Headphone Volume Too Low On Nexus 5

[Kris Samarakoon]

I'll start off by saying I consider myself to be a demanding listener when it comes to music and audio equipment. I don't necessarily buy the most expensive and greatest equipment but, IMHO I know what good sound quality is. I have to say this issue with the Nexus 5 frustrates the HECK out of me as well. I'm on 5.1.1 Lollipop, but let me start by saying this issue is unnecessary and a bit of a shame because, for the most part, it is purely the stock software configuration limiting the audio output. Whilst the Nexus 5 isn't the best in the audio department when compared to other phones - it's audio hardware is capable of producing satisfactory output with the right EQ/bass/surround sound adjustments. BUT, I've tried many of the free DSP Managers and EQ's in the app store and would not recommend any of them. The sound just gets muddy, empty, unrealistic. IMO the only fix I would recommend (because I know the results), is to root and install the latest Cyanogenmod (CM). The difference to stock was worlds apart to the point where I would say out of a scale of 1-10 I'd rate the quality at an 8. On stock I would give it about a 4 or 5. It has a surround sound capability that I actually used because it added quality to the music (unlike on stock where it is a useless feature, that just makes the audio sound empty, quiet and basically CRAP)!. That being said, CM 12.1 requires frequent reboots as it gets quite laggy/buggy and chews through the battery like a mother! I went back to stock recently because of the battery issues (forgetting that the awesome sound came from CM) and was very sad to find my music went from awesome to utterly crap . The decision is yours, buggy phone and poor battery life vs great sound. :/