before it fixes itself. Very annoying

 

[pt13]

Hi all,

don't know if this is the same problem but I find when I connect my S5 to my car to play music via bluetooth, the sound is very static-y/unclear. My HTC One X had Dr Beats built in and somehow made the output amazing.
If I adjust my sound equalizer on google music play, should it adjust this problem?

 

[Undertoad]

All I know is that bluetooth on the S5 is different from my previous phone (Galaxy Nexus). I had a Samsung HS3000 bt headset that I used to get audio into my car's Aux input. The S5 would not work with it, it basically ignored volume settings. I bought a cheap no-name bluetooth receiver and that worked OK. I guess it's the next level of bluetooth -- but it sucks when technology that's only 2 years old doesn't work!

Lots of Bluetooth complaints in this thread

...and I also agree with the original complaint in this thread. Bluetooth or not, this equalizer problem is ridiculous. Even just FINDING the equalizer is ridiculous. I am angry at how this whole system handles audio.

 

[pt13]

Definitely agree undertoad!

the only way I now know to adust my equalizer is through google play music.

 

[DacyJ]

Same problem here with the sound and eq.

Posted via Nokia 6230

 

[thericochet]

Erm, this is exactly how an equalizer MUST function.
If it just boosted a frequency without lowering the overall signal level you would have instant audible digital clipping/distortion.
Equalizers work by attenuating, not by boosting, otherwise they just create bad sound. Equalizers can only boost if they have headroom, which in an application such as this they most likely do not.

You are complaining that your equalizer is functioning correctly. Shape the sound how you want it then turn the volume up a bit.

 

[matrixonz7]

I disagree. Please try MixZing player (app on play store )and its equalizer which for some reason works CORRECTLY, then try:
"To easily reproduce the problem, start playing a song on the Google Play Music app, go to settings, select equalizer, select advanced. Set the equalizer bands to flat (in the middle settings for all bands). While a song is playing, raise any equalizer band and the overall volume of the song goes down dramatically, like by half. This is especially noticeable as you increase the 16k slider. This is not how equalizers should work. A working equalizer should amplify the band you increased but leave the volume on all other bands the same and thus not lower the overall volume of the song. This is happening with all equalizer apps I've installed (besides the stock Music FX and SoundAlive equalizers) and I've seen the exact thing happen with three other equalizer apps on this phone, so it seems like a specific Samsung Galaxy S5 problem. Really hope the fix this soon or that we can get a thread going about this. I think few people have noticed this but hope they catch on soon. Thank you."

Issue still not fixed, i'm very disappointed in Samsung at this point.

 

[SHODAZZL]

Hi matrixonz7,

I am glad I came across this thread as I am having the same issues. I cant believe there aren't hundreds of other users who agree with you. I couldn't agree with you more on this issue. I am specifically coming from using a Motorola Droid Razr Maxx to a Samsung S5 and I can tell you that you are 100% correct.

When i try and increase for example the 16k band, not only does it NOT increase the 16K they way it should, it reduces the entire volume of the song. I understand and agree (only to a certain extent) thericochet's statement, however this is not true with what we are seeing with Samsung's issue. My Motorola DOES NOT do this, and provides the 16K as it should when raised. Motorola's audio hardware output WAY exceeds Samsung's. Music quality and clarify is really important to me and the Motorola surpassed my needs. I'm a music AND equalizer user for 30+ years, and can tell you there is something wrong with the way the EQ works on Samsung's phone.

 

[matrixonz7]

Yes!!! someone agrees! I'm also very surprised nobody else cares about this besides us. And also very disappointed in those Korean idiots for putting out half assed hardware. I'm seriously considering going for another phone, Motorola or HTC and NEVER going back to Crapsung. I'm hoping that Google's next OS release will fix this, but I don't have high hopes. I've called Samsung and their customer service is horrible, they basically say that it's Google's fault not theirs, yeah right... glad samsung is losing sales and market share left and right, after all, they're just ruthless copy cats and patent infringers (i.e. apple). I may even go back to iphone, but I just hate their highly restrictive ecosystem. yes i'm angry as hell, fu crapsung!

 

[Rohan Gordon]

The neutron music player kicks ***. It has a pre amp that takes care of the volume problem. Sounds great if you are very detailed about sound quality. The galaxy S 5 has been a great phone so far. The battery life is pretty impressive. 50% a day with normal usage is fine. I charge once every two days.

 

[P_Devil]

I'm seriously considering going for another phone, Motorola or HTC and NEVER going back to Crapsung. I'm hoping that Google's next OS release will fix this, but I don't have high hopes. I've called Samsung and their customer service is horrible, they basically say that it's Google's fault not theirs, yeah right... glad samsung is losing sales and market share left and right, after all, they're just ruthless copy cats and patent infringers (i.e. apple).

I understand, it's frustrating encountering a bug with hardware and/or software that is being sold. That's the unfortunate nature of technology these days: release something now that isn't perfect and patch it later. It happens with video games, operating systems of all kinds, smartphones, cars, health equipment, etc. However, I don't think that calls for such drastic statements. Your viewpoint is currently skewed and that is fine but that doesn't make Samsung a copycat company who just infringes on the patents of others. It also doesn't mean that the company should go belly up because you are encountering a problem. That's like saying that Apple should be burned to the ground because I experienced battery issues with my iPhone 5 a year after owning it.

You are obviously in the minority or else this issue would have been all over the place. Most people just don't use EQ's with their music, not like they used to in the 90's when jukebox software (like Winamp) threw it in your face. Now it's all hidden and people have forgotten about it. EQ's are no longer at the forefront of most music jukeboxes that people rely on (iTunes, the built-in Windows music player, Google Music, etc.).

As for your issue, what EQ are you using? It sounds like it isn't happening with Music FX or SoundAlive but with all the other ones you have tried.

 

[1iwilly]

yes i notice it too but when i use power amp it is not as bad

 

[scaramouch1]

the inbuilt player isn't the best on my s5 so I use poweramp that sound ok

 

[dancing-bass]

Had this problem on my Galaxy Nexus, my Galaxy S4, but NOT on my new LG G3. Not only with the stock music player, but eq apps as well.

However, Poweramp works like an EQ should. I bought the pro key to unlock it but it's well worth the money in my opinion.

 

[lokitozz]

Clarification for all the confusion.

It is a valid issue, a problem that has been lingering since the release of Ice Cream Sandwich and no one cares to fix it.

This is not an issue of the S5 model in particular, nor it is not a Samsung issue either.

What it is, an attempt by Google to act like big brother on our behalf by trying to save our hearing, by being over agresivo in controlling audio clipping or otherwise known as distortion.

With the released of Ice Cream Sandwich Google decided to take control of the audio situation. Prior to Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 Google left the whole audio process to the developers, that is why we had so many independent equalizers and they all worked well. After Google took over the MusicFX process, most of the developers of equalizer got inundated with complaints and they all put a disclaimer that they can no longer guarantee that their EQ APP would no longer work correctly.

There is more to the problem, not just the auto clipping prevention that lowers the volume when you raise any band of the equalizer to a point that would hit the red rmp, but even worse, is the constant batter between the Android OS fighting over the MusicFX process with other independent equalizer.

For example, I have experience that after every song, my custom equalizer would get boot off, and I would have to re-engage it pausing the music and then hitting play again.

I mean this situation is complete mess and very frustrating for people who like their get the best sound possible our of their devices. This is where Apple shows its true colors, no such issues or battles on iOS devices.

Now, shame on Samsung because...

Other brands like HTC which put more of a greater effort on the audio side, HTC has found ways to work around Google obsessive control over MusicFX and HTC has managed to dictate or control the sound process on their devices. So most independent equalizer apps work correctly on HTC M7 and M8 and some LG phones. There is no auto clipping issues on HTC, but they do loose ownership of the MusicFX process, so that side of the problem still persist.

Now for those who own the S5, you must feel good, this particular model offers the most improvement in audio quality efforts that Samsung has ever put on their audio department.

The Galaxy S3 was the worse sounding device ever, pure tin foil sound profile no matter what equalizer you used.

The fact that Samsung went out of their way with the audio on their S5 model also means that they further disrupted the independent equalizer app control over the MusicFX process, so I am having a hard time engaging my favorite EQ App on my S5, sometimes it works, some times it doesn't and I have no control of when it works...

And that is why I ended up in this thread, what can I do to choose what app owns the MusicFX process?

Any help please!

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Larry Morales]

Erm, this is exactly how an equalizer MUST function.
If it just boosted a frequency without lowering the overall signal level you would have instant audible digital clipping/distortion.
Equalizers work by attenuating, not by boosting, otherwise they just create bad sound. Equalizers can only boost if they have headroom, which in an application such as this they most likely do not.

You are complaining that your equalizer is functioning correctly. Shape the sound how you want it then turn the volume up a bit.

 

[Larry Morales]

I couldn't have put this any better. Great explanation!

 

[mikesmith0902]

I came across this thread 2 years later in 2016 and have an identical problem using an Asus ZenFone 2 running Android 5.0 Lollipop. As soon as you use the equaliser to increase any part of the audio spectrum the volume dips dramatically. Not only that but if I increase the treble the other parts of the frequency spectrum get lower, so increasing the treble decreases the bass and vice versa.
Update
I've since found out that the equaliser problem is normal for Android devices. It's called a subtractive equaliser where adjusting one part of the frequency spectrum automatically has an effect on other parts of the audio spectrum. i.e. increasing the bass will reduce the treble and vice versa. Hence why the volume appears to lower when the equaliser is adjusted. The answer seems to be to make very small changes to the sound by using the equaliser and increase the volume to compensate, or switch the equaliser off altogether, which I've found to be the best thing to do. Conclusion: it's not a fault with the phone, no matter what type you are using, it's the Android OS and by reading all the complaints, it seems to have been a problem for the past few years and will continue to be so unless Google decide to make changes to the Music Player. There's no point in downloading a separate equaliser as it will just be the same as what's already installed.