TeddyK
on
If you’ve become totally accustomed to using the “iPod” app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, you might want to think about trying something new. The only reason I say that is because there’s an app that pretty much does everything the iPod app does, but manages to actually make the music you listen to sound even better.
The app is Bongiovi DPS, which is a free download, and it’s based on the electrical and acoustical engineering pioneered by Tony Bongiovi, who also happens to be second cousin to the frontman of the band Bon Jovi.
The idea behind the app is to take the music you already have on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch (Android coming soon) and enhance it in real-time by analyzing the signal to boost the bass, highs and mids for a sound that pops out more. All you need to do is make sure the DPS button under the playback bar is blue and you’ll hear the enhanced audio. Tap it to turn it white and you hear what you normally hear with the built-in iPod app.
The app lays everything out for you much like the iPod app does. Songs, artists, playlists, genres, albums, and even podcasts and videos are in the main menu. The menu also includes a section for compilations that groups together greatest hits albums and songs that are from compilations.
The only songs greyed out from playback are tracks with DRM protection on them, so those won’t play through DPS unless you manage to get rid of the lock.
After trying it out for a few songs, you will likely experience a noticeable difference in quality, though this will depend on what bitrate the song is in. Tracks from iTunes are typically in 256kbps, which is good for a compressed file. I ripped all my CDs long ago and made sure they were either in 320kbps or uncompressed WAV. That kind of quality will help DPS improve the audio, but once you get to 128kbps or lower, it has a harder time because the compression takes away more of what the app can work with.
You can also make use of the app in your car or on a stereo system, but for the moment, it requires a hardwired connection, like a 3.5mm line-in cable or FM transmitter. Bluetooth streaming disables the DPS function, but the developers have said that they will support Bluetooth soon.
The app may be free, but there is a 99-cent upgrade to unlock profiles based on equalizer settings meant to work with specific headphones or devices. The others are named after cities but it’s not because that city has a particular sound, it’s just so you can remember what worked best for you. New profiles are added to BongioviAcoustics.com that you can download, and then drag-and-drop into the app via iTunes.
Give the app a shot, you will probably be impressed with the results.
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