Speaker distortion/resonance and buzzing - AT&T Galaxy Note 3 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hello,
I picked up my att note 3 on Friday. I believe I have a defective loudspeaker. When at max or near max volume when talking on speaker phone the audio is distorted/resonant similar to a buzzing. I tried removing the back cover which had no affect.
Being as others have modified the android OS to increase volume with success it seems likely to be a defective phone.
Please let me know if any one else hears poor speaker phone audio quality.
I will likely try to swap my phone out for a new one at att.
Daniel
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using xda app-developers app

dachness said:
Hello,
I picked up my att note 3 on Friday. I believe I have a defective loudspeaker. When at max or near max volume when talking on speaker phone the audio is distorted/resonant similar to a buzzing. I tried removing the back cover which had no affect.
Being as others have modified the android OS to increase volume with success it seems likely to be a defective phone.
Please let me know if any one else hears poor speaker phone audio quality.
I will likely try to swap my phone out for a new one at att.
Daniel
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe yours is normal. As when I listen to folks on speakerphoneI can hardly hear them compared to my S4 and its quiet perhaps they reduced it on my build for this very reason ( cheap speaker ).

I originally thought something was wrong with my device because i kept hearing the audio drop down and raise again when listening to music. But I noticed it never did that with anything else besides the app, Spotify. I decided to try another music app and I cannot replicate the issue. I think it's the Spotify app. Maybe a compatiblity issue with 4.3, not sure. Either way sounds comes out normal except in that app.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk 4

Any one else experiencing this problem?

Hello Everyone,
I exchanged my phone this past Friday. The new phone may be slightly better than my previous one but it still distorts at full volume when on speakerphone.
Daniel

dachness said:
Hello Everyone,
I exchanged my phone this past Friday. The new phone may be slightly better than my previous one but it still distorts at full volume when on speakerphone.
Daniel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ran some more tests on both my wife's and my unit. If you listen carefully on full volume you can occasionally hear it clip
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

Mine is pretty bad. I have a hard time hearing people on speakerphone unless it is all the way up, then it is pretty distorted.

Related

Do your speaker make a popping sound after playing volume?

I got my HTC One today, and something I noticed is that 2 seconds after volume comes out of the speakers it's followed by a popping sound which sounds like the speakers are turning off. It's extremely annoying, and sometimes I hear a popping/clicking from the speaker when I'm not even playing sound.
Are you experiencing this, or is my unit defected? It's EXTREMELY annoying, considering the speakers are facing you, and you can't ignore it as if the sound was coming from the back of the phone.
Please let me know.
unity04 said:
I got my HTC One today, and something I noticed is that 2 seconds after volume comes out of the speakers it's followed by a popping sound which sounds like the speakers are turning off. It's extremely annoying, and sometimes I hear a popping/clicking from the speaker when I'm not even playing sound.
Are you experiencing this, or is my unit defected? It's EXTREMELY annoying, considering the speakers are facing you, and you can't ignore it as if the sound was coming from the back of the phone.
Please let me know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just received my second HTC One today and it has this problem (as did the first), I also get popping sounds while watching videos on youtube.
It also has the same loud hissing coming from the speakers when watching videos on youtube / playing games as my first phone. Considering audio is one of the main features of this phone it's quite disappointing.
I could probably live with the hissing / audio glitches if I didn't have dead pixels as well, oh well, time to get the Galaxy S4 I think.
-Aziki
Had 4 handsets all with this issue. All very different batch numbers. Could be a software issue but equally it might be a hardware issue, which isn't worth risking, especially when I can just get an s4 instead.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Have you tried disabling Beats Audio?
I've noticed a weird cut in / out when it first detects audio and engages Beats.
Probably unrelated...
It's part of the problem, beats makes the issue twice as bad, but it's still present without it.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
It Software not hardware related. This used to happen with the One X when it first released, I think it was fixed though. Try closing all applications and running just YouTube, it normally makes the problem better. Also, if your on the Music app it won't always do it.
I have exactly the same problem
Is every handset having this problem? One of the main selling points of this device is the premium audio quality, right?
I'm having the same issue... Everytime I press the sleep button I hear a pop just a few sec later... Hope it'll be fix with the next software update... It's not a big deal, but now that I noticed that, it bother me everytime I hear it!
I disabled touch sounds, etc in sounds along with beats, and it is much better now
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Can we join these 3 threads possibly?
Same issues on this thread can we join the 3 ?
this one and these 2
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=40630257#post40630257
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2246554
I was told it's something to do with the beats audio amp/chip what ever it's called,
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
I think it maybe the EQ that the software uses. I remember when I had an AT&T One X someone made an audio mod for it that changed a lot of stuff and one of the versions had this problem but the others didn't so I don't think its a hardware issue.

[Q] HTC One Sound Issues with Headphones

Hi there - I'm enjoying my new HTC One since a couple of days. Everything seem to be working fine and I am truly amazed being new to HTC but I'm having issues with the sound quality when I use headphones.
The moment any type of sound is played (headphones plugged in) by the phone I get some hissing sound from distortion, interference..... who knows. It stops after more or less two seconds after the last sound but is continuous when I play music. The headphones I'm using are noise-cancelling but I also tried several regular ones and the problem is still there. All headphones work fine with any other device.
Has anybody experienced similar issues? I would be grateful for any sort of help on this issue.
Cheers!
Sounds like the headphones are not plugged in all the way... Do you have a case with a cutout for the headphones? That could explain it. Try without the case.
Otherwise could be a faulty socket in the phone in which case exchange it.
Lastly, I know that bluetooth and wifi conflict when listening to music wirelessly.. Although you are plugged in to the phone, experiment with wifi and bluetooth turned off anyway if they are on by default.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
Cans with incompatible mic's cause issues too. A tip ring, ring, sleeve connector that is not genuine HTC will throw a weird reverb sound up.
Try turn off beats and see if you still hear noise?
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
h.han said:
Try turn off beats and see if you still hear noise?
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip. The hissing noise is slightly lower than with Beats audio on but the problem still persists..
I've had 4 HTC Ones and they've all had this issue, exchanging it for an s4. Theres a few threads in the troubleshooting section about this, a few people claim that HTC told them over the phone that its a software issue but when I phoned them they didn't have a clue.
On my Sensation I had the same problem with in ear phones. The solution was to edit some config files in the/etc folder which would lower the gain settings, which would make the hiss virtually non existent.
You have to be rooted to do so.
The name of the file is
TPA2051_CFG.csv and another just like it.
You want to edit the mode_playback_headset line.
I don't have a One yet, and for that matter dont know if these files exist on the One.My feeling is they do, or some others just like it, but might be named a bit different since i think the TPA2051 in the file name stands for the chip, and in the above case would be for the Sensation.
But just wanted to pass this on as I certainly understand not wanting the hiss with low impedence in ear phones.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using Tapatalk 2
I have been noticing this issue also. It's sort of like a continuous faint popping / ticking that sometimes fades out, and comes back. However also I have noticed that the issue isn't an issue once you turn the screen off or are on the lock screen. So playing music, then locking it lets you have clean audio through the headphones. Isn't until I turn the screen on and unlock the device that the weird popping sound comes back. So using the headphones for anything with the screen on is a bit annoying... and turning beats audio off just reduces the volume of the popping sound but doesn't get rid of it.
Fortunately I don't really do much with headphones on the phone except for listening to music with the screen off, however if I could discover a fix for it to act good all the time that would just be fantastic. Particularly while web browsing.
I have had the same issue since i got the phone but i was reading that its something to do with any app that uses the proximity sensor? is there any truth in this i'd love to get rid of it...if i did the HTC is the perfect phone IMO
hegartyp said:
I have had the same issue since i got the phone but i was reading that its something to do with any app that uses the proximity sensor? is there any truth in this i'd love to get rid of it...if i did the HTC is the perfect phone IMO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same problem but during voice calls. DUring music its fine. I have noticed that if I am using 3G , UMTS or LTE , this problem is much more compared to GSM . On GSM I feel nothing during voice call.
Interesting that I found this thread. I've been noticing a clicking or ticking sound while using my cheap FM transmitter in the car through the headphone jack. All other headphones work fine. I tried a LG device with the same transmitter and there is a 'whirring' feedback instead. The clicking is certainly unique to the HTC one, but it DOES depend on the device the headphone jack is connected too.
I agree the HTC does not sound good using in ear headphones. I tried all different types of in ear headphones nothing works. The Nexus 4 and Galaxy S4 are the same way. Listen to music is very unpleasant
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
I've heard this hissing issue with every android phone (s3, s4, one, evo 3d, nexus 7) i've tried to day.
As a sidenote I've also heard this on the BB Z10, but not on my girlfriends super old ipod touch.
I think apple may be the route to take for audio quality .
I have this issue too but faux sound nearly eliminates it. Just get a compatible kernel, set preset to quality and you are good to go
I also had this issue with my One X+ so it's obviously not the audio chip but rather something HTC is doing to increase the volume output.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta
---------- Post added at 12:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:06 PM ----------
Docks said:
I've heard this hissing issue with every android phone (s3, s4, one, evo 3d, nexus 7) i've tried to day.
As a sidenote I've also heard this on the BB Z10, but not on my girlfriends super old ipod touch.
I think apple may be the route to take for audio quality .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sadly, that is the only way to go. My iPhone 5 had great sound quality, sound was clean and no hissing crap at all. It's really a sad that you have to get fauxsound to lower the gain to get decent quality output.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta
killman2659 said:
I have this issue too but faux sound nearly eliminates it. Just get a compatible kernel, set preset to quality and you are good to go
I also had this issue with my One X+ so it's obviously not the audio chip but rather something HTC is doing to increase the volume output.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta
---------- Post added at 12:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:06 PM ----------
Sadly, that is the only way to go. My iPhone 5 had great sound quality, sound was clean and no hissing crap at all. It's really a sad that you have to get fauxsound to lower the gain to get decent quality output.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i agree

Poll: Is one speaker louder than the other?

A day after receiving my phone, I began to notice the bottom speaker was louder than the top. Now I'm wondering if this is common.
Holding the phone about 6-8 inches away from you, play a video or mp3 of talking (standup comedy/video blog/etc) with the volume 3-4 notches below max. Do one of the speakers sound slightly/noticeably louder?
Nfinity said:
A day after receiving my phone, I began to notice the bottom speaker was louder than the top. Now I'm wondering if this is common.
Holding the phone about 6-8 inches away from you, play a video or mps of talking (standup comedy/video blog/etc) with the volume 3-4 notches below max. Do one of the speakers sound slightly/noticeably louder?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Part of the update to the international version is a better stereo audio mix.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda app-developers app
raptoro07 said:
Part of the update to the international version is a better stereo audio mix.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply.
Maybe that would fix it. With it my Sprint unit only being a week old, I'd rather not risk it to wait and see. Lets Talk is sending me another one as we speak (type?). Gonna test my new unit to see if it has the same problem.
I actually might have waited it out if it weren't for the fact that the top speaker died at one point, requiring a soft reset to fix. Hopefully I just got a bad unit because I love this phone.
I noticed this on one that we took out of the box to play with. Was watching a few youtube videos on it and I noticed that the bottom speaker was slightly louder than the top. Otherwise it wouldn't really be noticeable imho, seems like a software mixing problem on the device we tested. Yours could have been defective if it was significantly louder than the top speaker.
Darkendvoid88 said:
I noticed this on one that we took out of the box to play with. Was watching a few youtube videos on it and I noticed that the bottom speaker was slightly louder than the top. Otherwise it wouldn't really be noticeable imho, seems like a software mixing problem on the device we tested. Yours could have been defective if it was significantly louder than the top speaker.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly what I'm experiencing. It's a minor volume difference, but enough to be noticeable. I almost started to believe one of my ears were less capable than the other, lol. I'll try out the replacement and see if it's an improvement. Wish I didn't have to set everything up again, though.
Nfinity said:
That's exactly what I'm experiencing. It's a minor volume difference, but enough to be noticeable. I almost started to believe one of my ears were less capable than the other, lol. I'll try out the replacement and see if it's an improvement. Wish I didn't have to set everything up again, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just turn the phone upside down..
Felnarion said:
Just turn the phone upside down..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't be a smartass. I have this same issue. How exactly is flipping the phone supposed to help if one side is louder than the other? If i flip it over, ONE SIDE IS STILL LOUDER THAN THE OTHER. smh....
My bottom one is louder too I think, not by much tho...
Sent from my aluminum T.A.R.D.I.S!
I can barely notice a difference between the two speakers. If you didn't post this I probably would never even detected it but there is a very slight difference between the two speakers.
My apologies to any glass shattering moments created for anyone who reads this topic.
I've confirmed the volume imbalance by venturing to different retail stores and testing their models, along with the two I've posessed. Each time I've been able to have it presented to me in random orientations and, with my eyes closed, identify which side is the bottom speaker. It's kind of a neat party trick at this point, lol.
I've become used to it, assuming it to be a software fix away from perfection. Here's hoping HTC notices and balances the two.
Just got my black sprint model 2 days ago. Seems equal to me. Maybe I'm just not that anal.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda app-developers app
For what it's worth. I haven't noticed any imbalances with my phone...
I noticed this on one that we took out of the box to play with. Was watching a few youtube videos on it and I dynam rc planes noticed that the bottom speaker was slightly louder than the top.I can barely notice a difference between the two speakers. If you didn't post this I probably would never even detected it but there is a very slight difference between the two speakers:good::good:.
My bottom speaker is very slightly louder. I thought it was a hardware fault but turn beats on and both speakers level out perfectly! Can't complain!
Mine seems to be well balanced
Hi Guys
Just got my New One and Im having the same issue.. the bottom speaker is ever so slightly louder than the top.. On its side, the SIM tray down over, front cam at the top, listening to TuneIn Radio Pro and any music In the player.. the Right speaker is louder. Im running 422 / 2.24.401.8.
Are these defective units and should I replace it or is there a fix out for it.
Thanks
my top is louder.. for sure.. but it still sounds great to me.. i didt get my phone new.. i traded my S4 for the ONE.. from someone off craigslist.. the dude i got it from his first htc one died.. so they sent him a replacement he had it for 5 days the we traded phone
Stereo is never equally output balanced..which is why its stereo.
My top speaker is louder. Over the updates the overal sound volume has been decreased. Does anyone know of a volume fix?
Sent from my HTCONE using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Have a m7ul, not a Sprint One, but I noticed my bottom speaker is MUCH louder than my top one. To the point where there's no noticeable difference in volume/sound if I cover the top speaker. Had anyone noticed if the ROM makes any difference? Stock sense vs Play Edition vs CM?
I'm on CM 10.2 nightly right now. I did have a lot of difficulty hearing people on phone calls on ARHD Sense though.
Sent from my One using Tapatalk 4

Sound levels of speakers

I was wondering if anyone has experienced a drop in sound levels of the One's speakers.
When I bought the phone I was blown away by the quality and volume of "BoomSound". I've started tinkering with the phone and installed different ROMs and then I've S-OFFed did the GPE ruu conversion and then back to Sense complete stock (via RUU). In the middle of all this I noticed the volume and quality of the front speakers is not what it once was. First I just thought I was getting used with the phone and was just crazy, but now I bought a new One for my wife and oh my do those speakers "boom".
Setting the new One to half volume is about as loud as my One at full volume, plus mine clip at full volume.
Question is, anyone else has experienced this? Is it a hardware problem (I dropped the phone a couple of times) or is it because all the software stuff.
I'm also thinking the small grill might be clogged and muffle the sound, but I'm afraid to stick something in there (like a pin) because of damaging the speakers even worse.
The volume was lowered by HTC in the 4.3 update so probably this is the reason. Any custom ROMs which use the same base have lower volume. Did your wife's new One get the latest update? Probably after the update the volume will be lower too.
Hmmm, did not know that. You are right, she didn't do the update to 4.3 yet. Why would they do that? Is there a tweak to bring back the old levels?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
I heard a few issues with people blowing the speakers from the loud volume and that's why. Perhaps if you dig around you might find a tweak somewhere
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Low call volume?

I tried a phone call and the volume seems really low even at max volume. Anyone else have that issue?
Also, what about using simultaneous voice and data - does it require an update to work?
I seen some other people say that voice and data didn't work together. Are u kidding me? My old Note 2, Droid 4 and HTC One Max all had data while talking on the phone.
jrcbandit said:
I tried a phone call and the volume seems really low even at max volume. Anyone else have that issue?
Also, what about using simultaneous voice and data - does it require an update to work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too noticed low call volume. Boss got the phone same time I did and he says the same. Tried the trick of holding down volume to all the way low and then raising it and that still didnt fix it.
Loving the phone, but if I cant hear people unless its dead quiet, thats no good.
Speaker problems
I just picked up the 64gb! I love the phone...a lot! I notice the low volume on calls as well, but I think there is something more going on.
The speaker sounds absolutely horrible. There is no way this thing isn't defective. It sounds like an old speaker with a busted cone that makes the "tingy" noise. :crying: Just curious if anyone else is having this problem. I listened to the one in the store, but it was very noisy in there. I couldn't get a good gauge. I am going to go back and see what is up. These things happen, I just hope that is what it is. I powered up my Razr Maxx again and listened to see. It sounded great. Please be defective!!!
Xfvalveking said:
I just picked up the 64gb! I love the phone...a lot! I notice the low volume on calls as well, but I think there is something more going on.
The speaker sounds absolutely horrible. There is no way this thing isn't defective. It sounds like an old speaker with a busted cone that makes the "tingy" noise. :crying: Just curious if anyone else is having this problem. I listened to the one in the store, but it was very noisy in there. I couldn't get a good gauge. I am going to go back and see what is up. These things happen, I just hope that is what it is. I powered up my Razr Maxx again and listened to see. It sounded great. Please be defective!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I noticed this too, my speaker sounded pretty "fuzzy". Haven't had much time to listen to the speaker.
I didn't call anyone yet but I tested a movie and it sounded great coming from an s4
I fixed my problem. Turn off the stupid equalizer for the phone speaker. Much louder for everything.
Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
jrcbandit said:
I fixed my problem. Turn off the stupid equalizer for the phone speaker. Much louder for everything.
Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And how to do this?
droidkevlar said:
And how to do this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's somewhere under the sound settings.
Yeah in the sound settings under Audio Effects.
It seems the call sound is coming from the upper right speaker not the whole speaker strip. I find it a bit loader with my ear closer to the top right corner. Seems a bit silly and i could be wrong but feels this way for me.
Sent from my XT1254 using XDA Free mobile app
I agree - I think the sound is very low.
This is compared to a Galaxy S5 which I could basically set down, not use speakerphone, and still hear.
I'm also experiencing low volume in calls. It's bad enough that I'm tempted to return the phone. I've owned many smart phones and have never experienced this.
The only "workaround" that I've found is to hold the phone in an unnatural position slightly away from my ear and with my ear at the top corner of the phone, and even then the volume is still too low. Totally unacceptable. Did they never make a phone call during testing?? I hope this can somehow be addresses via a software update asap.
Sent from my XT1254 using XDA Free mobile app
I'm thinking this can be solved by a software update. I agree though, the volume is quite concerning.
LeoLopezDO said:
I'm thinking this can be solved by a software update. I agree though, the volume is quite concerning.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If we had root it would probably just be a build.prop edit... Oh well.
I'll be waiting for one or the other
So if I'm on BT and switch to speaker on phone instead of talking through the car, the speaker on the phone is super loud, nor van be turned down. Anyone else notice this?
theexec777 said:
It seems the call sound is coming from the upper right speaker not the whole speaker strip. I find it a bit loader with my ear closer to the top right corner. Seems a bit silly and i could be wrong but feels this way for me.
Sent from my XT1254 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right. Seems weird that its not in the middle but its fine if you put your ear to that corner
There are little notches on the left and right side of the grill, my suspicion is that there are "stereo" speakers with one located above each notch. They may also have the audio configured to split volume between the two speakers.
Each call I have had was on speaker phone, and the call quality for me was MUCH better than my G2 and much louder. I took a call today and did not use speaker, I too noticed at first that the call volume was extremely low, I was clicking the volume up constantly and no change. Finally I moved the phone around a bit on my ear until I found the sweet spot.
It seems the call comes from the side, possibly one of the stereo speakers, I believe I remember having to hold the phone on the right side to my ear to get the best volume. It is plenty loud though, just move it around a bit and you will figure it out! Hope this helps!

Categories

Resources