TOPIC:

Hi !

Often switching between different headphones with the IL-DSP connected to an Android phone or Linux machine, it was fairly limiting to have to rely on a Windows or Mac computer to load make and load new EQ profiles.
Unfortunately, @devteam was no help so I took matter in my own hands and started a project to make the IL-DSP configurable from more platforms.

To make that happen, I reverse-engineered the IL-DSP USB control protocol and wrote a new, fairly complete implementation from scratch, by only looking at the messages sent back and forth between the miniDSP desktop program and the USB device.
Then I wrote command line utilities and finished a first version of an Android app.

Right now, the Android app is only a tech demo showing device info and providing a bypass toggle.
The app is now live in Beta channel on the Play Store!
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=supercurio.headphones.app

Does anybody have the same need as me and would benefit from this app?

I was holding off buying the IL-DSP until the minidsp devs released a mobile app (essential for this product really), but disappointingly heard nothing back from them about it. Now you're developing one though I will probably order the device. Looking forward to further updates from you on a fully functioning app. Brilliant work, thanks!

I should soon get a working IL-DSP unit again, my early production one failed which prevented to test the app features.
www.minidsp.com/forum/dsp-headphone-amp/...o-usb-socket-failure

Until then I'll hold off on releasing a new version of the app but I've been working on it to add these features:

Load and apply miniDSP XML config file
By using using Android the storage access framework , it works really well to open configs from built-in storage, USB stick, Google Drive, DropBox, or whatever cloud service you are using.

Render and display loaded filter frequency response

Re-order filters to prevent unnecessary clipping
@FlorinAndrei identified that it is very easy to introduce clipping even when being careful with successive positive/negative gain bands: www.minidsp.com/forum/suggestion-box/163...-is-at-or-below-0-db
I designed 2 algorithms to re-order filter bands in order to prevent going over 0dB at any stage when the final output remains below 0dB.
One is optimising for maximum headroom, the other takes more passes and optimises for maximum bit depth, although I'm not sure it will make a measurable different on the noise floor in practice.
Both approach seem great in theory but I couldn't test yet the result on IL-DSP hardware.

Work in progress: machine-learning based match target frequency response EQ generator
Instead of using an algorithmic approach to generating EQ bands to match a user-defined frequency response to correct their headphones, I started to learn machine learning hoping to solve that with a trained neural network instead.
My hope is that it could end up being a very fast and powerful solution on mobile, especially when using hardware acceleration as found on modern mobile phones. Possibly it could also make EQ filters more creatively than an algorithm.
It's still early and I'm not sure yet if it will perform well enough: from the first results: maybe
It could just as well be a complete waste of time, but at least it's novel and fun playing with.

I'm a miniDSP noob, however very interested. I'll give it a try.
Thank you, sir.

Long time no see!
I got a replacement IL-DSP since, although it took some time.

During the wait I lost interest and the drive to continue working on this project however.
The fact that the device was so fragile certainly didn't help.
Initially I thought it could be a great product, that it had the potential to grow, sell well and that a mobile app could be useful to many. Now, I'm not too convinced.
Instead I started using Bluetooth headsets with good results and excellent convenience.
Namely: Sony WF-1000XM3 which provides satisfying audio quality once EQed, and Airpods Pro for their excellent noise cancellation.
Neither of which broke after light use.

Anyway I actually have a working prototype of the app which can load XML preset files as-is, and the last thing I was working on was automatic filter re-ordering to prevent signal clipping in some cases, which was feature-complete but affected by a bug in the last test I ran before my unit died.
Then I had to wait for a while, and focused on other things.

However in case anyone is still interested, let me know!
It would only take a few hours to a day of work to publish a working version the Play Store, and although it was a great learning experience regardless - USB reverse engineering and all, it would be cool if the app is making a few people's life easier and more enjoyable.