• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Just Not Happy With The Audio Quality.

S

steveo42

Well-Known Member
I dunno. The audio quality of this phone doesn't seem to be that great. I'm running the volume one notch from max (max distorts) and I still can't hear some callers. I have to turn the speaker phone on and that is no shining star either.

The final straw was today when I decided to explore the GPS navigation via Google. The person talking sounded real tinny and awful even though the media volume was either full or one notch down.

Does anyone else have this problem?

I've tried Volume + (paid for) and it still sucks. I'm not willing to root the phone.
I have also factory reset the phone twice.

If this thing can't make decent calls with loud volume my wife, with the super ears, will get it and I'm getting an iPhone which seems to have excellent audio.

Any ideas?
 
Mine is just fine I would go to a verizon store and see if its the same as the display. If is just your phone call to get a replacement.
 
Thanks everyone. I'm going to compare it to one at Verizon store and see if it's normal of if mine is just broken. I'll keep you posted.
 
Yeah man, Mine is the loudest and best quality Android I've owned to date. I bet you've got a bum speaker. My suggestion would be to go and see if VZW will get you another (seeing as they won't fix them anymore.) Good luck....
 
Sorry for the delay but I went to Verizon today as well as Best Buy on a mission to hear what other phones sound like.

Bottom line is they all suck.
Tinny sounding speakers, not loud enough volume and believe me I tried a bunch of them including the new Samsung Note, Galaxy IIS, iPhone4S and so forth. The iPhone was particularly bad. I was using Youtube Vids and made calls using the Speaker Phone on phones that allowed it. Some were locked down.

My hearing isn't that great after years of recording and playing in rock and jazz bands so I'm pretty sure it's me.

Some things I have noticed about the Maxx.

The voice in Google Navigation is particularly awful.
Real tinny sounding.
I have to run the volume one notch down because I get slight buzzing with some calls on full volume.
The volume in both my BT headsets is VERY, VERY loud and clear. I use a Motorola and Blue Ant T1.

As for calls, it depends upon the call.
Some are loud and clear and others are low volume.
Never really noticed this problem with my BB Bold.

I'm actually afraid to ask for another phone because this one is perfect otherwise. Display is perfect, no reboots, battery life excellent etc.
I'm nervous about getting a refurb lemon.

Anyone else notice these things?
 
It's not always the phone you have that is the problem. Sometimes the other person has a crappy phone that produces poor sounding quality on your end. Others hold the mic so far away from their mouth it sounds like they are a block away. Sometimes it's the network.
 
wxman2003 said:
It's not always the phone you have that is the problem. Sometimes the other person has a crappy phone that produces poor sounding quality on your end. Others hold the mic so far away from their mouth it sounds like they are a block away. Sometimes it's the network.
Click to expand...

Yes I know. I have 2 friends with iPhones on ATT and they sound particularly bad when they call me. Not always, but a good 75 percent of the time.

How does Google Navigation's voice sound to you?

On my phone it's very tinny sounding.
 
steveo42 said:
Yes I know. I have 2 friends with iPhones on ATT and they sound particularly bad when they call me. Not always, but a good 75 percent of the time.

How does Google Navigation's voice sound to you?

On my phone it's very tinny sounding.
Click to expand...
google navigation does sound tinny. IMO every phone sounds tinny using speakerphone.
 
I've had my Maxx since last Thursday and I've notice the audio on the phone is "tinny" as the OP explained. My old HTC Droid Incredible sounds a lot better.
 
My volume and speaker is fine, but Google navigation has sounded bad after an upgrade a while back. They changed the voice at the same time. Then they call it an upgrade. I've gotten used to Google nav. now.
 
Pico TTS is generally tinny, but its high treble cuts through car noises and can be heard over music when you don't have a car audio setup that automatically mutes. If you want better sounding TTS for nav, take a look at the Ivona products. The tradeoff is that Ivona's much nicer voices are not as loud as Pico.
 
I returned my first MAXX for the same exact reason, low volume when talking on the phone. I actually have to strain my ears a bit to hear the other side. I spoke to Verizon, and they're the ones who recommended I try a different phone. Well, my second one has the same "low" call volume. I think this is just the way the volume is. I can tell you that the volume of my original Droid beats this one by far.
 
Try playing with media audio effects in sound settings. My OG was the loudest phone ice ever had. Maxx is close. Xperia play is close as well. But yeah, nav voice is useless.
 
So after a week of use, I've tweaked the EQ on my audio app and the audio sounds a little better. I guess I'm just more used to my old HTC Incredible sound.
 
no issues with tunes - but I do think the MAXX is weaker overall than by DX was.

IE I seem to need to be one notch up on the volume bar than I used to be - assuming the bar increments mean the same on the DX and the MAXX

Otherwise, speaker phone is weak until you place the phone on something with a hard surface. its made that way -

Otherwise clarity seems to be OK and I noticed the same thing with that google nav.
 
Thanks everyone. It seems it's just the way these phones are these days.
I played with others in BestBuy and with the exception of the Blackberry, they all sound quite tinny.

One thing that bothers me though is I have to turn the volume all the way up for in call. Granted my hearing isn't great (playing in rock bands for many years) but even my wife who has "super ears" has a little trouble hearing calls.
It's dependent upon the person calling but still seems to run like 70/30 with 70 percent being not loud enough.

I hope ICS fixes this.
 
I've only had my Maxx since Friday, but I'm also not impressed with the sound quality on phone calls. My old basic LG Envy had much better sound. I'm going to get a bluetooth speaker for the car and hope it gets better with that - but it seems like just walking around and talking on this is not going to be an enjoyable experience. :(
 
sbhsquared said:
I've only had my Maxx since Friday, but I'm also not impressed with the sound quality on phone calls. My old basic LG Envy had much better sound. I'm going to get a bluetooth speaker for the car and hope it gets better with that - but it seems like just walking around and talking on this is not going to be an enjoyable experience. :(
Click to expand...

That's basically how I feel. I have to run the thing Max volume all the time. It's kind of amazing that such a high tech and otherwise GREAT phone has so-so audio quality.

I suspect there is some OSHA rule having to do with speaker volume that Motorola is afraid of breaking because it seems other phones have the same problems.
 
Yes supposedly your phone speaker when used at your head probably won't produce more than 80 db at your ear.

and the speaker phone speaker on the back (of if you use it for music) needs to be on a hard surface to sound better. IMO. the DX was the same way really.

bluetooth ear pieces work very well if you still can't hear it. but besides, you aren't supposed to use it as a phone anyway.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom