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Apache MP3 Playback quality has mild static?

I'm noticing very faint static when I play back my music files in Windows Media on my Sprint 6700 (Apache). I've tried different headphones and ruled that out. I know the files are good...they play back fine on my Imate Jam.
My guess is that the software or ROM isn't optimized in some way and its causing the distortion.
Anyone else notice this? Any ideas for improving the quality?

After 3 days with the 6700, I'm sending it back. I've been a fan of HTC products back to the first XDA. I've owner 4 of their phones - the XDA, PDA2K, I-Mate JAM, and now the Sprint 6700.
While it's a great product in many ways, it misses the mark in terms of audio quality. For the past year, I've use my I-Mate Jam every day at the gym...it's my IPOD with all my favorite music. I use Yahoo's music service and constantly fill it with new tunes. When the 6700 arrived, I copied my library over and was eager to try it out.
Within five minutes, I was disappointed. First, the volume was amazingly low compared to my JAM. Nealy 40% lower. So much so that on certain songs, it was hard to hear. On my JAM, the volume is so loud it hurts. While I don't turn it up that high, its great to know when you're in a noisy room or on a plane you can hear your music. Bluetooth was even worse. I have an Acura TL with built-in hands free. The JAM works great here. With the 6700, I have to crank the volume nearly twice as much just to hear.
Second, there is a lot of distortion. It's like listening to a dusty record or a worn cassette. Pops, crackles, and skips are very noticeable. My music is encoded at 192Kps...on the Jam its like a CD. On the 6700 its annoying...like I'm listening to my old Sony Walkman from 1985. Some music actually skips a beat.
I just don't get it. This is the 5th generation device from HTC. How come after all this they can't get it right? With each device there have been bad quirks. Things like the PDA2K's faulty Bluetooth support (read the posts and you'll see what I mean) or the JAM's really poor camera. There's always something. Don't they learn from past experience? By now, it should be nearly perfect. Boards like this are full of feedback.
Uggg. I like the rest of the device. WM5 is great. EVDO...WOW! Nice improvements in many areas. The keyboard is solid...more useable than to Palm's Treo. But if you're into music, this device really misses the mark and in my case, that's every day.
I'm going to exchange it in hopes that maybe it's a bad unit. I doubt it though. I've tried four different headphones from the ones inside the box to high-end Bose...all sound the same. It's too bad...I really thought this would be the perfect PDA/Phone combo.

How is the voice quality and sound on this phone??

I keep reading reviews knocking the sound quality and voice quality of this phone, and it's scaring me away from it. They say the speakerphone and earpiece speaker is very low and tin can sounding. Can you all share if this is true or not?

Some days it sounds like a tin can but others it's fine. My DX was a lot better sounding. People can hear me without any issues though. It's only on my end.

the speaker for the bolt is pretty quite wish it was a bit louder, as for call quality on stock and das BAMF for me its one of the better sounding phones i have owned

I found that the phone sounds crappy a lot of the time. The volume control range is too narrow, so the volume is either too loud at the lowest setting or too quiet on the highest. When you crank the volume all the way up you get a lot of distortion and noise. I was definitely surprised by the low quality of the phone on t-bolt. My clamshell from ages ago worked better.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App

in call sound quality on mine is not that great,I get a crackeling noise at max volume which i never had before(also didnt notice till i dropped it a few days ago so may be the cause for me) but i almost always use bluetooth so its not really an issue for me the BT sound quality has been great for me.

well i have had 3 of them and so far all have been better than any blackberry or my htc imagio,the speaker is behind the kick stand that makes it quit but thru the headset and tethered to the car stereo its just fine. I drive a truck and its loud in here but all works well.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA Premium App

Unfortunately the TB is the worst sounding phone that I've ever owned... people on the other side say that I sound awful as well.

Yes it sounds bad and they know it!
I talked to HTC about the sound quality. They told me it was a software problem and would be fixed (Sure it will). They said to close the kickstand to make the external speaker sound better. Well if you can't hear it I suppose it sounds better. They said to turn the volume down so the ear piece sounds better. The phone also has a bad headphone amplifier. It distorts bad if you add a little base. This is my first HTC phone and it will probably be my last.

Wow, coming from my Droid X I have the exact opposite of what most of you are having.
No one has noticed that I have changed phones and I'm having an easier time understanding people on the other end.
I have a friend with a heavy Swedish accent that is much easier to understand now than he was on my X.

audio/call quality

is it just me in regards to the audio quality for the g2x? i get crackling pops during the ringing and when people talk. its not that noticeable but its there. runnin cm nightly 200. changing the codec/voice for the gps is pretty clean "probably could be better" but some people say its a hardware limitation on the g2x and there's some flaws in regards to it.

I noticed this since day one. I've always just considered it to be a limitation of the phone, and I never really thought out was a big deal.

if it were to be a phone limitation then the speaker phone with svox /ivona should sound like ass as well. they dont so i would assume its a codec/software issue. does the RIL relate to call quality? or is that more to do with APNs/wifi/gps

[Q] Loudspeaker hardware mod?

No matter how much we try to deny it, or try not to talk about it- we must all admit that the speaker output of the Sensation isn't amongst the best we've come across. I've missed calls numerous times (especially in a crowded street or so) just because I couldn't hear the ringer.
Yes, we do have apps such as Volume+ and PowerAmp which does seem to do an alright job- but still doesn't satisfy our need.
Here's my Q- Would installing a speaker from a different model/ phone have a better output? I understand that it might need additional software tweaks as well ( not to mention finding a suitable speaker which fits )- but is it possible?
PS. I'm not a sound crazy noob who just wants to impress people with a loud phone, I honestly can't hear it half the time.
Regards,
Tony

Would be interesting! This is my chief complaint with my phone.

I dont understand why this has not been touched yet. Its been the number one issue since day one, volume+ only helps with media.

Dacoit said:
I dont understand why this has not been touched yet. Its been the number one issue since day one, volume+ only helps with media.
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Sure has been. Any input from someone who has a better understanding of the internals of a Sensation would definitely be helpful. And I for one definitely wouldn't mind risking the warranty if it actually seems possible.
Which one of the HTC line would have the most powerful loudspeaker? I suppose those within the HTC family maybe an easier fit.

I think HTC Sensation has the same speaker as the HTC Droid Incredible 2, HTC Evo 3d(expected),HTC Freestyle & HTC Incredible S based to how they used the same picture for these phones speakers on www.repairsuniverse.com. Anybody know about the sound quality from these phones?

I've heard that the Evo 3D stores a pretty powerful sound output. Judging by the link, I'd say it might be a good fit on the sensation as well.
But I sure hope it isn't exactly the same speaker. That'd be like installing a Sensation XE speaker on the Sensation- Foolish.

The only thing i fear is that our phones have a weak speaker because of the design of the case. The hole for the speaker on the sensation is small and off center of the actual speaker. The Evo3d has a seemingly larger slits for the speaker and it seems to be on center so that might be the difference. Has anybody opened the phone and used the speaker without the plastic body and the battery cover in the way?

kevinliu2336 said:
The only thing i fear is that our phones have a weak speaker because of the design of the case. The hole for the speaker on the sensation is small and off center of the actual speaker. The Evo3d has a seemingly larger slits for the speaker and it seems to be on center so that might be the difference. Has anybody opened the phone and used the speaker without the plastic body and the battery cover in the way?
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I had that suspicion earlier today as well. And I did try it out with the rear housing off. There really wasn't much of a difference- it might seem a bit louder with the back off, but at the same time it seems to pump more bass with it on.
I wouldn't mind trying out an EVO 3D speaker on mine to figure if it does make a difference, but I'd need someone to confirm that they aren't the same speakers as the sensation. Any additional info/ tips would be appreciated- Let me get this done and make myself a bit useful to the forum

If you are using an mp3 as a ringtone, that can be re-recorded at a higher output level. Not sure if there is an Android audio app that would let you do that directly on the phone, but certainly there are lots of audio apps for Mac and PC that will do the job.

stroobach said:
If you are using an mp3 as a ringtone, that can be re-recorded at a higher output level. Not sure if there is an Android audio app that would let you do that directly on the phone, but certainly there are lots of audio apps for Mac and PC that will do the job.
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Sure there are apps which would help increase output to a certain level, but still does't reach expected levels. For all having issues with the loudspeaker output- I'd recommend this thread for now: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1389756
All credits go to the OP of that thread- that sure was an amazing find! Worked well for me, and editing that particular file whilst installing a different speaker might help even better. Will get back on that as soon as I'm done with a project deadline.

I guess we all agree that the loudspeaker on the Sensation is woeful. I own a Touch Pro 2 and the dual speakers are LOUD. They are probably the loudest speaker phone that you can ever find from the entire HTC product line. Interestingly, the dual speakers are also designed such that the left speaker is behaving like the tweeter (higher pitch sounds) while the right speaker is the woofer (lower pitch sounds). It is very apparent when you cover up one and then the other while some music is playing.
I have ordered a spare speaker (meant for repairs) for the Touch Pro 2 and will be playing around with it to see if some hardware mods are possible to improve the Sensation's speakers. The delivery is expected to take 3 weeks to arrive.

I don't wish to dig up zombies, but I thought it better to continue an old thread than start a new one due to others insights.
Has anyone tried other speakers to see if they fit in the Sensation? I too have come from the Touch Pro2, and there was a tweak on it which made the speaker even louder (it was already quite loud!). I could hold a conversation, hands-free, in my car with the window down on the motorway no problem. And now, coming to the Senny, I'm almost embarrased to play music to anyone (unless using the headphones). I realise we can't get the TP2 speakers on the Senny (as there is more involved than just swapping a speaker - even if there was room for 2 larger speakers in the Senny).
Anyway. @darkytoothpaste, or anyone else, has there been any progress with the speaker hardware?

[Q] How is your speaker?

i noticed that my speaker is very quiet, even on my buddys sensation
my last two phones (nexus one & mytouch4g) both had LOUDDDDD speakers and the speaker on the sensation is a bit of a disappointment
anyone else notice a weak speaker?

Yeah its a known problem. Not much we can do about it.

Spkr sucks
This is the worst speaker I have had in a phone. I even tried dl'ing a volume booster app, it was ok i guess. but I jus went n bought a cube, (the lil external speaker) and that thing is really loud for its size. But mostly I gave up and just carry my iphone with me and listen to that instead. It makes me regret running over my sgs which put this speaker to shame.

Mines is just fine in call is very good and media such as music isn't that bad ...
Sent From My Sexy Sensation.

I've got a problem with in call volume, especially with sip calling with the native client. Sometimes it's fine (in terms of the normal Sensation quietness). Sometimes it's just about inaudible. It's not a problem with my provider since I don't have this problem with other phones/sip clients.
Seems to be fine if I use a bluetooth earpiece though.
Don't really make regular cell calls too often, so not sure if it's a global issue or isolated to sip calling

Mine is xLOUD and its fine

No way around it the speaker quality for this phone is the absolute worst I have experienced period. I thought it was just me, good to know others have the same issue (I suppose). Does xLoud work with Virtuous Inquisition? Or is there any other app that does work at boosting the sound. It's the one qualm I have with this phone...
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using XDA

Want a loud speaker? Buy a Motorola rokr e1 or Motorola e398 ;-)
Sent from my HTC Sensation using Tapatalk

The first "iPhone" was such a dud, and yet it's call volume probably still obliterated this phone's. Is it too much to ask that the speaker isn't the equivalent of cups and string? I mean maybe it's a manufacturing defect or something (which I guess I'll live with until a significant upgrade comes along) but I contemplated returning this phone from day one. Fortunately, the pro's outweigh the cons but it'd still be nice to have a fix...

monkor said:
The first "iPhone" was such a dud, and yet it's call volume probably still obliterated this phone's. Is it too much to ask that the speaker isn't the equivalent of cups and string? I mean maybe it's a manufacturing defect or something (which I guess I'll live with until a significant upgrade comes along) but I contemplated returning this phone from day one. Fortunately, the pro's outweigh the cons but it'd still be nice to have a fix...
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i dont know man
i heard about the dust under the screen problem, the bad touchscreen digitizer problem, the deathgrip problems.. lol so far i only have a weak speaker but im still thinking of switching over to the amaze or just wait to get a one s
the community here is HUGE and thats making me want to keep the sensation

Spkr sucks
My in call spkr works fine (although I basically make everyone text as I hate talking on the phone). Its jus the external speaker for music that really annoys me. I thought about it and this phone has the lowest output volume of every single phone I have owned even from a while back, Nokia 5310,(i still like that simple a** phone for some reason) xpress, 5730, g1, g2, hd1, my-touch, my-touch fender, Sgs-1&2, iPhone3, iPhone 4 all seemed to play louder than this. But hey, If they made a phone that had the complete pkg i guess it would stop the need for future phone sales so they gotta screw us outta sumthin at least I guess.
I too was on the verge of jus moving over to iOS n usin my iPhone4 since I JB it, the iPad & all 3 touches I started liking the amount of stuff you can do, But I came across this site today & was reminded of why Im stickin to the lil green guy on my phone.

My speaker is so so, but with Volume+ app it rocks!

My speaker is loud enough using DSPManager, but the quality is absolutely terrible.