USB audio broken in Oreo - Google Pixel XL Questions & Answers

I have an external USB audio device - a Roland UA-101 - that worked GREAT with Android 7.X (and older versions, too*), but is completely unusable in 8.X Since the 8.0 and 8.1 updates it doesn't work if I plug it in while the phone is on. I have to plug it in, then reboot my device (Pixel XL, of course) to get audio to correctly route to the UA-101. This does get audio, but the resulting audio sounds terrible. It sounds metallic and harsh, like Android is doing some kind of misguided samplerate or depth (16/24) conversion and sending the wrong rate/depth audio to the external device.
Has anyone else experienced this? Is this likely to be fixed? Is there some low level configuration I can change, perhaps in the build.prop or something, if I root my phone?
It's definitely not a problem with my device, since I use it routinely with my laptop. This is definitely a problem with Android. Oddly, my USB MIDI-only devices seem to function well enough.
*) The underlying Linux kernel has had a driver for this device for a long time, like 10+ years. It works on desktop Linux very well.

Related

simultaneous bluetooth A2DP and HFP issue

i believe there is a bug in either the GNex's bluetooth hardware or Android ICS.
i have an A2DP adapter in my car to play music from my phone on my car stereo. my car also comes with the ability to connect to a phone for the purpose of taking and making calls thru its stereo and mics (using bluetooth HFP). when both are enabled simultaneously, i am able to listen to my music fine. if i get or make a call, the phone pauses the music, as you would expect, and goes into the call (although when i receive calls there seems to be a delay before the GNex switches over), but in the call the audio is garbled/robotic/scrambled...whatever you want to call it. this is the case both for what i hear and for what the person at the other end hears.
i wanted to start this thread to get more info about this problem from others that have experienced it, and maybe see if we can come up with a workaround.
there is an AC thread about this here:
http://androidforums.com/samsung-galaxy-nexus/524885-galaxy-nexus-bluetooth-bug.html
and i put in a bug at google here:
http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=29564
any more info is appreciated!
According to other posts in the forums, the AOKP ROM does not have these issues.
I really did not want to root this device. I know, that's just not cool. But everything else was just working.
My Sensation did not have these problems, but alas I dropped it and it died and I was still on contract. The Nexus was more cost effective than bending over for the off-contract price from TMO.
Anyway, chalk me up as a "me too" on this issue. I'm going to root tonight and try AOKP.
I would be kind of surprised if it didn't exist in AOKP, because the problem definitely exists in CyanogenMod 9 (and AOKP is essentially a kang of that). In fact, I uninstalled CM9 and reverted to stock expressedly because I initially thought that this bug was a CM9 issue and it was annoying enough that I figured I'd revert to stock until CM9 reaches stable, only to discover that the problem is in the official Google builds as well.
ianken said:
Anyway, chalk me up as a "me too" on this issue. I'm going to root tonight and try AOKP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please let us know how it goes! I've been using Bugless Beast, but would switch to AOKP if it fixes this bug.
I've yet to find a build without BT issues of some sort.
The garbled call audio is new to me. I've not see that on other devices but have yet to find a GN ROM that mitigates it. This is in addition to issues that go back to the Nexus 1. There was an audio.conf fix for that, I'll see if I can wrangle it up and see if it helps here.
My setup: Factory BT hands free (crap Audi OEM goo) + FIPO A2DP device for music. So, two completely discrete BT devices.
Edit:
try this: edit etc/bluetooth/audio.conf and set master=true (backup the file first)
I also set HFP=true (it's commented out in the file)
What I found:
1- Calling: audio quality was still pretty poor with a lot of pops. It sounds a bit "hot." Quite inferior to other devices I've used with this setup.
2- However: A2DP playback no longer glitches. In my case audio played fine after the first connect after BT was turned on. But subsequent connects, say after leaving and the returning to the car would result in glitchy audio.
So far this tweak seems to have improved things. I'm really bummed by the audio all quality.
ianken said:
I've yet to find a build without BT issues of some sort.
The garbled call audio is new to me. I've not see that on other devices but have yet to find a GN ROM that mitigates it. This is in addition to issues that go back to the Nexus 1. There was an audio.conf fix for that, I'll see if I can wrangle it up and see if it helps here.
My setup: Factory BT hands free (crap Audi OEM goo) + FIPO A2DP device for music. So, two completely discrete BT devices.
Edit:
try this: edit etc/bluetooth/audio.conf and set master=true (backup the file first)
I also set HFP=true (it's commented out in the file)
What I found:
1- Calling: audio quality was still pretty poor with a lot of pops. It sounds a bit "hot." Quite inferior to other devices I've used with this setup.
2- However: A2DP playback no longer glitches. In my case audio played fine after the first connect after BT was turned on. But subsequent connects, say after leaving and the returning to the car would result in glitchy audio.
So far this tweak seems to have improved things. I'm really bummed by the audio all quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
audio.conf does not seem to exists in 4.2.2. Has anyone found audio.conf in 4.2.2?

Naugat and USB DAC sound distortion

Hi
I got Nexus 7 installed in my car. Only device connected to it is Fiio E10k.
RR, and pure Nexus, both clean, running either on stock (whatever came with it) kernel or Glitch or ElementalX have same problem. No matter which player I use (YouTube too). I also run it on headphones from power bank to make sure it's not power supply related.
Sounds like random distortion, easy to hear especially during quiet parts of tracks (as long as some music is playing).
I assumed it's naugat related, as Android 6 doesn't have that problem (either stock with timurs or cm13 with ElementalX).
Any idea how to solve / troubleshoot problem like that?
I tried USB audio player pro with Los, and I don't hear distortion so far.
It made me think it's driver related. Maybe it's forcing different bitrate or something.

Audio Playback via USB w/ my Android device

I am sure this was asked and answered before somewhere in this forum, but I have yet to find a thread similar to my issue.
I have been doing a heavy amount of research about how to use my Google Pixel for USB audio playback like my iPhone did when I had one once upon a time. I am not necessarily shunning the fact that my car is also Bluetooth enabled, but the quality of audio playback is far greater via USB than over BT no matter how much I mess with the Bluetooth settings under Dev options. BT is as of right now, far away from being headphone/USB/dock quality and I'd like, no, LOVE to get back to using USB audio with my phone. But how?
Again, I have been doing the research and what I have found is either outdated articles, people who don't have any answers, or just irrelevant information. My brain is exhausted and irritated. So, I figured I'd head to the one place I know is full of knowledgeable people and hopefully once and for all get a straight forward 'yes' or 'no' answer or maybe even a workaround with root or something.
So, moving on... I watched a video from Sid's Classroom and he directed me to a an option under the dev settings called "Select USB Configuration." I followed his steps to change my config to 'Audio Source' thinking this would work. Now, I drive a 2016 Honda Civic with BT and USB audio hookups. No 3.5 jack anywhere to be seen. My 2012 Focus only had a 3.5 jack. Quite the change, but nonetheless an easy adaptation. And when I bought the Honda, I still had my iPhone. A couple of months later, I find myself switching back to Android and getting the Google Pixel from Verizon (huge mistake). Fast forward to now, and suddenly I am finding myself wanting to upgrade to the Note 8 and still driving the Honda with the USB hookup teasing me in the background as I drive. Don't get me wrong, I love BT, but I also love true HD music, especially since I pay for Spotify and want to listen to my music at the Extreme bit rate they offer for streaming.
My dilemma is this: the USB don't work good with my phone. In saying that way, I feel as though the selecting 'Audio Source' under dev settings should have done the trick. Obviously it hasn't and here I am writing a story behind why I am here.... Redundancy at it's finest. Anyways, I need help. Is there any way possible to fix this issue or at least find a workaround so that I can go back to listening to audio over USB or am I just a pleb left in the dark for now until car manufacturers start collaborating with Google to get USB audio going?
P.S Point me in the right direction if anything. I know there is a small tech start-up called DROM developing a USB cable to allow for this but they have yet to release a product yet and I am skeptical of it.
Hi mate, not sure if I'm digesting all that info! But it sounds a little familiar with the Volkswagen MDI setup that I had. It has this "special" (read extra $$$) USB setup that most cars have stock. I used a generic USB drive, stuck music on that and presto - worked great including song data (on a very plain Volkswagen MCD-310 head unit). But - it wouldn't play music from my Moto G4 or my LG Q6 via USB. I believe the problem was it couldn't read exactly where the files were located. I tried them on both the internal and SD storage to no avail. From memory I *might* have had success running my Galaxy Tab 3 7" through it, but it just said "Media Player", no song data etc. Might also be what format the drive/card is, ie FAT.
Alternately one way I got around was going onto AUX on the head unit and just plugging a 3.5mm in from device into it. You can control your songs from device but depends on if you can/like touching device whilst driving.
I'm doing an aftermarket head unit/tablet install for something different. Similar to the Nexus ones but a little different.

[HELP] New PCB doesn't work

Hi there folks,
My mic audio quality became very crappy, I've tried changing ROMs, cleaning it, but no success, so I bought a new PCB (the one for charging, mic, speakers and P2, not the main one).
I installed it and charging seems to be working fine, but no audio comes out from the speakers and the mic records audio in a very very very low volume (only in my PC with my speakers at high volume I can hear something).
I think it's software related, but I don't know where to start. I don't want to flash my ROM again because I did it this week already, I'm running Havoc OS 2.9 with Magisk, is there a way to fix it from system or recovery? Like reinstalling drivers in Windows or something like that.
Thank you in advance.

Question Pixel 6 Pro and Android Auto issues

I tried to see if anyone posted a similar question but haven't found anything. Is anyone else having issues with their Pixel 6 Pro while connected to Android Auto? I have 3 issues that are bugging the crap out of me.
1. Every time I connect my phone to the car, it always pops up asking permission to connect to this "new" uConnect device. Its been connected hundreds of times, and even adding it as a trusted device, it still pops up.
2. The sound quality is absolute garbage. Its muddy and heavy on the mid level. I have tried to compensate by adjusting the EQ in the head-unit, and Spotify. It helps, but not much. I have tried my old Note 10+ and the quality is perfect.
3. Often when receiving a phone call, I can answer and control the call using the head-unit, but the audio is going to the phone and not the car speakers.
I have been able to replicate this with both of our Pixel 6 Pro's, and in both of our vehicles (2019 Durango R/T, and 2020 RAM 2500)
Anyone have any ideas?
EDIT: this is wired using different cords for troubleshooting purposes.
I have none of those issues but my issue with aa is that it keeps turning off preview incoming message
Issue #3 I do get from time to time. Annoying AF. Also trusted device only last 4 hours I believe which I think is ridiculous.
imo... Spotify always sounds like crap.
Haven't had any of these issues at all. Everything works well for me on the December update.
I have none of these issues, but the issue I get is specific to Google Maps on Android Auto. When I'm navigating somewhere, often at the start of the trip Google Maps cannot get a GPS lock on me and the map skips all over the place, constantly rerouting me. After I continue to drive I eventually will get GPS lock and then everything works fine.
Using Waze on Android Auto, everything works fine. I get GPS lock instantly when I switch to the Waze app on Android Auto. So all I can conclude is the issue is specific to Google Maps... It's not that big of a deal but can be very annoying.
Edit: I'm on wireless with a Pioneer AVH deck.
My wifes Pixel 6 works fine apart from the battery icon constantly flashing on and off (on the car display)
I don't have any issues with Android Auto in my 2020 Subaru, and neither does my wife.
No, I don't have these issues either. Working fine for me on Lexus NX.
Edit: "wired" that is (to be clear).
I am not seeing any issues in my 2020 Kia Soul. I use the wireless android auto adapter (AAWireless from Indiegogo) so I do not have to plug it in though.
Could your uConnect system need an update? You can check here for one: https://www.driveuconnect.com/support/software-update.html
Caveman419 said:
I am not seeing any issues in my 2020 Kia Soul. I use the wireless android auto adapter (AAWireless from Indiegogo) so I do not have to plug it in though.
Could your uConnect system need an update? You can check here for one: https://www.driveuconnect.com/support/software-update.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great Idea, unfortunately they are already up to date on the software. That AAWireless thing is pretty cool, but plugging it in doesn't bother me that much, plus I know its charging.
GtarSkater said:
Great Idea, unfortunately they are already up to date on the software. That AAWireless thing is pretty cool, but plugging it in doesn't bother me that much, plus I know its charging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I always have issues with cables that keep disconnecting and have to unplug and re-plug in (both my car & my wife's 2016 Hyundai Sonata). The AAWireless is very handy in that regards. It will occasionally freeze up, but very rarely after a few OTAs ago. The only downside that I have found is that if you get too close to the vehicle with BT Headphones (mowing or other yardwork typically), it will connect to the AAWireless and cut off audio to the BT Headphones. I just unplug the AAWireless from the car until I am done then.
I should mention all my issues only occur when I'm wireless in my car. When I use wired in my friends car, it works fine.
GtarSkater said:
I tried to see if anyone posted a similar question but haven't found anything. Is anyone else having issues with their Pixel 6 Pro while connected to Android Auto? I have 3 issues that are bugging the crap out of me.
1. Every time I connect my phone to the car, it always pops up asking permission to connect to this "new" uConnect device. Its been connected hundreds of times, and even adding it as a trusted device, it still pops up.
2. The sound quality is absolute garbage. Its muddy and heavy on the mid level. I have tried to compensate by adjusting the EQ in the head-unit, and Spotify. It helps, but not much. I have tried my old Note 10+ and the quality is perfect.
3. Often when receiving a phone call, I can answer and control the call using the head-unit, but the audio is going to the phone and not the car speakers.
I have been able to replicate this with both of our Pixel 6 Pro's, and in both of our vehicles (2019 Durango R/T, and 2020 RAM 2500)
Anyone have any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally, I do not have an Android Auto enabled car.
I can tell though that there were numerous reports in the past (XDA, Reddit, Discord, Telegram) of people having problems with Android Auto. Now the problem with that, is...
a) Android Auto has always been buggy - even with cable. I have friends that have been trying to get Android Auto to reliably work with their Samsungs (cable) for years, and their attempt are still a work in progress. It's a hit-and-miss. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
b) Android 12 is extra buggy and has been known to cause problems with Android Auto (reports of Samsung owners upgrading to A12)
c) Pixel 6 Pro is extra special buggy and it's more or less unknown at this point, if Android Auto issues are caused by Auto Auto being a buggy mess, Android 12 being a buggy mess, Pixel 6 being a buggy mess or a culmination of the three together.
d) Plus, there is a massive difference in reliability between Android auto cable vs. wireless.
I did see some workarounds floating in the web, you might be able to find them in Reddits GooglePixel group.
In the end though, your best bet (longterm) would probably be: Go into settings, report the problem directly to Google and make sure that all your friends and family that also use Android Auto do the same.

Categories

Resources