Author Topic: Sound quality of Rockbox is worse than original firmware! (Read 5943 times)

Norbert · « **on:** August 02, 2014, 12:43:01 PM »

Recently I stumbled upon this website and because I own a Sansa Clip, I installed Rockbox to give it a try. Well, the features of Rockbox are really overwhelming but very soon I recognized something that is really disappointing.

Since I use my Sansa Clip to listen to hypnosis MP3s, I soon recognized some kind of scratching/rustling noise, clearly noticeable while playing quiet passages. Since the original firmware keeps installed and can be booted alternatively, it is easy to compare it's playback sound quality with Rockbox. This rustling/scratching background noise is not there while playing the MP3 files with the original firmware.

This is really disappointing, especially because at the description of Rockbox is stated that it should deliver best sound quality possible. Obviously this is not true for the Sansa Clip player.

Norbert

saratoga · « **Reply #1 on:** August 02, 2014, 01:30:03 PM »

I think some clip players have audible noise when accessing the storage due to a hardware defect. Is that what you are referring to ?

Norbert · « **Reply #2 on:** August 02, 2014, 01:56:14 PM »

Yes, you are truly right, it must be some kind of hardware error within my player. And because Sandisk knows about this circumstance, they implemented some kind of filter within the original firmware to remove the resulting audio noise.

How dare of me to to believe that something could be wrong with the Rockbox software.

Norbert · « **Reply #3 on:** August 02, 2014, 02:28:24 PM »

Seriously, I think every owner of a Sandisk player can verify this matter by himself and make his own decision, whether this is acceptable or not.

For me personally such problems with sound quality are not acceptable and I just found my own solution. I just uninstalled the Rockbox firmware and, guess what, everything is ok now

Life can be so easy sometimes

saratoga · « **Reply #4 on:** August 02, 2014, 04:06:25 PM »

Quote from: Norbert on August 02, 2014, 01:56:14 PM

And because Sandisk knows about this circumstance, they implemented some kind of filter within the original firmware to remove the resulting audio noise.

Not exactly. See the analysis of the problem here: http://www.rockbox.org/tracker/11907

Elaphe · « **Reply #5 on:** August 02, 2014, 04:41:06 PM »

Does this affect the Sansa Clip Zip? I have bought it a week ago and I have not noticed these problems, but I'll pay attention next time I listen to a song.

saratoga · « **Reply #6 on:** August 02, 2014, 04:47:19 PM »

Quote from: Elaphe on August 02, 2014, 04:41:06 PM

Does this affect the Sansa Clip Zip? I have bought it a week ago and I have not noticed these problems, but I'll pay attention next time I listen to a song.

As far as I know, it was just a small fraction of Clip+ players, or at least thats all that has been reported (at least since the e200v1 which had the same issue).

saratoga · « **Reply #7 on:** August 03, 2014, 12:04:14 PM »

Oh I just realized he never said he had a clip +. I wonder which player he was using?

Edit: obviously if you don't have a clip+, then that link above doesn't directly apply.

piotrek.fronc · « **Reply #8 on:** March 13, 2015, 08:50:13 PM »

Guys, i know this is old post but i was testing some good recordings on my MA9 and comparing to original firmware... and I must confirm what he said. Something is wrong with rockbox, it definitely rolls off high treble, its much more "darker" than original firmware in MA9.

I used many headphones to: JH16, SE846 and PFE232. They all prove the point

((

The micro detail is not there.

Any advise on that? What can be wrong? All settings are at "zeros".

piotrek.fronc · « **Reply #9 on:** March 13, 2015, 09:17:22 PM »

Is it possible its similiar to http://marlene-d.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/review-sansa-clip.html ?

saratoga · « **Reply #10 on:** March 13, 2015, 10:41:16 PM »

Test with rmaa and see what you get?

[Saint] · « **Reply #11 on:** March 15, 2015, 12:02:08 AM »

Pfffffftt! RMAA?

Get out of here with your logic <shakes fist>...the only things that matter 'round here are adjectives and speculation, this is audiophile territory.

[Saint]

EDIT: Sorry, I just had to - its hard to read a post about sound quality that is completely and totally absent of any and all useful metrics that one could determine objective quality from.

monoid · « **Reply #12 on:** March 15, 2015, 09:34:42 AM »

But have you not noticed that the rich textures of the original hi-res recordings are completely gone. :-DDD

piotrek.fronc · « **Reply #13 on:** March 15, 2015, 07:28:43 PM »

Quote from: saratoga on March 13, 2015, 10:41:16 PM

Test with rmaa and see what you get?

I did tests, quite interestingly, the line out are quite similar results but normal output confirms observations - rockbox seem to do something that normal firmware does not and high freqs are rolled off.

Best to see is the picture below.
Here normal output, rockbox on top and ma9 normal firmware at bottom... notice freq response (first test) and rk going much faster low.

This is line out, which looks much better (here rk is at bottom not at the top)...

piotrek.fronc · « **Reply #14 on:** March 15, 2015, 07:30:29 PM »

The first picture shows everything. Something is not right. Configuration is MA9 with balanced amplifier (golden).

The most interesting is that line out looks much better...