Name: Screen-off, music stutter problem in Android 2.3

Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) is such a brilliant OS, marred by petty issues like force closures (FCs), constant reboots. Though I did succeed in getting a very stable release candidate, I was facing one annoying problem that existed in CM7 versions too – screen-off, music stutter. Music playback is one of the most common and basic functionalities, and it’s quite irritating when this is not capable out of a smart phone.

Problem observations:

Listening to music + screen ON + DSP Manager EQ/bass boost enabled – very good performance | NO stutter or background noise

Listening to music + screen OFF + DSP Manager EQ/bass boost enabled – very bad performance | very high stutter with background noise | playback slows down in most instances | phone slows down in all instances

Listening to music + screen OFF + DSP Manager EQ/bass boost disabled – acceptable performance | NO stutter | background noise exists | playback doesn’t slow down

Inference: It appeared to me that the CPU was getting under-clocked when the screen turns OFF, so unable to handle the higher CPU requirements of the DSP manager. I wasn’t able to change the CPU governors using the built-in SuperAOSP settings – thanks to FCs! Also, the governor adjustments worked like crap in CM7 versions of the ROM.

The solution: To get an app similar to SetCPU; never liked SetCPU. I stumbled upon CPU Tuner (works on rooted phones).

CPU tuner for android 2.3 music stutter problem

I used the default settings and trigger levels that came with the CPU Tuner. Now, turned ON the music, enabled DSP manager (EQ + bass boost: EXTREME), and turned OFF the screen.

The result: No music stutter or background noise. Just neat, soothing music with excellent bass, out of the Sennheiser headphones. CPU Tuner did the magic!

The side effect: Noticeable improvement in battery life!

If you’re having music stutter problem on your Android 2.3, it’s not because of the phone or hardware, but from bad governor and trigger level settings. Let me know from you, in the comments section, if CPU tuner solved your problem.

Pic source: Android Market