Tap the (three lines or dots) and go to Settings . Navigate to Decoder and scroll to the very bottom.
While the player is incredibly powerful, it legally cannot include the codec because Dolby Laboratories charges high royalty fees. To solve this, developers and enthusiasts created "Custom Codecs"—external add-ons that restore high-quality surround sound support for free. Why "Extra Quality" Matters mx player custom codec eac3 extra quality
Perceived audio quality in this context depends on several factors: the fidelity of the decoder implementation, the bitrate and encoding decisions used when the audio was produced, the playback path (software vs hardware decoding), device processing capabilities, and the listener’s output chain (headphones, built-in speakers, external DAC/AV receiver). A well-implemented software EAC3 decoder can reproduce the encoded channels accurately, but it cannot restore detail lost during the original encoding; it merely decodes what’s present. In some cases users report that custom codec-based EAC3 playback sounds “better” or “extra quality” compared with the device’s default handling—this can result from differences in channel mapping, downmix behavior, volume normalization, or how the decoder applies filters and rounding. Conversely, poorly optimized software decoders can introduce CPU strain, dropped frames (if tied to video processing), or audible artifacts. Tap the (three lines or dots) and go to Settings
A codec, short for "coder-decoder," is a software component that compresses and decompresses digital video and audio streams. By developing a custom codec, MX Player aimed to achieve better compression efficiency, reduced latency, and improved overall performance. To solve this, developers and enthusiasts created "Custom
E-AC-3 (Enhanced AC-3) supports up to 7.1 channels of audio, bit rates up to 6.144 Mbps, and sample rates up to 48kHz (and 96kHz in specific implementations). It utilizes a higher compression efficiency to deliver better quality at lower bit rates compared to AC-3.
MX Player lacks native support for the audio format due to licensing restrictions, which often results in a "This audio format (EAC3) is not supported" error. To restore high-quality sound and support for other formats like DTS, AC3, and TrueHD, you must install a custom codec pack . Recommended Codec Versions (2026)
If you want → Use VLC or Kodi instead. For MX Player with best possible EAC3 → The custom FFmpeg codec is the only solution, and “extra quality” depends on your source file bitrate and device DAC.