How bad is Android SoundPool? What alternative to use?

Solution 1:

Just to add some more recent feedback on this issue. I've been using SoundPool for some time in an app with a fairly large user base for key press sounds. Our use case:

• Must be played immediately
• Up to 3+ sounds in parallel
• We make use of the setRate across it's full range [0.5f-2.0f]

I've now experienced two major device specific issue and have decided to cut my losses and switch away from SoundPool

• A large number of 4.4 LG devices (mostly the LG G2/G3 line) were having a native crash with their implementation of SoundPool. This was fixed in an update (eventually) but we still have a lot of users with un-upgraded devices
• Sony Xperia devices currently have all sorts of issue with SoundPool as reported by others. In my case, I've discovered that if you use setRate with rate > 1.0f the SoundPool with start throwing exceptions until your app quits (and burn through a bunch of battery in the process).

TL;DR; I no longer think it's worth the danger/hassle of debugging SoundPool

Solution 2:

Stick with OGG files and SoundPool will do you just fine. It's the nature of the multi-platform beast that is Android that there WILL be hardware configurations that will not work with every significant program, no matter how diligently the programmers try.

If this is a large and well-funded project, add to the funding one of each major phone for testing. It's actually much cheaper than the programmer time spent researching and trying to guess what their performance is.

Sorry. Seems as if this isn't the answer that you were looking for. Good luck!