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Help LG G3 audio quality issue

I'm having an audio issue with my new G3 on AT&T.
In earbuds and headphones, all is well. sound is good.
When I plug into my car's stereo AUX IN with a 3.5mm cord, I have great difficulty getting the G3 to actually output sound. The sound continues to play thru the phone's speaker. Therre is a loud audible "spark noise/click" when pugging in which sounds like an audio connection being made, but then nothing happens. I have to try 10-20 times to get a connection to "take". Once music is playing, it sounds OK for the most part, but between tracks, I get that same loud "spark/click" noise. EVERY track! the two problems have me ready to tear my hair out.

Yes, I've tried other cords.
The cord and AUX in work fine for my (ex) M8 and for an old Samsung.

This is a replacement G3 which I obtained two days ago in the hope that the original phone was defective. No such luck. Same issue.

The first G3 I had exhibited another weird sonic problem. There was a random very-high-frequency noise/tune pattern. Occurred every 10-20 seconds randomly, and random tune patterns. Not audible if music was playing but audible between tracks or if the player had run its course and was idle. More noticeable at higher volumes.

BTW-AT&T has disabled FM radio on this G3 in the USA. Apparently Verizon did not. So I cannot provide feedback on the FM mono issue. The fact that AT&T has disabled the FM radio intentionally, as well as force-fed me their bloatware and Carrier IQ on top of it really pees me off incredibly.

I'm hoping to find some solution to this connection problem to my car stereo within the next week as I am running out of time on my returns period. I'm a big music fan and having to live with this defect every day in the car would be just about unacceptable. Any help would be appreciated.
 
blackdog709 said:
I'm having an audio issue with my new G3 on AT&T.
In earbuds and headphones, all is well. sound is good.
When I plug into my car's stereo AUX IN with a 3.5mm cord, I have great difficulty getting the G3 to actually output sound. The sound continues to play thru the phone's speaker. Therre is a loud audible "spark noise/click" when pugging in which sounds like an audio connection being made, but then nothing happens. I have to try 10-20 times to get a connection to "take". Once music is playing, it sounds OK for the most part, but between tracks, I get that same loud "spark/click" noise. EVERY track! the two problems have me ready to tear my hair out.

Yes, I've tried other cords.
The cord and AUX in work fine for my (ex) M8 and for an old Samsung.

This is a replacement G3 which I obtained two days ago in the hope that the original phone was defective. No such luck. Same issue.

The first G3 I had exhibited another weird sonic problem. There was a random very-high-frequency noise/tune pattern. Occurred every 10-20 seconds randomly, and random tune patterns. Not audible if music was playing but audible between tracks or if the player had run its course and was idle. More noticeable at higher volumes.

BTW-AT&T has disabled FM radio on this G3 in the USA. Apparently Verizon did not. So I cannot provide feedback on the FM mono issue. The fact that AT&T has disabled the FM radio intentionally, as well as force-fed me their bloatware and Carrier IQ on top of it really pees me off incredibly.

I'm hoping to find some solution to this connection problem to my car stereo within the next week as I am running out of time on my returns period. I'm a big music fan and having to live with this defect every day in the car would be just about unacceptable. Any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Does it work if just using headphones? If so, sounds like an impedance issue and not enough power going through the cable. This could be the actual cable, so maybe try another cable?

If still going through the speaker though, that seems even more odd since means the input is not switching...... Makes more sense it is the cable input, if headphones work fine and the speaker shuts off.
 
hi!
I have a G3 D-855 2/16. Since i love to listen hifi music, i choose this phone. I have too the same issue *but* only with a certain type of headset.
I noticed, after many tests (i have three types of Bose - AE2, IE2i and QC3 and one Sennheiser HD650 as headsets), that *only* the highest impedance headset (HD650 - 300 Ohm) does *NOT* have the issue in any circumstance. The lower impedance one ones (AE2 and QC3) have the issue. The IE2i too has the issue, very very reduced.

Furthermore is my opinion that the "plug reconnaissance" function implemented by LG could be very buggy at the moment infact many times, plugging in the HD650 - a pure headset with no mic at all, software think that a headset+mic has been inserted so the "voice assistance" starts :)

Just reporting my experience. Waiting an OTA with KK ver 4.4.4. I'm pretty sure this will correct these issues.
 
Jeepers! How do such high ohm phones output beyond a whisper level dB output? I notice weaker output with high end 30 ohm, yet alone higher than that!
 
rushmore said:
Jeepers! How do such high ohm phones output beyond a whisper level dB output? I notice weaker output with high end 30 ohm, yet alone higher than that!
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I can assure you that with 75% of volume the listening is perfect with the HD650! absolutely marvelous. But unfortunately is not a type of headphones you can wear by walking or cycling so the "good listening" for me is limited at home at the moment :)
 
Tetelasti said:
If its only music your looking for than yah the M8 may be better for you, but the G3 is my favorite phone so far
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Thank you a lot for your advice but i prefer the DAC onboard the D855 that is miles better than the very good M8. (and not lied to some people acclaimed set of filters - Beats?)

See yourself (look at the audio part):

D855:
LG G3 D855 TD-LTE 16GB (LG B2) Detailed Specs | Technical Datasheet | PDAdb.net

HTC One M8:
HTC One M8 2014 LTE-A Google Play Edition (HTC M8) Detailed Specs | Technical Datasheet | PDAdb.net

I mean that for me "audio" is *not* listening from the loudspeaker (HTC One M8 is fantastic for that) but with a decent pair of headphones and with *no* filters and *no* equalizers. Like on the LG G3 D855.

EDIT: My statement won't denigrate the M8! i want to be clear on that! I still have a good M7 - and i like it very much - that has similar characteristic to the M8.
 
Tetrapodus said:
Thank you a lot for your advice but i prefer the DAC onboard the D855 that is miles better than the very good M8. (and not lied to some people acclaimed set of filters - Beats?)

See yourself (look at the audio part):

D855:
LG G3 D855 TD-LTE 16GB (LG B2) Detailed Specs | Technical Datasheet | PDAdb.net

HTC One M8:
HTC One M8 2014 LTE-A Google Play Edition (HTC M8) Detailed Specs | Technical Datasheet | PDAdb.net

I mean that for me "audio" is *not* listening from the loudspeaker (HTC One M8 is fantastic for that) but with a decent pair of headphones and with *no* filters and *no* equalizers. Like on the LG G3 D855.

EDIT: My statement won't denigrate the M8! i want to be clear on that! I still have a good M7 - and i like it very much - that has similar characteristic to the M8.
Click to expand...

No worries on the denigrating thing my friend!

Music is a personal thing in my opinion. We enjoy it in groups, we enjoy sharing, but there is something special about putting on headphones and getting what you want, your way.

I've upgraded (in my opinion) my M8 DAC firmware and I have HK instead of Beats - and definitely an equalizer.

I'm with you - best is probably uncolored.

But we all work with what we got. :D

I don't see how anyone can argue about what works for you. :)
 
I found a working workaround! For this, i wrote a post on XDA (as Tetractys - my nick on XDA)

Temporary workaround - Post #47 - XDA Forum

i report the essence here for clarity:

Workaround working for me:
- Switched from Dalvik cache to ART
- The automatic regeneration of bytecode for every application (even those deputed to audio), occurring just after the reboot with ART, removed completely the issue
- Every headphone retested i this now works perfectly (as headset+mic, headphone, or AUX). No hissing. No scratching up to now.

Furthermore ART works like a charm.

EDIT:
Disregard that:
Even Xposed + G3 toolbox work perfectly. (You have to uninstall it before switch from Dalvik to ART, reboot twice, and then reinstall it. While rebooting, the procedure regenerates the bytecote for Xposed + modules too)

I have unfortunately to rectify: Xposed does not work yet with ART. Conf is returned in dalvik automatically after the reinstallation of xposed when i was in ART. Since the bytecode with dalvik was just compiled by default i didn't noticed the change because the system booted fast. Furthermore one thing is true: in development section instead of "Use Dalvik" the string would have to be "Using Dalvik" - this would have helped a lot!!

So, let me know for the audio part!
 
I received my G3 32GB yesterday and updated it to v10e. I also got a hissing sound in (especially) my left ear with 4 different headphones. I tried connecting my Fiio E6 and with that the hissing is gone.. but that gives a different problem as the G3 soon thinks I'm pressing a button on the headset and starts some strange kind of agent of the phone asking me what I want to do (like pressing the middle button on the LG headset) - even with headphones that got no buttons.

I've tried ART and Dalvik and I thought switching would give better results but that's only because the problem doesn't seem to be there when the phone is freshly booted.

Right now my thought is returning the phone and I hate that as I really like the phone but I can't live with a phone that can't even play music in headphones without noise.
 
Very disappointed to see LG have failed to address this issue.

It has plagued myself and a number of associates with G2 phones and LG have refused to acknowledge there's a problem, even with units being returned to them.

They typically state there's no issue with the phone, blame your choice of headphones and claim that the stock headphones do work (which, at times, they do not).

The issue was consistently introduced as soon as Android was updated, so this isn't related to hardware.

My advice is that although these are fantastic phones, without manufacturer acknowledgement and a definitive fix, you should avoid purchasing if you intend listening to music.
 
Dingledays said:
Very disappointed to see LG have failed to address this issue.

It has plagued myself and a number of associates with G2 phones and LG have refused to acknowledge there's a problem, even with units being returned to them.

They typically state there's no issue with the phone, blame your choice of headphones and claim that the stock headphones do work (which, at times, they do not).

The issue was consistently introduced as soon as Android was updated, so this isn't related to hardware.

My advice is that although these are fantastic phones, without manufacturer acknowledgement and a definitive fix, you should avoid purchasing if you intend listening to music.
Click to expand...

Maybe because there is NO widespread problem/known issue? I also have had ZERO issues with audio. I use Klipsch earbuds and there's no buzz/popping or anything else. FM radio is perfect too (the U.S.versions do have the tuner, at least some of them including mine [Sprint] I know AT&T blocked it for some reason)

Sorry some people are having issues but bashing LG and posting lies about stores refusing to sell the G3 is ridiculous. There are lemons in every batch, sad to say.
 
Can we take the rhetoric down a big notch please?

Challenges faced by someone overseas with their stores are not the same as in the US.

Nobody kicked the family dog, it's just a phone.

No need to accuse anyone and make this personal.

Attack the issue, not each other.

No one else needs to provide a rebuttal of any sort, and further outbursts will simply be eaten by the server and disappear.

Thanks! :)
 
Audio issue? None for me. Has been superb in all areas of sound quality. Been using my LG for almost 2 weeks...
 
Christian H said:
To answer earlier questions, my phone doesn't have a problem while making and receiving calls. Nor does the sound quality improve while typing on the keyboard.

I did, however, discover that the phone is unable to provide stereo reception with the built in FM radio. Every station is mono.

I took the phone back to the retailer today and was given a replacement handset. Unfortunately this too had the same problem with the left audio channel, as did three further phones the store tried for me (three of them black and one gold). Moreover, none of the four was able to provide a stereo signal with the FM radio. Due to my contract being with Vodafone, they weren't able to exchange my phone for an HTC M8, and to be honest it's not my ideal phone, so I still have a G3 for the moment.

I telephoned LG customer services this evening and asked the mobile phone department if they were aware of the issues I had encountered. Neither the agent I spoke to nor his colleague had heard any similar reports. He offered me the chance to send the phone into their service centre for investigation, but this would involve being without the phone from 7 to 10 days, so I declined the offer.

I'd like to end up with a working LG G3, but wonder how many more phones I'll need to try before I get a working one. If it's a software issue, then why didn't the customer service department know about it, and how long will it take to rollout the necessary new software?

Has anyone else noticed a lack of stereo on FM?
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Mine works perfectly. Have you gone into Settings, Accessibility, Hearing and made sure the Audio Type is set to Stereo and the balance is set to the middle?
 
HisGirlFriday said:
Mine works perfectly. Have you gone into Settings, Accessibility, Hearing and made sure the Audio Type is set to Stereo and the balance is set to the middle?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback about the FM radio.

I no longer have my LG G3, but yes, this was something I checked at the time. It's perhaps worth mentioning that the Carphone Warehouse store I visited employs dedicated members of staff (marketed as the 'Geek Squad') to help customers with their technical problems. They wouldn't have replaced the handset as many times as they did (rendering each one unsaleable in the process) without being satisfied that there was a genuine problem.
 
rushmore said:
FM radio. So you have the Korean version? That puppy has a tuner chip, but the US version is sans the FM I believe.
Click to expand...

U.S. Sprint's LG G3 has the fm tuner and if you get ahold of the fm tuner .apk you can access it. From what I recall in XDA Developers, it's either AT&T or Verizon who actually disabled the fm tuner completely.
 
I just "Jumped" from my G2 to G3 ($448 now) last night at T-Mobile. I love the phone, but I'm noticing the hissing/buzzing sound in the earpiece during phone calls. At first I though it was my beard scratching the screen protector, but it is not. LOL Have we determined if this is hardware or software issues? My phone is on Android 4.4.2 and software version D85110r.

I just tried the headphone jack and there was a crackling/buzzing sound every time I pressed play on a radio station on Tunein Pro.
 
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Muckle Dabuckle said:
I just "Jumped" from my G2 to G3 ($448 now) last night at T-Mobile. I love the phone, but I'm noticing the hissing/buzzing sound in the earpiece during phone calls. At first I though it was my beard scratching the screen protector, but it is not. LOL Have we determined if this is hardware or software issues? My phone is on Android 4.4.2 and software version D85110r.

I just tried the headphone jack and there was a crackling/buzzing sound every time I pressed play on a radio station on Tunein Pro.
Click to expand...


I got my ATT G3 when it was first released. It worked fine until about 3 weeks ago. It developed the noise in the earpiece. When anyone talked it sounded like the speaker was vibrating. I took it to the ATT store, and they said it was a hardware issue.

I had a replacement (of course refurbished) sent to me. First thing I checked was the call quality. It was fine. But within a week the replacement phone started doing the exact same thing. I drove to a ATT service center and they checked it out. They agreed it was a hardware issue. They did not say what the actual cause was though. They told me that they had not had any similar reports they were aware of.

A 2nd replacement was sent to me. I've had it since last Friday. So far so good. Keeping fingers crossed.
 
dwaded said:
I got my ATT G3 when it was first released. It worked fine until about 3 weeks ago. It developed the noise in the earpiece. When anyone talked it sounded like the speaker was vibrating. I took it to the ATT store, and they said it was a hardware issue.

I had a replacement (of course refurbished) sent to me. First thing I checked was the call quality. It was fine. But within a week the replacement phone started doing the exact same thing. I drove to a ATT service center and they checked it out. They agreed it was a hardware issue. They did not say what the actual cause was though. They told me that they had not had any similar reports they were aware of.

A 2nd replacement was sent to me. I've had it since last Friday. So far so good. Keeping fingers crossed.
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Wow! That sounds annoying especially after having it for so long. Even though they said it was hardware was there some sort of update around the time it started vibrating? Mine had an update right out of the box, but I didn't check the ear piece until after.

I've read of this issue on multiple Web sites, but most of these complaints were around the time of launch and I haven't found many complaining of this issue recently. I remember reading somewhere today (maybe it was this exact thread) that someone had LG tell them it was the version of Android causing this.

Anyway. I will return my phone this Saturday if I can't find a fix tonight or tomorrow. My G3 box says "manufactured in November 2014." Seems odd they'd still be making G3s with the same issues as back in June (unless LG doesn't get enough complaints to change anything).
 
Muckle Dabuckle said:
Wow! That sounds annoying especially after having it for so long. Even though they said it was hardware was there some sort of update around the time it started vibrating? Mine had an update right out of the box, but I didn't check the ear piece until after.

I've read of this issue on multiple Web sites, but most of these complaints were around the time of launch and I haven't found many complaining of this issue recently. I remember reading somewhere today (maybe it was this exact thread) that someone had LG tell them it was the version of Android causing this.

Anyway. I will return my phone this Saturday if I can't find a fix tonight or tomorrow. My G3 box says "manufactured in November 2014." Seems odd they'd still be making G3s with the same issues as back in June (unless LG doesn't get enough complaints to change anything).
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Well I jinxed myself and spoke too soon. Today I started hearing the same noise during calls. This is extremely frustrating. For what I pay monthly I'd like to have clear calls. I'm gonna go back to the corporate store tomorrow and see what my options are now. I'm sure both replacements are refurbished, but since the original was brand new I'm not sure what to do or expect. I haven't found other complaints like this, other than yourself... But why can't I get a reliable phone like everyone else? I love the phone other than this repeating issue.
 
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