Which audio codec is best for MX Player?
MX Player is one of the most popular video players for Android devices, with over 300 million users worldwide and around 200 million users in India alone (MX Player Statistics). It allows users to play videos in a variety of formats and also supports additional features like subtitles, Kids Lock, gesture controls, and more.
To playback audio tracks from videos, MX Player relies on audio codecs like MP3, AAC, AC3, DTS, FLAC, and others. Audio codecs compress audio data to reduce file sizes while trying to preserve sound quality. Different codecs utilize different compression methods and have varying levels of compatibility and quality. For optimal experience, it’s important to use the audio codec best suited for MX Player based on factors like quality, file size, device compatibility etc.
MX Player Overview
MX Player, which stands for Media Experience Player, is an open source video player app for Android devices that was created in 2011 by J2 Interactive. Over the years, MX Player has grown to become one of the most popular and widely used video player apps globally, with over 1 billion downloads on the Google Play Store as of 2022 (1).
The app was initially launched in South Korea in 2011 by J2 Interactive, a Seoul-based company. It quickly gained popularity for its smooth performance, wide range of advanced playback features like multi-core decoding and Kids Lock, and support for a variety of video formats (2). In 2014, Times Internet acquired MX Player for $140 million as part of its push into streaming video services (3).
In 2018, MX Player was acquired by Indias e-commerce giant Flipkart for $140 million. The following year, Amazon acquired Flipkart, making MX Player a part of Amazon. Under Amazon, MX Player has continued to grow. As of 2022, it has over 400 million monthly active users globally across Android, iOS, Web, Android TV, Fire TV and more platforms (1).
Common Audio Codecs
There are several common audio codecs used for compressing and encoding digital audio. Some of the most popular include:
MP3 – MPEG Audio Layer III (MP3) is one of the most widely used audio codecs. It utilizes lossy compression, which reduces audio file size by eliminating certain parts of the sound that are considered beyond human hearing range. MP3 files can be compressed to 1/10th-1/12th of the original size while maintaining good quality.
AAC – Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) is another lossy format that was designed to provide better sound quality than MP3 at similar bitrates. AAC is commonly supported across various devices and online platforms. It is the default audio format for YouTube, iTunes, and Nintendo Switch.
FLAC – Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC) is an open format that compresses audio without any loss in quality. It can cut file size by up to 50-60% versus uncompressed formats. FLAC provides full CD-quality audio while taking up less storage space. However, support for FLAC is more limited compared to lossy formats.
Other common codecs include WAV, AIFF, WMA, Opus, and Vorbis. Each codec makes certain trade-offs between audio quality, file size, device support and internet streaming capabilities.[1]
MX Player Audio Codec Support
MX Player supports a wide range of audio codecs out of the box, including popular ones like MP3, AAC, WMA, FLAC, APE, OGG, MKA, and WAV [1]. Some additional codecs can be added through external codec packs like the MX Player Codec (ARMv7 NEON), which enables support for codecs like AC3, DTS, MLP, TrueHD among others [1].
Here are some of the main audio codecs supported by MX Player:
- MP3 – The most widely compatible lossy audio format.
- AAC – Excellent quality and compression, popular in MP4 videos.
- FLAC – An open, lossless codec great for high fidelity audio.
- WMA – Lossy codec commonly used for Windows media files.
- APE – Lossless codec good for archiving audio collections.
- OGG – Free and open container format, can hold Vorbis audio.
- WAV – Lossless uncompressed audio in a simple container.
The ability to play FLAC, APE, and other lossless codecs makes MX Player stand out for audiophiles looking for the highest quality playback. The broad codec support means you can play just about any common audio format without needing to convert it first.
Audio Quality Comparison
When evaluating audio codecs for use in MX Player, assessing their relative audio quality is an important factor. Some of the main codecs to compare include:
AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) – This is considered to be the successor to the MP3 format. At similar bitrates, AAC generally provides better audio quality than MP3. According to a technical comparison from Educypedia, AAC has a richer sound with higher audio fidelity than MP3 at bitrates of 128kbps and below [1].
MP3 – This format is widely supported but lower in audio quality at low bitrates compared to newer formats like AAC and Opus. Per the Educypedia comparison, MP3 audio can sound “empty” and “metallic” at 96kbps and below [1].
Opus – This relatively newer open format provides excellent quality even at very low bitrates. Opus achieves better speech intelligibility and lower latency compared to AAC and MP3. However, device compatibility may be more limited compared to more established formats [2].
FLAC – As an open lossless format, FLAC provides the highest audio fidelity but also the largest file sizes. For uncompressed audio, FLAC would be preferable over formats like MP3 and AAC in MX Player [2].
Audio File Size
The file size of audio files can vary greatly depending on the codec used. Lossless codecs like FLAC and ALAC produce much larger file sizes than lossy codecs like MP3 and AAC since they preserve all the original audio data uncompressed. According to research, a 3 minute FLAC file can be around 40-60MB while an equivalent AAC file may only be around 2-3MB (1).
Lossy codecs use perceptual encoding techniques to remove audio data that is considered beyond the hearing range of most people. This allows them to achieve much higher compression rates and smaller file sizes compared to lossless formats. However, this comes at the cost of reducing audio quality and fidelity. An MP3 file can be compressed to 1/11th the size of an equivalent CD-quality FLAC file while still sounding reasonably close to the original to most listeners (2).
For mobile devices with limited storage like phones, smaller audio file sizes may be preferred. But users willing to sacrifice storage space for the highest audio quality will want to use lossless codecs despite their larger file size footprint.
Device Compatibility
When choosing an audio codec for MX Player, it’s important to consider which codecs work with most devices. The aptX codec is designed to work specifically with certain devices like the BasX PT-100, TA-100 and UMC-200 (Source). However, aptX may not be supported on many common devices like smartphones, tablets, and Bluetooth speakers.
More widely compatible codecs like AAC or MP3 will work on the majority of Android devices that run MX Player. AAC and MP3 are natively supported formats on Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS devices. Choosing one of these common codecs will provide the widest device compatibility for playback through MX Player.
Opting for a more widely used codec over a proprietary one like aptX will ensure your audio files can be played on the most devices. However, it’s still important to consider audio quality and file size when choosing between cross-compatible options like AAC and MP3.
Optimal Codec for MX Player
Based on the audio quality, file size, device compatibility, and other factors discussed, the general recommendation for the best audio codec for MX Player is to use the E-AC-3 codec.
E-AC-3, also called Enhanced AC3 or Dolby Digital Plus, offers higher audio quality than standard AC3, with support for more channels, higher bitrates, and improved efficiency [1]. It provides a good balance of quality and file size, keeping files reasonably compact while still delivering excellent surround sound.
The E-AC-3 codec has wide compatibility across Android devices and versions when using MX Player. It can be easily added to MX Player via custom codec packages like the MX Player AIO (all-in-one) zip [2]. Some users even report E-AC-3 providing better performance and stability over other codecs in MX Player.
For those seeking top notch audio quality from MX Player, while keeping file sizes reasonable, E-AC-3 is typically recommended as the best balance. It delivers excellent surround sound without the larger file sizes of lossless codecs like DTS-HD MA or TrueHD.
Other Considerations
There are a few other factors to consider when choosing the optimal audio codec for MX Player beyond just audio quality and file size. The first aspect is the device and compatibility. Some codecs may not be supported on all devices MX Player is installed on. For example, newer phones and Android versions may support more codecs than older phones. Checking device and Android OS compatibility with various codecs is advised.
Another element is if you are streaming video and audio to MX Player or playing local files. With streaming, having a commonly supported codec like AAC may be best for wider compatibility. For local playback, you may have more flexibility to use less common codecs that could potentially offer better quality at smaller file sizes.
Lastly, exploring the audio settings in MX Player can let you customize the experience. Features like audio boost, volume normalization, and stereo widening may help enhance the audio from your chosen codec. There are also accessibility settings for those hard of hearing. Optimizing these settings for your listening preferences can improve audio quality.
Conclusion
When choosing the optimal audio codec for MX Player, there are a few key factors to consider. Based on our analysis, the AAC audio codec generally provides the best balance of audio quality and file size compression. It is widely compatible with most devices, and is one of the few codecs officially supported by MX Player. While other codecs like FLAC offer higher fidelity, the large file sizes make it impractical for mobile use. MP3 is also highly compatible, but falls short of AAC in terms of audio quality at mid to low bitrates.
Overall, AAC is recommended as the best audio codec for MX Player, especially for portable use. The audio quality is superb, files remain a reasonable size, and device compatibility is strong. Just be sure to choose high quality encoding settings when converting audio to AAC, as lower bitrates will diminish its advantage over other codecs. With the right encoding settings, AAC hits the sweet spot of great quality and efficient compression for an optimal mobile listening experience on MX Player.