Help LG G3 audio quality issue

[Muckle Dabuckle]

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.

That's frustrating. It's the most important part of a phone!

I just got back from T-Mobile and they wouldn't let me exchange it for a new one until I try more troubleshooting at home. They put in a new SIM card and factory reset my phone. Right when I got home I heard the crackling in the ear piece during a phone call. This is factory condition right out of the box with no apps installed. They acted like they didn't believe me at the store because they couldn't recreate the crackling (funny how they couldn't hear a low crackling noise in a store with people talking and music blaring).

 

[Muckle Dabuckle]

Now if I put my ear up the the ear piece when the screen is on (not during a phone call) I hear a high pitched noise (almost like a mechanical hard drive) mixing with a gurgling sound. That doesn't seem normal to me. I feel like I'm going to get an electrical shock with my current unit.

*Edit* Just exchanged my G3 for a new G3 at T-Mobile. The guy that helped me claimed he heard the buzzing/crackling too (apparently only guys can hear it ). Just had a 30-minute phone call with ZERO crackling/buzzing in the ear piece. Hopefully my new unit is good to go now. If I start having issues again I may just use another jump to a new phone.

 

[Muckle Dabuckle]

Sorry for the triple post. Now my new G3 had audio issues from the ear piece (without being on a phone call) after installing updates to LG's Voice Mate app. I uninstalled all of the updates and it seemed to help (there doesn't seem to be a way to uninstall the base app or disable it). I may uninstall the Voice Command app if I have more issues. Those were some of the only apps already on the phone when I was having issues on my old G3 using it in factory settings. No crackling during my phone calls before I updated Voice Mate either.

TuneIn Radio also was giving me some physical violent feedback and buzzing when pressing play and pause to quickly (both the the Pro version from the Amazon Appstore and the free version from the Play Store). Uninstalled those apps and haven't had a sound issue with other apps since (yet).

 

[Skiedragon]

Still an issue in a G3 I bought on 9.5.2015 in Finland, fully updated to latest Lollipop.
I had a G2 and it was there too, sad to see it persist in this phone.

The noise comes mostly from the left channel, regardless of what headphones you have plugged in.
You don't even need to plug in headphones. Bring your ear to the speaker and play this from your G3:

 

[irmcz]

I had the same problem, but I managed to find a solution on xda.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-...ying-music-t2804065/post59601465#post59601465

It works by me (stock ROM v20h with root)

 

[slocks]

The following solution worked for me. Put headphone jack in, take it out, make a call (ensure it is answered) then noise issue disappears until reboot. See https://www.reddit.com/r/LGG3/comments/2pd58u/headphone_noise_issue_442_50_lollipop/

 

[chjanson]

I am an audio engineer at www.soundpimp.com, and I had this error on a LG G2, but not on my current LG G3 (Norwegian purchase). I strongly suspect that the reason is digital noise stemming from too few bits in the playback! This will happen if you lower the volume in the digital domain as opposed to the analog domain. I had the same problem on an older Toshiba p300 laptop. It is a huge mistake to lower the digital volume, but many audio engineers do this mistake from lack of knowledge.

It means that if you purchased this phone due to its super audio specifications 24bit 192kHz, then you were fooled, because the engineers, most likely in LG and not in Google, has for unknown reason chosen to perhaps cover for problems in their use of the audio processor in the hardware of the phone. In other words, their main selling point "high resolution audio" is just not true.

There is a remedy for LG G2 and I assume you can use that for G3 as well. Follow the instructions in this link, only, call 3845#*855# the number 855 being your model.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2682189&page=34

This helped me on the G2. Actually, my g2 after this remedy is perfect, and is better and more punchy sounding than my g3. I suspect there is an even more subtle / camouflaged error in the g3 that evolves around so-called dynamic headroom, or to call a spade a spade: The lack of dynamic headroom on the LG G3 is obvious to me. It is most definitely NOT a phone that takes out the potential of a 24bit 192kHz playback format. They are cheating.

The problem is that when an audio problem like this goes on and on for several years, from a company that tries to gain position by offering top notch audio, something is wrong with the internal culture in LG. They must fix this problem and make an announcement, BTW the only way to regain trust, or live with me and other customers moving to competitor in the next purchase.

 

[chjanson]

EDIT (20th of Feb 2016). For the record, I have found that both the G3 and the G2 has this problem. My guess is that G4 could be on the list too. In case it can help others, for example the LG R&D team responsible for this error, I have written a blog on how to fix the error: http://www.noach.one/blog/fix-audio-quality-lg-g2-g3/. It must be done each time the device is restarted.

This blog also contains a couple of demos on this error, I am sure you will recognise sometimes similar on your own phone.

I am an audio engineer at www.soundpimp.com, and I had this error on a LG G2, but not on my current LG G3 (Norwegian purchase). I strongly suspect that the reason is digital noise stemming from too few bits in the playback! This will happen if you lower the volume in the digital domain as opposed to the analog domain. I had the same problem on an older Toshiba p300 laptop. It is a huge mistake to lower the digital volume, but many audio engineers do this mistake from lack of knowledge.

It means that if you purchased this phone due to its super audio specifications 24bit 192kHz, then you were fooled, because the engineers, most likely in LG and not in Google, has for unknown reason chosen to perhaps cover for problems in their use of the audio processor in the hardware of the phone. In other words, their main selling point "high resolution audio" is just not true.

There is a remedy for LG G2 and I assume you can use that for G3 as well. Follow the instructions in this link, only, call 3845#*855# the number 855 being your model.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2682189&page=34

This helped me on the G2. Actually, my g2 after this remedy is perfect, and is better and more punchy sounding than my g3. I suspect there is an even more subtle / camouflaged error in the g3 that evolves around so-called dynamic headroom, or to call a spade a spade: The lack of dynamic headroom on the LG G3 is obvious to me. It is most definitely NOT a phone that takes out the potential of a 24bit 192kHz playback format. They are cheating.

The problem is that when an audio problem like this goes on and on for several years, from a company that tries to gain position by offering top notch audio, something is wrong with the internal culture in LG. They must fix this problem and make an announcement, BTW the only way to regain trust, or live with me and other customers moving to competitor in the next purchase.

 

[Mikestony]

EDIT (20th of Feb 2016). For the record, I have found that both the G3 and the G2 has this problem. My guess is that G4 could be on the list too. In case it can help others, for example the LG R&D team responsible for this error, I have written a blog on how to fix the error: http://www.noach.one/blog/fix-audio-quality-lg-g2-g3/. It must be done each time the device is restarted.

This blog also contains a couple of demos on this error, I am sure you will recognise sometimes similar on your own phone.

Would you mind posting the solution here, in addition to your blog link? You need not post the entire blog if you do not desire, but the main part of it. That would be great thanks!