[Q] Low volume through headphones (common question, different approach..?)

So this is a really common problem and I see a lot of solutions to it on the forums, but none which seem to actually target the actual source of the problem. I have a pair of good to excellent quality monitor headphones, and the volume when using them is really, really low. I've other headphones too (normal earbuds) which are a little louder but nowhere near where they should be.

I've tried the recommended options (using EQ settings, compression and ramping up the EQ), and some Apps to boost volume, but these seem to be boosting gain in software which results in really bad distortion. My guess is that the hardware gain is limited somehow.

There's an Audio section in service mode (*#*#197328640#*#*) which supposedly allows you to change the default gain but on my phone there's no submenu, it just throws back to the original menu. (Could this have something to do with kernel version..?)

I've also heard that on some phones (or maybe kernel / rom versions?) there's a file like default_gain.conf or similar which allows you to change the settings, but there's nothing like that on mine, even after extensive searching.

I'm looking for a proper solution instead of a software gain booster approach as it just leaves audio distorted.. maybe someone with a little more knowledge of how Android handles sound would help..?

For the record, and just in case it's rom / kernel related, I'm using Paranoid Android 2.57.2-Utacka and kernel 3.0.15-cm.. (I thought I'd flashed Hydracore v7, maybe I have but it's not there in system settings).

It'd be really cool to solve this problem once and for all... so if anyone can even hint at a solution it'd be much appreciated.. :)