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Help Road noise complaints using speakerphone in car

jlye99

Lurker
I'm in my first week with the GS3, and I am getting all kinds of complaints from people I call on speakerphone in the car (which I do a lot). They say it is a loud swishing white noise, and it goes away when the car stops. Anyone else with road noise problems on outbound speaker call quality?
 
No, windows are up, and I turned the fan off in the car, so it's not direct wind noise. But the noise does stop altogether when the car stops. Something about the noise while driving seems to be picked up by the GS3 in a way unike any of the many other cell phones I've used over the years. Usually people I call can't even tell I have them on speaker, and now everyone is complaining.
 
Isn't this usually an earthing issue? Like when your engine sounds come through the car speakers? Perhaps you'd need to rule that out by speaking to an automotive audio specialist?
 
I am guessing you are charging at the time via 12V USB adapter. This is likely as SU stated a Ground Loop Issue. There are a number of ways to correct this. Just Google Car Ground Loop Isolation.
 
Isn't this usually an earthing issue? Like when your engine sounds come through the car speakers? Perhaps you'd need to rule that out by speaking to an automotive audio specialist?

Brilliant- never would have thought of this as a possible issue...
 
I am not sure if this setting works with speakerphone or not but just make sure it is on.
Phone app > menu > call settings > additional settings > make sure Noise Reduction is checked.
Good luck!
 
I can completely sympathize!
I just got my S3 last week. (moved from BB after 9 yrs)
Uploaded all the apps and contacts
Updated to Jelly Bean 4.1.
Made my 1st call via BLUETOOTH in my Honda.
The person on the other end said it sounded like i was talking in a WINDTUNNEL...but obviously that was not the case. This was at highway speeds. As i got off the highway...the background noise would lower.
I tried...NOISE CANCELLING ON/OFF, and a soft reset....no luck.
I've had my car for 5 yrs...so used my 3 BBs with the honda...with NO PROBLEMS of BACKGROUND NOISE....now...i have to resort to the headphones provided.
I've contacted my carrier...but they are giving me a hard time.

PLEASE...any assistance is much appreaciated
 
I called someone the other day in the car on speakerphone and they couldn't tell. The phone wasn't on charge at the time, just in its windscreen holder thing. Obviously the faster you go the noisier it gets!
 
Interesting ideas--thanks for the suggestions. I'm not charging in the car, so it's not that. I wonder if whatever noise reduction algorithm the s3 uses is having trouble with the native frequencies in my car. I need to try it in another car and see if it persists.

Anyone know of a 3rd party speakerphone noise reduction app? I searched google play and didn't come up with much.
 
jlye99,
I connected my troubled S3 to my wife's 2011 Infiniti.
EXACTLY the same problem.
No change.
This has to be a phone issue...NO DOUBT.

Granted, if you go faster, yes there is more road noise; however for me, i do alot of business on the road and use my builtin in-car bluetooth connection religiously.
With BB, never ever an issue....switch to the GS3....massive difference on the 1st call...and going forward.

PLEASE...any help would be great.
I cannot resort to the headphones...
 
How about using a second phone (...of a different type and model) as a test. Call a person on your S3 with the speakerphone enabled, verify bad quality. Call the same person on the other phone, have them answer with call waiting. Put the phone on speaker and ask if the audio quality is different/better. Swap back and forth.

At least you will know if there is interference or just blame it on the S3 at that point.
 
I was reading on some sites about bluetooth and wifi interference and it sounds like you may be getting something similar.

Try turning on/off bluetooth and wifi devices as well as on the phone and see if that helps. Also disconnect the headphones to make sure it is not acting like an antenae.

Also what kind of light bulbs do you have in your car? (Headlights in particular).

Minimizing Bluetooth Interference

AirPort and Bluetooth: Potential sources of wireless interference

Telecom (Phone, Fax, E-mail): Speakerphone interference, nortel telephones, desk lamp
 
I've tried using my speakerphone in 2 different cars now with the same result, so it's not just something unique to my Jeep. I spent a while trying out different variables with a friend on the other line--noise reduction on/off changes nothing. Stopping the car stops the noise. Switching from speaker to regular phone stops the noise. When I am speaking, apparently the noise gets less, but when I stop speaking the other person hears the noise. They describe it as a lound "wind tunnel" along with "static." One person said it sounded like I was going over a very bumpy road (though I was not). I think it seems to get worse when I go faster, though people say it does NOT sound like amplified engine noise.

I'll try the turning bluetooth/wifi off this afternoon (though I'm pretty sure BT is off already).

Any chance this is some kind of interference due to my phone being in motion? Electrical interference with GPS or antenna? I'm at a loss. Never had anything like this with any other speakerphone, including BB and cheapo flip phones.
 
>Also what kind of light bulbs do you have in your car? (Headlights in particular).

Icandescents in the interior lamp, LCD panel on the Jeep GPS, LEDs on the AC controls, regular incandescent halogen headlights. Intereference happens day or night, though.
 
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