I'm still battling Linux sound. It just never sounds as good as Windows, and it's starting to piss me off now that I'm running Linux full time and my audio sounds like poop.

1) For audio that was recorded low, max volume in the app and the desktop mixer isn't always enough. I need a way to go beyond the norms. I've tried the Vlc preamp, but it just ends up causing distortion.

2) The sound quality is continually disappointing, and apps either don't have an EQ, or poor quality EQ's

I also don't want to spend 6 months learning how to use the new piece of software. Is there anything you can recommend to give me more volume and possibly a decent EQ, ideally with standard presets (e.g., 'rock, pop, classicl', etc.)?

Have you ever tried aqualung:

http://aqualung.factorial.hu/

can be used with plugins -