[Q] Ground loop noise? AUX in car left channel missing when charging - Galaxy S III Q&A, (US Carriers)

I have something strange happening in my car, and need some help determining what's causing it.
I have a fairly new top-tier alpine CD deck in my car, with the iphone native interface/usb/ainet inputs.
I have an iphone for work which I use strictly for audio since it's a digital interface, but I also have a window mount with a 3.5mm input that runs to a RCA AINet hook up in the back. Have used said setup for quite some time, with great results with all of my old android phones (HTC Evo 4G, HTC Hero, iphone 4 also)
When I plug the 3.5mm into my GS3, I lose basically the entire left channel, ONLY when it is also plugged into the 12v car charger (several chargers tested, same result) When not charging, the audio output is perfect like I would expect. The GS3 and my wife's GS2 do the same thing when a charger is connected, while the HTC phones and iphone do not. I also can plug the usb end into the Iphone's native USB plug connection into the back of the headunit, same results, half of the audio is cut out and there is some rough scratchy sounds.
Now, I want to see if any others can recreate this or might know if this is a ground loop issue. I don't hear engine noise which I would think is a ground loop, but this is the only conclusion I can reach. Strange is that it doesn't do it with my HTC phones or iphone. Any ideas?

Related

Car USB Charging Whining Noise

Hi All,
Per the discussion of this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1367120&highlight=usb+amazon+charger&page=3
I bought this Car USB Outlet Charger: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002F0200Q/ref=oh_o02_s00_i00_details
It charges under AC mode, but if I also connect the 3.5mm jack to my cars speakers there is a high pitched noise that increases as the RPM of my engine increases (for example if I put my car in neutral the sound is at the lowest frequency, and if i step on it the sound shoots up).
If I remove the charger from the phone the noise stops. If I begin playing music the noise also goes away. If I stop any playing music then the high pitch noise will return after a brief (~5sec) period.
It's not a terrible issue because it doesn't interfere with playing audio, but it is an issue if nothing is playing and the car speaker is turned on.
Would appreciate any insight.
Thanks,
DL
I have the same issue. It's not the phone, it's your car. You are hearing the alternator noise through the electrical. I have some friends who are car audio installers and what you have is a most likely a bad ground on the auxiliary port. I've tried with 3 or 4 phones with my car and they all do it while charging.
From what I understand there's 2 ways to fix it. Have an audio Installer open it up and ground it properly. This takes time and could be complicated depending where the fault is.
There's also a magnetic shielding thing tthat you can pass your auxiliary cable through which is supposed to be like $5. I've not tried the simple fix yet. I keep forgetting to ask what iit is exactly.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk
Well I was thinking it was an issue with the actual charger, not my car...
I've used a blackberry, and itouch before while charging and going to the car audio without the problem (but this was not with the Belkin adapter I linked to).
Just to be clear when you say an issue with grounding of the auxillary port you are referring to the the 3.5mm input, not the cigarette lighter port?
Let me try switching the cigarette port.
Yeah, the 3.5mm port. I've also tried changing chargers and nothing has made a difference.
so what you are saying is the issue is with my 3.5mm jack even though the noise doesnt come through if the charger is disconnected?
I've never had any problems with other devices when charging and playing audio.
Only with this particular usb charger and my rezound.
happens to me sometimes too...I just act like I'm in some kind of spaceship as I zoom down the highway
I'm thinking to buy something like this to power my devices, probably a good investment...
goo DOT gl/s0wO7 (can't post links yet, redirect to amazon for a powerline 200W power inverter)
Had the problem with a Verizon charger, took it back and the new one worked fine.
You could try some snap chokes (ferrite cores) they snap around the outside of the cables you may have seen them on some of your usb cables, they reduce interference
radio shack search "snap choke" they have two sizes that fit around the outside of the cable, 5mm and 3.5mm ... they come two to a package, try using them on the power wire and if that doesn't work try it on your aux output wire, they just snap on. you can snap them off if you want to remove them, you can use more than one on a cable if that helps
This is not a fix all and may or may not work but this is what they are designed for, it at least may cut down the noise some but no guarantee's
Once you search on radio shack, read the reviews on them you will see what some people are using them for, they are about $3.00 for 2 chokes
craigsdocks said:
You could try some snap chokes (ferrite cores) they snap around the outside of the cables you may have seen them on some of your usb cables, they reduce interference
radio shack search "snap choke" they have two sizes that fit around the outside of the cable, 5mm and 3.5mm ... they come two to a package, try using them on the power wire and if that doesn't work try it on your aux output wire, they just snap on. you can snap them off if you want to remove them, you can use more than one on a cable if that helps
This is not a fix all and may or may not work but this is what they are designed for, it at least may cut down the noise some but no guarantee's
Once you search on radio shack, read the reviews on them you will see what some people are using them for, they are about $3.00 for 2 chokes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the suggestion. I will certainly take this idea into consideration.
I do think the piece is defective, but the amazon seller only offers a return, and it was only 5$, not sure if its worth the hassle.
The charging circuit on your alternator has a bad filter. The whine you're hearing is the AC generated...the frequency corresponds with your RPM. Basically, the rectifier diodes are doing what they are supposed to and putting that AC into the electrical system as pulsed DC, but there are capacitors and chokes that are supposed to smooth the current out so it doesn't stress out your equipment. It's possible the charger you got doesn't have a filter either. Ensuring your equipment has a good ground should help, but it may not fix the sound...you'd have to replace your alternator.
Its ground feedback. Could be anywhere in your car. Could also be the charger but probably not.
I have a similar effect, but fortunately it does go away once I start playing music. I only hear the noise when nothing is playing. I don't engine noise, just static. I know its related to the changing connect since it goes away when I unplug it.
I was thinking about seeing if there is something to impede interference that I can put inline with the cable or on it.
My aux audio was an PAC Audio connection that I installed, and the dock/charger I have is kind of cheap-o, so I figure its just the price of being frugal.
yes thanks all for the advice and feedback.
@ssb13 yes the sound interestingly stops right before any music plays, and then has a short delay before coming back after the music finishes.
I suspect a ground loop isolator would solve your problems.
Here's one from Kensington on Amazon:
http://tinyurl.com/6m58v6s
But there are several other makes that probably would work equally well. Just do a search on Amazon for a ground loop isolator.
Check out the comments on the Kensington one and see if the problems sound familiar.
I have the exact same problem! It happens with both the AC cigarette charger and the usb cable I have connected through my headunit. I have a cheap radioshack stereo cable as the connection between my rezound and the headunit, but when I've used headphones I don't seem to notice it either because the music is too loud to notice it or there isn't any interference. So I'm assuming the interference is caused by a feedback loop since power comes in from the charger and then audio goes out through the headphone jack and back into the car.
car charger noise
I purchased and installed an EMI/RFI suppressor from Mouser. It is a 2-piece ferrite cylinder that fits around the USB cable coming from the car charger/power supply. Unfortunately, it made absolutely NO DIFFERENCE in the noise. It is the same type of suppressor that is sometimes installed by the manufacturer on power supply output cables, so I was hopeful that it would work. Guess I will try looking for a loose ground connection.
[
A ferrite ("snap choke," "RFI suppressor") won't do a thing at audio frequencies. You're hearing whine from the alternator. It's worse because you have a ground loop - the phone is grounded by both the charger and the audio jacks. It's probably worse when no music is playing because the phone then turns off the output amplifier, making the output a high impedance and letting the noise be heard due to the ground loop. A ground isolator in the audio line will probably help, but may not completely eliminate, the noise. Why not get a Bluetooth audio adapter for your car?
Ground loops suck, at home they can be fixed by breaking off the grounding pin on a power strip and using that. But you can't do that in your car.

Possible Car dock sound issue out of 3.35mm

Hello everybody i recently got the sprint car dock and i was wondering if anyone else has seen this same kind of behavior as I have been seeing. Basically music played using the 3.35mm jack to an aux port on the car stereo just doesn't sound right. It seems like all the sound is going to my rear speakers while i play music from RDIO and my streamed music from Google play. It seems like the audio sounds much better while the phone is not docked. Has anyone else run into this issue? I remember that original Evo's dock did something where it automatically lowered the volume of the music being sent through the 3.35 jack.
When I had the photon and the dock, I had the same issue. Do you have a case on your phone?
If you do try to push down a bit harder with music playing, I bet you your other speakers will start working again.
The USB audio is picky on just how "properly" seated it is. I also noticed (again the photon) the audio is a bit quieter. Eventually I ended up using the mini jack connector and the usb for charging.
So after re-reading your post, I realized you are not talking about USB but the mini jack. What i have noticed however, I was using the 3.55mm today and the radio had to be turned up a bit more to get the normal listening levels I am currently used to (used to be 22-24, now its 30-35 for volume level on my radio) The sound did sound a bit.... off... but could not quite place it. I noticed the beats audio icon on the top when I had the music playing. It does not appear to be customizable except for an on and off?
anoying sound
As soon as I inserted my phone into the car dock with my 3.5 audio jack in it started making a buzzing sound. I double checked that the phone was seated properly and that the audio jacks were all the way secure. The sound disappeared as soon as I removed it from the dock. It is not very noticible if music is playing but if is not it is terrible. Am I the only one?
This is likely a ground loop issue. I'm seeing it with my dock too. But i also see the exact same issue while charging WITHOUT the dock and always have with every phone in my truck. Unplug the charger, issue goes away.
Eventually I'm going to re-ground my cigarette outlet to a cleaner ground in my truck and see if that solves the issue.
modplan said:
This is likely a ground loop issue. I'm seeing it with my dock too. But i also see the exact same issue while charging WITHOUT the dock and always have with every phone in my truck. Unplug the charger, issue goes away.
Eventually I'm going to re-ground my cigarette outlet to a cleaner ground in my truck and see if that solves the issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Id have to agree. I dont have the sound issue in my truck atm, using an aftermarket Pyle 7in dvd. But Ive had that same issue in other vehicles/devices (not with my LTE). Does the sound increase with the RPM at any range? If so they make a filter (I think its just a magnet idk) that can clear up that sound.
modplan said:
This is likely a ground loop issue. I'm seeing it with my dock too. But i also see the exact same issue while charging WITHOUT the dock and always have with every phone in my truck. Unplug the charger, issue goes away.
Eventually I'm going to re-ground my cigarette outlet to a cleaner ground in my truck and see if that solves the issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not have the issue at all when I disconnect from the dock. In fact, its minimal once I start to play something like Pandora. But as soon as I don't have something playing the buzzing kicks in and its annoying as hell. I have two 12v ports in my car and several different chargers and it does them for all of them. I think it may be something HTC knows about but hasn't confirmed yet...
modplan said:
This is likely a ground loop issue. I'm seeing it with my dock too. But i also see the exact same issue while charging WITHOUT the dock and always have with every phone in my truck. Unplug the charger, issue goes away.
Eventually I'm going to re-ground my cigarette outlet to a cleaner ground in my truck and see if that solves the issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is pretty much spot on. I had to re ground one if my cigarette lighters that did this with my zune.
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
donatom3 said:
This is pretty much spot on. I had to re ground one if my cigarette lighters that did this with my zune.
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not saying that it wasn't the case for you, because it certainly is possible. However, correct me if I am wrong, you had the problem regardless of if the phone was in the car dock correct?
I ONLY have the problem when it is in the car dock. That makes me think it's not the 12v plug.
bds369 said:
I do not have the issue at all when I disconnect from the dock. In fact, its minimal once I start to play something like Pandora. But as soon as I don't have something playing the buzzing kicks in and its annoying as hell. I have two 12v ports in my car and several different chargers and it does them for all of them. I think it may be something HTC knows about but hasn't confirmed yet...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you try something? Take the same charger and try it with the phone in another car. One thats less then 10 years old if possible. (Not that its some magic age of the car, just better/properly grounded radios are more common, imo) Report back and let us know if the sound persists in that vehicle? Thanks
*Not saying yours, or anyone with the problems vehicle is 10+ years old - just wondering if it persists elsewhere.
bds369 said:
I'm not saying that it wasn't the case for you, because it certainly is possible. However, correct me if I am wrong, you had the problem regardless of if the phone was in the car dock correct?
I ONLY have the problem when it is in the car dock. That makes me think it's not the 12v plug.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had it on multiple devices that had their power adapter plugged into the car. There is also a chance it's your power adapter.
This is not an uncommon problem in car audio, it's so common that many manufacturers make devices to try to reduce the noise. http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062214
Try adding a ground loop isolator into the audio cable. They can't be bought just about anywhere (Amazon, Radio Shack, etc.) for about $15 and should eliminate and ground loop noise. Ground loop noise is why it is so hard to find a car dock that includes audio out. Companies understand consumers want a car dock with 3.5mm audio out but wouldn't be able to design a dock that would eliminate noise in every case.
Filtering the audio line with a ground loop isolator is not a solution for me. They often dramatically reduce high tones and degrade audio quality overall. A real solution is to solve the issue on the electrical side, not the audio side.
OK, I think I understand what you are saying now. I get the normal ground loop whine that I have always gotten in my truck, that changes pitch with RPMs. Known issue with all phones in my truck, whatever.
But today I also noticed a Static (1 second) Static (1 second) Static (1 second) Static (1 second) that was only noticable when my phone was in the dock, plugged in, no music playing (in between songs) AND the beats audio logo was visible (beats was off, I do not use it). Beats logo goes away (when there is more than a second or two of silence) and the static stops. I'm not sure if the static is stopping then because the beats signal processor is turning off, or because the phone is turning off power to the headphone jack. If it is the beats processor turning off, I could try to make a mod to always keep it off (I don't use it anyway).
Is anyone seeing this static (static, not whine) while plugged in but NOT in the dock?
Is this what the OP is seeing? How about the rest of you?
modplan said:
OK, I think I understand what you are saying now. I get the normal ground loop whine that I have always gotten in my truck, that changes pitch with RPMs. Known issue with all phones in my truck, whatever.
But today I also noticed a Static (1 second) Static (1 second) Static (1 second) Static (1 second) that was only noticable when my phone was in the dock, plugged in, no music playing (in between songs) AND the beats audio logo was visible (beats was off, I do not use it). Beats logo goes away (when there is more than a second or two of silence) and the static stops. I'm not sure if the static is stopping then because the beats signal processor is turning off, or because the phone is turning off power to the headphone jack. If it is the beats processor turning off, I could try to make a mod to always keep it off (I don't use it anyway).
Is anyone seeing this static (static, not whine) while plugged in but NOT in the dock?
Is this what the OP is seeing? How about the rest of you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not the OP but I am getting the exact same results that you are. It sounds perfect when not in the dock. When in the dock it makes a terrible buzzing noise until I start to play something. I have tried multiple chargers including OEM HTC ones in multiple vehicles and the problem still persists. How can ground loop be non existent when I'm charging my phone with just the cable (outside of the dock)? It has to be something else. I ordered the HTC Stereoclip yesterday and should have it be the end of this week to test wireless play.
willyam111 said:
Try adding a ground loop isolator into the audio cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I already had one installed for my Epic, and still get the noise on my EVO....
Just out of interest, is the 3.5mm jack going into the Phone, or is it tied into the charger cable. I currently have a MOTO Atrix and the Car Dock USB Cable splits off with an Aux Jack connection. That way you don't need to keep plugging the Aux Cable into the phone everytime you dock. I've never had any interference with this approach.
I'm getting the EVOLTE as soon as possible, so I'm interested in this answer. Plus, how it's being connected may be part of the problem?
csyrell said:
Just out of interest, is the 3.5mm jack going into the Phone, or is it tied into the charger cable. I currently have a MOTO Atrix and the Car Dock USB Cable splits off with an Aux Jack connection. That way you don't need to keep plugging the Aux Cable into the phone everytime you dock. I've never had any interference with this approach.
I'm getting the EVOLTE as soon as possible, so I'm interested in this answer. Plus, how it's being connected may be part of the problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no audio jack coming out of the dock. You still have to use the one on the phone itself.
So I took apart the dock and there is one small chip inside. Seems like a lot for what should just be usb passthrough. I tried removing the blue led hoping that that was the cause of the interference but it did not help.
There are lots of resistors and capacitors on this board. Does anyone know of we remove them all it will be straight usb passthrough? I get MUCH less interference in my truck with just charging and NOT the dock using the same cable. I good way to test this is to turn the Media volume all the way down on your phone and up high in ur vehicle and you will get tons of static and popping.
Any electrical engineers in the crowd? I if not I guess I have to buy a stereo clip :-(
Sent from my EVO using XDA
Those electronics are probably what activate Car Mode.
ahecht said:
Those electronics are probably what activate Car Mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Activating car mode is done my simply shorting pins 4 and 5 on the USB connector, no electronics required and is why the dock will still put your phone into car mode when not even plugged in.

High pitch noise when plugged into car's AUX

Full description of the problem:
I just got my EVO 4G LTE the other day, as a replacement to my original EVO 4G. However, I noticed when it was plugged into my car's AUX port, it puts out a high-pitch (like a teapot) noise. This noise happens as long as the headphone jack is powered up (something playing). Even if I turn the phone's volume down all the way, the high pitch is still heard. Otherwise, the audio from the phone can also be heard normally.
Things I've tried:
1. Different cables known to work. All act identically.
2. Headphones. They work fine.
3. Another car's AUX port. Worked fine.
4. Jiggling the jack on either end causes the pitch to change momentarily, but does not go away.
5. Slightly unplugging it from the car side (so one of the channels is not connected) makes it go away, leaving me to believe the high pitch noise is only coming from one channel (I believe the right channel, hard to tell).
Things I don't want to do:
1. Get a new car stereo.
2. Use a Bluetooth adapter. I already have the Stereoclip, and it doesn't do phone calls. Anything else sounds awful with music.
Does anyone have any solutions? I think its some sort of strange feedback/grounding issue, but I have no idea how I would fix this.
I don't have a solution, but I am experiencing the same issue with the phone plugged into my car's AUX. As long as music is playing I can't really hear the whine, but between songs it's pretty annoying.
I haven't tried playing around with the different EQ settings. By default it's been going to Beats. I may switch to a different setting or try a different player like Winamp. I'm currently using the HTC media player.
jasonkc25 said:
I don't have a solution, but I am experiencing the same issue with the phone plugged into my car's AUX. As long as music is playing I can't really hear the whine, but between songs it's pretty annoying.
I haven't tried playing around with the different EQ settings. By default it's been going to Beats. I may switch to a different setting or try a different player like Winamp. I'm currently using the HTC media player.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my experience it has absolutely nothing to do with what app is being used, nor the EQ. It's nothing software as far as I can tell.
This fixes it:
http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Reducing-SmartPhone-including-iPhone/dp/B0031U1ATQ
if your phone is plugged into the car charger and your audio jack is plugged in to listen to music. what our hearing is a ground loop from the cars alternator. try unplugging the power supply and see if that helps..
papadunit said:
if your phone is plugged into the car charger and your audio jack is plugged in to listen to music. what our hearing is a ground loop from the cars alternator. try unplugging the power supply and see if that helps..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The car charger makes no difference. I have tried using nothing but the audio cable in the phone and still had the static.
I was under the impression that a normal ground loop would require a charger, but...
Modplan: are you sure this will fix it if the noise occurs even without the charger plugged in? The noise is high-pitch, not really a hum, so I'm wary as to whether it will help here.
Its not a simple ground loop problem. I wired my power to the phone using a separate ground from the car's common ground and the issue still persisted.
Try cranking the volume up then when you hear the noise, start playing with the touchscreen. When i did this the noise started changing according to the movement of my fingers. I concluded that there is something going on with the grounding of the capacitive display thats causing another grounding issue, but its not an issue with the car, but an issue with the phone.
I didn't want to go through the vicious cycle of returning my phone over and over until i get one that didn't have this fault so i just went with a samsung hs3000 hardwired in to my car.
lacrossev said:
Its not a simple ground loop problem. I wired my power to the phone using a separate ground from the car's common ground and the issue still persisted.
Try cranking the volume up then when you hear the noise, start playing with the touchscreen. When i did this the noise started changing according to the movement of my fingers. I concluded that there is something going on with the grounding of the capacitive display thats causing another grounding issue, but its not an issue with the car, but an issue with the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wasn't able to replicate this.
I've had the same issue, but it's only when charging. I figured it had something to do with the aluminum body and, as papadunit said, a problem with grounding and your car's alternator and blah blah blah science.
modplan said:
This fixes it:
http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Reducing-SmartPhone-including-iPhone/dp/B0031U1ATQ
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm happy to report that this actually did solve the problem, amazingly. Thanks!
Actually had same issues this passed weekend but with my asus transformer. Was using it for navigation tethering from evo with both charging from my 400w inverter. Plugged transformer into aux and had same high pitching noise only when inverter was plugged in. Even tried different audio cables, same chit.
Sent from my EVO LTE
Headset Jack's other issues
I can confirm the same behavior with my EVO 4g LTE. My HTC Touch Pro 2 or Iphone 4s never had any of these issues with my vehicle's AUX jack. I also verified that if I turn the volume on the phone all the way down that the noise is audible on the vehicle's sound system. It also doesn't matter what player I use or if I add any equalizer settings to the audio. Finally, the noise is present whether the car is running or not.
Can you guys confirm: If you pause the audio on your player does the whine end about 4 seconds after and startup again if you press play? Or if you shut the player down does the noise go away shortly after?
I did some research and some said it has to do with the AUDIO DAC in the phone turning on and off as audio is played, paused, etc. If the output device has high sensitivity these sounds appear.
I had another issue with my Plantronics wired headset distoring when making phone calls. It did not present the whine but it distorted the callers voice as if the treble or bass was too high. I tried various audio settings but nothing changed. With other headsets the issue does not present itself. I think that the audio DAC is also sending higher/lower frequencies that are greater than some headsets can handle.
That Kensington thing that was posted can easily be made with common household parts. Basically all you need to do is take the big bulgy thing from any cable that would have it and attach it to your audio cable. It works best if you have one near each end of the cable. it's called a clamp-on ferrite bead and is just a clip with iron ferrite in the middle. Since i'm new I can't post a link buuuut what I can do is tell you the keywords to look up on google for the ehow link: cable magnets eliminate emi . enjoy!
lacrossev said:
Its not a simple ground loop problem. I wired my power to the phone using a separate ground from the car's common ground and the issue still persisted.
Try cranking the volume up then when you hear the noise, start playing with the touchscreen. When i did this the noise started changing according to the movement of my fingers. I concluded that there is something going on with the grounding of the capacitive display thats causing another grounding issue, but its not an issue with the car, but an issue with the phone.
I didn't want to go through the vicious cycle of returning my phone over and over until i get one that didn't have this fault so i just went with a samsung hs3000 hardwired in to my car.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine changes pitch according to my cars rpms
Sent from my EVO
I am getting this with headphones, i have used multiple brands and its hit or miss but more hit than miss :laugh:, anyone getting it in there headphone?
I was getting this issue until I installed a custom ROM. Running MeanROM right now with no background noise. Seems counterintuitive to me...but whatever.
J
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
dankorzon said:
That Kensington thing that was posted can easily be made with common household parts. Basically all you need to do is take the big bulgy thing from any cable that would have it and attach it to your audio cable. It works best if you have one near each end of the cable. it's called a clamp-on ferrite bead and is just a clip with iron ferrite in the middle. Since i'm new I can't post a link buuuut what I can do is tell you the keywords to look up on google for the ehow link: cable magnets eliminate emi . enjoy!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3012599
Dankorzon, is this what you're talking about? If so I'm going to go get some tomorrow. I'm having this feedback issue too, but it is only when the car charger is plugged in. But I'd love to get rid of that sound. Drives me crazy.
SOLVED: I used a ground loop isolator
I posted earlier that I had the whining noise in my car even with the engine off. So it wasn't related to an alternator issue. I use a Blitzsafe (blitzsafe.com) device to add a line level input jack to my Honda Accord's stock radio interface. It works well with all my other devices except the Evo 4g LTE. This past weekend I did a little tinkering and noticed that if I pulled the RCA jack on one channel (left or right) every so slightly so the ground tabs weren't touching the noise disappeared. With only one channel connected the noise is not present. I'm not sure why the noise is present with both channels connected but it definitely pointed to a ground loop problem. I did some research in audio forums and some said that a wire could be jumpered so the RCA ground touches the receiver chassis and that would solve the problem. Unfortunately that did not do anything. I touched several different grounding points near the receiver but the sound was always present.
I went to Best Buy and purchased this: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Fierce+...36.p?id=1218186610567&skuId=9855136&st=ground loop&cp=1&lp=1 It works great. For whatever reason the EVO 4g LTE's DAC must be sensitive or not have the right filter to block the ground signal. This explains why the Kensington product also works.
I also solved my headset issue. I can confirm that older corded Plantronic headsets will not work well with the EVO. The EVO distorts the speaker in the headset. I'm pretty sure it's because it sends lower bass frequencies than the speaker can handle. Only solution was to use a newer headset.
Thanks all for your help.
phiphiJR said:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3012599
Dankorzon, is this what you're talking about? If so I'm going to go get some tomorrow. I'm having this feedback issue too, but it is only when the car charger is plugged in. But I'd love to get rid of that sound. Drives me crazy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is what he is talking about, but that is NOT what the kennsington device is. Google "ground loop isolator" for info on what the kennsington is, it is NOT simply an aux cord with ferrite beads on it.
I've got the same problem in my car. This only happens when plugged into the charger. I'm going to try a ground loop isolation device which will arrive sometime next week.
I guess I don't understand why the phone would only do this when no music is playing though. It makes me think maybe a patch could solve the issue if HTC knew what the issue was.

Aux Cable / Headphone Bug

So figured I'd go ahead and add a thread about this here for us Sprint users that are experiencing the problem with the Aux cable. Its a known issue and I'd link to a couple other posts, but I'm still a "noob"
I was a little upset to find that I wasn't able to use my phone to Pandora in the car.
However....
Today I got it to work, and here is how: I had the stereo set to the CD player when i plugged the AUX cable in and the icon stayed in the notification bar. Then I launched Pandora and let it start playing. THEN I switched the stereo to AUX mode, and it played fine my entire trip to work. Still experienced the "hot plug" sound between tracks, but I think I can deal with it.
geetee360 said:
So figured I'd go ahead and add a thread about this here for us Sprint users that are experiencing the problem with the Aux cable. Its a known issue and I'd link to a couple other posts, but I'm still a "noob"
I was a little upset to find that I wasn't able to use my phone to Pandora in the car.
However....
Today I got it to work, and here is how: I had the stereo set to the CD player when i plugged the AUX cable in and the icon stayed in the notification bar. Then I launched Pandora and let it start playing. THEN I switched the stereo to AUX mode, and it played fine my entire trip to work. Still experienced the "hot plug" sound between tracks, but I think I can deal with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recall having an issue with my samsung headphones. They didn't work at one point, I rebooted and they were fine. The phone didn't even detect them for some reason. I've had no issues with aux in my car (aside from needing a new cable), however I thought it would be worth mentioning that my Note 2 had an issue with aux when it is on any AOSP ROMs. Selecting any app, even swiping the notification window down, sometimes even just leaving the music app and going back will stop the music from playing. The only solution for this was to go to the home screen unplug the aux start music playing and plug the cable back in and touch no other app. Again, it never did this with stock. I even went back to stock briefly because of this. AOSP seems to throw a fit with the aux cables.
I had issues with AUX today as well. Thought it was my specific phone but I'm relieved to know it's common....and perhaps a software issue.
infernosoft said:
I had issues with AUX today as well. Thought it was my specific phone but I'm relieved to know it's common....and perhaps a software issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I have it as well...I've found if I start Spotify, then plug in the AUX cord from my car, it works fine.
So I think I know the answer to this one.
It seems to have to do with how cars and some other devices treat aux inputs. For the most part it appears (at least in the case of my Prius) that with the input switched to aux the phone would not consistantly stay aux mode. What it seems like was happening is that the car doesnt actually 'activate' the aux port unless it senses a completed circuit (ie: audio playing). I have to believe this has to do with preventing feedback.
Unfortunately it seems the phone does the exact same thing. The headphone or aux symbol appears on insert of the cable because the phone senses the initial connection but then finds no load on the circuit thus assuming it is not connected and disables the port. You end up with basically an electronic stalemate. Neither one engaging cause they sense nothing from the other side. No load on the circuit.
Bear in mind this is completely dependent on the device you are connecting to your phone, as to whether it does what I'm talking about. Likewise, those experiencing popping or similar during song or track changes would basically be experiencing the same issue as during the song change the phone stops playing audio and your car kills the port. When the car kills the port, the phone kills the port, or is in the process of it when the next song starts.
To counteract this I bought an audio cable with a ground loop circuit built in. It is designed to remove the buzz from car aux audio due to the phone or other device being charged through the car's power system. But the added benefit is that it creates an artificial load on the line that the phone senses. Same idea as plugging in headphones as the earphone on the headphones creates a load on the line in the same way.
This is the audio cable I bought. Works like a charm every time, although one warning. I did experience one case of very loud static when unplugging it through the speakers in my car because of the fact that the car and the phone believe the circuit constantly is active and thus do not kill the connection to save your hearing. So be careful to only plug or unplug it when the input is not active or the car is off.
http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Reducing-SmartPhone-including-iPhone/dp/B0031U1ATQ/
It does appear that Amazon has put the item under review for now, though I'm not sure why as mine works flawlessly, but any similar car aux noise reducing cable would work, assuming its decent quality.
An aux cable with an in-line volume control should peform similarly due to the load created by the potentiometer, although it wouldnt remove the charger buzz.
Something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Apollo23-3-3-Volume-Control-Samsung-Smartphones/dp/B00COXA8Y4
wolfhelm said:
So I think I know the answer to this one.
It seems to have to do with how cars and some other devices treat aux inputs. For the most part it appears (at least in the case of my Prius) that with the input switched to aux the phone would not consistantly stay aux mode. What it seems like was happening is that the car doesnt actually 'activate' the aux port unless it senses a completed circuit (ie: audio playing). I have to believe this has to do with preventing feedback.
Unfortunately it seems the phone does the exact same thing. The headphone or aux symbol appears on insert of the cable because the phone senses the initial connection but then finds no load on the circuit thus assuming it is not connected and disables the port. You end up with basically an electronic stalemate. Neither one engaging cause they sense nothing from the other side. No load on the circuit.
Bear in mind this is completely dependent on the device you are connecting to your phone, as to whether it does what I'm talking about. Likewise, those experiencing popping or similar during song or track changes would basically be experiencing the same issue as during the song change the phone stops playing audio and your car kills the port. When the car kills the port, the phone kills the port, or is in the process of it when the next song starts.
To counteract this I bought an audio cable with a ground loop circuit built in. It is designed to remove the buzz from car aux audio due to the phone or other device being charged through the car's power system. But the added benefit is that it creates an artificial load on the line that the phone senses. Same idea as plugging in headphones as the earphone on the headphones creates a load on the line in the same way.
This is the audio cable I bought. Works like a charm every time, although one warning. I did experience one case of very loud static when unplugging it through the speakers in my car because of the fact that the car and the phone believe the circuit constantly is active and thus do not kill the connection to save your hearing. So be careful to only plug or unplug it when the input is not active or the car is off.
http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Reducing-SmartPhone-including-iPhone/dp/B0031U1ATQ/
It does appear that Amazon has put the item under review for now, though I'm not sure why as mine works flawlessly, but any similar car aux noise reducing cable would work, assuming its decent quality.
An aux cable with an in-line volume control should peform similarly due to the load created by the potentiometer, although it wouldnt remove the charger buzz.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just want my G3 to work as it should for such a simple function as the headphone jack/aux port.
I want to listen to music in my car without fannying around with different cables etc etc.
I had a Galaxy Note and S4, both played fine in the same car with the same cabling.
Shame on LG for releasing us a substandard product that cannot perform the most basic of tasks correctly.
I will say, i was extremely dissapointed when i plugged my shinny new phone into my stereo and the audio continued to come through the phone speakers. All other phones/devices work just fine in my car and there is no reason why my G3 shouldn't either.
R2DeeTard said:
I will say, i was extremely dissapointed when i plugged my shinny new phone into my stereo and the audio continued to come through the phone speakers. All other phones/devices work just fine in my car and there is no reason why my G3 shouldn't either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My first feeling was confusion. I was also worried my headphones wouldn't work. But I was able to watch a beautiful high def video on my phone last night with my headphones on
Sent from my LGLS990
I just got this phone too, and although I love it, I was very sad to have this issue! I haven't had it on any other phone I have owned, so I certainly hope it is fixed in a future update. That and the video force close bug, but that is for another thread!
Guys, there is nothing wrong with the AUX port on your cars -- and they don't trigger via sound. They trigger via either conductive circuitry or via ohm load. Can you test if you are still seeing these problems when *not* charging? This issue is typically related to bad grounds. This happens to me at work when my phone is charging and I plug my headphones directly into my G3. If I pass the audio to my PC first (to the line-in,) and THEN to my headphones, the static is mostly gone.
So try unplugging the power source, and using different aux cables. Another factor is try plugging the power source into the same feed as the stereo. Sometimes this isn't that easy though.
What's happening on the back end with the sound changing between songs, etc, is that the audio codec, (the chipset,) is turning off to conserve battery. For me, when the chip turns on, it grounds the 3.5mm port just fine, and when it's off, AND I have power connected with headphones, I can get that whine -- depending on the scenario. So basically, this is by design -- an energy conservation tactic. I would be okay with them leaving the audio chip on the entire time headphones are connected.
Had this problem too and found that as long as I was charging the phone it would play like it should.
Yep, grounding issue. At work, routing the aux signal through my PC works just fine WHILE charging -- if I unplug, then I get all the machine noise.
In general, though, the headphone output is pretty crappy on this device. Even when it's "working great," there is still a faint amount of white noise that can be heard. Much higher than my HTC M7. The S5 had similar performance as the G3 though.
I just bought:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ANDHBNS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And plugged it into:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F474DVG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
So when I get in my car, it connects to the dongle for music and the car's blue tooth for phone.
It's not perfect, but gets the job done.
wolfhelm said:
So I think I know the answer to this one.
It seems to have to do with how cars and some other devices treat aux inputs. For the most part it appears (at least in the case of my Prius) that with the input switched to aux the phone would not consistantly stay aux mode. What it seems like was happening is that the car doesnt actually 'activate' the aux port unless it senses a completed circuit (ie: audio playing). I have to believe this has to do with preventing feedback.
Unfortunately it seems the phone does the exact same thing. The headphone or aux symbol appears on insert of the cable because the phone senses the initial connection but then finds no load on the circuit thus assuming it is not connected and disables the port. You end up with basically an electronic stalemate. Neither one engaging cause they sense nothing from the other side. No load on the circuit.
Bear in mind this is completely dependent on the device you are connecting to your phone, as to whether it does what I'm talking about. Likewise, those experiencing popping or similar during song or track changes would basically be experiencing the same issue as during the song change the phone stops playing audio and your car kills the port. When the car kills the port, the phone kills the port, or is in the process of it when the next song starts.
To counteract this I bought an audio cable with a ground loop circuit built in. It is designed to remove the buzz from car aux audio due to the phone or other device being charged through the car's power system. But the added benefit is that it creates an artificial load on the line that the phone senses. Same idea as plugging in headphones as the earphone on the headphones creates a load on the line in the same way.
This is the audio cable I bought. Works like a charm every time, although one warning. I did experience one case of very loud static when unplugging it through the speakers in my car because of the fact that the car and the phone believe the circuit constantly is active and thus do not kill the connection to save your hearing. So be careful to only plug or unplug it when the input is not active or the car is off.
http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Reducing-SmartPhone-including-iPhone/dp/B0031U1ATQ/
It does appear that Amazon has put the item under review for now, though I'm not sure why as mine works flawlessly, but any similar car aux noise reducing cable would work, assuming its decent quality.
An aux cable with an in-line volume control should peform similarly due to the load created by the potentiometer, although it wouldnt remove the charger buzz.
Something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Apollo23-3-3-Volume-Control-Samsung-Smartphones/dp/B00COXA8Y4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just purchased this:
http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Reducing-SmartPhone-including-iPhone/dp/B0031U1ATQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406313911&sr=8-1&keywords=kensington+noise+reducing+car+audio+aux+cable
Working pretty well. Mainly solves the connectivity issues.
Still have the pop between tracks but it's much better.
Still have the "computer talk" garbage noise related to the display coming through the left channel.
I can live with this until LG or Android comes up with a fix.
aux problem
I guess I lucked out with my phone but then again maybe not. First off I will describe my setup, I have a 05 Subaru WRX with stock 6cd changer head unit ( no aux port ) I installed a Harmon Kardon Drive + Play iPod dock. This allows me to remote control my iPod and comes with a display that shows tracks and such. It works by FM transmitter but has an optional wire which I have that connects directly between the antenna and the stereo so you get little to no loss of signal. Between the AUX and my phone I connected a PAC SNI-1/3.5 3.5-mm Ground Loop Noise device. My previous phone was an LG Optimus G which I loved, when I hooked this phone up I could listen to Pandora/TuneinRadio through my car speakers and upon making/receiving a call I would hear the call through the car speakers and when I talked the phone mic. would pick up my voice. When I attempt this with the G3 I get no popping between tracks but the phone mutes the mic and when I say mute I don't mean the mute button comes on I mean the other person can't hear me. I found if I unplug and plug the phone in during the call eventually the mic works again, but to do this while driving defeats the purpose of hands free calling. Does anyone else have this problem? (or a solution).
Click to open expanded view
gorillaz1 said:
Yeah I have it as well...I've found if I start Spotify, then plug in the AUX cord from my car, it works fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Works for me, thank you.
Mines does not work at all, with headphones or aux Jack, now I have to get Bluetooth headphones and bluetooth radio for car
Sent from my LGLS990 using XDA Free mobile app
Do we know if LG is working on this issue? Or if it is something that can even be fixed with an update? I'm getting tired of messing with the cable just to play music in my car, and I don't want to have to buy extra accessories to get the job done.
Sent from my LGLS990 using XDA Free mobile app
Bumping this thread because I just started having issues. Last night I was listen to music with headphones and my device kept turning itself down. I thought it was Tasker at first but it kept happening. Today at work I wanted to listen to music on headphones again and the sound would only come through my device. I'm going to try an aux and other headphones when I get off work, but does anyone know if a system restore will fix this? I'm rooted with TWRP, I just don't want to wipe it for nothing.
Srambo217 said:
Bumping this thread because I just started having issues. Last night I was listen to music with headphones and my device kept turning itself down. I thought it was Tasker at first but it kept happening. Today at work I wanted to listen to music on headphones again and the sound would only come through my device. I'm going to try an aux and other headphones when I get off work, but does anyone know if a system restore will fix this? I'm rooted with TWRP, I just don't want to wipe it for nothing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They fixed it with ZV6. If you're already on ZV6 then I have no idea.
Sent from my LGLS990 using XDA Free mobile app

Just got it - heaphone aux problem...again

I use an aux cable in my car to listen to music and podcasts.
when starting spotify i experienced incredible amounts of static, no matter what volume both the phone and car volume were set at.
Anybody else experience this?
Experiencing this in my work truck, will check my car after work
Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk
Works fine in my car. Must be something else
Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk
napafats said:
Works fine in my car. Must be something else
Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Might be the worst static and fuzz ive ever experienced through a phone. Dont know what to do.
Any updates on this?
Mine comes out with an incredibly small amount of movement. Anyone else have this issue?
Nvm I just was being too easy on it. Requires a lot of pressure relative to anything else I've had for it to lock in.
Also you guys should dip a q-tip in rubbing alcohol and clean out your cars and phones headphone jacks. Especially in a work truck I imagine there's significant dust build up in there.
....cable
I found this too, even the headphones supplied need a fair amount of force to connect - at least they won't be pulled out so easy!
1 Maybe RF from cell communication leaking into audio or power cable.
2 Try with phone Not plugged into car power (I assume you run this with charger cable connected).
3 Try with better quality aux cable, maybe one that is shielded.
No fix. so aggravating.
Mine are flawless.
I just got the g5. Same issue. Tried multiple cables. Headphones work fine but not the aux cable
Just got my G5 a few days ago and I noticed this too.
In the car using a downloaded playlist on spotify and got terrible static noises (haven't tried any local music files as I don't use any!)
Sent from my LG-H850 using Tapatalk
I tried it in another head unit and it works.
Aux cable works in my Alpine but not in the Kenwood.
Ok guys and gals. I've been dealing with this for a bit and I found a fix of sorts. First off, two G5s (a buddies and mine) both had static in my car, but no static in his car or my mother's car. The difference being is that I have an aftermarket JVC player (removable face plate, auxiliary jack in front). The other two cars had factory stereos. I was guessing it was an aftermarket thing. Weird, I know, but that was the only commonality. Even more odd was that out of four phones the G5 was the only one having the hissy fit.
On Reddit some people were fixing this problem with a "ground loop isolator". It's basically this little noise filter device that plugs in the audio jack. Maybe $15 on Amazon. Anyways, I was about to order one, but before that I decided to take the head unit out of my car to see if any wires were loose. No wires were loose, but what I did find was an alternative 3.5mm jack in the back of my stereo. I'm sure not all stereos have a second port, but there's a decent chance. My particular head unit isn't what you'd call fancy by any means and it has one. So I plugged it in the back 3.5mm port and wouldn't you know, crystal clear sound!! I was so happy when it worked! Now instead of putting my stereo to "auxiliary" for the front port. I have to put it on "bt audio" to access the rear one. (whatever bt audio means, who knows, but it works).
So that's basically it, find out if your car stereo has a secondary 3.5mm port in the back and give it a shot. I didn't realize it at first, but right next to the front auxiliary port it actually says dual auxiliary/audio port. It could be an easy way to find out. As for rerouting the cord. I have a little pocket directly under my radio. There was a tiny hole in the back of the pocket/tray that I put the wire through. It looks cleaner than having it stick out from the faceplate of the radio any way.
If your stereo doesn't have a second 3.5mm port in the back You may want to check out a "ground loop isolator" from Amazon.
Good luck folks. Peace.
Not sure if could post links to the isolator. I'll give it a try.
Kresk - Here is the part that will boggle your mind with this issue. Go and play the stock LG sound file on the phone (The "High Quality" audio track). Once that plays, the static stops. Then switch to your regular music app - I use Spotify - and the music plays static free until the built in music app closes in the background. Then all the static comes back. If there was some way to force the phone to stay in whatever mode it uses for the High Quality audio track, it could be a great fix.
I've also found that there are three different "modes" of static I get on my phone too
1) Static Free
2) Low level of background static, volume independent (volume stays the same low background noise)
3) High level of static, volume dependent (Higher the volume, more static)
Typically when I do the thing where I get it into High Quality audio mode or whatever its using, I get 2 when immediately switching to Spotify. If I lock and unlock my screen, it goes to 3.
I'm going to go and try to plug into the "BT Audio" port on the back of my JVC head unit and see if it works. Will report back on it. I also have a ground loop isolator coming in the mail tomorrow, so I can give an update on that as well.
~PubstarHero
You might need a Ground Loop Noise Isolator, such as this: https://www.amazon.com/Mpow-Ground-Isolator-System-Stereo/dp/B019393MV2
I am thinking of getting one for an issue similar, but not the same as yours.
Same issues, in general. Static on most aux cables, and in my case some headphones don't work at all. My higher-end earbuds work flawlessly though, so go figure. Not sure what to do about it other than the ground fault isolator, though I was about to start looking into a Bluetooth-to-aux module.

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