Why is a working EQ with Pandora on an Android phone...

[Gonad the Barbarian]

such a crap shoot? I have a handful of phones from different manufacturers, different android versions, and on some the Pandora app will trip the equalizer on, on some it won't. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to it and no reliable way to find out without the phone in your hand to try. No equalizer apps I've tried installing will change that on the ones that won't work right off except for one phone I was able to root and install Viper4Android on which got an EQ working for it. The damn Moto E I got specifically for music because of the FM tuner won't use its EQ on that or Pandora and it's one of the prepaid phones they won't unlock the bootloader on so I can't root it. The utterly terrible in nearly conceivable way ZTE Valet it replaced used the EQ on Pandora no prob.

Edit: And to top it off, apparently the FM tuner in the Moto E is stuck on mono. >:|

 

[poofyhairguy]

That sounds like the Android I know and love.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Shoddy? I don't understand why this is, or at least why it's not made into more of an issue, with how many people use their phones for music and the number of related apps out there. Can anyone comment on the ZTE Speed or the LG Realm? They both have FM tuners and are available for $40 at the moment. I think the Realm is rootable, so even if the EQ doesn't work right off hopefully it will with Viper4Android.

 

[yh125d]

How recent are the phones you've tried it on? I remember having some trouble with my OG Evo 4g and the first droid razr reboot, but haven't had troubles with a GS3 or droid maxx more recently

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

HTC One V: Android 4.0, EQ works on Pandora (regardless of Beats on or off)

Kyocera Hydro: Android 4.1, EQ did not work on Pandora until rooted & Viper4Android installed

ZTE Valet: Android 4.1, EQ works on Pandora

Moto E: Android 4.4, EQ doesn't work on Pandora

Along with not getting the unlocked boot loader this Moto E isn't going to get the Lolipop upgrades either so it looks like it's stuck as is.


Edit: I decided to give the EQ on the Moto E another shot. I disabled the default sound enhancer and got a dspmanager.apk I grabbed somewhere that didn't need root to install to work for Pandora. I guess I gave up too soon in my huff before. But it still doesn't work on the FM radio, and that's still mono, for both the stock app and NextRadio.