[Q] Note's audio quality hiss? - AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note I717

I haven't seen this posted about the Note. Does anyone else have a bad hiss when listening to music? Using Google Music and spotify, there is a definite hiss in the background.
I realize the Note's audio chip isn't great but I wasn't expecting this. Coming from the Captivate, this is really annoying me at the moment.

I hear it only in headphones

I don't hear it on the speaker or via BT. Haven't used the headphone jack yet.

Right, only on headphones. Quite loud and intrusive. I listen to my good quality in-ears at work for hours every day. I can't believe just how crappy the sound is on this otherwise fantastic device.

Ok, you got me wondering so I put on a decent pair of over-the-ear cans and spent 10 minutes flipping through a half-dozen channels of XM (128 kbps streaming). Then 5 more minutes going through several high-quality MP3s (variable bitrate with a max of 224 kbps).
No hiss, no background noise at all during the soft parts. Cranked the volume up to max, no distortion. Very happy with the results - much better than my last phone, the onboard sound on that sucked.
I'm on the stock rom, are you using something else?

For mere there's some noise when I'm not listening to anything, but I only hear it on my headphones.

In car Hiss
have not noticed it with headphones...but.....While using the car dock, any pause in the music whether it be on Pandora, Google Music, or just no app selected, There is a really annoying hiss/feedback through the speakers in the car. This is using the audio output connected to my stereo's AUX input.
It's just like a bad ground "whine" on a stereo...speeds up and down with the car. Never did this before with any other phone/device, so I know it's the note or the dock. I have not tried connected directly to the headphone jack on the note, I'll have to try that out.

Yeah the skyrocket did that too. I have a video up on you tube of it.
rknight68 said:
have not noticed it with headphones...but.....While using the car dock, any pause in the music whether it be on Pandora, Google Music, or just no app selected, There is a really annoying hiss/feedback through the speakers in the car. This is using the audio output connected to my stereo's AUX input.
It's just like a bad ground "whine" on a stereo...speeds up and down with the car. Never did this before with any other phone/device, so I know it's the note or the dock. I have not tried connected directly to the headphone jack on the note, I'll have to try that out.
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Click to collapse
Sent from my SGH-I717R using XDA App

techntrek said:
Ok, you got me wondering so I put on a decent pair of over-the-ear cans and spent 10 minutes flipping through a half-dozen channels of XM (128 kbps streaming). Then 5 more minutes going through several high-quality MP3s (variable bitrate with a max of 224 kbps).
No hiss, no background noise at all during the soft parts. Cranked the volume up to max, no distortion. Very happy with the results - much better than my last phone, the onboard sound on that sucked.
I'm on the stock rom, are you using something else?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As stock as can be here. The hiss is most apparent at the beginning of the track when it starts playing but no music yet. As soon as the track starts playing, you can here it click on with the hiss.
Did I get a defective one?
I'm using a very good pair of in-ears (UE700s). I'll try to dig up some cans later to try it. Maybe directing sound directly onto the ear drums via in-ears picks up the hiss better (less natural filtering?).
Another thought: is there an internal amp volume/gain? Listening to the in-ears, it seems the media volume is very loud even at low settings and amps up quickly with each keypress. Maybe there is another sound tweak I can make somewhere.

rknight68 said:
have not noticed it with headphones...but.....While using the car dock, any pause in the music whether it be on Pandora, Google Music, or just no app selected, There is a really annoying hiss/feedback through the speakers in the car. This is using the audio output connected to my stereo's AUX input.
It's just like a bad ground "whine" on a stereo...speeds up and down with the car. Never did this before with any other phone/device, so I know it's the note or the dock. I have not tried connected directly to the headphone jack on the note, I'll have to try that out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A common problem if you are also charging - you are setting up a ground loop. You can add a ground loop isolator on the audio cable (big and clunky), unplug the power, or unplug the audio (and use BT in its place).
---------- Post added at 02:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:28 PM ----------
flintdragon said:
Did I get a defective one?
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Click to collapse
While I'm not a die-hard audiophile (I won't spend 10K on a sound system) I do consider myself to be pretty selective. Partly why I ripped my CD collection @ 224 and not something lower - I did lots of tests beforehand and still could hear subtle differences @ 192. Also why I rarely buy 128 kbps mp3s. Anyway, for better or for worse I just don't hear anything negative so maybe yours is defective. I will bust out some in-ear buds tonight and take another listen.
Another thought: is there an internal amp volume/gain? Listening to the in-ears, it seems the media volume is very loud even at low settings and amps up quickly with each keypress. Maybe there is another sound tweak I can make somewhere.
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Click to collapse
Often media players will have a separate volume from the phone's "media volume". Then there are separate "media volume" settings for BT and the jack. Then don't forget internal volume on BT headphones. It can take some fiddling to find the best combination.

rknight68 said:
have not noticed it with headphones...but.....While using the car dock, any pause in the music whether it be on Pandora, Google Music, or just no app selected, There is a really annoying hiss/feedback through the speakers in the car. This is using the audio output connected to my stereo's AUX input.
It's just like a bad ground "whine" on a stereo...speeds up and down with the car. Never did this before with any other phone/device, so I know it's the note or the dock. I have not tried connected directly to the headphone jack on the note, I'll have to try that out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Re...sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332269457&sr=8-1-spell
I had the same thing with all my devices. Its just bad ground. That cable will get you set straight.
I never listened to my note with headphones, just with my car stereo with that cable. I hear absolutely no hissing or whining noise, just absolute beautiful sound and bass. This phone is mounds better than the Captivate.

Well, I retried some EQ/volume apps that I might has used recently to make sure there isn't any overboost feature enabled but nothing I can do to solve my problem. argh...

I never tried headphones in my Note with the stock sound equalizer. I had already installed the Beats by Dre mod in the developer's forum.
Zero hum whatsoever, and my happy hardcore sounds amazing.

I too have hiss from the headphone jack. I just returned my first Note yesterday hoping that the hiss would go away. It did not. I use mine in the car with an adapter that hooks directly to the back of my radio (JVC proprietary style).
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA

dakleenupman said:
I too have hiss from the headphone jack. I just returned my first Note yesterday hoping that the hiss would go away. It did not. I use mine in the car with an adapter that hooks directly to the back of my radio (JVC proprietary style).
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh... I was about to return mine today but maybe it might be fruitless? Or maybe there is a large quantity with hiss and others without?
For those with no hiss, do you find the volume to be very loud? What I'm talking about is even at low settings, just 2-3 notches above silent, the volume is already pretty loud. My phone feels like the internal "gain" was set too high.
I know on my captivate, I could set the media volume to about 40% and still be comfortable. On my Note, it's about 20-30% if that.

Does volume of the note sounds real low to you compared to smaller phones???

klee2000 said:
Does volume of the note sounds real low to you compared to smaller phones???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it is TOO LOUD. just a couple notches above zero and some music is already getting too loud. This is with headphones not internal speaker.
I just got back from swapping my phone from the AT&T store. Both models (black/white) on display had the hiss. I decided to go ahead and swap and maybe a new shipment had an updated phone. NOPE, the hiss is still there.
I've used 3 different in-ears (couldn't find any over the ear cans) and also tested on a captivate and galaxy tab 10.1. It's the Note that is doing the hissing and very noticeable even at low volumes. Easiest to hear is right when you track begins but before the music starts.
I think this might be a deal breaker for me. I love this thing though. Especially irritating with spotify between tracks.
music end -> hiss -> soundless gap -> hiss 0> music starts
Anyone know of an app (probably one that requires root) that can adjust the internal gain like what voodoo sound did?
This older thread I just found (post #5) seems to describe my problem as well.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1538573

In order to quantify if this is hardware or not, try doing a factory reset (since you've returned your phone it shouldnt be that big of a deal).
Then, using the stock player on the phone (feel free to update Google Music or any other apps that came with the phone) see if you have the same hiss.
The factory reset is to determine if its possibly an app you installed at some point that is 'boosting' the sound internally without your knowledge. Sound boosting can create signal to noise problems.
Make sure your phone isnt plugged in / charging to anything (not plugged into a PC for example).
And try moving around to different locations, for example, in your house, try going into your front / back yard and see if the problem persists.
You also might try a different set of headphones and see if you have the same issue.
And lastly, if you plug in the headphones and reboot the phone, once the phone is fully booted, check to see if you hear any hiss WITHOUT any apps open?
As a side note, I just tested this (believe it or not, Ive had the Note for 3 weeks now and never plugged in headphones) using Seinnheiser studio HD 600 headphones (very expensive at around $600 for a pair and VERY power efficient) and have no hiss. However, the sound quality isnt all that great but that is a different issue.

littlewierdo said:
In order to quantify if this is hardware or not, try doing a factory reset (since you've returned your phone it shouldnt be that big of a deal).
Then, using the stock player on the phone (feel free to update Google Music or any other apps that came with the phone) see if you have the same hiss.
The factory reset is to determine if its possibly an app you installed at some point that is 'boosting' the sound internally without your knowledge. Sound boosting can create signal to noise problems.
Make sure your phone isnt plugged in / charging to anything (not plugged into a PC for example).
And try moving around to different locations, for example, in your house, try going into your front / back yard and see if the problem persists.
You also might try a different set of headphones and see if you have the same issue.
And lastly, if you plug in the headphones and reboot the phone, once the phone is fully booted, check to see if you hear any hiss WITHOUT any apps open?
As a side note, I just tested this (believe it or not, Ive had the Note for 3 weeks now and never plugged in headphones) using Seinnheiser studio HD 600 headphones (very expensive at around $600 for a pair and VERY power efficient) and have no hiss. However, the sound quality isnt all that great but that is a different issue.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for your helpful tips. Unfortunately, I've tried all that. Factory reset and all. As soon as the phone is ready to go, I listen to some music and hear the hiss immediately. Home or office, no difference. Not plugged in. Different in-ears. 4 different Notes.
I'm using very good in-ears (UE 700s, dual armature) and also decent SuperFi.3s.
Something interesting. Took a listen to a friend's good headphones just now and do not hear any hiss. Even if the media volume cranked up close the max, sounded fine, no hiss and listenably loud. With the in-ears, I can barely get half way up in volume because it becomes too loud.
Anyone here use in-ears? I know most prefer headphones or earbuds.
I'm going to try an inline attenuator tonight to see if that helps (if I can find it!).

What do you mean 'as soon as the phone is ready to go'?
As in, the instant you plug in headphones the hiss is there?
My guess is likely that the in-ear headphones are putting the sound right up to your ear drum and they likely are super sensitive.
The sound chip in the Note is not near to as good as the sound chip in the Captivate.
Im going to do a bit more experimenting with this as the only headphone I have are the seinnheisers and they arent exactly great for portable listening. I have a friend coming over tonight who has some very high quality in-ear headphones and Ill see if I hear anything with those.

Related

[Q] slight hissing with headphones?

Hi all,
Do you notice a slight hissing when you use headphones? I notice it if I'm playing soft music (like classical stuff)...when the music player first starts playing, it "powers up" the audio chip and I hear the hissing. Theres actually a slight high pitch sound to the hissing. If I pause it, the hissing sound stays on for a few seconds before the OS powers down the audio chip, then it goes silent.
Unpausing causes the hissing/highpitch to come back.
Do I have a crappy unit or are they all like this?
I noticed the same thing on my evo3d as well as the photon.
I just tried using a microphone/headphone, and I get the same hissing when the audio chip is used. The headphones are pretty good quality. I don't get this hiss from my mp3 players.
Anyone else?
I noticed it using pandora. Between songs there was static. It seemed to stop during playback.
Sent from my MB855 using XDA App
You need to go to sounds in the menu and turn off the noise enhancements that will eliminate the static I had the same problem
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abrcrmdl23 said:
You need to go to sounds in the menu and turn off the noise enhancements that will eliminate the static I had the same problem
Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
sound settings / media audio effects / wired stereo devices
The setting was already disabled. So I don't think that's it.
music hiss with headphones
Anyone ever find a Photon 4g solution? I'm guessing it's just what you get from the current smartphone's DAC chip. I only really notice it on quiet music for the most part anyway. More annoying are the notification sound or pauses while playing music despite sound settings being adjusted right.. I think anyway.
I notice too but also when you plug it to power source it becomes louder.
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
abrcrmdl23 said:
You need to go to sounds in the menu and turn off the noise enhancements that will eliminate the static I had the same problem
Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems like the worst culprit in the noise enhancements is the surround function...when I turned just that off there was a big reduction in the hiss.
I got mine phone the week after thanksgiving and have heard that nearly nonstop... while driving I often have headphones from my old palm pre on and the high pitch sound is not unlike that which you hear when using headphones on a commercial airliner's 3.5mm seat headphone jack.
after extended periods it's very annoying and actually causes me to tense my shoulders and get a headache.
my enhancements are also off, it's just there, it's more prevalent when charging.
I hear it too thankfully its not too loud so although it's annoying. To the guy above me be careful driving with headphones in as it's illegal in most states to do so as it makes it harder to hear emergency vehicles.
Anyone try using winamp or another player to see if the hissing is happening with other players?
ricmomann said:
I got mine phone the week after thanksgiving and have heard that nearly nonstop... while driving I often have headphones from my old palm pre on and the high pitch sound is not unlike that which you hear when using headphones on a commercial airliner's 3.5mm seat headphone jack.
after extended periods it's very annoying and actually causes me to tense my shoulders and get a headache.
my enhancements are also off, it's just there, it's more prevalent when charging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That high pitched whine you heard on the airline's headphone jack is the result of 400Hz AC power that all airplanes use.
ScottieRotten said:
Anyone try using winamp or another player to see if the hissing is happening with other players?
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Click to collapse
Yes they all got it. Connecting to AC charger/power line will keep the noise being heard from headphone, as if the audio pipeline was activated in playing music, but USB connection doesn't trigger that. The hissing pitch is a flag but the noise level sounds within a common range - better turn off audio effects (bass enhancement was a good one and could be an exception). Positive thinking, since they said headphones are not good for long-time music listening, the audio chip is gonna enforce that.
I still like Moto Photon over other sprint android phones:
1. World phone with both CDMA and GSM. (was considering Samsung Galaxy Epic 4G but it has no GSM/SIM switch.)
2. 4G and powerful dual-core system (1 & 2 already exclude the rest options).
And 3. the most unique design of it:
"The Photon 4G's cut-off corners give the phone a decidedly more masculine look, as do the gunmetal gray border" - cnet.
"lots of tasteful details..." - engadget.com.
so does anyone know what the DAC in the photon actually is? i only ask because after 20 minutes or so with no luck with google and my query for dac in the mopho forums resulted with this thread.

Audio Whining/Squealing/Buzzing Noise

Just got my Rezound on Monday. It's my first HTC phone, and overall I love it... except for one problem.
When listening to music from the phone or Pandora radio, I notice a high pitched whine noise under the audio. It fluctuates between whining/buzzing/squealing and sounds like some kind of electrical interference. It's most noticeable during classical music or a quiet part of a song, or when switching MP3s/radio songs. The noise continues for about 2-4 seconds after stopping/pausing the song before it goes completely silent. It's bad enough that I've been getting headaches from it. I've tried multiple pairs of headphones and also toggling the Beats audio enhancement with no luck.
I saw a few threads where the Bionic had a similar problem. Anyone else experience this whining when listening to music through the 3.5mm jack on headphones or passing it through your car stereo?
Edit: I've now noticed that I can hear this noise even while the volume is muted, as long as some sort of audio is playing (MP3 from library or Pandora for example).
Yeah a bunch of us have it. It sounds like CPU noises and processing noises. Could be por shielding. I don't notice it that bad, and I've got reallllyy good ears (musician, too lol) and it doesn't bug me too much. But yeah, I can confirm its there. There's a thread on phandroid forums about it.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA App
Phew, I'm not crazy. I'm not a musician, but I guess I have really sensitive ears for it to bother me so much. It's especially obnoxious when hooked up through the car, since the whining doesn't seem to increase in loudness with the volume level, but the car volume DOES increase it.
A lot of people are reporting that the Bionic issue is/will be patched out. I contacted HTC but haven't heard back yet. I'm really hoping something can be done. My 2 year old OG Droid played audio without a hitch. : /
jayochs said:
Yeah a bunch of us have it. It sounds like CPU noises and processing noises. Could be por shielding. I don't notice it that bad, and I've got reallllyy good ears (musician, too lol) and it doesn't bug me too much. But yeah, I can confirm its there. There's a thread on phandroid forums about it.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh man... I just ordered my Rezound this morning!
I hope it doesn't bother me.
if i can (and get super un-lazy, cuz i'm pretty lazy....) i'll record the noise from the earbuds into some of my sensitive recording mics to see if it picks it up to see if its the same noise. however, like i said, it doesn't bother me at all lol
shatteredhalo0 said:
Just got my Rezound on Monday. It's my first HTC phone, and overall I love it... except for one problem.
When listening to music from the phone or Pandora radio, I notice a high pitched whine noise under the audio. It fluctuates between whining/buzzing/squealing and sounds like some kind of electrical interference. It's most noticeable during classical music or a quiet part of a song, or when switching MP3s/radio songs. The noise continues for about 2-4 seconds after stopping/pausing the song before it goes completely silent. It's bad enough that I've been getting headaches from it. I've tried multiple pairs of headphones and also toggling the Beats audio enhancement with no luck.
I saw a few threads where the Bionic had a similar problem. Anyone else experience this whining when listening to music through the 3.5mm jack on headphones or passing it through your car stereo?
Edit: I've now noticed that I can hear this noise even while the volume is muted, as long as some sort of audio is playing (MP3 from library or Pandora for example).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've noticed the same background whining sound on two different Rezound units when playing music through earbuds. I haven't tried my Motorola Stereo Bluetooth headphones to see if I can hear it through those yet.
The Beats sound quality is good, but this background interfaces is killing it for me. At this point the Audio from the Droid Bionic sounds better when using the different EQ settings.
Pretty inexcusable for an audio focused phone.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium
Yeah they all do it though. My incredible does it. Maybe its interference with the radio or the CPU.
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jayochs said:
Yeah they all do it though. My incredible does it. Maybe its interference with the radio or the CPU.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I may be a lucky one but I get no background noise at all. That is with the included earbuds, Sony low end headphones, and through my aux in the car.
Now having said that I was initially getting some background noise in the car but changed the car charger and the noise went away. That was not a whine but more like static.
NilsP said:
I may be a lucky one but I get no background noise at all. That is with the included earbuds, Sony low end headphones, and through my aux in the car.
Now having said that I was initially getting some background noise in the car but changed the car charger and the noise went away. That was not a whine but more like static.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which charger does not produce the noise? I'm getting worried about this noise. I'm switching carriers for this phone so I'm not sure what I'll do if it really bothers me. Mine arrives Tuesday and that's the day I'm driving 2.5 hours to Mom's house for Thanksgiving so I'll get a nice long chance to test it out in my car.
feralicious said:
Which charger does not produce the noise? I'm getting worried about this noise. I'm switching carriers for this phone so I'm not sure what I'll do if it really bothers me. Mine arrives Tuesday and that's the day I'm driving 2.5 hours to Mom's house for Thanksgiving so I'll get a nice long chance to test it out in my car.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Belkin mini 5v 1a for lighter and usb
I tried two different brands of wired earbuds and a regular wired over-the-ear headphones and can hear the background whining sound with all of them. It doesn't matter if I'm using the default music player, Google Music, WinMap (or 3rd party player), I can also hear it when streaming YouTube videos.
But if I use my Motorola HT820 Stereo Bluetooth headphones, there is no whining sound, just a small background "hiss" that the Motorola HT820 always has done.
So it seems the background whining problem with the Rezound has more to due with using the 3.5mm headset jack for listening to music, as I don't hear it when using Stereo Bluetooth headphones.
Maybe someone else with Bluetooth Stereo headphones can double-check?
FAUguy said:
I tried two different brands of wired earbuds and a regular wired over-the-ear headphones and can hear the background whining sound with all of them. It doesn't matter if I'm using the default music player, Google Music, WinMap (or 3rd party player), I can also hear it when streaming YouTube videos.
But if I use my Motorola HT820 Stereo Bluetooth headphones, there is no whining sound, just a small background "hiss" that the Motorola HT820 always has done.
So it seems the background whining problem with the Rezound has more to due with using the 3.5mm headset jack for listening to music, as I don't hear it when using Stereo Bluetooth headphones.
Maybe someone else with Bluetooth Stereo headphones can double-check?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would be curious if someone else could try this as well. In a response to my ticket regarding this HTC support suggested I try a bluetooth headset, I dont have one and they told me to go to the store and ask to try one. I dont plan on doing that but would be interesting if someone has one laying around already to try and confirm.
I tried removing my back cover and listening as well at their suggestion and that seems to take care of it as well so it may be an antennae issue.
I put the cover back on but have 4g off today to save some battery life and havent heard it yet while listening to music on my device, so it may even be the 4g signal interfering if someone else would like to try that as well.
my 4g is off and i hear the noise, so it's not the 4g radio
I notice it only when the music player is not playing any audio. When beats kicks in, the noise seems to go away.
Like when an album is done and the player has nothing to do, when the phone is connected to my truck stereo, I hear noise that changes in pitch with the RPMs.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk
I notice that on my GPS when I use Bluetooth through my stereo speakers...my Garmin GPS puts out a radio signal and u set the car to that frequency so u hear stuff through your speakers...I hear my.rpm changes in that lol
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA App
Some of what you guys are describing, the stuff with car chargers, has to do with a ground loop. http://www.epanorama.net/documents/groundloop/index.html
Some of it sounds like poor shielding. This is the noise you hear when you have earphones plugged in and no audio is playing. The audio jack/circuitry on this phone is probably very poorly shielded as all of them probably are nowadays. A lot of this noise gets drowned out with louder music, which is might be what happens when Beats is on.
I would love to know objectively if this were better or worse than other phones but no one ever tests these things and I'm not gonna hold my breath for a phone that touts a real headphone amp, DAC, and superior signal to noise ratios, or anything a music lover (not just hip-hop) might care about.
The easiest way I've found to get around most of this is to use Bluetooth audio. It doesn't sound great by any stretch, but it has less noise than most jacks and doesn't have the ground loop issue.
All I know is there was no noise at all with my Incredible.
I was listening to sections of John Lennon's Rolling Stone Interview (recorded shortly after the breakup of the Beatles) via the YouTube app on my Rezound today. The noise would start right after one segment would end, and stop as soon as I selected the next one.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk
yep
i hear it when I am using the ibeats headset on calls, it is very annoying. However it only happens if I have the audio all the way up, after putting it down two times it goes away.
I tried a suggestion of turning on the Airplane Mode to kill data while using the music player, and I can still hear the backgtound whining interference sound. Even with a song playing, and turning the music volume all the way down to mute, I can still hear it in the background. But once I pause the song, the whinging stops a few seconds later. This happens while using any brand of wiered earbuds or headphones, not just the red ones that come included.
The only time I don't hear it on the Rezound is when using Bluetooth Stereo headphones.
Since I also just got the Droid Razr, I tried music playback on it, and it doesn't have any backgroud interference sounds, though the actual music quality still sounds better on the Rezound. Hopefully its an issue that can be resolved with a future software upgrade, but it might be a hardware issue that can't be fixed.

Ear buds

I'm having a problem hearing music using ear Buds / headphones and was wondering if anyone else was having this issue on titan. The sound goes real dull almost like non-stereo and I have to hold where the 3.5 mm jack is and wiggle the earbuds to get a clear sound. I bought new skoal candies and tried 3 other pairs so I'm guessing its my phone but was curious if anyone else was having this issue.
Thx
from Titan on XDA Windows Phone 7 App
ear buds and the like
It might just be your 3.5 mm connection...I tried mine out just now (I had not added music to my Titan previously) and plugged in and was very very pleasantly surprised at the sound quality. I had surmised for myself that my PDA was for phone and calendar etc, and the iPod or other MP3/4 player for audio - mostly for quality of sound. I won't make that mistake again. The Titan is good - very good.
galdal said:
The sound goes real dull almost like non-stereo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DId you use IE while listening to Music? I don't have any problems with Music playback (Used it to listen to my music collection during work hours whole last week) However I noticed that when I launch IE (search, or by launching IE on its own) sound quality suddenly changes, and degrades..
mvadu said:
DId you use IE while listening to Music? I don't have any problems with Music playback (Used it to listen to my music collection during work hours whole last week) However I noticed that when I launch IE (search, or by launching IE on its own) sound quality suddenly changes, and degrades..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hm, I think it has something to do with bluetooth stereo vs headset profile. Weird that it happens with regular ear buds.
Sent from my PI39100 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
I think its defective, I'm going to call ATT tomorrow and have it replaced because I have to hold where the earbuds fit into the 3.5 connecter and put a little bit of pressure to get the sound to come thru. I'm glad to hear no one else is having an issue so thats good
I'm having issues too.
I had problems with my audio jack too. I was looking on here to see if anyone else had issues. At first, I thought that I had a failing headset but then I put another one in and after awhile it started doing the same thing. It's not right away but it seems to start up after a bit. It's really concerning me though. I'm considering getting a replacement and hope this is just a minor issue that affects a few units. I don't want to wait and have it develop into a bigger issue. It frustrates me though, because I had originally bought a focus s and the hands free button didn't work right. It seemed like an issue with the way it registered button presses. Now, I get this phone and the button works right but I'm having these audio issues. Argghh.
I don't have a problem with any earbuds , every one i tried works for me. It might just be your phone itself. maybe deffective? If i was you i would try regular ipod headphones or a friends to see if that really is the problem
hi all, question about the volume sensitivity on the titan. i used to have an iphone 3gs then switched to the skyrocket to try out android but i'm really unhappy with the android music players so i'm either going to trade it in for the iphone 4s or the htc titan (still within the 30 day period).
on my iphone i could set the max volume to wherever i wanted and would have plenty of intermediate volumes to get the level right where i want it.
however, with the skyrocket by the time i hit the 3rd volume level (0=mute, 1= up volume button pressed once) the volume physically hurts my ears and i like loud music.
i'm using the stock headphones that came with my iphone 3gs because i like the fit and the in-line remote. i know these have low resistance but still, only having 2 usable volume settings is ridiculously annoying because i can only listen to music really softly or a bit louder than where i want it to be.
how do you guys feel the volume sensitivity is on the titan? are there more than 2-3 acceptable volume levels for low-resistance (small earbud) headphones? thanks!
i use the included earbuds and the 30 level volume settings seem to fit most situations
Replace it since you're within the 30 days. I got a new one and the issue is cleared up, I had a defective unit. Very happy with it now

Anyone using external amplifier throught Headphone Out?

as per title..anyone? mean to say PORTABLE.
I've stopped using gs2 to listen to music long time as the volume is too low and also finding harder to drive my headphones to full. Just only yesterday, my iriver broke and in the market for new player. Thinking whether should be better off with just getting Fiio E6.
yes, we do lack line out through usb (very hopeful that it'll be put on ICS) and the only way to connect is through headphone out which is already amplified.
impressions pls. Thanks.
starfarer said:
as per title..anyone? mean to say PORTABLE.
I've stopped using gs2 to listen to music long time as the volume is too low and also finding harder to drive my headphones to full. Just only yesterday, my iriver broke and in the market for new player. Thinking whether should be better off with just getting Fiio E6.
yes, we do lack line out through usb (very hopeful that it'll be put on ICS) and the only way to connect is through headphone out which is already amplified.
impressions pls. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
volume is too low???? either your ears or s2 is done!!!!
think it's both. But yes normally I listen to a high level of volume and gs2 is the one of the lowest sounding device (ie through headphone out) i've ever owned. Not made for each other and made worst by owning couple of higher impedance headphones.
i have been using a FiiO E5 from when i had a n900, i think the volume is too low on the s2 aswell, i think you can get them for less than 20quid now, deffo worth it imo
thanks for that. I'm almost set my heart to buy one of these for later to be paired with sansa clip+ or similar. Probably will be cheaper and better than cowon's or sony x's. It's just curious what will be the effect on sound which is already amplified as HO in gs2.
Try Voodoo Louder from the Market for a 6dB increase, or the app in my sig for more than that. I use Brainwavz M3's with this app & find I only need to have volume at around 30% even in noisy environments (public transport, walking around town).
I've not found the S2 volume to be too bad, but I've used both one of the small "pop up" speakers, as well as a full blown amp, and a car headphone in socket - all absolutely fine.
you've tried Equalizer?, is in the market, is very good. regarding your original question, i use mine with logitech LB21, and it's sounds amazing.
Regards.
with Poweramp I think the sound is louder than the music original application, you can find it on the market
yes i use the E6 - it works fine and the quality is good.
Do not use any of the EQ's etc as suggested here to get it louder. The samsung internal amp can only go so loud without distorting - all u are doing with software boosts is dynamically effecting the music you are listening to. Somewhat like the radio does. It makes all of the instruments in the track as loud as each other by compressing the loudest sounds and lifting the volume of the lower ones. If you really want to get a louder performance from your phone use different headphones - that run on less ohms or use an external portable amp like any of Eii's series.
that's a very good explanation. I've also tried with low impedance headphones but still lacks the "punch". My bad as in OP I used the wrong word "loud" instead of "punch".
so what's the effect of E6 on already amplified Headphone out? just to amplify few dbs on all spectrums??
Rockbox on [email protected] and [email protected] with Voodoo [email protected] did improve the overall sound. Also maybe in that time, my ears started to adjust with the sound coming off GS2. Found similar thread here where ppl's had good experience with amplifer. Ordered Fiio E11 and will post impressions arrive.

Audio qulity from headphone jack

Just wanted to know if anyone else noticed faint buzzing/scratching/hissing noises coming out of their headphone jack...
(and yes I have tested several headphones/earbuds and tested with my MDRv6's all with the same results. Its definitely the phone not the headphones)
When I insert my headphones there is a quick beeping sound that plays for a second or so then goes quiet.
When music is playing, especially soft music (a particular song was Instant Crush; Daft Punk) there is a hiss in the background, specifically when certain tones play.
It was terribly noticeable right at the beginning of a few songs, especially the one I listed above.
I also have button sound effects enabled. So When I press one of the soft UI buttons it makes a tick noise. However for about 5 seconds after the tick there is a long hiss then silence until I press another button.
The volume of the hissing/scratching noises is directly related to the actual volume of the device and the note playing.
Im on stock build 11c w/root, and I havent found a lot of info about this problem.
Just wondering if anyone has noticed this, or if this is a known issue?
If your phone is warranteed, I would bring it in
The G3 boasts an AMPLIFIED 1 watt sound speaker, which means there is a powered sound processor.. Unless the jack needs to be cleaned, I would lean toward thinking there is a defect in your phones jack, or sound assembly. I think its more than likely a defective jack, especially if there are no sounds like you are describing when headphones are not in use
Yeah the phone is brand new. I think I'm going to RMA....
Sent from my VS985 4G using XDA Free mobile app
I've noticed it. Seems to be worse when charging.
Verizon remotely detected root, warranty voided.
Posted about it here.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=57355721
Word of warning before calling Verizon
Sent from my VS985 4G using XDA Free mobile app
nuke235 said:
Just wanted to know if anyone else noticed faint buzzing/scratching/hissing noises coming out of their headphone jack...
(and yes I have tested several headphones/earbuds and tested with my MDRv6's all with the same results. Its definitely the phone not the headphones)
When I insert my headphones there is a quick beeping sound that plays for a second or so then goes quiet.
When music is playing, especially soft music (a particular song was Instant Crush; Daft Punk) there is a hiss in the background, specifically when certain tones play.
It was terribly noticeable right at the beginning of a few songs, especially the one I listed above.
I also have button sound effects enabled. So When I press one of the soft UI buttons it makes a tick noise. However for about 5 seconds after the tick there is a long hiss then silence until I press another button.
The volume of the hissing/scratching noises is directly related to the actual volume of the device and the note playing.
Im on stock build 11c w/root, and I havent found a lot of info about this problem.
Just wondering if anyone has noticed this, or if this is a known issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just got my G3 a week ago and didnt use headphones until I read your post, I tested many different songs with different players, stock player, google player, Iheart radio, pandora, etc, headphone sound is crystal clear on mine, I dont get any beeps either like you described, I did notice you need to make sure the jack is pushed in good and tight, I put it in and thought it was all the way in and sound was crappy, pushed a bit harder and it clicked in good and sound was great, do you have a case that may be preventing the jack from being pushed in all the way, I had a phone in the past that this happened to me with, had to cut away some rubber on the jack to make it fit snug, if none of those are the issue, I would look into a warranty claim. I am using the beats audio earbuds that came with my HTC M7 I had before this phone.
kchinth said:
I've noticed it. Seems to be worse when charging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That could be the issue. I know on the 2012 Nexus 7, it's really bad. It's supposedly due to the microUSB port and the headphone jack sharing the same circuit, or some engineering thing like.
Wonder if it's the same or if they didn't shield the headphone jack very well and it's picking up interference from the microUSB port when charging?
I didn't want to leave this up in the air so I figured I would post an update.
I replaced my G3 through Verizon for a brand new unit. My first phone was of an earlier batch (came with the 10b update) the second one was of a later batch and had 11b pre-installed.
Both phones had the same issue. There is a hissing noise/distortion that comes from the headphone jack. Even when not playing music.
I noticed it on other phones too but not anywhere nearly as much. I understand that any audio source is going to have a little background interference but the G3 definitely has a more significant issue than others.
However it seems to be entirely dependant on what headphones you are using.
1st. I tested first with my Sony MDR-v6's which the problem is most noticeable on. Extreme hissing/background noise.
2nd. Then I used a pair of Audio Techina ATH-PRO500's and the problem was almost unnoticeable.
3rd. I also tried my Steel Series Siberia v2's and the problem was again almost completely gone.
4th. I also used my receiver at home. JVC 5.1 channel receiver with RCA speakers and a Kenwood sub, didn't notice the issue at all. However there where some occasional strange popping noises when no music was playing I didn't get on my GS3 or other MP3 player.
5th. Finally I tried the ear buds that came with my Galaxy S3 and the distortion was again totally noticeable with and without music playing.
This is most definitely an issue that totally depends on what headphones you are using not sure if it has to do with sensitivity or impedance (this is what most people think) however it is most definitely an issue. I saw a few threads saying that audio issues were a problem in Android 4.4.2 however LG/Verizon have yet to release a stock base on anything but.
I suppose I could flash AOSP 4.4.4 and see if the problem persists but I don't know if that would even be worth it.
2 phones and 4 headsets later this is starting to seem like either a software or a design issue.
However I have nothing but good to say about every other bit of this phone. Really besides the audio jack top notch all around.
Sent from my Stumped and Bumped Verizon LG G3
I might have found a workaround for this
I have tested 3 LG D855 and all of them have noise/static/high-freq leak from the processor out to the headphones. It might be a faulty design for the headphones amplification stage for headphones (when the headphones logo appears on the status bar). However, when using line level output (the jack appears on the status bar) the problem does not reproduce.
Therefore the workaround I've found is to trick the phone into line level output mode and then plug the headphones. To do this you need to plug in a 3.5mm jack extensor or a 2-to-1 3.5mm Y-adapter with no load, that's it, with nothing connected to it. At that moment, the phone will activate the line level output mode. Only after that you will connect the headphones, and you'll see there are no artifacts on the audio.
That being said, I'm not sure this will work with all kind of headphones as I have only tried with mines that are low-impedance ones, but on those it works perfectly. To be checked if the level of the signal in line mode is enough to drive other headphones.
In any case, it is a shame this happens with a high-end and expensive smartphone. I was hopping this will be fixed in a newer hardware revision but I got two replacements of mine and no luck. I have read somewhere this might be a flaw in Snapdragon 801, as it integrates completely the signal routings but isolates badly highfreq noise from processor stages, etc. etc. but I do not remember where I did read it unfortunately.
I hope this helps!
drondron said:
I have tested 3 LG D855 and all of them have noise/static/high-freq leak from the processor out to the headphones. It might be a faulty design for the headphones amplification stage for headphones (when the headphones logo appears on the status bar). However, when using line level output (the jack appears on the status bar) the problem does not reproduce.
Therefore the workaround I've found is to trick the phone into line level output mode and then plug the headphones. To do this you need to plug in a 3.5mm jack extensor or a 2-to-1 3.5mm Y-adapter with no load, that's it, with nothing connected to it. At that moment, the phone will activate the line level output mode. Only after that you will connect the headphones, and you'll see there are no artifacts on the audio.
That being said, I'm not sure this will work with all kind of headphones as I have only tried with mines that are low-impedance ones, but on those it works perfectly. To be checked if the level of the signal in line mode is enough to drive other headphones.
In any case, it is a shame this happens with a high-end and expensive smartphone. I was hopping this will be fixed in a newer hardware revision but I got two replacements of mine and no luck. I have read somewhere this might be a flaw in Snapdragon 801, as it integrates completely the signal routings but isolates badly highfreq noise from processor stages, etc. etc. but I do not remember where I did read it unfortunately.
I hope this helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ive been having the same issue. I have a pair of Shure SE846 which are about 8ohms. I experience the poor audio, especially the noise in the left channel. I find that placing a call and then listening to music removes the left channel static but the sound is still kinda bad. Ill try your suggestion tonight and post back. Just wanted to let you know your not alone.
I despise my G3 because of this. Im looking to get a new phone unless I can fix this.
Nope, my sound is perfect on my high-end Sony over the ear phones. Crystal clear on pure stock G3 .
I haven't noticed any artifact issues on my phone when using headphones, however when I plug it into my vehicle and also plug in the charger that causes everything to go nuts. The USB interference causes a crazy amount of excess noise. I haven't ever actually tried listening to headphones while charging, so in the car is the only time I've ever noticed it. The same issue occurs when I plug in my Galaxy Tab Pro into the aux jack and charge it at the same time, so this is definitely not unique to the G3. I wish all phones had as good an amplifier as my HTC DNA does, I still use that thing for music because the sound is so good.
pitbull8265 said:
If your phone is warranteed, I would bring it in
The G3 boasts an AMPLIFIED 1 watt sound speaker, which means there is a powered sound processor.. Unless the jack needs to be cleaned, I would lean toward thinking there is a defect in your phones jack, or sound assembly. I think its more than likely a defective jack, especially if there are no sounds like you are describing when headphones are not in use
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm having a different audio problem.
With headphones plugged in and listening to music using any player, the right side sound emits distortion/hissing noise at a certain frequencies. When I tested it with plugging a 3.5mm to 3.5mm to an external amp (JDS labs c5) the distortion/hissing noise is completely gone. So it's definitely not a faulty jack
The hissing is evident at the beginning of (first few seconds) Tina Area's Still Running and You set fire to my heart .
I'm testing it with sensitive iem (Westone Um3x).
So does this mean there is a problem with the internal amp of the g3 or more to do with the os bug that can be solved with a custom kernel or update.
Is this a common issue found on all g3s?
drondron said:
I have tested 3 LG D855 and all of them have noise/static/high-freq leak from the processor out to the headphones. It might be a faulty design for the headphones amplification stage for headphones (when the headphones logo appears on the status bar). However, when using line level output (the jack appears on the status bar) the problem does not reproduce.
Therefore the workaround I've found is to trick the phone into line level output mode and then plug the headphones. To do this you need to plug in a 3.5mm jack extensor or a 2-to-1 3.5mm Y-adapter with no load, that's it, with nothing connected to it. At that moment, the phone will activate the line level output mode. Only after that you will connect the headphones, and you'll see there are no artifacts on the audio.
That being said, I'm not sure this will work with all kind of headphones as I have only tried with mines that are low-impedance ones, but on those it works perfectly. To be checked if the level of the signal in line mode is enough to drive other headphones.
In any case, it is a shame this happens with a high-end and expensive smartphone. I was hopping this will be fixed in a newer hardware revision but I got two replacements of mine and no luck. I have read somewhere this might be a flaw in Snapdragon 801, as it integrates completely the signal routings but isolates badly highfreq noise from processor stages, etc. etc. but I do not remember where I did read it unfortunately.
I hope this helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi! This worked perfectly for me but for me instead of tricking the phone into line level output mode, I detaching one side of my headphones before plugging it into the headphone jack then reattached it afterwards. I'm using pair of sensitive iems (Westone um3x rc)
Everything is quit with no distortion, just how it should be!
One thing, is there an option within android or an app that can permanently enable line level mode ever time headphones are plugged in without having to trick it.
If so, I won't have to sent my phone for repair!
Also are there any disadvantages for using line level with headphones?
Fungus999 said:
Hi! This worked perfectly for me but for me instead of tricking the phone into line level output mode, I detaching one side of my headphones before plugging it into the headphone jack then reattached it afterwards. I'm using pair of sensitive iems (Westone um3x rc)
Everything is quit with no distortion, just how it should be!
One thing, is there an option within android or an app that can permanently enable line level mode ever time headphones are plugged in without having to trick it.
If so, I won't have to sent my phone for repair!
Also are there any disadvantages for using line level with headphones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using line out shouldn't make any difference on audio quality. It only disables the remote (buttons and microphone).
Would also really like a way to force the line-out mode. Btw, does this affect all G3s? Cause right now I'm not sure if it's worth the hassle of replacing it.
sulkie said:
Using line out shouldn't make any difference on audio quality. It only disables the remote (buttons and microphone).
Would also really like a way to force the line-out mode. Btw, does this affect all G3s? Cause right now I'm not sure if it's worth the hassle of replacing it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know but some how using line out causes the hissing from the right side to go away completely. Strange huh
Are you also having this problem?
I also don't want to return mine if it exists in all g3s and there's a easier work around.
Yea same thing. I have artifacts in the left channel except when I manage to force the phone to recognize the headphones as line-out. I did this with the adapter to test it and it's impractical if not impossible to use the same adapter all the time.
I'm gonna try doing this right this moment to see if it works: http://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-g3/help/hissing-noise-left-ear-playing-music-t2804065/page17
sulkie said:
Yea same thing. I have artifacts in the left channel except when I manage to force the phone to recognize the headphones as line-out. I did this with the adapter to test it and it's impractical if not impossible to use the same adapter all the time.
I'm gonna try doing this right this moment to see if it works: http://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-g3/help/hissing-noise-left-ear-playing-music-t2804065/page17
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't use earphones with a volume remote or microphone so that's not a problem.
It could be more to do with the increase in output impedance but I might be wrong cos the volume level is identical to headphone out.
I'm also getting a lot of static background noise but it disappears after making and hanging up a call as mentioned in a thread.
But yeah a permanent fix by forcing it into line out or doing some changes in kernel would be much more convenient
Fungus999 said:
I don't use earphones with a volume remote or microphone so that's not a problem.
It could be more to do with the increase in output impedance but I might be wrong cos the volume level is identical to headphone out.
I'm also getting a lot of static background noise but it disappears after making and hanging up a call as mentioned in a thread.
But yeah a permanent fix by forcing it into line out or doing some changes in kernel would be much more convenient
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great news! I just tried the fix from that thread and it worked. Here's the post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=59601465&postcount=150
I'm using stock rom which had 3 mixer xml files and I edited 2 of them, mixer_paths.xml and mixer_paths_qcwcn.xml. Also, instead of changing the value to 0, I deleted the entire line as it was suggested later in the thread.
The artifacts/noise in the left channel are gone!
sulkie said:
Great news! I just tried the fix from that thread and it worked. Here's the post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=59601465&postcount=150
I'm using stock rom which had 3 mixer xml files and I edited 2 of them, mixer_paths.xml and mixer_paths_qcwcn.xml. Also, instead of changing the value to 0, I deleted the entire line as it was suggested later in the thread.
The artifacts/noise in the left channel are gone!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But mine is stock on stock Lollipop via official update and with the hiss coming from the right side.
Please excuses my ignorance but I know nothing about accessing and editing a ROM.
How do I get into the rom and into the file called system/etc"?

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