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Please Help! New phone has terrible headphone sound

M

MattsHTCDesire830

Newbie
My previous phone (HTC Desire 610) with BoomSound would blow my ears up. I just bought an internationally unlocked HTC Desire 830 assuming it would at least play as loud, having BoomSound as well, with my Sony buds as the 610 did. IT'S BARELY HALF AS LOUD AS THE 610. I've adjusted everything on the phone and have even gotten it to DEV MODE and nothing has helped. All those sorry "Volume Booster" apps don't help either. I've even gone so far as to nearly root my device but at that point I am a novice and did not quite make it to the root. The phone has Marshmallow OS. I am very disappointed in the sound, otherwise I'm enjoying most of the phone. Any suggestions?
 
You might have to root your phone, because I recommend 'ViPER4ANDROID FX' It's a system wide equalizer. But to install it's driver you need root.
This is not the original, It's a themed version but it has all the latest features.

https://labs.xda-developers.com/store/app/com.pittvandewitt.viperfx

If you open the app (and have root) it will ask you install the driver. press ok, and wait. It may look like It's frozen, but eventually It will ask you to reboot. After then open the app and in the left slideout menu press 'Driver status' If it says Yes And supported (and the processing says No (that is yes when you play music and the driver is working)) Then you are good to go.
If it says No and Abnormal, you need to set the SeLinux mode to Permissive(from Enforcing)

There is a little app for it: https://forum.xda-developers.com/devdb/project/dl/?id=12506
And now you can mess around with all the features of ViPER...  Good luck.
 
skylineone044 said:
You might have to root your phone, because I recommend 'ViPER4ANDROID FX' It's a system wide equalizer. But to install it's driver you need root.
This is not the original, It's a themed version but it has all the latest features.

https://labs.xda-developers.com/store/app/com.pittvandewitt.viperfx

If you open the app (and have root) it will ask you install the driver. press ok, and wait. It may look like It's frozen, but eventually It will ask you to reboot. After then open the app and in the left slideout menu press 'Driver status' If it says Yes And supported (and the processing says No (that is yes when you play music and the driver is working)) Then you are good to go.
If it says No and Abnormal, you need to set the SeLinux mode to Permissive(from Enforcing)

There is a little app for it: https://forum.xda-developers.com/devdb/project/dl/?id=12506
And now you can mess around with all the features of ViPER...  Good luck.
Click to expand...
I want to root it, it am too much of a novice with that and haven't found a simple way. What's the best way?
 
MattsHTCDesire830 said:
I previously had an HTC Desire 610 that would blow my ears up with BoomSound, my new HTC Desire 830 has BoomSound as well but is half as loud as the 610. After all I've read I have to get to the root of the phone to remove the sound level restrictions. I've tried several "volume" boosting apps and none of them work.
Click to expand...
I can't get even Kingo Root ADK to get past 90%.
 
You're not gonna get that volume to increase unless you change a preset value on a .xml file (prop). May be in build.prop or somewhere else in audio properties inside system folder, root needed.

I've had the same audio restriction issues with Kyocera phones. Instead of restricting maximum volume level, the system chops up the sound to limit it, like somebody pressing a mute button on/off 60 times per second.

Only way around this is either root and edit prop or buy a decent set of bluetooth headphones, they're usually amplified to a degree, hence louder. Forget the line out, audio booster apps, even paid apps don't work. I'm very hard of hearing and the manufacturers don't care, it's a liability issue having no audio restrictions in place. Really sad that HTC does this too.
 
Spec2nirvash said:
You're not gonna get that volume to increase unless you change a preset value on a .xml file (prop). May be in build.prop or somewhere else in audio properties inside system folder, root needed.
I've had the same audio restriction issues with Kyocera phones. Instead of restricting maximum volume level, the system chops up the sound to limit it, like somebody pressing a mute button on/off 60 times per second.
Only way around this is either root and edit prop or buy a decent set of bluetooth headphones, they're usually amplified to a degree, hence louder. Forget the line out, audio booster apps, even paid apps don't work. I'm very hard of hearing and the manufacturers don't care, it's a liability issue having no audio restrictions in place. Really sad that HTC does this too.
Click to expand...
They are apparently restricting getting to the root as well.
 
MattsHTCDesire830 said:
My previous phone (HTC Desire 610) with BoomSound would blow my ears up. I just bought an internationally unlocked HTC Desire 830 assuming it would at least play as loud, having BoomSound as well, with my Sony buds as the 610 did. IT'S BARELY HALF AS LOUD AS THE 610. I've adjusted everything on the phone and have even gotten it to DEV MODE and nothing has helped. All those sorry "Volume Booster" apps don't help either. I've even gone so far as to nearly root my device but at that point I am a novice and did not quite make it to the root. The phone has Marshmallow OS. I am very disappointed in the sound, otherwise I'm enjoying most of the phone. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Is it an EU, European version HTC? It might have EU approval volume limiting in it. Does the phone have a CE mark on it?
 
Spec2nirvash said:
Yup. Save yourself the headaches of searching the web and potentially smoking your new phone trying to root it. I bought a brand new pair of HDMX bluetooth ear buds for $20 and they worked fine. Or switch phones like I did, to one with with zero audio restrictions :)
Click to expand...
Yeah
Spec2nirvash said:
Yup. Save yourself the headaches of searching the web and potentially smoking your new phone trying to root it. I bought a brand new pair of HDMX bluetooth ear buds for $20 and they worked fine. Or switch phones like I did, to one with with zero audio restrictions :)
Click to expand...
I've got some really good mega bass Sony Buds that would blow my ears up with my previous HTC DEsire 610 and only half as much with this new 830.Thanks for the advice, I've given up trying to root it.
 
mikedt said:
It should be on the back of the phone, if it is an EU approved version. Also might be on the carton and instructions as well. I presume your old HTC is a US, FCC approved version.
Click to expand...
Yup, CE2200. I never dreamed there'd be a difference, I bought it from Amazon and hopefully I can still return it. The return window doesn't close until 10/18. Do you have any tips for getting past the restrictions? I assume you've read my previous comments about trying to root it and so forth.
 
MattsHTCDesire830 said:
Yup, CE2200. I never dreamed there'd be a difference, I bought it from Amazon and hopefully I can still return it. The return window doesn't close until 10/18. Do you have any tips for getting past the restrictions? I assume you've read my previous comments about trying to root it and so forth.
Click to expand...
Amazon accepted my return. I went shopping in various stores prior to purchasing from Amazon and was unable to find anything in the mid price range for around $200, they were all much much more or a whole lot less. Where do you buy phones in a store these days? I have AT&T Prepaid Wireless service and only need it to be Unlocked.The phones at the AT&T store start at $399.
 
MattsHTCDesire830 said:
Amazon accepted my return. I went shopping in various stores prior to purchasing from Amazon and was unable to find anything in the mid price range for around $200, they were all much much more or a whole lot less. Where do you buy phones in a store these days? I have AT&T Prepaid Wireless service and only need it to be Unlocked.The phones at the AT&T store start at $399.
Click to expand...

I'm actually in China. But I know that pretty much any phone advertised on Amazon as "international unlocked" will be a grey import from another region or country like the EU, or places in Asia like Hong Kong.

Phones intended for Asia aren't volume limited AFAIK. But phones used outside of their intended regions may not receive OTA updates or manufacturer warranty support either.
 
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If you are trying to find a new phone, take a look at the Vernee 'Apollo Lite' TBH support from Vernee is lacking,(there were a few OTA updates, and they promissed Nougat update to Last december...Never heard of them about nougat agin)

But a small developer team (M.A.D.) is working on the phone and making ROMs. Thanks to them my Apollo Lite is now rocking Android 7.1.2. Which is nice.
It says on the product page It has gorilla glass 3...I heard of multiple people that have dropped it...and yeah...don't drop it.

I bought the phone for $200, and I think is was worth it.I looked on amazon it is now $280...so IDK

Aaaand Are you in the US? Because I don't think this phone support US phone bands.
 
mikedt said:
Yes root is required to try and do anything about the EU volume limit.

More details about the EU mandate here, which is for all media players that are CE approved for the EU.
http://iphone.appleinsider.com/articles/09/09/28/new_standards_to_limit_apple_ipod_volume_in_europe
Click to expand...
Thing is, my family's htc devices (all EU models) don't have volume problems. My Samsung tablet gives me a warning when I turn the volume up, but that's all. Of course I don't know whether the OP's older phone was even louder. ;)
 
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